by Leigh, Elisa
“Alright sir, ma’am. I put the food and water bowls in the kitchen. She’s already eaten for today. There is a bag of food, some bones she likes, and her leash on the counter. I also put a folder there with all of the information you’ll need, such as her vet reports, the commands sheet we discussed and a few other things. I also put my card in there, just in case you have any questions.”
He looks at Whitley directly, clearly not talking to me anymore. “Please feel free to give me a call. We want this to work out, and if we can be of any support to you, please let us know. For example, if you’d like to set up a time for onsite guided assistance with using the commands, we can provide that to you.”
“I think we’ve got it, Rider,” I say more aggressively than I should.
Whitley gives me the eyes, and Arya growls at me.
“Fucking perfect,” I mumble under my breath.
“Well if that’s it y’all have a good night.”
I nod at him, and he turns to leave.
“You too, Rider.” Whitley calls.
Rider disappears around the side of the house, and a couple minutes later we hear his truck pull out of our driveway. It’s not until the next day that I notice I have a voicemail from the call I received earlier. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Rider who had called.
Chapter 14
Whitley
It’s Friday night, and I’m making my famous salsa for the girls’ night I’m having. Tina and Andi are coming over to see the house and to watch the new Captain Marvel movie. We’ve been dying to see it but haven’t had the chance to all get-together and watch it. It’s nice to finally hang out with my girls after the last two weeks. It’s been a crazy whirlwind full of many changes. Good changes, but still it’s a lot. Hunter is working his last twenty-four-hour shift of his schedule tonight. When he gets home tomorrow, he will be off for the next five days.
Wednesday, Andi texted me, to tell me she heard Hunter was back in town and working with my dad and brother. When I confirmed it, she asked me to call her to tell her what was going on. I suggested dinner instead. His disappearance was somewhat of a mystery to our small island town, and now that he’s back everyone has been talking about it. That night, Andi and I met for dinner, and I told her all about what’s been going on, leaving out the part about why he left. She wasn’t upset like I was worried she would be. I was relieved that it wouldn’t be a problem. A rift between my oldest and dearest friend was not what I needed. Andi suggested we do a girl’s night when I told her that Hunter was working Friday.
Arya is laying in the kitchen watching me cook and sing off-key. She exudes strength and is smart as a whip. From the moment I saw her, I was in love, a bond formed between us instantly. I have to admit I wasn’t thrilled when Hunter sprung the whole protection dog thing on me. He’s going a bit overboard with his need to keep me protected. Maybe it’s all of his years spent in WITSEC that has him worked up, but I have a feeling he isn’t telling me something, and the little shit is working tonight, so I can’t get it out of him.
Kane Brown is playing through the Echo Dot in my kitchen, when a call comes through, telling me it’s Andi.
“Hey, girl, Hey!” Andi and Tina say the moment I answer, making me laugh.
“Where the hell are you two?” I ask.
“Keep your panties on, we’re like five minutes away,” Tina tells me.
“Did you remember to grab the tequila?” I ask.
“Yes, we got it. That’s kind of the reason we were running late. We made a stop at the liquor store to pick it up, and some guy was there making a scene.” Andi says.
“Oh, really? What happened?”
“I don’t know. He wasn’t from here. He started yelling at the clerk in another language when the guy didn’t give him the amount of change, he thought was owed to him.”
“What language was it?” I ask, worried it could only be one person.
“Hell, if I know.” Andi says while Tina says, “Russian or something like that.”
I know it has to be a coincidence, at least that’s what I try telling myself. I can’t go around being scared of Russian men just because of what happened to Hunter’s family.
I spot Tina’s red convertible Jetta coming up the drive.
“Oh, I see you. Bye.” I hang up and look at Arya. “We’re going to meet some of my friends. Are you ready, girl?” The dog stares at me blankly, waiting for a command.
“Stand,” I say in a calm but firm tone, and she stands. Grabbing her leash from where it’s hanging on the wall, I clip it to her collar. “Come.” I walk to the door and pull it open with Arya walking right beside me. The girls walk into the house and stop to give me a kiss on the cheek. They are carrying some bags for tonight’s festivities.
“The kitchen is right through there,” I say, nodding to the right. They walk to the kitchen to set the bags down. Shutting the door, I lock it and follow them in, still holding onto Arya’s leash. I’ve never had a dog before, so I’m a little nervous about her meeting new people, especially since she is a protection dog. Rider told us she would be able to tell the difference between a friend and a stranger by my reactions and mood. When we walk into the kitchen, I look down at her and say, “Sit.” Unhooking her leash, I tell her “Down,” and she lays on the floor, watching me.
“So, this is your new dog?” Andi asks.
“Yeah, this is Arya.”
Andi kneels down close to her and gives Arya her hand to smell. “Hey, pretty girl. How’s it going?” Moving slowly, she pets her behind the ear.
I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“You know she’s trained right. She’s not going to go around attacking people unless given the command.” Tina laughs.
“Oh, hush. This is my first pet.”
Tina looks at me and then at Andi. “Are you serious? You never had a cat or even a fish growing up?” She asks with wide eyes.
