Wild Ride Read online

  Chapter Seven

  After finishing the final clear coat on the paint job and cleaning the spray guns Chuck headed out of the paint booth. Looking around he realized he and Dickie were the only ones there. Checking the clock on the wall he noted it was after five… shit!

  “Missing something… or someone?” Dickie asked with a smile.

  “Yea… where is she?” he asked, ignoring the old man’s attempts to goad him.

  “Your little friend went shopping with Dana and Lilly. They left about two hours ago,” Dickie said, watching his face for a reaction and after getting none added, “She’s a pretty sweet looking little thing.”

  “What?” Chuck said in disbelief trying to ignore the comment about Meredith’s looks. Surely Dickie was joking with him.

  Then thinking about how Lilly operated he winced since Meredith obviously wasn’t there anymore. In fact her car… his ride… was also missing.

  “Bobby, Tommy and the kids are at Gran’s and I was instructed to give you a lift over there when we got finished up. Are you almost done?” Dickie asked. “I’d like to clean up a bit before they get back.”

  “Why is she shopping with Lilly and Dana?” he asked. She came with him today and should be with him… not Lilly and Dana.

  “I long ago stopped trying to figure out how a woman’s mind works… I’m guessing it was girly gossip of some sort since they were giggling and talking with their heads together when they left,” Dickie said with another expectant look.

  Damn them! Dickie for having his number and being able to ring his bell so easily and Lilly for being nosy and even now probably pumping Meredith for information or full of information. He shouldn’t really care since it wasn’t like they were dating or anything… or ever could.

  “Yea, let’s go,” he replied with a sigh.

  Dickie laughed at him as they locked up and headed to Gran’s. Upon entering Gran’s little house he found her in the kitchen sitting at the table holding baby Melody.

  “The boys are out back with Gretchen. I thought we could grill some chicken and baked potatoes…” Gran said.

  Dickie mentioned getting a shower and headed back the hallway. Chuck found the chicken marinating in a bowl and began pulling out the potatoes. He enjoyed cooking and was always eager to lighten Gran’s load though she seemed content… even happy to do for others.

  “So I met Meredith this afternoon when she and Lilly stopped by to pick up Dana…” Gran said as he stuck the first batch of potatoes in the microwave. “Looks like something’s prompted her to participate in a quick hurry. Sweet little thing… seems to fit right in.”

  “Maybe… but she’s Judge Patterson’s granddaughter,” he said. “He’d throw the book at me for sure if he thought for one second his little princess was taking up with the likes of me.”

  “I always wondered why that old man is so hard on you, though I suppose he could have been a whole lot harder on you than he has been. I’m especially curious why he would incorporate you into his own family if he thinks as poorly of you as you say he does,” Gran said looking thoughtful.

  He’d like to know that too. This past week had him wondering if the old man was rubbing his nose in those things he would never have… family… the love of a respectable and beautiful woman.

  “I have no idea why he chooses to pick on me… single me out… ride my ass or whatever,” he said pulling out ingredients from the fridge to make a salad.

  “Well he’s a judge for a reason so I have to think there is a purpose behind what he does and the decisions he makes,” Gran said, shifting Melody to her shoulder.

  “Yea, to repeatedly punish me for a stupid mistake,” he muttered.

  Gran frowned at him and then said, “Well, even if you can’t date her she still seems like she’d be a good friend to have and she’s around your age.”

  Friends… yea right! It would be like the lion befriending the zebra with the zookeeper looking on. It was just a matter of time until temptation won out… because she was one hell of a temptation. The difference was the zookeeper was Judge Patterson who had him in his sights and would take him down.

  As he finished up the salad he thought back over the sketches he’d made of her over the past few days. Each one was a little racier than the last one.

  It was like the sketches were counting down to the moment when his ability to resist her would be nonexistent and he’d do something stupid. Friends… pfft.

  He rolled the potatoes in olive oil, sprinkled kosher salt on them then wrapped them in foil and hollered out the back door for one of the guys to start the grill.

  Looking at the clock he noted it was already six o’clock. They wouldn’t wear her out too much… would they? He caught Gran watching him with a grin and turned away to cut up some strawberries.

  After finishing up the strawberries and adding a little sugar to them he handed the plate of potatoes and the bowl of marinated chicken out the backdoor to Tommy and Bobby.

  Dickie had since finished up his shower and headed out to the front porch. He could hear the sounds of female laughter coming from the front. They were back!

  The afternoon spent with Lilly and Dana had been full of fun and she’d laughed until her sides hurt. Lilly was a little more daring than Dana and had driven all over the place looking at everything from dance studios, to videos to outfits that Dana could use in her birthday seduction mission.

  Dana, though a little more reserved almost to the point of innocence, was determined to learn how to dance and had convinced Lilly to learn with her.

  It was finally determined that based on the size of the small town word would get back to one or more of the guys about them taking actual dance lessons. So they’d convinced Meredith to try and teach them. Since Chuck was at her house every evening it was decided that they would come in the mornings once school started.

