Riordan (5 page)

“Your Aunt Lynn has gone to the store. She said that you were out of everything. I’ve

looked. She’s right. You can’t live on just cereal. It’s not good for you and—” Storm cleared her

throat again. “Right. Where are they? Aunt Sally is counting out the drawer. She’s been doing it

for over two hours. I don’t think she is good with money. I sent my husband to help her out. The

credit card machine is giving her fits, she said.”

“She forgets to send the money to the account nightly. I’m sure that’s all it is.” Storm was

feeling slightly better and sat up a little more. “I don’t know you, do I?”

“No. My husband is the man you…well, he helped you out the other day when he brought

you up here.”

Storm had no idea what she was talking about, then realized what she’d said. “Other day?

How long have I been here?” Bri told her. “Three days? I’ve been unconscious for three days?

What the fuck is she thinking?”

“I’m thinking she thought you needed it or you wouldn’t have slept all this time. And don’t

you dare get out of that bed.” Something about her tone had Storm pause in tossing the blanket

off her. “Now. We’re going to sit here and have a lovely conversation, you and me. I should

explain to you who I am. I’m the idiot’s mother. And while I don’t normally think of Riordan as

an idiot, I believe this time he was out of line.”

“I know a lot of idiots, ma’am; perhaps you can narrow it down.” The smile made her think

of the man who had been in the day before…well, a few days ago. “You’re Mac’s mother. And

the wife of the man…Mr. Harrison. I hurt him and he…my aunts spiked my ass and I fell into

unconsciousness.”

“Yes. That’s right. He feels horrible for what he did to you. I’ve never met you before this,

but I bet you don’t go around pointing guns at men all the time. He startled you, that’s all it

was.”

“Mrs. Harrison, I’m armed all the time.” Storm pushed her hand up under the pillow she was

on and pulled out a gun, then laid it on her lap. “In this room alone, there are four of them. Two

in the kitchen area and one in my bathroom. In my cooking area, there are at least six, one under

the counter in the front, and two in the dining area. It’s not much of a dining area right now, but

it will be if this business keeps up.”

“Is it because you’re afraid, or is it because of what happened to you when you were in the

service?” Storm told her both. “I see. And when you pulled the gun on Ordan, did you have

intentions of killing him or…or just frightening him?”

“I don’t know.” When Bri nodded and stood up, Storm stretched out her legs. She was going

to have to get up soon or she’d stiffen up to the point where she’d need help getting out of the

bed. Right now it was iffy if she was going to be able to stand after being down for three days.

“I’m going to have to move soon. I don’t want to be rude, but I have to get up and into the

shower.”

“Can I help you?” Storm told her to not touch her. “You’re very rude. I’m thinking you and

Riordan will suit better than I thought. Would it hurt you to say please or thank you once in a

while?” Her smile made Storm think that while she was more than likely serious in her request,

she wasn’t really upset about it.

“Who is Riordan? Oh, the idiot. I don’t want him to touch me either. I hurt in too many

places for touching to be possible.” Storm sat on the edge of her bed and counted to ten while she

let out a low breath. It was what she’d learned to do when the doctors at the hospital in country

had told her she’d never walk again without assistance. The blanket was still over her legs, but

she’d have to get rid of that to walk. The woman was going to get an eyeful if she was still

around when she got up. “I’m not…I’ve been hurt badly. When I stand up…if I manage to stand

up, you’re going to wish you’d left a while ago.”

“Why is that?” Storm pulled the blanket from her body. Few people saw her this way, and

she thought that the only ones who had seen her entire body had been the doctors and nurses.

She’d not looked herself…it was just too much. “Oh, you poor girl.”

For reasons that she couldn’t explain, Storm didn’t want to lash out at the woman. She’d had

people say the same thing to her before, nurses who hadn’t been around her much. Doctors that

had thought to come by her bed and see if they could reason with her. Storm didn’t do reason.

She was someone who got things done. But Mrs. H sounded sincere in her sorrow. When she

came closer to her, Storm pulled the blanket back over herself.

“They thought they were going to have to take them off. From the knees down. The doctor

told me afterwards that they still might have to, but then I started to walk. I’m not one to give up

easily.” Bri said she could see that. “The bones are weak still and there is a lot of muscle damage

that might not ever heal, but I move around now and that’s enough for me.”

“I read about it. Not who you were…the papers kept that out of the news. I wasn’t sure why

until I talked to your aunts. They said that because of what you were in the service, they were

keeping it quiet. That you were more than just a soldier.” Storm didn’t say anything as Bri

continued. “She told me what you did while you were hanging there, too. She told me that they

found you in a tree. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know who told her that, but that’s not for…I would appreciate it if you said nothing

about that.” Bri nodded and sat down. “I’m hoping you can see now why your son shouldn’t

pursue this any further. I’m not really the type of woman he should be dating, much less taking

as a mate.”

“I don’t know why you’d think that.” Storm nodded to her legs. “I’m sure that the two of

you got off on the wrong foot. Riordan has been…I’m not sure what’s been wrong with him of

late, but he didn’t do well with you. But as far as what you’ve been through, I’m sure that it will

matter little to him what you look like so long as you’re happy.”

“But I’m not. Happy.” Storm stood up and held onto the wall near her bed until she thought

she could move. “I’m really sorry about this. But I’d really be grateful if you told your son to

stay away. I know that so long as there is no contact with us sexually, or that he never takes my

blood, he should be fine. But this is not something I want. Not now and not ever.”

