Page 43 of Beautiful Envy

Jumping down, I didn’t wait for him as I strode into the place. Everyone stopped, and I remembered I’d just walked into a biker space alone. The men checked me out, their eyes assessing me from head to toe.

“Howdy. What can we do for you, miss?” a greased-up man asked from the side.

The door opened behind me, and I prayed it was Bubba. This wasn’t the day for me to run my mouth and get myself into trouble.

“Ranger,” Bubba said, his tone commanding.

A different man than the one who spoke stuck his head out from under the bar, lifting his eyes to meet Bubba’s.

“Hey, man,” he greeted, placing down the drink he’d been working on. “You here for the bike?”

“Yep. Is it around back?” Bubba asked.

“Yeah. Go ahead and look at it. I’ll be there in a second.”

Bubba grabbed my shoulder and spun me, pushing me in front of him as he headed back out. I could hear him mumbling something under his breath, but it was too quiet to make out.

Walking around the corner, I spotted the Victory Vegas as I neared. Thoughts of Bubba left me as I crouched down to look at it closer. Whistling, I inspected the parts, running my hand over her. She was once chrome and metallic red, the paint now faded and chipped, but I could see the bike she’d become. I wanted her.

“She’s beautiful,” I said with awe.

Bubba grunted, but something in the sound was different, making me turn my head to stare at him.

“Not right now, she’s not,” he started, my hackles rising as he insulted my bike. “But she will be,” he added, running his hand over the seat, the black seat covered in duct tape.

“Does that mean you approve?” I asked, giddiness flowing through me.

“Hmm,” he said, stepping back. “Maybe. I have a few questions.”

Ranger walked around the corner, a big smile on his face. He was around mid-thirties with shaggy dark hair and kind eyes. His smile was welcoming as he greeted us.

“Bubba, it’s so good to see you. This your sister?” he asked, glancing at me.

Bubba’s face turned scarlet, a curse forming on his lips. I knew it had hit a sore point with him, the age difference between us.

“Nope. Girlfriend,” I said, reaching my hand out. Bubba choked as Ranger took my hand to shake, surprise covering his face.

“Girlfriend? I’ll be. I never thought Bubba would settle down with an old lady.”

“As you can tell, there’s nothing old about me.” I winked, making Ranger laugh.

“How much?” Bubba asked, clearly over the conversation.

“For you, $4000. She needs a new engine, muffler, and exhaust. You’ll need to fix her up, but I reckon she’ll run real good for you when you’re done.”

I jumped up and down, clapping my hands. “She’s perfect.”

Bubba rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth tilting up despite his attitude. He could deny it all he wanted, but I was growing on him.

I gave Ranger the money Slade had gotten for my car, leaving me with enough money to even buy some cute shoes. With the leftover amount, the money I had saved, and everything I’d earned so far, I still had a nice little nest egg. The guys had been paying me a lot, despite my best efforts to tell them they didn’t have to. They’d all given me so much; it felt wrong to take their money for helping out. But they were as stubborn as I was.

Within ten minutes, we had the bike loaded into the back of the truck. I couldn’t quit staring at it, knowing soon it would be mine to ride.

Sighing, I broke myself away from it and opened the door. Hands landed on my hips, lifting me into the air. Gasping, my palms landed on his as he placed me on my seat.

“Thanks,” I mumbled. My brain had gone haywire from his touch.

He grunted, not responding as he walked around to the other side. The move stunned me speechless, making it difficult for me to find a topic of conversation the whole drive home.

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