Page 10

Smoke

“It’s five after ten.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall behind the counter as its antique hands ticked steadily forward. “Yup.”

The bell above the door of Wine and Cheese Me dinged.

I turned toward the entrance just in time to see Stan push through the door. He juggled three cups of coffee in one hand and clutched a bottle of Pepto-Bismol in the other. His sunglasses sat low on his nose and barely hid the dark circles and red-rimmed eyes beneath them.

“I thought you said you were going to be late,” Dani laughed and leaned against the counter.

Stan trudged over, his boots scuffling against the hardwood floors, as he set the coffee down with a heavy sigh. He pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head, revealing eyes so bloodshot they practically matched the red accents of the shop’s decor. “I am late.”

Dani raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly. “Are you late because you stopped for coffee?”

Stan shrugged and seemed unbothered. “I mean, yes, but I was late picking up the coffee because I am hungover. I haven’t drunk that much in twenty years. I’m surprised my old body is even upright now.”

“I don’t know if you’re old, Stan,” Dani teased. “Even at fifty-nine, you managed to keep up with the girls.” She groaned and rubbed her temples. “I, on the other hand, was fighting for my life this morning.”

“Thought you couldn’t feel your legs when you called this morning?” I chuckled.

Stan shrugged again and stretched his back with a grimace. “It passed. Got my butt out of bed, showered off our bender, and decided to head to Gloria’s to get some caffeine for us.”

Dani pointed at him with mock sternness. “A bender that we are not going to do again, right?”

Stan lifted his hands in surrender. “I plead the fifth. And you should really be mad at that one there.” He nodded toward me with a smirk, tugging at the corners of his mouth. “He’s the one who brought in the girls. They should come with a billboard warning.”

I let out a low chuckle. “I’ll let them know you said that, though I’m pretty sure they’ll be proud.”

Stan pointed a finger at me with a knowing grin. “And that is why I love those girls.” He grabbed one of the coffees and held it like a lifeline. “I’m going to sit in the back room for a second and let this caffeine do its job. I’ll be out if the bell chimes.”

Dani laughed and shook her head. “Okay.”

I reached for a cup of coffee, and a sharp pang shot through my ribs. I couldn’t hide my wince.

“You okay?” Dani asked.

I nodded and rolled my shoulder. “Yeah. Just a little sore.”

A smirk drifted across her lips. “Oh, come on, my recliner isn’t that uncomfortable.”

I took a careful sip of the coffee and let the warmth settle. “No, under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be, but seeing as I was blown up a few days ago, I’m sore.”

Her face fell. “Oh god,” she groaned. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I forgot about that.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Because it feels like it happened a lifetime ago. That’s pretty much how my life goes. Something crazy happens, and then it gets forgotten when the next crazy thing happens.”

Dani let out a small laugh. “I don’t think anything crazy happened since the explosion.”

I shrugged and looked around at the brightly lit shop filled with delicate shelves of wines and artisan cheeses. “That depends on your definition of crazy.” I gestured around us. “Me stepping foot in a wine and cheese place is pretty crazy. The past twenty-four hours were even crazier.”

She grinned, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes—curiosity, maybe. “I don’t know if that is a good thing.”

“I mean, you don’t think things have been crazy. You told me something like last night had never happened before.”

She quirked her lips, the corner of her mouth tugging upward in a lopsided grin. “I mean, yes.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “See, the crazy just keeps coming.” I downed the last of my coffee and tossed the empty cup into the trash with a flick of my wrist. “Since Stan is here, I’m going to head to the clubhouse.”

Dani tilted her head to the side, and her hair fell over one shoulder. “Don’t let me keep you from the club. You really could have just dropped me off and left. I work by myself often.”

I shook my head and slid my hands into my pockets. “You didn’t keep me from the club, and I don’t like the idea of you being here all by yourself.”

She rolled her eyes, and a small huff escaped her lips. “Yeah, well, unfortunately, Stan can’t work every day of the week, and hiring someone else is not in the cards at the moment. I have to work by myself sometimes. Stan does, too.”

I nodded. I understood the struggle of money not growing on trees, and small businesses like hers were always walking a tightrope. I slid my sunglasses over my eyes. “I get it, angel, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. You gonna be around later?”

She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m always around. If I’m not working, I’m at home.”

“Good. I’ll see you later, angel. Try to stay out of trouble.”

I turned toward the door and felt her gaze on me with every step I took. It was like a lingering heat on my back, and no matter how much I tried to shake it off, it stayed with me. The soft chime of the bell above the door echoed behind me as I stepped out into the late morning air.

Before the door swung shut, I heard Stan holler from inside, his voice carrying through the quiet street. “I’m coming!”

I shook my head with a smirk on my lips and made my way over to my bike. The sun beat down on the chrome and made it gleam under the light. I swung a leg over the seat and settled in with a sigh.

I leaned forward and watched the shop for a few seconds. My sunglasses slid down my nose just enough to give me a clear look. Through the window, Dani moved behind the counter, and her hair caught the sunlight streaming through the glass. She was something else, that was for damn sure.

This had been the craziest week.

Blown up.

Laid up.

On the mend.

And then Dani.

I shook my head and tried to push the whirlwind of thoughts aside and cranked up the bike. The engine roared to life beneath me, and the familiar rumble drowned out the noise in my head.

I revved it a few times and felt the power pulse through my hands before kicking up the stand. With a deep breath, I rolled out of the parking lot, and the tires crunched over the loose gravel as I hit the pavement and pointed toward the clubhouse.

As I rode, the wind whipped past me, and I thought about what I’d told Dani earlier—how crazy shit was always happening in my life. And it was true. My life had been one mess after another for as long as I could remember, and I’d gotten used to it. Expected it, even. But something about the way things were now made me want to keep them exactly how they were.

Crazy needed to stay the hell away.