Chapter Fifteen
Goldie sat in the recliner, his eyes fixed on the hallway in front of him as his grandma slept. For the past half hour, he’d hoped to catch a glimpse of Hailey. Earlier he’d gone to Patty’s room to check in on her and find out whether Hailey was coming by for a visit. Patty had told him Hailey said she’d be by around three o’clock. It was now four o’clock. He had no intention of leaving until he saw her.
Each time the nurse came in, he seemed surprised to find Goldie still in the room. Goldie’s habit was to leave once his grandmother fell asleep, but he couldn’t risk not seeing Hailey. As he waited, sparks of anger zapped his nerves. Why the hell did she have to be so damn hot? The way she looked at him with her innocent eyes and the way she brushed against him drove him wild. What was it with her? The only woman who’d ever messed with his head happened to be his best friend’s little sister. Is that ever fucked. He was supposed to be watching over her. He’d promised Ryan he would, and all he could think about was kissing, touching, and licking her. He wanted to make her beg him to let her come, then watch her as she did. Fuck!
Blue orbs caught his and Hailey smiled weakly before darting her eyes away as she walked past the door. Like a jack-in-the-box, he sprang up and dashed to the door. “Hailey,” he said to her departing back.
Stopping, she looked over her shoulder. “Goldie. I didn’t know you were here.”
Bullshit, but if that’s how you want to play it, I’m in. “Yeah. I looked in on Patty when my grandma went down for her nap. Come on in. I want to talk to you.”
Frowning slightly, she shook her head. “I have to see my aunt. I’ll come by later. How late are you staying?”
He shrugged. “What about you?”
“An hour or so. I have to get back to the shop. I’ll be by in a bit. If you’re there, I’ll stop in.”
Goldie went back into the room and debated about leaving. If it were any other chick, he never would’ve hung around hoping to run into her, and then she acted like it was no big fucking deal. I should go now and show her I don’t give a shit. But the problem was he did give a shit, and he didn’t know why. There was something about her that gnawed at him, made him do silly stuff like wait around for her. He shook his head; he was going to go.
“Is she still sleeping?” Dan, the nurse, asked.
Goldie nodded. He looked at the medium-built man as he leaned over his grandmother. Even though he’d been thrown into the medical arena by his grandma’s illness, he still couldn’t get used to men being nurses. “I noticed one of my grandma’s eyes is a little red and crusty. It’s the right one.”
Dan turned on the overhead light, then bent over and looked at Helen. “You’re right. There’s a lot of crustiness there. I’ll let Dr. Rudman know. We need to get her up. Dinner is ready and she really needs to try and eat something.”
“Okay. I’m here, so I can coax her.”
Dan smiled. “She always eats so much better when you or your sister are with her. I’ll have the CNAs help her up and see if I can find Dr. Rudman.”
Goldie tensed as Dan left the room. He was not a fan of Dr. Rudman. His feeling was that the doctor decided who should be treated and who shouldn’t based on the quality of their lives. At Cherry Vale, there were three doctors who treated the patients: Dr. Tyrell was the head physician, Dr. Rudman was part-time, and Dr. Daniels, also part-time, had his own practice. Goldie had tried to have another doctor assigned to his grandma, but so far Dr. Rudman was still her physician.
After the CNAs had his grandmother up and seated in her recliner, Kevin, a part-time CNA, came into the room with a dinner tray. He placed it on the hospital table and stared at the older woman. “Are you gonna eat good tonight, sweetheart?”
“What the fuck?” Goldie pushed away from the windowsill.
Kevin shifted his cold gaze to him. “Did you say something to me?”
“Yeah. You don’t fuckin’ call my grandma ‘sweetheart.’ That’s just fuckin’ weird.”
“I was only trying to be nice. Sometimes when I talk like that she’ll eat better. Won’t you, sweetheart?” He stroked her cheek.
Goldie grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard until Kevin cried out. “Don’t ever call my grandma anything but her name. Give her the respect she deserves. And never touch her like that again. Next time, I’ll break your goddamn hand.”
