Page 73 of Rolling Thunder

“You didn’t do it, Bill. It’s all in her journal.”

She held out the notebook to him. He looked at it, but didn’t take it.

“These entries start before I was born. She wrote about how she made the whole thing up to blackmail you. Partly because she was angry after she tried to come on to you when you were drunk, and you yelled at her and threw your beer at her.”

Bill’s face tensed with pressure and then started to melt. He was at times jolly, at times menacing. She’d definitely never seen him cry. But now, there was moisture in his eyes and a slight quiver in his lips. She watched the weight of the worst kind of accusation lift from his shoulders with a shudder. It was like a minor earthquake tumbling an ancient rock wall.

“Goddamn,” he muttered.

Annie went to his side, and he reflexively reached for her hand.

“I’m sorry, Bill,” Kayla said, forging on. She couldn’t afford to stop now. Everything she’d bottled up since he’d gone missing, everything she’d thought she’d never have a chance to say, came tumbling out.

“I’m sorry I doubted you. I’m sorry I’ve been taking shit out on you that was never your fault. And I want you to come home.”

Bill had his head in his hands. Annie sat beside him, stoic, arm around his shoulders.

“Please, come home,” Kayla repeated.

After a moment, he finally raised his head, rubbing his face. “All right, fire ant.”

There was steady upheaval over the next few days. Bill came riding back in on his motorcycle. Not only had she found him, but he came back when she asked. He hadn’t just disappeared into the sunset like she expected him to.

Jake was growing restless and distracted. He had a business in the Keys, although Kayla sensed there was something else. Evan and Jake had taken a few hours-long rides out to talk privately in the swamp.

This morning, Evan cleared out early to meet Dan in Fort Myers about a new house. Kayla took a long break in the middle of the day. Southwest Florida was now in the throes of fucking-hot summer. Only after the sun passed its peak did she dare get back out in the fields. Jake was rolling in just as she was heading down the driveway. He’d come back by to collect some tools that had been left scattered about behind her house when he and Evan were bonding over giving his bike a tune-up. His eyes were blue like Evan’s, but lighter. They sucked you in with dangerous charisma. He straightened up when she paused by him.

“Thanks, Jake.”

She had more to say to him, so much more. But as their eyes met, she knew he knew. He nodded slightly and scooped her into a quick hug.

“You take care of yourself, girl. And you take care of my brother.”

“I will,” she said.

He winked at her, and she knew it was her cue to get lost before tears were shed. She retreated down the driveway to the barn. A few minutes later, she heard his bike roar to life. Feeling wistful and not yet super motivated to groom horses, she looked out the window of the barn.

Her breath caught in her throat. Jake was heading up her driveway to leave. He’d put on a vest she hadn’t seen him wear before, but recognized in a heart-grabbing second. He was wearing the full patch with both rockers for the Iron Pirates MC, apparently thinking no one would see him riding off in it.

After everything, Jake was riding with the Pirates?

Her first thought was that she had to tell Evan, but once she thought that all the way through, she realized it was better to say nothing. If Evan wasn’t aware that Jake was patched in with the Pirates she could ruin their newly repaired relationship. Jake had obviously deliberately not worn his cut in front of Evan and Bill to avoid a stir. Ultimately, she decided to just try to forget she’d seen it. Jake was on his way back to the Keys now, and for all his help, she felt she owed him.

Her phone dinged a text from Evan at that moment.

Coming home with steaks. Let’s grill.

Home. He said home.

Sounds great, she replied.

Just as she finished in the barn and headed back up her driveway, the twang of country music came drifting from the house along with the smoky smell of barbecue. It set her stomach growling. Had she eaten lunch? She didn’t think so. Following her nose, she came around the back corner of the house to the sight of Bill and Evan grilling together. It was almost too much, too soon. She wanted to just love them. But nothing had ever been easy or good in her life, and she didn’t dare assume it would be now.

“Hungry?” Evan asked when she appeared.

“I am, but Annie is coming by in a few minutes…”

“I’ve got more steaks.”

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