Burdened Souls: Can Love Save a Burdened Soul? (The Burned Souls Series Book 1)

by Jessi McPherson

  “Long first day?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I’m training four newbies and I got a kind of promotion.”

  His eyes lit up.

  “Just shift supervisor,” I said. “I can’t Caleb.”

  He huffed at me. “Girl, you have talent. I know it’s hard right now but it’ll be good. I promise. You cook here most nights. I know you want time but just remember, not living your life is giving him what he wanted. Don’t give him that.”

  After my parents died, it took me a while to recover. Eventually, with some coaxing, I found solace in cooking with my grandmother. She showed me almost everything I know. Cooking became my escape from everything outside. She kept me focused and pushed me to go to culinary school after high school. It was a very hard decision because I knew she didn’t have much time left, but I went. I was in my second semester when she died. I kept up in class despite everything because I knew she wanted me to succeed. I found various ways to keep my mind on school and escape the pain of losing more of my family. Caleb made sure to keep in close contact and even visited me as often as he could. During my senior year, I met Wade Courtney. He seemed amazing and quickly swept me off my feet. I shudder just thinking of him. He was the past I came here to forget.

  Caleb rubbed my feet as I got comfy. “Am I ordering in tonight, dearest?” he asked with a sly smile.

  “No, there is left over chicken parm in the fridge,” I said, closing my eyes.

  “That sounds good.”

  ***

  Caleb let me sleep for an hour before waking me up. “I’m running to the store. Do you need anything?”

  “Yes, I’ll come with you,” I said slipping my shoes back on.

  We walked the isles of Chambers grabbing the things we needed. I made the menu for the week and Caleb bought the groceries. As we rounded a corner, I collided with someone in front of me. Caleb snorted as I hit the ground. I growled at him.

  “Jerk.”

  “I’m sorry, you ran into me,” a smooth, deep voice said. He was holding his hand down to help me up. I looked up and saw Dillon standing there in front of me.

  “Sorry,” I stuttered. “I was calling him a jerk, not you. I’m sorry for bumping into you.”

  “It’s OK. I wasn’t looking either,” he said, easily lifting me up.

  “Thanks Dillon. She can be a klutz,” Caleb lied.

  I tried to find my voice but couldn’t. I stood there staring into those amazing eyes.

  “Well, I’ll see you around…” he said, waiting for my name.

  “Josilyn. Her name is Josilyn and she seems to be too tired to speak. See you Friday night, Dillon,” Caleb said, pulling me along.

  “Woman, you need to get laid,” Caleb joked.

  I gasped. “Man, now he really thinks I’m an idiot. Great.”

  “Maybe he just thinks you’re shy,” he mused. “Some guys like the shy, silent type. You could have him fooled.”

  I punched his arm and we continued shopping. Since we both would be working in the evenings these next couple weeks, I wanted to grab some easy to cook meals I could make in the afternoons. Caleb was fine with reheating meals, since before I moved back he lived on fast food and his mother’s leftovers.

  ***

  Dillon invaded my dreams the rest of the week and became my solace during the nightmares. In his eyes, I found peace and once he pulled me free, we were transported to a lovely beach with white sands and crystal clear blue water. He would hold me tight and whisper, telling me I was alright now. He held me close as the waves tickled my toes. By Friday I knew I had no choice but to go see him. I wanted to gaze those eyes again. Just a gentle reminder to lighten my heart. I hoped they held a release I desperately needed, because sex was out of the question.

  “Josi can you come in at 8 a.m. tomorrow?” Marcus asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “Yeah sure. What’s up?” I said.

  “I’m going to have a group of servers come in that seem to be struggling and you seem rather good at training.”

  “OK, sounds good,” I said, getting back to work. Seeing Dillon would have to wait until tomorrow night.

  “Thank you all for coming in this morning. We will be pairing up to help those who are struggling a bit get caught up to speed,” Marcus said a little too chipper for eight in the morning. Thankfully he brought coffee and donuts from an awesome bakery near the quarter. Everyone quickly paired up and got busy.

