One That Came Back Read online

  Angela dissolved into a puddle of tears, and Emily took her into her arms.

  “I think… I’m pregnant,” Angela whispered.

  Emily stared at her younger sister. Angela never confided to Emily about how intimate she and Justin were. She just assumed her and Justin were messing around. They were practically married already. Yet here Angela was, shaking like she’d done something wrong.

  Of course, in the eyes of the church premarital sex was a sin, even if it was with your fiancé. But in this day and age? Emily figured it was nervousness from the wedding, the possible embarrassment, and what their parents would say.

  “Does Justin know?”

  “No!” whispered Angela. “I’m not even sure I am. I’m a few days late and just paranoid.”

  “Come on,” said Emily. “Let’s get you out of this dress and get out of here. Today’s not the day to dress shop. This needs to be special, not nerve wracking.”

  “But, Mom—”

  “She can wait to shop for your wedding dress. She’s not the one getting married. How about during the week when it isn’t so busy? It’s too crowded here to make such an important decision today.” She turned her sister around. “Let’s ditch Mom at home and you and I are hitting the drug store.”

  She helped her sister change and left the dress hanging in the change room.

  “Mom?” Emily took the reins and guided her sister toward the door. “We’re going.”

  “What?” Amanda Dougherty jumped up and followed the girls. “We really shouldn’t wait. Angela, sweetie, we’re on a tight schedule as it is.”

  “It’ll be fine, Mom.”

  “I don’t know how she expects to get married in the Fall. Six months is not enough time to plan a wedding.”

  “Mom,” said Emily as she walked her mother to her car and glanced at Angela, looking lost as she headed for the car she and Emily had driven in together to meet their mom at the bridal shop. “A few days won’t make any difference. Ang’s tired. She’s had a busy week, and just needs some rest.”

  “She’s not having second thoughts, is she?”

  “Of course not, Mom. You know she usually sleeps at this time of day.”

  “I suppose.”

  Emily gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be home for dinner later.”

  “Okay, Emily.” Her mother drew in a breath that spoke of her long suffering with her daughters.

  Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. “Bye, Mom!” she said cheerily. She turned and walked quickly to Angela’s car, where her sister sat bent over, head in her hands. It was unusual to see her sister looking so distraught. She felt bad for Angela. “Start the car, sis. Go find us a drug store.” She arched her eyebrows mischievously. “Maybe there’s a Vegas wedding in your future.”

  “Vegas! Oh no, I couldn’t.” Angela gripped the steering wheel.

  “I was only kidding.” She glanced at her sister. “Why not, though?”

  “I want to get married in the church. I want a beautiful white gown, flowers, flower girls, everything.” Angela looked ready to cry again.

  “You wanted Prince Charming and fairy castles. Count yourself lucky. You’ve got the Prince Charming. Others aren’t so lucky.”

  Angela cast a worried glance at Emily. “Oh, Em, I didn’t mean—oh, heck. You’ll find yours one day.”

  Emily turned her head and stared out of the window. “There are very few princes out there Angela, but I’m happy for you. Please don’t think for a moment I’m not.”

  “I know you are, Em.”

  “Hey,” said Emily, “don’t miss the entrance.” She pointed to a Walgreens they were passing.

  Angela turned sharply into the parking lot, nearly careening into the landscaping on the right. She jerked the wheel to the left to avoid hitting the bushes.

  “Whoa!” cried Emily and then started laughing.

  “Sorry,” said Angela. “I’m just so worried.”

  “If you aren't careful, neither one of us will have anything to worry about.” She grinned and winked at her sister. “You wait here and I’ll go grab a kit. Let me prove to you there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be right back.”

  Angela pulled into a spot in front of the store and Emily hurried in, picking up a shopping basket as she entered. She scanned the aisles quickly and found the feminine products section. She looked at the quantity of pregnancy tests and shook her head, trying to decide which one to get. Finally, she grabbed one that promised early detection. She was about to pull it off the shelf when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye.

