Wild Ride Read online

  “Don’t tell Tommy… please?” the woman said with a laugh and then noticing Meredith sitting alone in the car, leaned down further and said, “Hi, I’m Dana.”

  The angelic looking little girl slipped past the woman and climbed in the backseat of her car and looked at Dana. “I want to go to work with Uncle Chuck,” she said.

  Meredith was a little surprised at the level of relief she felt hearing the child refer to him as ‘Uncle.’ She’d grown more and more uncomfortable and awkward for even being there.

  “That’s Edith… I mean Meredith” Chuck said and then winked at her. “And I can’t take you with me, Gretchen… I have to paint all day and Lilly’s too busy right now to watch you.”

  “Your girlfriend can watch me,” Gretchen yelled back at Chuck while buckling her seatbelt. “And I promise to be good.”

  Chapter Six

  “Gretchen, why don’t you go with me for now and maybe when Daddy gets home we can go to Gran’s house?” Dana offered.

  “I could go to Gran’s with Lilly and meet you there,” Gretchen suggested and then looking at Chuck said, “Please?”

  Dana looked at Chuck and gave a non-committal shrug.

  “I can’t say no, Dana… I try… but I can’t” he said with a smile. Then looking at Gretchen and sighing he said, “Get your seat.”

  “Yes!” Gretchen whispered. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got back out of the car to retrieve a child’s booster seat from the back of the other vehicle.

  After Chuck had poured gas into the tank, Dana began buckling the tiny infant back into its car seat. Then looking at Chuck she said, “Double thanks,” and then looked pointedly at Gretchen.

  “I’ll follow you to make sure you make it to the gas station,” he said.

  After watching Dana’s car pull into a local gas station he smiled over at her and said, “Sorry…”

  She smiled back at him, “Your sister seems nice…”

  He laughed and said, “I’m an only child. Dana’s my buddy Tommy’s girlfriend. The rug rat in the back and the baby are his daughters.”

  “Shut it, Chuckie… I’m not a rug rat,” Gretchen said.

  Meredith tried unsuccessfully to contain the giggle that escaped. Chuck smiled over at her and she felt herself heat from the inside out. God he was downright hot!

  They pulled into the lot of a building that looked like it might have been a gas station at one time. The garage bay was open and she could see a man’s legs sticking out from under an automobile. Chuck got out of the car and headed to the trunk and Gretchen got out of her seatbelt and opened the door.

  “Come on and I’ll show you around,” she said hopping out of the car and slamming the door.

  This was the part she’d been dreading… the staring. Chuck closed the trunk and wheeled her chair over to her door and opened it. Gretchen had run inside the bay and through a doorway with the words “office” printed on the glass.

  She pulled herself out of the car and into her chair and Chuck closed the door and wheeled her into the bay. Gretchen ran back through the door into the garage area with a woman following behind her. Seeing her in the wheelchair Gretchen came to a complete stop… and stared.

  “I bet that shit hurt!” Gretchen said loudly staring at her missing foot that she’d pulled a sock over.

  “Oh my God… she just cussed!” she said, looking up at Chuck who stood behind her with his hands on the bars of her chair. He smiled down at her as though trying not to laugh.

  “Gretchen… you want to apologize for your filthy mouth?” A dark haired man said with a slight grin. He was built even bigger than Chuck and taller…he was huge. His chest and arms were massive and his dark looks made him an attractive but imposing looking man.

  The man whose legs had been sticking out from under the car rolled out from under it and looked at her. He was handsome for an old guy with dark hair that was grey along the sides.

  “Sorry, Edith,” Gretchen said looking remorsefully around at those who’d gathered.

  Chuck burst out laughing and walked away from her but she could see his shoulders shaking as he tried to stop.

  “Shut it, Charlie,” Meredith said with a laugh.

  “I like her already. I’m Lilly Jackson. It’s nice to meet you, Edith,” she said, holding out her hand.

