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“He’s freaking insane for doing it. Pike acts before he thinks.”
Her instinct was to defend Pike. But hadn’t she told Pike pretty much the same thing when he gave her a ring? “I think he was trying to be a stand-up guy.”
“You’re giving him too much credit.”
She turned to him at that. “That’s not a very nice thing to say about a friend.”
Gibson smiled, dimples appearing. “Pike’s spent his whole life giving a big fuck you to anything or anyone that put expectations on him. He makes his own rules. He lives his life on gut instinct. If he got a woman pregnant, he’d do right by the kid because he’s not a dick. But he wouldn’t marry the mother because he was supposed to.”
She rubbed the chill from her arms.
“So I absolutely get it if you’re not interested in that big of a commitment with him. God knows he can be a pain in the ass,” Gibson said, affection lacing his tone. “But if you know Pike at all, you know that for better or worse, he’s all heart. Maybe he didn’t think through the logic of asking you to marry him after such a short time together. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t genuine. He loves you. And he loves your kid. And I’ve been friends with him long enough to know that once Pike Ryland loves you, it’s absolute. You’ll never find a more loyal, giving, good-hearted man than him. He’s the guy I’d call if I needed to bury a body, because he wouldn’t ask questions. He’d trust that I had good reason and bring the shovel.”
Her throat had gone tight, tears trying to fight past her defenses. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I’d help him bury a body, too, and I thought you should know the things about hi
m that he’d never say.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his head. “You should also know that he’s not going to come back and try again or push. It’s why he hasn’t reached out to his sisters again even though I know it kills him that he doesn’t have relationships with them. He doesn’t hang around where he’s not wanted.”
“I didn’t not want him,” she said, meeting Gibson’s eyes. “But look at what he’s got in front of him. He shouldn’t have to give up his dream to be with someone.”
Gibson’s smile went a little sad. “No, he shouldn’t. No one should. But maybe his dream isn’t quite what you think it is.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need to be getting back to my seat.” He pulled a small package out of the inner pocket of his jacket. “All I was supposed to be doing is giving you this.”
She took the package from him. “What is it?”
Gibson shrugged. “Not my business. He sent me the package and told me to deliver it without commentary.”
She lifted a brow. “Not one to follow rules either?”
A wry smirk touched his lips. “I never said that.”
The words seemed innocuous, but something about the way he said it had her mind going back to Pike’s vague comments about what Gibson did at The Ranch. “Oh.”
He reached out and gave her elbow a quick squeeze. “Good luck with the show.”
She thanked him and stepped around a column to get some privacy from the chatting audience. Her hands were shaking. She lifted the lid of a box and found a chain nestled inside. She pulled the silver length from the box to find a small black sparrow pendant hanging from it. She rubbed her thumb over it, surprised to find grooves. She looped the chain around her wrist and opened the card.
I wanted Rae to have this for her debut. The charm is made from my Patti Smith Horses album. I wore one like it my first night on stage (though my drug of choice was a Nirvana album), and it made me feel like I was part of something bigger, a new link in this big web of art and music and rebellion. Tell her nerves can’t beat true punk spirit and that I know she’s going to fucking kill it and be great.
Best, Pike
Oakley pressed the note to her chest and leaned back against the column, her lungs crushing under the weight of everything the simple gift stirred up. He hadn’t sent something to Oakley. This wasn’t an apology or a plea. This was for Rae and Rae alone and that got to her more than any grand romantic gesture he could’ve done.
Yes, they’d only known each other for a little while, but somehow he already intuitively knew what her daughter would need tonight, how to help her feel stronger, how to help her feel special and brave. It was a gesture a great dad would make.
Oakley closed her eyes, willing herself to pull it back together, and placed the necklace back into the box to bring it backstage to Reagan.
As expected, Reagan’s eyes lit up when Oakley showed her what Pike had sent her. She grabbed the necklace, running her fingers over the grooved vinyl of the charm with awed reverence. “I wonder what song this piece was made from.”
Oakley took the necklace from her and looped it around Reagan’s neck. The little black sparrow nestled in the hollow of her throat like it was meant to be there.
Rae looked up at her, all big eyes and open emotion. “I wish he could’ve been here tonight.”
Oakley felt a stab in her gut. “I know, baby. I’m sure he wishes he could’ve been here, too.”
