Unsteady (The Torqued Trilogy Book 1) (27 page)

I have half a mind to deck the little shit. “No… why?”

“Just wondering what my chances are.”

Um. Never.

Red walks up behind him and shoves him forward, smiling. “Don’t you have oil to change?”

Daniel looks over at me and smiles. “Yeah, hers.”

I turn to walk away but look over my shoulder to Daniel. “I don’t know, Daniel, from what I hear you don’t even know what to do with a dipstick.”

Red lets out a loud laugh and shoves Daniel again. “Stop messing around. Get back to work.” As he passes by, Red hands me a repair order without saying anything when suddenly my phone rings.

I jump because I nearly forgot I had a cell phone since nobody calls me. Scrambling through my bag on the bench, I reach inside and pull out my cell phone.

“Ms. Reeves?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“This is Karl Karson…. Tyler’s friend who helped you out with the divorce proceedings and restraining order.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief but then my heart starts pounding as I know
why
he’s calling. Ben got the papers yesterday. Wanting some privacy, I quickly walk around the corner and into the parts room and shut the door behind me.

“The attorney in Oklahoma that is helping us with the divorce called me this morning and let me know that Ben was served with the papers and this morning they were taped to the attorney’s door with the word ‘Never’ written across them.”

Sounds exactly like something Ben would do. Letting out another deep breath, I shake my head. What a fucker. “I knew he was going to be a dick about this. Now what do I do?”

“It’s not all that uncommon in cases where one of the spouses doesn’t want the divorce,” he assures me. “The next step is to wait out the mandatory twenty days the court allows for Ben to respond. If he doesn’t respond within those twenty days, then we file for a Motion for Default. This will allow you to be granted the divorce even without his consent. Now with this filing, you may be required to attend the proceedings but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. He’s abusive, right?”

“He hit me, yes,” I whisper.

“Just that one time?”

“That was the first time he struck, yes. But he’s thrown things at me and forced me to do things I didn’t want to… to him.” That wasn’t even the half of what Ben has done, but it’s all I’m willing to tell him about right now.

Karl clears his throat. “Okay….”

I can hear the scrape of his pen against a notepad when I ask, “Could Ben stall the proceedings if he gets an attorney himself?”

“Yes, the usual time for divorce proceedings that are uncontested in Oklahoma are ten to ninety days depending on assets and custody. Since you don’t have any kids and you’re not asking for any splitting of assets or spousal support, this should go rather quickly, but
could be
strung out for months if he choose to file papers contesting.”

I lean against the wall, my adrenaline spiking. “Crap. Okay, thanks.”

“Everything will be fine, Ms. Reeves. I’m here if you have any questions.”

What the fuck was I thinking when I came here? Did I really think he would just let me go?

Blood rushes to my cheeks, my stomach twisting as my mind goes over what Ben might do next.

Taking in deep breaths, I need fresh air. My hands tremble as I rush past Red standing at his toolbox. “Are you okay?” he asks as I walk by.

I shake my head no and keep walking outside, tears that refuse to listen fall over my cheeks.

I’m not out there but five minutes, sitting in the gravel with my back against the metal siding when Tyler approaches, his head bent forward and hands in his pockets. Of course he would come looking for me. “What’s up?”

I spit out my thumbnail I chewed off. “Ben refuses to sign the divorce papers.”

Tyler kneels down to my level, his eyes intent on mine. “That motherfucker…” he curses, and then shakes his head, sitting back against the building.

“I’m not surprised. At all. I just can’t believe I thought this was going to go smoothly. I mean,
if
he finds me here… there’s no telling what he’ll do. He’s crazy, Tyler. Batshit fucking crazy. I didn’t stay with him because I was afraid he would beat the crap out of me. He only hit me once. I stayed because he was mentally unstable. The hitting me was just the last straw. Jesus Christ, why is it that I attract all the assholes? Ones that only want to hurt me.”

Tyler moves to sit beside me and bumps his knee to mine. “There are still some good guys out there.”

Gravel crunches in front of us and I lean forward to see Raven walking up to us. She puts her hands on her hips and stares down at me brushing tears away. “Did my asshole brother yell at you again?”

“No.” I laugh, smiling now.

Her eyes stay on mine, never shifting to Tyler. They play this game well. “Well, be at our house at two tomorrow for our Walker family fourth-of-July party.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s family and it should stay family.”

Tyler rolls his eyes and stands up, then reaches for my hand. “It’s hardly family. Even Daniel goes to the damn thing and he’s barely an employee.”

There’s nothing I want more than to hang out with the Walker family. And Red… shit… but maybe this isn’t the right time for me. Maybe I just need to lay off everything until all this blows over with Ben.

Raven can sense my refusal coming and kicks my foot once I’m standing. “There’s no option. It’s mandatory. Mom said so.”

I stall for what seems like an entire minute before saying, “Fine. What can I bring?”

Raven seems satisfied and turns away from us, never once looking at Tyler. “Nothing. Just your hot little self.”

“Tyler…” I all but whine, thinking maybe he can break it to them that I shouldn’t be there tomorrow.

“No.” He holds his hand up and begins to walk away. “You’re coming whether you want to or not.” And then, he mimics Red’s deep voice. “Get back to work, Lennon.”