Bri didn’t say anything, but she did follow her to the bathroom. When she reached into the

stall and turned on the water, Bri asked her if she needed anything before she left. After telling

her that she was fine, the woman left her and Storm stripped down. Without looking in the mirror

that hung over the sink, Storm got into the shower. Closing her eyes as she usually did when

naked, she scrubbed her body until it ached.

Dressing wasn’t usually so difficult. Pulling on a pair of jeans took her ten minutes longer

than it should have. Not even bothering with shoes and socks, she moved to the closet and pulled

out the first shirt she touched. They were all the same anyway…dark with no pockets, and too

long even for her tall body. Pulling it over her head, she made her way to the stairs. Going down

them had always been a scary job, but today it was positively terrifying. As she got to the

bottom, Storm stood there for several seconds just to get her heartbeat under control again. Her

Aunt Lynn was the first person she saw.

“Well, look who’s up and about. I was going to bring some food up for you later. What can I

make you to eat?” Storm told her she wasn’t hungry. “Well, too bad. I’m going to make you

something and you’re going to eat it. You can pick or I can make you something I like.”

“A sandwich. But I really am not hungry. I’m…I hurt.” Aunt Lynn told her that she knew

and kissed her on the cheek as she moved by her to the large refrigerator.

Aunt Sally came into the kitchen with a cash bag and receipts. She looked like she’d been

run through the ringer.

“That nice Mr. Harrison helped me out, but I don’t want to have to do that again. I was over

six hundred dollars in the hole until he showed up. Then poof, there it was.” Storm was terrified

to think that they’d only made that much in the three days that she’d been down. At this rate,

they’d be lucky if they made it for another two months. “Yesterday wasn’t so bad. But Mrs.

Harrison did the paperwork then. And Lynn did it the first time. You’re going to be happy to

know that I’m quitting as the cashier, too. Those things scare the beeswax out of me.”

“I’ve heard the word shit a few times, Aunt Sally.” She huffed at her and sat down across

from her. “How has Danny been working out? Or has he stopped coming?”

“Danny has been here every day and is doing a fine job. And we hired another man that

came by, too.” Aunt Lynn sat beside her and put a sandwich and chips with a large glass of tea in

front of her as Aunt Sally continued. “Mr. Harrison interviewed him for us. Such a nice man. Did

you know that he and his wife have been helping us out, too? Bri, we’re to call her that, she’s

been trying her hand at baking. And she’s done a fine job, but I think she and Ordan have had the

most fun working the front for us. Lynn and I have been baking things and then selling them,

too. I forgot how much fun it was. But I can see why you took it over for us. It’s a lot of hard

work for a couple of old women.”

“Neither of you is old. I’m really sorry that I had to put you through this. I hope you kept

track of what they worked. I need to pay them, too.” Aunt Lynn shook her head. “Yes, I do. I

don’t know how well we did, but we can’t owe people like them money.”

“You did very well. Extremely well, as a matter of fact. And we kept track of the hours and,

believe it or not, they only wanted pastries in trade. Ordan has a real sweet tooth, and Bri wanted

breads for her Sunday dinners with her family.” Storm was looking over the books for the last

three days and looked at Aunt Lynn.

“Is this right?” She nodded and smiled. “We made twenty grand in three days? What the hell

were you selling that was worth that much?”

“Well, it’s not all pastries. Your aunt and I did a few tricks on the side. It was sort of fun, but

men are such pigs.” Storm stared at her with wide eyes until she laughed. “You should see your

face. No, it’s not that. We sold that old cabinet in the back, the one you wanted to use as a

display. The man gave you eight thousand for it. I know that I should have asked, but he made us

a deal. We can go to his shop and get some tables and chairs for out front, and he’ll sell them to

us for half price.”

“What kind of shop?” Her aunts said they’d been there and it was nice. “An antique shop?

And he just happens to have tables and chairs for us?”

“Yes. Why are you always so suspicious of people, darling?” Storm didn’t say anything, but

they seemed to understand. “We’re going to go over there tonight and pick out five sets if he has

them. That way when our customers want to have a seat, we can let them.”

Storm didn’t tell them to be careful. Her aunts might be elderly, and they might seem a little

off at times, but neither of them would be taken advantage of, and no one would pull the wool

over their eyes. If the man was thinking to take them for a ride, he was going to be in for a huge

surprise. Her aunts were as crafty as they came, and not the glitter and glue kind.

~~~

Riordan had been summoned home. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew better

than to tell them he was too busy. When he told his dad that it would take him a little bit to have

Christina clear his morning, his dad told him to clear the day. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t

happy with him. Riordan thought about getting another dozen roses to take to Mom, but thought

she might shove them in his face.

Christina had told him just before she’d left yesterday that she had the information on The

Bakery. Then she’d asked him if he read the article that she’d sent him. He told her that he’d

forgotten about it. For the rest of the day, she only left him notes if she wanted him to know

something, and then when he had to talk to her, she was short and ill-tempered. There had to be

something going on that no one had told him about. And just as he was pulling up the link she’d

sent him, his dad had called to tell him to come home. Now.

His mom led him to the living room, a room that was warm and comfortable usually, but

today felt frosty. His mom asked him to have a seat. When he was seated, she told him how

disappointed she was in him.

“In me? What did I do?” She looked at his dad, and so did he. “I’ve been working. And if

this is about that woman, I want you to know how sorry I am that I embarrassed you with this.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell her I’m sorry, too, but she’s been out of the shop. I

honestly don’t think I did anything wrong with her, but I’m going to apologize to her so you

won’t be mad at me.”