  “Hey, Emily.”

  She knew that voice and whirled around in a panic. “You’re supposed to be staying away from me, Evan.” She glanced around, ready to run, and then anger took over her fear. She wasn’t going to be bullied by this asshole.

  “Those orders of protection don’t last forever. It expired yesterday, Emily.”

  “So what? Now you’re stalking me again?”

  Evan snorted. “I never stalked you. I can’t help it if the judge believed that garbage you told him.”

  Emily pulled her phone out of her purse. “I’m calling the cops right now. How about we see what they think?”

  Evan put his hand on hers. “Please don’t. I don’t want us to fight.”

  She wrenched her hand away and glared at him. “We’re past fighting. Leave me alone, Evan! If you haven’t figured it out, I want nothing to do with you.”

  Evan glanced over her shoulder to the shelves she stood in front of. “Pregnancy test?” He grinned wickedly as he shook his head and tutted. “What’s the family going to say?”

  “They know you’re an ass. Now leave me alone!” She pivoted and grabbed a pink box as she hurried away from her ex. She shook, but not from fear. It was rage. She was so angry. Why the hell would he confront her in the store? She definitely would have to get the order extended. Whatever it took. She hadn’t seen him in months and figured he’d finally moved on.

  At the cash register her hands shook when she took out her debit card. She barely paid attention to the price ringing up. It seemed higher than normal but she didn’t care. She just wanted the cashier to tell her the total and let her pay and get out of there.

  “You sure you need a combo pack, Ma’am?”

  “Pardon?” Emily stared at the girl, trying to figure out what she meant.

  “Most people only get one pack. Do you want to change it?”

  The cashier held up the box and Emily realized it had three pregnancy tests in it instead of one. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Evan heading toward the same check-out line she was in. “It’s fine. They’re not for me.”

  “Sure, Ma’am,” the cashier said with a knowing look that meant she clearly didn’t believe her.

  Wanting to get away as quickly as possible, Emily didn’t argue. She swiped the debit card, grabbed the bag and jogged back to Angela’s car. “Let’s go!” she said, slamming the door shut quickly.

  “What’s wrong?” Angela pulled the car into reverse. She still looked anxious but at least she hadn’t been crying.

  “Evan!” Emily hissed. “He came up to me in the store.”

  “What a jerk! Hold on. I’ll get us out of here.” Angela reversed then shoved the car into drive before peeling out of the drug store parking lot like her tires were on fire.

  “Was he following you?” Angela asked as she glanced out the rear view mirror.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think he’d wait for us at a bridal store. I haven’t seen him in months. I thought he’d moved on with his life.”

  Angela snorted. “The guy doesn’t have a life.”

  “I’ll have to renew the restraining order. Or whatever it is you have to do to get it extended. Apparently it expired yesterday.”

  “I’ll ask Justin. He’ll know.”

  They drove in silence the rest of the way to Angela’s house. Evan didn’t follow and Emily let herself relax. Maybe it had jus
t been a coincidence. A scary, freak coincidence.

  They headed inside and Emily sent her sister straight to the bathroom with a stick.

  “I don’t know if I can do this,” Angela said through the bathroom door. “What am I supposed to do? You have the box.”

  “It couldn’t be easier. Just pee on the end of the stick.”

  Angela became quiet, and a minute later Emily heard the toilet flush.

  “How long?” called Angela through the door a few minutes later.

  “The box says five minutes,” Emily replied.

  “This is the longest five minutes of my life. Nothing’s happening.”

  “Well, that’s a good sign.”

  “What if there’s something wrong with the test?” Angela opened the door and pointed to the stick on the sink. “I don’t think I did it right.”

  “We have two others if we need them.” Emily came in carrying the kit.

  “Emily, I really think something is wrong with the test. Nothing’s showing in the display window.”

  “Give it another minute, Ang.”

