Bourbon Blaze Read online

  “Why?”

  “Neil’s been having some issues. I think it’s PTSD, Phil’s been keeping an eye on him.” Sean remembered Curt still had a lot of friends in the military community. One phone call could yield results. It was nice to have friends who understood.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” Curt asked.

  “Not at the moment, thanks for the offer. If I think he needs some intervention, I’ll let you know.”

  “Fair enough.” Curt looked at him in concern. “Thanks for coming in. I’ve got a new painter waiting impatiently to get started. You’re the first on my backlog list. Let me go get them so you can discuss your design.

  “Is the guy any good? Have you seen their work?”

  “I have. The red and orange Harley in the parking lot is theirs. Here’s their portfolio.” Curt pushed a folder toward Sean, before excusing himself to go in the back. He didn’t find Sophia in her office. He grinned from ear to ear as he went into the shop.

  “Swanson!” Curt yelled and chortled when Sophia popped up from beneath a bike she had been working on.

  “What!”

  “Come here a minute, have a potential client for you.”

  “Painting?”

  “Yep.”

  “Woohoo! Sorry guys.” Sophia yelled to the other men as she grabbed a rag, to wipe her hands as she hurried toward Curt. He held up his hand to stop her questions.

  “Client has been asking for a year for me to detail his Harley. I’ve had to put him off, being only one person. You know I have a waiting list. Sean is the first one on it. I contacted him on your first day here. I told him if he wanted it done this year, to come to see you. He’s in the front office.”

  “Thanks. Do you know if he knows what he wants?”

  “He does, he came to me a year ago, with his design. He just needed me to take the time to sit down to discuss it with him. I saw he had a folder with him. He was looking at your portfolio when I came to get you.”

  “Cool.” She nodded and paused long enough to wash her hands, telling Curt she’d be right in.

  Sean nodded to Curt when he left to get the painter. He started going through the portfolio in front of him, amazed at the details in the designs. He looked when Curt returned. Sean barely noticed Curt standing there. His eyes were glued to the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen standing next to Curt.

  4

  Sophia stumbled, then stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of the man who stood on the other side of the counter. From the corner of her eye, she saw Curt frown at her. She braced herself before going forward again. She held out her hand, silently sighing in relief when it didn’t shake. She locked her knees, preventing them from trembling.

  “Sophia.” Her mouth was dry, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Sean smirked, held out his hand and took hers when she offered it. He thought he recognized the woman from a few days ago. She had the same creamy skin and bright blue eyes the woman from the rest stop had. He never forgot a face. He’d been wondering about her for the last few days. He’d even lost some sleep thinking about her. He had come up with different scenarios about why she had been afraid of Kilo. She had said she’d freaked because Kilo had scared her. Sean thought it went deeper than that. It made him wonder how badly she’d been attacked in the past. If she denied being assaulted, Sean was going to call bullshit. He would make it his job to get her to tell him what happened. He tabled his thoughts and shook the offered hand. A tingling shock, shot up his arm, straight to his cock. Son of a bitch, Sean thought, subtly shifting his stance to make room for himself in his jeans. Thank god he was on the other side of the counter.

  “Sean.” He shook her hand quickly then dropped it.

  “What can I do for you?”

  Sean noticed Curt had ducked out of the front reception area, leaving them alone.

  Sean gave himself a mental slap, placing the file he held on the counter. “I own a Harley. If you want to see it, it’s outside. I’ve wanted a custom paint job for a while. By the time I finally came up with the design I wanted, Curt put me on a waiting list.”

  “How long?”

  “For?”

  “How long have you been on the waiting list?”

  “A year.”

  “Wow, that’s a long time. Now that I’m here, I’ll be helping him with his list.”

  “Thank you.”

  “First, show me what you have, then I’ll want to see your bike.” Sophia kept it professional, putting her sketchpad on the counter. She opened the folder he passed her. The first thing she did was smirk. With tongue in cheek, she looked at him from beneath her lashes.

