Motorcycle Man (Dream Man #4)(53)

“Because I asked him to,” I whispered.

Uncle Marsh shook his head. “Man’s any man at all, that kind of shit doesn’t fly.”

“That’s exactly it, Uncle Marsh. He’s that kind of man and that scares me. He didn’t want to let me go. I made him.”

“That kind of shit doesn’t fly,” Uncle Marsh repeated.

“He can’t make me stay with him. He wanted to but I didn’t let him.”

Uncle Marsh leaned further into me. “That kind of shit does… not… fly.”

I stared at my Uncle.

He kept talking.

“Something matters to you, you do not let it go. Ever.”

My heart clenched again.

Uncle Marsh kept talking.

“Man I saw here yesterday morning, the situation we walked into, not good. Way he was with his kids, way he looked at you, I could let it slide. You mattered to him yesterday. No man who’s any man at all has something, especially someone matter to him one morning and that night, she doesn’t. No matter what happened, what was said, who was hurt and how. Your aunt tried to walk away from me, told me to let her go, I wouldn’t. I’d find a way to make her stay. Because she matters and it’s worth whatever I have to do to make her stay. That’s the way it is, Tyra. Simple.”

God, I loved him but he was killing me.

“This isn’t helping, Uncle Marsh,” I whispered because, well, it wasn’t. It was making it worse.

“It isn’t now, honey, and I know that. But it will when it sinks in. I’m telling it like it is. I’m telling you what you should expect. You matter, Tyra, and that’s what you should expect.”

I felt tears sting my eyes and turned my head away.

“I take it I should come back.”

This was Aunt Bette from behind us and I took in another huge breath, turned in my chair and aimed a big, fake, bright smile in her direction.

“No, it’s all good,” I lied then pushed up from my chair. “Take a load off. I’ll go in and see what I can rustle up for dinner.”

Aunt Bette stared at me then she looked at Uncle Marsh.

“Biker road kill,” she remarked.

So Aunt Bette, cutting right to the chase.

“No truer words were spoken,” Uncle Marsh muttered.

“Guys, can we let this go?” I requested. “You leave tomorrow. We’ve had shrieking women attacking my door, mob kidnappings and a breakup of a non-relationship that was more relationship than any relationship I’ve ever had. Not the happy-go-lucky surprise visit to sunny Denver you were expecting, I’m sure. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the time we have. Sound like a plan?”

Uncle Marsh opened his mouth to speak.

Aunt Bette got there before him.

“Marsh.”

His eyes cut to his wife.

“Let it go,” she ordered softly.

Uncle Marsh held his wife’s eyes. Then his came to me.

“Last time you were at our place, you bragged about your cooking. Dazzle me.”

I looked to Aunt Bette. She rolled her eyes. I rolled mine back.

Then I went into the kitchen and rustled up some dinner. I didn’t know if it was dazzling. I just knew there were no leftovers.

* * * * *

Standing outside security at Denver International Airport the next day, Aunt Bette gave me a tight hug.

She also slipped a business card that had the name “Cabe Delgado” on it into my hand when she was done.

“You have any problems, you call Hawk,” she told me.

I nodded.

That was when Uncle Marsh moved in for his hug. It was longer and it was tighter.

Right before he let me go, he whispered in my ear, “Tyra, never forget. You matter.”

Then he walked to the security line.

Aunt Bette looked back and waved.

As was his way, Uncle Marsh did not.

As was my way, I watched until I couldn’t see them anymore. Then I went home. Then I typed out my resignation later. The rest of the day, I waited for Lanie to call.

She didn’t.

Tack didn’t either.

And when I went to bed that night, my heart still hurt.

Chapter Seventeen

Foregone Conclusion

It was my luck the next morning at eight o’clock when I drove into Ride to deliver my resignation letter that stated I’d be giving no notice, Tack was working on the red car. He was the only one there.

Seeing him and watching his head turn my way even as he stayed bent over the opened hood of the car, I should have been used to the pain my heart clenching caused. It happened enough times the last two days. But I wasn’t.

I looked away, parked, jumped out of my car and hustled up the steps to the office. I unlocked it with the key I’d already taken off my chain and hurried in.

Drop the key and the letter on the desk and get the hell out of there.

That was my plan.

This plan was thwarted seeing as I barely made it through the door when Tack came through the door that led to the garage.

Damn.

I ignored him and went straight to the desk. I dropped the key and envelope on it. I also ignored the sound of the lock turning on the door to the garage.

Damn!

I turned and, eyes directed at my feet, I started to hurry to the outer door, escape the only thing on my mind.