The thought of seeing Crockett again was like a punch to the gut.
I’d been trying to stay away, but the woman kept being thrust into my face around every corner.
It was getting harder and harder to fight the feelings that I was starting to have for her.
“Sure, I’ll be there,” I said. “I’m a sucker for her food.”
And I was. The damn hamburgers I kept consuming were likely to clog my arteries. But having something that tasted so good and seeing something that was as beautiful as Crockett every time I went in there? That was irresistible.
“K. When I hear more, I’ll let you know.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t hesitate to call me when it comes to that little girl and her mom. I feel terrible for denying her the help she obviously needs.”
I thought about someone I knew that helped with that sort of thing and decided to make a phone call of my own.
I would get her the information and anonymously drop it off to her when her husband wasn’t around.
There was an organization called Free that made it their mission to help women and children in predicaments like this.
“I might have a few ideas of my own,” I admitted. “I’ll see what I can accomplish.”
• • •
Two nights later, I was in even less of a good mood.
Why was I in such a bad fucking mood?
Because, when I got to the impromptu party that was being thrown, I immediately sighted in on Crockett and found her talking to Laric.
Laric who was a good friend, and had become a great one, over the course of the last six months that I’d been out of jail.
He was a club brother, part of the Souls Chapel Revenants MC, and I wanted to kick his motherfucking ass the moment that I walked into Crockett’s store and found him so close to Crockett.
“Easy there,” Murphy said upon reading my expression. “You look a little murderous.”
I reluctantly pulled my eyes away from the scene in front of me and focused on Murphy.
Murphy who, might I add, looked a little rough around the edges today.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked him.
Murphy huffed out a laugh. “That fuckin’ son of mine.”
I closed the door on the happy scene inside and leaned my hip against the porch railing that rounded the front of the store, then waited for him to explain.
“Come on, old man,” I urged. “It’s not like you’ve hesitated in telling me your other life stories.”
Murphy pressed his hand against his belly and laughed.
It did wonders for his face.
“Have a seat,” he suggested. “It might take a while.”
My brows rose. “I’m perfectly comfortable right here. I don’t have bad hips like you yet.”
Murphy kicked his feet up on a pallet that was in front of his chair, then leaned back until his arms were above his head.
“My son came into the store today while we were in lunch rush,” he said. “He thought it would be a good idea to ‘come see his child’ while she was too busy to interact. That would ease his worry that he wasn’t giving her any attention that his wife could get mad about later, and he could say he ‘did his part’ on seeing his girl.”
I frowned.
“Crockett’s brother and sister give him shit all the time because of how my son never comes to see her or has anything to do with her,” Murphy said. “The way he did it today got them off his back for a while, didn’t piss off his wife, and allowed him to ‘show his face’ to Crockett. Letting her know he ‘cares.’”
I stretched my neck to one side and popped the bones in my neck, followed shortly by the other side.
“What, exactly, is his deal?” I asked. “Why is he the way he is?”
“The new wife.” He shrugged. “I don’t really know, to be honest. He wasn’t like this when he was married to Crockett’s mother. He was kind and attentive. Caring and compassionate. The only thing that changed was that he remarried.”
“Why is it just Crockett, though?” I asked. “I mean, there aren’t any reasons for this. And from what she’s told me, as well as you, they don’t get the same treatment. What is it about Crockett that spawns this kind of anger?”
“Melody is…” He paused. “Melody had a daughter that looked a whole lot like Crockett, from what I’ve gathered. She’s a real ‘peach’ according to my son. Melody doesn’t talk about her much, but yeah, that’s all I got. It has to be the daughter. But in the process of hating his daughter, she started hating on a young girl that’s the sweetest, most loving person you’ll ever meet.”
Before I could open my mouth and reply to anything more that he had to say, a car pulled up, and my heart rate started to race.