Burned, p.6
BURNED, page 6
“She’s a nurse. Ha! You remember Jillian from my time in the joint? She wants to ‘take care of me.’” He leaned on one crutch, scrunchin’ two fingers up and down in quotations.
“You’re a dipshit, Kevin. And ‘joint’ means prison, dumbass.”
“Close enough.”
I inched closer to the livin’ room, tryin’ to peer over the back of the couch to set my eyes on Everlea. Although probably unnecessary, I figured I’d better check to make sure the damn cat wasn’t maulin’ her, but it seemed like the thing thought she was its mama. They were both asleep, and I could hear the cat purrin’ from where I stood at the edge of the kitchen.
I didn’t know why I felt the need to check on her, but I did and it annoyed me.
“What?” Kevin cocked his head to the side, considerin’ me. “You like her.”
“Shut up, Kevin.”
“You do! Holy shit. Never thought we’d see the day.”
“Fuck off. She ain’t bad to look at, that’s all. Even you can agree with that.”
“What the fuck’s that mean?”
“Nothin’. I got work to do,” I said, reachin’ for my dirty work gloves on the counter.
“Whatever. Just be sure not to talk too much, if you wanna get laid.”
“I’ve known her two days, Kevin. Save your words of wisdom for your date.”
The sound of a quiet little car approachin’ saved me from any more heart to heart.
“There she is. Alright, brother. Wish me luck. I’m hopin’ for a sponge bath at her place.” He took a deep breath and held it, released it slow, then flashed a grin Lucifer himself would be proud of, pulled the screen door open, and hobbled through it. “Don’t wait up.”
With Kevin gone and the girls nappin’, I had time to get some work done. It had been pilin’ up, but the horses were fed and watered and grazed out in the paddocks.
What to make for dinner? Somethin’ easy but fulla good stuff for Mrs. Mitchum. Stew. We had some venison left from Dean’s last haul and all the fresh vegetables from the market, so I set about gettin’ it all ready, and when I’d thrown the last potato in the pot, my phone rang. It occurred to me then Everlea didn’t have a phone. Or at least, I hadn’t seen her use one. Kinda odd in this day and age.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, brother.”
“What’s goin’ on, Finn? See that stud yet?” I stepped out onto the porch so I wouldn’t wake my new houseguests.
“Yep, just had a look. He’s a handsome fucker, a handful too. The auction’s in the mornin’. We’ll get him and head over to Rapid City, see what we can see. What’s goin’ on there? Dean said Ma’s sick again?”
“Yeah. She’s here, sleepin’ upstairs. I think she wants to stay here till…”
I heard the pain in the crack of Finn’s voice. “Um, so, how long then?”
“I dunno, Finn. Doc said there’s no way to know. They’re gonna try more chemo but—”
“What’s goin’ on? Finn?” Jay nagged in the background.
“Hold on, Jay, dammit.”
“Maybe you oughta head back after Rapid City, just in case. The stud’s the only horse we need. The other auction was just a long shot.”
“Yeah, I’ll let the boys know. Call if there’s any change.”
“I will, Finn.”
“Hey, what’s this Kevin says ’bout some woman stayin’ at the house?”
“It’s nothin’.”
“Sure sounds like somethin’, way Kevin tells it.”
“Uh huh. And how often does listenin’ to Kevin ever work out for ya?”
“You got me there, brother, but somethin’ tells me, this time, he ain’t wrong.” He sniggered, and I could tell he was suspicious and laughin’ at my expense. Damn Kevin.
“I got work to do. See you when you get back.”
“That you will. I’ll be glad to get away from these ripe assholes. See ya.” He hung up, and two minutes later, my phone pinged with a text from Jay:
Tell Ma we love her.
I set a timer on my phone to remind me to put some dough in the oven so we’d have fresh bread with dinner and headed out to tend to my blissfully silent horses. If I had to listen to one more opinion about what I should or shouldn’t do, I was gonna strangle somebody.