  “Can’t draw?”

  “Nope.” Sean smiled self-consciously. She looked at the photos from the internet, reading the notes he’d made in the margins. Sean couldn’t draw a straight line without a ruler, there was no way in hell he could have drawn the skull motif he wanted. As Sophia continued to look at the images he said. “If I can get what I want, I’d like to turn the paint job into a tattoo.”

  Sophia whipped her head up. “Really?”

  “Yes, I hadn’t told Curt this, I think it’d be fitting to get a tattoo to match my bike. Whoever designed the image for the bike would have to draw up the same image for the tattoo artist.”

  “Wouldn’t be a problem.” Sophia looked at him in awe. “Can I see the bike?”

  “Sure.” Together, they went outside. Sophia paused.

  “I’ll be right back.” She turned, hurried back inside, came out less than a minute later, grinning, holding up a camera. Sophia snapped pictures of his bike, pulled a tape measure to get the measurements of the tank.

  “Where else do you want images? The paperwork you showed me had the gas tank.”

  “Front and back fender, oil pan cover, and the battery box. I want to go all out. Don’t worry about cost, I’ve got the funds.”

  Sophia nodded and continued taking the pictures and measurements. Several minutes later, she looked up. “What about the original paint.”

  “What about it?”

  “Your bike is black now, to give the images you want justice, we’re going to need to repaint the whole bike. Do you want to keep it black?”

  “Hell, I never thought of it.”

  “Let me do some mock-ups, play with colors. If you give me a few days I can get back to you.”

  “I can do that.” Sean agreed. They went back in inside, but Sophia ran back out and took a couple more pictures.

  “I’ll draw something up and contact you. Can I have your number?”

  “Thought you’d never ask.” Sean pulled one of his business cards. He winced when she attached it to the folder without looking at it. He held out his hand. As they shook, there was still a shock racing up his arm. This time, Sophia gave a small, startled gasp and jerked her hand away.

  “I’ll call you.” She gathered the papers before she hurried away. Sean leaned over the counter and watched her ass as she walked away from him. Once Sophia disappeared through a door halfway down the hall, Sean sighed, adjusted his jeans to fit better, then exited the building. Wanting to clear his head, he mounted his bike, taking a long ride home.

  Sophia went to her office to get started. She rubbed her hands together and laughed in excitement. Now, she could get to work. She sat in her new chair and rolled over to a table. She turned on the light and took a few moments to place her pens and pencils exactly how she liked them. Picking up her favorite pen, the outside world began to dim until it disappeared. It was only Sophia and her paper.

  Curt came out of his office, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d been bent over his design table for the last few hours, which left his neck stiff. Curt checked out the back repair shop, making sure the employees had picked up after themselves before leaving for the day. Back in the office he smiled when he saw Sophia was bent over her own design table.

  Curt didn’t want to scare Sophia. He knew how engrossed he could get while designing
, so he figured Sophia was the same way. Knocking on the doorframe, Curt snickered when Sophia jumped, with a small shriek. She whipped around with her hand over her chest.

  “Curt, god, you scared me.”

  “I knocked to get your attention before barging in on you. It’s two o’clock, we close at noon on Saturday. The guys have left already. I’m heading out. It’s quitting time, I think you should head out too.”

  “I should.” Sophia stood, stretched, and gathered the sketches to put away.

  “Mind if I see what you’ve come up with?”

  “Would you be upset if I said no?”

  Curt held up his hands. “Not at all. I understand.” They walked out together. Sophia strapped her things onto her bike when Curt dropped a bombshell on her.

  “I think you should take Monday off.”

  “What? I haven’t even been here for a week yet! I haven’t earned any time off. Why does it feel like I’m being punished?”

