Page 26 of Rebel

“You’re not funny. You know that, right?” Even though I was saying the words, I was fighting to keep an expression of amusement off my face.

“Yes, I am. If I weren’t, you wouldn’t be smiling.”

“Call or text me about your old man. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

She nodded, still smiling away. “See you on Monday and thank you for taking an interest in my dad. I appreciate it more than you know.”

I put on my helmet and sped away, thinking that this woman I’d been hoping to impress might just be developing real feelings for me. Something constricting around my heart loosened a notch.

Before heading to the clubhouse, I rode up and back down the coast and let myself enjoy the idea that Lacey might be my one —my chance at the kind of happiness that my club brothers seemed to be finding. Maybe it was finally my turn for some true happiness? Between getting patched into the club and Lacey coming to me all on her own and asking to be with me. Who would have thought all this goodness would come my way at the same time?

I was thrilled later that day when Lacey sent me a text letting me know that her dad was jazzed about riding in the sidecar. It was something he remembered from old black and white movies and had always wanted to do. She said her mom was so happy to finally get him to his follow-up appointment that she got tearful about it. These were nice, decent people, and it did my heart good to help them out in their time of need.

I had a couple of club brothers with sidecars and texted them both asking to borrow one. I knew my chances were good because they both regularly loaned them out.

Chapter 11

Lacey

Ishowed up at work early as usual because I liked to get the office tidied up and ready for the day. Shortly after walking through the door, I realized that no amount of tidying up would make the office ready to open on time.

Someone had broken in and totally trashed the place. I pulled out my cell phone and called Rebel.

“Hey Lacey, what’s up?”

“How close are you to the office?”

“Just a few minutes. I was planning to drop in and flirt with the boss a little before heading out to see my first client of the day.” Katy Purry had gone to her new home last week, I missed her presence, but even though Rebel didn’t have a reason to come to the office since I sent him his daily work orders electronically, I had noticed that he still came in daily.

“I’ve got bad news.”

“I don’t like the sound of your voice. What happened?”

“It looks like someone broke in. Everything’s been destroyed except the filing cabinets and the safe. It looks like whoever did this spent considerable time trying to break into the safe with hand tools.”

“Okay, I’m pulling in now. Gimme a minute to park up and get through the door.”

While I was still standing in the middle of my office, trying to wrap my head around who would do something like this, Rebel rushed through the door.

“I need to clear the area.”

When I looked at him in puzzlement and asked, “What the hell does that mean?”

“For all we know, the intruder might still be here hiding in a bathroom or broom closet.”

I felt a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, “I didn’t even think of that.”

“Stay here. I’ll clear this room first. While I’m checking the other rooms, call the cops and report the break-in.”

I nodded, feeling despondent like this was some sort of nightmare that I would soon wake up from. Rebel quickly walked into my tiny private bathroom and then the supply closet attached to my office. Finding nothing, he closed the door and went to check the other rooms.

I called the local police department, reported the break in and said that we were still checking to make sure the perpetrator wasn’t still in the building. They said they’d send a team over and that we should vacate the property and leave the securing of the building to the professionals. Yeah, I couldn’t see Rebel taking much notice of that. Just as I lowered my phone, Rebel walked back into the room.

“The rest of the office is clear, but I found muddy boot prints near the back door. I took photos of them with my cell phone in case Griffinsford’s finest don’t consider this break-in worthy of calling out the crime lab.”

Gesturing around, I asked, “How could they not consider this serious?”

He responded pointedly, “Can you tell if anything is missing?”

---