Using what my mama gave me to an advantage, because let’s face it, I’m working for tips, I shake my ass a little harder and swing my hair over my shoulder as I reach the counter. “What can I get y’all boys?” I ask sweetly, but avoiding his eyes.
“We’ll take a round of SoCo for starters,” the chunky one says.
“Five SoCo’s comin’ right up,” I say as I go to grab the shot glasses. Then, I hear his raspy voice, and everything within my body comes alive.
“That’s four shots and a Coke,” Walker states. I turn on my heels quickly.
“Coke? Are you sure?” I question, and he nods in agreement. “You want it in a shot glass, too?” I ask like the smart ass I’ve become over the years.
With a husky laugh, he answers, “Whatever you want to do, Pumpkin.” I stop, but I don’t turn around. I haven’t been called that since the day he rode away. After gathering myself together, I pour him a shot of Coke into a glass. He smiles when I place it in front of him.
“Come on, Pumpkin. Pour yourself one. I think me rollin’ back into town calls for a toast.” I roll my eyes, and then Paige hands me a shot glass of Coke. Raising my glass, I put one hand on my hip and wait for his toast. “Here’s to us, Pumpkin. Past, present, and future.” I clink my glass, and when it touches my lips, I quickly realize it’s not Coke, but rather sweet cinnamon that burns the entire way down. I’m thankful to have Paige to count on when I need it most. Slamming down my shot glass when I finish, I turn and walk out of the bar and into the back room, holding myself together until I’m alone.
As soon as the door shuts, I scream, “Ahhhhhhhhhh!” Then, I reach down and grab an empty bottle and toss it across the room, shattering it into a million pieces. I want to cry, but I refuse to show any emotion in front of him. He’s the one that left, and when I needed him, he was nowhere to be found. One night of happiness together was suddenly shattered with the death of my father. Does he think he can just ride his fine ass back in on his bike and act like he hasn’t been gone for thirteen years? I don’t think so!
I hear the door open. “Chauna, are you okay?” Paige questions. I turn to face her.
“No, but I’ll survive,” I reply as I begin to walk past her and back to the bar.
She grabs my arm. “Look, I’m not sure what’s goin’ on, but you can trust me.”
“I know, but right now’s not the time.”
“Okay, but when it is, just let me know,” she says.
“Thanks, Chelly,” Paige says as we walk back out to the bar, and Chelly returns to the floor like I didn’t just lose my cool back there.
Scanning the bar, I realize he’s no longer sitting there, but at a table on the other side of Boondocks. Bless Chelly’s heart. She’s going to have to wait on him. I shake it off and go back to working with Paige.
As the house band begins to play, I get lost in the music while I work. No matter what crap I deal with while working, this makes it worth it. I feel close to my daddy when I’m in this place, and I’ll never leave it. Paige and I sing and cut up for the remainder of the night. We watch the bar flies pick out their prey and make a move. It doesn’t surprise me when Misty, the town ho bag, struts over to Walker. I attempt to ignore them by cleaning, since closing time is approaching. The more I try to divert my eyes from him, the harder I feel his eyes on me. When I finally give in, he’s staring straight to my soul, and I don’t look away. Instead, I shake my head as Misty is perched on his lap, talking ninety miles an hour and totally clueless that he doesn’t give a shit about her.
Breaking our stare, I grab the glasses and take them into the kitchen. When I return to the bar, Walker is sitting at the counter.
“Chauna, can we talk?” he asks with his rough voice that has my body screaming “yes!”
“About what?” I respond sharply as I continue to clean.
He points between him and me. “This.”
“What’s there to say?” I smirk.
“Oh, I think there’s plenty, but this isn’t the time or place. I want you and me, alone,” he says.
“I don’t think so, Walker. You’re the one that’s been gone all these years, not me. I have nothing to say.”
“If that’s what you want to tell yourself, keep tellin’ it, but I was a fuckin’ teenager. I didn’t have a choice. I’m sure Mom and Pops would have totally gone for that shit,” he says with anger in his voice.