Sex, sure. I wouldn’t have minded gettin’ my hands on Everlea for that. In fact, I had a hard time thinkin’ about much else with her livin’ in my house, but there was no way in hell I’d jump into a relationship with the woman. I already knew she lied. And that bag in her house? She would run at some point.
So, why would I bother?
Chapter Six
Everlea
Waking slowly, awareness coming back into my body an inch at a time, starting in my toes, I felt safe. Instinctively, I knew it was unusual, but I was too comfy and warm to care. I heard people murmuring in low voices and the clanking and sliding of silverware on ceramic plates, but when I opened my eyes, the first thing to register in my mind was the darkness outside. It seemed wrong.
Feeling the first hint of panic when I finally realized I didn’t know where I was and couldn’t remember falling asleep, I sprang up off the couch, automatically assuming a fighting stance, a heavy quilt falling and pooling around my bare feet. No shoes? Where were my shoes? I never went without them, even in sleep. My lungs heaved in quick heaps of breath, and my heartbeat pounded in my head.
The screen door to my left was thrown open, and suddenly, he stood in front of me.
Jackson.
Jack.
His hands went up in front of his chest, and my eyes went straight to them, looking for weapons. Why would Jack have weapons? I relaxed my stance and straightened. Jack was a good guy. I knew that instinctively too. Maybe not a very friendly guy, but good. I was safe in his house for the moment.
“Everlea, honey, you awake?” Mrs. Mitchum called from the kitchen. I looked around desperately, trying to find somewhere to hide. I needed a minute to collect myself.
Jack must have recognized the panic in my eyes. “Yes, she’s up. Give her a minute, please,” he called over his shoulder in the direction of Mrs. M’s voice, his eyes kind and never leaving mine.
The air became silent and still around me, so I lowered myself back down to the couch and tried to stop shaking.
He walked slowly over and sat next to me, covering my trembling hands with his large, warm, rough ones and waited for me to look up. When I did, it took every ounce of strength and self-preservation in me not to cry and fall into his arms. He wanted to help me, to calm and steady me. I saw it in his eyes. He had no reason to want to do that. Why? Could he really be that good and kind of a person? Did those kinds of people really exist?
I’d given something away just then, in my fight or flight response. Did he understand that?
If he did, he didn’t say.
“It’s okay,” he said softly, so no one else could hear. “Everything’s okay. You’re safe.”
The low rumble of his voice was so soothing, I imagined for a moment I really was safe, and an almost silent sob escaped me before I could stop it. I’d been so not safe for such a long time. I had no idea what safe felt like. If this was it, if he was it, I could lose myself in him.
No. My attraction to him was clouding my mind. I wasn’t safe. Anywhere. Not here. I wouldn’t let this aberration in time ruin everything I had been planning and preparing for. I’d let Jack get to me before, let my guard down, but I couldn’t let it continue.
Dropping my hands from his, I practically jumped off the couch. “No. I’m fine,” I lied. “Just a little headache. Do you have any more coffee?”
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that his were closed, and he’d pulled his hands into hard fists, but then he stood, slowly faced me, and opened them again.
I stared straight ahead, trying desperately to hold on to some kind of control, to signal to him that I was fine on my own—I didn’t need his help. But I felt a profound pull to look at him. It confused me, and for just a second, I felt defenseless and my eyes snapped to his. There was something on his face, in his expression, his soul, that I felt in mine.
I didn’t know what it was, but I struggled not to reach for him.
Shit. I jerked my mental walls back into place, and instead, walked away from him to the kitchen.
I’d been shoveling food into my mouth at an alarming rate, even to me. I might’ve even moaned a couple times. It was a little embarrassing, but I was so hungry and thirsty. I’d only been able to eat a few bites this morning, but the nausea was gone so I assumed it safe to eat and drink again. If it weren’t, I’d be sorry later but for now, I was ravenous and there was a feast in front of me.
Finally, I took a break from my animal-like consumption of calories to breathe and to wash the food in my mouth down with some delicious coffee. When I looked up to locate my mug, there were three sets of eyes on me, watching me.
Mrs. M looked a little worried, like she thought I might choke on my food, a possibility for sure since I barely bothered to chew before gulping it down my throat. Kevin laughed under his breath, leaning back in his chair.
