It took them over three hours to unload the stuff at just Colton’s home. She read each note on the piece and put it in the room that he wanted. She loved every section of it. And when they set up the dining room with the deacon’s table, the benches were a perfect match. Hailey joined her a few minutes after the last piece of furniture was placed. “I thought I was going to have to unload this. My dad was sort of vague.” Tess asked her who her dad was. “Peter Whitehead. He owns the car shop on Ninth. Driving isn’t my job, but he got himself into some trouble with a tranny and needed me to take over.” “Is he all right?” She said he had two broken fingers and a slipped disc. “Oh my. I hope he’s doing all right. Wow, that’s great that you could help him with this.” “Thanks. I was wondering if I was going to have to get the other stuff unloaded or are these guys going too? It certainly made it easier.” She said that part of the pack, cougars, were going to meet them at the next house. “Great. I have no idea why he didn’t tell me that it would need to be off loaded. But I have a few more pieces that I need to pick up tomorrow at the same house. He must have gotten a great deal.” “Colton always gets a good deal. I’ve never known a man that got as many deals as he does. But he needed to fill his house and knew just what he wanted.” Tess didn’t tell her that he got it because some elderly lady had taken a shine to him. “Are you ready to hit the next house?” As they made their way to Wyatt’s house, she thought of the woman beside her. “You work on cars then?” “Most of the time I’m a teacher. I used to teach kindergarten at a private school in Columbus. But funding fell through when the owners decided to not pay into our pensions and payrolls, and we were left without jobs. Sucks, but at least I can work for my dad, and he pays enough for me to eat and have clean underwear.” She laughed with her. “I’m not usually so open with strangers. Oh hell, yes, I am. But I’m tired and I need some sleep. Then I have to go back out with this thing in the morning.” “You’re doing pick up too?” She said that her dad was too hurt to drive. “I can see if we can send some of these guys with you. It might save on your own back too. And I know that they could use the work. The pack here, it’s been down for a little while with work.” “If any of them know car repair, my dad has some openings. With the economy down like it is, people are keeping their cars a lot longer and making repairs rather than buying new.” Tess said she could understand that. “I have an old beater, but Dad and I are working on a ‘66 Mustang convertible. It’s not cherry yet, but it’s getting there. It’s really fun.” Talking with Brayden about the shop, he spoke to the wolf pack, and found four that could work at the repair shop. He was also able to arrange for a few of them to go with Hailey to the next few stops. There were only four along the route, and everything should fit in one load of the semi. Hailey was also invited to dinner with the family. “I don’t want to intrude. Dad said we could have pizza tonight. That way I can get an early start in the morning. And neither one of us cook. I can microwave, but that’s the extent of my abilities in the kitchen.” Laughing, Tess told her to invite her dad as well. “You’re serious? I’ll call him and ask. But don’t expect too much. He’s not the visiting strangers type. You’d think the opposite the way he chats it up at the shop, but that’s friends, he tells me. And people in need. My dad is wonderful, but he’s a dork.” After a few minutes on the phone, Hailey said that he’d join them. And when they pulled in the yard at her in-laws, they were greeted by the rest of the family. It was nice, the way they just opened their home to people, Tess thought. And Hailey seemed to be a very nice person. After dinner, Hailey’s dad dozed in the chair while she and the other women sat out on the deck. It was getting warmer all the time, and she loved the outdoors. Even the babies seemed to be having a lot of fun, and Hailey helped out by feeding Julia her bottle. “I used to live around here when I was younger. My parents split up when I was ten and I went with her, my brother with my dad. I haven’t any idea why, but we didn’t complain. It was fun going to the other house when we visited, and Grandma was around then.” She burped the baby like a pro. “I have two nieces and some nephews. As well as two brothers, as well as a sister—much younger, all of them. Well, they’re step-relations, but I love them. Anyway, you have a nice spread here.” “This is the best place. Quiet, but not too much. Not a lot of cars racing around. And then there is the added bonus of all of us being close together.” She said she noticed that. “I love the stuff you picked up for Colton. It’s perfect for him.” “I love the old too. Right now I’m working on stripping down a bread cabinet that was my grandmas. I don’t have much room for it when I get it finished, so it’ll probably end up in the bathroom with the tub, but I don’t care. I love it.” They were laughing when Lucy came out and brought tea with her. “Honey, your dad is sound asleep, and I made up one of the rooms for you to sleep in tonight. There is no reason for you to go home only to have to come back in the morning for the truck.” Hailey said it was fine, she didn’t mind. “You mustn’t argue with your elders, my dear. I’ll see you ladies in the morning. Remember, we have to go and finish the bake sale at the shelter.” Hailey looked at her. “So, I guess I’m staying.” They laughed, and it felt good. They all sat out on the porch until well after midnight before going in. Hailey stopped her at the door when she was leaving. “Thank you for today. I mean for everything. Talking to me, dinner, and friends. Thanks.” “It was my pleasure.” As she and Jules made their way home with the babies, Tess had a feeling that one of the boys, as Lucy called them, was about to get a mate. She asked Jules about his feelings on that. “I was thinking the same thing. I think it’ll be Levi because she’s so neat and he’s such a slob. Did you see the way she laid out everything to change a diaper? Everything right there where she could grab it. Levi would have had to make three trips to the diaper bag, and still would have put the diaper on backwards at least once.” They both laughed. “I know that I’ve done the same thing. But I’m getting better.”
