Stay (2 page)

“Miss Emma has to work late and the flowers are gonna die.” Her tiny voice held tears and he could see that she had been crying through the dirt streaks on her face. “I don’t want them to. My mommy bought these special for me. Stupid bike men.”

“How ’bout I help?” Hart took the other large clay pot and righted it. “Seems like a lot of work for a kid.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Take that back. My mommy says I can do anything I set my mind to.”

He held up his hands. “Okay, Sparkles, I’m sorry, but can I help anyway?”

She gave him an owlish look and then nodded. “Okay, but why did you call me Sparkles?”

He scooped dirt back into the pot. “Does your mom let you get sparklers on the fourth of July? Have you ever seen how they burn quickly and are so pretty?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re like that—a spunky kid with a temper,” Hart explained.

“Mommy says I need to count to ten and breathe when I get mad.” Kaydee shook her head. “Sometimes I get up to thirty and I’m still mad so I give up.”

“I can relate, kid, I can relate.” Hart thought of the many fights he’d been in over the years and he doubted counting would’ve helped. “How about this? If they knock over your pots again before I leave you tell me and I’ll get mad for you.”

She beamed a smile at him. “Okay, Mr. Temple, then you can kick them in the bits because you’re a grown up and no one can put you in timeout for it.”

“Yup, something like that,” Hart said.

Together, he and Kaydee finished the project and he even found a broom and swept up the last of the dirt they couldn’t get back in the pot. Hart found a hose attached to an outside spigot and turned it on low to give the plants some water and then used it to wash his hands. He looked at Kaydee covered in mud and wondered if he should hose her down. Knowing nothing about children he decided to let her mother take care of it. So the little girl skipped into the lobby of the motel, muddy and curls bouncing as she happily hummed a tune. Crystal looked up as they came up to the desk and gasped when she saw her daughter.

“Kaydee, look at you, you’re a mess. What have you gotten into?”

Damn, she is gorgeous,
Hart thought.

“Miss Emma couldn’t help and the flowers were going to die, so I was doing it myself because I don’t want them to die and then Mr. Temple helped and we got done sooner, but it’s dirty, Mommy. It’s going to be messy, there is no helping it,” Kaydee said.

Hart nodded. “She’s right. Dirt is a messy business. I helped because she seemed intent on doing it.”

“Um, thank you, and I’m sorry. She knows not to bother the guests,” Crystal said.

“She wasn’t bothering me. I offered,” Hart said. “Hey, can I use your printer? I found my part, but it’s going to take a few weeks to get here so I’m stuck until it arrives.”

“Um, yeah, sure,” Crystal said, but he could tell her mind was on her daughter. “How do I get you cleaned up and watch the front desk, young lady?”

“I’m going to have to link my computer to your printer and set up, which may take a few minutes. I could watch it for you, tell people to wait or whatever,” Hart offered.
Okay, what the hell is the matter with you?
his subconscious snapped.
You’re getting your bike part and we’re off to salvage what’s left of the beach and cold beers.

“I’d truly be grateful,” Crystal said in appreciation. “I can’t let her in the bathroom alone—every surface would be covered in mud. I’ll be back in less than twenty minutes.”

“She doesn’t look that bad,” Hart commented, eyeing the little girl.

Crystal laughed. “You’d be surprised how dirt multiplies on tiny little humans.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he said.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she repeated.

“Take your time, I can’t fuck…I mean, mess up your motel in that time,” Hart said.
No cursing in front of the kid,
he reminded himself.

“I’m sure you won’t. Thanks and be right back.” Crystal laughed and took her daughter’s muddy hand. “Let’s go, Urchin, and make you look like a little girl again.”

“Mr. Temple is nice. He called me Sparkles and says I’m like the ones we get for July picnic day…”

Kaydee’s voice faded as they walked out of sight. Hart assumed that they lived somewhere onsite since leaving the motel would leave it unattended. He wondered if she had a person to watch the desk at night. What she really needed was some big ass burly guy to watch the doors if she was having trouble with a biker gang. But he doubted there were many people she could trust in the town from what she and her daughter had said. A lot of thoughts popped into his head, including how she had lost her husband as he tried to sync his laptop with her printer.

