Page 12 of Stone

She deserved that, her own child telling her to be nice to people. And when she told her that she would be extra nice, they hung up the phone. Sitting on the little stone bench, she couldn’t believe her luck. And Albert wouldn’t have any idea where she’d gone, and that suited her just fine and dandy. She was going to see her daughter and her man.

Just as she was beginning to doubt anyone was coming for her, she was asked if she was Leslie Tigner. Once she was in the car with the woman, she told her that she owed her life to Stone Griffin.

“Nicest family you might ever meet. And they don’t talk down to you none either when they have something to say to you.” She asked her how long she’d known them. “Oh, since I was a little bitty thing. Stone, he’s a good deal older than he looks but the nicest man ever. And that daddy of his is something special, too.” She went on and on about the Griffin family and all that they’d done for her and Leslie hung on her every word. She wanted to know as much about her future son-in-law as she could get. When the cell phone rang again, she saw that it was Albert. Turning it off, she was nearly ready to toss it out of the window but was afraid that Sage would call again.

“I plum nearly forgot.” She was handed a bag from a telephone company that she’d seen on television. “Sage had me pick this up for you to give to you—that’s why I’m a bit late in getting here.She told me to remind you that Albert, whoever he is, wasn’t going to be able to contact her once she moved to Ohio. You hand me that other phone, honey and I’ll take care that he can’t get in touch with you. Sage is number one on the dialer.”

As soon as she got the phone out of the box, she was pushing the right button to talk to her daughter. Leslie was crying so hard that she almost didn’t understand Sage, so she must have handed it off to someone else. Someone by the name of Tony was on the phone.

“She’s been having a rough day, and I’m glad that this is turning out so well for her.” Again, the silence was harsh, but the man was still on the phone. His voice sounded hard as well, and she found herself thinking that he might be a wolf, like she’d been told was true. “You hurt her or my brother, and they’ll never find even a drop of your blood around so that you’d be identified later. Do you understand me?”

“Yes. I don’t want to hurt her anymore. I’ve never…she’s never asked me for a thing since she was five years old and wanted me help her glue cut-up paper with her. All I can think about now is how her little face looked when I told her to go away.” She started to cry again. “I didn’t ever get the chance to be with her as a momma does again. She never once asked me to help her with anything. And you know what? I’m the loser in all that. I fucked up badly, and I want so badly to be with her until I take my last breath.”

“It might well be if you hurt them.” She didn’t take offense when he said that to her. Nor did she get upset about it, either. He was a man that loved his family, she’d bet and he wasn’t going to tolerate her or anybody else messing with them. If only she had that sort of family when she’d been a child. She might well have turned out better herself. “I want you to remember this, too, Leslie, I can read your mind as well. If you even think of hurting them, then—”

“I’ll kill myself if I hurt them.” He didn’t say anything, and she nodded. “I promise you all I want is to get to know her like I should have a long time ago. I don’t want her money or anything that she has. I just want a chance like I’ve said. To get to know her like I should.”

After hanging up when he did, she handed the other phone to the driver. She might well have gotten her name, but she didn’t remember it. Her heart was hurting again, and she just wanted to talk to Sage again. Once she was at the airport, things were taken out of the trunk for her to use.

“There is a card for you to use, too, so you can have some supper. I wasn’t to give it to you until we got here. I guess your daughter didn’t want you changing your mind.” She was thankful for that. “My name is Smokey Ridge. You need anything from me, you just think about me. You and I, we have a connection just like them wolves do. If you get scared again, just think of me. But I think you’re going to be doing all right, Leslie Tigner.”

Since she had no idea where anyone would be coming from, she was going to get her some dinner at one of the fast food places. Almost as soon as she was in line, she decided that she’d go and find herself something more and was seated in the nice place when she realized she had no idea if she could afford it or not. It was Smokey who told her that she had plenty enough if she wanted to buy the restaurant but to enjoy herself.

“Thank you so much.”She said that she had her back and that she thought of her as her new friend.“I hope I have as many friends as I can get once I get to Ohio. I’m sort of afraid now.”

“Don’t be. Your daughter has thought of everything, and you’ll be just fine.”A woman came into the restaurant. It was hard not to notice her, but when she sat across from her, she nearly asked who she was but waited to be free of speaking to Smokey.