“You are. And the fact that you can put a sleeper on them without cursing is an added bonus for them.” They entered the house and the nannies were waiting. While she loved her daughters very much, to have someone help like this, it was wonderful. Going to the living room, they sat down and watched some television. Yes, Tess thought, this could be wonderful. ~~~ Picking up the last pieces had been made much easier by the pack that had met her at each spot. The first group had been the biggest, as there was still a lot of furniture to get at the old house. Hailey noticed that there was a lot of heavy equipment on the land now and wondered aloud about that. “The old woman there died a few days ago, and this farmer that has the next land over has purchased it. He’s going to plow it up and plant corn and soy beans. Seems a shame, but then I heard that the house was too old to repair anyway.” She nodded as some other pieces, not on her list, were being brought out. A very well-dressed lady, even though she was in jeans, seemed to be in charge. She also looked like she was waiting for someone to come out of the woods or up the drive to get her. “Why don’t we help her?” Barry, the wolf in charge of the help she had, said they could do that and went into the house to do so. When a car came up the drive, she saw the other woman stiffen, and even from this distance, she could see that she was afraid. Walking toward her slowly, she told the woman her name. “Ray Spencer. That man there, I’m afraid, is my father. And as much as I’d love to punch him in the face, he’s a fat fuck that’ll hurt me.” Hailey looked her up and down and said she thought she could take him. “I probably could, but he’d hurt my brother, David.” “Well, we can’t have that.” Hailey whistled as soon as the man got out of the car, and she felt rather than saw the pack come out of the house. The man at the car was a fat fucker. He had to weigh at least three hundred pounds. “Don’t let him fall on you.” They were laughing when he came to stand in front of them, and Hailey was glad to see him pissed off about it. The pack moved closer and she felt better, but he wasn’t going to hurt this woman. He shouldn’t be hurting any woman, but especially not his grown daughter. �
�Father. I thought you were told to stay away from me.” She didn’t stop staring at him and it seemed to unnerve him a bit. When he looked at her, Hailey wanted to hit him square in the fat face. “I’m here to get my things.” “Your things? You don’t have shit here. Why aren’t you at your little business and letting me go see what I can get? She gave it all away, did you hear that? Some stranger that bought her a dinner.” Ray said that perhaps he was nice to her. “Nice? Like she’d been to me. My grandmother wasn’t nice to anyone. Except you, I guess.” “Yes, well, I loved her. And she loved me. More than I can say for you, I guess.”
