I give Tucker a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”
He frowns. “I told you that you don’t have to keep thanking me for everything. It’s what people do when they care about each other.”
I can feel my throat start to tighten and I try to blink back the tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Tucker looks worried.
I place my hand on his face and caress his cheek, which seems to sooth him. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just – I can’t remember the last time someone really cared about me.”
He pulls me into a hug. “I suggest you get used to it.”
***
I’m not sure why, but as soon as we pull into the body shop my heart starts to race. I’m excited about the possibility of getting my first car and actually owning something of value. But my nervousness seems even bigger than that. It doesn’t really make sense.
“Are you okay?” Tucker asks. I feel like an open book around him because he can read my moods so well.
“I’m nervous for some reason,” I reply.
He places a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’ll help you pick out a car. And I’ll make sure it’s a good one. Shane is a good guy. He won’t rip you off, if you’re worried about it.”
I freeze when I hear the name. Shane. I haven’t heard it in nearly a decade. I have to remind myself that it’s a popular name. Plenty of guys are named Shane.
Then I actually notice the sign: Parker Auto Body.
Shane Parker.
I wonder how many guys have both that first and last name.
“You look like you’re going to be sick,” Tucker observes. “Do you want me to take you home? We can do this another day.”
I shake my head but no words will come out of my mouth. My body seems to know what my brain is trying desperately to deny.
Before I can stop myself, I jump out of the truck. Tucker struggles to keep up as I race into the body shop.
And there he is, standing in the middle of the body shop, almost as if he could sense that I was close and he was waiting for me.
He drops the greasy rag that he was holding as I approach and his eyes go wide as if he’s seen a ghost.
“Gracie.”
I’m a little surprised that he recognizes me. He hasn’t seen me since I was twelve but maybe I haven’t changed that much.
“What are you doing here?” His voice is so soft, I almost can’t hear him.
Tucker looks back and forth between the two of us and then recognition seems to cross his face, as if he’s figuring out the connection.
“You’re Gracie’s brother?”
Shane nods. “I can’t believe you’re here. How did you find me?”
I point to Tucker.
“I had no idea,” Tucker says quickly. “I just wanted to have a look at the cars you’re rebuilding. To get something for Gracie.”
“You own this place?” I ask as I look around. It’s a busy place. The bays are all full and there are several other guys busy working on the cars. “How?”
“My dad owned it. He passed away a few years ago and I inherited it.”
I can see a look of sadness in Shane’s eyes when he mentions his dad. It’s a similar look to the one that Tucker has whenever he talks about his parents. Call it a hunch, but I don’t think I have a similar look when I talk about my father. It’s not that I’m not sad that he died. But I’m sad in the same way I’m sad that Elvis died or Michael Jackson died. Not in the way I think you’re supposed to feel when you lose a parent.
“Mom?”
I can feel my entire body tense on that single word. I’m flooded with images of the fight right before Shane left. The fight that resulted in my scar. The fight that changed everything.
I shrug. “I haven’t talked to her since she went to prison.”
The thought occurs to me that she could be dead and I wouldn’t know. Would someone notify me? How would they even find me?
Maybe I’ve just considered her dead to me anyway.
Shane hasn’t changed very much. He’s still got a youthful face. He’s small in stature like me, but he’s filled out a little bit since I saw him last. If you had to describe him to someone you could say he kind of looks like a hobbit.
“Can I give you a hug?” Shane asks.
I don’t know why but I instinctively look over a Tucker. His face is neutral. I wish I could read what was going on in his head. Maybe he’s just as surprised as I am.
Before I can respond Shane has me in his arms and he’s giving me a tight hug.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” His voice cracks.
When Tucker clears his throat Shane lets go of me and we both separate a bit. I feel embarrassed but I’m not sure why. Surely Tucker isn’t jealous of my brother.
“Maybe I should let the two of you have some time together.” Tucker looks sad. Like Shane and I decided to have a party and he’s not invited. I don’t mean for him to feel left out.
When I grab Tucker’s hand, I can feel some of the tension he’s holding release from his body.
“Shane and I can catch up later,” I suggest.
Shane nods but I can see disappointment in his face.
“You came here to look at cars,” Shane says. “Let’s head out back.”
He shows us the three cars he’s got out back that he plans to fix up. He and Tucker discuss the timelines for each of the cars to be repaired.
“I really like the look of this one.” He points to an old Mustang.
Shane nods. “It doesn’t need much work. The engine is still in good condition.”
“How much do you think you’re going to ask for it?”
Shane frowns. “I’m not going to charge my sister for a car.”
“But you have to,” I protest. “That’s a lot of work. I don’t expect you to do it for free.”
Shane bites his bottom lip as he’s thinking about it. Then he says, “Five hundred bucks. That’s for the parts I’m putting in.”
I can’t help but smile. If I keep earning tips at the rate I’ve already earned them, I’ll have five hundred dollars in a few weeks. “How long will it take to fix?”
Tucker laughs. “Don’t get too excited. You don’t even have your learner’s permit yet, let alone your license.”
