Chapter 240: Nothing
*I was in the Coast Guard for thirty years and I own more useless shit. – Law*
Law waited until Chance got back and then went to the home improvement store. He bought ten moving boxes and a roll of bubbles. Although he had not seen much while he was sitting there, he decided that he could go back for more if needed.
Mainly the little bubbles. He liked popping the little bubbles.
He learned long ago, it’s the little things in life that make it worthwhile.
He got back and Chance had emptied the kitchen cabinets. The man had been in a bad mood before Law left. But now, he was downright pissed. Law had known the man for a little over a year, and during that time, he had never seen Chance angry like this.
They had drunk together. Partied together. Been each other’s wingman. Had even fought with each other from time to time. Overall, the man was laid back and easy going. Law had quickly learned that there were dates that were harder for the younger man.
After one night of drinking, Law suggested that Chance join him and his brothers-in-law at a veteran’s support group. So far, he had not joined them, but he had asked a few more questions. Even Tank suggested that Chance go.
Law sat the boxes down on the floor of the barely furnished apartment and placed the roll of little bubbles on top. Leaning against the closed door, he looked at the seething man standing at the end of the ugliest olive-green couch ever made in the history of all history.
“I’m probably old enough to be your daddy. Wanna talk?”
“She has nothing. I mean nothing.” Chance stalked to the kitchen. “Two pots, a skillet, a baking dish and a mixing bowl. A plate, bowl, mug, fork, spoon, two wooden spoons, a spatula and a steak knife.”
“That’s it! Just enough for one person, one meal at a time. Not a damned thing matches. All the food she has fits into a fucking grocery bag.” Chance picked up a half-empty plastic grocery bag before sitting it back on the counter.
He stormed back over to the couch. “This is it. This is where she eats, sleeps and studies. That dresser? It has one drawer for her. Another is filled with baby blankets. The third one has baby toys and bottles. One is half full of baby clothes.”
“Maybe she prefers to hang her clothes.” Law suggested.
Chance took two steps over to the walk-in closet and yanked open the door. There was nothing inside. No hangers. No clothes. No clothes basket. It was as if she never even opened the door.
“Ever met a woman with only one pair of shoes?” Chance asked.
“Ummm, no.” Law grinned and crossed his arms across his chest.
“She’s paying for college mainly on her own. She has a preemie baby and is working full time.”
“What part has you upset? Her minimalist lifestyle? Or that she doesn’t want you?” Law asked.
He heard the soft defeated sigh as Chance sat on the arm of the couch.
“She’s not even old enough to drink and she’s been hurt so bad that she lives in a way that would make it easy to run.” Chance told him quietly.
“Ahhh. She doesn’t want you. She doesn’t need you. And you don’t get it.” Law smiled at him. “Nessie was right. This is going to be fun to watch.”
Chance gave him a look that told him to go to hell. Law only laughed.
“You’re not going to scare me.” Law said shrugging a shoulder. “You ever meet the crazy fucks I grew up around? You ain’t shit.”
Yeah, Chance had met the Renegades. He had seen the way local and state police had watched them. He had seen them circle the wagons around Evie when she was in trouble.
He was right. Compared to a group that had the Hells Angels and Mongrels moving out of the way, the Saints weren’t shit.
But Chance knew that if he found the man who hurt Rye, he would send him to meet his maker.
Chance ran his hand through his hair, pulling out his ponytail. After a few more swipes of his hands, he gathered his hair and placed it back in the elastic band. During these motions, he caught sight of the stack of boxes.
“I think you overbought.”
Law shrugged. “I’m sure that we can find a use for them.”
Chance nodded. “Get any tape?”
Law looked at his small stack. “Well, shit. I left it in the pickup. Be right back.”
Chance chuckled at him as he left. After the door closed behind the other man, Chance grabbed a box and put it together. He moved over to start emptying the dresser. He didn’t know why, but he did not want any other man touching Rye’s clothes.
Opening the top drawer, he found her sensible panties and practical sports bra. His vivid imagination could place them on her body. He had stared at her often enough that he could picture her in his mind. With and without clothes.
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of her being without clothes. And that caused a reaction in his jeans that he did not want. Not with her. Not with that infuriating woman who looked at him with so much venom.
As he placed her few T-shirts in the box, Law came in and began to box up the kitchen.
Chance added three pairs of jeans to the box before getting a second box for baby items. Rye was getting everything that she would need to take care of her son. Thinking about how she was with Cookie’s nephews, and with the other kids, he knew she would be a good mom.
He couldn’t help but smile as he put in a blanket that still had a card tucked inside it. ‘To Miss Rye and her Baby. From Elizabeth’ Everything was in her mother’s handwriting except for Elizabeth. Her name was in large bold letters from a child’s hand. The blanket and card were carefully placed in the box.
Rye was going to be a great mom. She had plenty of thick, warm blankets and the thin ones that his sister had called receiving blankets. According to the women in his life, you could never have enough receiving blankets. Maybe he should get her some more.
The other two drawers went into a third box. Bottles, toys, teethers and tiny clothes.
He noticed that she did not have any maternity clothes. Maybe she didn’t make it far enough into her pregnancy to need them. Suddenly, he wanted to know what she looked like pregnant. An image popped into his head and his jeans grew even tighter.
He should not be having thoughts like that about *her*. She was infuriating and irritating. He did not like her, and she did not like him.
Chance would admit that Rye was a beautiful woman and that must be the reason that he was thinking about her like that. He liked women, he had no problem admitting that. But then, he heard Jon Erik’s words from earlier.
*Some men are hooked on the bottle or pills. But you, you’re addicted to women.*
Then Chance had actually called Rye his fix. *She’s my fix.* What the hell was he thinking? Why would he say that.
*Some men are hooked on the bottle or pills. But you, you’re addicted to women.*
Was he? Was he addicted to women?
The thought invaded his head and would not leave. After they moved her apartment to the Shack, he called Karan and told her that he would not be back for the rest of the day. He rode his bike to clear his mind. For the first time in a long time, it did not help. After two hours, he headed to where he hoped he could find answers.