  “Not at all. There are three car dealerships in the opposite direction from the way you travel. They’re open until five today. I figured you’d want to check them out. I’m suggesting you take Monday off to contact your insurance company in Florida. Go to the DMV to register a new vehicle. If you get done early, come into work. Take time to find a bank or a new insurance company here. Get your life organized, I have a feeling you’re going to be doing a lot of work soon. With the hours we work, all the stuff you’re going to need to do is open while we’re working. Take the time I’m offering now to get everything organized. One thing you’ll learn is that HALO-Iowa is busier in the winter months. Once the snow hits, people want to get their bikes done over the winter. Whether it’s the engine, or a new paint job. That’s why I’ve been so busy. I’m only one person.”

  “I’m normally not this scatterbrained.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You’ve been through a lot in the last few months. Take your time, go slow. You’ll settle in. I thought you should get a winter vehicle secured. They’re calling for colder weather starting next week. With lots of rain. Next weekend begins a lot of haunted hayrides around here. There’s a three-day harvest festival on the other side of town.”

  “Oh, wow. I’ll call Susan to let her know I’ll be home late. I’ll go check out some cars now.”

  “Good luck.” Curt walked over to his own truck. Before he left he saw Sophia sitting on her bike, with her phone to her ear. He nodded, satisfied. Sophia seemed to be settling in. Feeling he’d done his big brother duty for the day Curt started his truck to head home. He had a wife, five kids, two goofy, too big for their paws, dogs, along with several small farm animals waiting for him.

  Sophia pulled her motorcycle into the first used car lot she came to, parked, dismounted and walked around to view the ten available cars. With nothing speaking to her, she continued to the next one. She didn’t like the vibe from the second place, so Sophia drove around the lot, before driving to the next.

  The third lot Sophia stopped at clicked for her. Dismounting from her motorcycle, she started forward. She was met by a man who hurried out the front door. At the other two lots, she’d been there for several minutes, no one had come out to talk to her.

  “Welcome, can I help you find something?” The man called out, he stuck out his hand as he approached. “Jerry Smith, salesman.”

  “Hello, Jerry Smith, salesman.” Sophia laughed because of the way Jerry said his name, it sounded like one word. “I’m looking for something I can drive in the winter.” She pointed to the bike. “I don’t think that’s going to cut it.”

  Jerry shook his head and laughed, “Yeah, I don’t think so either. I want you to know that I’m not your typical salesman. I won’t push you. I’m here to guide you.” When Sophia snorted, he chuckled. “I’ll ask you questions, point you in the right direction. What are you looking for? Car, truck, SUV, goat, ox, mule, horse”

  Sophia snorted another laugh. “Something I can handle in the snow? I’ve lived in Florida my whole life. I’ve never driven in the snow. I’m looking for something to keep me warm and dry while driving down the road. I don’t think a goat, ox, mule, or horse will do the trick.” Sophia said.

  “Now my next question, new or used?”

  “Let’s look at your used selection first.”

  “Wait right here, I’ll go get the cart.” He didn’t wait for Sophia to answer before he jogged away. Minutes later, he was back with a golf cart. “Hop in, these vehicles in front are the new ones delivered a few days ago. We moved our older vehicles to the back lot.”

  “Oh.” Sophia nodded, as she got in the cart. They drove through the lot to a line of cars in the back.

  “These two rows are cars, the next four are SUVs, then the pick-up trucks.”

  “Where are the goats and the other animals?” Sophia deadpanned.

  Jerry laughed. “The local farmer leased them to clean up his pasture.”

  “Sounds good.” Sophia smirked. She had him stop. She then walked over to an SUV.

  “Most of the vehicles here are four-wheel drive. Some SUVs are all-wheel.” He said when she gave him the stink-eye. “It’s a powertrain thing.”

  She walked around one vehicle that caught her eye. “What is this?”

  “A Buick Enclave, get in.” He opened the door for her before going to the other side to sit in the passenger seat. He pointed out all the features the car had. In the end, he said, “This has all-wheel drive, it’s not four-wheel drive.”

