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Chapter 1

Sheds New Light

Mickayla

Three months ago…

Anger and dismay shot through my veins at the sight of Tundra on his Harley when he passed my tiny Corolla. We were rambling along a dirt lane, and I saw how the back tire of his bike fishtailed. My mind filled with the knowledge that he was going to ream me out about doing something unsafe, when him riding like that was equally unsafe.

I cared way too much about this man to see him break his leg (or worse) by wiping out on his motorcycle.

Thirty yards ahead, he angled his bike perpendicular to the dirt drive, forcing me to stop.

I slammed the shifter into park, unbuckled my seat belt, and stormed out of my car.

A gust of wind whipped my hair forward, and conveniently carried my voice, too. “Why are you following me? And what are you doing? You could have wiped out just now!”

He stood with his arms crossed and a fierce glower on his beautiful face. “That’d be one more problem you caused today.”

“It would not. I didn’t encourage you to go off-roading on your Harley.”

“You, Ivy, and Alexandra don’t belong here. Turn your ass around and take them home. Now.”

Hearing him order me about amped up my temper.

I took in a calming breath. It failed. “Too late, Tundra. We’re here now. The rest of the plan won’t take but five, maybe ten minutes. Once you move.”

“No. You’ve wasted enough of my time with your shit.”

My shit?

“Really? I’m so sorry. Be on your way then.” I tossed my arm out toward his bike.

He leaned forward. “I don’t have time to handle the shit a wayward, wild child pulls.”

The heavy emphasis on child made my blood run cold. Did he actually see me that way?

I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll admit to being wild on occasion, but I’m not wayward, and I’m definitely not a child.”

His brown eyes widened and his lips quirked with skepticism. “Only a child needs to bring her friends along when she meddles in business that’s being handled by adults. That’s what makes this wayward.”

That cold blood made its way back to my heart.

At least things were clear. I was on a one-way street with this man. It sucked having my eyes forced open. He came to the bar and like a good bartender, I let him unload his problems about his woman. A woman who didn’t make him happy even though they were living together. Over the past couple weeks, I thought things were shifting between us. The conversations felt more like banter, bordering on flirtation.

But no. The truth came out, and I was deluding myself.

Tundra looked beyond me, shaking his head. “Get back in that car, ladies.”

Thank God, Ivy and Alexandra were down with my plan.

I glanced over my shoulder at them, then turned a scowl back on Tundra. “It won’t take that long. Help us or don’t, but we’re doing this.”

He crossed his arms on his burly chest and scowled down at me. His scowl was far better than mine and it only served to make me angrier.

I stalked away from him knowing I had to cozy up to my new reality. It was time to freeze him out.

The dinner rush was in full swing at On a Lark, the bar and grill where I worked. I distributed the dishes my customers had ordered and tucked my tray under my arm. “Can I get you anything else?”