He was great with machinery but technology sucked ass. It took him forever to figure out his laptop after he gave up on PCs, and setting up his wireless printer almost made him go insane. He got it done out of sheer tenacity and that was after weeks of just glaring at the box and finally saying,
Fuck it, you will not defeat me
.

He was intent on his task when he heard the door to the office open. He cast a glance out of the corner of his eye and, seeing a big man, his senses immediately went on alert. Hart continued working on his laptop as if to pay the man no attention. You don’t start shit, but you sure as hell finish it.

“Who the fuck are you?” the man snarled.

He definitely needs a kick in the bits
. Kaydee’s words came to him and he chuckled.

“Did I stutter or say something funny? Who the fuck are you?” he snarled again.

Hart stood. “I could ask you the same thing since I’m behind the desk and you’re the one in front of it.”

“Where’s the chick?” The man smelled of sweat, and hygiene didn’t seem to be a huge interest for him since Hart could clearly see something that resembled bits of egg shells tangled in his long beard.

Hart placed his hands on the counter. “Ms. Cantrell is away at the moment. How may I help you?”

“She needs to clean up the shithole rooms we got, and we need more ice and food,” the biker demanded.

“Other than standard cleaning services, we don’t clean up beer, food, or, in your case, egg shells. Did you just suck the eggs down or chew?” Hart asked.

“Do you know who the fuck I am? I own this town.” The biker slammed his hand down on the counter and everything except Hart shook.

He didn’t blink nor did his heart jump. He was accustomed to dealing with bullies and actually enjoyed their shenanigans.

“Your boy scout badge says your name is
Skum
. Seriously? That’s what you picked for your biker name, something you scrape from the bottom of ponds and bathtubs?” Hart asked.

“Fuck you!”

Skum swung and Hart took the hit because the first punch by someone else meant you could defend yourself. Skum landed a good one to the chin, but Hart’s head barely moved. He was over the counter in a flash and had Skum against the wall. He would be extremely surprised if the biker could defend against his punches. He was trained to defend himself in war. Hell, if a biker could outmatch him in a fight then he was getting old. A glass table and a few other things in the lobby were a casualty of their fight. By the time Skum was holding his hands up in surrender, Hart was just getting his second wind.

“Oh, fuck, what’s going on?” Crystal screeched.

“Uh-oh, Mommy said the F word,” Kaydee sing-songed.

“Kay, go back upstairs and lock yourself in the apartment. Hit the speed dial number for Miss Emma and Auntie Lyn,” she ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Hart had Skum up against the wall with a forearm across the neck, so he barely noticed when Kaydee ran by.

He spoke to the biker. “Now you may think you have this town in your pocket and deem it yours, but not this place, understand me? You and your people stay away from here or you will not like the outcome.”

“You’re just one guy. What can you do?” Skum’s voice was strangled due to Hart’s forearm against his windpipe.

“Am I really, am I?” Hart’s voice was deadly as he shoved him towards the door. “Put it to the test and see what happens. Now get out, clean up, and pay the damn motel room bill.”

The silence was deafening as Skum stumbled out and Hart was left alone with Crystal in the lobby that was now in shambles.

“What have you done?” she asked quietly. “Do you know the shit storm that will be coming down on my head from this?”

“The guy was being a dick. I’ll pay for the damages, no big deal,” Hart said.

She laughed incredulously. “Oh, no big deal for the big bad soldier who showed his balls by beating up a biker. But what are the repercussions, hmm? Let me see, they’re going to probably burn my place down, but that’s after they call in Sheriff Layton to threaten me. This is why I sent Kay to call her Auntie Lyn. If by some miracle, they don’t burn the place down, the harassment of me and my child will increase exponentially until I have no other choice but to give up this place and move to save our lives. This is our only income, by the way, so we’ll be living out of our car…that is, if we’re not killed.”

“It won’t come to that. I’ll take care of this,” Hart practically growled.