“Well, not tonight.” I make my way to the back room. As soon as I know I’m out of sight, I press my back against the wall and single tears begin to stream down my face. He’s held a piece of my heart since we were kids. My heart swelled with love and then shattered for him as a teen, but he can’t just ride back in here after all these years and act like it didn’t happen. I can’t forget. I won’t forget.
Walker
As soon as she turns away, I get more pissed off than I’ve been in an extremely long time. Hell, I know I’ve been gone, but damn, I was a fucking kid. I can’t help my parents made me leave with them. It wasn’t my fault what happened, but for some reason, I’m the one that continues to pay for it.
Standing, I make my way back over to my gang, and they stand when I approach. “Let’s roll,” I say. They follow right behind me like a bunch of sick puppies.
“Hey, Walker, what’s up with that bartender? You know her or somethin’?” Justin says.
“Yeah, I know her, or let’s just say, I did at one time,” I answer as I reach my bike.
After putting on my helmet, I glance into Boondocks’ window, and I see her, even though she thinks no one can. I see the effect I’ve had on her. She’s got her small frame pressed against the wall, and her long golden locks are tossed over her shoulder. Even when she’s a total wreck, she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. In fact, she’s all I’ve ever wanted. Seeing her like this, I know I was right to come back to this hellhole of a town.
Chapter 2
Chauna
Deep breaths! Deep breaths! He’s gone… for now. I wipe the tears from my eyes and then go back to the bar to help Paige finish cleaning. As the final customers make their way out and the house lights are brought back up, she stops what she’s doing, grabs two High Lifes, and tosses one to me.
“Talk,” she demands.
Taking a long pull on my beer, I debate whether I want to or not. “There’s not much to say. He was my best friend and left when he was sixteen. I haven’t heard a damn word since then, and when the shit hit the fan for me, he was gone.”
“If that’s what you want to tell yourself,” she says with sass.
Ohmygosh! Is it freakin’ déjà vu with Walker? “Look, I just don’t know why he thinks he can ride back into Barber like he never left. Paige, he fuckin’ left me when my life went to hell. Who does that?”
“Uh, Chauna, he was a kid. He didn’t have a choice.”
I can’t tell her what I really want to say, because if I do, I will have said too much. Then, everyone in town will know what really happened to my daddy. That’s a secret I want to stay buried.
“Paige, I just don’t want to go there with him. He isn’t going to just come back to Barber and act like he never left. My life has changed, and he has, too. Did you see him?” I state flatly.
“Yeah, I saw him and his fine ass. Biker or not, he’s like the new flavor of the week at Baskin Robbins, and if you don’t get your scoop, one of these hos ’round town will.”
I know she’s right. What’s going to piss me off more than anything is Walker with another girl in town, especially one that is just infatuated with his bike and smokin’ hot body. At sixteen, his body was to die for, but at almost thirty, there are no words to describe what I want to do to it.
“You know I’m right, Chauna! I’ll help you swat the flies until you decide that he’s paid enough, but I can’t make promises for how long I can keep it up,” she says as she hops off the counter, tosses her beer into the trash, and grabs her purse. “You ready to call it a night?”
Pulling into my little cracker box of a house in the middle of nowhere, I can’t help but smile at what I’ve accomplished for myself. When my daddy passed away, he made sure I’d be taken care of, but when I turned eighteen, I bought the little shack my great-grandmother had grown up in and made it my own. Over the past few years, I’ve saved and updated both the interior and exterior. I kept the character, but it now looks like it was just built.
Getting out of the car, I fumble for the key as I make my way up the steps to the front door. As I open the screen door, I jump a mile high when his voice startles me.
“You know, if I were a criminal, you’d be dead by now.” He laughs.
“What the fuck, Walker?” I yell.
“Fuck? A’ight. If that’s what you want.” He laughs harder as he starts to walk toward me.
“No, that’s not what I said, and you know it,” I say with my arms crossed.