  “I don’t understand why I need to know this,” Zoe said. “Don’t we have bus boys to clear the tables?”

  “Yes we do, but it’s polite to clear away empty plates, and it gives you an opportunity to offer them desert,” I explain. She wasn’t going to last. She was either busy on her phone or asking ridiculous questions. By nine that evening, I was more than ready to leave.

  “What are your plans this fine Saturday evening?” Marcus asked, walking me to my car after my shift.

  “Actually, I’m meeting some friends at Jake’s. You should swing by,” I said, opening my door.

  “Maybe I will,” he said with a smile.

  I quickly text Caleb.

  “Are you already at the club?”

  “Yes, hurry up. You can change here. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

  I couldn’t help laughing when I pulled up and he was dancing in the parking lot.

  “Feeling good already,” I said popping the trunk.

  “Maybe I’m just happy to see you,” he said, twirling around. He did his best to block me from view as I changed out of my dress pants. I purposely parked on this side of the parking lot because this exit was rarely used and there was less traffic. Thankfully my Envoy had large doors so it blocked me from being seen.

  Just as I pulled off my blouse, someone came barreling out the door, tossing another person to the ground. I froze as Dillon lifted his head and noticed me. Caleb jumped in front of me as I quickly slipped on the other shirt. A small smile graced his lips as he shook his head and headed back inside.

  “Great, he probably thinks I’m some nutjob,” I snarled pulling my hair out of its pony tail.

  “Please Josi, he probably thinks you are carefree and fun,” Caleb joked.

  I quickly ran my fingers through my hair and headed straight for the bar. “So now I’m shy, silent, carefree, and fun which translates to nutjob. Two shots of Patron, please, and a vodka cranberry with lime,” I asked when I got to Trevor, handing him cash.

  “Bad day?” he asked. “Not until Dillon saw me changing in the parking lot. It was awful.”

  He just laughed as he made my drinks. “Did he see anything good?”

  I smacked his arm as I downed both shots. I turned to see Marcus standing by the entryway, so I waved and he came over.

  “Hey, you came,” I said, hugging him.

  “Well yeah. Did you know using your name got me past the line?” he asked.

  “Yeah. The bouncer and I went to school together and Caleb is basically a regular,” I said waving to Trevor. I handed Trevor my card. “I got his first one and keep it open please.”

  “I am supposed to get the drinks on the first date?” he asked.

  “What gave you the impression this was a first date?” I asked with a wink.

  We grabbed our drinks and walked toward Caleb’s table. “Caleb this is Marcus, my boss. Marcus this is my best friend Caleb,” I introduced.

  We sat, talked, and relaxed for a few minutes.

  “So how are you liking the team so far?” he asked.

  “You picked a good bunch,” I said, half smiling. “But I don’t think Zoe is going to last long.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t hire her,” he confessed. “I think Marissa hired her as a spot filler, against my better judgement. I will fire he soon enough. Marissa is more the face and I handle the rest. Thankfully we have a lot more applications, but with opening day coming up, I decided to wait.”

  “That’s a good plan, but if I were you I’d call a couple and have them ready. This
will be my third restaurant opening and in my experience, you usually lose one or two after opening weekend.”

  “I already planned to do that as well. Just have them on stand-by. I’m going to make sure Claudia’s is the best and with my team I think I can.”

  I listened as he continued to talk about all the places he’d worked and places he’s been. I didn’t really get to do much talking.

  There must have been something in the air tonight because the crowd was rough. I don’t remember seeing a full moon, but it sure felt like it. Before we even decided to go to the dance floor, three guys got into a fight and were booted out. Seeing Dillon in action sent my lady parts into a frenzy, and I couldn’t stop staring. The couple times he caught me staring, he just smiled and shook his head. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. I just wanted those arms wrapped around me all day long.

  After about thirty minutes of listening to him, He stood and held out a hand. “Care to join me? Figured we better get a dance in now, before someone else causes a scene and they close.”