“Garth! Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” Her voice was strong and clear.
As mad as Goldie was, he laughed aloud and stroked her cheek. “You always catch me, Grandma.” He bent down and kissed the top of her head.
“And don’t you forget it. I’m hungry.”
Looping his foot under a stool, he dragged it over and sat down, then took off the plate covers. From his peripheral view, he saw Kevin still standing and watching them. “You’re done here. Get out.” Goldie glared at him.
“So you’re going to help her eat? I usually do.”
“You’re pretty dense. I’m fucking here so I’ll help her.”
Kevin’s gaze was fixed on her as he slowly walked backward until he exited the room.
“Does he act weird like that all the time?” he asked as he put a towel around her neck.
While nodding, she picked up her fork. “He’s a strange man. I really don’t like him.”
Goldie’s jaw tightened as he helped her cut her chicken. “I’m gonna make sure he doesn’t come into your room. I don’t like the sonofabitch.”
She broke out in a string of laughter. “You’re on a roll tonight.”
He loved it when the clarity came back and his grandmother was the person he’d known since he was born.
“Hi, Mrs. Humphries. It looks like you’re enjoying your dinner with Garth.” Hailey’s voice was bright and warm, as if a beam of sunshine had been melted into sound. Goldie watched her as she came into the room and stood before his grandmother. “I’m Hailey Shilley. I’m not sure you remember me.”
Helen peered at her as she chewed her food. After swallowing, she grinned. “You’re Garth’s girlfriend. It’s about time.” She clapped her hands.
“She’s not my woman, Grandma. She’s Ryan’s sister.” Goldie scowled at Hailey as she giggled.
“I know Ryan. Where is he? Is he coming over for dinner tonight?”
“I hope I’m not confusing her,” Hailey whispered.
“You’re not. She has moments of clarity and then they slip away,” he said flatly as he saw the vacant gaze he was too familiar with creeping into his grandmother’s eyes.
“What seems to be the trouble here? The nurse told me your grandmother’s left eye is having a problem?” Dr. Rudman, a man in his late thirties, walked into the room, a stethoscope around his neck and a clipboard in his hand.
“My grandma’s got an infection. I noticed it when I came in. It’s all crusty and red.”
Dr. Rudman went over to Helen’s side and bent down low. “The eye looks fine to me,” he said straightening up.
“Are you fuckin’ serious? It’s all crusted over, and no matter how many times I wipe and clean it, the crud comes back.”
The doctor smiled thinly. “Stuff like this happens all the time to old people.”
“My grandma was old yesterday and her eye was fine. She’s got a damn infection, and I want you to treat it.”
“It’s hard to see a loved one slip away. We want our loved ones to never get old, to never be sick, and to never start the process of dying. Your grandmother is a very sick woman who has a serious illness that will only progress. Her quality of life is very much compromised. You need to consider that. A lot of families have a hard time letting their loved one go, but it’s liberating for a sick patient to let go and move on to another level. Some call it heaven, but I like to think of it as—”
“Shut the fuck up before I bust your face! My grandma has a goddamn eye infection and you’re spewing all this shit about not letting her go and the quality of life? I want her comfortable. Get the damn medicine now or you’ll live to regret you walked into this room.” Goldie was inches away from the startled physician, who whirled around, mumbled something inaudible, and left the room.
“Unbelievable! What a jerk,” Hailey said. “I’m going to find Dr. Daniels. He’s great and compassionate. He’s my aunt’s doctor here. I know he’s here.” She bounced out of the room and disappeared.
Goldie grabbed one of the many pillows on his grandmother’s bed and pounded his fist into it over and over. If he were alone, the room would be trashed, but he’d have to appease his rage with the synthetic pillow. With his bare hands, he grasped it hard and tore it open, the stuffing spilling onto the floor.