“Who asked you to?” Crystal yelled. “You’re only here for a few weeks and then you’ll get on your bike and ride out and we’ll still be here dealing with the fallout of your shit! You’re a fly-by-night hero. What do you think will happen as soon as you pull out of here? I had a tentative truce with those people, so my daughter and I would be safe, and you ruined that.”

Realization hit him and he was sorry for acting before he thought things through. His actions had put them in more danger and if she or little Kaydee was in anyway hurt by his actions, Hart would never be able to forgive himself.

“Listen, Crystal, I’m sorry…”

She sliced a hand through the air, cutting off his words. “I don’t want to hear it, Lieutenant Temple. What is it with you men who are in the military? You’re so hopped up on adrenaline that you have to go and solve problems no one asked you to solve. I’ve had to live with this gung-ho, balls-to-the-wall attitude before and we suffered for it. There is no way in hell I need you to come in here and start fights or call my daughter Sparkles and get her attached to you. I know your type—”

He took a step forward. “Now wait a minute—”

“No, you wait. You are a guest in my motel and nothing more. Am I understood?” Crystal said coldly.

“Crystal clear,” Hart said stiffly. “Add the damages to my check when I leave.”

“The key words are ‘when you leave.’ Now, please, get your laptop and get out of here so I can begin to sort out this mess.”

Without a word, Hart nodded and went to grab his laptop and the papers that had finally printed and stalked off to his room. After jamming the key in the lock and entering his room, he slammed the door, put his laptop on the bed and then began to pace the floor. This was what he got for trying to help out and be nice. Though he should probably amend his statement because he was the one who egged—
no pun intended
, he thought with a smirk—Skum on, which then started the fight.

He was so accustomed to taking care of himself that he barely thought of the consequences. So, instead of keeping to himself and whiling away the days like he had envisioned, he’d now be cleaning up a mess of his own creation because he could not leave Crystal and her daughter in danger. Regardless of what she said, he was in it now and he’d finish what he started.

Crystal revisited the urge to slap the Ray-Ban glasses off Sheriff Layton’s face. Lyn, her best friend and lawyer, rapped her fingers on the front desk counter impatiently. She knew that he was in the pocket of the biker gang and had no patience for it either. After the gang moved into town, Crystal learned quickly to keep the law on her side and always have a lawyer present. The other upside to being best friends with Lyn was that she was married to one of the only good cops in town.

Just hurry up already
, Crystal thought impatiently. She had no tolerance for the pompous attitude of the sheriff who felt that he was all-powerful.

“Are you planning on doing something other than standing there sweating like a pig?” Crystal finally asked in annoyance.

“Now you look here, Miss Crystal, a man was assaulted at your place, and I can shut you down,” Sheriff Layton threatened.

“No, a man tried to bully me and one of my guests. He punched said guest and got his ass kicked,” Crystal pointed out.

“I thought you knew better than to trust these military men, after your husband ran off and got himself killed in Afghanistan…”

Crystal pointed her finger at him. “You stop right there, you self-righteous prick. My husband was a hero and I have the medals to prove it. You’ve never even stepped foot out of this town and won’t even help an old lady cross the street unless it greases your pocket. If you speak his name with anything but respect I have no problem suing you and the department for any fucking thing that can stick.”

“You can’t talk to me like that.” His face turn beet red.

She held out her hands. “Then take to me jail and Lyn will have to bail me out. Then I can head over to Savannah and start talking to some kind of federal law enforcement about the shit that goes on in this town.”

“Talking like that, you are liable to get you and your kid killed.” Sheriff Layton looked around as if eyes were watching him. “Jesus, Crystal, I’ve know you since you were a baby. You just shut up and give them what they want and then we’re all happy.”

“Is that a threat, Sheriff?” Lyn moved closer to Crystal. “Are my client and her child being threatened for not falling into line with a biker gang?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Sheriff Layton answered. “I don’t want to see anyone hurt.”

“Then when they showed up why didn’t you run them out of town instead of lining your pocket with their money?” Crystal retorted.

Sheriff Layton looked at Crystal and took his glasses off. “I offered you my protection and it still stands.”

“Yeah, you offered that if I shared your bed. I’d rather be drawn and quartered by motorcycles.” Disgust made her stomach roll.