Page 32 of Just You

“Not too bad. I’ve been busy trying to line up some interviews.”

“For when Mom and Dad are gone?

“Yup, Uncle Jim and I can’t keep this place running all by ourselves. We could really use another cook and an assistant manager to help cover. You know anyone who could handle it?”

“Hmm,” Gray looked up at the ceiling as he scratched his beard. “Maybe, let me think about it.” Kane joined us, catching his attention. “Hey, you haven’t been getting too bored around here, have you?” He bumped Kane with his shoulder, not moving his massive body an inch.

“Nah, it’s been good. Definitely a lot better than some of the places you’ve sent me in the past. Fred here has been taking real good care of me,” he said with one of those damn smirks. I spun around quickly to hide my reddening cheeks, and started making a fresh pot of coffee.

“Great, let’s go sit down for a second. I have some things I want to talk to you about.” They walked back to the booth that Kane had claimed as his own and began a discussion I couldn’t hear.

A group of moms came in with their toddlers and that took the majority of my attention until Gray tossed a wave my way as he left. The dinner rush started after that and I didn’t get another chance to talk to Kane until we were locking up for the night.

“So, your brother gave me tomorrow off,” he hinted, emptying the trash and replacing the bag.

“Oh really,” I signed off on the closing balance of the register and put the cash into the bank bag to drop off later. “That’s very interesting considering I have tomorrow off, too.”

“I seem to remember you saying something about that,” he smiled at me. “Since we both coincidentally have the same day off, how about I sneak you into my place tonight so we can spend the whole day together in a bed that isn’t made for children.”

“It is not,” I playfully slapped him, “but I agree, it’s way too small for you. Let’s swing by my house and pick up Mr. Fluffernuts on the way.” Kane had brought him over so that he wasn’t home all alone. I had become pretty attached to the little guy. I put the bank bag in the office safe before meeting him at the back door to set the alarm and close up. We stepped outside together and I turned to lock the deadbolt.

When I was done, I realized Kane had moved in front of me, still holding the bags of trash. His jaw was clenched and was staring daggers at a black truck parked across the street. That building housed the dentist, a phone store and florist. They all closed pretty early and there was no reason someone should be parked there right now.

Kane’s hand drifted to his back where I knew he had a weapon hidden. My heart began to race as the car backed out of the spot and slowly drove past us. The windows were a dark tint and there was no way to see who was inside.

“It was probably just kids making out,” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince myself or him, probably both.

“Yeah, come on,” he walked me to my car and locked me inside before going back to take the trash to the dumpster. I pulled my phone out and held it tightly in my fist as I watched him, terrified that the truck would come back. He rounded the car and got into the drivers’ seat before pulling out his own phone and firing off a text.

“Everything okay?” I asked as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

“Yeah, baby, I’m just going to have Roe check out the plates to make sure.”

We drove in silence, Kane taking the longer route and checking all the mirrors frequently. I knew he was doing it to be cautious but he was honestly freaking me out. I wasn’t trained for this sort of thing and by the time we pulled into my driveway, my nerves were shot.

“Let’s go inside,” he squeezed my knee and climbed out, rounding the car to open my door for me. When we reached the front door, I opened it, letting him in behind me before relocking it and setting the alarm.

“Winnie.” I wrapped my arms around myself, hugging my sides as I glanced at him. He placed his hands on my shoulders, rotating my body. “You’re safe, I would never let anything happen to you.”

Some of the tension left my body, “I know that, it’s just that everything became real so quickly. You hear about these terrible things that human beings do to one another, but it’s easy to move on and say ‘that could never happen to me.’ Tonight, you put me in the car to keep me out of danger and I was frightened someone was about to pop out and hurt you. I hadn’t even thought about anyone waiting outside.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, it’s what I’m trained for, baby. And I happen to be protecting something very precious to me at the moment,” he stepped toward me and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb. “How about we stay here tonight and we can go to my place tomorrow?”

I sniffed and nodded my head, I didn’t want to go outside again quite yet and Kane knew that. Mr. Fluffernuts wound his way between us and meowed. “Hey, buddy, you hungry?” I bent down and picked him up, snuggling him against my chest. He began to purr and nuzzle me, giving me comfort just like his owner had.

“How about I get us all some dinner,” Kane said, walking into the kitchen.

As I watched him opening cabinets and gathering food, I thought about his chosen profession. How his entire career had been spent running toward danger instead of away from it. Sure, he had a little more freedom now to choose what jobs he took, but it would always involve putting himself at risk in some way.

He was prepared to do anything to protect me tonight, I had seen the determination on his face and that petrified me. If we stayed together, there was always the possibility that he wouldn’t come home to me, to our family, if we had one. I didn’t know if that was something I could handle.

24

Kane

The usual nightmares had kept me awake, only my brain had added Winnie in a starring role to the worst memories of my life. I tried to save her again and again only to watch her face transform in pain and horror when I couldn’t.

I sat on the side of the bed and scrubbed at my blurry eyes. Mister, I refused to call him Mr. Fluffernuts, rubbed against me expecting breakfast. Pulling on some sweats, I scooped him up so that he didn’t wake Winnie, walking us to her small kitchen. I started the coffee before pouring him some kibble and he attacked the bowl immediately. As I listened to the sounds of the coffee brewing and Mister eating, I thought back on last night.

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