She hesitantly nods her head before darting from the booth and disappearing to the back, leaving the coffee pot behind. I grab the other cup on the table and refill it since I let the last one grow cold. Guzzling the strong brew, I drop some cash on the table and take my leave. I want to be around Calla all the time, but not to the point she feels the need to hide from me.
With one last look for her, I exit the building and walk back to the shop. I didn’t ride over because I knew she’d see my Harley and either bolt or try to hide from me. This afternoon, however, I fully intend on giving her the ride of her life. I plan on keeping her out as long as I can until she begs me to take her home.
It's nearing seven in the morning now, traffic has picked up pace, and I can see Beckett’s bike in the lot. The kid is a genius with rebuilds and custom paint jobs. If people want unique art on their bikes or vehicles, they come to Beck. Hell, even when they want to get creative with their kid’s rooms, Beck is the guy everyone calls. He’s fast, efficient, damn good, and if it’s for a kid, he does everything for free.
One of the bay doors rolls up as I’m nearing the shop, and as soon as he sees me, Beck shakes his head back and forth. I haven’t hidden my infatuation with Calla from my friends, and they tease me incessantly about it.
Heading to my office upstairs, I have bills, bank statements, and payroll to organize before opening in an hour. Once Petal gets here at nine, she takes over the front desk until the kids are out of school. We even renovated, so the baby has a play area behind the desk with her, and Cade has a crib in his office for nap time.
It’s an odd system but one that works for everyone. The furthest Petal gets from the infant is when she’s yelling at one of us through the door separating the office from the shop. A lot has changed in the last year and a half, and every single one of them for the better.
Chapter 2
Calla
“Why are you freaking out?” Cali yells from the lounge room while I’m in the bathroom, changing. She works the evening shift, so I was able to ask her to bring me a change of clothes. I didn’t want to smell like greasy food while I’m out with Jace.
“You’ve seen him, right?” I poke my head out as I buckle my jeans. I actually think they’re hers because they fit a little too snugly on me, which is hard to do given that I’m practically a toothpick. But Cali is still two sizes smaller.
“Yeah. Tall, dark, gorgeous hunk of muscle and tattoos. And the smile! Do not get me started on his smile.” I groan as I slam the door shut.
She’s right. Jace has the sexiest, most welcoming smile I’ve ever seen on a man. He’s big, nearly bodybuilder big, but not because he’s lifting weights every day. I think it’s just the way he’s put together. And the tattoos that cover every available inch of skin that I can see outside his shirts are intriguing…but intimidating.
The man is such a contradiction. I don’t think I’ve met anyone nicer than Jace Cooper. But he terrifies me, and I hate it. I recognize that it’s because of his size. My mother had this boyfriend once when I was eleven, the same size as Jace. He wasn’t nice, and if I had to guess, he was as manic as she was. Which means, when she would goad him into hurting me for her, it was painful. A lot more so than her boney backhand. I got a meaty fist that could and did break bones.
“You know he’s sweet on you, right?” Cali’s voice echoes around the bathroom as I unwind my damp hair from the towel. Shock is reflected in the mirror.
“No, he isn’t,” I protest. He can’t be. Why would he be? I’m nothing. He’s so handsome, he could have anyone he wants. Jace doesn’t want some cracked shell of a woman like me.
Opening the door, Cali leans against the jamb. I envy her confidence and ability not to care about what people think of her. “He’s smitten. Completely. His entire demeanor softens in your presence. I think he actually makes himself smaller because, instinctually, he knows you’re afraid of him, and he hates it.” I’m shaking my head the entire time she’s talking.
Cali rolls her eyes and grabs my hair, twisting the strands together in two long braids on either side of my head. “Give him a chance, Calla. Give yourself a chance. You deserve happiness, you know.”
“How do you know?” I blurt the words out before I can stop them.
She’s just as surprised as I am. “Because everyone does. I don’t know what happened in your past, but I know it brought you here. To family you thought forgot about you, and they’re doing everything they can to include you in their lives. Take it, grip it with both hands, and don’t ever let go.”
Cali walks out before I can say anything, leaving me pondering her words. I don’t think she’s right about Jace. But to have a family again? I’d really like that, no matter how hard it is to accept that they want me back in their lives.
Slipping my jean jacket on, I sling my purse over my shoulder and head out, stopping only to take a look at the two men who have captured my friend’s complete attention sitting in a booth by the window. That has to be them. The one’s she’s running from. I sure hope she takes her own advice and lets them love her too.
Stepping outside, I’m surprised it didn’t rain after the dreariness of this morning. The mid-afternoon sun is shining bright, and the sky is a clear blue, not a cloud in sight. It’s one of my favorite things about California. The weather is almost always beautiful. I spend as many days as I can out in the sun.
Gazing down the street, I can see Jace, Cade, and Beckett through the garage door as they work. Even from this distance, they’re all hot as hell. It should be illegal for those three men to look so good. A knocking on the diner window has me turning around to see Cali staring with a hand on her hip, daring me to ditch Jace.
I want to. I want to forget that he was here at all this morning, but I can’t. When he grabbed my wrist as I was about to walk away from him, I nearly burst into flames from the heat. I’ve never had that reaction to anyone before. It was terrifying and thrilling.
Taking a fortifying breath, I cross the street, narrowly missing getting hit by a car. The horn honking has all three men looking out of the garage, and I know exactly when Jace sees me. A huge grin takes over his face before he looks pissed, and it’s then I know he realized what happened and comes rushing over.
“You okay?” he asks, gripping my arms and running his hands down to my wrists before pulling me closer. I lose my breath as I nod.
Between the close proximity, my attraction to him, and my fear of him, I feel like I can’t breathe and try to step back. He doesn’t let me, however. Instead, he wraps an arm around my shoulders and walks me to the shop.
“I’m fine, Jace,” I finally say, digging through my bag for the bottle of orange juice I keep in there. I need the sugar to keep from passing out. I can feel it coming on.
“You’re too pale,” he replies as we stop, concern in every line of his face.
Ignoring his statement, I find the juice and immediately guzzle half the bottle. “Just needed a bit of sugar,” I say with a fake laugh.
His gaze narrows, and I know he recognizes that I’m lying. And he knows it, too, but he doesn’t call me out. “Still good to go out?” he asks instead.