AllFreeNovel
Share Us
twenty-six
“Ihaven’t heard from him,” Hannah insisted. She finished eating up to the very edge of her pepperoni pizza slice, then handed Hobbs the crust. She’d done that since she was a kid—only ate the good stuff and discarded the bread. Hobbs had always favored the crust, so even though he’d chastise her, he never minded the habit. These days, Hobbs didn’t eat much bread. He took the crust, anyway, and stuffed half of it in his mouth.
“You just tell us immediately if you do,” Victor said. He gulped down the rest of his water and set it on the table with a thunk. “No waiting for days, like last time.”
“I won’t.” Hannah never argued with Victor. “I’m going to the restroom.” She pushed back her chair and headed through the busy dining room of Nonni’s Italian restaurant. Since it was near the bike shop, and Victor knew where the bike shop was, they’d all agreed to meet for dinner here and catch up. Hannah had been just as surprised to see Victor as Hobbs had, which meant Victor really hadn’t told anyone of his plans. Just made a decision and flew by the seat of his pants. Typical Victor.
“What’s your problem?” Victor demanded as soon as Hannah left.
“Who says I have a problem?” Hobbs’s mood hadn’t improved much over the course of the day. He’d been able to get through his coaching duties with only a few clients suggesting he “wasn’t himself,” but as soon as he was home, the mask came off. Even Gracie had sensed Hobbs’s dark cloud, not her usual chipper self on their evening walk before dinner.
“I say.” Victor balled up a napkin and pelted Hobbs in the head. “I know we aren’t the closest of pals, but it’s Christmas. And Hannah doesn’t need any more stress.”
Victor was right, but that only irritated Hobbs more. He grabbed another slice of pizza, even though he was full. His body, unused to the grease and preservatives in pepperoni, was sure to make him regret this later.
“Is it the woman from the bike shop?” Victor leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the back, his long legs out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He looked like a cowboy ready to tip his hat over his eyes and nod off in front of the campfire. “Tabitha?” When Hobbs was silent, Victor grunted. “Spill it. Maybe I can help.”
“Yeah?” Hobbs’s sarcasm came through a full mouth of pizza. “When’s the last time you had woman trouble? You’ve avoided women since Sandra divorced you. Besides,” Hobbs added quickly, knowing he was on thin ice invoking Sandra like that, “you did enough already.”
Victor was silent awhile, his gaze steely and concentrated. “You’re mad she rode the bike with me,” he said finally. He even pointed a finger, as though to punctuate his claim.
Hobbs didn’t attempt lying. “We were supposed to go together. For her first ride. Then I get to the shop and find that my brother, who doesn’t even live here, who isn’t even supposed to be here, who didn’t even bother to tell anyone he was coming here, has stepped in like the big hero he always has to be and whisked Tabitha away on a cherried-out Harley Fat Boy.” Hobbs applauded with a golf clap. “You win again. You going to eat my Christmas chocolate this year, too? Go ahead, then. Just take it. Take it all, Vic.”
Victor was once again silent, unmoving. Finally, he laughed. A deep, resonating belly laugh that made the people at the next table glance over. “You gotta be kidding me.” He sat up and leaned across the table. “You’re blaming me because I gave your girl her first ride? Worse—you’re blaming me for losing your Christmas chocolate back in 1985? Get serious, Chris. Who you really mad at? Ask yourself. Did you have to let me wrangle that chocolate away every damn year? No. It’s not like I pinned you down and snatched it, which I could easily have done. I didn’t exactly force your girl on the bike, either. If you were supposed to take Tabitha on her first motorcycle ride, why didn’t you?”
“We were waiting for a warm day.” Hobbs’s voice was thick, angry.
Victor shook his head. “You didn’t take Tabitha on a ride for the same reason you let me hustle that chocolate away from you every year. You’d rather keep on smiling than feel the pain. I get that and it’s a good personality trait to have—you keep everything positive and everyone happy—but you got to know when something’s worth fighting for every once in a rare while. If that little lady were waiting on me for a ride, you best bet I’m not going to let another guy get there first.” Victor pointed his huge caveman finger again. “The only person you’ve got to be angry with is yourself.”
“Oh, really? And not Pops? Not at all Pops? Not even a little?”
“Shit.” Victor’s voice boomed enough for the same table of people to glance his way. A young mother in a high-neck sweater covered her toddler’s ears. “Sorry, ma’am.” Victor nodded at her, then turned back to Hobbs. “Why waste your anger on that man? Even when he was alive. But now he’s dead, so it’s even more of a waste. I know life was hard, little brother.” Victor’s tone softened now, along with his expression. There was something in his steely eyes Hobbs was sure he’d never seen before. Something contrite. Something sad, yet resolute. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there for most of what you suffered. Maybe I should have done things differently, but I was a kid, too. But Pops is gone now. Don’t let him paralyze you in death like he did in life. If you got a soft, warm something just waiting to ride with you, you gonna let that old prick hold you back? Hell, no.” Victor slammed his fist on the table. Eyes turned his way yet again. The woman in the sweater glared. Victor didn’t apologize this time. “You take that little thing for a ride. And don’t look back.”
Hobbs went quiet. Something loosened inside of him, like the unwinding of a tight ball of stress, fear and anger that’d been sitting deep in his gut. “Hannah’s been gone awhile,” he said, after the lightening of his insides made him realize the time.
Just as Victor rose to his feet to scan the crowd, Hannah pushed between two large men at the bar and headed their way, her feet quick. “Everything all right?” Victor said as she neared.
“I think so.” Hannah sounded a little out of breath. She scanned the crowded room. “I thought I saw James,” she admitted. “But I was wrong,” she added quickly, when Hobbs jumped up. “I came out of the bathroom and, for a second, I was sure I saw his face. But then...” She shook her head. “I searched all over. I just imagined it. I think I’m just panicky because you told me you lost sight of him in Omaha.”
Victor and Hobbs both studied her awhile before they exchanged a look with each other. Hobbs could tell Victor thought the same thing—Hannah had seen the scumbag.
“All right,” Hobbs said. “Let me get the check and let’s go.”
“Soon as I check this place out,” Victor said, heading off to search the restaurant. “You stay with her.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Hobbs watched Victor go and took note of Hannah’s stricken face. Just like always. As soon as Hobbs started feeling good about something, all the abusers in his life reared their ugly heads to smack him back down again.
