“You ready to go find your son?” Dix asked after Daisy opened the door to her room.

 

“You bet! I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me.”

 

“A deal’s a deal. You help us, we’ll help you.”

 

“Your bike or my car?”

 

“Bike. I saw your car running yesterday. If you drove all the way from Prineville in that, you’re a braver woman than I gave you credit for.”

 

“Hey!” she said loudly, but with a smile. “That’s my baby you’re talking about!”

 

“Baby, huh?”

 

“Okay. It was all I could afford. It’s a temperamental beast, but has always gotten me to where I wanted to go.”

 

He shook his head. He wouldn’t be caught dead owning a piece of shit like that. “Well, today, I think you can do a little better.” He handed her a helmet. “I even brought you your own helmet.”

 

“You just happened to have an extra one lying around?” she grinned as she put it on. He probably had women wanting to go for a ride all the time, and not all of them on his bike. She grinned as she climbed aboard behind him. She had a good feeling about today, that she and Riley would soon be back together, and she’d slept better last night than she had in days.

 

“Never know when you might need to give a lady in distress a ride.”

 

She giggled as she tucked in close, feeling giddy. Just having him talk to her like he did, like an equal and with humor and warmth, made her all gooey inside. Her girlfriends talked about how great their sex lives were but she couldn’t understand it, until maybe now. Leo had taken her virginity and had been her only lover, and she knew sex was supposed to be fun and exciting, but with him it hadn’t been. Like everything else with Leo, she now suspected there was something better than what she had and she wondered if Dix knew how to please a woman. Looking like he did, she suspected he could have all the practice he wanted.

 

She’d let Leo take her whenever he wanted her, but she hadn’t wanted sex in years. Now, sitting on the back of the motorcycle with Dix, she felt a stirring, a yearning, she hadn’t felt in a long time…and it felt great.

 

He slowed suddenly and pulled into the parking lot of motel. “See anything?”

 

“No,” Daisy said as they slowly cruised through the parking lot of the motel. “I think the Chromes only ride Harleys. At least that’s all I ever saw.”

 

“Okay,” he said as he accelerated around the building and paused before turning out onto the main road again.

 

Douglas was a bit of a Mecca for riders in the Pacific Northwest. Near the Siuslaw National Forest, 630,000 acres of forestland crisscrossed by dozens, if not hundreds, of roads that rose and fell as they twisted and turned through the mountains and valleys, Douglas was a natural stopping point. Riders flocked to the area to ride the roads and watch the whales.

 

Because of the constant influx of riders, a thriving industry had built up in town catering to the bikers, in addition to the whale watchers and the dune riders. Douglas lived and died on its tourist industry, so no potential went untapped.

 

Most motels were motorcycle-friendly and several motorcycle speed shops had opened in town. The Cutthroats were well known by riders who came to Douglas and so long as the visitors didn’t act the fool, everything was good, but one word from the Cutthroats and bikers could find the town, and its hospitality, were closed to them.

 

The police were aware that, often times, business owners called the Cutthroats if they were having problems with bikers before they called them, but so long as the Cutthroats were only dispensing friendly advice, they appreciated the help.

 

“So basically, the Cutthroats are like the first line against problem bikers?” she asked as he explained it to her.

 

“That’s one way you could put it, I guess.”

 

“And you do that for free?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why? Isn’t it obvious? We live here. We ride motorcycles. We don’t want people from out of town causing problems for our friends and neighbors, and we want to keep the town motorcycle-friendly. It doesn’t cost us anything, and if the bikers want to be the assholes, we simply call the cops and let them deal with it.”

 

“How often does that happen?”

 

“Not often. Once or twice a year, maybe. Most people come back year after year and are no problem. Especially after we warn them what will happen if they keep on. But every now and then…”

 

The more he talked, the better she liked him and the Cutthroats. She’d sworn off bad boys and motorcycle clubs, deciding she wanted to date accountants and computer programmers from now on, but if the bad boys could actually be the good guys, like Dix and the Cutthroats, maybe she wasn’t quite ready to give that up after all.

 

He curved the Harley into another motel and putt-putted through the parking lot, but there were no bikes. “Breakfast?”

 

“I thought you’d forgotten.”

 

“No, I didn’t see any reason to backtrack out here since we were passing them on the way to where I want to go for breakfast. It’s where most bikers go.”

 

They stopped in a place that looked like a Denny’s, or some other converted chain store, whose parking lot was full of bikes of every make and description. They took a couple of slow passes through the lot as she looked the bikes over.

 

“I saw one that looked like Leo’s, but it wasn’t,” she said pointing. “Leo’s doesn’t have the backrest thingy.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Positive, unless he added it in the last couple of weeks.”

 

Dix wheeled the bike around and backed into an available space. “We’ll check it out once we get inside. If you see him, don’t do anything. We don’t want him to know you’re here in case he puts two and two together.” They stepped in the restaurant, joining the rest of the people waiting for a table. “See him?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why don’t you go to the restrooms, back that way,” he said with a nod, indicating the larger of the two rooms.

 

“Good idea.”

 

Daisy made her way to the back, washed her hands, then returned. “I didn’t see him.”

 

“Not over there either?”

 

“No.”

 

He relaxed. “Okay. We’ll hang here for a couple of hours until the breakfast rush is over.” They had to wait twenty minutes, and pass up two tables, before the one Dix wanted opened. They sat so she had a good view of the door.

 

They were done eating, but taking their time, patrons still arriving, though the crush was passed. “So tell me, Dix, why are you the only one of the Cutthroats that rides a Harley?”

 

“Because I have more class than those other jokers.”

 

She twittered out a laugh. “Really?”

