Reflecting On Wishes (The Wishes Series) Read online

  “Reflecting On Wishes”Book 2 in the “Wishes” series by DeAnna Felthauser

  Copyright DeAnna Felthauser February 2013

  Published by DeAnna Felthauser

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  “Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.”

  Reflecting On Wishes is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, or places, events or locales is coincidental. These characters are purely of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  This e-Book contains material not suitable for readers 17 and under.

  License Notes: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

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  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my amazing design and editing team. Love you guys!

  Cover photograph by Brett Noble of MyWorks Photography

  http://www.facebook.com/MyWorksPhotography

  https://twitter.com/NobleBrett

  Cover design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography

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  http://www.maeidesign.com

  https://twitter.com/reginawamba

  Editing by Jen Hart

  Copy editing by Brenda Huntsman

  Dedication

  To my very bestest friend and partner in life, my husband Marty- Thank you for always supporting me, being my biggest cheerleader and pushing me to be my best. Through all the laughter and all the tears, I love you madly and I’m ever so thankful God blessed me with you in my life.You can pump my gas any day!

  To my brother Dean- Thank you for inspiring me to write about a tough girl that races motorcycles. I appreciate all your help and the crash course you gave me on Pro Stock racing. I hope I’ve made you proud. This one is for you…Love you, mean it!

  To my sister Johnnie- Thank you for your encouragement, love, support and laughter. You make me want to work harder, give selflessly, and to be fearless like you are. I Will Always Love You! (I know you sang it when you read that!)

  To my sister Delinda- Thank you, Nurse Lynna for answering my numerous phone calls concerning medical questions and helping me research it if you didn’t already know the answer. Love you seester!

  To my BFF’s:

  Stephanie, Tim, DJ and Eric- We may not be family by blood, but you will always be family in my heart. Thank you for your encouragement, motivation, unconditional love, lots of laughter, and for always being here for Marty and I. Love you to the moon and back!

  Chapter 1 Dakota Cane

  Summertime was the best time of year; early May, but hot and breezy with the scent of honeysuckle blooming in the air. It was still dark, but Dakota had a couple of hours of driving time ahead of him to Commerce, Georgia. Once he met up with his brother, Dominic and his buddy, Tank at the diner for breakfast, they were heading to the drag races for the weekend.

  This was his first long trip on his new matte black Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle. He could hardly wait to get it on the highway and open her up. First things first, breakfast at Lola May’s diner. The only person he knew that could throw down some country cookin’ better than Lola May was his mom, Mikayla. He was still getting used to calling Mikayla, ‘mom’ even though she and Noah adopted him along with his brother and sister—the twin’s, about six years ago.

  He pulled into the diner but didn’t see Tank or Dominic’s bikes so he went ahead and parked, taking off his helmet before walking inside the cool lobby. As always, Ms. Lola greeted him with a boisterous hug.

  “There’s my tall, dark and handsome! C’mere and give Ms. Lola some lovin’s, honey.”

  Dakota grinned and wrapped her up against him, lifting the buxom, curvy woman off her feet, sending her into a fit of girlish giggles. “Ms. Lola you get more beautiful every single time I come in here, darlin’.”

  Kissing his cheeks, she patted his chest and fanned her face. “Oh lordy be, honey, if I wasn’t married, I’d be doin’ things to you that are illegal in the state of Georgia, I would!”

  He grinned at her, wiggling his eyebrows. “Ms. Lola, I would have let you too.” A brief kiss on her cheek left her gasping as she picked up a menu and fanned her face.

  “Oh, honey, now you come on back here and take this table by the kitchen so’s I can come out and flirt with you while you’re here. Goodness knows you are good for this old gal’s ego.” With that said, she turned and weaved her way to the table, swinging her ample hips to and fro’ all the way there.

  “You want some coffee, honey?”

  “Yes ma’am I do. I’ll wait for the guys to get here before I order though.”

  “What trouble are y’all gettin’ into today? Gonna be chasin’ girls round town?” Lola turned his coffee cup over and filled it from a fresh pot of the steaming brew.

  “We’re heading up to Commerce for the drag races this weekend.”

  “Mhmm…I know what you’re doin’, Dakota Cane, you ain’t foolin’ me none boy. You’re gonna go flirt with our hometown girl aren’t ya? Oh that Angel Vega is one lovely little creature. Why, I remember when she was just a tiny little sprite comin’ in here with her daddy for breakfast on Sunday mornin’s. They still do when she’s in town. She’s as sweet as pie too.”

  He nearly blurted out that he’d bet she was sweet as pie but he snapped his mouth shut and grinned.

  “We’re going to see the races, Lola…not pick up women.”

  “Mhmm, tell it to the judge, darlin’. I see you lookin’ all fine in your black leather and snappy lookin’ bike. Mhmm you on the hunt for that girl, I can tell by the look in your eyes when I said her name.”

  Laughing, he winked at her and nodded his head. “I plead the fifth, Ms. Lola.”

  “I am sure you do, baby. That is one lucky little spitfire you’re after, lucky indeed.”

