Page 13
Story: Inked Soul
“Are you new in town?” she asks. “Sorry, I’m a little forward. But it’s a small town so I know most people.”
I laugh at her explanation. “Yes. I moved here about a month ago.”
She claps her hands before opening the glass store door behind her and yelling inside. “Fresh meat!”
It only takes a moment for a short and curvy dark-haired woman to make her way outside. “A baby!” she almost yells, bouncing in her excitement. “Can I hold him?”
I’m shocked and it must show on my face. Coming from the big city, people are rarely friendly and even when they are it is never like this.
“Don’t be rude,” the redhead admonishes. “Introduce yourself before you try to steal the woman’s kid.”
“This is Hailey,” a male voice I know too well says from behind me. “And the crazy one is Skye.”
I look over my shoulder to see Luke smiling down at my son. He is much too handsome to be walking around unsupervised. He could cause a car crash. The silly thought makes me smile wider.
“This is Abigail and her son Tyler,” he explains to the other women.
“Whatever,” Skye says impatiently. “We all know each other and it’s great. Now give me the baby.”
Luke arches a brow in question, and I nod. He leans around me to unbuckle Tyler before handing him over to what I would have thought was a crazy woman. A moment later she is gone, disappearing into the store.
Luke places a hand on my lower back, leading me inside with Hailey trailing behind us. Inside is a cacophony of colorful pictures. Some were drawn on paper, others painted on the wall, and even some photographs. I’ve never been inside a tattoo parlor, but I am instantly curious about everything. Rock music plays softly in the background, and I can’t help but stare.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” I hear Skye say to someone, but I don’t hear a reply.
A scowling man walks out of one of the back rooms and glares at all of us. He’s a mountain of a man, covered in ink. He is intimidating but handsome in a dangerous way.
“Who thought it was a good idea to let her hold a baby?” he asks, his deep voice filling the space.
“Sorry, she asked,” I say softly, feeling a blush cover my face.
He studies me before his features soften. “You’re new, so you didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know?” I ask. I’m confused as fuck. These people are a little much...
“Skye isn’t allowed around babies because she gets all maternal and shit,” Hailey says making her way behind the counter. “And then she makes Alistair adopt another dog.”
“I live in an apartment,” Skye says with a shrug. “They don’t allow dogs and I’m allergic to cats. Besides, Ali has a massive yard.”
“You did this!” He accuses and points at Hailey, who only chuckles.
“How many do you have?” I cut in, asking the big man. But he doesn’t get a chance to answer.
Skye answers for him, smiling and cooing at my son. Tyler is happy with all the attention because he laughs loudly.
“Ali only has one dog. The other four are mine,” she says.
“My name is Alistair,” he grumbles, smiling at my son over her shoulder before returning his sharp gaze to me. “Who are you?”
“Abigail. And if you have that many animals, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
“How so?” he asks with a frown.
“I’m opening a veterinarian practice a couple of doors down.”
I laugh at her explanation. “Yes. I moved here about a month ago.”
She claps her hands before opening the glass store door behind her and yelling inside. “Fresh meat!”
It only takes a moment for a short and curvy dark-haired woman to make her way outside. “A baby!” she almost yells, bouncing in her excitement. “Can I hold him?”
I’m shocked and it must show on my face. Coming from the big city, people are rarely friendly and even when they are it is never like this.
“Don’t be rude,” the redhead admonishes. “Introduce yourself before you try to steal the woman’s kid.”
“This is Hailey,” a male voice I know too well says from behind me. “And the crazy one is Skye.”
I look over my shoulder to see Luke smiling down at my son. He is much too handsome to be walking around unsupervised. He could cause a car crash. The silly thought makes me smile wider.
“This is Abigail and her son Tyler,” he explains to the other women.
“Whatever,” Skye says impatiently. “We all know each other and it’s great. Now give me the baby.”
Luke arches a brow in question, and I nod. He leans around me to unbuckle Tyler before handing him over to what I would have thought was a crazy woman. A moment later she is gone, disappearing into the store.
Luke places a hand on my lower back, leading me inside with Hailey trailing behind us. Inside is a cacophony of colorful pictures. Some were drawn on paper, others painted on the wall, and even some photographs. I’ve never been inside a tattoo parlor, but I am instantly curious about everything. Rock music plays softly in the background, and I can’t help but stare.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” I hear Skye say to someone, but I don’t hear a reply.
A scowling man walks out of one of the back rooms and glares at all of us. He’s a mountain of a man, covered in ink. He is intimidating but handsome in a dangerous way.
“Who thought it was a good idea to let her hold a baby?” he asks, his deep voice filling the space.
“Sorry, she asked,” I say softly, feeling a blush cover my face.
He studies me before his features soften. “You’re new, so you didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know?” I ask. I’m confused as fuck. These people are a little much...
“Skye isn’t allowed around babies because she gets all maternal and shit,” Hailey says making her way behind the counter. “And then she makes Alistair adopt another dog.”
“I live in an apartment,” Skye says with a shrug. “They don’t allow dogs and I’m allergic to cats. Besides, Ali has a massive yard.”
“You did this!” He accuses and points at Hailey, who only chuckles.
“How many do you have?” I cut in, asking the big man. But he doesn’t get a chance to answer.
Skye answers for him, smiling and cooing at my son. Tyler is happy with all the attention because he laughs loudly.
“Ali only has one dog. The other four are mine,” she says.
“My name is Alistair,” he grumbles, smiling at my son over her shoulder before returning his sharp gaze to me. “Who are you?”
“Abigail. And if you have that many animals, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
“How so?” he asks with a frown.
“I’m opening a veterinarian practice a couple of doors down.”