“No, it just wasn’t something we had. I’ve always wanted a dog, though.”
“Here’s your chance then, and you’ve got a damn good one at that,” Andi says.
“Thanks to her new boyfriend.” Tina teases.
“What I want to know is how he can afford all of this on a firefighter’s salary. Look at your mom and dad, could they have afforded something like this when they were first starting out? Ramsey is still living in an apartment for Christ’s sake.” Andi points out.
I look around the house and start mentally tallying up all of the money he spent this weekend when we went shopping. He didn’t even bat an eye when swiping his card. Was it too much? “He said he invested well.”
“He must have invested very well then. A dog like Arya runs at least ten grand and upwards to forty to fifty thousand depending on the company.”
“Don’t lie! This dog cost more than my car?” I shout.
“Probably.” Andi answers.
I just can’t with this conversation.
“Who is ready for margaritas?” Tina asks holding the bottle of tequila they picked up and some strawberry margarita mix.
Andi and I both raise our hands at the same time, and say, “You can count me in.” We turn to each other and burst out laughing.
After Tina makes us the best frozen strawberry margaritas, we take it to the living room with my homemade salsa and tortilla chips. When we’re finished with our first margarita, I take the girls on a tour around the house and end up back in the kitchen where Tina makes us our second drink. By the time we’re at our third, all hopes of watching a movie and making dinner are out the window.
We spend the entire night talking about guys, the good and the bad. Being a plus-size woman can have its drawbacks and finding a man that loves you as you are without trying to change you is rare. In today’s society, it’s all about perception, being the imperfect woman, but in the right way. The way that’s right for society’s standards. I’m tired of trying to get others to accept me as I am. You can either love me, all of me. The curves, sass and all, or you can’t. Hunter has show
n me that I’m worth it all. Never again am I going to let someone dismiss me and make me feel as though I’m less than.
We stop at margarita number three, plenty tipsy and not fit for driving. We end up falling asleep out in the living room, Andi and Tina sharing the couch while I crash on the floor on a pile of blankets and pillows. When the sun peeks through the windows, we’re all awake.
“Next time we’re grabbing an Uber, so we don’t have to crash at your place Whit.” Tina groans as she sips her steaming mug of coffee. We’re all standing on the back patio while Arya walks around in the grass.
“It’s a plan, at least until we get all of our furniture in.”
Andi bumps my shoulder and gives me a soft smile. “I’m happy for you Whit. You know that?”
“Yeah? I can’t believe how calm you are about all of this. If this were reversed, I would be freaking out right now.”
“Whit, everyone knew you and Hunter would end up together one day. Well, except for Ramsey. That man has no idea what’s going on right in front of him. He’s great, don’t get me wrong, but he’s clueless.”
I laugh, knowing exactly what she’s talking about. “Mom told me she knew how I felt about Hunter too. I guess I thought I hid it better than I did.”
“There was no hiding the smile that lit up your face whenever he walked into a room or the way he would stop and give you all of his attention when all of the other guys would ignore us.”
A text comes in, and I check my phone.
“Let me guess, lover boy is on his way home?” Tina asks.
I smile at my friends. “Yeah. He’ll be here soon.”
“We’ll get out of your hair then. We don’t want to intrude.” Andi offers, looping her arm through Tina’s and starts walking back inside.
I follow them in with Arya right beside me. “Y’all are never intruding. I hope you know that.”
Tina wiggles her eyebrows. “Oh, you say that now. Just wait. You’re not going to want us around when he walks through that door. You know I’m right.”
They have a point there. I help them out to Tina’s car and stand there in the driveway as they drive off. When they turn right at the stop sign, I begin walking back to the house. That’s when I spot a black Mercedes sedan parked across the street. I stop and look at the car for a while, something about it rubbing me the wrong way. The windows are tinted, so it’s hard for me to see inside, but I have the feeling that whoever is in there is watching me.
“Come,” I tell Arya firmly and quickly walk into the house and lock the front door. Walking around the house, Arya follows me as I set the alarm and then check to make sure all of the doors and windows are locked. My heart is beating double time in my chest. I hate that I’m so freaked out over something so innocuous, but sometimes you just know. I feel the same way I felt when I noticed my window had been opened, twice. If the person in that vehicle is responsible, I need to know.
“Whitley?” Hunter asks, gripping my shoulder softly.
“Hmm?” I turn toward him.
“You okay baby?”
“Was there a black Mercedes sedan parked across the street when you pulled up?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Tina and Andi just left, so I walked them out. After they turned at the stop sign, I noticed the car.”
“Was there someone in there?”
“The windows were too dark. But it felt like someone was watching me. I came in immediately and locked everything up.”
“You did good baby. Was Arya with you?”
I nod and realize I’m shaking.
“The car wasn’t there when I got here. It was probably someone who was lost and trying to figure out where to go. I’m glad you were observant though and that you had Arya with you. That’s what’s going to keep you safe if something bad ever does happen.”
Hunter threads his fingers with mine. “Take a shower with me?”
“That sounds good,” I mumble, walking with him to the bedroom.
