1. Marko

Chapter 1

Marko

“ I s that a guy with a peacock?”

Maybe someone switched my coffee to decaf and my brain isn’t fully online yet, but my lone employee, Curtis, confirms.

“Yep, that’s Heath.”

“The peacock or the guy?”

“The guy. I don’t know if you name birds. Do they even come when called?”

Sipping my coffee, I stare as the man enters the Screaming Bean coffee shop across the street with the bird following behind him. He exits shortly with a coffee and a… cup for the bird.

“What does he get the bird from a coffee shop?”

Curtis shrugs and walks back to his station. “I don’t know. A double-double? Do birds even like coffee?”

Watching this guy and his fucking peacock, an actual peacock, have coffee together at 9 A.M. on Main Street captivates me more than it should. Why do I even care if the bird has a name?

“Who is this guy, anyway? This Heath dude.” I call over my shoulder.

“He works at the Broken Horn Ranch.” Curtis’s voice carries down the hall from his tattoo station. “It’s an animal rescue and they do a lot of community stuff. I think he handles the petting zoo.” A cupboard slams and a string of curses follows from Curtis. He probably forgot he left it open and just smashed his head… again. “No, I’m positive he does a petting zoo thing. I remember the pig.”

My attention remains on the colourful duo outside as the bird ducks its head into the cup, spilling it, and I snort. Water, of course. If the guy actually had coffee with a peacock daily, I’d seriously have to reconsider my move to this dot on the map town. And I’d likely need stronger coffee. There’s weird and then there’s coffee with a peacock kind of weird.

My first client isn’t due for another thirty minutes, so I drain my mug and turn away from the scene outside to review the notes I took from our phone consultation. I never thought my random sketches and doodles would ever turn into a lucrative business, but here we are. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

Turns out all that daydreaming and drawing as a kid came in handy. Which is kind of funny when I remember my dad always telling me art wouldn’t pay. Well, neither did breaking the rules of the Security Commission, Dad.

“Hello?”

Putting my sketch pad aside, I turn to the front of my shop to greet the voice. A smiling man waves and I offer a hand in greeting.

“You must be Jacob. I’m Marko. Nice to meet you.”

His grip is firm for his slight build, and he nods.

“Yes! I’m so happy you opened a shop here. You’ll love it. It’s a great town. Have you met any members of the business owner’s association yet? ”

Jacob babbles as I lead him to my station, a sure sign of nerves for a first-timer getting ink done.

“I haven’t yet, no. I’m not really a people person.”

Mostly because I’m tired of people ghosting me once they find out who my father is. I’ll take the solitude of the open road and my bike any day. Less judgment that way.

“Oh, that’s a shame. We’re a great bunch, and once a month, we meet socially—usually at the brewery. It has the most space, and the food is amazing.” He shifts from foot to foot and looks around the small area. Jacob’s wide eyes try to take it all in, but his gaze stops on the chair in the center of the room.

“Have a seat, Jacob.”

I point to the chair, and Jacob swallows before seating himself and continues the nonstop chatter.

“I don’t know if there’s anyone local who could source supplies for you. I don’t know very much about tattoos.”

With my sketchbook on my lap, I roll my stool over to face him.

“What is it you want to know?”

He chews at his lip and looks away, a flop of brown hair falling across his forehead and the lightest pink spreads on his cheeks.

“Um… okay, don’t get mad.”

My good mood sinks. Not this bullshit again. My instant like of Jacob dissolves. Why do people waste my time on appointments when they have no intention of ever getting a tattoo?

“Listen, Jacob, you seem like a nice guy, but this is a business, and you should do research before taking up my time if you’re not serious about it.”

His eyes widen as he waves his hands. It’s like jazz hands after too many Red Bull .

“No, no.” He blurts. Colour drains from his face as he rushes on. “It’s not like that! I want a tattoo eventually, but I wanted to meet you first and invite you to the business owner’s social.”

Oh. Well, now I feel like an ass for snapping at him.

“What?”

“Listen, Marko, you haven’t been here long and I’ll be honest. People talk. They think you’re kind of scary and you never get your business involved with the community. They think you’re a nefarious businessman doing crimes instead of tattoos.” He laughs with a nervous trill and his gaze meets mine. “I was on the committee to approve your business licence. I think you’re a good guy, and I want to extend the hospitality that Bloomburg is known for.”

Running a hand down my face, I gaze at the ceiling.

Small town is great, they said.

People keep to themselves, they said.

All of it lies.

