Bikers and Pearls by Vicki Wilkerson Read Free Book Online Page A

safe from the perilously handsome man.

Chapter Three
    April tapped on the door of Ben’s hospital room door and walked in. As soon as he
     saw her he lifted his arms for a hug. “Hey, Ben-ificent,” she said as she wrapped
     her arms around him. She placed a notebook and some markers on the table beside his
     bed. “Brought you some more. I couldn’t believe you completely filled up that last
     notebook I brought you.”
    “Yep. I did. You wanna see? I drew three cypress trees, one sweet gum tree, and eight
     oak trees. Look at that last one,” he said and handed her a red spiral notebook.
    She thumbed through his drawings. “These are great, sweetie.” All sorts and sizes
     of trees decorated the pages, until she got to the last page. It was a drawing of
     a big oak tree with a little boy standing on a limb. He wasn’t quite as proficient
     at drawing people, but she knew the boy was supposed to be him. “Is this one mine?”
     she asked.
    He nodded and smiled. It wasn’t the same smile he had merely a month ago, though.
     She removed the page and placed it beside her purse. “That one’s going on my refrigerator.”
    “I knew you’d like it,” he said.
    “I’ve got some news for you,” she said. “The people who built your family’s home are
     helping to put on a fundraiser. For you.”
    “What’s a fundraiser?” he asked.
    Oops. He probably didn’t have a clue that his stay in the hospital was costing his
     family every dime they had, and a lot more they didn’t have. How was she going to
     get out of this? “Well, it’s really a motorcycle rally in your name. Some people are
     calling it Bikers for Ben. We want everyone to keep you in their thoughts and prayers
     so that you’ll get better soon.”
    He sat up in bed. “Motorcycles? I love motorcycles. My pop-pop has one, but my mom
     won’t let me ride on the back. He says if I keep it a secret, though, he’s gonna ride
     me around the hospital when I feel better.”
    “I’ve met your pop-pop. He’s a very nice man.”
    “What are they going to do at the rally?” he asked.
    As she told him all about the plans for Saturday and Sunday, his dispirited eyes lit
     up in spite of the dark halos around them.
    “There are a lot of people hoping that you’ll get better soon. Everybody misses you
     very much,” she said.
    He smiled wanly. She’d give anything to watch him pull the ribbons out the little
     girls’ hair at a project build again—even if she would have to quiet down the diminutive
     screaming divas. Since April had first met him, she had always imagined that he was
     what a son of hers would look like—if she were to ever have one. His hair was the
     same dirty-blond color that hers was, and his eyes the same chocolate brown. But now
     he looked so different from her. So sad. So sick.
    She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I took off work a few minutes early to run
     the markers by, but I’ve got to get back to make it to another meeting tonight. What
     shall I bring next time, sweetie?”
    “Peanuts. The same kind you brought me before,” he said.
    “You got it, little buddy,” she said and bent down to kiss the top of his head. “My
     number is inside the notebook. Just like last time. Call if you need anything. Like
     you did today. Okay?”
    “Yes, ma’am. Thanks for the markers and the notebook, Miss April.”
    “Okay, sweetie, I’ll see you later,” she said as she walked to the door. She turned
     and paused. The thin boy opened the markers and surveyed the colors. He chose a blue
     one and started drawing in the notebook. She was going to do whatever she could to
     help Ben.
    …
    After her bell rang inside her condo, April opened her door. Jenna was standing there,
     struggling to get her phone into the proper compartment in her purse. The moment she
     glanced up, her mouth flew open. She removed her small wire glasses to get a better
     look. “And where might you be going, all Calvin Kleined? I