A hand on his shoulder interrupted the rage, and he jerked his head up and saw Hailey. Standing behind her was a man about thirty-six years old in a solid shirt with a paisley tie. “Are you okay?” Hailey asked in a soft voice near his ear. The tips of her hair tickled his arms and the scent of the ocean swirled around him, calming him.
Letting out a deep breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, he nodded. Jerking his head at the man behind her, he asked, “Who’s he?”
“That’s Dr. Daniels. I asked him to come in.” Hailey gently took the mangled pillow out of his hands.
“I heard your grandmother has a problem with her eye.” He walked over, traipsing through the synthetic chunks from the destroyed pillow.
“I just told Dr. Fuckman there was something jacked up with her eyes and he gives me all this shit about having to let go.” The anger still smoldered inside him. Hailey sat next to him and took his hand in hers.
Dr. Daniels glanced at him quickly, then looked at Helen’s eye. “You’ve got quite an infection there, Helen. I’m going to put some ointment on your eye to give you some relief for now. Are you okay with me doing that?” Helen stared at the blank TV screen. The physician put on gloves, took out a tube, and applied the ointment over her eyelid.
“So why the fuck didn’t the other doc do anything?” Goldie asked.
Dr. Daniels shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure. Helen’s eye definitely has an infection. I’ll prescribe eye drops four times a day, an ointment twice a day, and in a few days you should see an improvement. After a couple of weeks, she should be good as new. The ointment I just applied will give her some relief. I’m glad you’re vigilant in watching your grandmother. It’s important that families are like that, especially when the patients can no long communicate for themselves. I’ll come back in and check on her during the next several days to make sure she’s doing okay.”
Goldie lifted his chin, his face stony. The doctor cleared his voice, then smiled at Hailey. “Patty is doing great. This time around she’s following all instructions to a tee.”
“It may take a while, but when she finds out her way isn’t exactly the best, my aunt ends up coming around. Thanks for coming to see Mrs. Humphries.”
“Of course. And you need to take some time for yourself. Your aunt’s been telling me that you’re on overload. It won’t help if you end up getting sick. You should take a couple days off to reboot. Just some unsolicited advice.” He smiled and walked out of the room.
Hailey stood up but Goldie tugged her back down and she tumbled into him. He hugged her close and nuzzled her neck. “Thanks,” he breathed into her ear, then kissed her soft neck. The scent of the ocean mingled with the aroma of papaya as he breathed in deeply. “You smell like a tropical island. I’d like to see you in a bikini, then strip it off and suck your tits as I fuck you under the sun.”
A small moan vibrated against her throat, and he put his finger in his mouth before trailing it down her throat. “I need a drink, and I want you to join me.”
“Are you done with your tray, sweetheart?” Kevin’s voice shattered the heated haze between Hailey and Goldie.
Without a word, Goldie gently moved Hailey away from him, leapt up, grabbed Kevin by the shirt, and dragged him into the bathroom. After closing the door, he said in a low, dangerous voice, “You were fuckin’ warned about giving respect to my grandma.” He slammed his fist right into Kevin’s face, and the man threw his hands in front of it as if to ward off another punch. “Next time I’ll make sure you’ll have to go to the hospital.”
Goldie came out of the bathroom, ignoring the question on Hailey’s lips. Soon Kevin came out, a towel pressed against his nose. Without a glance or a word, he left the room.
“Did you just hit him?” Hailey asked.
“I warned him not to disrespect my grandma. He did. He knew the consequences.”
“What if he tells the police? I mean, that’s assault. You could get in trouble.”
Goldie shrugged and picked up Helen’s tray. “I’m going to take this to the kitchen.” When he returned from the kitchen, he bumped into Dan.
“Dr. Daniels told me your grandma does have an eye infection. In no time, we’ll make sure it’s all cleared up. Oh… Kevin told me he slipped and fell in the bathroom in Helen’s room. He said you were there and heard him fall.”
“Yeah. Must’ve had some water on the floor. Slammed his face on the sink.”
“I think he broke his nose. Anyway, I sent him home.”
“Is the administrator in?”
