Revving Up the Holidays (6 page)

She watched his broad shoulders move around the room. “How
could you? I never said. I shouldn’t have said anything now. I’m sorry.”

He turned and looked at her for a few seconds then looked
back out the window, which revealed only a parking lot.

She didn’t know what to say. He was obviously upset and had
every right to be. He must think she was some kind of lunatic, declaring her
love after one night together. She was a complete idiot in spite of all those
years of education.

There was no course for this situation at GW.

Finally, he turned and sat down beside her. His thigh
touching hers, he took her hand and kissed the palm. Then he held it near his
chest, and she could feel his heart thumping harder than she thought was
probably normal. Could he be as nervous as she was? Outwardly he appeared calm,
almost serene.

Blood rushed through her ears, blocking out the sounds
outside the condo. He leaned over and his lips brushed hers for a brief moment
before he devoured her mouth. His tongue battled with hers and her body
trembled with need. He reclined her until his much larger body pressed her to
the cushion. His hard shaft against her thigh told her that he was as needy as
she.

One of his large hands cupped her cheek and he deepened the
kiss, moaning into her mouth.

She couldn’t help arching into him. Her head told her to
push him away, but her pussy screamed to have him inside her.

The choice was taken out of her hands. He broke the kiss and
sat up, shaking his head.

“Giada.” He said it so softly she thought she might have
dreamed it.

When he left a moment later, the entire incident left her
wondering if she’d had a hallucination.

He had ruined everything with Giada. He had no idea how to
make her a part of his life and worst of all he couldn’t decide if that was
what he wanted. He’d made the decision after Leslie that he never wanted to be
that close to anyone again. It had been too painful to lose her.

The last thing he wanted was to hurt Giada, and he’d already
done that. She deserved better. He’d tried to tell her that.

She kept her emotions under such control that he would never
have known if she hadn’t broken down tonight. He certainly never knew she has
such strong feelings for him.

He’d hoped to sneak into the house unnoticed but Sadie was
waiting for him when he entered the kitchen to pour himself a stiff drink.

He went directly to the high cabinet above the refrigerator
and pulled a bottle of Jack Daniel’s down. She narrowed her eyes when he didn’t
say anything. He took out a glass and tipped it toward her. She nodded and he
took out a second glass, filled them both with ice and poured a double for each
of them.

He sat across from her and took a sip. The amber liquid
warmed him from the inside out but did nothing to settle his mind.

“What exactly are your intentions with Giada?”

He’d been asking himself the same question all the way back
from her condo. He had no answer then and he didn’t have one for his sister
either. He sipped more whiskey. “I have no idea.”

“That’s not exactly the answer I was hoping for, big
brother.” She took a long pull on her drink.

“No, I expect it isn’t, but it’s the best I can offer you at
the moment.” He expected an argument. She could get nosy and he was in no mood
to discuss the situation. Besides the fact that Giada would be mortified if he
did, it was none of Sadie’s business.

She looked at him for a long time. “Okay.”

Was it a trap? “That’s it? Just okay and you’re letting it
go?”

Sadie smiled and swirled her glass, making the ice tinkle
musically. “Yes. You seem to be thinking about something and I can’t ask more
than that. Giada’s a big girl and though she’s been through a lot, she can take
care of herself.”

He downed the last of his drink and kissed his sister on the
cheek. “I’ve got work to do. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You’re supposed to be on vacation, Isaac. Why don’t you go
and play with that bike and leave the work until you go back to New York?”

He was about to tell her that he couldn’t just stop working
for two weeks. Ben had forced the vacation on him but he couldn’t make him stop
working. But the idea that he might be able to put the motor inside the frame
and get it secured before he went to bed stopped him. He nodded. “You’re
right.”

Her eyes widened. “I am?”

“Yes you are. I’ll see you tomorrow. I assume the term is
ending for you too?”

“I still have to grade finals, but yes tomorrow is the last
day of the fall term.”

“Good. I want to get the kids something for Hanukkah. You
can help me shop.”

“That really isn’t necessary.”

He smiled. “I want to. For the eighth night, if that’s okay
with you.”

“I think that would be very nice. Mom is coming to dinner
then too.”

He nodded and said good night before taking the back door
toward the shop.

He ran his hand along the motor, feeling the ridges and
wondering why he wasn’t in Giada’s bed feeling the ripple of her ribs under his
fingers until he reached those perfect globes. Her body and responsive nature
drove him insane with desire. He closed his eyes.

