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“Balloons!” Jessie shrieked and held out her hands, making and releasing tiny fists. “Gimme!”
“Jessie!” Sophie said. “Where are your manners! Tell Charley thank you.”
Jessie dropped her arms and pouted. “Thank you, Charley. But that’s a boy’s name and you’re a girl.”
Charley grinned as she stepped forward and handed Jessie the balloons. “Yes, it is and yes, I am. Sometimes things just don’t match up.”
Sophie rose from the bed and stuck out her hand. “I’m Sophie, Jessie’s mom. Thanks for the balloons. She loves them. It was very kind of you.”
Charley gave Sophie’s hand a quick squeeze. “You’re welcome. Hospitals always need a little color.”
“They sure do,” Luke said. “I’m Luke. Thanks for thinking of Jessie after having your own scare.”
Charley shot a glance at Dog.
He answered the unasked question. “Cutter called and asked where I was. I told him I was here with you. He told me about Jessie being here too.”
She nodded and turned back to Luke. “I’m okay. I’ve been released.”
“Good to hear,” Luke said.
“Charley,” Jessie said, “will you read me a book?”
Sophie stood and frowned at her daughter. “Jessie, Charley has things to do.”
Charley smiled and waved her hand. “I’ve got time for a book. Do you have one in mind, sweetie?”
Jessie grabbed the book from Sophie. “Yes! My favorite.”
Charley looked at the cover of the children’s book in Jessie’s small hand and laughter ripped from her. “‘Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude’. Well, okay then.”
Dog chuckled and gave Jessie a thumbs-up.
Sophie smiled, and Luke said, “What can I say? My daughter has good taste.”
Charley shook her head with a grin, sat on the edge of Jessie’s bed, and started to read. Dog pulled Luke a step away and asked, “Y’all doing okay? You need anything?”
Luke shook his head. “Nah, we’re good. But I’m glad the fight is this weekend. Jessie needs the treatment. I can’t thank you enough, brother.”
“You don’t have to. That’s what family is for.”
When Charley finished the book about how a biker saves a princess, which was exactly how the story should have gone, Dog and Charley said their goodbyes and headed out. An elevator and several hallways later they exited into the ER parking lot where Dog had left his bike.
Dog looked at Charley’s shoes. “Not wild about you wearing those shoes on my bike.”
Charley cocked her head. “Well, they’re all I have. Should I go barefoot?”
“Hell, no. Just be careful of the pipes. They get hot.”
Before Dog could say anything else, a familiar dark SUV with tinted glass stopped about a hundred yards away.
Nate, that fuckwad. What was he doing here? Did he follow me? Or Luke and Cutter? It would be just like him. Always looking for a dirty angle to win a fight.
Dog’s phone chimed in his cut. He pulled it out. A text from someone not in his contact list was lighted on the screen.
+1 (828) 555-1746(8:37pm): Your womans got a fine ass. Wouldnt mind tapping that myself.
Rage narrowed Dog’s vision to only the SUV, and he started toward it. Before he could finish three paces, the SUV screeched out of the lot.
