Page 23 of Big Trouble
I resented being so weak right now. Maddox did all the heavy lifting, getting the bike in the back of the truck while I watched. He already had all the parts from the shop as well. Part of me questioned why he was being so helpful.
It didn’t take us long to get to the garage. When we got inside, I spotted an almost finished MG Midget sitting at the back of the repair shop.
“Hey, cool car. When did you get it?”
Maddox came to a halt. His mouth curled up as he spoke. “It’s how Lyla and I got together. She found it, persuaded me to go see it with her.” He paused. “And much more besides.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Now you’re working on it?”
“Yeah, she’s been helping me?”
“Lyla has?”
A picture of Lo on the back of the bike, holding me tight flashed through my mind. Maybe when the bike was finished, we could go for a ride.
“She’s more of a hinderance most of the time, because she looks so fucking hot in overalls.” Maddox winked.
Another image of Lo floated into my head and my dick twitched.
Fuck.
Once the Ducati was in place, I stood for a moment and stared at it. Although it was a world away from my racing bike, I found myself practically shaking. The pain and the fear of the accident hit me all over again. Nausea rose in my throat ad I gulped it back down.
I’d never been scared to ride a bike.
I lived for the excitement.
I was a wild, adrenaline junkie.
I’d been immortal.
And all it took was one accident to prove I wasn’t.
My ankle throbbed as if to remind me.
“You okay, buddy?” Maddox came up beside me.
“Yeah.” I swallowed hard. “There’s so much work to do on the bike before it’s race-worthy.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. This wasn’t a bike I’d be racing. If I ever raced again.
“One thing at a time,” he said, lightly. “We may have to remake some pieces, but I have the tools for that. And I was thinking, you might want to consider changing the colors. There’s this new powder coat I saw and thought of you…”
He meant well. But it was too much. I’d been back in town for two days and suddenly we were best buddies again. As if everything in the past had never happened.
“I got this,” I growled. “Thanks. So, the tools?”
Maddox paused, then shrugged. He showed me where I could find everything I needed. Although I hadn’t worked there before, I knew my way around the instruments I needed to get started.
Slowly, I started tinkering with the spark plugs. I’d need to change everything out, get new fluids and filters. I wanted to work alone; pretend Maddox wasn’t there. Pretend I didn’t need help.
The pressure consumed me. I could barely breathe.
I wanted to get out of there. I didn’t want Maddox watching every move I made, waiting for me to make a mistake.
I wanted to see Lo.
I suddenly considered the fact that she didn’t know me from before - her first impressions of me probably weren’t great - and that she didn’t have any expectations.
When we were sitting together at the cafe, I was actually happy to be alive for the first time in a long time. Since before the accident.