“Yes. I’m going to check on Helen. She’s probably ready to go back to bed.”
After Goldie told the administrator that he didn’t want Kevin anywhere near his grandmother or he’d pull her out, he gave Helen a kiss on her cheek, grabbed Hailey’s hand, and headed out to the parking lot. In less than fifteen minutes he had a shot of whiskey in his hand and she had a bottle of beer in hers as they sat at a small table at Cuervos.
“How long have you been with the Night Rebels?” she asked.
“Since I got out of high school. I’d started hanging around their bike repair shop ever since I heard they had a used Harley for sale. I put a small down payment on it and would turn over most of my paycheck every two months to get it paid off. I got friendly with some of the guys and they invited me to a couple of their parties, and I ended up prospecting for them. I really liked the feeling of brotherhood among the members. I don’t know. It was like for the first time in my life, I belonged. I fit in.” He placed his empty shot glass down and gestured for another one.
“You didn’t like high school much, did you?”
He laughed. “I liked the parties and the chicks, but that was about all. There were so many pompous assholes. I see some of them in town in their suits acting so important. They glance at me and I see hints of respect and fear in their eyes when they pass me and my brothers on the street.”
“It must’ve been hard not having your dad around.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not why I joined the Night Rebels. Don’t try to psychoanalyze me. My mom bailed when we were young, then came back and tried to make us a family. The truth was my parents never should’ve been together. They fought all the time and we were caught in the middle. My grandparents saved us. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where we would’ve ended up.”
“I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been with your mom and dad going back and forth like that.”
“Yeah. There’d be periods when they were all lovey-dovey, but then they’d start fighting and throwing punches and shit at each other. They’d be separated for a while and we’d end up at my grandparents. When they’d reconcile, we’d move back in with them and the shit would start up all over again. It was fucking insane. But it was still better than them not being there anymore.”
“I can’t even imagine losing my parents, especially at the same time. It must’ve been real hard.”
Goldie’s jaw tightened. “Life happens. The good is great, the bad sucks, and you just have to deal with it. I take life as the moments come. How the fuck are you getting me to talk about all this shit?”
She smiled. “We’ve known each other a long time. I thought you were the coolest kid in the neighborhood. I used to wonder how you and Ryan got together. You guys seemed to be the opposite.”
“For the record, I was the coolest kid in the neighborhood. And I met Ryan when he was on the ground and three older kids were using him as a punching bag. I jumped in and we became close friends. He was the rational one and I was hot-tempered. We had a balance to our friendship. We still do.”
“And you’re still hot-tempered. I can’t believe you punched Kevin in the nose in your grandmother’s bathroom.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t like the way he treated my grandma.”
“Do you usually resolve your conflicts that way?”
“Pretty much. It works for me. End of story.”
“Aren’t you gonna introduce us to your pretty chick?” Army asked as he pulled out a chair and joined them.
“Move on, dude. She’s my best friend’s little sister.”
“And who is she?”
The lustful sheen in Army’s eyes pissed the hell out of Goldie, but before he could say anything, Hailey smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Hailey.”
Army grasped it and held onto it a bit too long for Goldie’s liking. “I’m Army.” His gaze slipped down to her ample bust.
“Let go of her hand,” Goldie said.
Army raised his eyebrows and grinned as he released her. That grin told Goldie he was going to have a good time ribbing him later on after he told all the brothers that Hailey had Goldie’s balls.
“Hey, who’s your lady?” Sangre said as he and Paco came over to the table. The vulture-like attitude around a pretty, stacked woman was one aspect of the brotherhood he didn’t like, especially since their hungry eyes were fixed on Hailey’s tits. Although, he couldn’t blame them—Hailey was a biker’s wet dream. Hell, she was most men’s wet dreams. And he’d be acting just like his brothers if he’d spotted one of them with a woman like her. But since she was someone he knew and respected, he didn’t like the way they were looking at her.
“Back the fuck off. She’s a good friend of mine. Show some respect.”
