Page 27 of Spike

“You don’t know mevery well.”

“Yes, I do,” Isaid, with a confidence that felt as if it were carved into the stone of myheart. “I knew you were the most special woman I’d ever encountered the firstnight we met, and I think us being here tonight was meant to be.”

Beth returned withour omelets. “One Denver, one Cleveland special,” she said as she placed ourplates in front of us.

“Beth, if I wasn’tmarried already, I’d take ya as m’bride,” I said, my accent now landingsomewhere between Yosemite Sam and Foghorn Leghorn.

“Yeah? Well, ifhalf my family wasn’t from Arkansas, I might be fooled by your punk asssouthern drawl.”

Trixie and Ilocked eyes before we burst out into laughter.

Refusing to breakcharacter, I replied, “Good, lady. You have besmirched the noble name of mygreat grandfather Jedidiah Bartholomew Spikeworth the third, who fought bravelyand died at the battle of Anteater.”

“Do you meanAntietam?” Beth droned.

I coughed. “Yes, well.We would kindly wish to place an order of your finest pie, if you please.”

Beth humored us aswe ordered desert and I even thought I detected a slight smile forming in thecorners of her mouth by the end.

CHAPTERSEVEN

Spike

As we plowedthrough our late-night feast, we talkedas openly as two virtual strangers could. We meandered from topic to topiceasily and without awkwardness and I’d finally found someone who liked to talkas much as I do.

“Do you have a jobor is bikeringyour full-time occupation?”

I laughed. “I’m awelder.”

“Really? Whatkind?”

“MIG, TIG, Arc,stick. If you’ve got two pieces of metal, and I’ve got some oxyacetylene, I canget ’em joined together.”

“I have no ideawhat any of that means. I guess I meant what kind of jobs do you tend to workon?”

“I’m a one-manshop so I can pick up and go wherever I’m needed. I’m fully licensed, bonded,certified, and have been in business for three years. I’ve worked at the top ofcommercial high-rise buildings, welding busted radio towers, and six feet underwater, repairing a damaged oil pipeline that was ready to burst.”

“I definitely needto keep you away from Gemma. She’s always been attracted to danger junkies.”

“Keeping me all toyourself, are you?”

Trixie blushed.“No, I’m just trying to save you from her.”

“You said the twoof you have been friends forever.”

“Gemma is alunatic and the most loyal, honest, generous person I’ve ever known. She’snever even remotely screwed me over, unlike just about every other friend I’vehad. I never could have gotten through the past few years without her.”

“Why’s that?” Iasked.

“The older I get,the more I butt heads with my parents. My mom especially. And even though Ihave my own separate apartment, I still technically live ‘under their roof.’ Myjob doesn’t pay a lot, but I manage to pay for everything, including rent to myparents. It’s important to me to be independent and self-sufficient. Gemmacomes from money and would love nothing more than to set me up in a posh placeoverlooking the river, and dress me up in her fancy clothes, but she’s neveronce tried to force her lifestyle on me.”

“What does thegood pastor’s wife think about her?”

“My mother hatesGemma. Says she’s a spoiled, bratty, bawdy, godless girl who’s always been inneed of a good spanking.”

“Damn, that’sharsh,” I said, taking a sip from my mug.

“No, my mom’stotally right, except for the part about needing a spanking.” I sighed.“Apparently, she’s never found it hard to find someone to help her in thatdepartment.”

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