“One night, I went to a bar. Was too young to even be in there, but the bouncer knew my dad and let me in. I was standing at the bar, nursing a beer because I didn’t have money for another one. I didn’t want to go home, walking through the door with my mom watching me as if I was going to miraculously solve all our problems. A woman took a seat next to me and offered to buy me a beer. We sat there, drinking for a while, before she asked me how much I charged. I didn’t know what the fuck she was asking. When I asked, she made plain what she wanted and offered me a couple hundred bucks. Needless to say, I took her up on the offer.
“The bar was also a strip club. For a fee, they rented rooms where the performers could give private dances, among other things, for a cut of the profits. The woman rented a room, and after the bouncer vouched for me that I wasn’t a cop, I came to an agreement with the owner. I made enough to pay my mom’s medical bills off in four months. In six, I had my high school diploma. A year later, I moved my family into a bigger house and told my mom not to worry about going back to work.”
Jewell didn’t know whether to feel sorry for him or admire his tenacity at providing for his family.
“Do you ever regret your decision?”
“Not once. I can’t regret taking the pressure off my mom, making it possible for my brothers and sister to live the type of life my dad had given to us before he died. My brothers went on to college; one’s a lawyer, the other is working on becoming a dentist. My sister is working on her education degree.”
“How about your mother?”
“Learning how to make pottery. It keeps her busy.”
“Still could have not worked out for you, if the bouncer had sent you away. The bouncer could have …”
“Done what? I was a nineteen-year-old high school dropout, working part-time as dishwasher in a nursing home and full-time in a factory. None of it made a dent in the massive amount of bills my mom had. The only reason we didn’t end up homeless was because of Henry. Once a month, he would stop by to visit after Dad died, send us out to his car to pack the groceries that he would bring for us, and before he left, give Mom enough money to pay rent. After Mom was mugged, Henry would come by the hospital to check if we needed anything. When I started making money, I tried to pay him back, but he wouldn’t take it. I’ll never be able to pay him back for what he’s done for my family.”
The swaying back and forth of the windshield wipers distracted Jewell from what Rory was saying as the sleet fell faster.
Leaning forward in her seat, she tried to gage how bad the roads were becoming. “Shouldn’t you slow down?”
“The roads have been salted, and the temp hasn’t dropped enough that they will freeze. I’ve already dropped my speed, so I’m not going that fast.”
Staring out the window, Jewell could see snow falling in the headlights.
“Lean back. If I have to use my brakes, you’re going to have a busted noggin.”
She didn’t lean back, concentrating on the road ahead. A warm hand linked with hers, tugging her back.
“I thought you said you weren’t nervous.”
His secure hold of her hand didn’t deflect from the anxiousness she was feeling as the watery ice hit the pavement of the road.
“You should keep both hands on the wheel.”
Jerking her hand away, she continued to watch the water hit the windshield. She hated to drive at night and never did if there was any report of sleet.
Her anxiousness didn’t subside, with both of Rory’s hands on the steering wheel.
“Would you feel more comfortable if you drove?”
“No!” Jewell took a deep breath. “Sorry, the weather report didn’t say it was going to sleet,” she explained.
Rory gave her a questioning glance. “No one likes driving in bad weather. If I feel the road is getting slick, I’ll pull over.”
Jewell felt her tension increasing when the ice started falling faster. Her breathing escalated until her lungs started burning with the strain. A telltale sensation in her stomach had her plant hands on the dashboard to prevent herself from flinging the car door open.
“Stop the car!” she screamed. “I’m going to throw up.”
Rory put the blinkers on and began slowly edging off the road. Jewell barely let the SUV come to a stop before she jerked the door open and took off running into the darkness.
“Jewell?”
She didn’t stop the headlong rush from the side of road until she felt crunchy snow beneath her boots. Dropping to her knees, she began vomiting, losing her dinner, and her pride, when she heard The Last Riders pull up behind Rory’s vehicle.