  Chuck’s laughter started all over again even worse than before.

  Unable to stop her own laughter she held out her hand and said “It’s Meredith actually. It’s nice to meet you too.”

  “I won’t ask because I probably don’t want to know,” Lilly laughed looking toward Chuck.

  “This is my husband Bobby,” she pointed at the dark haired man. “And that is Dickie,” she pointed at the older man who was grinning as he lay there with a wrench in his hand.

  Gretchen made her way over to where she sat at the entrance to the garage bay and continued to stare at her stump. “What happened to your foot?” she finally asked.

  Everyone’s friendly smile faded. Unwilling to let awkwardness set in she said, “I was in a bad car wreck and I lost my foot and my Daddy.”

  Gretchen looked away from her foot and into her eyes for the first time since she’d come back out of the office. “I’d rather lose my foot than my Daddy. I bet you miss him bunches, huh?” she said quietly.

  “Yea, I do miss him bunches,” she choked out.

  “I’ll share my Daddy with you since I already got to share him with Melody… but… can I ride in your chair?” she asked, moving as close as possible to Meredith.

  No one was saying anything except for Gretchen so she smiled at her and said, “Here, why don’t you sit on my lap and we’ll make Charlie push?”

  “Who’s Charlie?” Gretchen asked, raising her arms so she could be picked up.

  “It’s a nickname for your uncle Chuck,” she said frowning at Chuck. Then she picked Gretchen up and sat her down on her lap.

  “Does your boo-boo still hurt?” Gretchen asked, being careful to keep away from her missing limb.

  “Not anymore. In fact I’m thinking about getting a fake foot,” she said looking at Chuck.

  “Epic,” Chuck said as he pushed them further into the bay to a closed off area in the back that appeared to have been recently constructed as the walls were unpainted. There was a single window on one side of the doorway and an exhaust fan on the other.

  “Can I go with you to pick it out?” Gretchen asked her.

  “It doesn’t quite work that way but I do have a little brother so maybe you could come with Uncle Chuck sometime and play at our house.” she offered as Chuck parked her next to the small window.

  They watched as Chuck put on a white suit that had small specks of different colored paint all over it and a hood. He pulled the hood tight around his head and then put on a mask with an attached breathing apparatus. Then, waving at them, he headed inside the small room.

  She watched him paint for a little while. He seemed to be completely focused on his task and didn’t even look in her direction.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Lilly asked sometime later.

  “Sure…what do you have?” she asked.

  “Why don’t you come on in the office where it’s cooler and have a look in the fridge,” Lilly offered and then pointing to the handles on her chair said, “May I?”

  “Yes and thank you” she said.

  As Lilly pushed her into the office and over to a small college sized refrigerator in the corner the phone rang. Lilly leaned across a ledge that ran the length of the desk and answered.

  “Bobby’s Custom… Oh hey, Dana,”

  Gretchen hopped down off her lap and opened the refrigerator. She selected a soda and then handed one to Meredith.

  “Oh… I have no idea. You’ve seen me dance… not pretty. I could ask Sherri if there are any dance studios around here. Are we talking like slow dancing… ballroom dancing?” Lilly asked.

  “Tell Miss Lilly I’m going to ride my trike,”
Gretchen said and scampered out the door with her soda.

  Lilly nodded in Gretchen’s direction and said, “Oh…I see,” and then laughed.

  She opened her soda, took a sip and tried to appear as though she wasn’t listening in but that was something she really missed… dancing. She’d been good at it too… really good.

  “Well why don’t you bring Melody to Gran’s when Tommy gets back with the camper and we’ll sneak out and drive around and see what we can find?” Lilly offered and then after a pause, “Maybe around 3… I’m about to completely give up on this stuff the accountant is wanting.” Another pause and then, “Ok see you then.”

  After Lilly hung up she pointed her thumb at the phone “My friend Dana,” she offered as an explanation.

  “I met her this morning… it’s how we ended up with Gretchen,” she smiled.

