Maybe the tough time I was having making it back would be a decent reminder weather had a mind of its own and couldn’t care less about anyone’s issues.
I remained tense as fuck and by the time I made it back to the cabin, my leg was aching like a son of a bitch. I had no pain pills, no way of soothing the ache that was always with me. From what I knew about the roads, attempting to make it to my cabin wasn’t a good idea. If even possible.
It took almost an hour to get back. When I pulled up, I felt another strong need to berate Bella, but not in front of the little girl.
I cut the engine and neither one of us said a damn thing.
“Let’s get you inside,” I muttered and opened the door. She gathered Cally while I grabbed the bags for the second time. I watched as she settled Cally in front of the television, removing the little girl’s coat and staring down at her with a forlorn look in her eyes. Since we had satellite service, the kid was able to watch something, at least keeping her occupied for now. While I wasn’t much of a talker, I needed to have a chat with her mother.
It took a minute before Bella slipped out of her jacket, shivering although the fire was still going. She finally looked at me for the first time since she’d stormed out. “Thank you.”
The two words were clipped and she immediately went into the kitchen. I debated keeping my jacket on, but opted against it. The thought of spending the day and possibly the night here wasn’t on my bucket list, but I wasn’t a fool either.
She was either refusing to pay any attention to the fact I’d walked into the room or didn’t realize I was standing in the doorway. I watched her as she unloaded groceries, both admiring her diligence in her actions as well as mentally challenging her. What would force someone to leave all they knew, including friends and family?
“What did you say to Cally before we left?” she asked in such a quiet voice I was surprised at the difference.
“I asked her to be good for her mommy because her mommy loved her.” You would have thought I’d offered a few million dollars to Bella by the way she looked at me.
The hit or miss of awkward tension drove me nuts.
“Are you going to help or just stand there like a damn statue?” she barked a few seconds later.
“There’s the city girl I know and love.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Just get busy before we lose some of the food. And I’m no city girl. Trust me.”
“I didn’t think you wanted me around.”
“I don’t, but it appears I have no choice. Right?”
Answering her was tougher than it should have been.
She lifted her head, her nose wrinkling again as she looked at my second choice of cereal I’d purchased before shifting her attention directly on me. “Well? You’re stuck here. Aren’t you?”
I walked closer as I shook my head, not in answer to her question, but because the thought of disciplining her still remained on my mind. I couldn’t say I knew anything about Bella, but I gathered if I tried anything so forward she’d stick a knife in my back or worse.
“Yeah, it looks that way. Don’t worry. I won’t bother you.”
She shoved the cereal and two other boxes of food into my arms. “I’m not worried. Just stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.”
“I’m curious. Why do you hate me so much?”
“Hate you? I don’t know you,” she retorted. “I just… I can’t handle dealing with anything else in my life at this point, Jagger.”
“Look, lady. I could tell you were in need. Sorry I bothered.”
“I don’t need anything hot and heavy in my life.” She shoved up the sleeves of her sweater as she pulled a carton of milk from one of the bags. “It’s not you.”
Then what the fuck was it?
It was the first time either arm was fully exposed. The number of dark and yellow bruises struck me hard, the wind knocked out of me. Or maybe it was the hellfire in her vibrant violet eyes that knocked the oxygen out of me. As soon as she realized what I was staring at, she turned around.
The marks were clearly from a man’s handprint.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I demanded.
“Don’t curse around my daughter.”