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“Thanks, Shelby, I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Hope to see you soon.”
Shutting her phone off, Tiffany discovered that Ace had wondered off. She pulled up the website for Dakota Tech, and sure enough, Dr. Barbara Reynolds was scheduled to teach a night class beginning in three weeks. It was designed for adults wanting to broaden their horizons, and there were two ways to take the class: as a formal college course or audit it, meaning it would carry no academic credit or count toward a college degree.
Ace walked back into the bar carrying a box of vodka and began stowing it under the bar.
“Ace, what’s your real name?”
“Jeremy Strond. Why do you ask?”
“I’m ordering you a gift,” she told him.
“Great. I hope it’s a stripper,” he said unenthusiastically.
Tiffany pressed on. “Are you still using the clubhouse as your address?”
“Since I got no place else to go, yes. My birthday isn’t for five months.”
“Really, what day?”
“April first.”
Grinning at him being born on April Fool’s, she asked conversationally, “What are you, like, about fifty years old?”
Ace shot her an unamused look. “Thirty-six, smartass.”
“You don’t look a day over fifty,” she teased.
Sauntering over, he tipped a little more tequila into her daiquiri. “Maybe I’ll look differently after you’ve finished your drink.” Winking, he went back to putting up the alcohol.
Shoving her drink aside, Tiffany flew through the abbreviated application for him to audit her class and paid the fee. Almost seven hundred dollars was pricy, but Ace was worth it. She mentioned casually, “That PA was actually a part-time physician. Her name’s Dr. Snyder, in case you were wondering.”
“That woman was quick and competent,” Ace commented.
Reaching the end of the application, there was only one more thing she needed to do. “Hey, how do I print something out here?”
“There’s only one printer, and it’s in the office. You can grab it when the brothers come out of church. Just sign onto the Blind Jack’s Wi-Fi. The password is DarknessRules, all run together, and with each word capitalized.”
“Got it, thanks. You know, you guys really should go alphanumeric.”
Ace made a face and said, “They’re sticking with the password everyone remembers. All their secret shit is encrypted anyways.”
While she waited for church to end, Tiffany sent Ace’s course paperwork to the printer then cruised a used book site and picked up his textbook for twenty bucks. Whoever this woman passing herself off as a doctor was, her gut told her that she must have felt strongly about Ace to have done what she did. Since he didn’t seem inclined to call her, Tiffany did the next best thing by arranging for them to see each other once a week for several months. It was a risk, and no doubt she would never hear the end of it, but Ace deserved to be happy, and she had a feeling this was how to make sure it happened.
Unfortunately, that random act of kindness had left her pretty much tapped out. Heading back over to the medical office’s website, Tiffany completed the application. Digging through her old e-mail, she attached the documents they wanted and hit send. Making so many impulsive decisions all at once left her feeling a little anxious, so she sucked on her daiquiri until it gave her brain freeze and made her a little light-headed.
Another body slipped onto the stool next to her. Alyssa asked for a shot of amaretto and turned to her. “So, how’s it hangin’, sister?”
Tiffany laughed. “What kind of talk is that? You’ve been keeping company with foulmouthed bikers far too long for an expression like that to fall so effortlessly from your lips.”
Alyssa smothered a smile. “Guilty as charged. They may be foulmouthed, but unlike most of the attorneys and accountants I used to date, they can manage to do something with their mouths besides talk about themselves.”
“Oh, they get in their fair share of bragging, but you’re right about them having some talented lips.”
Shifting in her seat, Alyssa asked, “So what have you been up to, besides enjoying Ryder’s sweet lips?”
Pulling her hands into her lap, Tiffany answered quickly, “Not much. A little of this and a little of that. You know how it is.”