She’d said she loved him. His initial reaction to that was
pure joy, immediately followed by terror. He’d gone after her to make sure she
arrived home in one piece. He’d sat in the car and watched as she walked across
the parking lot, crying. He’d thought of driving out without a word but
couldn’t do it.

Standing, he bent at the knee, took hold of the motor with
both hands and strained to lift the heavy heart of the Harley. Inch by inch, he
moved it into place within the steel frame. One step back and he could see what
the bike had once been and would be again.

He wondered about the rest of his life since he’d abandoned
the Harley to his parents’ garage all those years ago. The man he’d become
barely resembled his younger self. He’d lost the joy in his life.

The clock on the wall told him it was near midnight when he
secured the motor into place.

He locked up the shop and found his bed in the guest room.
Finding sleep would prove more difficult. He couldn’t get Giada’s teary face
out of his mind. The words she’d spoken echoed through his mind every time he
started to doze.

He’d lost the last woman who loved him. Guilt washed over
him.

After a sleepless night he made his way back to the shop. He
took the tins down to the bike shop and made arrangements for the fenders and
gas tank to be repainted and even got the manager to put a rush on the order.
It helped that they used to ride together back in high school. Then he went to
see his mother.

Barbara stood in the doorway before he made his way up the
steep front lawn. “You look terrible. What’s wrong?”

He smiled at her directness. “I didn’t sleep. Do you have a
few minutes, Mom?”

She pursed her lips and opened the screen door. “I’ll make
coffee.”

His mother’s coffee was still the best he’d ever had. Once
he had a cup in his hand, he told her about Leslie. He explained that she died
before he’d had the chance to bring her down to meet the family. He apologized
for never saying he was seriously dating anyone.

Her hand shook as she rested it on his. “You went through
all that loss all by yourself. We could have helped you, Isaac. We’re your
family. Why would you suffer all alone?”

“I didn’t think I deserved to have support.”

“Why?”

“I should have driven her home.” He’d never said those words
out loud before. He’d thought them a million times but he’d been too cowardly
to utter them. For a moment he thought of Giada. “She was my responsibility. If
I’d stopped working and taken her home as I should have, she would still be
alive.”

He had no idea what he’d expected. His mother could be cruel
in her honesty. She might confirm that he was accountable.

Barbara leaned forward and kissed him on one cheek and then
the other. “You are not to blame. People die for no reason at all. We thought
your father was a healthy man. He had an appointment for a physical and he
canceled it a month before he died. I should have forced him to go. I should
have railed at him until he went, but I didn’t. Still, it wasn’t my fault he
died. It was his time and some day it will be mine. You weren’t in that car
with Leslie because it wasn’t your time to go. I know that’s not what you want
to hear, my sweet boy, but it’s the truth.”

Ten minutes passed before either of them spoke again.

“How is that bike of yours coming along?”

“I think I’ll finish it before I have to go back to work.”

She smiled. He could count on one hand the number of times
he’d seen his mother smile or even look pleased about anything. “And will you
take it with you this time?”

He nodded.

“But you’ll be careful. Nothing reckless.”

“Yes ma’am.”

As he was leaving, she put her hand on his arm. “What was
the date that Leslie passed?”

“November fourth, why do you ask?”

“She would have been my daughter, I’ll light a yahrzeit.”

He was touched by the idea that his mother wanted to light a
memorial candle for Leslie. “She wasn’t even Jewish, Mom.”

She shrugged. “But I am.”

He gave her a quick hug and headed back to Sadie’s house.

He’d lost track of time in the shop until two little shadows
darkened the floor around his project.

“We want to help you,” Abigail said.

“Help,” echoed Daniel.

They both had very serious expressions on their faces.

“All right but you’re going to get dirty.”

Abigail shrugged. “I changed into my play clothes.”

Daniel nodded and tugged at his dark-blue shirt.

The weather had warmed and it seemed that Sadie hadn’t
forced heavy winter wear on the pair.

He let them do everything from handing him small parts to
tightening bolts. His niece and nephew never lost interest. They were good
assistants and when he told them to carry something carefully or asked them to
hold a nut for him, they took the assignment seriously. They laughed when
Daniel got grease on his hand and smudged it across his nose.

The three of them had been at it an hour when Sadie walked
into the shop. “Are they driving you crazy yet?”

