Riven - Jerry B. Jenkins [144]
“Go, Brady. I’ll take the brunt of it.”
“I don’t like it,” he said.
“For me.”
“Here goes nothin’.”
Brady slowly cruised up the block and into the driveway, shutting down in front of one of the garage doors. Mr. North approached slowly, as if fearing Brady was armed. Brady couldn’t look at him.
“Hi, Daddy! Meet my new boyfriend. We were thinking of getting married tonight. Want to come?”
Brady looked up.
Mr. North, shaking, glared at his daughter. “You want me to call your parole officer, don’t you, Katie? You want to be back in that ankle bracelet. I could have you behind bars again inside ten minutes.”
“So you won’t give me away tonight?”
“Who’s this lowlife anyway? Whoever you are, I hope you know she’s just using you to push my buttons. You’re going to pay for my lawn and cleaning up my house.”
“Actually, you know him, Daddy. You met in another life. Remember Brady Darby?”
“Should I?”
“Think Conrad Birdie.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, you’ve come a long way from that failure. Didn’t Alex have to take the role because you bombed out or something? Nice to see you’ve grown up and made something of yourself.”
“Actually, sir, I need to tell you—”
“You need to tell me nothing. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave Katie here so I can drive her back to her car. And you’d better never so much as show your face here again, let alone that motorcycle.”
Brady turned to plead with Katie to help defend him, but she had a look he hadn’t seen before. It was plain she was loving every second of this. “Brady can take me back to my car. Now you’re sure you don’t want to come to the wedding?”
“You’re going to regret this, Katie.”
“Sir, I—”
“Don’t you talk to me. Don’t even look at me. I ever see or even hear you again in this neighborhood, I’m calling the cops.”
“Sorry,” Brady said, letting the Harley roll down into the street before starting it again.
As he rode off as quietly as possible, Brady felt Katie’s arms around him, her hands clasped over his stomach, her head pressed against his neck. “Hope you’re happy!” he called over his shoulder.
“It was everything I dreamed,” she said. But her enthusiasm was gone.
Brady stopped a couple of blocks from the dealership. “We’re going to have to get this thing cleaned up before we take it back,” he said.
“No way. I can’t wait to see the look on the guy’s face when he sees all that mud. He’ll be all cool about it, thinking I’m about to drop a bundle on one of these. Then I’ll just tell him I’ve changed my mind and might get back to him.”
“You’re not really going to do that.”
“Watch me.”
“I’d rather not.”
“What? You don’t want to be there? Don’t tell me you’re a wuss, Brady.”
“C’mon, nobody deserves that.”
“Fine, I’ll do it without you. Pick you up in a few minutes. Anyway, I owe you one, right?”
“Sorry?”
“I said I’d make you glad you did what I asked.”
“You did, didn’t you?”
“Be right back.”
She roared off, leaving Brady at the side of the road. He felt conspicuous.
What could he make of this woman? He thought he had a mean and bitter streak, but she beat all. What could have made her so spiteful toward her dad?
Whatever. Brady had only half an hour before he had to be back at Serenity, so whatever she was planning as his payoff was going to have to be quick.
Ten minutes later he spotted the Benz and stepped into the street. But as Katie passed, she flashed him a beautiful smile and gave him the finger.
Funny. She’d be back. He knew it. He hoped. He wondered as she disappeared from sight.
C’mon. No longer funny. If she wasn’t back soon, he’d have to hitch a ride. And what if he was late? That would spoil everything he’d accomplished.
But this was part of what he liked so much about Katie. You could never tell what she was going to do next. On the other hand, he didn’t want to be played. Wouldn’t be.
Brady hurried to a pay phone and called Bill, telling him Katie had car trouble and that he would hitchhike. “I didn’t want you or Jan to wonder or worry if I was a little late getting