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She said it’s okay.
That it’s about time.
Is that really what the old lady had said?
And had she really been humming “Blue Bayou,” or was I one more sleepless night away from losing my goddamn mind?
Deciding my lack of sleep was fucking with me, I pushed the incident to the back of my mind where I buried all the other shit I couldn’t afford to think about. And during the ride back to the clubhouse, I refocused. When I pulled into the compound, I was surprised to see Taylor’s car wasn’t in its usual parking space.
I found Randy at the bar. “Where’s Taylor?”
“She called in sick. Said some old dude died, and they had to wait for the medical examiner.”
“Died?” She must mean her neighbor. The one Noah was close to. Fuck.
I was out the door and on my bike within a minute. When I pulled up to Taylor’s apartment complex, the medical examiner was removing a body from the apartment across from hers.
Taylor was inside her apartment, sitting on the couch comforting her brother. When I walked in, she looked up and her face broke. I went to her and she stood up, falling into my arms, and burying her face in my chest.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly, smoothing down her hair and pressing my lips to the crown of her head. “Wanna tell me what happened?”
She nodded, and I felt her soften against me with a sigh. Stepping back, she wiped her wet cheeks.
“He was going to watch Noah while I was at work. He was in his chair. I thought he was asleep. He looked so peaceful…” Her chin quivered. But she was trying to remain strong for Noah, so she straightened and inhaled sharply. “They said he died in his sleep…”
Noah sobbed, and I crouched down in front of him. “It’s okay, buddy. Going in your sleep is the best way. He wasn’t in any pain that way.”
He nodded and fought his tears, trying to be strong. “We were going to watch The Magnificent Seven.”
I glanced over at Taylor, surprised by the movie choice.
“He loves westerns,” she said.
“So far we’ve watched Shane, Once Upon a Time in the West, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Pickles said The Magnificent Seven was his favorite, and Taylor found it in the bargain bin at the store.”
The poor kid looked crushed.
When a deputy from the sheriff’s department appeared at the door, his face crumpled again.
“Ma’am, we’re done,” he said.
While Taylor stepped outside to talk with the deputy, I distracted Noah.
“I haven’t seen The Magnificent Seven since I was a kid. You feel like watching it with me?”
For a moment his face lit up, but then dropped again, and he had to squeeze his lips to stop himself crying.
“You think Pickles would mind if you watched it with someone else?”
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “No. I think he’d like that.”
I knew I was no replacement for his friend. But perhaps if I was here while he grieved, maybe this kid would find some kind of comfort tonight, even if it was only briefly.
And to be honest, I wanted to stay for Taylor, too.
She was a strong woman. Feisty and resilient. But even the toughest of hearts needed to be held up occasionally.
I told myself that was all it was.
I was someone to lean on tonight.
Nothing more.
But when Taylor stepped back into the doorway, and the late sun cast a golden aura around her, something unlocked inside of me. She looked like a goddess. A beautiful, broken-hearted goddess whom I had a sudden urge to take in my arms and kiss until she was breathless and I was drunk on the taste of her lips.
But I pushed the sudden longing into the dark pit of my brain where all the other craziness lived.
“You okay?” I asked. She smiled as she nodded, but it was fake. “Want to talk about it?”
She glanced at Noah and then back to me, shaking her head.
“I promised the kid we’d watch the movie. Is that okay?”
“Don’t you have a bachelor party you need to get to?”
I took a step closer to her, resisting the urge to take her hands in mine. “I’m in the mood for some Steve McQueen and pizza. Besides, Maverick won’t even know I’m missing.”
“Somehow I don’t think that’s true.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “You don’t need to stay. We’re fine, really. Go to your party. Tell Randy I’m sorry about tonight. But I’ll help clean up tomorrow morning.”
I put my hands on her arms. “I’m not leaving.”
Our eyes remained locked in battle until she finally relaxed and gave in. A small smile played on her lips. “Fine, I’ll call for pizza. But just so we’re clear, you don’t need to stay. Especially while there is a clubhouse party happening. Aren’t you the least bit curious what chaos they’ll sow in the absence of their king?”