“The shop’s been super busy but I think I can have it ready in about four weeks. Do you think you can get your license by then?”
I shrug. I have no idea how long it takes to get a license.
“I’m sure she’ll have her permit by then,” Tucker says.
I can feel my stomach start to knot. The pressure is on. Now I’ll have to really study for that written test.
Tucker pulls me close and places a kiss on the top of my head. “I know you can do it.”
He has a lot more confidence in me than I have in myself.
“We’d better get going,” Tucker suggests. “We’ve both got to work tonight and Wilde Riders is playing so I imagine the place will be packed.”
“Maybe we can get together tomorrow?” Shane suggests.
“We’re scheduled to work tomorrow night,” Tucker reminds me.
“For lunch?” Shane proposes.
I glance over at Tucker. “You don’t have to get my permission Gracie. Just let me know what you want to do. We’ll make it happen.”
I turn back to Shane. “I’d like to meet you for lunch.”
He gives me a big smile. “Come by the shop at around 11:30 and we’ll figure out where to go. See what we feel like eating.”
“You’re working on Sunday?” Tucker sounds surprised.
“So are you, Man. This is a 24/7 gig just like Haymakers. If I didn’t work on Sunday, I’d never catch up.”
***
“Are you sure you don’t mind me meeting Shane for lunch?” I ask for what seems like the twentieth time. I don’t want Tucker to be mad at me or disappointed with anything I do.
“It’s fine,” he says patiently
even though he’s said the same thing twenty times. He truly is a saint to put up with me.
We’re parked outside of Haymakers. The place opened at noon but Jake said we didn’t have to be in until three. The parking lot only has a few cars in it so things probably aren’t too bad yet. Not more than Harley can handle by herself.
Tucker gives me a kiss and I can feel my body get tingly. I never thought I’d say it but I’m actually looking forward to being with him again.
“I wanted to give you something to look forward to later,” he teases.
“And you’re not looking forward to that too?” I tease right back.
“I’ve wanted to be inside you all day,” he whispers. “And if I wasn’t such a gentleman, I’d already be there right now.”
The thought of having Tucker inside me again sends a rush of desire though my entire body. I never thought I’d want to be with anyone as much as I want to be with Tucker.
“We’d better get to work,” he says. “Let’s get everything ready before the crowd hits.”
There’s already a touch of excitement in the air as we enter Haymakers. Even though I’ve seen them rehearse, I’ve never seen the Wilde Riders perform in front of a crowd. I’m looking forward to seeing them finally play for a bar full of people.
As Tucker and I make our way toward the bar, I notice Harley is lining up beer glasses along the counter.
She eyes me. “You’re back.”
I don’t know whether it’s a compliment or a dig. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with Harley.
Tucker glares at her. “Of course she’s back.”
She shrugs. “I’m surprised you haven’t scared her away yet.”
I cringe. I know Harley’s never seen his leg and she’s just teasing him but Tucker’s entire body tenses.
“He could never scare me away,” I say quickly as I grab his elbow. My touch seems to calm his tension a bit and he visibly relaxes.
Harley looks back and forth between the two of us. “So Tucker’s finally getting some. I didn’t think I’d ever see that happen.”
I can feel Tucker tense again. Harley sure has a way of knowing exactly how to get under people’s skin. It seems to be a hobby, and one she’s really good at. I don’t think she’ll ever truly like me but it would be nice if she didn’t dislike me quite so much.
“Will you help me move some of the tables away from the dance floor?” I ask in an attempt to get Tucker away from Harley.
“Yeah, sure,” he replies, but not before he gets one more cold stare at Harley.
Tucker has a glare that could stop a stone cold killer in his tracks but it doesn’t seem to faze Harley at all.
I’m surprised at how fast the place picks up. It seems like I barely had enough time to set up the tables and all of them are already filled.
I notice that Jake has joined Tucker behind that bar and even Hunter is waiting on tables. For all of her faults, Harley is a great server. She’s quick and she never messes up anyone’s order.
I wish I could say the same about my serving skills. I’ve already made two mistakes with orders. And even though the customers were very gracious, and didn’t seem bothered by the mistakes at all, they still bothered me.
It’s not long before I see Cooper and Riley hurry into the bar. Every time I see the two of them, I can’t help but notice how much they look like they don’t belong in a country bar. Even in jeans and sweaters, they both look like they belong in a J. Crew catalogue rather than standing inside Haymakers.
“It’s great to see you again,” Riley says when she sees me.
I smile. I’ve never had a sister but if things continue to progress with Tucker, Riley and I will be sort of sisters. We’ll both be with Wilde brothers.
It’s still hard for me to believe that I’m not only thinking about the future but thinking about a future with Tucker. Before I met him, I never thought about the future because I never thought I’d have a future worth thinking about.
“Do you think you’ll need help when the guys go on?” Riley offers.
“Don’t do it,” Harley chimes as she joins the two of us. “Riley doesn’t know the difference between a Samuel Adams and a Stella.”