  About that time, Dominic and Tank came in the diner all decked out in leathers, looking just as handsome as Dakota did.

  “Woo wee you boys are tryin’ ta give an old woman a case of the vapor’s aren’t ya? Lord help me, I’m surrounded by a buncha tall, dark and chocolates.”

  Tank scooped her up and kissed her cheeks, laughing when she squealed and giggled.

  “Well don’t you look gorgeous this morning, Ms. Lola. Have you divorced your mister yet? I’d marry you in a heartbeat if you promised to make me those buttermilk pancakes at least twice a week.”

  Ms. Lola looked like a little girl against his nearly seven foot tall frame, but it didn’t discourage her from reaching up and patting his cheeks with her weathered hands and a big smile on her face.

  “Sweet darlin’ I don’t think I’d make it through our honeymoon night to be able to make you those pancakes but my, oh my, what a night that would be!”

  His big v
oice chuckled out with laughter as he leaned and kissed her forehead.

  “And you! Come here, Dominic and give this old girl some lovin’s this mornin’. Don’t let those two discourage you from tryin’ to win my affections now. There’s enough of me to go around, darlin’.”

  Dominic laughed and gave her a soft hug and kiss on the cheek.

  “Good morning, Ms. Lola. Sure does smell good in here. I’m starving to death!”

  She ushered them to their seats and turned the coffee cups over, grabbing the pot and filling the cups to the brim.

  “All right now, boy’s…whatchu want Ms. Lola to make you for breakfast? I don’t want y’all goin’ hungry on your trip up north.”

  They placed their orders, and she sashayed off, turning just as she walked through the swinging doors to blow a kiss their way.

  “Man, I bet she was a tiger back in the day.” Tank said, grinning like a kid in a candy store.

  “Shoot, she’s still a tiger.” Dom was laughing as he stirred cream and sugar into his coffee.

  “The tiger is that gorgeous woman we’ll be seeing at the racetrack today.” Dakota’s grin said it all. The guys all joked around, concentrating their teasing on his affection for Angel Vega.

  Tank nudged his buddy’s arm. “Bruh, you got it so bad for her. She doesn’t even know you exist. Don’t matter how many times you been in her daddy’s motorcycle shop getting your bike tricked out, she never gave you a second glance.”

  Dakota elbowed his friend and took a sip of coffee, brooding a little. “I’m not use to that either. It’s frustrating as hell. I’ve never had a problem getting a woman’s attention. Maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to her. She’s elusive and snarky. You should see how she handles herself around that shop. She doesn’t take crap from anybody and she knows her way around a toolbox. It’s so damn sexy.”

  His little brother snorted and broke into a rendition of Right Said Fred’s, “I’m too sexy”, encouraging Tank to chime in and further embarrass Dakota with their teasing.

  “You guys realize I can leave you in the dust on my new bike right?” He nodded to his stealthy looking ride.

  “Ha! You realize I’m the one with the tickets and the pit passes right, bruh?” Tank reached into his leather jacket and pulled out the tickets, waving them in his face, smirking.

  “What the…? You got us pit passes? Man, I love you, seriously!” Dakota could hardly contain his excitement. Pit passes meant meeting the drivers, which meant getting closer to Angel Vega—Latina goddess of the racetrack. A svelte, caramel skinned nymph with almond eyes and raven hair that reached the sexiest ass he’d ever seen.

  Tank jerked the tickets back and tucked them back into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Mhmm, just a second ago you was talkin’ like you was gonna leave us remember? Didn’t he say something about that, Dom?”

  “Yup, he did. Basically told us we’d eat his dust all the way to Commerce. Wasn’t very cool of him was it, Tank?” Dom winked at his friend, taking another long drink of his coffee.

  “Come on, guys. You know I was just messin’ with ya.” Dakota was grinning from ear to ear, just the mere thought of getting closer to Angel had his mood soaring.

  “I don’t, bruh. I think I might give one of these pit passes to someone who’d appreciate it.”

  “Trust and believe me when I say I’ll appreciate it, Tank. Oh how I’ll appreciate her—I mean it. C’mon, bruh, it’s my birthday weekend.”

  The laughter at their table got some looks from others in the diner, but it didn’t matter. They had Ms. Lola in their corner and everyone knew you didn’t say a damn thing about Lola’s special customers, no matter how loud they were on an early Friday morning.

  Delicious smells surrounded them as their platters were delivered heaping high with buttermilk pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs and jars of warm maple syrup. There was more than enough to fill their growling stomachs. Ms. Lola refilled their coffee cups and glowed from the praises she was getting from her three favorite customers. The conversation while they ate consisted of motorcycles and women—their two favorite subjects. They decided that once they got into the town of Commerce, they would go check in their hotel rooms so they could clean up before heading to the track. After all, a guy didn’t want to approach a woman when his leathers were covered in bug guts from the long ride.

