Page 4 of Candygrams

I grab a chair and pull it over to the shelving on the side of the room in the back. I need to lift the big, heavy mixing bowl up to the top shelf. Because it’s heavy we don't use it a lot so somewhere up high is perfect for it, if I can shove it up there. I step up on the chair and feel it wobble under me. I really should have someone here when I do this, but it’s one of the last things I can do today by myself. And damn it, I hate asking for help.

I lift the heavy bowl and start to raise it over my head. There is a moment, just a quick one when I realize my mistake. It is over too quickly to do me any good as I lose my balance and start to fall off the chair. The only things going through my head are curse words and telling myself how stupid I am for doing something like this. Also, I think about how Lolly is going to ride my ass about not being more careful. She's going to have a field day with this when she finds out. It is the very last thing that goes through my head as the ground rushes up to meet me.

To make matters even worse, the bowl I was trying to put up falls too... and lands right on my head once I've hit the ground. My eyes close and I wonder if it will be for the last time. Is this how I die? Am I going to become a ghost and haunt this bakery forever? What will happen to the girls? All the thoughts rushing in my head quieten down and darkness swallows me up. Maybe death won't be so bad? This is probably the most rest I've gotten in years. It only took me conking myself over the head to achieve it.

Chapter Four

Storm

I pull up to the store and look in the large windows, but I don't see any movement. I wonder for just a second if I missed her for the day. I had to go to the city for a little while and left last night so I could get an early start this morning. I made good use of my time learning about my little Candy Cane. Some of the things I learned tell me how I should go from here.

Candy was close to finishing a four-year degree in culinary arts when she stopped and began working more with pastry and bread. One of the reasons she quit was one of her teachers. The douchebag hit on her and when she turned him down, he used his connections in the restaurant world to get her kicked out of the program. She had her life derailed, and that bag of douche continued on like nothing ever happened - he even has a show on Food Network.

I'm currently looking into ways to get that canceled and have his ass blacklisted. No one fucks with my girl. I don't even care that this was a year before I met her or that she's done well for herself despite that cock knobbler. He has to pay. If my tough-as-nails sugar drop told him no and to go get fucked how many other women who aren't as brave and strong as her did he try this with.

I also found out that she doesn't have a place to stay. Last night when I followed her to see where she was going after the girls closed up, she led me right to her friend Lilly's house. She's been staying with Lilly or Bonny since they decided to open the store. She spent the first week in the apartment, but she couldn't stay in it last night and tonight because they painted it.

Maybe she's already gone for the day. I know where Bonny and Lilly both live. I could always drive by and find out which one her car is at. The little nagging voice that has led me to a lot of really awesome business deals tugs at me and makes me stay. She might be in the back finishing up. I hop out and knock when I find the door locked. It’s not unusual for the girls to lock the door if they aren't going to be up front. I knock again. When I don't get an answer, I go around the building to see if any of their cars are parked in the little parking lot there. Sure enough, Candy's car is out back.

I go back around and knock again. When I still get no reply this time, that voice is all but screaming at me. I take the key to the building I keep on my keychain and let myself in. I yell out but no one answers. I go around the glass displays up front. The girls have worked their asses off the past week and it shows. This place looks amazing.

I don't hesitate to go behind the counter and push the little door to the back open. Once I do, I am down on my knees in seconds. Laying on the floor in a puddle of blood is Candy, broken crockery all around her.

"Candy! Candy, baby!" I call her name, but she doesn't move. I move the chair out of the way and kneel down beside her. I roll her gently to her back afraid to move her too much until I find out what happened. "Candy, baby, can you hear me? Can you hear me, Candy?"

I check her neck, but it doesn't feel broken. There is a wound on her head where the skin has split open and a goose egg on the other side. I lift her into my arms and lap.

"Candy, open those pretty eyes for me. Please, baby."

Her lids flutter and my heart starts beating again. She opens her eyes to stare up at me and tries to reach out to touch me.

"Don't move, baby. Just let me look you over first."

"Don't hit on me. And don't call me Candy." Those are the prettiest words I could ever hear. They mean she's not as hurt as I first thought.

"Candy, baby, I have to check you over."

"Can you please stop yelling?"

I'm not yelling. Her head must be really hurting. Even though she's talking to me she's closed her eyes again like what little light that is coming in hurts them. She reaches up to touch her head but I stop her by taking her hand in mine.

"No, no. Don't touch it, baby. I’ve got to take you to a hospital."

"No," she shakes her head and then tries to grab it again, "I don't want to go to a hospital."

"I don't really care what you want right now, baby. You need to go see a doctor and you'll soon find that I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe and healthy."

"Stop telling me what to do. And stop yelling at me."

"Baby, I'm not yelling." She finally opens her eyes again.

I lift her from the floor and make my way over to the long island counter in the middle of the bakery. She doesn't fight me when I lift her up but when I lay her down on the counter, she starts wiggling like she might be trying to work her way down.

One of the reasons I brought her over here is so I can get a better look at her but another reason is that my phone is over here.

"Lay back, Baby, so I can check you over and make sure you're alright."

"Isn't this a health code violation or something? I'm pretty sure my ass isn't supposed to be on the same place the sweet things are."

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