Irritation surged into him and he pressed the doorbell again. Finally, the curtain next to the door fluttered and a lock disengaged.
An older woman with brown hair and wide owl eyes opened the door. Squinting, she took in every inch of him. She folded her arms, smartly dressed but rudely mannered.
Wondering if he measured up, he cleared his throat. “I’m Diesel Caldwell,” he introduced. “I…Jana said you and her father invited me to dinner.”
“Iinvited you both,” she corrected, drawing herself up.
Uncertain, Diesel pulled out his phone to make sure he’d read Jana’s message correctly. “I thought she was here already.”
“She is now. In the kitchen, buttering up her daddy,” she scoffed. “She’s high. One day, I’ll get a call telling me they’ve found her body.”
It was one of Diesel’s greatest fears as well, but he remained silent, uninterested in unnecessary conversation with her. He didn’t want to snap at her, despite her less-than-friendly attitude.
“I’m Amy. What did you say your name was again?”
“Diesel,” he said. “Diesel Caldwell.”
“I knew of a Caldwell. Down the way in Hortensia. Went by the road name of Outlaw.”
“That’s my father,” Diesel said, too nervous to go into particulars. Amy reminded him of a school librarian who got everyone into line with just a severe look. Hopefully, Uncle Christopher and Aunt Meggie would invite Jana’s parents over and they could explain everything together.
Amy peeped around him. “Where’s your bike?”
“At home. I wasn’t sure how Jana was feeling tonight. If she wants a drink with me later, my car is safer for her.”
A smile ghosted across her face and she nodded, then stepped aside, allowing Diesel entry. The modest house needed repairs and new furniture. Contrasting it to his grimy childhood home, however, it was a palace.
The smells of barbeque and cinnamon scented the air. His knotted stomach and anxiousness to see Jana’s condition stole his hunger.
“Diesel!” Jana screeched and flew into his arms so fast, he reeled back. “I thought you’d forgotten me.”
Aware of an older man walking into the room, Diesel smiled into Jana’s hair and hugged her tightly. “I’ll never do that, sweetheart.”
She staggered away and smiled at him, her eyes red-rimmed and her pupils dilated. She’d either sucked dick or fucked for drugs.
Anger flashed through him and he gritted his teeth, then brushed past Jana and held out his hand to her father. “I’m Diesel Caldwell.”
“Sam Reynolds,” he said, shaking Diesel’s hand.
“That’s Outlaw’s son, Sam,” Amy revealed. “Johnnie’s nephew.”
He hadn’t mentionedthatmotherfucker. Refusing to refute a family claim to that asshole to strangers, Diesel plastered a smile on his face.
“Can we talk, Diesel?” Jana asked from behind him.
She knew he was pissed. She hadn’t taken the fucking money because of her addiction, yet she’d used anyway.
“Not at the moment,” Diesel said coolly, struggling to reel in his temper. Jana needed compassion, but that was often easier said than done.
“I wanted to talk to Amy and Sam about you and I.”
Jana staggered to him and tried to take his hand into hers, but he pulled away. “I missed you,” she whispered. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”
The engagement ring in his pocket suddenly weighed a ton.“I wouldn’t have asked you to move closer to me if I intended to abandon you,” he snapped. “I had to talk to my parents about us.”
Tears filled Jana’s eyes. Diesel wished they were alone, but her parents were staring between them. On the fringes of his mind, he noted she looked nothing like her mother or father. They were short, plump, dark-haired and brown-eyed.
Jana tried to grab his hand again, but he stepped out of her reach.