“You could’ve just come in and dropped off a pamphlet or something.”

He grins as he shakes his head. “I could’ve. That’s true. But it’s harder to turn down an in-person invite.”

A smile tilts my lips without permission and I laugh softly.

“You’re good at this. And you’re right. Give me the info and I’ll be there.” If he went through the trouble of booking an appointment to invite me to a meeting the least I could do is accept.

He pulls a folded-up paper from his pocket and hands it to me.

“It’s this Saturday at the Tilt-A-Whirl Brewery. I put my number on there in case you don’t want to go alone. I could drive you.” He rushes on. “Or not! I just want you to meet the other business owners and know we’re a friendly bunch who look out for each other.”

Could this guy be any more wholesome? I’d be an asshole to turn down any of it and as much as I keep to myself, maybe this once, I could try to make friends.

“Thank you. I’ll be there, but I’ll drive myself if that’s okay.”

He nods, eyes glowing like he just had the best news ever.

“Totally okay.” He gestures to the sketch pad. “But I want a tattoo. I just wanted to meet with you and see everything to make sure I can handle it. It’s my first time.”

His ears turn red as he presses his lips together and I chuckle despite my earlier urge to just get him out the door.

“I love ink virgins, and I’ll do my best to set your mind at ease. But first, let me show you what I’ve sketched based on your description over the phone, and we’ll go from there.”

Jacob fills the hour with conversation about the tattoo he envisions, and together we work on a sketch he’s happy with. A surprise for his husband, he said, and the simple statement makes me all gooey. He speaks of him with such reverence and love it brings back that ache I’ve buried for years.

“He sounds like a great guy, and he’s lucky to have you. How did you two meet?”

I add the changes to the sketch and when he doesn’t answer my question, I look up to find him with tomato red cheeks. “If it’s an embarrassing story, don’t tell me, Jacob. I was just trying to get a feel about how you met.”

“Um, it’s no longer embarrassing. Much. Not really.” He clears his throat as he sets his shoulders. “But, ah…I picked him up at a bar, and it was supposed to be an anonymous thing, but it turns out he found me.”

I bark a laugh. “No shit? That’s a cool story. How did he find you?”

Jacob chuckles and runs a hand down his face as he relaxes again.

“By accident. He was my brother’s teammate. My brother used to play in the NHL. He’s retired now, but he was huge then. Matts joined his team, and I had no clue who he was.” He laughs softly and spins the wedding ring on his finger with a shy smile. “Sometimes things just happen like they were meant to, you know?”

I don’t know, but I pretend I do.

“That’s so romantic. I love how he found you like that. I hope your brother didn’t give you the gears about it.”

Jacob sighs, lost in his memories, but also far more comfortable here now than when he first arrived. We might have got off on the wrong foot, but I think I could get along with a guy like Jacob.

“At first, he did. But it’s all good. One big happy family, as they say.”

My smile fades as I refocus on the sketch. Happy family isn’t something I can relate to. “Cool. Anyway, what do you think about this? It’s still rough, but I could add some of what you just told me in there to make it more unique and next time we meet, if you like it, I can start the outline.”

Jacob smiles down at the paper. “Wow. I love this so far! Definitely what I’ve been thinking about.” He clears his throat. “Ah, when I actually have it done, can I have a friend here? For moral support? I want to do this, but I’m actually kind of scared.”

“Absolutely. People ask for friends to join them all that time. ”

Jacob nods in relief as he puffs out a small breath. After he rises from the chair, I walk him out. He pauses outside Curtis’s area and listens to the buzzing of the tattoo gun. “I can do this,” he says softly, and again, his open vulnerability and genuine warmth are so endearing I can’t help but to look forward to our next meeting. Sometimes I like people and Jacob seems to be easy to like.

“I’ll see you at the meeting then, Jacob.”

“Please call me Jake. And I’ll see you Saturday!”

With a wave, he exits my shop, and my next client enters, leaving me no time to over think Saturday.

***

The Tilt-A-Whirl isn’t that far out of town. Sure, there are farm fields and dirt roads, but it’s just inside the town limits and easy to find. And it’s a fucking gem of a place.

Easing my Harley Classic along the packed dirt, I manoeuvre the bike into a parking spot near the building’s entrance. After removing my helmet, I run a hand through my hair and glance around the property. Rustic signs for walking paths and a community garden bring a smile to my face. I’ll need to come back and check that out. I’ve always wanted a vegetable patch, but living in the city never gave me a yard to do it.