  This would allow Dana to only have to worry about Melody since Gretchen would be in school as would Meredith’s brothers, which was just as well since they wouldn’t be able to let it slip to Chuck. She knew her mother well enough to know that she’d just be thrilled that she was having friends over again and would keep it a secret if asked.

  They had talked about Dana and Tommy’s kids and the baby that Lilly was expecting. Though she had no kids nor planned to anytime soon, their stories were outrageous and funny.

  Then the topic had switched to Chuck. From what she could tell he was just as ornery to them as he was to her and it was obvious they both adored him. They talked to her about Chuck as though he was her boyfriend and she didn’t have the heart to correct them.

  As appealing as the idea of hooking up with Chuck seemed she knew it would only be for sex. Josh had hit the target when he’d said that he was too young to be tied down to someone who was handicapped.

  Chuck was around the same age and even more energetic and wild than Josh had ever thought about being. Somehow the idea of Chuck settling down with anyone seemed unlikely, especially someone who had to struggle to keep up with him.

  As they headed back to the house Lilly and Bobby shared with his grandmother, Edna, she tried to contain her excitement at spending time with Chuck… outside of his community service role.

  As they pulled into the driveway the older man, Dickie, sat on the front porch. Upon seeing them a smile spread across his face and he started walking toward the car.

  “Oh they are up to something… look at that grin,” Lilly said, looking to Dana. Then they both looked to her in the backseat.

  “I’m going to guess this is about giving Chuck a hard time so if I were you I’d just go with it,” Dana said. “Chuck’s had it coming for a while,” she finished with a laugh.

  “Should I worry?” she asked.

  “Yes,” they both answered at the same time and then laughed some more.

  Dickie walked to the back of her car and tapped his hand on the trunk and Lilly pulled the latch. He got the wheelchair out and rolled it over to the door to op
en it just as Chuck exited the front door.

  “Hi, I thought I could help you out to the backyard. We’re kind of having a little cookout back there and we’d love it if you could stay. I can run you home later when you’re ready,” he said, with a smile as Chuck slowly jogged down the steps and started across the yard.

  As Chuck made it to the car he said, “I can help her, Dickie, but thanks.”

  “It’s ok, I don’t mind,” Dickie said, smiling at her and ignoring Chuck. “It’d be my pleasure.”

  Dana headed into the house to check on Melody. Lilly started down the driveway toward the backyard but she stopped just past Chuck and turned to her giving her a smile and a wink. Going along with whatever mischief the older man had cooked up she smiled at him and then said, “Ok… sure.”

  He wheeled her into the backyard and stopped next to a chair that was under a large yard tent. Then smiling down at her, he said, “You don’t mind to sit by an old man, do you?”

  “You’re not old,” she laughed.

  “Well what I lack in youth I make up for in other ways,” he said with a smile and wink. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  He was flirting with her and by the look on Chuck’s face… it wasn’t sitting well.

  “Sure, whatever you have is fine,” she replied.

  “I’ll be right back,” Dickie said.

  Before Dickie had even made it to the house Chuck came over and sat in the chair Dickie had indicated was his.

  “Don’t mind him… he’s an old pervert,” he said.

  Catching the mischievous grin on Lilly’s face and the wink she said, “He’s not that old! He’s kind of good looking for an older man.”

  Lilly covered a grin with her hand and turned away. Chuck slouched in his seat with a look of bewilderment on his face. Bobby was grilling chicken and baked potatoes while Tommy pulled out a chair for Edna and handed her the baby.

  Lilly was sitting on the picnic table next to Dana and the two were talking and watching Chuck from time to time.

  When Dickie returned he handed a can of soda to her and then, pulling his other hand out from behind his back, he presented her with a flower and said, “I saw this out front earlier and thought that it’s almost as pretty as you are.”

  “Seriously, man?” Chuck said to him.

  “What?” Dickie asked, grabbing another chair and parking it right next to her wheelchair.

  Chuck looked almost angry at Dickie but didn’t say anything. Bobby pulled the chicken and potatoes off the grill as Dana, Tommy and Lilly carried out a salad, a bowl of strawberries, plates and plastic ware.

  When they’d finished setting things up on the picnic table, Dickie turned to her and said “I’ll get you a plate… anything you don’t care for?”

  Chuck huffed under his breath and rolled his eyes and slouched further in his chair.

  “No, it all looks great,” she said. “And thank you that’s very thoughtful.”

  She could see Chuck roll his eyes again as Dickie hurried off to get her some food. Turning to him she said, “Is everything ok?”

  “Fine,” he said with a sigh.

  She watched a knowing smile pass between Dana and Lilly. Chuck got up and started for the house. “Be right back.”

  After he entered the house Edna said, “Ya’ll need to leave that boy alone.”

  Dickie brought her a plate and handed it to her and then returned a short time later with his own plate and said, “I’m just going to rest my arm on the back of your chair if that’s ok?”

  She’d long since caught on to what they were doing. They were trying to make Chuck jealous and though it seemed to be working something about it wasn’t quite right.

  She’d seen Chuck angry the other night when he’d fought with her…and won. Though he appeared angry now, walking away didn’t seem his style.