 

He chuckled. “That’s part of it. I just like the look of the Harley better and since I ride a Switchback, I can put the windshield and bags on mine, or take them off, as the mood and need dictates. The crotch rockets those other guys ride, they’re for one thing only: going fast. But they all have cars. I don’t.”

 

“Your motorcycle is the only wheels you have?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“What do you do if it rains?”

 

“What do you think? I get wet.”

 

“Oh, a tough guy. I get it,” she said with a grin.

 

He smiled. “If you want to look at it that way.”

 

“How do you get groceries home? Stuff like that?”

 

“I haul what I need on the bike. I don’t cook, so not much need to lug groceries. If I need to haul something that won’t fit on the hog, I can use the yard truck.”

 

She nodded in understanding. “Cheaper than a car, I guess, if you can make it work.”

 

They sat, taking up the table and talking, for almost another hour until the influx of customers had slowed to a trickle. Finally, Dix scooped up the check, holding up a finger in playful warning as she opened her mouth. “I’ve got this.”

 

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you again.”

 

They strode out, Dix sliding on his shades as she pulled hers out of her purse and did the same. “I see we have the same taste in eyewear,” he said as they arrived at his bike. What he didn’t say was the aviator style glasses looked a hell of a lot better on her than they did on him.

 

“So I see.” She turned away and began to put on her helmet lest her see her color rise. This was the first time she’d seen him with sunglasses on and he was fine! The pirate on the back of his jacket with the dagger in his mouth seemed to fit him perfectly.

 

They spent the next two hours hitting motels in the area, but she saw nothing or no one who looked familiar. They were on their way to the next stop when it began to rain. It started out as a few drops, but in moments it was coming down in buckets. She huddled in close to him, but there was no avoiding the cold rain and she was soaked through in seconds. She refused to complain, but with the wind created by the bike at speed and the wet clothes, she was shivering almost instantly.

 

He could feel her shuddering at his back but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He was fine, used to being wet and cold, plus his jacket helped shed some of the water, but she had no such protection, or as much meat on her bones. Another mile on, they pulled into the motel and creeped around the parking lot.

 

“No,” she said, her voice quivering hard as they slowly cruised past a group of Harleys.

 

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he pulled back onto the 101 and headed back the way they came. As he reached the edge of town he peeled off the main road and then moments later, turned into a WalMart.

 

“Go inside. I’ll be there in a moment,” he said as he pulled to a stop in front of the entrance. He watched as she scurried inside, visibly shaking.

 

She was standing just inside the door, still shaking when he entered, squeegeeing water from his hair as he entered. “Come on, let’s get you dried off before you freeze to death,” he said as he took her arm and led her inside. He led her directly to the women’s section and parked her in front of a shelving unit of jeans. “Pick out what you need.”

 

“I-I-I can’t” she stammered.

 

“Why?”

 

“Be-Because I don’t have the money.”

 

“Don’t worry about that. Just pick out some clothes. I’m going to go get a towel and I’ll be right back.”

 

“Dix, I can’t let—”

 

“Would you rather freeze?”

 

“I-I’ll be okay.”

 

“Bullshit,” he muttered softly. “Just pick out some clothes,” he ordered then stepped away without a backwards glance. Three minutes later he was back with a white towel.

 

“You going to wear wet underwear?” She grimaced and added a package of underwear and socks to the pile. “Wait here,” he said as he walked away.

 

It took him a little longer to check out, but he returned with the clothes. “I just bought these,” he said to clerk manning the changing rooms, handing her the receipt. “She’s going to put them on and wear them out.”

 

“Thank goodness,” the clerk said unlocking a room for her. “I was freezing just looking at her.”

 

“I’ll pay you back,” she whispered as she took the clothes from Dix.

 

“We’ll worry about that later. Go change.”

 

She stepped into the room and stripped out of her wet clothes. The moment she dried off, she felt warmer, sighing in relief as she slipped into the new underwear, pants and shirt. Her bra and shoes were still wet, but she was much warmer than before.

 

The moment she stepped out, her wet clothes in the bag, he draped his jacket around her. It swallowed her, but it was warm with his body heat and felt wonderful. Another shudder passed over her as the dry clothes leeched the chill from her body. He took the bag and she pulled the jacket around her, breathing deep, unable to remember the last time anything felt so good.

 

“Come on, let’s get some hot food into you,” he said, leading her to the front of the store.

 

It was still pouring outside, so they had a gourmet meal of McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with cheese and fries in the small restaurant tucked inside the store. By the time she was nibbling on the last of her fries, she felt almost normal.

 

“I don’t know how you stand it,” she said as she returned his jacket to him. “I was so cold my fingers wouldn’t work and I almost couldn’t get my shirt off.”

 

“I’m sorry. We should have come in your car.”

 

“It’s okay now, but if you weren’t freezing your ass off, you’re a lot tougher than I am.”

 

“I was a little chilled,” he admitted.

 

She giggled. “A little chilled?”

 

“A little. But you were freezing. I could feel you shaking.” He gave her a sideways shrug and a small smile. As she sat there, she could feel a warmth spreading through her. Where Leo wouldn’t have given a second thought to her being cold, Dix had taken care of her, getting her out of the rain as soon as reasonably possible and buying her dry clothes. She could feel tears forming in gratitude and she looked away from him, blinking to get control of herself.

 

“Are you okay?” he asked as her eyes filled with tears.

 

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

 

“What?”

 

“Why are you being so nice to me? Buying me dry clothes, paying for my meals.”

 

“I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t I? I was afraid you were going to die of hypothermia.”

 

“That’s what I mean! Why do you care?”

 

He couldn’t understand what she was driving at. Had her husband been so uncaring to let her suffer? “Because, Daisy, I didn’t want to watch you shiver while you froze, not when I’m the one who caused it.”

 

“I have to go to the restroom,” she said, rising quickly and walking to the back of the store before he saw her cry.

 

***