AllFreeNovel
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Sadie: Thank you for sharing!
Sadie: Wow, that really is nowhere.
Me: I’m being rude. Got to go.
Sadie: Have so much fun, Al! Call me tomorrow, so I can hear all about it!! Eeeee, I’m so excited for your motorcycle date!
Me: I don’t think it’s a date.
Bea: It’s a date.
Devon and Sadie both like Bea’s last text, and I shove myphone away.
Luke gets stopped multiple times while we’re on the way over to the track. Evidently, every single person here is thrilled he’s back and they all say racing isn’t the same without him. Dylan wasn’t joking when he said, ‘LP never has a girl,’ either, because each person expresses shock to see me with him or does a terrible job of trying to hide their surprise. Luke makes a point to include me in conversations and occasionallydrapes a mildly possessive arm over my shoulders.
His warning to stay close to him makes a lot more sense now. There are not many women here, and a lot of single guys. More than a few of them start to check me out and then turn away when they notice Luke. The introduction of me as his ‘friend,’ stinging a little more each time.
The juniors’ qualifier is first, and Addison places higher than both of the boys, filling me with a little girlie pride. After juniors, we get to the “good” races, and Cam places third in his qualifier.
I’m stunned at how much fun the races are to watch, far more exciting than I’d expected. Kind of like riding on one with Luke was so much better than I’d imagined it could be. His passion for motorcycles is making more and more sense to me.
On our walk back to Cam’s tent, we run into Rick, the man who Luke used to be a mechanic for. He wraps Luke in a huge hug, just like everyone else has. I never would have guessed a race day would include so much hugging.But maybe that’s Luke’s way?
When we reach Rick’s trailer, Luke introduces me to Rick’s wife, Kiara, who’s almost a twin image of her daughter, with the same rich-bronze toned skin, long dark brown hair, and welcoming smile. When Luke leads me to ‘go see what kind of mess the new guy had made of Rick’s bikes,’ she stops him.
“I’m sure she’s seen enough motorcycles today to lasther a lifetime.” Stepping in between us, as if the matter is already settled, she says, “Come on. Let’s sit and talk instead.”
Luke checks with me briefly, making sure I’m okay staying with Kiara before walking away with Rick. It’s the first time he’s left my side all day, and even though he’s leaving me with a married woman who seems perfectly nice, he’s still protective.
Kiara gets us both giant cups of iced tea, and we settle into chairs in the shade of a canopy. “This is the first season I can remember that Luke hasn’t been at the track every weekend. He always talked about opening his own shop or opening a bar like his grandpa’s. When we heard he found a way to do both, we were so proud. As much as we wanted to, we couldn’t hold it against him that he was leaving our team.”
Skye mentioned their grandpa being Luke’s motivation for opening a bar the day she visited, and now Kiara’s bringing it up, too. This woman knowing him so much better than I do leaves me jealous.What was his relationship with his grandpa like? What was so significant about this bar?I was awful to him for so long about Station 19, it’s no wonder that he’s never mentioned it.
“Luke worked on Rick’s bikes for years. He used to take care of Addy when she was really little so I could watch the races, he’d even babysit occasionally so we could do date nights,” she says, giving me a knowing smile when I’m way too obvious about adjusting in my seat to get a view of the subject of our conversation.
“I got to meet your daughter earlier. She was with a couple of boys who race juniors, too.”
Kiara sips her iced tea, smiling. “They all admire him, grew up with him. He has such a big heart, that man, but I’m sure that’s old news to you.”
My cheeks heat. It would have been old news to me if I’d been seeing him clearly from the beginning, but I was blinded bymy anger about Station 19.
When it’s clear I’m not going to pipe in with recent anecdotes about Luke’s big heart, Kiara continues, “We miss him terribly. We all knew it was coming, but it’s hard to imagine him being happier doing something other than working on bikes at the track.”
Kiara tells me stories about Luke fixing bikes in record time and getting into trouble with Cam when they were younger. He was even at her and Rick’s house the night he found Betty. I learn more about his history in this one conversation than I’ve learned from him in the last few months. Her family has a significant role in his life, and I’d never heard of them until a couple of hours ago. The realization stings that Luke had this whole life before Palm Springs that I know nothing about.Because of course he did.
“We’re all planning on coming out for his grand opening at the bar. Does he have a date set for that yet?”
Holy fuck.The question is like a punch to the gut, but not because he’s opening a bar whereTurbinecurrently is, but because he hasn’t even mentioned it to me. Of course, he’s planning on doing a big grand opening, and of course his friends know about it.Of course, of course, of course.I’ve been disappointed every time he introduced me as his friend today, but am I even that? “Um, well,” I stumble over my words, trying to mask my flush of embarrassment with literally any information. “My lease is up July thirty-first, so a month or two after that?”
“Oh.” A flicker of understanding passes over her face, and her tone softens. “You own the coffee shop. That’s how you two know each other.”
I nod in affirmation.
“You weren’t planning on leaving until he came along, were you?” I shake my head no. Kiara nods and then says the last thing I’d expected. “I bet that’s just killing him.”
Killing him?No. That can’t be true. “I don’t think so. He’s never said anything like that, anyway.”
She scoffs then leans in close to me, her kind face bordering on stern. “I’m going to fill you in on some things, Allie.”Doesn’t she realize how much she already has?“Luke is one of the best men I know. I guarantee he’s one of the best men you know. He brought you out here today for a reason.” I wonder again what that reason might be. “You’re the first woman he’s ever introduced to us, and we’ve known him a long, long time.” She looks over her shoulder at him and Rick walking toward us and then back to me. “He will do anything for the people he cares about, especially the women. You are on that list now.” With another quick glance to make sure he’s not close enough to hear, she finishes. “Do not waste it.”