  Chuck returned a few minutes later and got himself a plate. Dickie continued to try and goad him by flirting with her but Chuck didn’t respond and rather than being angry he seemed resigned. Somehow his change in attitude bothered her. Dickie seemed to notice as well and eventually stopped.

  After they’d finished eating Chuck said, “I should get you home.”

  “Ok,” she replied.

  Everyone expressed how nice it was to meet her and made her promise to come back. Somehow she couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than Chuck and this look he now wore.

  He pushed her out to the car and after she got in he closed the door behind her without saying a word. She reached over and popped the trunk and he loaded up her chair.

  As they headed down the street the silence was deafening and she said “Thanks for bringing me today. I had a good time.”

  “I know,” he said without looking at her.

  After they rode nearly the entire trip in silence she said, “So what’s wrong then?”

  “Nothing, I’m just tired,” he lied.

  “Bullshit,” she said turning to face him.

  “Look if you want to bang some old guy that’s your business. We’re not dating or anything… so feel free… but you need to know that he’s only doing that shit to annoy me,” he said.

  “First of all I know he was doing it to annoy you… Certainly not because he’s actually interested in fucking the handicapped girl!” she said turning back forward.

  “That’s not how I meant it and you know it,” he said angrily as he turned on to her street.

  “Really? Ben and Matt are your community service… not me!” She yelled as angry tears threatened. “He was trying to make you jealous because he thinks you like me. Had I known it would have this effect I would have assured him that other than feeling responsible for taking care of the invalid, his efforts were wasted,” she finished angrily.

  “Oh please! You’re hot and you know it. You were one of those rich snotty girls in school and when life got all fucked up and wasn’t perfect anymore you took it as permission to give up and wallow in your own misery,” he yelled back as he turned into her driveway.

  “Fuck off! You don’t know anything about me! You’ve been playing housekeeper and babysitter for a week! That does not make you an expert on me or my family,” she yelled as tears formed in her eyes.

  Turning off the engine he popped the trunk and got out of the car, slamming the door angrily. He pulled her chair out of the trunk and then slammed the lid before heading up the walk. He set the chair down, unlocked the house, turned on some lights then grabbed her chair and disappeared inside.

  After several minutes had passed, he again appeared in the front door and walked toward the car. Opening her car door he reached in and scooped her up into his arms. Kicking the door shut with his foot he carried her into the house and up to her room.

  Stopping just inside the doorway to her room, he sighed and gazed down at her.

  “I’m not saying I’m an expert on you or your family… I just… can’t… date you. I’m not your type and you’re definitely not mine. I don’t like you in that way... but I’d hoped we could be friends,” he said, looking at her mouth.

  Then he gently sat her down on the foot of her bed next to the backpack he’d left behind earlier and turned his back to her shoving his hands in his pockets. The air between them seemed to crackle.

  His breathing was irregular and so was hers. How was it he could make her laugh one minute where she wanted to kiss the smart off his mouth and so angry the next she wanted to pull his hair out?

  After a few long moments of silence he said, “I should go. I’ll be by tomorrow to check on you. Do you need anything before I go?”

  “No,” she nearly whispered and then, “Here… don’t forget your backpack and your helmet.”

  Picking up the backpack by the corner she didn’t expect it to be so heavy and it slid opened ended off the foot of the bed spilling the contents on the floor as it went. Loose pieces of white sketch paper slid across the floor. Some were face down but most of them were face up.

 
Looking at them she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Life like sketches…of her! One of them showed just her eyes while another showed just her lips and still another of her entire face.

  Looking more carefully she could see one that looked as if she were taking a bath in a claw foot tub with a single leg propped against its ledge. She was leaned forward…shaving.

  The drawing would have been humorous if not for the detail he’d used to draw her breasts and cleft. The sketch was provocative but not nearly as bad as some of the other ones that depicted her pleasuring herself.

  Her intimate parts in some pictures were smudged as though to indicate the unknown while in others they were graphic.

  Other than the one drawing of her in the tub, none of them depicted her stump. Most showed her from the thigh up and in all of them her face appeared as though she were in the throes of passion.

  “Fuck!” he whispered and then crouched down to retrieve the backpack and the sketches.

  “Chuck?” she said. She needed to know what the drawings meant.

  He didn’t respond to her but instead looked away as though in shame.

  “Chuck? What is all that?” she asked again.

  After a long pause he looked back at her and said, “Proof that I’m a liar.”

  Chapter Eight

  Why didn’t he take his sketches and sketchbook out and leave everything at the apartment? Why? Now she sat staring at them with questions in her eyes he wasn’t prepared for and couldn’t answer. He attempted to quickly collect the sketches and his backpack so he could get the hell out of Dodge.

  Touching his arm she said, “No wait… I want to see them.”

  Clearing his throat he said, “They’re obviously not very appropriate” as he continued to collect them.

  “I can see that…” she started.

  “I don’t carry them around with me. I just had them in there today because I had been working on sketches of the detail work for the bike…” he interrupted. “Don’t worry, I haven’t shown them to anyone… I’ll destroy them… and I won’t…” he broke off looking away from her again as he picked up the closed sketchbook.