  Leaving the restaurant with full bellies and having been properly hugged and kissed by Ms. Lola, they were ready to hit the road. The three bikes parked side by side were as different as the men who rode them. Dakota’s was sleek, built for speed, all chromed out with a custom paint job of a panther basking under the light of the moon. Tank had a Chopper that fit his tall frame perfectly. He looked like he was stretched out comfortably on his cherry red ride with a pinup girl draped across the side of the gas tank. Then there was Dom. He liked the flash of his black and neon green Yamaha VMAX. In his mind, it was classy, but still a sexy, fast ride. They filed out onto Highway 129, heading toward their weekend getaway at the races, each lost in thought and enjoying the ride.

  ***

  After checking in the hotel and cleaning the bug splatters off their bikes and themselves, they took the short drive to Atlanta Raceway proudly displaying their shiny rides. There was a multitude of people already wandering about. Classic rock music was playing over the speaker system and you could smell the heady elixir of racing fuel and burnt rubber in the air, mixed with the food the vendors were cooking up. Dakota lead them through the parking area, pulling in near the rows of RV’s that belonged to the racers and their teams. The three men on their slick rides garnered a lot of attention, especially from the female persuasion. As they stripped off their leathers and were folding them to put into the saddlebags, a couple of girls walked up in cut off shorts and bikini tops.

  “Sweet ride you got there, handsome. I’m Mia, what’s your name?” She was a beautiful blond with a smoking hot body but Dakota couldn’t help but try to push her off on his brother. He had plans and those plans included trying to find the woman that invaded his dreams.

  “I’m Dakota. This is my brother, Dom and my best friend, Tank.” He nodded to his brother. “You guys should go buy these ladies a drink. I’m going to go walk around for a while. I’ll meet you at our seats when it’s time for qualifying.”

  Dom grinned at his older brother, taking the hint and draping his arm around Mia, leading her and her friend away with Tank.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Dakota snapped his saddlebags closed and pocketed his keys. The warm air felt good on his skin now that his leathers were off. He was wearing a pair of black cargo shorts and a red tank top with the silver chain his mom gave him for his birthday. Before he had gone to bed the previous night his mom and dad stopped by his house, which was adjacent from theirs. They had wanted to wish him a happy birthday since they wouldn’t see him on the actual day. Dakota had been touched that they had come by. He still felt incredibly grateful for his adoptive parents. They had taken him and his twin siblings in and treated them as if they were their own. They had needed a loving family so desperately after their parents died in a car crash. As the oldest of three kids he had already aged out of the foster care system, leaving Dakota thinking he’d technically be an orphan the rest of his life. But when Mikayla and Noah Cane became foster parents to the twins—Dominic and Delilah, they had also welcomed Dakota with open arms and his life had never been the same.

  Reaching up, he stroked the silver chain and smiled. He was truly blessed. He had a family that was full of love, great friends and the dream job as a physical therapist he’d worked so hard for. Now all he wanted was someone to share it with. Not just anyone. He had his eye on her for quite some time now. They had talked a few times but nothing ever came from it. When Dakota was shopping around for a motorcycle he made several trips to Vega Custom Bikes. Angel’s dad owned the shop and her older brother Rage ran it with his wife Nahni. Sixteen weeks of the year Angel and her dad Vito were traveling from on
e race to the next. As her manager, Vito was always with her, coaching her, working on her bike and promoting his pride and joy.

  Dakota and Rage had gotten to know each other pretty well and even been out for a beer a few times while he was getting his bike tricked out. Rage was a big guy, standing around five foot eleven inches tall but Dakota still towered over him at six foot three. He vividly remembered when he was at the bar with Rage just a few months back. Dakota had asked him about Angel. He wanted to know if she was seeing anyone and if Rage would set him up with her. Rage had laughed boisterously, telling him he was loco if he thought his baby sister Angel would date him. They had laughed a lot but Rage had finally gotten serious with him and told him Angel had been in a rough relationship and wasn’t interested in dating. She was focused on her career and wasn’t ready to put herself out there. Dakota had backed off but he continued to watch her from afar.

  He shook his head and walked over to the vendor selling bottled water and bought one, twisting it open and taking a long pull of the icy cold drink. That was when he saw her step out of her trailer dressed in a black tank top and cutoff, blue jean shorts with her hair in a thick braid hanging over her shoulder. She was barefoot, walking over to the card table where her brother, Rage and her father, Vito were sitting. Qualifying for Pro-Stock Bikes didn’t start for another couple of hours so it looked like they were just chatting. Dakota capped his bottle and strode over to the table throwing caution to the wind.

  “Rage, how you doin’ man? Vito, it’s good to see you again. Hey, Angel.” He hoped his greeting sounded casual and unhurried but inside his stomach did flip flops when she smiled at him.

  “Dakota my man, it’s good to see you here.” Rage stood and gave him a half hug, slap on the back and smiled.

  “How’s that bike of yours doing, Dakota? Did you ride it up here today?” Vito shook his hand and patted his shoulder.

  “It’s great, Vito. She rides smooth and fast, just like I wanted. She’s just outside the RV Park.” His eyes traveled again to Angel, seeing she was still looking up at him with a smile, he grinned back at her.