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Hannah waved him off and headed to the kitchen with her cat.
“Coffee’s still fresh,” Hobbs called. “See you later.”
Hannah mumbled something Hobbs couldn’t make out. Gracie settled down on her stomach and put her head between her paws. She sighed. For the first time, Hobbs considered taking her with him. But no. She’d get in the way and Hobbs couldn’t risk her getting hurt by a stray barbell. Besides, Gracie wasn’t his dog, nor would she ever be. No use in Hobbs getting attached to her. “I’ll be back later. Take care of Hannah.”
As Hobbs shut the door behind him, he saw the curtains near the window move. Gracie had pushed in front of them so she could watch him through the glass. As he walked away, he looked back over his shoulder and felt a wave of sadness wash over him so strong he hurried to his truck and didn’t look back again.
Tabitha basked in the quiet morning vibe of Triple M Classics. The shop was open but empty, Delaney in the back working regular maintenance on a newer Harley. Tabitha had spent the morning decorating the shop for Christmas, winding red garland around the front counter and setting up a Charlie Brown–style mini Christmas tree in the corner. It listed sadly to the side, but it had been 50 percent off at the tree lot due to the fact that it was patchy and droopy. She started a new pot of coffee and settled at the counter with her journal. She flipped to her Badass List, pen in hand, excited to check things off.
Tabitha made checks on all but two items—Help Auntie ElandRide a motorcycle—her veins sizzling with satisfaction at each mark. Help Auntie El was in the works. She’d finally seen the doctor again and brought up fibromyalgia. A helpful nurse had agreed with Auntie El’s research and the doctor had offered medication. Auntie El had taken the scrip but hadn’t filled it yet. This was when Tabitha made her move and suggested Auntie El let Tabitha practice massage on her to see if it helped.
“I’ve never had a massage,” Auntie El had protested. “I don’t like excessive lotions. Plus, I think it would annoy me, the way I feel these days.”
“Well, you’re in luck, Auntie El. We’re trained not to use excessive lotion. And I am known for my featherlight touch, which is perfect for your condition.”
Auntie El had sighed, not given a yes or no, but Tabitha could tell she was wearing her down.
That left only one item on the Badass List, the one that made her prickle under her skin to look at it.Ride a motorcycle.That one might just have to wait. Not only was spring far away, Hobbs would probably forget about it by then. He’d get caught up dating Serena or whoever else and forget all about their pinkie promise. Which was just fine with Tabitha. If Hobbs needed time, he could have all the time in the world.
The bell over the door jangled and a hulking dude in denim and flannel walked into the shop. As soon as she spied the blond curls, she recognized him. “Hi, Victor. I didn’t know you were back in town.” Tabitha hadn’t seen much of Hobbs in the past week, but she’d massaged Hannah a few days ago and there’d been no mention of Victor coming.
“Morning. Tabitha, right? Hey, doggo.” Victor waved at Trinity, lying in Wyatt’s dog bed. Her ears had perked at Victor’s arrival. “Got in last night.” He motioned to the outdoors. “Rented a Jeep this time, but I wanted to drop in for another pair of those gloves you sold me—brown, if you got it. They’re the warmest gloves I’ve ever worn.” Up close, Victor had faint circles under his bright eyes and an overall fatigue to his handsome, rugged face that suggested he’d done his drive from Omaha with minimal stopping.
“Sure thing.” Tabitha rose and headed for the shelves. “I remember what you bought. Largest size available, right?”
Victor laughed and waited for her by the counter. When Tabitha returned with the gloves, she saw him checking out her Badass List. She resisted the urge to rush over and cover it. Tabitha had nothing to hide. Besides, she could’ve closed the journal when she went for the gloves but had left it open for the world to see, like wearing her heart on her sleeve.
“I’m surprised this one isn’t checked yet,” Victor said as she approached. He tapped his finger nearRide a motorcycle. “You’re here all the time, and hell, y’all are still open. In December.” Victor’s accent was subtle but decidedly country—completely unlike Hobbs’s. Tabitha suddenly wondered how much country Hobbs would have in his voice if he didn’t try to hide it.
