Page 38 of Biker Daddy

Chapter Nine

Addi

Addi ran until she couldn’t hear him chasing her anymore. She slowed to a walk and caught her breath. The smile still on her mouth hurt her cheeks since it wasn’t something she did often. She pulled out her cell and dialed her friends as they’d been texting her like crazy when Drew had her phone. Daniel answered on the third ring.

“Hey, honey, how’re you?”

“I’m okay. Working on a private funeral and setting up a memorial weekend for Uncle Ray’s old camp boys and leaders.” Addi walked along the edge of the deepest line of cabins in the forest. It was as far as she wanted to get into the woods.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

“He changed a lot of lives here and I think they’d want to come, but everyone won’t be able to drop everything and come to the funeral last minute. What are you doing in Steven’s office? I did call his office, didn’t I?”

“Your Uncle Ray was a great man. Again, I’m so sorry, Addi.” He sighed forcefully a moment and she heard the shuffling of papers. “Yes, you called his office. Are you aware your other best friend is a big slob?”

She laughed, happy he’d changed the subject to one she could gladly join in on. “Of course I am. I share that office sometimes and I’d have to be blind not to notice. What did he lose now?” She sat at a picnic table outside one of the cabins. It was the one where the campers always carved their initials.

“Nothing important, just the bloody copyedited version of this month’s cover story, Skydiving Adventure at Eighty. Due at the printers in…” He hummed. “An hour.” Daniel growled and then she heard silence, except for the squeak of Steven’s chair. He was supposed to oil it weeks ago. “How are you really holding up, Ads? Are you eating? Sleeping?”

Addi bit her lip and smoothed her hand over some initials in the table.

“I hate being here without him,” she answered, but as soon as she said it she thought of Drew and how much easier he was making things for her. What would it be like if he wasn’t there? She leaned over the table to look at the other bench seat. Drew’s and her initials were on the seat. She smiled. They were the only ones with a heart around them. He may have broken her heart in the end but the rest of the time was pretty spectacular.

“I bet. We’ll come, Ads. Steven and I will book a flight tonight.”

“You have so much work though. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“Nonsense! Our girl needs us, and besides, I’m married to the boss. I can delegate.”

Addi laughed. “I’ve seen how that goes. You ask someone to do something you normally do, and you break out in hives and end up doing it yourself. You’re a bigger control freak than I am.”

“Honey, no one, and I mean no one, is a bigger control freak than you.”

I know one person who is.

Addi heard Steven in the background agreeing, and then Daniel start to yell about the edited story.

“Tell him he’s not getting my macaroni salad for the Labor Day party if he keeps this up.”

She heard Steven clearly as she was suddenly on speaker. “How quickly you two forget who the boss is here.”

“Pfft. You may own this magazine but I run it.”

“I’m creative. We are organized in our own way, right, Addi?”

“Leave me out of this!”

“He might not be alive for Labor Day,” Daniel added, sounding aggravated. “He’s lucky he found the story though.”

“Thank goodness!”

“Now we can come without me needing meds.”

She took a big breath and got serious again. “I’m not alone here, guys. You don’t have to worry.”

“Oh?” Steven’s ‘oh’ was not simple curiosity, it was high-pitched, greedy for details, and accusing, as if he knew the person at the camp was a man and a helluva hot one at that. Her skin tingled.

“He’s Uncle Ray’s friend, Steven, relax.” She knew he’d assume the friend was Uncle Ray’s age and let it go. For now.

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