The Winter of Regrets (11 page)

J
o flat-out refused to talk to her doctor about her behavior, but cooled her temper down. Nailz saw an improvement in her attitude. Even Katri was behaving.
Maybe
, he thought,
all she needed was some help and a friend
. Having the Regan’s talk to her had helped somewhat, except Kima wasn’t speaking to her mother over all of the bullshit. Jean seemed more worried about Jo than Kima, and it bothered Nailz a lot.

He ground out the cigarette he was smoking and looked at the trees he just cleared for his heavy duty equipment yard. The smell of the pine and cedar trees filled the air as he looked at the uprooted trees. He felt a tinge of sadness thinking how Hunter would have hated this. He needed to make money and had a business to pass on. It was all starting to come together. He imagined a future for his sons in this business. He sure as hell hoped Jo wasn’t going to have a daughter. His relationship with Tears had gone down the drain, and he hadn’t tried to contact her despite Jo telling him to go over and tell Thorn he was sorry for hitting him. Tramp advised that he leave it be, and he wanted his colors back as soon as possible. He felt incomplete not having them, and it bothered him more than he was telling anyone. Veiko tried to talk Thorn into coming back, but Thorn refused, and V had given up. Nailz took his name off the will and there had been no problem in doing so.

He scuffed the dirt with his work boot and watched as the workers repaired the gas station, the cottages, and cleaned Anya’s property. They had left a nice break of trees so that in the summer you wouldn’t see much of his yard, but now in the late fall, he could see over there easily. They made a lot of noise yelling back and forth and dropping ladders, which annoyed him greatly.

“Penny for your thoughts, Nailz.”

Jersey had snuck up on him. He grinned at him and moved in for a hug. He and Veiko stopped around regularly, but Thrash had not come near him.

“What’s up, Jerz? You don’t look too happy. Got something ya wanna share?” Nailz wondered why Jersey had a long face on. “We can sit on a log and you can tell me if I can help.”

They moved over to a log Nailz had laid there just for that purpose. Jersey lit up a joint and passed it to Nailz, who took a long hit off of it before exhaling.

“I guess what Jo doesn’t know won’t get you in trouble, huh?” Jersey grinned wider.

Nailz frowned, eyebrows almost touching. “I ain’t pussy-whipped, bro. She’s having some issues, but I’m still in my house. I do what I want, and if I wanna smoke a joint, I do—just not where she can see it. I don’t want to give her anything to bitch about. Now what’s up with you? Everything okay with the club?”

“Club’s fine. Not quite the same without you, but nothing much is going on. Thrash is still pissed. Elena won’t talk to him. You knew Hunter and Elena pretty well, didn’t you?” He glanced at Nailz questioningly.

“Yeah, I did. Elena was so young and, damn, she stayed true to Hunter until he tossed her. I get why he did—not wanting her to have to care for a dying man while she was pregnant. Elena and I were always friends until I hit her. I still can’t believe I did that. That’s gonna haunt me forever.” He passed the joint to Jersey, his face turning red.

Jersey took a hit, held it and let it out. “I want to buy this horse, Moon Glow. Joy owns some of it, but Elena wants to sell it to improve the farm. I could easily give them money for that, but neither will take it. I want to buy Elena’s share and give it to my Joyful. Hell, maybe it would work better than an engagement ring. I don’t know how to ask Elena about it as she has a few interested buyers. She’s mad at the club, but she talks to me. How would I go about talking her into keeping the horse? Joy says she’s hell-bent on selling it.” Jersey pulled some bark off the log.

“Whoa, a biker buying his ol’ lady a racehorse? I take it that’s what this Moon Glow is. You got the bucks for that?” Nailz was impressed.

“Yeah, I do. Joy says the stud fees will be good and she believes in the horse. I hate to see her upset. Face it, we don’t need those two fighting. There’s too much of that going around now, isn’t there? I heard Kima refuses to speak to Jo and none of the other chicks will, either.”

Nailz dug his boot into the dirt as he spoke. “Well, Jo did some mean things to her. When Kima came home to the Lodge after she had the accident with V and lost the baby, Jo never visited her. I should have gone myself. Then all the shit with Rabid happened. Kima just took it all in and never let on that she was hurt. They were friends for so long that I didn’t think it mattered, and she never said a word about the Regan’s adopting Jo. I thought everything was good, but maybe nobody asked Kima how she felt, I dunno.” He rolled his neck, getting the kinks out of it. “Jo’s treated Kima pretty shitty lately, jealous over the aunt not giving her anything.”

“That’s fucked up, man. I tried to warn Kima that night but there was little I could do. I hate thinking about how Veiko looked the night I told him Rabid had Kima. I figured everyone was past all of that. Joy doesn’t much care for Jo, but my Joyful doesn’t have a use for anyone who’s scared of horses. Don’t know if they’ll ever work it out. Now, how do I deal with Elena?” Jersey was totally serious about buying this horse.

