“So, you’re a nurse?”
“No, I never sat for my boards.”
“Did you and your parents …?”
“My dad still refuses to speak to me. I talk to my mother maybe every six months to talk about the weather.” Jewell pulled on another thread.
“That’s so fucked up.”
“Welcome to my life.” Jewell pointed at the turn-off to Dustin and Greer’s house. “Just follow the road.”
“Why didn’t you sit for your boards?”
“After Michael died, my dream of being a pediatric nurse was gone. How could I help parents deal with their children’s sicknesses when I was jealous because my son was gone? All I wanted to do was sleep …”
Dustin and Greer came into view.
“You can park here. We park too close, and Greer will come out to make sure we don’t scratch his truck or his wife’s Jeep.”
Rory parked, but left the motor running. “What did you do then?”
“What is this? A tell-all?”
“Just tell me … please?”
“Why does it matter?” She waved a hand at herself. “I’m here, no worse for wear.”
“Stop. Tell me.” Unbuckling his seat belt, he turned in his seat.
“Nothing much. Basically, Arin and her family took me in. My father found out and fired her father for letting me live there, so I packed up and left in an old Civic that Arin’s father gave me. I started living out of my car, doing odd jobs long enough to earn gas money, then left. I was parked and living in a shopping center when Reaper found me. When he got out of the service, he heard about Michael’s death from his father. He went searching for and found me. Reaper dragged me to Ohio, rented an apartment for me, and forced me to get out of bed every morning by giving me a job at the club where he could keep an eye on me.”
“That’s how you became a Last Rider?”
Jewell gave him an angry glare at his condemning tone. “Don’t you dare think they took advantage of my grief to make me a club whore. Viper and Reaper both refused to let me become a member. They even fired me when I wouldn’t stop bugging them, so I parked my car in the parking lot and refused to leave. Finally, they told me if I went back to school and found some way I could benefit the club, he would let me become a member.
“I got my degree in Business, and the day I got my diploma in the mail, I went to the club and shoved it in Viper’s face. The Last Riders didn’t make me into a club whore; they saved my fucking life. The night Reaper found me, I was barely ninety pounds and suffering from hypothermia. Viper, Reaper, and Evie monitored every bite I took until I gained thirty fucking pounds. They did and still care about me more than my parents ever did.”
Barking had them looking toward the house as a dog came barreling out when Dustin walked out to look toward them.
“He must be wondering what is taking so long.” Jewell clicked her seat belt off. Then she jerkily got out of the SUV.
Dustin looked at them questioningly as they approached him on the porch.
“Saw you pull up. Just wanted to make sure you hadn’t changed your mind about talking to Logan.” His penetrating gaze caught hers. “It’s okay if you have.”
“No, I want to talk to him. Rory and I just got caught up in a conversation. I’m sorry I kept you waiting. I should have called myself instead of asking Rachel if it’s okay if I talk to him. I won’t if you don’t want me to.”
“I was going to ask you to before Rachel called. Logan …” Dustin ran a hand through his hair, as if confused as to what to say. “He’s …”
“Scared he saw a ghost.” Jewell put the unthinkable out there.
“Pretty much.” Dustin gave a relieved nod. “It’s never happened to him before, and he’s spooked it will happen again if he leaves the house.”
“Where’s he at?”
“You mind if I bring him outside to talk so …”
“See if any ghosts are hanging around?”
“No, so Greer won’t butt in. Jessie is keeping him corralled so he won’t come out and bug you about repaying what you did for Ema.”
Jewell wanted to pull her hair out. “Your family doesn’t owe me. Can you please tell them that?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” Frustrated, Jewell stomped her foot.
“Because we do. Don’t worry; it’s a simple fix. Just get a couple of speeding tickets, and Greer will lay off. Better yet”—Dustin cast a vengeful glance toward his house—“go to King’s and order the most expensive dinner on the menu and refuse to pay the bill. King will call the cops, and Greer will pay the bill to keep from arresting you. It’s a win-win situation.”