Chapter 15
Hunter
I play the voicemail again, wanting to make sure I heard Marshall McManus correctly.
“We need to talk. I have an update that you’ll want to hear. Call me when you get a chance.”
He never says his name or mine. Nothing identifiable in case someone intercepted the call. Fuck! The voicemail popped up on my phone a couple hours ago. I didn’t recognize the number and assumed it was a telemarketer trying to get me to spend money on some scam. I went to delete the message and just as I was about to push the delete button my phone transcribed the message and I froze. I listened to the message then the tones hit, and I had to put my phone away to go do my job. There was a car accident on the interstate we had to go assist with.
We’ve just made it back to the firehouse, and although it’s been over five hours, I’m still thinking about the voicemail I received earlier. What is the change? Are we in danger? Does the change correlate to what’s going at Whitley’s place? I’ll have to wait until I get home tomorrow morning until I’m able to make the call since my burner cells are in my office. Not knowing what is going on is driving me mad, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.
“What’s up, man?” James asks as I’m checking to make sure the truck bay is cleaned up and in order from our last call.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say not wanting to get into this with him. The fewer people who know, the better.
“You’ve been tense since before we left on the call. Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine,” I tell him, trying not to show him how frustrated I’m becoming with this conversation.
“No trouble in paradise?” He asks grinning. “Whit was always a ballbuster, but damn she’s hot as fuck now, isn’t she? I mean if she weren’t Ramsey’s little sister, I would have tried with her years ago.”
I grab him by the collar and pull him to me, so our faces are mere inches apart. He’s tall, but I’ve still got a few inches on him. “Don’t fucking talk about Whitley. Don’t look at her, don’t fucking think about her. Better yet, forget that she’s ever existed.”
“Chill the fuck out, Hunter. Shit man. I was just trying to say-”
“You had your chance with her when I was gone, but you did nothing. I’m back now, and she’s mine. That won’t be changing. So, don’t fucking talk to me about how hot my woman is James or I will help you forget her, and it won’t be pleasant.” I shout in his face then push him away from me ready for this conversation to be over.
“Fuck you, man. You think you can just come back here and act like nothing has changed. It’s not that easy. You don’t get to walk back into her life and take her.”
“If you wanted her so fucking bad, why didn’t you ever do anything about it?” I yell.
A few of the guys on shift stop what they’re doing and move closer. Some being nosey bastards, some ready if a fight breaks out.
“Ram-”
I point at him. “Don’t you dare use him as an excuse! This has nothing to do with him. Whitley is her own woman. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re just pissed because you didn’t realize how special she was until now. Which is a crying shame since she’s the most special woman I’ve ever known.”
“She wasn’t ready to be with anyone after what that asshole Jeremy did to her junior year.”
What the fuck happened in her junior year. I try thinking back to that time to remember if anything happened. Nothing was ever mentioned that I recall.
“So, what are you telling me, James? You were waiting until she was ready until you made your move?”
His demeanor changes, like he thinks I’ll leave her for some bro code bullshit. Wrong.
“Tell me this then. If you’ve been waiting all this time for Whitley. How many fucking women have you had since then?”
His cheeks tinge red. “We weren’t together, it didn’t matter.”
I crowd into his space and let the prick have it. “Exac
tly! And you two weren’t together when I came back. But you know what? It wouldn’t have mattered. You want to know why? Whitley’s been mine since I was seventeen fucking years old. She was my friend before she was anything else. She was tethered to me in a way that no one else ever has been, and no one has been since. She’s always been mine. So, don’t fucking tell me that you were waiting or that you didn’t want to upset Ramsey. Fuck you James, you sorry ass piece of shit.” I push him away so I won’t do something stupid like hit him and get a demerit. The fuck stumbles back and trips, falling on his ass. Everyone who has gathered around us does nothing but stare at James and me.
When James says nothing, I walk away back into the firehouse and go to the bunk room. I need to chill out before I kick his ass. Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I pull up the live feed I have inside the house. Whitley is standing in the kitchen, cutting up a tomato, and Arya is lying right beside her. The noose strangling my heart loosens a bit. I can breathe a little easier knowing I can have eyes on her in seconds no matter where she is on our property.
The rest of the night is relatively uneventful for the most part. We respond to a few callouts around town, but nothing too serious. James has kept his distance from me all night, and by the time seven-thirty the next morning comes around, I’m more than ready to get out of here and home to Whitley. We meet with the guys coming on shift and give them an update on the previous day’s calls and all pertinent information, then we’re off.
John Grant, my fire chief, Whitley’s dad, stops me in the parking lot. “You got a minute to talk?”
“Sure, what’s up, Chief?” I ask, already knowing what’s coming.
“Don’t let what happened in there with James last night, happen again. I know you restrained yourself from kicking his ass, but I won’t have my firehouse turning into some MMA arena, even if he had it coming.”
“Understood. But Chief, I won’t let him disrespect me either.”
He sighs loudly. “Hunter, I shouldn’t have to tell you that there are other ways to get your point across. But, if those don’t work, there are other places for you to make it clear.”