  I nodded and took his hand. I tried to focus on Marcus, but Dillon made that difficult. He seemed to be following our moves and didn’t look pleased, which seemed weird and exciting all at once. It also didn’t help that Marcus just wasn’t my type. He came off a bit arrogant for me. You could tell he was the type of guy that just assumed woman had to give him the time of day. I did let his hands roam, pulling and fondling me for a little while, until he tried to get under my shirt.

  I quickly snapped around. “Nice try, Boss Man, but no.” I kissed his cheek and headed for the bathroom.

  I figured a couple minutes of cool down time would do him good. I tried looking for Dillon as I walked to the bar but couldn’t see him. I waved Trevor over to order my drinks.

  “Someone’s getting lucky tonight,” he joked.

  “Ugh. Not hardly, he’s my boss. It would be a weird, one-night stand. Plus, he’s kind of arrogant. Not my type.” Caleb wouldn’t tell Trevor my secrets so I could play it off.

  He smiled as he handed me my drinks. “You sure you’re not saving yourself for Mister Unattainable?”

  I downed my shot, then turned back as I started to walk away. “Nothing’s unattainable. If I wanted to fuck Dillon I would.” I winked at him.

  His eyes went wide, and he was smirking as I turned to go back to Caleb and Marcus. I quickly realized why, as Dillon was now standing in front of me. A small smirk crossed his lips and a tiny sparkle filled his eyes, but before he could speak, two guys barreled into us. He tried grabbing me before I fell, but he was pushed away. My head smacked the floor hard, and I blacked out.

  Chapter 3

  I could feel him all around me. His scent enveloped me. It was rugged but sensual; a mix of sweat, flowers, outdoors, and Dillon. It was intoxicating. I sluggishly opened my eyes to find he was carrying me. I smiled as my eyes got heavy and sleep found me again.

  When I finally woke up again, I was in a hospital bed. I gauged my surroundings before finally moving.

  “Careful, you hit your head pretty hard,” Dillon said moving off the couch. “You have a small concussion but that’s it. I’ll go get Caleb and the nurse.”

  “Wait, Dillon.”

  He slowed slightly.

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded and walked out the door. Caleb and a bubbly, brunette nurse came waltzing thru the door.

  “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” Caleb asked, squeezing my hand.

  “A slight headache but that’s it.” I looked to the nurse. “When can I leave?”

  She looked at both Caleb and Dillon, who was still hanging out in the corner. “Um I’ll grab the doctor for you.” She finished her assessment and hurried away, stealing a glance at Dillon, which I discovered bothered me.

  I continued to stare at him until the doctor came in.

  “Hello Josilyn, I’m Doctor Riker. Let’s check you out.”

  I couldn’t help blushing at the gorgeous doctor standing before me. He couldn’t be much over twenty. I was betting twenty-five. You could clearly tell his white lab coat hid a well-chiseled body. He smiled down at me as he checked my pupils and looked at the back of my head. I glanced at Dillon, suddenly aware of his gaze on me. There was a possessiveness in his eyes that held me and stirred something deep inside.

  “Well, you seem to be fine. I told your friends it’s just a mild concussion and a couple of stitches on the cut. You should be ok to go, but I would like to keep you a night for observation.”

  I focused back on the doctor who was now smiling at me. “Um if I could, I’d really like to just go home, thanks.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be back with some discharge instructions.”

  I was fidgeting in bed by the time he got back. Dillon and I were obviously avoiding eye contact suddenly, and I didn’t know why. Could there be something stirring between us?

  “OK, here you go. I’ll need you to come back in a week to get the stitches out. Here’s my card. If anything should come up before then, don’t hesitate to call.” He looked to Caleb and Dillon. “Please make sure she follows these instructions and keep eye out for anything on the list I gave you.” He handed papers to Caleb, then looked to me again. “I look forward to seeing you next week, Miss Michaels. Take care.”

  “Thank you,” I said while shaking his hand.

  Dillon seemed tense as we drove him back to the club. “Thanks for going with me,” I said, trying to ease some tension.

