Page 77 of 12 Months of Mayhem

“Pretty much. I do a lot of riding. Night’s quieter. Cleaner.”

I nodded. “Makes sense.”

He tilted his head and studied me. “You always work nights?”

“Yeah. Diamond and I took the shift over when we turned eighteen, but I like it. It’s peaceful. And it works better with Tucker.”

His brows rose. “Your kid?”

I smiled at the name. “Yeah. My four-year-old. Full of questions and energy.”

He grinned. “Sounds like a handful.”

“He is. But he’s the best thing in my life.”

Tank looked at me like he was trying to figure something out. “You got help? Family?”

I nodded my head. “Diamond and my mom mostly. Some people drifted after Tucker came along. Others weren’t really around to begin with.”

He didn’t say anything for a second. Then, quietly, “That’s tough.”

I nodded. “Yeah. But we get by.” My mom and Diamond were my lifesavers. I also had Diamond’s family, who loved me like I was one of them, but Diamond and my mom were there constantly.

He leaned back in the chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “I’ve never stuck around anywhere long enough to have anything like that.”

“Family?”

“No, I mean—not anything that made me want to stick around.”

My heart skipped, just once.

We fell into a comfortable silence after that, broken only by the occasional customer. When the clock struck eight, I spotted Bonnie’s car pulling in. Drew’s beat-up truck followed right behind it.

I stood and stretched. “Guess that’s my cue.”

Tank stood, too. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Bonnie and Drew waved as they came in, both of them side-eyeing Tank with barely hidden curiosity. I grabbed my bag from the office and met him at the door.

The morning sun was just beginning to warm the air as we walked across the lot. I stopped at my car with my keys already in hand.

“Thanks for helping tonight,” I said. “Made things a lot easier.”

He looked down at me, and there was something unreadable in his expression. “I’ll check in on you tonight. See if you’re working alone.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. So I just smiled.

“Have a good day, mama,” he said.

I got into my car and closed the door. I watched as he stepped back, but his eyes were still on me.

I pulled out of the lot, and I let myself wonder, just for a second, what it would be like if he stuck around.

Then I shook my head. I couldn’t afford to fall for a wanderer.

Tank would just break my heart and move on to the next town.

Chapter Eight

---