“Yeah. They’re good people.”
He was right, they were.
“Got somethin’ to say, Jules.”
I cocked my head to the side not sure I liked his tone but having had just enough champagne to be able to ignore that too.
“Noticed you gave Vance a wide berth tonight. Don’t know why and it’s none of my business.”
I held my breath knowing from experience he wasn’t done talking and I was right.
Nick continued. “Been scared stiff these past four months, you doin’ what you’re doin’. You know that. The only two good nights of sleep I’ve had in those months have been the last two, with his Harley sittin’ outside the backdoor.”
Oh crap.
Vance had Nick’s approval. I knew that but I’d been trying to ignore it. I also knew that he worried about me a lot and I’d been trying to ignore that too.
What I didn’t need to know was that Vance made him feel like I was safe.
“Nick, his Harley won’t be out there anymore,” I told him softly.
Nick didn’t even try to hide the disappointment on his face. I tried to ignore that too.
I failed.
“The way you two are tonight, was worried about that,” Nick said.
I took a breath and forged ahead. “I won’t be home tonight, can you feed Boo in the morning?” Nick stared at me a beat, clearly confused at this contradictory information. I didn’t enlighten him.
Then he said, “I hope you know what you’re doin’, Jules.”
“I do,” I replied with fake brightness. “Don’t I always?”
“Yeah,” he said but he shook his head, “you always know what you’re doin’. Just can’t say you’ve always done the right thing.”
“Nick –”
“It may almost always be the right thing for others but it usual y wasn’t the right thing for you,” he told me. “Life ain’t worth livin’, Jules, if you don’t take a few risks and I’m not talkin’ about puttin’ your ass on the line to save the world.
I’m talkin’ about puttin’ your ass on the line to save yourself.” I didn’t have anything to say to that and I didn’t have a chance to find anything to say. Vance walked up beside us approaching me for the first time that evening (although, I’d seen him talking several times with Nick).
“Time to go,” he said, eyes on me and the look in them sent a shiver up my spine and not in the usual good way.
I nodded.
His eyes cut to Nick and his hand came out. “‘Night, Nick,” he said.
“Vance,” Nick shook his hand and then they broke off,
“you two enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Then Nick went out the door.
“I’l get your jacket,” Vance said and peeled off.
While he was gone I lifted my chin, squared my shoulders, mental y prepared for what was to come and in the middle of that I caught Indy’s eye.
She was standing next to Lee; he had his arm around her shoulders and was talking to Eddie. Indy had her arm around his waist and she was looking at me. She put her head to his chest and smiled encouragingly.
Vance came up, my backpack over one of his shoulders, my jacket over his arm.
“Thanks everybody!” I yel ed, they turned, cal ed their goodnights and happy birthdays.
I waved with pretend happiness. I even blew a few kisses (which was not good for a head-crackin’ mamma jamma to do but for once I was amongst friends) and then we were gone.
Chapter Sixteen
You Wanna Talk Now?
We took Sixth Avenue west to I-70, Vance driving fast.
Me pressed against him from crotch to shoulders (dress stretched to the max); arms tight around his waist; backpack on my back; Harley roaring between my legs; my hair flying behind me; my legs freezing in the cold. I alternately pressed my cheek into his shoulder or gazed over it, not quite sad, scared or cold enough not to enjoy the ride.
We went into the foothil s, passed the end of the city lights, strip mal s and suburbs where the skies became a bit clearer and you could see the stars a whole lot better.
He exited I-70 and I memorized our route just because, letting myself pretend that I might take it again one day. It was major thoroughfare left to minor thoroughfare. Minor thoroughfare right to a one lane road. One lane road left to a dirt road. I was guessing we were somewhere between Golden and Evergreen. What I did know was that we were in the middle of nowhere.
Final y he pul ed off into a gravel lane and his headlight flashed on a smal , one-story log cabin surrounded by pine trees except for a clearing to the north where there was a major outbuilding.
In the drive there was an oldish Ford pickup truck, not ancient but it had at least ten years on it. It was blue, it was dusty and you could tel it was wel -used. Next to that was a horse trailer.
Vance stopped the bike, cut the light, I got off and pul ed down my skirt. So did he (without the skirt part). We did the whole backpack whirl thing again and then he grabbed my hand and walked me to the house. Al this was done in silence.