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“Don’t fucking say it, Rosie.” Thunder raises his voice, making me jump.
Guard gives him a stern look. “Calm down. Rose isn’t going anywhere, and neither are you.” Then he turns to me. “I know you’re scared, but this the safest place for you. What we’re doing is precautionary. This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, that we pull our families together. The women know the routine. The kids love being together. They always have a blast.”
“My parents—”
“We’ve got another club helping out. Good men. Smart men. They’re keeping watch. So far, no one has approached them,” Guard says soothingly.
“I know it’s hard since you don’t know us well, but you’ve got to let us do our thing,” Orion says.
“I trust you,” I say, looking him straight in the eye. Then I move my gaze to Guard. “I trust you all.”
Orion grins, and Guard gives me a huge smile. “You’re part of the Pride, Rose. Easy as that.”
“None of this is easy. To tell you the truth, all this is making me sick. I left to go out on my own and see what I can accomplish, and this black cloud is looming over me and sucking you into the storm. I don’t want any of this for you. Any of you!” I say, looking at the three men and settling my gaze on Thunder.
“One day soon, this is going to be a story we tell our kids. Cheer up, Rosie. The sun is going to shine real soon,” Thunder says, pulling me in close and placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. “Now, I’ll take you to work. I’m with you for the day.”
“What about your own work?”
“We’re covering for him,” Orion replies.
“You’re to tell us when you’re heading out. I want another man with you,” Guard insists, looking directly at Thunder.
“I’m sorry I’m causing so much trouble,” I tell Guard.
“You’re no trouble.” He shakes his head. “People selling drugs to kids, making them into prostitutes, using them, and abusing them, that’s the trouble. We can’t stop all the ugliness of the world, but this is our town, and we don’t allow that shit here.”
With that, Thunder and I take our leave. I help clear the dishes from the table before we head for the shop. Ava gives me a big hug before I walk out and whispers in my ear, “We’ve got your back.”
* * *
Thunder
It’s good that the shop has been missed and customers are coming through. Some come to say hello to Rosie and have a chat, but end up leaving with a purchase in hand. Others like to browse, looking for that special gift. Rose takes her time with each person. She listens, giving them ideas that might work. Rosie has always been good with people. Young or old, she seems to find common ground and sets them at ease.
The few days of having to close was a hit to her bank account, but today has been busy, and if this is any indication of her future for the shop, she’s going to do well. With a couple of hours left in the day, things begin to slow down, and she gets to tidying up. I’m mostly in the back, moving boxes and organizing her small storage space to make it easier for her to move around. Petals is her baby, and I want her to know I support her.
The chiming of the bell over the door grabs my attention. I come out of the back to see a man with his son. I’ve seen this guy around. He’s a truck driver and used to work for a trucking company that recently went out of business. He looks haggard, but he has a hand on his son’s shoulder, who stands proudly beside him.
“How can I help you lovely gentlemen?” Rosie asks.
The father looks down on his son, nodding. “Go ahead, Robbie.” The kid’s the spitting image of his father, with straight sandy-brown hair and hazel eyes. They even have the same stance, standing tall and proud.
Robbie opens the palm of his hand. I can see the crushed bills. “Is this enough to buy my mom a rose? It’s her birthday. She loves flowers.”
Rose moves down to his level and gently takes his hand in hers, studying the money. From where I am, I can see that the kid doesn’t have enough to cover the cost.
“You’re in luck!” she declares. “We’re having a special today. You can buy three roses with that.” The boy lights up like he been given a shiny new bike to ride. He looks up at his father. The guy knows Rose is lying and I can see he’s conflicted in setting his son straight or letting him have this for his mother.
“Hey.” I step forward. I offer my hand to the guy. “Name’s Thunder.”
“Robert Kelpner.” He shakes my hand.
“I’ve seen you around. You drive a rig, right?” I already know he does, but I want to see his reaction. He straightens taller and meets my eyes, a glint of hope shining through.
“Yes, I do. I used to work for Dolman’s Trucking, but they went out of business six months ago. I’ve been doing long hauls as I can get them.” Long hauls suck. That means more time away from the family and more stress.
“Not sure if you’re interested. I got a buddy in the next town over looking for a daily delivery guy. Car and motorcycle parts, mainly, but supplies as well. The company is growing and needs to add on new routes. You interested?”