“Damn, I know, Pumpkin. I was just givin’ you a hard time. But, do you know you’re hot when you’re pissed off?” he says as he takes a step closer. Dang, he always liked to piss me off as a teenager… so he could make up for it later.
“Whatever. What do you want?” I ask.
“I told you. I want to talk. It’s going to happen whether you want to or not. I’ve got some things to say,” he says as he continues to walk toward me and tries to pin me against the side of the house. Funny, we’ve been here before, too.
“Well, start talkin,’ because I don’t have all night,” I say, not giving him an inch, even though my back’s against the wall.
“You expectin’ someone?” he asks.
“Nope, but it’s three o’clock in the damn mornin,’ and I’ve worked all night. So, start talkin’,” I say, with him even closer.
“Fine. Do you really think I wanted to leave you? My parents got in some shit, and I had to. What was a teenage boy to do all alone? Ever thought about that?” he questions. “I didn’t think so. I know some shit happened when I left, and I’m sorry. I didn’t want to leave, but leaving was the best thing that happened to me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I question as I push off the wall.
“Never mind,” he says as he shakes it off.
“No, fuckin’ tell me, because from what I remember, some shit went down, times got hard, you left, and my daddy fuckin’ died! I think that was all pretty obvious,” I say as I shove him backward.
A growl escapes his lips, and he runs his hand through his dark brown hair in aggravation as he takes a step toward me and encloses the space. I don’t move, but when he is within an inch of my face, I do my best to pull away.
“Dammit, Chauna, we’re not done,” he says as he gets a little alpha male and backs me against the house again. Only this time, he doesn’t stop there. He looks into my eyes and then brings his perfectly sculpted lips to mine.
As his lips scar mine with his brand, I try not to give in. I want to make him pay for what has happened to me, but for a moment, I’m sixteen again. After pulling myself from my desires, I push him off me.
“What the fuck, Walker?! You can’t just do that!” I scream, but internally, I want him to continue to make me live once again.
Walker
Once Chauna pushes me away, I know she is pissed. Hell, that’s what we used to do—fight, argue, and then makeup like two horny teenagers that couldn’t get enough of each other. It’s what happened between us before she pushed me away that gives me hope. She feels it, too, and I plan on making her see she’s the reason why I came back to Barber. I give her a wry grin, and she looks as if she could kill me.
“Pumpkin, just keep telling yourself you don’t want me, but one day, I might not be right here in front of you. Then, it’s gonna be too late, and you will be fucking alone forever.” Damn. That was low. Even for me.
As I look at her face, hurt is evident. I want to tell her I’m sorry, but I’m not exactly the guy she remembers. Her life has been hard, and so has mine. She’s not the only one that’s lost people she loves, but I don’t say anything else. Instead, I turn around and walk back to my bike. As the front door slams shut, I make my way to the local motel.
Chapter 3
Chauna
As soon as his taillight is in the distance, I scream. What the hell is this? Why now? But, ohmygosh, those lips! Stop, Chauna! Get it together! After a few deep breaths and a shot of Fireball, I take a shower and go to bed. At least that’s what I attempt to do, but when I close my eyes, all I see are Walker’s— dark, deep, and calling for my heart. Deep down, I know he’s still the boy I knew growing up, but he’s on the other side. I just don’t think I can go there. I swore off motorcycles when my daddy went to Heaven.
As the morning light begins to peak through my curtains, I pull the covers over my head. I’ve got to get a set of blackout curtains. After another hour of sleep, I roll out of bed and turn on the coffee pot. Around lunch, I finally get motivated and make my way outside to do a little yard work before getting ready for work tonight. It’s Saturday, and Schaeffer’s Story, a local band that’s starting to make a name for themselves, is playing tonight. It’s a guaranteed packed house when those girls show up to play. They remind me of Pistol Annies. They are everything little girls growing up in a small town want to be—beautiful bombshells that aren’t afraid to raise a little hell every now and then. As I grab a bite to eat out of the refrigerator before getting ready, my phone begins to ring. Paige.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?” I ask.
