Page 36 of Pick Yourself Up
Love for her brother roared through her. He was always seeking ways to bring them together. Thinking of what would be best for them all.
She blinked against the sudden moisture in her eyes even as Boomer nuzzled her hand and Gray’s arm tightened around her shoulders.
It was definitely time to talk it out.
Knox studied her with a small frown, but didn’t mention her emotions. Instead, he nodded at her. Was he reading her mind now?
Jolie bounced in from the back door and clapped her hands. “It smells like heaven in here. If Lawson and Burke could smell it, they’d be making plans to visit.”
Ford followed her in and grinned.
Jolie took another deep sniff. “We need smell-o-vision. Is that ready? Want me to grab some mugs?”
That scent would be an excellent addition to the rooms in the B&B. Not candles, as lots of people had adverse reactions to them. Maybe jars of cinnamon sticks? But what about the apple part of the equation? She’d have to think about that. Scent was an important part of a welcoming space, but many people had scent sensitivities, especially to artificial products.
Thea entered as they were setting up the video chat on the kitchen table. “Hemsworth and Fox are playing tag in the orchard. I didn’t have the heart to force him inside.”
Amber knew Fox rarely came indoors, and that Hemsworth enjoyed the outdoors no matter the weather. A pang of guilt stabbed her heart. Was her need to have Boomer at her side preventing him from having fun with his friends?
Gray’s hand on her back guided her to a chair. He sat in the one next to her and took her hand while Boomer squeezed between them and put his head in her lap.
In moments, steaming mismatched mugs were in front of all of them and Knox connected the call. He raised his mug and motioned for them all to follow suit. When Lawson and Burke logged into the chat, they both laughed.
Knox started the conversation. “If you were here, you’d be in on the first taste-test of our apple cider.”
Jolie grinned. “It’s delicious, smells even better, and you’re missing out.”
The conversation moved easily as they all checked in with each other. Amber’s breathing got shallow, and pressure built inside. Boomer whined, and she patted his head. Gray’s arm wrapped around her shoulder and his thumb drew patterns on her skin.
She drew in a deep breath. “I have to tell you all something.”
The room quieted instantly, and Jolie reached across to rub her arm. “Good.”
“What happened, Amber?” Burke’s voice was full of concern and demand. Her brother always wanted to fix all their problems, even when there was nothing to fix.
Deep breath. “Nothing’s wrong now, but I want to tell you what happened a couple of months ago when I was working at The Sidderlight back in Chicago.”
No one said a word, but she knew they all watched her intently. She kept her eyes on Boomer. “Three men entered the lobby when I was working the front desk. They gave me a bad vibe right away, so I prepared the code I’d had Mr. Sidderlight install on the computer. The men wanted access to the elevators and information on a guest. When I refused, they showed me a gun, so I used the code to shut down the computer. That way, I couldn’t give out information.”
Jolie whispered. “Or they would think that. We know you’d have all that information in your head.”
Amber nodded. “As part of the same security upgrade, guests with certain credentials can access the lobby security cameras and get alerts on their phones when the computer shuts down by the code.”
“The men forced me to reboot the computer, but with the code, it requires two authorizations to open. They didn’t like that.”
Her brothers and Gray all growled. The simultaneous sounds were almost enough to make her smile.
Lawson was the first one to speak. “Those fuckers hurt you.”
She didn’t respond but kept talking, focusing on Boomer’s fur and Gray’s thumb circling on her shoulder. “The elevators and stairwells won’t respond without an activated keycard, which I couldn’t do without the computer. Then Gray appeared from the stairwell. He had the three of them out of commission in seconds. He’d also called the police. Between them, it was over quickly.”
Another deep breath. “Anyway, I’ve been jumpy and scared since then. Boomer is trained in personal protection. He helped me get through several shifts, but I couldn’t keep doing it. I was too afraid to stay there, so I resigned and came here. That’s it.”
There was a beat of silence before her siblings all started talking at once.
Jolie squeezed her hand hard, and Knox moved to hug her from behind her chair. He kissed her hair and then hugged her and Gray at the same time. “Thanks, man. Anything you need, it’s yours. Ever and always.”
Knox’s gruff voice had tears swimming in her eyes. She’d managed to keep them inside while telling the story, but now they were slipping out.