  “You’re welcome,” he said, pulling out his phone. “Yes. OK. I’ll be over shortly,” was all he said before hanging up. We dropped him at the club and headed home. I felt a sting, as it seemed he couldn’t wait to be away from me.

  Caleb got me settled in bed and brought me some water. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours to check on you. If you need anything before then, just yell.” He kissed my forehead and left.

  My dreams were filled with Dillon. At one point, I woke up struggling for air as the kiss from my dream seemed to consume me. His eyes bore into my soul awakening a desire I’d never felt before. I was acutely aware of the fact that I had orgasmed during said dream. It was a first, and it made it difficult to fall back to sleep. My alarm came all too soon the next morning.

  “How’s your head?” Caleb asked handing me a cup of coffee.

  “Sore, but not as bad as I thought I would be.” It was mostly true. I had a massive headache but I was hoping coffee then Tylenol would help.

  “OK, well I’m going to head out. Please take it easy today, sweetie. I’ll text you later.” I smiled as he grabbed his jacket and headed out.

  The hot water of the shower stung at first but then soothed my frazzled nerves. I took care not to wet my head. Thankfully I had some dry shampoo and could towel wash most of it. I had the next two days to recover and rest. My comfy clothes, the couch, and a couple movie marathons kept me company, as I tried unsuccessfully not to think of Dillon. After a while I decided to text Caleb.

  “What are the chances Dillon would go out with me?”

  “Slim. Like I said I’ve never seen him with a girl.”

  “You don’t think he’s gay, do you?”

  “Oh, no sweetheart. He bats for your team, I just don’t get a boyfriend vibe from him.”

  “Guess we will have to wait and see.”

  “This could get entertaining. I know what you’re like when you see a challenge.”

  “Well you’re the one who said I needed to get laid.”

  “True. Maybe he is just what you need.”

  I got comfy and continued watching my favorite chick flick, Sweet Home Alabama, until I fell asleep.

  ***

  At work Monday, I explained to Marcus what happened. “I noticed you disappeared,” he said handing me an apron. “I guess things got out of hand and I just assumed you left. I should have texted or called, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s OK. Caleb said some people started getting really out of control,” I agree
d.

  He seemed to hover close by for the rest of the morning. Around noon my head was throbbing and I was getting dizzy, so I decided to eat something and close my eyes for a bit.

  “Josi, you feeling ok?” Marcus asked, sitting down next to me.

  “Oh, yeah, just a little headache. I just took something so it should go away.”

  “Your group seems to be catching on,” he said.

  “Yeah, Stephanie is the only one I’m worried about, but she’s slowly getting there. Can’t blame her, this is her first job.”

  He smiled at that. “She has a good teacher. She’ll catch on.” He moved a little closer and looked over at me. “Care to grab some food after work tonight? I think we are finishing up around eight.”

  “That sounds nice but I think I need to get some rest.”

  “Oh, OK. No problem,” he said, sounding very disappointed.

  “Look I’m not looking to be in any type of relationship. Dinner does sound nice, but I really do need to get some rest.”

  “I know, I am sorry. No problem, maybe another time.”

  I got the feeling he wasn’t going to take no for an answer but I just couldn’t see myself going out with him.

  I walked in the door when I got home, and plopped right on the couch. Caleb laughed and brought me over a glass of wine. “Looks like you need this, but only one.”

  “Yes mom,” I joked. “How was work?”

  “Same. We were busy as usual, but on a good note, I get to pop over to a med-surge unit for a couple weeks. It’ll be a nice break from the E.R.”

  “That does sound nice,” I mumbled, half falling asleep.

  “Here,” he said taking the glass and covering me up. My eyes got heavier but I managed a smile.

  Wade was standing above me with a look of pure hatred. The pain was instant. I searched for Dillon or any signs of solace in this dark nightmare, but there were none. Only Wade and pain. He was never-ending pain.

  I woke up with Caleb holding me close and I noticed blood dripping from his lip.

  “Did I do that?” I asked, knowing the answer.

  “It is OK, sweetie. Let’s grab some meds and get you to bed,” he said, kissing my forehead.