“My name is Storm Griffin.” She picked up a menu that was dropped off when she sat down. “We’ll have a nice dinner, the two of us, and I’ll decide if I have to kill you or not. I’m sure that you can understand that my sister and I are very protective of our family, and since Sage is going to marry Stone, she’s my family as well.”

“If it comes down to killing me, will you please tell my daughter something? Tell her that I love her more than I thought possible.” The woman stared at her before laughing. “I don’t know what you found to be so funny.”

“I know, but that’s all right. We’ll still get to know one another.” As she started asking questions about herself, it never occurred to Leslie to lie to her. Telling her that she’d been a terrible mother had the other woman laughing again. She was either first-rate insane, or she was funnier than she’d ever been before.

By the time their dinner plates were taken away, Leslie felt better. She didn’t let her guard down, however, because what the woman had shown her that she could do was scary. Even when the waiter got snippy with her when she said she didn’t know what to order, Storm slammed her hand down on the table and told him that if he didn’t want to lose his job, he’d better be nice to people he didn’t make fun of her again. Thankfully Storm ordered for her and was glad that she’d ordered her something that she wanted instead of what she thought that she needed.

“Albert did that all the time. He’d point out that I couldn’t read so he’d make fun of me until the waiter was laughing too. I never got what I wanted, just what Albert wanted. I’m not big on steaks or seafood, but I love pork chops. I want to thank you for ordering that for me.” She asked her why she couldn’t read. “I have dyslexia. When I was a kid, no one knew what was wrong with me, so I played around enough that it was something that I never wanted to do. It’s too late for me now.”

“It’s not really. I can fix that for you. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t read something. If you pick up that flyer there on the table, I think you’ll be able to read that as well as I would. If you don’t want it, just say so, and I’ll take it back.”

She picked up the little flyer talking about spring meals and was surprised that she could read it. Not only that, but she didn’t have to figure out the words that she knew were all messy for her. Taking out the recorder that she had gotten for herself a long time ago, she read the instructions on it that had been over her head when she’d purchased it.

“I take it you like it.” She nodded looking at the specials board that was just inside the restaurant. Reading each word, because it was a treat for her to be able to do so, she looked at Storm with tears falling down her cheeks.

“Please don’t take it back. I’ve never…I can read now, and I don’t know what to do with myself.” She said that she could do anything that she liked now. “I know that too. Oh my, what will Sage say when I see her. I hope she’ll be proud of me. And I was just thinking that if they have children, I can read to them too. Oh my, what a thing you have opened up for me.”

They both had dessert, Leslie reading off the choices for Storm. As they were getting finished up, two men joined them. She knew right away who was Stone as he looked just like his picture. The other man looked like him, he was his brother, after all, but she knew that the man sitting next to her was her daughter’s soon-to-be husband.

“Storm said that she was enjoying your company. Had I thought about it before, I would have asked her to bring Sage along. But there are things going on at home that she needs to take care of. The little girl that she came here to get has lost her great-grandparent, and it looks like her grandfather isn’t going to make it either. True love will do that to you, I suppose. I know that I love Sage.” She told him that was lovely. “Yes, it is. I hope that we can get along well, Leslie. I don’t want her hurt again.”

“By me, you mean.” He said that was right and she didn’t know if she liked his bluntness or not. “I’m just a man that is in love with his mate and I want to protect her as well. She’s had enough going on in her life right now without you hurting her too.” He smiled and put out his hand. “I’ll give you a chance if you’re willing to understand that she will forever come first in my life, and I won’t allow anyone to take advantage of her.”

“I only want what’s best for her as well.” The two of them shook hands. “Thank you for that, Stone. I really do thank you for giving me this chance.”

Since they had arrived so late, Harman had to take care of his plans in the morning. Stone told her that they’d go shopping for a little bit, then head to the airport again. She wasn’t just given a room but an empty bag as well. After Storm explained how it worked, all she could think about was a warm pair of pajamas and slippers. The rest could wait. Right now, she was mentally and physically exhausted and wanted to get home to her little girl.

Chapter 6

Sage was at the airport with Hailey. They’d been getting her some clothing that she could take back with her, and they were having a good time. The little girl was like her, nervous at first about the trip, but almost as soon as Rain and Storm joined them, they were having the time of their lives. And spending money had never been so fun for her before.

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