Hailey saw him double up his fist and knew that he was going to hit her. While it wasn’t any of her business, she didn’t want the woman hurt. There was something about her, even with her strong words, that made Hailey think she was fragile. “You should leave.” He looked at Hailey fully finally. “She said there was some sort of order about you not coming around, and I think it would be very smart of you not to fuck around with that.” “You her dike friend? Figures she’s get to the bottom of the crop.” Hailey didn’t care what her sexual orientation was, nor did she care if the woman fucked goats. But this was war, as far as she was concerned. The man had called her a bottom feeder. “Why don’t you go and suck pussy someplace else? We’re having a conversation that doesn’t concern you.” Her fist was in his face before she could think what a bad idea that might have been. She wasn’t going to live through this. But then she remembered the wolves when one of them sat on the fat man’s chest when he fell. Going to his head, she noticed right away that the wolf wasn’t sitting on him so much as biting into his throat. That should get things going, she thought. Asking him if he could bite them both, a smallish wolf came to her and bit her hand as blood began to trickle down the neck of the fat fuck. “Now, I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but the wolf currently cutting off your airway is a friend of mine. And since he’s bitten you, he’ll be able to find you at a moment’s notice. He could also, and this might happen yet, tear your throat out if you don’t fucking listen to me. Deal?” He said fuck off. Benny laughed. He’s not very bright, is he? Also, you should know that he’s armed. A gun at his hip that he can’t get to without me tearing his arm off, and one in his boot. “Ray, your father is armed. Would you be so kind as to disarm him for me?” She did so and threw the second gun into the woods. One of the wolves brought it back. “They’re afraid that a child will find it. But that was good to get it away from here.” “Can you understand him?” She told Ray that she could. “Good. Tell him that from now on, when he tries to touch me, come near me, or even to call me, I’m going to be armed as well. I’m finished with him. And tell him that—” “He can hear you. But I’ll translate, if I can do so word for word?” Ray laughed and said she wanted to hear what he had to say. “Good. He said that he’ll be done with you when he’s fucking ready, and that as soon as he finds David, he’s going to fuck him up so that no one will know him.” “You touch him and I’ll tear your throat out. And don’t think I can’t do it either.” The man laughed. “Father, who do you think has been keeping Grandma in the money that you stole from her? How do you think she was able to live here all these years when you refused to help her with the taxes? Did you think that they’d just pay themselves? Or did you hope that she’d miss the payments so you could get the place for a song? Too late for that. I sold it to Mr. Green for a song, just so you’d not have it.” “You’re a fucking liar. I’m thinking that he likes that word, just so you know. He says it a lot.” They both laughed, and she saw that the pack had gone back to what they were doing, packing her semi as well as Ray’s truck. Then it hit her. “Ray Spencer. Mother fuck balls, you’re Ray of Ray’s Furnishings. No wonder you could afford this place. You’re one of the richest people in the world. Next—” She thought about the people that she’d just left. “Well fuck me. You’re only exceeded by the Stanton family. And mighty Christ, they’re wealthy.” “Yes, that’s me. And thank you.” Ray kicked her father in the ribs. “Don’t you think it’s sad that a stranger is not only nicer to me than you’ve ever been, but she knows more about me than you do? What do you think of that, Father dear? That your failure of a daughter isn’t such a failure at all.” The police arrived about two minutes after Benny took off to the semi. They had all thrown a bag of clothing in the back, and she was glad now that they’d taken the precaution. Fat fuck was screaming about a wolf all the way to the cruiser. Hailey stood next to Ray while he was being read his rights and then taken away. “They won’t hold him long. These guys will help you get out of here.” Ray thanked her but didn’t move. “He’s not going to give up, is he?” “No, I’m afraid not. He might find David right now, but I’m working on that too.” She asked her if he was safe. “Yes, when I can get him enrolled into military school. Not anyplace he wanted to go, but he would be safest there. Just have to get him in.” “I know of a place. A great school, and they have the best protection around. The wolf pack. There is also a pack of cougars. I can make a call for you. I don’t know them well, but my dad can vouch for them. And apparently, your grandmother left one of them everything she owned.” “Colton Stanton.” She looked at her. “You think they’d take him in? I’ll pay whatever they want. I need him safe. He’s all I have left after Grandma died.” She said that she’d contact her now. Going to her truck, it was arranged in minutes. Hailey was to take him back home with her, in the truck. Until Ray was able to come and get him, he’d be put into one of the houses until other arrangements could be made. Hailey asked for them to watch over the woman too. “We can do that. Are you safe?” She told Tess that she wasn’t his target right now. “Not from what Dane found out.” “She was looking into my life? How sweet. Not really. Don’t do that, and if you’ve already found out things, only believe about half of it.” She said she didn’t believe any of it. “Some of it is true. But not all. Anyway, if you could see your way into keeping her brother safe, as well as Ray, I’d appreciate it. And you might be able to get a discount on her stuff.” Making her way to the woman, she could see that she was going to be trouble. For some reason, she thought that might be fun for whoever was her target. But life, Hailey knew, was never pat, nor was it very good to someone like her.
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