Eleven

Rider scanned the crowded interior of Red Cap for the blond hair Evie used to wear. It wasn’t her natural color. She’d always hated her red hue no matter how much he told her it was beautiful.

His eyes found Barb instead. She was glaring at him from over by the juke box, lips pursed in a scowl.

Shit.

He waved her over. By the time she reached him, she was pissed as hell.

“Adam says that woman over there is yours. That true, Rider Daley?”

Rider followed her gaze over to the bar. Punk was serving a blue drink with an umbrella to a woman with reddish blond hair. From the back, he never would have guessed it was Evie. She didn’t move the same way he remembered.

He turned back to Barb. “Sally’s outside. Go be with her, okay?”

“Answer me,” she demanded.

“I’m taking care of shit, but she needs someone with her. Now. Go, Barb. And don’t let her come in here. I don’t want her hurt.”

Barb eyed him, clearly not sure. “What should I tell her?”

“Tell her I’ll be out soon.”

She looked like she was about to eat him alive. Like if they weren’t in a crowded room she’d vixen-slap him to the end of the earth.

“Fine. But I’d like to remind you Sally is your mate, and you can’t just take back something like that. You can’t play with a mating bond. Think about it.”

With that, she spun to make her way through the crowd toward the door.

Rider looked up and right into a set of familiar green eyes. Evie stared across the room at him, seeming nervous. But only for a second before she smiled that winning thing he’d seen on the Farmers Only commercial.

He remembered when her teeth weren’t so perfectly straight. Back in school, when he’d first fallen for her. The bottom ones had been crooked to the point of sitting sideways and one top one sat a lot higher than the others.

He spent a lot of hours staring at that mouth. Once it would have brought him to his knees. Now… it did nothing.

Rider made his way across the floor. The bond that took up home in his chest throbbed. Sally must have overheard Adam, or maybe he told her after Rider went inside. Or maybe the uncomfortable feeling was coming from him. He’d waited a long damn time to face his past, and he never expected it to be easy or pain-free.

But he knew what to do. And when he was done, he’d find Sally and let her soothe him the way only she did.

Rider stopped at the bar beside Evie. He didn’t bother ordering a drink. He wouldn’t be around that long.

“What are you doing here?” The first words he’d spoken to her in years came out much calmer than he ever could have imagined.

She let out a light giggle, but didn’t answer him.

“Who was that girl?” she asked. “She didn’t seem happy. Is she the flavor of the night?”

Rider watched her swirl her drink.

“I heard you were like that now. Sleeping around to get over me. Looking for something you can’t find. Why do you think that is, Ridey?”

He clenched his jaw, hearing the nickname she’d given him so many years ago. He’d hated it then, but cared too much to ever mention it. Now he hated it even more, but didn’t care enough to let her know.

“Her name is Barb. And I don’t have flavors.”

“Barb,” Evie muttered, sipping her blue drink. “Sounds like a name only Cedar Valley could love.”

“Yeah, we like her just fine. Answer me, Evie. Why are you here?”

She had five seconds. That was it. He had to get back to Sally and make this pain in his gut stop. It was worsening with every second away from her.

Evie set her drink aside and flashed that smile at him again. When he didn’t smile back, she reached over to brush her palm over his cheek. “I’m here for you, Rider. For us.”

“That right?” He removed her hand from his face, letting it drop to the bar top.

Her smile faltered. Her mask fell away, and the real Evie was revealed. The one who did feel real regrets. The one he’d fallen for and committed to. The one not playing a part. It was a relief to know the person he’d loved once still existed. That she hadn’t been a figment of his imagination. His heart hadn’t chosen wrong all those years ago, hers had.

Knowing she could be a decent person again someday, if she wanted to… it was exactly the closure he needed.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked. “Listen, I fucked up. You deserved better, and I know that.”

“You’ve been gone seven years. You left without a word.”

“I know. I made a mistake. I regret it with everything in me.” Her whispered confession should have hit him in the heart like cupid’s arrow.

It didn’t.

“Adam says there’s hope,” she tried, her voice shaking.

Rider smirked. “Not even a sliver.”

“He says you were broken-hearted. That when you love someone that much, you give them a second chance.”

Rider sighed. “Not when the person doesn’t love you back. Not when the person threw that love away like it was nothing more than garbage. You don’t give those people second chances. Never, Evie. You know why? Because you have to love yourself too. Otherwise there’s no point.”

“I did love you—”

“Not for a second. I know that now, because I’ve found someone who really does. And I’m going to make a life with her. So if you’re here for me…”

Rider stared into her eyes so she’d hear him right.

“…finish your drink, head south, and don’t stop until you reach Mexico. Hell, South America. Because there’s nothing here for you. Understand?”

