To Have It All(44)

Moving my gaze back to the bike, I couldn’t help smiling, remembering the work I’d put into it. Lenny helped a lot, too. We spent a many a night working on this bike after the shop closed. Sometimes I think we just stayed and made up shit to do to it just to have a reason to hang out and drink beer. We’d stripped this bike down. The mirrors were gone and the signal lights, too. It was a pretty badass bike, if I did say so myself. It may not have been the most expensive, but it had a lot of time and sweat in it, and that made it worth more to me.

“I like it,” I acknowledged. Then taking a step toward him, I reached my hand out. “I’m Max, by the way.”

“Lenny,” he said, taking my hand in a strong grip. “You got wheels?”

Shaking my head, I crossed my arms again. “Nah, but I’m thinking about getting one.”

Lenny looked at me, then back at the shop, then back at me. “Man, I know I don’t know you, but this bike just came in a couple of days ago and the parts I ordered just came in so I’m finally getting to work on it. I gotta show it to someone.”

Lenny excited about a bike meant it was a badass bike. “Oh yeah?”

With a quick motion of his hand, he indicated for me to follow him. I nearly flew behind him, so fucking excited to talk shop with someone that knew and gave a fuck about bikes.

As he entered the bay with me following a few feet behind him, he announced, “You ever heard of a Panhead?”

I stopped in my tracks. He couldn’t be serious. “You got a Panhead in there?”

Lenny chuckled. “1948 man. This thing gets me hard just looking at it.”

I laughed, a real laugh, a Liam laugh. Damn it felt good. As we walked in and I saw the bike for myself I felt like a kid in a toy store, my fingers itching to touch it.

“Ain’t she a beaut?” Lenny asked, his face lit up with a grin. “The owner is sinking some real funds into this. Wants it back fast. I bet he spent a fortune on it. The old girl needs some TLC, but she looks good.”

And he wasn’t kidding. The bike needed some love, but it was a gem. They don’t make bikes like that anymore. “Looks like she might have some electrical issues. You replacing that exhaust pipe?”

“Yeah. Owner wants a complete once over; flush the tank, check the brakes, get her a new clutch.” Lenny listed off.

Staring at the bike, I shook my head. “I’d give my right nut for a bike like this.”

Lenny grinned. “She is damn sexy.”

I cut him a look and put one hand over my crotch. “I’m definitely getting a chub just looking at her.”

We both roared with laughter and before I knew it, Lenny and I were shooting the shit and talking about every bike we could think of. That afternoon, I spent a few hours bullshitting with my best friend about our favorite thing. After days of navigating through Max’s life and the unknown, of having to pretend to be someone I wasn’t, for a little while I got to forget about all my problems. I got to forget, for a short time, that I was Max Porter.





Max took off earlier in the day without a word. At least not a word to Pim or me. Apparently, he left Helen in charge to help with the baby and aid me. Sounded just like him to bail and leave someone else holding the bag. Helen insisted he had an ‘urgent matter’ to attend to.

When I asked, “What urgent matter?”

Helen vaguely replied, “I’m not sure.”

I’d told myself I would not ask questions about Max. I didn’t want to know about his life. Then again, I did want to know. I just didn’t want to look like I wanted to know. It was a real dilemma. I’d tried asking Helen a few questions about her life after she’d interrogated me, but she barely answered the few I managed to ask. Maybe she was a person that didn’t like to share her personal information. If that were the case, that would be okay, but I think fair is fair—she asked me questions, and I answered, shouldn’t she do the same?

Minus her lack of sharing, I liked Helen. She was a thoughtful person and she was a doll to Pim. While Max was out, Helen sat on the floor and played with Pim while I lay on the couch with my foot up, studying. I’d contacted my professors and let them know about my injury and that I wouldn’t be in class for at least that week, but I wanted to make sure I kept up on my studies.

“Do you want a boy or a girl?” I asked, hoping she’d at least give me a little information. That wasn’t too personal of a question, was it?

With a slight shrug, she moved to her knees and helped Pim to her feet. “I guess I always wanted to have all boys, but I have to tell you . . . this little cutie has me thinking a little girl would be fun.”

“If you have a girl, you’d have one of each,” I noted, closing my book and resting it in my lap.

“Very true.” Looking at her watch, she bit her lip. “Speaking of children, I need to call my son really quick.”

Sitting up, I plopped the book beside me and fixed my ponytail. “Go ahead. I think I can handle her.”

“I’ll be right back.” Grabbing her phone, she went into the back office and shut the door. I thought the need for that much privacy was odd, I mean she was only calling her teenage son, but I didn’t dwell on it.

The front door opened and shut, and seconds later Max entered, a bright grin on his face. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. What was he so happy about?