can sell all of that and get us enough money to start a new life.” I know of a shop across the border from Nevada that Grill has mentioned. It’s a dirty shop where they won’t ask questions. He sold lots to them over the years. If I can just get there, I can give River and myself a fighting chance at a new start.
But that means I need to get moving, fast, before Grill catches up to me.
My phone rings as I am paying. The number tells me it’s the garage, the shop where my car is getting work done.
“Hey, is this Calico?”
“It’s me,” I answer, pulling out two twenties to pay for breakfast.
“Hi, this is Dice. I’m the one who picked you up. Anyways, wanna come to the shop? We have an estimate ready for you.”
“Is the car ready?” I ask.
“Nearly,” he says. “Do you need a ride?”
“No, I’m fine. We will be there soon.”
I hang up feeling flustered. River notices. “What did they say?” he asks. “Do they know about the guns?”
“No,” I say, brushing him off, but scared that he hit the nail on the head. “The car is almost ready. Let’s get a taxi and get over there.”
But after trying the cab company the waitress mentioned for twenty minutes with no luck, and trying a car service from the apps on my phone without any bites, I call the garage back.
“Hey, Dice,” I say. “It’s Calico. We just spoke—”
“It’s Conley, actually.”
“Oh,” I hesitate. “Right. Well, um, can we get a ride? I can’t find a taxi. We’re at the diner, River and me, and if you could come, that would be awesome. I mean, if you can’t, I totally understand…”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he says without any niceties. As I’m hanging up, River gives me a quizzical look. “What?”
“Nothing,” he says. “You just sounded weird then, on the phone.”
“I’m not being weird,” I say defensively. “I’m being—”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“River!” We’re standing outside the diner with our bags on our shoulders, the sun high in the blue sky.
He laughs. “You so like him.”
“Stop it. It’s not like that. He’s not my type. And besides, isn’t this weird to talk to your mom about?”
River smiles. “You’re the one always telling me to open up. Sorry. I didn’t know it was one-sided.”
I groan, knowing he is right. “Whatever. It doesn’t even matter. Conley is not my type.”
“You think he’s like Dad?” River asks, holding my gaze. Since when did my son get so direct? It’s like he really is my boy.
I shrug. “Look, right now, all I care about is getting you far away from the biker lifestyle. It’s why we split town in the first place. I don’t want you to grow up like those guys. I want you to be a good man, River.”
He nods as Conley’s SUV pulls into the parking lot. “Conley is nothing like Dad.”
I frown. “You hardly know him. How can you be so certain?”
“Because Conley just showed up when he said he would. He paid for our dinner, and he wanted to make sure you felt safe at the motel last night. Dad… he would never have done any of that.”
“That breaks my heart, River. You deserve a better dad than that.”
“Yeah?” River says. “Well, you deserve a better man than that.”
Conley parks a few feet from us, opening his car door to help us with our bags. River and I share a knowing look. Conley opens my door, helps me. A gentleman. Not like River’s dad at all.
Yet… still, the Heartlands is an MC. Which means danger.
And all I want is to get away from that, for River’s sake.
“You guys sleep okay?” Conley asks when we are back on the road toward the garage.
“I slept great,” River says, grinning. “I love it here. Think you could take me on a bike ride later?”
I look over my shoulder at my son, glaring. He thinks he is so funny.
“Not sure you mom would be okay with that,” Conley says, looking at me.
“I most certainly would not.”
Conley shrugs. “Sorry, River. Your mom’s the boss. But I can introduce you to someone when we get to the shop. You might like her.”
I scoff. “Are you seriously trying to set my fourteen-year-old up with some club sweet tart?”
Conley clutches the wheel, staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What? God, Cali, no. I was talking about him meeting a dog. We have a dog who had puppies last week.