“Nothin’, just wanted to check on ya after last night,” she says.
“Oh, I’m fine…other than Walker paying me a visit at my house.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Nope. Serious as a heart attack,” I respond.
“Anything you want to tell me?” she asks, trying her best to find out what happened.
“Not really. He backed me against the side of my house and kissed the hell outta me right before I pushed him off and told him to get over himself.” She laughs on the other end. “What’s so funny?”
“You totally want him. Just admit it.” Silence. I don’t say a word. “Exactly what I thought. I’ll see ya afterwhile. After checking their Facebook page, it looks like tonight’s gonna be crazy.”
“I like crazy, especially if they tip well.” We both laugh and hang up.
I hurry to get ready. As I shower, I can’t help but think about Walker. Even with the roughness that has grown on him, I can still see my Walker. The question is, would he ditch his MC crew for me? Highly unlikely, and that’s the only way we will ever be together.
I continue to think about him and his lips on mine as I pull a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a Boondocks racerback tank that’s been cut to show off my perfectly toned stomach. I curl my hair and apply my makeup, and then I take a deep breath and think about why I’m taking the extra time to look good tonight. Is it just for tips, or is it for Walker?
When I arrive at Boondocks, Paige is already here, as well was Schaffer’s Story. Pam, the lead singer, and her sister, Kristina, who is their manager and a former classmate of mine, meet me at the door. “Damn, Chauna. I know we bring in the crowd, but damn, you don’t have to put the rest of us to shame,” Pam says.
“Huh?” I say, confused.
“It’s Walker!” I hear Paige yell their way, and the expression on their faces looks like they’re in complete shock.
“I thought he rode away into the sunset a long time ago. When did he get back?” Kristina asks.
“Yesterday, and he’s trying to find a way to make Chauna not hate him.”
I look at Paige like I could kill her and just shake my head before I make my way downstairs to grab a few cases of beer. As I start toward the stairs, Paige is standing before me.
“What?” I ask with a little attitude.
“Seriously, you can’t tell me that you aren’t dying to give it a s
hot. Look at you! I mean, don’t get me wrong. You always look good when we’re working, but damn, you’d think you just signed up for America’s Next Top Model. He’s gonna lose his shit when he sees you.”
“Good,” is all I say.
“Oh my God. I can’t wait for tonight. It’s gonna be free entertainment at its best,” she says, clapping with excitement before she grabs a case, and we go upstairs.
As nightfall approaches, people begin to pour inside. Everyone from locals to folks that live a few counties over has come for the entertainment. After the house band gets the crowd going, Schaffer’s Story takes the stage. “How y’all doin’ tonight?” Pam asks the crowd. They hoot and holler as the band begins to play. The sound of country music with a little edge begins to fill Boondocks. Paige and I let loose and enjoy our night, bring the people toward the bar, and the tips begin to flood in.
I’ve kept my mind off Walker all night, but I do glance around the room to find him. He’s not here. I feel let down, but when Pam calls for me to join them onstage, I forget about him and make my way once Chelly takes my place behind the bar.
“What are we singin’ tonight, ladies?” I ask.
Pam smiles. “Little Red Wagon.”
“Damn right,” I reply, and she hands me the microphone as the drums kick in, followed by the rest of the band. I smile as I begin to sing the lyrics, “You can’t ride in this little red wagon, front seats broke and the axle’s draggin’.” I work the stage and meet the eyes of a cute little blonde that isn’t from here. I give him a wink, and he smiles. Yup, it’s about to get interesting. I continue to sing, dance, and work the stage like I was born to do it, just like my daddy. When the song ends, I take a bow and make my way back to the bar.
Walker
Damn. That was a performance, and she had no idea I saw it. The way her long, tanned legs moved across the stage like she owned the place, and her voice, damn, it was like liquid honey. I could listen to it all day, but when she winked at that fucker, I wanted to go all Tarzan on his ass, but I didn’t. I sat back, watched, and plotted how I’m going to make her ass mine.
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