  “Oh yea?” Lilly asked with a grin of her own.

  “She doesn’t want Tommy to know but she ran out of gas at the grocery store,” she explained.

  Lilly laughed. “Bless her heart, she’s good at just about everything except anything mechanical and dancing as you might have picked up.”

  “Dancing?” she asked.

  “Tommy’s birthday is coming up and he’s quite good at dancing and she wants to learn how as a private surprise. I’m not from Florida originally so I don’t have any idea of where she could take dance lessons around here. Do you have any suggestions?” Lilly laughed.

  “Well I took dance lessons as a child but the place where I went only instructs children. I have some videos though that might help if you don’t have any luck finding a place,” she offered.

  “Oh now that is a great idea. Dana’s a little shy… so learning in a more private arena might actually be a better idea,” Lilly said. “Are you any good at dancing?”

  “Actually I was quite good… before the accident,” she said.

  “Sorry…” Lilly said with an exaggerated frown.

  “No, it’s ok. I could probably help her out some. I can’t actually show her myself but I was the captain of our dance squad in high school and in college,” she offered.

  “Oh yea? I may call her back and see what she thinks. It’s a secret so don’t say anything to mouth of the south out there,” Lilly laughed. “Chuck’s as bad as Gretchen at keeping secrets.”

  “I won’t, don’t worry,” she laughed as well. Lilly was really nice and her laugh was contagious.

  “Have you all been dating long?” Lilly asked.

  “Dating? You mean Chuck and me? Oh no…” she laughed. “He’s not… we’re not. He’s helping my mom out as part of some community service… thing.” Maybe she shouldn’t have said that.

  “Oh!” Lilly said. “I’m sorry… I thought by the way he was looking at you… I’m just going to shut up now,” she finished with a laugh and then turned and walked around her desk.

  Had he been looking at her? She wanted to ask Lilly but didn’t want to open up that can of worms. Lilly shuffled some papers around on her desk and kept peeking at her out of the corner of her eye.

  “I’m why he has community service,” Lilly finally said setting the papers down and looking at her. “I…umm…I was married once before. My husband passed away but he was involved in some illegal things and was investigated by the FBI. One of the FBI agents was kind of in on the whole thing and he came after me… here… at the shop. If Chuck hadn’t…” she looked away and then after a pause to collect herself, she looked back. “He saved my life. He hit the guy in the back of the head with this gun and… what I’m trying to say is don’t think bad of him… it’s probably not what you think.”

  “No… I don’t think badly of Chuck at all,” she said.

  “That’s good… that’s good,” Lilly smiled. “So you were in college? What was your major?” Lilly said in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

  “Well actually I didn’t finish… the accident happened at the end of first semester, my senior year,” she said. “I didn’t… haven’t finished yet. I was majoring in finance.”

  “Seriously?” Lilly asked with a stunned look on her face.

  “Yes,” she said in confusion.

  “Oooo…” Lilly squealed getting out of her chair and coming around to where she sat and hugging her. “You’re my new best friend!”

  She could only laugh and smile at the woman.

  “Can you look at something for me?” Lilly asked.

  Lilly was obviously very organized but with the amount of work they had coming in from shows and the online marketing Lilly had been doing, they were looking at possibly hiring more help… if they could afford it.

  Looking briefly at the shops finances she could only see data for the past six months.

  “Your business projections look great so I don’t see any issues with hiring one or even two employees with the work you have coming in. From what I can see the issue is that the work isn’t getting done fast enough. That could be from needing more help or even a larger facility so additional jobs can be done at the same time,” she said. “If you could show earnings from the past two or three years you could try for a small business loan to help in that process. Did you switch software or something… there is only about six months’ worth of actual figures here…”

  Laughing, Lilly said, “No… but it’s a long story best saved for another day. I need to run out and grab some lunch for the guys… would you like to go with me?”