  “Is there a difference?” Sophia asked. After working with men for so many years, she tried to be as independent as possible. She worried if she asked for help, they would think less of her. Still, it would be nice to have someone she trusted to talk to about buying a new car. She listened to Jerry, he told her to check out other vehicles while he went back to the office to pick up the keys. Sophia found two other cars that peaked her interest. She kept circling back to the first car she’d sat in.

  Hours later, Sophia walked into Susan’s house, stunned by what she’d just done. She still had to call her insurance company first thing Monday morning. At home she changed into comfy clothes, Sophia joined her cousin in the kitchen, where supper was being put on the table. During dinner, Sophia told Susan and Connor about the day she had. From getting her first client to buying a new to her car.

  Monday morning Sophia hung up her phone in frustration. She looked at Connor, not expecting an answer, she demanded. “Why the hell can’t I get anyone on the phone?”

  “What time do they open?”

  “Eight, everyone I call has a recording that they open at eight. It’s not a holiday, is it?”

  “No, who are you calling?”

  “My insurance agent in Florida.”

  “Oh.” Connor smiled as he put two slices of bread in the toaster. “They’re an hour ahead of us.”

  “Crap, we’re in a different time zone, aren’t we?”

  “Yep, it’s quarter after six here, but quarter after seven there. We are in Central Standard Time. Florida is in Eastern Standard Time.”

  “Well, that sucks.” Sophia sighed. Connor laughed at her expression. They ended up having breakfast together. Connor wished her luck before he left for school. He was the last one to be picked up on his route.

  To be sure Connor was right, Sophia waited until nine-thirty her time. Thirty minutes later, she hung up with a sigh. Thank goodness Jerry had given her the fax number to his dealership. She had her insurance company fax everything to him. Jerry said he would go to the DMV to get the paperwork done. Before she left for work, Sophia called Jerry to watch for the insurance cards. She knew it would be hours before he had everything done. But he told her he’d received them and to meet him at the DMV. Before leaving, Sophia went out to her camper in the garage to grab some paperwork. She didn’t know what she was going to need to get her license changed over to the state of Iowa. Grabbing everything, she put it in her saddlebag, went up to her room to grab her emergency bank card.

&nbs
p; Two people stood in front of them at the DMV. Jerry talked her through the forms she needed to fill out. With his help, Sophia registered the new car in her name. She filled out the application for a new driver’s license. Jerry left her, saying he had to go back to work. Sophia took the test, didn’t know if she was surprised she’d passed or not. Especially after not having read any book on the traffic laws of Iowa. Before she’d left, she did a little happy dance. She would soon own a brand new state of Iowa driver’s license.

  Sophia left the DMV with a smile on her face. On her way to work, she saw a bank. Making a quick decision, she pulled in. An hour later, she came out of the bank in possession of a new bank account.

  Sophia headed into work. Everything Curt had suggested she take the time to do, was complete. Feeling better, she nodded, happy with her accomplishments that day. She’d had an idea in the middle of the night regarding Sean’s design. Sophia was chomping at the bit to get into the office to work on it.

  5

  “Hello.” Sean answered his phone breathlessly. He had been outside wrestling with Kilo in the back yard. He had a few hours before he had to go into work, so he decided to burn their excess energy.

  “Sean Kilduff, please.” A female voice asked. The sound of her voice caused his cock to rise in desire. Sean recognized the voice, adjusted himself, he closed his eyes, and imagined Sophia.

  “Speaking.”

  “Oh, hi, this is Sophia Swanson, from HALO Customs.”

  “Hello, Sophia, how can I help you?”

  “I have some designs drawn up for you to see. I want to see if you like them so far or need me to go in a different direction? I can’t go any further until I get your input.”

  Sean looked at his watch, did some figuring in his head. “I can be there in a little over an hour. My shift starts at three, so I can stop by on my way to work. Will you need me to bring the bike?”

  “Not until you approve the design. I’ll be waiting for you.”