THE NEXT DAY, once I pull up to their house, the driveway and streets filled with cars, I begin to panic. Tyler left early to pick up a keg with Red and that left me showing up alone. There’s nothing worse, as far as I’m concerned, than showing up at a party after everyone else. I’d rather not go at all when that happens.

I’m also nervous because after the conversation with my attorney yesterday, Red noticed something was wrong. And get this. He was nice to me. Threw me for a fucking loop. I didn’t say much yesterday because I didn’t want Red finding out about my divorce, or that my soon to be ex-husband was a total fucking nut job. I couldn’t even tell you why I didn’t want him to know. Probably because of what happened to his wife, and what I came from. I thought for sure everyone saw me as weak for staying with Ben despite his behavior. The last thing I wanted was for Red to see me
that
way.

I sit in my Bronco doing everything I can to talk myself into getting out of the truck. I think the only reason I do is because it’s hot out and I could use something to drink.

As I’m walking up to the house, I’m fidgeting with my tank top, and my hair that I’ve actually curled today. It looked so good the night Raven curled it I decided to give it a try. The only thing I’m not fidgeting with is my jean shorts because I know Red likes those. Look at me, dressing to impress my boss now.

Once I’m on the front porch, I realize the party’s around back and follow the smell of charcoal burning and country music flowing.

The moment I open the gate, Nova spots me and runs toward me. “Lenny!”

Everyone turns when she screams, and looks right at me. I avoid their eye contact and stare down at Nova. “Hey, pretty girl!” She wraps herself around me so I pick her up and carry her with me. Breathing in deeply, she smells like a hot summer day, sunscreen, sugar and dirt. “I missed you and it’s only been three days.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” she says with a beaming smile that lights up her face, a giggle falling from her. “Now I have someone to play with.”

Glancing around the yard, I can see there are a couple other kids, two or three boys, but it’s pretty much just adults.

“What about me?” Raven asks, tickling Nova’s sides, a beer in one of her hands, another tucked under her arm.

Nova rolls her eyes as I set her down in the grass. I notice then she’s barefoot and covered from head-to-toe in dirt and what looks to be something that’s stained her lips bright red. “You don’t count, Auntie.”

Raven hands me the beer under her arm and glances down at Nova. “In what world do I not count? I should be your favorite person.”

“Raven!” Mia yells from the deck carrying out two platters of what looks to be condiments for burgers in her arms. “Can you help me bring out the rest?”

Raven grabs my hand yanking me with her. It’s then, just as I’m stepping onto the porch, that I see
him
. It’s like the bar… only this time he’s not looking at me. He’s in a pretty intense conversation with his uncle and Tyler, standing near the keg with plastic cups in hand.

He’s wearing black board shorts and a white T-shirt with his black hat. He looks fucking amazing and I want to go over there and lick him from head to toe.

My heart beats fast when I notice him because he’s here and I can’t ignore him like I know I should.

I know one thing, I want to get drunk, immediately, like totally shit-faced to be able to deal with him, but I also know if I’m drunk in front of him I’ll either tell him off and lose my job, or try hump his leg. Both are equally bad given his daughter is with him.

Raven and I help Mia bring out the rest of the food for the barbeque and I’m starving once I see it all. They really know how to put on a spread from hamburgers to hot dogs, ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad. Everywhere I look, there’s food.

Taking a sip of my beer, I smile at Mia. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”

She hugs me to her side, her shoulder-length hair pulled back neatly under a bandana in a country-mom look she pulls off so well. Raven looks just like her in so many ways from the brown eyes to the full lips. “I’m so happy you decided to come. We love having you here.” She looks around the yard at everyone enjoying themselves, laughing and listening to music. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it this year, what with Lyric passing, but I knew I needed to. Now I’m glad I did.”

“Sounds like Lyric was an amazing man. I’m sorry for your loss,” I tell her, knowing my words won’t comfort her, but thinking I need to say them anyway.

“Oh, honey, it’s fine. He was a great man, but I have a loving family who’s here for me. I see him so much in the kids, too. Raven’s got his balls-to-the-wall outlook. Rawley’s got his love for music, and Red’s got his loyalty and love for anything with an engine.” And then she shakes her head, watching Red next to his uncle who now has his arm around him near the barbeque. “He was seven years old and hanging out in the shop changing oil before he knew how to do subtraction.”

I smile, thinking about what Red would have been like as a child. I think about him walking around confidently, brown eyes shining bright as he sweeps his dark hair from his face. And when I look at Nova, I can tell she’s a spitting image of her father in that regard. They both have that same confidence.

Nova finds me again when I’m outside, tugging on my arm. “My daddy is over there. Do you want to talk to him?” She gazes up at me with what I can only gather is her begging face. It has to be because it’s hard to say no to Nova. I’d rather make a puppy sleep in the pouring rain than tell Nova no, and puppies are my downfall. I’ll pick one up every single time and talk nonsense in a voice even I don’t recognize.

My gaze falters, finds his in the distance. He’s talking with his uncle still, girls around him, laughing and smiling at everything he says. Why is he smiling to them yet I never see the hint of one? Does he sense I can’t make a good decision to save my ass?

It’s like he senses that I only know how to make the
wrong
choices. It’s not like I’ve given him any idea as to just how badly I’ve fucked-up in the past, but when Red looks at me—I mean really looks—it’s like he can see straight through me and into my soul. Like whether I like it or not, Red will always know the real me, not the Lenny I’m trying to be.