And Jack— I didn’t know what the look on Jack’s face meant. Was it… pleasure? Satisfaction?
He looked pleasantly smug, but when he noticed me looking, his face changed into the hard, guarded mask I’d seen before. I dropped my eyes to the table. He was still annoyed about me being in his house. I felt bad about it and was frustrated with the situation, too, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it at the moment, and there was still food on my plate, so I dug back in. I couldn’t help it. I was that hungry.
Kevin and Mrs. M chatted lightly while I continued to gorge myself. When I could finally slow down and eat like a normal human, I realized what I’d been eating was absolutely delicious. I hadn’t had a homemade meal like it since I was eleven years old. And I definitely hadn’t sat around a table with family or friends, chatting and enjoying good food since then either.
“What is this? It’s so good,” I asked, my mouth full of potatoes, looking up in anticipation of the answer to my question.
My eyes desperately wanted to zoom in on Jack. I still felt drawn to look at him, but thankfully, I spotted a half-eaten loaf of fresh baked bread sitting in a little wooden basket. I smelled it from where I sat at the other end of the table. I eyed it with longing until Kevin barked out a laugh, grabbed the whole breadbasket, and shoved it at me.
“Here, have at it.” He chuckled.
“But slowly, dear,” Mrs. M warned.
Tearing a piece off, I took a big bite. Okay, so maybe I hadn’t slowed down that much.
“It’s venison stew. Isn’t it good? Jack made it,” Mrs. M said, and I whipped my head up to look at the man in question. No way that big rough-and-tumble guy made this. He was big and strong enough to lift my whole body with one hand, but cook a delicious, tender meal with fresh baked bread? I guess that was kind of sexist of me but come on.
Wait, did she say venison? So, I was eating Bambi? It kind of made me sad, but it was so good. I didn’t eat a lot of meat. I wasn’t a vegetarian or anything, just didn’t usually spend the extra money. I kept a bottle of multivitamins in my car and in my duffel to replace the lack of iron and other nutrients from being on the road a lot.
“You made this?” I asked, disbelief clear in my voice.
He nodded once with an expressionless look on his face. A man of many words, he was not.
Mrs. M looked at him, frowning. “Oh now, don’t let him fool you. Jack cooks all the time. He’s modest. I taught all the boys to cook. In fact, one of ’em makes a big Sunday dinner every week. Whose turn is it this week?”
“Mine technically,” Kevin replied, “but seein’ as I’m injured and all, I guess the honor will go to Jack since Finn is MIA.”
“So, you two are brothers?” I deduced with my mouth still full of bread. “How many of you are there?”
“Five boys, dear. Well, they’re men now.” There was obvious pride in Mrs. M’s voice. “Kevin here is the rascal of the bunch,” she said, motioning to him across the table with a wave of her hand, and he snickered. “By the way, what happened with your date, Kevin? You said you’d be late.”
“Oh, uh, yeah, it didn’t— It wasn’t— Oh, just never you mind.”
Mrs. M eyed Kevin for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. She turned back to me. “The others are up in Montana at an auction. They’ll be back in a few days. Never a dull moment ’round here.”
“Five?” My eyebrows shot up in surprise, the stitches on my forehead pulling and protesting the little bit of movement.
I couldn’t imagine five siblings at all, especially five big guys like Jack and Kevin rambling around in this old house. I was an only child, and even when my parents were alive, besides my grandma, I hadn’t known any other family members, if there were any. My parents had been only children too. They probably had cousins or something, but I’d never looked into it. I was better off alone anyway.
Less people to be hurt that way.
“Yes,” she said proudly, “and I taught them all to cook and clean so one day, when they marry and have families, they will be able to impress everyone with their fine homemakin’ skills. I was kinda hopin’ the impressing would happen sooner rather than later. Luckily, I’m a patient woman.”
Jack grumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t hear, and Kevin laughed out loud at him. Mrs. M smiled but didn’t make a peep.