And just like that, they backed off. Pride in his brothers’ loyalty spread through him as puzzlement fanned out across Hailey’s face. They chatted for a few minutes about Harleys and the upcoming rally, then left Goldie and Hailey alone, drifting toward some other brothers who leaned against the jukebox in the far-left corner of the room.
“Were those some of the other guys in your club?” she asked as she watched them move away.
“Yeah. They can come on strong. They’re always looking for a pretty woman to score with.”
“Do they find them?”
“Most of the time. Women are crazy about bikers. The more tats and patches we have, the more they want to fuck us.” Goldie turned away and watched as Paco approached a table with two big-busted blondes. He sniggered.
“Are you always looking for a woman to score with?”
He jerked his head around. “Not always.”
“But a lot of the time?”
“I guess it depends on how you define ‘a lot.’ I don’t walk around with my tongue hanging out, wanting to jump every chick’s bones, if that’s what you mean.”
Hailey glanced around the bar. “No, I didn’t mean that. It’s just that I heard your club likes to have parties, and women go to them just for the sex.”
“And the booze, the drugs, and the thrill of partying with a bunch of outlaws. Some of the women are professionals who wear suits with a prim, high-collar blouse to work. For them, it feels good to let loose without being judged.”
“So it’s anything goes at these parties?”
“Pretty much. We don’t let hard drugs into them. We try and keep that shit out of the county period. We also don’t let anyone under eighteen in, and if someone gets rough with one of the women, we stop it. But other than that, we let everyone party the way they want.”
“How do you like to party?” Hailey had moved her chair closer and her arm rested against his.
“You don’t want to know, Hailey. If you’re trying to find out if I’ve fucked a lot of women, the answer is yes. Don’t ask me how many because I couldn’t tell you. But you should know that I’ve never had a serious relationship with any woman. Our fucking is for fun, and it’s a mutual thing.”
“You’ve never been in love?”
He shook his head. “Enough about me. What about you? Besides that asshole Nolan, has there been anyone else in your life?”
“Not really. I mean, dates here and there, but nothing meaningful or satisfying. I wasn’t in love with Nolan. I thought I was because in the beginning, we had a good time together and hung out a lot, but after we had sex, he got all weird and possessive. I just wanted to run away from him. I know Ryan thinks he’s going to come to Alina, but I doubt that.”
“You never know what a person will do. You can’t ever underestimate them. You gotta always be on guard.”
“Is that how you live your life?”
“Fuck yeah. In my world, you never know who’s gunning for you.”
Their gazes locked, and he was pulled in by her. Everything about her made him want her more. The whole loyalty thing to Ryan was waning so thin that it was fading into obscurity. The music, the chatter, and the clinking glasses disappeared. The only thing he was acutely aware of was Hailey: her arm touching his, the bar’s red lights falling softly over her face, her hair spilling around her shoulders, and her mesmerizing gaze. Desire, lust, and sweet electricity ran through him. He’d experienced desire and lust with a woman more times than he could count, but the circuit of emotional feeling was alien to him. He didn’t know how to process it, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Before Hailey entered his life, things were simple: lust after an attractive chick, let her know, and then fuck her. His sex life was on autopilot, and he liked it that way. Until now. Fuck.
He moved away from her. “We better get going. I have to get back to the ink shop.” He stood up, ignoring the confusion etched on her face. Without arguing, they left the bar.
As she drove away, he took out a joint and lit it, his gaze plastered on the red lights of her car fading into the darkness. He wanted to go after her and hold her in his arms, smothering her with kisses. Instead, he stubbed out his joint, went over to his Harley, and headed to Get Inked. He hoped he’d be busy as hell; he needed something to block her from his mind and his dick. She was slipping dangerously close to his heart, and he couldn’t have that. He was a bastard with women, and he knew he’d end up hurting her. And he didn’t want to do that.
For the first time in his adult life, he cared about a woman and how she felt. It was both an unsettling and exhilarating feeling.
And for the first time in his life, Goldie was scared shitless.