“We have a long riding season in Virginia,” Tabitha agreed. “Especially for the diehards. The shop’s hours are limited right now but Delaney still gets plenty of work.” She hitched her thumb toward the back room, where Delaney and Wyatt were. “Some of her regulars ride their bikes year-round into the District for their jobs. Motorcycles are allowed in the HOV lanes, so it’s economical.”
“Good deal.”
“Somebody offered to take me riding,” Tabitha admitted as she rang up the gloves. There was no way in hell she was going to tell Victor that thesomebodywas his brother. “But we’re waiting for a warm day.” Tabitha shrugged. “Plus, I’m not gonna lie. I’m scared of them.”
“Of what?” Victor raised his eyebrows as he handed over his credit card. “Motorcycles?” He made apishsound. “You’d be fine. Just go on some back roads. Relax and enjoy yourself. Nothing like it.”
“Yeah, well.” Tabitha ran the card and finished up the sale. “Maybe in the spring. Or...” She mulled over her last interaction with Hobbs, right here in this shop, and decided she couldn’t count on his committal, pinkie promise or no. “Maybe I’ll take that one off the list altogether. I’ve achieved the important stuff.” Other than helping Auntie El, of course. “I don’t really need to ride a motorcycle.” Especially if she was going to stick with massage school. Eventually Tabitha wouldn’t even work here anymore.
“Bull crap.” Victor snagged the gloves from her before she could slide them into a bag. “Of course it’s important. You put it on the list, right?”
“Well...yeah.”
“Aside from the fact that riding a motorcycleabsolutelyis important,” Victor said, “if it’s on the list, you should do it. You put it in writing. Now you got to follow through.”
“He’s right, Steele.” Delaney’s voice came from behind Tabitha’s back. She whirled around to find her just coming out of the back room, wiping her fingers on a shop rag. Wyatt trailed behind, looking sleepy until he saw Trinity on his dog bed. He gave a woof, then trotted over and hunched down, ready to play. “In fact,” Delaney continued, her voice taking a sly tone, “I got a Fat Boy back here that needs a big dude to give it a test run. Need some weight on it, if you know what I’m saying.” Delaney eyed Victor up and down. “Welcome back, cowboy,” she said. “Long time no see.”
“A test run, you say?” Victor ignored the greeting and leaped right on the offer. “Well, little lady.” He grinned at Tabitha. “Today’s your lucky day.”
Tabitha spent the first half of the ride focusing on Victor’s instructions tolean with me, not against me, which she figured might’ve been better accomplished if they’d not taken these winding back roads. Her body screamed at what felt like a counterintuitive order, not wanting to lean toward the road rushing beneath her when Victor took the curves, but she did as she was told and soon got used to it. Tabitha was glad they were pretty much solo out here, soaring down a single-lane road surrounded by farmland. She was surprised how chilly the air felt once they were flying, when back at the shop she’d been wondering why they were layering her up in a thick jacket and gloves for what was pretty calm weather in December.
“Trust me, you’ll want all this,” Delaney had said. “Even with this big lug as a windshield.”
Tabitha clung to that big lug, her arms tight around his solid body and, for a while, her eyes closed tight behind her helmet’s visor. Eventually, though, Tabitha opened her eyes and relaxed her grip. Victor was a smooth and assured rider, solid and confident. After a while she figured out that riding had a rhythm to it, just like massaging. Tabitha had to let go in order to become one with the bike and Victor and the road. Once she did that, something inside of her opened up, blooming and filling her head to toe. Leaning toward the road on curves felt more natural, like the slither of a snake, and the road rushing beneath her wasn’t scary but exhilarating. Tabitha wondered if this was how a bird felt when it flew.
Hobbs’s words from back on her birthday suddenly filled her mind.Feels good to let go a little, doesn’t it?She’d overthought it back then, as usual, and missed the point entirely.
Tabitha eased her grip on Victor and sat up straighter. She breathed deeply and enjoyed the cold seeping into her bones. When she got back to the shop, she would have another box to check off and only one more item on her list to achieve. But for now, none of that mattered. Nothing else on the list mattered, whether it had been checked or not. Right now, only this mattered.