Nailz thought about it. “I don’t know why you are even asking me. Go over and just tell her Joy wants to keep the horse and that you wanna buy it. Mention the stud fees. If Elena believes in the horse, why wouldn’t she sell the horse to you?”

Jersey snorted. “I think she hates bikers right now. She already had lunch with one buyer and didn’t think he’d give the horse a good home. I don’t want the horse. I want
Joy
to own it, or even buy more shares. All I want is Joyful back to her happy self and not moping.”

They both stared off into space for a few minutes before Jersey rose up off the log. “Guess it’s worth a try. All she can do is tell me no. Thrash been around yet? I figure he’s coming, Nailz, and he can since you’re out right now.”

“Not yet,” said Nailz. “I hope he doesn’t. Shit like this has happened before. I feel awful for hitting Elena. I’d never hurt her and she knows that. Thrash should think about that too. It won’t get her to be with him. She needs time to heal from Hunter’s death and not have him up her ass all the time. Just so you know, Jerz, if he comes at me, I am hitting back.” Nailz was serious and his voice was hard.

“Didn’t expect ya not to defend yourself. They’re taking bets on who wins. Watch your back, Nailz.” With those parting words of advice, Jersey got up and left.

Nailz sat on the log and wondered when Thrash would make his move. He, too, was well aware it was coming. It would be here, not at his house, and it would be just the two of them. As he stood up, he adjusted the thick chain belt he was wearing with the quick release clip. He wasn’t going down without some swings of that chain. His ribs still hurt like hell.

J
ersey pulled up to Elena’s house and saw her talking to a buyer down by Moon Glow’s paddock. He watched her shake her head no and the man walking dejectedly back to his car. Elena leaned over the fence and stroked the horse’s velvety nose.

She heard Jersey quietly come up beside her. He was as good-looking as ever—hair a bit longer in the braid Joy loved and his beard, scruffy. He was still a charming and handsome biker.

“Another one bite the dust?” he inquired.

“I didn’t like the man,” she answered with a smile. “The one before him, he brought a rider, and I refused to let him use a whip on Moon. What a fucking asshole. Argued with me, too! I wish there was some way to keep him. Joy is all mopey and bitchy. We need repairs and I don’t see any other way.” She fished a sugar cube out of her pocket and fed it to the horse.

Jersey finally saw an opening. “I’ve told you I’d help, but since you both say no, why don’t you sell me some shares and I’ll give them to Joy?”

Elena turned and looked at him. “You want to buy this horse for her?”

Jersey reached over and petted the horse. “Better than giving her a ring, don’t you think? I don’t mean I want to get married right away, but someday—”

“She would want the ring,” insisted Elena. She thought long and hard about it. “I will do this, though. I’ll enter into a three-way partnership. That way, it’ll show Joy you’re here for the long term. How does that sound? We can do it through a lawyer. Joy should be happy with that and we’ll benefit from this horse. She’s right; this horse is going places. At Christmas, if I were you, I’d give her a ring. I’ve seen her looking in Sea Jewels’ windows.”

Jerz felt like Elena had handed him the moon. However, he needed to talk to her a bit more.

“I saw Nailz today. He’s off the will and feels like shit for hitting you.” He wondered if she’d get angry with him for bringing up Nailz’ name.

Elena turned to look at him. “I know he didn’t mean to hit me. I stopped talking to Thrash, because he said he was going to get Nailz back for hitting me. I asked him to let it go and he just won’t.” She sighed. “I’ve been hit before—and a lot worse. I’ve been kicked in the face by a horse and that hurt like hell. I’m not mad at Nailz.” She smirked. “Jo, however, is another story. Tell Nailz he can stop by, just leave Jo home. I’ve found a few things of Hunter’s I want to see if he wants. I’m not happy with the club, but Nailz … I’ve known him a long time. Shit happens.”

“Shit happens,” he agreed.

She rubbed her cheek, studying his face. She could feel the excitement oozing out of him. “You can tell Joy the news,” she finally said. “I noticed she goes up to your house whenever a buyer comes around.”

She laughed quietly as Jersey headed for his truck and raced home.

Looking at Moon Glow, she fetched another sugar cube out of her pocket and let him lick it right off the palm of her hand. “It took him long enough, didn’t it, Moon? I was getting worried you were going to really get sold.” With a quick pat on his nose, she was off to her house. Now, all she had to do was try to think of how she could stop Thrash from hitting Nailz and making everything worse. She was still mad at Bound for Hell MC, but she knew better than to jump in a drunk biker’s face. It happened in the heat of the moment and now it was a fucking mess.

J
ersey flew into the house yelling Joy’s name. She slowly came out of the bedroom. It was clear that she’d been crying.

“Did she sell Moon this time?” she asked with a sniffle.

“Yup, she did,” he said proudly, “but I think you’ll be pleased with the owners. How about we
all
own shares of Moon Glow? She offered me that when I tried to buy him for you.”