“I got work to do,” he said as he stood from his chair, threw his napkin on top of his empty plate, and marched out the kitchen door. He was so moody. He’d been so gentle and kind to me in the living room just a little while before, but he obviously still felt angry having to deal with me at all. I made a mental note to stay out of his way.
“So,” I said after the screen door clapped shut behind him, “Mrs. M, how are you feeling? I feel terrible. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I sat back in my chair, pushing my empty plate away from me, but I dipped my finger in the leftover sauce and licked it like a three-year-old.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, dear. I’m doin’ just fine.” She patted my hand on the table. “You must’ve needed the rest.”
“I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know what came over me at the hospital. I swear, I’m not usually so ridiculous.”
Kevin barked out another laugh. “You should be embarrassed. You were like a tornado on two legs, way I heard it.”
My face turned apple-red and I hung my head.
“Nonsense”—Mrs. M stared at Kevin with threat of bodily harm in her eyes—“everyone has a bad day every now and then.”
“I’m supposed to be helping you,” I said, shaking my head, which of course, hurt and I winced. Kevin laughed again. I’d formed the opinion that he didn’t have much of a filter between his brain and mouth, but it made me like him more. He reminded me of myself.
“No matter. You’ll help me now.” Her smile was so open and kind that I felt like I might cry. “Now, you’ll wanna wash up.” She stood and began to clear the dishes from the table. “There are fresh towels and toiletries for you in the bathroom. Can’t miss it. First door on the right at the top of the stairs. Bring me your clothes when you finish, please, and I’ll wash ’em. Kevin laid out some fresh ones for you.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that, Mrs. M. I’ll take care of it. You’ve all done so much for me already.” I looked down at the awful powder blue scrubs I still wore. “Thank you so much.”
“Nonsense, young lady. Bring ’em to me. Now shoo. Go take your shower. Relax.”
Just as I opened my mouth to argue, a cat jumped up onto the kitchen table and headbutted me.
“Iggy!” I pulled her to my chest, nuzzling my nose in her silky fur. “Where did you come from, silly girl?”
“Jack went ahead and brought her over,” Kevin said, standing, and he limped over to take the dishes from Mrs. M. “Sit,” he told her. Iggy watched him and meowed, and he made a sound between a snort and a hiss. “That cat is somethin’ else. She’s been followin’ me around since she got here, scoldin’ me with her judgy yips and yowls. What’d I ever do to you, huh?” he asked her. She stopped cuddling me for a few seconds to glare at him, and she made a little noise that sounded a lot like “hmph.”
“You sit,” Mrs. M scolded him. “You’re gonna ruin that leg of yours. I’m perfectly capable of taking a few plates to the sink.” She took the plates from his hands, eyeing him until he sat in her chair. “Good boy.”
“But how did he get in? I didn’t give him the key.” Damn it. He just helped himself? What had Jack seen in my house? My heart dropped into my stomach.
“I think he probably woulda broken in, but Mrs. Masterson showed up. Here, she said you can give it back later.” He pushed some folded papers and a single key toward me from the middle of the table. “She gave him those papers for you, too, somethin’ ’bout a new fridge.”
“Oh, o-okay. Thanks.”
“By the way, you know you talk in your sleep?” He laughed again.
What? No. I didn’t know that. I’d never been around anyone while I slept, not for a long time anyway.
“Don’t worry, you didn’t say anything embarrassin’, Everlea. You talked a little about a monster and huntin’, of all things. Must’ve been havin’ a bad dream.”
“Yeah, I guess. Must be all the fresh air out here,” I joked, but my voice sounded thin and shaky. I hoped they hadn’t noticed.
Jack seemed like a gentleman, so maybe he hadn’t snooped when he’d gone to my house, but if he had… I’d need to come up with a reason for what he might have found there.
First things first. I needed a shower, and I didn’t want to rush out to find Jack. That would give me away for sure. Plus, the hot water would help ease the pounding in my head. The food helped, especially the coffee I’d had with dinner, but I still felt sore and achy and a shower would address that.
“You stay here, Iggy, and make friends. I’m gonna go take that shower. Top of the stairs?”