  Angela picked up the white stick and held it out to Emily. “Look, there’s only one faint line. It doesn’t even look like a line. Maybe it’s too early to test. Maybe one line means yes.” She grabbed the box from Emily and checked the side.

  “Pregnant would be two lines. So you aren’t if there’s only one.”

  Angela shook her head. “I don’t believe it. I think the sticks expired or something. Maybe it read wrong somehow.”

  “Here, gimme one. I’ll show you. I’ll do one myself. You’ll see the exact same result.” She unwrapped the test stick.

  “Not while I’m in here! Eww!” Angela rushed out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

  Emily laughed. “Like you’ve never seen me pee!”

  “Not since I was like five!”

  Laughing, she peed on the end of the stick for five seconds like the test said and waited. One line came up, a little darker than Angela’s but similar. She opened the door and showed Angela. “See, there is nothing wrong with the test.”

  Angela gingerly took the end of the stick that was clean. She looked at it and then at her sister. “Are you sure? Because there are two lines here.”

  “No, there isn’t.”

  “Look!”

  Emily took the stick back from her sister and stared it at. She couldn’t believe that second line would come out in the space of handing it to Angela.

  Angela started giggling. “Now are the sticks off?”

  “They must be.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the stick, except to check her watch. It had been less than two minutes and two lines?

  Angela pushed her out of the bathroom. “Let me try the third stick.”

  Emily stood outside the door staring at the stick. She’d always been irregular and never paid much attention, but how long ago had she seen Luke? Three months? She would have noticed something, right? The sticks had to be off.

  Angela came out with the stick. “Same line on mine. Like the other one.”

  “Oh shit.” Emily covered her mouth.

  “You didn’t know?” Angela looked partially relieved it wasn’t her. “Do you think you are? Have you noticed any symptoms?”

  “I don’t know. Sore boobs I guess. I just figured it’s because I’ve been sleeping on my back or that my period was coming. Not that bad though.”

  “What about puking?” Angela took the stick from Emily and shoved it in the box.

  “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe a little nauseous in the mornings but nothing like mom described. I just figured it was because I was upset about everything’s that happened.”

  “Do we need another kit?”

  Emily shook her head and sighed. “I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant. How I didn’t notice…” She sighed again, this time it came out shaky.

  “Is it Luke’s baby?”

  “Who else?”

  “Well, you and Evan…” Angela let the words hang in the air.

  “No!” spit Emily. “Evan and I never, ever went all the way. We argued about that. I guess I knew deep inside he wasn’t for me.”

  “What’re you going to do?”

  “Do? I have no idea.” She touched her belly. Could she really be carrying Luke’s baby? It couldn’t be true.

  “You have to tell him.”

  “No!”

  “He needs to know.”

  Emily wanted to cry. She trudged to Angela’s living room and dropped down in the first seat. “Luke made it quite clear he wanted nothing to do with me.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, Ang. Don’t tell Mom and Dad. Please?” She knew she sounded silly but she didn’t want anyone to know. She needed to absorb the information on her own.

  “You can’t do this on your own!” Angela pressed her lips tight. “That Luke Wade! He left you a mess in high school and now he’s gone and done it again. I’d like to give him a piece of my mind!”

  Emily tried not to smile, despite the seriousness of the situation. Her sister’s idea of a piece of her mind would be equivalent to having a gummy bear beat up a giant. “Don’t you even think about seeing Luke Wade!” Emily sighed. “I’ll take care of this myself.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You can’t do this on your own. Maybe adoption? You wouldn’t…” Angela’s eyes grew big at the thought of what she couldn’t say.

  “No!” Emily shook her head. “No, Ang. If I’m big enough to get myself into this situation, I’m adult enough to deal with the consequences.”

