For the Love of Dixie (Kings of Chaos 3)

“She missed you, too,” Echo says.

I look at him and smile. I can’t hold onto the anger I once felt—I’m not that petty—but I can’t forget the utter desolation either. Direct it toward the man who deserves it…Mouth. It’s so cut and dry and logical in my mind, but the heart never forgets that type of injury and for so long, Echo had been the one I held the blame on. “Where are we going?” I ask.

“Wherever you want.”

I shrug.

“I got a place,” he says as he climbs onto his steel steed.

I climb on behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. I want to lean my face against his cut and remember what it was to feel protected once more, but I resist the urge. I’m used to being on my own and taking care of myself. Since I left, I traveled, held my own job, got my own place, and dated around. I had a semi-serious relationship for a couple of years with a handsome man named Chris, but nothing came close to the passionate connection I had with this man.

The engine roars

to life, and the vibration makes me moan. He pulls away from the curb, and I can’t help but appreciate the fact that we’re no longer sneaking around. It made me feel a bit like a dirty secret, all the hiding and coordinating. What had once been exciting grew old fast.

In a world where claim and marks mean everything, I felt like a sidepiece. Then he’d popped the question and silenced all my doubts and fears. In thirty three years, no man had ever made me feel the way Echo did. Could I afford to pass up on this opportunity? The resounding answer was no. We hit the open road, and the nostalgia bitch slapped me into loosening up. I let out a whoop, and I hear his voice join mine.

Ten minutes later, we pull into the parking lot of one of my favorite places in San Mateo, and I melt. The Japanese Tea Garden was a peaceful haven that always provided an escape. “You remembered.”

“Impossible to forget as much time as we spent here. Last place we’d ever see anyone we knew who’d care we were together,” Echo says.

“And you don’t care that this will put you at odds with your family? Your father and your brother.”

“What you don’t understand is, it already did. The minute he badmouthed you and cornered me, something in our relationship broke. I could never see him the same, and I felt sorry for my brother, following along behind him blindly. I’m not shocked he’s doing time. He could never think for himself. That made him vulnerable to getting caught.”

It’s weird seeing him be so cold and callus toward his own bloodline. “But you love them.”

“Love and like are two completely different things. Come on, I don’t want to waste any more of our time talking about them.” He climbs off and holds out his hand.

I take it and know I’ve already made my mind up about us.

Echo

I rode with no particular destination in mind. The miles add up, and the sun begins to sink in the horizon. The needle drifts toward E, so I pull off on a highway exit and stop at the first gas station as I see. I pull in front of the pump and cut the engine. I glance down at my watch, and I’m shocked to see we’ve been driving for about four hours. I turn to face her. “How are you doing, D’Rose? You need a break?”

“Be nice to get something to eat,” she replies almost tentatively.

I want to know what’s going on inside that pretty head of hers. I lean forward and twist a soft curl around my finger.

Her lips quirk up. “Old habits die hard?” she asks.

“Happy you’re not slapping me for it. I didn’t dare try before,” I say honestly.

She glances away, and the awkwardness comes back.

I release the strand and step back. “I’ll fill up, and go check around for a place to bunk down for the night.”

“Sounds perfect.”

I climb off, fill up, and walk into the store, perusing the area. It’s a small town. A man nods at me, and I reciprocate the gesture. People are friendly here, Dixie Rose should be fine. It’s a habit to back the bike in so I have an exit, scan the area and know who’s around me. I walk inside the store and move toward the register where an older woman with a salt and pepper bun, flannel T-shirt, and friendly smile stands.

“I’m on pump two,” I say.

“Forty bucks, son.”

“Ma'am, can you tell me if there are any places to stay around here?” I ask, pulling out my wallet and handing over my credit card.

“Well, there’s a lovely bed and breakfast about two miles up. It’s the only thing we have here really. But it gets lots of attention. It’s one of those theme hotels, real popular with the newlyweds and couples looking to get away, if you know what I mean.”