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She leans against the door frame. “Yes, so long as it’s not in the hospital cafeteria.”
Chuckling, I nod. “There’s a nice diner not far. It’s been a while, but they used to make a good breakfast.”
“You don’t come to Pearl often?”
“No need. Tourmaline has everything I need.”
Lore nods, her face clouding over, then closes the bathroom door.
Walking outside, I find Brooks smoking as he stares at my bike. He takes a drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling around him. His gaze remains fixated on my bike, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the chrome handlebars.
“She’s a beauty, hey?”
He flicks the cigarette, sending ashes to the ground, and shrugs. “I wouldn’t know.” Brooks sighs. “She was never the same after you.”
“Excuse me?”
Brooks drops the cigarette and grinds it into the ground. “Lore is a force of nature but a predictable one. Before you, she would come and go out of my life, and I didn’t mind. Together we had Tobias, and he bound us, but after you, she never came back for me. Lore only came for our son. I’d always hoped she’d return to me, but you somehow ended us.”
“How’s your wife?” I ask.
Brooks gives me a sad smile and replies, “Asleep.” His gaze goes to a closed door of the motel.
“Maybe you should be with her instead of wishing for something that was never yours.”
He scowls at me. “What does some biker have that I don’t?”
I shoot back, “For one, I’ve never talked down to her, and two, I tried to hold on to her but realized Lore needs to find her own path.” I give him a once-over. “She seems to be in a good space now. Even with all the shit with Tobias.”
Brooks rocks back on his heels, considering my words. “She does seem more settled. Life in Willowbrook agrees with her.”
Lore steps out of the motel room, a smile playing on her lips. However, it quickly fades as she takes in the scene with Brooks and me. “Is everything okay?”
I give her a reassuring grin. “Yeah, babe, Brooks and I were just shootin’ the shit. You ready to get something to eat?”
“Starving.”
Brooks steps back. “I’ll see you later at the hospital. I’ll be in after lunch.”
Climbing on the bike, I fire her up, the low rumble echoing in the quiet parking lot, and extend a hand to Lore. She gets on, her hands clutching my hips. Brooks watches her for a moment, a mix of emotions flickering across his face before he turns and heads back into his motel room.
***
The comforting aroma of coffee surrounds us as we sit in the worn vinyl seats in a corner booth of the diner. The morning sunlight filtering through faded curtains and the clinking of cutlery and hum of conversations create a calming backdrop.
Lore’s fingers trace patterns on the coffee mug in front of her, her eyes flicking between the menu and the worn tabletop. I study her and the way her hair catches the morning light, framing a face that carries both strength and vulnerability.
The waitress, an older woman with a pen behind her ear, takes our orders. “Okay, so pancakes, bacon, and maple syrup for two, right?”
“Yep,” I reply, and Lore nods.
She refills our coffee cups before the waitress walks our order back.
The diner door swings open, and the atmosphere shifts. Turning, I see King stride in with an air of authority. His presence is both commanding and unsettling, the leather cut adorned with patches a testament to the power he holds.
Lore’s posture changes slightly as she glances toward him, her eyes narrowing briefly before she looks away. My hand instinctively reaches out, and I rub my thumb over her knuckles.
King saunters over, a predatory confidence in his stride. “Well, well, look who we have here,” he drawls, his gaze lingering on Lore. “Dirt, sharing a meal with such a lovely lady. Must be my lucky day.”
