I’d felt like I’d been gifted a huge bouquet of red balloons and they’d lifted me up into the air. Positively giddy.
I shook myself from my Boner daydreams and focused on Tania slowly rolling out a large piece of cracked canvas with colorfully painted clowns on it.
“That’s amazing. Is that a hand-painted poster?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s an old circus poster from the fifties.”
“Wreck was really devoted to collecting. It’s like an education in Americana, isn’t it? Especially local Americana. Bygone era of the West and the Great Plains.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
A nasally grunt made our heads turn toward the door.
“What the hell is all this junk? You cleaning up for them? Is that your job around here?” Nina stood in the open doorway, her arms folded across her ample chest.
“Hey, Nina,” I said.
“I don’t work here,” replied Tania, her voice as icy as a freezer on a hot summer day. “This belongs to Wreck, one of the members who passed away years ago. He was Lock’s brother. I’m going through it for him, organizing it. Some of it might go to my store in town.”
Nina’s eyes widened. “You have a store?”
“Well, I’m looking into it.”
“Awesome. What kind of store?”
“I buy and sell antiques, vintage things. So, I’m hoping—”
“Oh.” Nina’s dull gaze shifted to me. “Hey, is there a Sephora around here?”
“Yeah, there is one—” I started to reply.
Tania shot me a strained look, forcing my laughter back down my throat.
Nina’s face lit up. “Thank God! Where?”
“In Sioux Falls.”
“Cool.” Her eyes flashed. “Wait, where’s that?”
“The other end of South Dakota. Almost a five-hour drive, give or take traffic,” I said.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Nope, she kids not,” Tania said.
“What the hell?” Nina’s hands shot to her hips. “Only one? One in the entire goddamn state? What kind of place is this? Don’t you people have malls?”
“Sure, we people have malls,” I said, my native twang lacing my voice. “But the same stores aren’t in every mall.”
Nina rolled her eyes, her mouth hanging open.
“Bummed, huh?” I asked.
“Well, yeah. Shit, this is ridiculous. How do you live here?” She let out a huff of air. “Is there a beauty salon in this friggin’ town at least?”
“Yes, indeed-y,” I replied. “And many, many more in Rapid City. That’s only forty minutes away on a bike and a bit longer in your car.”
“Great.”
“Alicia could tell you the best places to go,” I said. “I’m sure you’d appreciate her opinion more than ours.”
“She’s a stuck-up bitch, and I don’t like her,” Nina muttered.
Tania raised her eyebrows. “Alicia is the president’s old lady, and you’re the new girl on the block.”
“I’d show some respect, if I were you,” I added.
“You’re not me,” Nina snapped. Smug as all hell.
“Excuse me?”
Nina stepped toward me, her jaw tight, chest out. “Backwoods bitches.”
“Watch your mouth!” Tania spit out. “Back off!”
My hands curled into fists, my arms shook. I wanted to yank her hair. I wanted to push her out the door all the way back to Ohio. I wanted to— An arm came around my waist, pulling me away. I flinched back into a hard wall of muscle.
“Whoa! What’s going on?” Boner’s deep voice reverberated through my back, his warm arm pressing into my middle. That intoxicating Boner brew of earthy spice and motor oil embraced me along with the heat of his body.
“Rudeness is what’s going on,” I said. He pulled me to his side.
Boner aimed his don’t-fuck-with-me face at Nina. “I’m taking Jill into Rapid to hit the mall. You want to come along?”
What?
Nina shifted her weight. “Is there a salon in that mall?”
“Two in fact,” I replied.
Boner jerked his head to the side. “Get your shit and meet us at my truck in the yard. Three minutes.”
Nina flounced off.
I turned to Boner. “Why did you do that?”
“What? Stop the bitch battle?” he said.
“No, invite her.”
“You might not like her, but you gotta play nice with the new old lady. She doesn’t know her way around yet, and she needs to make a friend. Might relax her tight little ass.”
“You like her tight little ass?” Tania asked, her hands on her hips.
“No, I don’t. And, thankfully, it ain’t my ass to like.”
Tania and I laughed.
Boner stared at us. “Are you two done?”
“Fine, fine, you’re right.” I let out an exhale. “I know what it’s like to be the new old lady. She doesn’t like it out here very much though. South Dakota must be a shock after Ohio.”
“Right, ’cause the Buckeye State is such a fuckin’ paradise.” Boner’s lips pressed together as his gaze followed Nina and her tight little ass striding toward the clubhouse. “She’ll get used to it.”