Entering the brewery, the din of boisterous voices greets me along with the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat. A small merchandise area is directly in front of the entrance, selling their beer in cans and branded items like T-shirts that say, ‘ I got tipsy at the Tilt-A-Whirl .’

When I turn towards the dining area, Jacob waves as he walks over.

“Marko! Hi! I’m so happy you came!”

“Well, you said I couldn’t turn down an in-person invite, remember?”

“Heh, I did. Come on and meet the few of us that came out tonight.”

He points to an empty chair, and I shrug out of my leather jacket while Jake points and introduces everyone. “This is Colby, Dom, Owen, and this beautiful creature is my husband, Matts.” He kisses the attractive blonde man on the cheek and takes the seat next to him. “Everyone, this is Marko and he’s the owner of the new tattoo studio, Dark Horse.”

The man next to me, Owen, gestures at my jacket.

“So, you ride a bike? How do you find it on the country roads?”

Reaching for the beer menu, I shrug. “It’s not horrible. I’ve definitely seen worse out there.”

“Bikes are babe magnets,” Dom offers as he leans across the table with an outstretched hand. I accept it with a laugh. “My man wants me to get a bike, but I’ve not been on one since I was a teenager. I don’t even know if I could still drive one.”

Dom’s eyes crinkle at the edges when he smiles and I grin back, pleased to find another bike lover in the small group. Even if he no longer rides, the understanding of what it’s like to own the open road is there and nice to share with someone .

“Oh, you should! I bet you could still drive just fine. There’s nothing like a growling beast between your thighs as you drive down the highway. It’s amazing.”

“That’s what Matts says whenever we take a road trip,” Jake says with a snort.

“Oh, you have a bike too?” I didn’t peg Jacob as the type to ride a bike. He comes across as more of a minivan-driving-the-speed-limit kind of guy.

Matts sighs and shakes his head. “No. He’s talking about road head, and I can’t believe he just said that. Did Zane put something in your Coke tonight?”

The friends all laugh and tease the pair, and I allow myself to feel like I’m part of this group. Jacob seems to have more layers than I thought, and I’m grateful for the invitation now that I’m here. Laughing along with the friendly crew, my smile feels real for the first time in forever. For many reasons, I’ve never had a close friend group, but I came here to start fresh. That should include making new friends.

“So, what’s good to drink here? Is the stuff on tap passable or the usual draft I’ll be pissing out in an hour?”

“It’s all good,” Matts offers and the others snicker.

“I feel like I’m missing a joke.”

Owen elbows me. “Matts is one of the owners here, FYI.”

“Owen!” Jake laughs.

“What? The poor guy doesn’t need to be embarrassed. He just got here.”

More guffaws and ribbing go around, and Owen leans closer.

“They’re a good bunch, but the jokes get old. My favourite is the apple pale ale if you’d like a suggestion.”

The server stops by and I order what Owen suggested while Jake speaks briefly about the business association and his role. Of course, I agree to join. It has no downside and while I’ve only just met these men, I feel a strong sense of loyalty here that any business can benefit from. Friendship might be a side effect. One I’m not opposed to.

Owen is the quietest of the group. With his tight black T-shirt stretched across his chest and muscled arms, he’s also a little intimidating. But I’m covered in tattoos and drive a motorcycle. I know it could just be a facade with him, too.

“So, what business is yours in town?” I sip at the beer he recommended. “This is good, by the way. Thanks for telling me.”

He nods, a wordless ‘ you’re welcome ,’ and I instantly just like the guy.

“I own the Screaming Bean. You’ve been in a few times, I hear.”

“No kidding? I stop by almost every day. I don’t know where you get your coffee beans, but your vanilla bean latte and mocha coffee are amazing. And those sugar cookies? I’ve never tasted a cookie that good.”

Owen smiles, genuinely appreciating my words.

“Thank you.” He clinks his glass to mine. “The cookies are my husband’s. He owns the Crumb and Cake Bakery, but still provides the Bean with desserts.”

“Still?”

Owen smirks with a wink. “He used to work for me.”

“Small towns.” I laugh as I shake my head. “I gotta get used to all this being in people’s business. And speaking of… what’s with the guy and the peacock every morning?”

If anyone can give me details on the pair, it would be this group .

Owen’s laugh booms and the table shifts focus back to us.

“Colby! Switch places with me. He just asked about the guy and the peacock.” He says that with air quotes, and Colby, another very attractive blonde man—what is it with this town?—switches seats and Colby plops down beside me.

“Let me tell you about Heath.”