  Looking toward the garage bay she said, “Umm…”

  “Chuck is painting so he’s in his own little world at the moment. As much as he obviously likes you he won’t even know you’re gone,” Lilly said and then placed her fingers over her mouth.

  “Ok, if you’re sure you don’t mind,” she said.

  “No… we’ll swing through the drive thru and be back before you know it,” Lilly smiled. “I’ll just go get Gretchen.”

  With that she was out the door… leaving Meredith behind. She moved her chair out from behind the desk and over to the door and was about to attempt holding the door open while moving through it when the older man opened the door slowly.

  “Let me get that for you ma’am,” he said with a grin.

  Somehow he looked familiar to her but she couldn’t place where she might have known him from. Maybe he just had one of those faces. He held the door open and she wheeled herself out into the garage bay just as Lilly came around the side with Gretchen in tow.

  “Maybe we should take your car instead of the truck,” Lilly said looking thoughtful.

  “Chuck has the keys…” she said.

  Lilly walked over to the little booth area at the back. After tapping on the window, she then made a sign as though she were starting a vehicle and then driving.

  A few minutes later Chuck appeared at the door with his mask pushed up on the top of his head and handed her the keys. They talked quietly and, rather than drive herself crazy wondering what was being said, she wheeled over toward her car.

  Lilly headed toward her showing her the keys and Chuck stared at her for a brief moment before grinning and winking at her and then heading back inside the booth. As Lilly approached she said, “Mind if I drive?”

  “No…sure, that’s fine” Meredith replied as her eyes went back to where Chuck had been.

  Then she opened the car door and wheeled forward a bit and got out of the chair and into the passenger seat. Looking back at the chair, she watched as the older man approached and folded it up. Smiling at her, he walked to the back. Leaning over she popped the trunk and yelled, “Thank you. I’m sorry I forgot your name.”

  After shoving her chair in the trunk and closing it he walked back and held her door. “Dickie… and it’s the least I can do for keeping Chuck in line,” he said, making a gesture as though he was tipping his hat at her. With a wink he closed the car door and went back in the garage.

  She watched the older man walk away trying to figure out if he was older than he looked or if he just looked
good for his age. Lilly got behind the wheel as Gretchen got in the back, closed the door, got up in her seat and buckled herself in.

  Looking over at her Lilly said, “Yes… they are all good looking… even Tommy who you haven’t met yet.”

  She giggled. “Sorry… he’s old enough to be my dad but he’s a nice looking man.”

  “Yep,” Lilly replied with a smile as she drove out of the parking lot.

  After lunch she sat in the office with Lilly trying to make a list of things she would need for the accountant. She also made a list of things to find and enter in the software program that would be needed for a business loan. As Meredith sat explaining some of the items the door to the office opened and another man entered.

  He was tall but did not have the same big build of the other men. He had windblown blonde hair and warm brown eyes. His lopsided grin and dimple probably left women swooning wherever he went.

  Looking at Lilly she said, “Tommy?”

  Lilly only smiled in acknowledgment.

  “You must be the reason for Chuck’s smiling mug this past week. Tommy McMurray… what’s your name?” he asked leaning against the counter that ran along the desk.

  “Meredith Johnson, it’s nice to meet you too,” she said.

  He filled out a paper and stuck it in the top slot of a divider that hung on the wall. Looking at Lilly he said, “I guess I’ll be collecting my kid and heading home.”

  Standing up Lilly grabbed the paper and moved it down a slot. Then she sat back down linking her arm through Meredith’s arm and said, “No… Dana’s meeting you at Gran’s with Melody and then we girls are going shopping for a few hours this evening.”

  “Hmm… three women out on a Saturday night… I smell trouble,” he smiled.

  “You better believe it,” Lilly laughed.

  After Tommy left the office she looked at Lilly. “You want me to go with you guys?” she asked.

  “Of course… you’re the dancing expert!” she whispered. “Besides it’ll make Chuck nuts wondering what we’re saying about him.”