Cora and Haven wouldn’t even live in Maryland if that weren’t true.
“Why would someone just abandon a dog?” Sam said, scowling.
“What kinds of dogs are they?” Slider asked, clearing his plate. “Did the lady tell you?”
“No,” Cora said, shaking her head. “But certain breeds get dumped more than others. Pretty much any shelter you look at online has more pit bull mixes for adoption than almost any other kind. It’s sad.” But hopefully, in helping to take care of the animals and maybe even helping them to find homes, Cora could make a difference. After all, she knew what it felt like not to be wanted, too. “I guess I’ll learn more once I’m there. For now, it looks like I’m going to volunteer on Mondays and Thursdays, if that’s okay. And maybe an occasional night, because the shelter has an emergency after-hours clinic. Does that sound okay?”
Slider nodded. “I think it’s important that you do this, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Cora ducked her chin and kinda lit up inside at how supportive they were all being.
After dinner, Slider cleared the table as she stowed the leftovers in containers. There was an odd intimacy to working with him in his kitchen this way, and it made Cora feel a little tingly inside.
“I gotta go,” Slider said, settling the last of the dishes in the sink. His hand fell on her arm.
“Okay?” she said, surprised at his touch. Save for the impromptu hug she’d given him in thanks for helping her buy a car—a hug he’d let her out of none too quickly—he hadn’t initiated touching her since she’d risen from his bed that morning.
“I just wanted to say that you doing this volunteering and talking about taking classes, I think you’re a good role model for my kids, Cora.”
Cora’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes pricked. Her breath caught in her throat. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, Slider.”
He tucked a blond curl behind her ear. “It’s just the truth.”
Then he was gone. And Cora wasn’t sure how she ever got so lucky as the day she was invited to be a part of this family, even if it was just temporary.
Chapter 12
Slider had promised himself all week that he’d finally do it, so when he woke up from sleeping on Saturday afternoon, he got dressed, grabbed a sandwich, and headed out back to his garage.
In the center of the space sat his motorcycle, covered by a tarp.
He pulled off the dusty drop cloth to reveal a 2009 Harley Softail Cross Bones. Man, he’d always loved this bike. And seeing Cora’s excitement at buying her first car reminded him of how fucking thrilled he’d been the day he’d bought this Harley.
His Cross Bones was one badass-looking ride, combining some vintage styling with the look of a stripped-down custom bobber. Gloss black finishes made it gleam, even in the dark, as did the bright chrome exhaust and mufflers. It had a rough-and-tumble attitude that had been a good match for his own personality, at least once upon a time. And it had a crossbones-and-skull graphic on the oil tank and the Raven Riders’ raven/dagger/skull logo on the gas tank.
It was a fucking piece of rolling art and some kick-ass engineering.
And it needed a ton of TLC.
Just one more thing Slider had neglected.
So he got to work making his baby roadworthy once again. He gave everything a once-over inspection—brakes, chain, fuel system, valves, air filter, fluid levels. Then he tuned her up until she sang and shined her up until she blazed.
“Looking good,” came a voice from the open doorway.
Talk about blazing.
Cora stood in the sunlight, her hair like a halo, her smile like the sun itself had been pulled from the sky. And it was all directed at him. He shouldn’t like that as much as he did. Nor should he like the way she looked with a pair of form-fitting jeans tucked into tall brown boots. But that shit was sexy as hell.
“Yeah?” he said, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. He didn’t mind the dirt, not when it was evidence that he worked hard on something he loved. And that hadn’t happened in a long damn time.
Tentatively, she stepped into his space and came around the other side of the bike. “I don’t know anything about motorcycles.”
“Ever ridden one?” he asked.
She shook her head, her expression full of admiration as she looked over his bike. “Never. Bet it’s awesome, though.” Her interest hit him nearly the same way her studying his body had. Heat stirred in his blood.
Slider debated, but the words sneaked out of his mouth before he’d fully thought them through. “Wanna ride with me?”
Her eyes went wide. “Now?”
“Scared?” he asked, making sure there was a playfulness to his tone—despite the fact that he really wanted her to say yes.