All three were crouched down as if they were catchers in a
baseball game staring at the exhaust pipe they had just bolted into place. He
noticed a bit of wiring that he’d neglected to hide from sight and tucked it
inside the frame. “Nope. They’re my assistants. They do excellent work.”

The two children smiled and started dancing around the shop.
Isaac laughed.

Sadie said, “Well, motorcycle assistants, it’s time to get
cleaned up for dinner and it looks as if you will both need baths.”

They groaned.

Isaac said, “Your mom’s right. We can’t do any more until I
go and get the tins back from the bike shop tomorrow anyway.”

“The kids and I will be home all day. Maybe we can come
along with you to the bike shop.”

He almost told her no. He’d been doing things alone for so
long, he didn’t know how to be a part of something bigger than himself. It
would have been as if he’d slapped her hand away. To his surprise, he enjoyed
spending time with his family. He’d loved helping each one of the kids tighten
a few bolts and he didn’t care that the process had taken twice as long. It had
been fun. When was the last time he’d had any fun? Hadn’t Ben said something to
that effect? “Sure. That’s a great idea.”

The kids started a new dance and his sister smiled before
herding them out the door.

* * * * *

The seat was in place but mirrors and lights would be the
final pieces in making her whole again. He ran his hand along the soft leather
to the newly painted black gas tank. Everything about the bike shined. Only one
thing was missing. Shaking off the thought, he took one more look at the Harley
before turning off the lights and heading toward the house for the last night
of Hanukkah celebration.

His mother was already in the kitchen cooking with Sadie. He
leaned over his mom’s shoulder, kissed her cheek and plucked a sweet noodle out
of the kugel she was making. She slapped his hand but not before he’d managed
to snag a bit of the noodle pudding from the pan.

He heard giggling from the living room. “The kids sound
happy.”

“Gigi is playing dreidel with them,” Sadie said.

His heart skipped a beat. “You invited Giada here tonight?”

His sister huffed. “Well, it was obvious that you two had
some kind of falling-out. How were you going to fix it if you didn’t see her?”

He shook his head. “Did Giada jump at the invitation?”

Sadie frowned for a second but then shrugged. “She took a
little convincing.”

“I’ll bet.”

His mother turned to Sadie. “Are Isaac and Gigi dating?”

“Yes.”

“No.” He tried to give his sister a stern look but he was
too excited by the idea that Giada was in the next room.

His mother raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” he said.

“You’d better go get cleaned up. We need to get the candles
lit soon and dinner will be ready in forty-five minutes.”

Isaac went out through the foyer entrance and avoided being
seen in the living room. He took a quick shower and dressed before returning.

Giada sat on the wood floor with Mark and the two kids, her
legs tucked under her and her skirt spread out around her. The four of them
spun a small top and used toothpicks to gamble on which of the Hebrew letters
would appear. It was an ancient game meant to help children learn Hebrew. He’d
played it hundreds of times as a child. But all he noticed was her smile and
the way her skin glowed. She adored the children and they loved her.

She must have sensed his presence. She looked up and her
expression fell. His heart actually clenched at the idea that he caused her
sorrow.

“Time to light the candles,” Sadie announced from beside
him.

The kids jumped up, screaming with glee. Mark moved them in
the direction of the dining room. Isaac made his way across the living room,
and Giada met him halfway.

“I couldn’t say no. Sadie insisted that I come for dinner.”

“I know,” he said.

She turned to go toward the dining room. He grabbed her arm.
“I’m glad you’re here, Giada.”

He hoped that at least some of the emotion he felt at seeing
her again translated to his eyes. Her smile was tentative at best before she
pulled away and joined the family for the final night of Hanukkah.

“Your Uncle Isaac has a special eighth night gift for each
of you.”

Daniel rushed at him as if he was a bull, grabbing hold of
his legs. Isaac laughed and lifted the little man into the air, gave him a
light toss and replaced him on his feet.

“We have to go outside.”

“Coats,” Sadie called after the little ones as they rushed
toward the kitchen and the back door.

Mark helped her get them bundled up quickly.

Sitting side by side in the driveway were a Big Wheel for
Abigail and a little push-motorcycle for Daniel. Abigail screamed with delight
and rushed over, pouncing on the Big Wheel. Daniel stood, wide-eyed, staring at
the little yellow-and-red motorcycle.

Isaac knelt next to his nephew. “Don’t you like it, buddy?”

He nodded.

Mark was running after Abigail who had already figured out
the foot pedals on her bike.

“Want me to show you how to ride it?”

Again he nodded.