Page 40 of Guarding Over You
Just not so handy if she was going to be stubborn on top of it.
“I might be setting myself up so I’m standing behind a shield right now.”
“Don’t let Kristin get in your head again. Unless you think Arden is just like that.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. He’d already seen the signs that it wasn’t possible.
Arden wasn’t selfish in the least. If anything, she put more out there than she could afford to give and that alone could compound issues.
“Then put it from your mind and focus on what is in front of you instead.”
He stood up. “Thanks for everything.”
Clay stood with him. “Let me know if you need more. It will stay between us. And if you need help. Got the gun still in the place, right?”
“Always,” he said. Not one of them didn’t have one in their home, but he was the only one who didn’t carry it with him concealed, though he could. Too much to risk in his job.
He left the mill, looked at his watch and stopped in to the cafe. It’d be closing in an hour so shouldn’t be too busy, but with any luck there’d be some donuts left and he’d bring them to work tomorrow like many had been asking.
There were five cars in the lot where customers would park, then one in the back. Reenie’s. Meredith and his mother would walk over.
He went to the back door and saw his mother at the mixer getting batter ready for the next morning bake.
“Well, if it isn’t my middle child. What brings you by?”
“Donuts, if you’ve got any left.” No reason to say he went to see Clay. His mother would see right through to something deeper.
“There are some out in the case. Go see what’s available.”
“Looks as if you’ve got customers still though. I don’t want to take them if you can sell them.”
His mother smiled. “Three tables still have people at them. Not sure if anyone else is at the counter just buying sweets, but you won’t know unless you look.”
He moved through the doors, saw Reenie talking to customers at one of the tables and picking up plates, someone else leaving with a bag of goodies in their hand, then another at the counter where Meredith waited on them.
Once that order was done, he moved closer, saw over a dozen donuts left and was stunned.
“What can I get you, Blaze?”
“Can I steal a dozen donuts?” he asked. He pulled his card out and handed it over. His mother would kick his ass for paying for them, but it was the one thing that almost always sold out so he’d make sure the cafe got the money.
Meredith bagged up the donuts for him. “Anything else you want?” She handed his card back.
“How about a peanut butter cookie and raspberry bar?”
There were a dozen of each left and he knew they’d go back into the case tomorrow to be sold right away. If they didn’t, the family or the crew at the mill got them. Only two days in the case. Been a rule his mother had had since he was a child.
Meredith put those two in a bag and handed it over. “Someone has a sweet tooth today,” Meredith said.
“Donuts for work tomorrow. I’ll seal the bag up better. They might not be same day fresh, but no one is going to complain when they’ve been asking for them. The other two are for me.”
“I’m not one to judge. I live with Clay.”
That brother of his had the biggest sweet tooth. “I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten soft by now.”
“Don’t say that too loudly. He’s got big ears,” Meredith said, grinning.
Blaze returned to the kitchen where Reenie was cleaning up next to his mother.
