Chapter Two

Coyote

Callie and I headed to our local building supply store. I was low-key excited to be finally opening an auto repair shop of my own in town. I'd been working at our club's auto repair shop for almost three years and learned everything I needed to know about car repairs and the business side. My club brothers worked hard to beat all that information into my head, and now I was going to put it to good use. The Slayer's shop did repairs for the brothers' vehicles, so by branching out I wouldn't be taking any custom from them.

I took the van we normally carried parts in because I wanted to load up on flooring for the waiting and office area of my new shop. The thing is, I didn't know one fucking thing in the entire world about interior design. But, luckily for me, my sister did, and she had agreed to help me pick out paint and flooring.

I glanced over and saw that she'd created a design notebook. It was kind of like a smash book but filled with notes and swatches to help her pull together a professional look for my new business.

I shifted gears and picked up some speed. "What ya got there, sis?"

"Everything we need to get your business looking shipshape," she responded happily. "I've been thinking that your company colors should be dark blue and black."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Different colors evoke different emotions. For example, green makes people think of money, red denotes danger, and blue makes people feel trust."

"And the black?"

"Because it adds an air of formality to your business. You want a business card that visually reminds them you're a professional and they can trust you with their expensive automobiles."

"That makes sense," I admitted, never having given any thought to such things.

"Dark walls are too oppressive in small spaces, like your waiting area, so we'll go with a lighter blue and put a navy and black stripe around the walls, kind of like race cars have." Glancing up at me, she added, "The racing stripes are in keeping with the car theme."

"That's actually a brilliant idea, all of it. You've really thought this through, haven't you."

"Well, yeah, I want to do my part to make sure your new business gets off the ground. It's what sisters do."

"Are you sure Breaker is okay with you spending so much time on this?"

She froze in place for a brief second and slowly turned her head to look at me. "Of course he is. In addition to being my brother, you're a patched member of the Dark Slayers MC. Brothers support brothers. You know that."

"Alright. You acted really weird just now when I asked you about it."

"Nonsense. You're the one acting weird."

I shot her an amused look. "I recognize deflection when I see it."

Callie snapped her notebook closed, reached into her purse, and pulled out a flyer. "Have you decided how you're going to launch your grand opening?"

My eyebrows shot up. "Grand opening? It's a fucking auto repair shop. People come when their vehicles need to be fixed. I don't think I need a grand opening."

"You do. Trust me on this." Something about the inflection of her voice and way she was looking at me intently like this was the most critical decision I would ever make about my new business, put me on high alert.

"There's a company nearby that specializes in grand openings. They're called Effortless Events and they're based in Patterdale."

I opened my mouth to object, but she cut me off. "I came across this flyer and looked them up. They've successfully helped to launch several local businesses. They even do weddings."

I was bewildered as to why she was trying to micromanage every detail of my business. "Look, are you trying to turn my new business into some kind of partnership? If so, I'd be up for something like that."

Her mouth dropped open and she was shaking her head before I even finished the sentence. "Oh no, I don't want to actually work in your business. I want to develop a portfolio of my design work to drum up commercial interior design work."

"What about trying to get me to launch a grand opening?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh, about that," she said lightly. "I did a little research and discovered that companies that do a hard launch earn about twenty-five percent more during their first year of operation. You're going into business to make money, right?"

I nodded, warming up to her idea.

"You can save fifty percent off your first order of five hundred dollars or more if you sign up for a business account. It's a good idea and it might earn you thousands off for each dollar you spend."

Rubbing my chin, I somehow doubted that, but a grand opening was sounding better and better. While I was thinking it over, Callie opened her book back up, and started flipping through it. "I found the perfect chairs on sale at one of the discount warehouse clubs."

She held up the open notebook, displaying some dark blue chairs. They look like normal chairs to me, nothing special about them at all. When I didn't respond, she made a disgruntled sound in the back of her throat.

"They're dark blue with black legs." Slamming the book down on her lap, she grumbled, "You're absolutely clueless."

I scrambled to make this right because she's my sister and I care about her. "Look, sis. I can be a clueless dumbass when it comes to grand openings and office furniture, but I never intended to hurt your feelings. I love that you're smarter about these things than me. I'll help you build the perfect project portfolio, and you can help me make a nice office. How about that?"

Her expression slowly went from frustrated to relaxed. Then there was just a hint of cunning. "I'll take it, as long as you promise to use the fifty percent off flyer for a grand opening." As if adding an afterthought, she said, "Remember, it's only good for Monday through Friday during regular business hours."