  “What would you do? Live with Mom and Dad? You couldn’t drive yourself to the hospital if you were in labor. What about—”

  “Geez, Angela! I need time to think. I can’t answer any of that now.” She sank against the back of the chair. Pregnant? How was she going to handle this? She had no job, no health insurance, and now, being pregnant, no one would want to hire her. And everything else? Baby furniture, clothes, diapers. Raising a kid was expensive! She buried her head in her hands. “I sure fucked up this time.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Neutral Ground

  Luke didn’t dislike George, but he got impatient with incompetence. The DEA sent George undercover because the man claimed he knew how to repair bikes. He must have meant bicycles. George had a shade tree mechanic’s understanding of motorcycle engines and could barely replace brake pads. Luke did his best to give him simple jobs, but the truth of it was that Luke’s reputation was built on his ability to repair high-performance bikes. Harley engines mandated a master’s level of knowledge. Gibs had known, Saks had the skills, and Pepper was learning it. But George didn’t, and would never be good. It was a problem. A big one.

  Luke grabbed his iPad off his desk.

  “Hey, George.” Luke tried to sound positive. “What’re you doing there?”

  “Well, the complaint is stalling and rough idle. I thought I’d change the spark plugs and see what happens.”

  Luke shook his head. “Most likely it’s the electronic fuel injection sensor.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because you can trust an electronic component to fail before a piece of hardware does. Those things are cranky even in Harleys. Leave it for Saks.”

  “But,” George said as Luke gave him a warning look. He wasn’t going to listen to George’s argument about being in first today.

  “Look.” Luke clenched his jaw before continuing, “I’ve no doubt you’re damn good at what you do, but this is my business and I can’t afford to fuck up anyone’s bike. Play the part of the eager intern all you want, but you aren’t handling the big stuff.”

  “I can do it.”

  Luke sighed, his patience wearing thin. “No, you can’t. There are guys who go to Harley College to learn how to do this work.” Not pomp-ass little police shits trying to ruin my life and my shop!

  “Harley College?”

  “They certify as H
arley mechanics through certain schools.”

  “Did you go to one of these schools?”

  He’d had enough. “Don’t you have a fuckin’ dossier on me to check that shit?” he snapped. “Of course I did. Did it through the G. I. Bill.”

  “I still can’t believe you served, man.”

  “Yeah, neither does the Navy.” He shoved his iPad toward George. “Go do the inventory.”

  “Again?”

  “Yeah, and each time I tell you. You missed five fuel injectors on the last one. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  George opened his mouth to argue, which was always a mistake, but shut it when the distinctive roar of several Harley engines rattled the open garage doors.

  Luke stepped to the entrance and nearly shit his pants. Four Rojos sat on various models and model years of Harleys, ranging from the eighties to the first decade of the millennium. The Rojos sat on their bikes poised in front of the entrance, letting their engines idle. The ominous rumbling of the bikes drew George to the entrance as well.

  “You the owner?” called out the foremost rider to Luke above the sound of the engines. The man was dark skinned and his face round. His unruly dark long hair held back by the Rojos trademark red bandana. He wore the standard Rojos uniform, denim cut, blue jeans and a white wife beater. His shoulders were hunched a bit, folding in the cut toward his chest so Luke couldn’t see the exact patches, but there were a number of wings, which did not testify to the man’s good character.

  “Yes.”

  “I hear you fix bikes.”

  “You could say that,” Luke said tersely. He stared down the man, wondering what the hell the Rojos were doing at his shop.

  “I’ve got an oil leak no one can find. I hear you’re the best.”

  “Yeah? You sure you want me to fix it?” Luke crossed his arms, careful not to sound angry. “I’m sure you’ve heard I’m not in good standing with your club.”

  “Yeah, I got that pendejo. But when it comes to my ride I don’t care what color yellow you are. If you can fix it, I’ll pay. So, let’s just say for today, your shop is neutral territory.”

  Luke looked away then turned back and slowly nodded. “Okay, man. But don’t fuck with me. My friends wouldn’t like that.”