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. When she looked away, it was over. He was free…

Rider turned for the door and doubled back.

… almost.

“Oh, one more thing…” He’d nearly forgotten the most important part. The reason he’d come in here in the first place. “I forgive you.”

Again, her mouth opened but nothing made it through her lips.

“I forgive you for what you did, Evie.”

She nodded, tears pooling in her eyes, and whispered, “Thank you.”

Rider strolled for the door feeling lighter than air. He’d needed to forgive Evie for so long and couldn’t. His heart had been too damaged. But his bond with Sally had healed more than just her wounds on the track. It had re-formed him into something capable of true forgiveness.

Adam thought he was giving Rider the gift of a second chance. And he was. Just not the way he figured.

Rider smiled, feeling finally free of the past. Free to love Sally the way she deserved. He was going to make her so damn happy. At least as happy as he was now. And he had so many years to try.

His vixen would be the happiest in Cedar Valley.

He pushed through the door and into the warm night air…

To find Adam and Barb facing off in the parking lot.

“I didn’t know it would hurt her like that,” Adam boomed.

“Yeah, asshole! Every woman loves hearing she’s not wanted. Where exactly did you learn how to talk to ladies, anyway?”

“I didn’t know she was soft.”

“Everyone’s soft when you dig around inside. Even you, donghead!”

“Someone could’ve fucking told me what she was. Does Rider even know what he’s been kissing?”

“Who,” Barb screeched. “Whooooo he’s been kissing. Ya goddamn asshat.”

“So when you said fox earlier, you meant… you meant an actual fox.”

She stepped closer, fists clenched. “No. I meant a wildebeest. Of course I meant a fox!”

Adam got an inch from her face, yelling, “A wildebeest would make more sense!”

They were either about to kiss or bite.

Barb gritted, “Oh, I should just—”

Rider whistled sharp and loud to grab their attention. When both heads snapped around, he realized Sally was nowhere to be found and all of their words piled up in his head to tell him the messy story.

Something bad had happened after he walked into Red Cap.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Both of them started screaming their explanations at the same time, hands waving and jaws wagging. Rider couldn’t pick out a syllable he recognized.

“Hey. Hey!” Luckily his tone stopped them. “Where is Sally?”

This time, they had nothing to say. They each looked at the other, politely waiting for the other to explain. Sonofabitch.

“One of you better tell me where my girl is. Now.”

“Adam ran her off—”

“She turned into an animal—”

“He said awful things and made her cry—”

“She was already crying because Rider went after Evie—”

Oh, shit. “She shifted?” Rider managed to get the question.

Barb nodded.

“Creepy as fuck,” Adam muttered.

“You shut up!” she yelled. “It’s not creepy. It’s who we are.”

Adam stared at her, looking chagrined.

“And he didn’t go after Evie,” Barb argued. “He went to tell her he was taken. Isn’t that right, Rider?”

Adam’s gaze snapped to him, questioning. “She right? You sent Evie on her way for Sally?”

“Yes, damn it. Adam, Evie didn’t leave the way your Karly did. She chose to leave. Tossed me aside like I was fucking nothing. You think I want to go back to that, man? Hell no. I have someone who won’t ever do that. Because I matter to her. I finally fucking matter.”

Rider watched his friend’s face go slack with shame. Oh, he didn’t like the look of that.

“What did you do, Adam?”

He shook his head running his hands over his face.

“It doesn’t fucking matter. Shit!” He kicked a crumpled up beer can and sent it flying across the lot. “I saw you running for her when she wrecked. Knew she was starting to become important. I just wanted to keep you from getting hurt again. I didn’t… I didn’t know she fucking loved you, okay? Didn’t know it was like that. I thought Evie being back would make you happy again. I just wanted to see you happy, Rider.”

“I was happy. Didn’t you notice when you caught me with her and jumped my ass?”

Barb let out a noise that could only be described as yeah, what he said.

“Shit…” Adam paced two steps away and doubled back. “I hurt her. I didn’t know. I… you need to find her. Set things right.”

Rider was already halfway to his bike, he’d deal with Adam later. “Where did she go?”

“Into the woods. Use your bond,” Barb said. “And Rider…”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful with her. I’ve never seen Sally so raw.”

Damn it. His stomach sank at the thought of her hurting over the stupidest shit.

He glared at Adam, and the guy looked truly sorry. Rider didn’t give a fuck. If it lost him Sally, they were done.

“You’d better hope I can find her. And when I do, she’d better fucking be okay.”

Rider pulled on his helmet, leaving the rest of the threat unspoken, and roared from the parking lot. In his mirror, he could see Adam run to his truck, slam the door, and pull out of Red Cap heading the other direction.