"Alright, I promise."

I didn't know if I'd actually go there but I probably would, just because it seemed important to her and was a good deal for me.

I glanced over to find her staring at me. Before I could ask what was swirling around in that brain of hers, she asked, "Have you been seeing anyone serious lately?"

My hand gripped the steering wheel. "What the hell, Callie. Why are you suddenly crawling around in my personal life?"

"Stop avoiding the question and answer it," she shot back firmly.

"It's none of your fucking business. Don't bring it up again."

"You're still hung up on Bethany Marks, aren't you?"

I cursed under my breath. "Leave it alone, for God's sake."

"But—"

"But nothing, Callie. You know all about what happened. You were there. She fucking walked out on me and ghosted me. I never found out what I did to piss her off. There's no closure, just a big fucking gaping wound where my heart used to be."

"What if you had a do over?"

I pulled into the parking lot of the building supply store and turned off the ignition. "What's this about, sis?"

"It's about you going for years with no woman at your side because you can't get over the one who broke you."

I rested both my wrists on the steering wheel. I could see the keys in my right hand trembling because I was so angry.

"Look, bro. You refuse to talk to a therapist, refuse to start dating again and you refuse to talk about it. Keeping all that hurt and anger trapped inside isn't healthy."

"I'm not going to jump into relationships with women I don't even like, just to set your mind at ease."

"Do you ever intend to put yourself out there again?"

I crammed my keys in my pocket and turned to look my sister in the eye. "It's really nice that you have Breaker. He's a solid club brother and I've always looked up to him. But you need to understand that not everyone is cut out for relationships." Slapping my chest with one hand, I say, "Maybe I'm one of those men who's better off not having relationships if I can't even figure out what I did to scare off the only woman I every truly loved."

She was relentless, this sister of mine. "Answer my original question. If you had a do over with Bethany, would you take it, or tuck your tail between your legs and run? Would you take a chance on love or protect your heart?"

"Goddamn, you're brutal today, sis."

She raised one eyebrow and I guessed she was waiting for me to answer her fucking question.

"I honestly don't know. I wasn't enough for her before. Nothing has changed at my end, so it stands to reason I wouldn't be enough for her today. If she walked into the clubhouse and climbed into my lap, I can't say for sure what I'd do."

"Alright, that's at least an honest answer." She took the flyer in her hand and waved it at my chest. "I'm doing everything I can to help you have a better life. Don't hate me for it."

I swallowed thickly and jerked my chin towards the front door of the store. "I won't. Now, let's get our happy asses in there and get some supplies."

My sister's dark expression brightened, and I folded the flyer in two and put it over my visor for safe keeping.

***

We shopped our asses off, getting everything on Callie's list. I dropped her off at her place and then made a run to my new premises and unloaded my supplies. Standing there in my own business, looking around at all the work that needed to be done, I felt like I'd finally made something of myself.

But there was still that gaping hole that Bethany left behind when she abandoned me. No matter what I tried, nothing ever filled it. I tried drinking, club whores, gambling, shooting pool and long, lonely rides on my bike down the coastline. Nothing helped. I was clearly destined to feel her loss forever.

Bethany was my everything that mattered, right up until she wasn't. The part that hurt so fucking much was that she didn't tell me why. She didn't talk to me or give me a chance to make it better. I thought she loved me, but she couldn't have felt the same way about me that I did her, because she walked out on me and never looked back.

I decided to save the painting for another day and locked up. When I climbed into the van, the visor fell open a crack when I shut the door. That damned flyer fell out and landed on my lap. I picked it up and read it over. The offer was just like my sister said it was. Fifty percent off for opening a new account. Sighing, I stuffed the flyer in my vest and started the van. I had about enough time to ride out to Effortless Events and see if they could help me with getting the word out about my new business. The idea of making twenty-five percent more money in the first year was too tempting to pass up. Having the fifty percent off flyer made it a no brainer.

All I did during the drive was angst about Bethany and her long, dark, soft hair. Bethany and her pretty brown eyes. Bethany and how beautiful she looked when I made her come. I was both tormented and delighted with those memories. Everything about the idea of her walking back into our clubhouse was bittersweet.

I cursed my sister for bringing up Bethany's name. It had taken me three and a half years to stop thinking of her night and day, to stop hoping every incoming call was her reaching out to me, and for every woman's touch to stop reminding me of her. I knew all the way down to my bones that nothing and no one would ever replace Bethany in my life. I was destined to suffer forever. Now she only visited me in my dreams when I laid my head down to rest.