“What did he supposedly steal?”
The larger man hesitated.
“A wallet.”
“Whose wallet?”
“Mine.”
“Where was it?”
“In my truck.”
“Did you see him take it?”
The man didn't answer.
Jack waited.
The silence became uncomfortable.
Finally, the second man said,
“We saw him near the truck.”
Jack looked at the teenager.
“Were you near the truck?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The boy pointed toward the ground.
“My little sister dropped her phone. I was looking for it.”
Jack nodded.
“Did you find it?”
The boy held up a phone.
“This one.”
Jack looked at it.
The screen was cracked.
The larger man suddenly stepped forward.
“Enough questions.”
Jack didn't move.
The man looked at his motorcycle.
“You think that leather vest makes you tough?”
“No.”
“Then leave.”
Jack calmly replied,
“Call the police.”
The man laughed.
“You call them.”
Jack took out his phone.
The man's smile disappeared.
A few minutes later, officers arrived.
The situation was investigated.
The wallet was eventually found underneath the driver's seat of the pickup truck.
The teenager had never stolen it.
The two men apologized, although reluctantly.
The boy retrieved his backpack and thanked Jack.
“You didn't have to do that.”
Jack looked at him.
“Yes, I did.”
The teenager smiled.
Then he asked,
“Are you some kind of biker gang?”
Jack laughed.
“No.”
“Then why do you dress like one?”
Jack looked down at his vest.
“Long story.”
The boy smiled.
Jack started his motorcycle.
But before leaving, he noticed something.
The boy's little sister was sitting on a bench nearby.
She looked about seven.
She was holding the cracked phone.
She watched Jack carefully.
Then she waved.
Jack waved back.
As he rode away, he realized something.
Maybe the universe had a strange sense of humor.
Everywhere he went, someone seemed to need help.
And somehow, he kept being there.
Several days later, Jack returned to the diner where he had first met Emily.
The waitress recognized him immediately.
“You're becoming a regular.”
Jack smiled.
“Maybe.”
She poured him coffee.
Then she said,
“Emily came by yesterday.”
Jack looked up.
“She did?”
“With her father.”
“How is she?”
“Good.”
The waitress smiled.
“She asked about you.”
Jack lowered his coffee cup.
“What did she say?”
“She wanted to know if you were still riding around.”
Jack smiled.
“Tell her I am.”
The waitress hesitated.
“She also said something else.”
“What?”
“She said she hopes you're not lonely.”
Jack stared at the table.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
The waitress quietly walked away.
Jack looked through the window.
Outside, cars passed along the highway.
People going somewhere.
People leaving somewhere.
People searching for something.
Maybe Emily was right.
Maybe he was lonely.
That evening, Jack received a phone call.
It was Daniel.
Jack almost didn't answer.
But something told him to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Jack?”
“Yeah.”
“This is Daniel. Emily's father.”
Jack smiled.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. Actually, that's why I'm calling.”
Daniel sounded nervous.
“We've been having some trouble.”