Love Sick Twisted Haze

I put the helmet down on the counter, feeling caught, but shrugged. "Or anyone who might jump on my bike. Helmet laws. Not looking to get a ticket."

He nodded, but judging from his expression, he wasn't buying my BS. Only instead of following it up with an annoyed frown as I was expecting, he smirked. "Look, Hijo," he said, leaning against the counter. "When I first heard about you riding this girl around town—I'm not gonna lie—scared the shit out of me. Not that I didn't think you wouldn't be using your head. I trust my boys. None of you would ever do anything any of those girls aren't fully willing to do. Pisses your grandma off how shameless girls are these days—"

"Not Madeline."

My interruption was so abrupt and full of unexpected attitude, I knew I was toast. Here I'd done nothing but given her rides, and I already knew any chance I might've had of walking away from this conversation without my dad picking up on just how fucking hung up on her I was now just flew out the window.

"I didn't say she was."

I nodded, glancing away because I felt like an ass now. "She's not like any of those other girls," I said simply and with much less attitude.

"I know that." As I turned to face him, I was surprised to see him smile. "I know she's different, Son." He motioned to the helmet on the counter. "Helmet laws my ass." He stopped and shook his head with a chuckle. "That daze you've been walking around in . . . Your grandma and I know it's only the beginning. It's what I've been wanting to talk to you about."

I peered at him, annoyed with myself. Had I really been that obvious? So obvious both my dad and grandmother knew it was only the beginning?

"You don't have to tell me she's different, Nico. I know nothing about her, but I know you, and I know this girl—this experience—is a different one for you. It's what makes me so nervous."

I shrugged, trying to backpedal, even though I knew he hit the nail on the head. "Nah, I'm cool. She and I have just hung out a little and—"

"Let's cut to the chase." He said it with a smile, but I saw the underlying worry in his eyes. "I know the age of consent in Kentucky is only sixteen." Obviously, the look of astonishment on my face surprised him, and now he frowned. "Of course, you hadn't bothered to look into it. And yet you're driving up and down with that young little thing on your bike, and I bet you thought she wouldn't be legal until she was eighteen—"

"Dad, it's nothing like what you're thinking. I've just given her a few rides, and we've hung out."

"Really? You didn't special order that helmet just for her? Since when do you care about helmet laws? If it weren't for the fact that you know I'd tackle your ass off that damn bike if I ever saw you riding without one, you wouldn't even wear one." He paused for a response, but I had none, so he continued. "You've been walking around in that lovesick twisted haze half the time looking like you don't know if you're coming or going. I know that look, boy. But here's something you have to remember. By law, you may be okay hanging out with her. But she's still a minor, and I can guarantee you her mama will do whatever she has to, to protect her baby. And rightfully so."

"Dad, I haven't even kissed her."

His unimpressed expression said it all. He knew that wouldn't be for long. And truth was the wheels in my head had already been turning since he mentioned the whole age-of-consent thing. I couldn't believe I'd just assumed it was eighteen. If it weren't for the fact that I was so hung up on Madeline, the thought of a grown man with a sixteen-year-old would have been a sick one. Only now this excited me as much as it terrified me. If I'd been having a hard enough time holding back already, this would only make it so much worse.

"I want you to promise me you won't get yourself arrested because of this girl."

"I'm telling you I haven't even—"

"I don't mean because of Loretta. If that girl is even acting the slightest bit as goofy as you've been all these months, her mama has about as much chance of keeping her away from you as I do of keeping you away from her." He shook his head when I immediately started to protest. "Boy, I wouldn't dream of wasting my time trying to keep you from her. You don't think I know that look? You said it yourself. You haven't even kissed her and look at you."

It was only then that I realized how tense I'd gotten. The very thought that someone would actually step in and order me to stay away from her had me standing up straight ready for a fight. Feeling stupid, because once again he'd gotten me, I did my best to ease up.

"If you get like this over a simple conversation about her, I can only imagine what you'd do if anyone ever looked at her the wrong way."

Shaking my head softly as if he had nothing to worry about, visions of Shane and that man at the Stop & Shop I followed out without thought, crossed my mind. Hell, I couldn't even see those damn twins Shelby's mom thought would be so cute with Madeline and Maggie without grinding my teeth.

"Don't look at me like that, Nico. I'm your father. I've raised four boys, and while you're the first I'm dealing with about this stuff, I've been around long enough to know exactly what I'm talking about. Maybe you haven't done anything with that girl yet, but I've already heard the stories."

"What stories?" I asked, annoyed because I knew too well how these rumors with no real basis could run rampant. "I swear I haven't done anything."

"Not about that." He frowned. "But even the old guys down at the Lion's Club have joked about how you've staked your claim on that little Hellman twin. How the hell can you tell them apart anyway? That alone's gotta get tricky."

"Nope," I said, picking up the helmet because too much talk about this was making me nervous.

There was no way I'd successfully argue that I hadn't staked my claim without him seeing right through it as he did everything else. Already, I felt stupid for using the shop's account to order Madeline's helmet. I'd paid for it myself, but the shop got better rates on all motorcycle products since we started expanding to include more items that can be embroidered or labeled. But I should've known my dad might see the order.

"They may be identical on the outside," I said, staying off the subject of me making it clear she was off limits to anyone else. "But they're different as night and day on the inside."

As soon as I saw the expression on my father's face, I regretted it. If the man thought he might have had something to worry about before, I sure as hell just gave him all the confirmation he needed.

"Don't worry," I said, starting to the front door of the shop. "I'm just having a little fun. And if it's getting around that I've staked my claim, then there shouldn't be any problems, right?"

I grinned in spite of the growing anxiousness I was already feeling in my stomach because talking to my dad about this made it so much more real.

"Be smart, Nico. About everything," he said as I neared the front door. "You hear me?"

That last question was louder and firmer, which meant one thing. He wanted me to look at him, so I did.

"I don't know what worries me more now. That you'll do something to break that girl's heart and I'll have her mother pounding on my door." He paused when I shook my head adamantly because already I knew that'd never happen. "Or that she'll do something to break yours."

Swallowing hard, I stared at him for a moment as I pondered that. I hadn't thought that far ahead, but I shook my head again. "Getting ahead of yourself, Dad. It's nothing like that."

"Yet," he said loudly as I opened the door.

I saluted him as he added the usual warnings he gave whenever I went out for the evening. Even knowing that if my dad was on to me now it was just a matter of time before her mother was too, I was still incapable of staying away.

Still, I knew better than to do more, but I did give into the temptation anytime I was fairly certain it was late enough in the evening or we were far out enough away from town for Madeline's hopping on my bike to get too much attention. It helped that the extra helmet I carried for her now was a full-sized one for extra safety. So it was harder to tell who was actually on my bike.