I’m not sure I do either but I would never admit that to Harley.
Riley frowns. “That doesn’t mean I can’t give you gals a hand.”
“And what ever happened to the clothes I gave you?” Harley eyes Riley’s stylish attire. The two of them couldn’t be further apart on the clothing spectrum. Riley’s all class and Harley’s all sex. Yet the two of them seem to have some kind of strange camaraderie that defies explanation. I’d like to have that kind of relationship with Harley but she doesn’t seem to want to give me the chance.
“I still wear them for Cooper,” Riley says as her face turns a bit red with embarrassment.
“And let me guess,” Harley says. “He doesn’t want you to walk out of the house dressed like that.”
“That’s not really my style anyway,” Riley counters.
“Okay, I’ll let you off the hook this time. But only because the place is packed and I have tables of thirsty patrons to attend to.”
After Harley takes off, Riley says, “Don’t take it personally. Harley hates everyone equally.”
“She doesn’t seem to hate you at all. Just the opposite.”
“It took her a while to warm up to me. You should have seen how she treated me before that happened.”
“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
Riley shakes her head. “Definitely not.”
I can’t even imagine a time when Harley won’t be mean to me but I hope Riley is right.
“I’d better get back to work,” I say.
When Riley puts her hand on my shoulder, I’m surprised I don’t flinch. “You’ll let me know if you need help?”
I nod. “I will.”
When the Wilde brothers finally take the stage the huge crowd goes even wilder than they did last night. There’s so much noise from hollers and applause that we can’t hear what Jake’s saying when he takes the microphone.
He puts his hands up in an attempt to quiet the crowd. When they finally do quiet down, Jake says, “I’m glad you all came out tonight. We’ve got a great show planned for you. We’re going to start with a special number and you’re in for a treat. For the first time ever on the Haymaker’s stage, Tucker Wilde is going to sing for you.”
Instead of more hoots or applause as I expect, there’s a hush over the entire crowd as Tucker takes the microphone.
If I didn’t know Tucker, and know what a kind and loving person he was, I’d be scared to death of him. He looks even bigger and scarier on stage than he does when you’re standing next to him.
“I’m dedicating this performance to a very special person. This one’s for you, Gracie.”
I’m surprised when Tucker looks directly at me. He doesn’t even need to scan the crowd. It’s like he’s got radar that’s always tuned to my exact location.
I’m even more surprised when nearly everyone in the entire crowd turns back to see if they can get a glimpse of me. I can feel my face getting hot and I’m sure it’s completely red with embarrassment. I wish there was some kind of hole I could crawl into, or maybe a rock I could hide under, but I know I need to deal with the fact that I’m the center of attention. At least for a few moments until Tucker starts to sing and everyone turns back to face him.
Tucker sings the ballad ROAD SONG. The one he sang to me in his bedroom. It’s even more lovely and more heartfelt than the first time he sang it. He truly has a sweet voice which is in sharp contrast to the way he looks.
When he finishes the song, the crowd goes wild with applause. He looks back over at me and gives me a little half smile. I feel like I’m absolutely glowing.
Then Jake takes the microphone from Tucker and Tucker steps back to give his oldest brother center stage. The Wilde Riders play a more upbeat Rascal Flatts song that gets the peo
ple in the audience to dance.
When I look over at Harley behind the bar, she’s scowling. I’m not sure if she’s mad at me or just mad. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
I quickly head over there because she starting to get busy. I guess not everyone wants to dance, or maybe a few patrons are already thirsty.
I help her serve the people waiting for drinks. As soon as they’re gone, Harley turns to me and says, “Well, aren’t you the lucky one. You’re only here a few days and you’ve already got a guy singing you love songs. You must be some kind of wonderful in the bedroom for him to fall that crazy in love with you so fast.”
I frown. I’m not sure what to say. I know Tucker has feelings for me but love? I’m not sure he knows me well enough for anything like that.
“But it’s not like he has a lot of options. He doesn’t have girls falling all over him like the other guys do.” When she scans my face I swear she’s going to make some kind of reference to my scar. “The two of you are kind of perfect for each other.”
“What do you mean by that?” The question comes out so fast, it surprises both of us.
“You know.”
“Obviously I don’t.”
She crosses her arms over her ample chest. “You’re both broken. You’re a perfect match.”
I feel like I can’t move. She’s right but I guess I never thought about it that way. We are both broken. And maybe that’s why we feel so connected and like we know each other so well. We’re two broken pieces that seem to fit together and somehow that makes us feel more whole.
Harley laughs. “I guess I hit the nail on the head with that one.”
She’s extremely perceptive and definitely uses it to her advantage. She always tries to get the upper hand in every situation. Too bad she doesn’t seem to be as perceptive when it comes to herself and her relationship with Jake.
“I’ll check and see if anyone left sitting at the tables needs anything.” Before Harley can respond I make my way from behind the bar and head over to a couple sitting at one of the far tables.
The Wilde One (Old Town Country Romance) Page 11