Page 39 of Dodge

And again.

And again.

Dodge cursed for not taking the annoying device out of his jeans and leaving it in the office while he was in the booth. Distractions might cause him to ruin a job and have to start over. Many hours of prep had to happen before the first coat of paint got applied. On detailed jobs like this, he had to be extra careful, as any mistakes would put him days behind schedule. Maybe even weeks.

The phone kept recycling its ring repeatedly until Dodge finished the blended coatings for this round. His hand popped down on the kill switch harder than necessary as he jerked down the zipper to his suit and pulled out the phone.

Twelve unanswered calls.Twelve.All from Mallory.

Dodge took a deep paint-fume-tinted breath and called her back.

“It’s about fuckin’ time!” she snapped.

He bit his lip. If anyone asked him, he would swear on a stack of Bibles that they weren’t back together, but Mallory was acting more and more as if they were. “I was in the booth. You know I can’t answer the phone when I’m working.”

“I need a ride to work. My car’s not startin’.”

“I’ll call one of the boys to come get you.”

Her tone turned from crisp and irritated to contrite and whiny in an instant. “No, Dodge, please. They hate me and won’t help. Everyone is so mad at me all the time. You’re the only man in the world I can depend on. Please help me.”

Dodge swore in his head. Why did he let her get under his skin? “Mallie, I really can’t leave what I’m doing. I’m already behind and getting further as I’m talking. Can you take an Uber?”

“Get in a car with a stranger? Please don’t make me do that.”

Dodge’s resolve crumbled. His options were to stand here talking and wasting time or take care of Mallory’s problem and work more overtime to get this job done. “Okay. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, baby.”

He peeled down the spray suit to his knees when the next call came in.

“I need you to come over. Got a tree needs cuttin’,” Boyer greeted.

Dodge wanted to throw the phone. “Pop, I’m really behind, and Mallory just called for a ride to work. Can it wait?”

“It’s a two-person job.”

Dodge reached for his reserves of patience, but the writing was already on the wall. “Is there anyone else you can call?”

A big sigh came through the phone, laying it on thick. “It’d be nice if my son would help me out from time to time.”

Dodge closed his eyes. If it were possible, he’d get on his bike and ride away. Pull over somewhere on the Tail and disappear from the world. “I gotta go take Mallory to work, and then I’ll come out. Anything I need to bring? Second chainsaw?”

“I only got one.”

Before Dodge could say another word, his father hung up.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as his brain rearranged the rest of his day and the next few to accommodate all the work he had pending. Christ, a single hour away from everyone and everything would be delicious. Almost as good as the meal Fauna had cooked for him some nights ago when he went over to her place to help her plumb the new bar Eva built.

Mallory heard about it and got jealous.

“You’re all the time up in her business or over at the Lair. You never come home no more. You’d rather be with that b—”

“Don’t go there, Mallory. Say the word and you’ll find yourself in your car tonight.”

Fauna. Her opening night was a few days away. The same weekend he was booked for a car show in Winston-Salem. The Dragon Runners were planning on being there in support, but he wouldn’t be. How the fuck did he forget the most important event in her life?

Simple. She didn’t beat him over the head with reminders. She was the one person who didn’t need rescuing.

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