“Hey, no problem. Are you finished eating? Would you like some desert? We should get going.”
She looked at Charles and then at her clean plate. “Did I really eat all that?”
Charles laughed. “I think Robert helped. Would you like to take a piece of cake or pie to go; I’m sure they have something to put it in.”
“Would you mind? That chocolate cake looked delicious. I haven’t had chocolate cake since my aunt died. It was her favorite thing to bake.”
They got up and got ready to leave. “Could you wait for just a minute; I’d like to use the restroom before we get back on the road.”
Charles took care of the bill and had the waitress put a slice of cake in a container with a fork and some napkins. “Would you by chance have a whole chocolate cake that hasn’t been sliced yet?”
The waitress went to check. She did have one. She put it in a cake box and gave it to him. He paid for the cake and gave the waitress an extra tip. He handed the cake box to Robert. “Would you put that in the back of the Hummer in the cooler, make sure it won’t get crushed or tipped over.” Robert headed for the car while Charles waited for Jackie.
Chapter 3
Charles and Robert were back on the road. Jackie, their new traveling companion, was curled up on the back seat, sound asleep. Charles and Robert were quiet, both lost in their own thoughts. Robert nodded off for a while. Charles never got tired when he was behind the wheel. Needless to say, when he got home he’d sleep for twenty-four hours.
Charles had driven all night. It was starting to get light when Robert woke up. “Hey, man. You ever make a stop?”
“No, you know me when I drive. I just keep going until I get there.”
Robert laughed. “Yeah, I know and it doesn’t make any difference where there is. You just drive.”
“Yup. That’s me.” They heard a rustle in the back seat. They had almost forgotten Jackie was back there. “Good morning, young lady. Would you like a cup coffee?”
“Good morning to you and yes, I’d love some coffee.” She stretched. “Did you know that your backseat is really comfortable. I guess I don’t make a very good traveling companion.”
“That’s alright, I think you needed the sleep. We will be coming into a small town in about twenty minutes. They have a nice little diner that has a great breakfast. I don’t know about you and Robert, but I’m starving.”
Robert laughed. “Just so you know, Jackie, Charlie is always starving. He could eat a whole cow and still be starving.”
“Not true, I couldn’t eat a whole cow, maybe a half.” That made everybody laugh. They pulled into town and parked in front of a Mom and Pop diner. Charles got out and opened the back door, but Jackie had already started for the other door on the passenger side. Robert opened the door for her and helped her out.
Charles didn’t think anything of it. They headed into the diner. Jackie and Robert immediately headed for the restrooms. Charles found a table and ordered three coffees. When Robert returned from the restroom, he headed that way himself. When he returned, Jackie still hadn’t come back.
“Do you think I should check on her? Make sure she’s okay?” Charles asked Robert. He was about to turn around when she scooted by him and sat next to Robert.
“Sorry, I’m so used to holding it, it took a while to relax enough to go.” She reached for a cup of coffee. “Is this one mine?” Robert nodded that it was. “Thanks. I haven’t had a cup of coffee in weeks. That trucker would never let me go into any of the stops to eat. He would lock me in the truck and go and eat by himself. Then he would bring me one of those sandwiches out of a vending machine and a bottle of water. Ugh, have you ever eaten one of those, they are disgusting. Don’t ever try one. Sometimes, he’d forget and not bring me anything.” She stopped to sip her coffee.
The waitress came by and took their order. Jackie ordered bacon and eggs, with hash browns and toast. Charles and Robert ordered three egg omelets, sides of ham, bacon, sausage and an order of pancakes. The waitress asked if there would be anything else. “No.” Robert said. “That’s good for now, just keep the coffee coming.”
After the waitress left with their order, they resumed their conversation. Charles wanted to ask Jackie a very personal question, but didn’t know how to ask it without upsetting or offending her. Charles took a deep breath and decided to ask.
“Jackie, did that trucker make you do anything against your will. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll understand. It’s none of my business.”
“He wanted to. He tried to force me a couple of times, but I fought him off. Finally, when he wouldn’t take no for an answer, I told him I had an STD and his dick would shrivel up and fall of if he had sex with me.”
Robert started to laugh and almost spit out his coffee. He coughed and sputtered a bit. Jackie patted him on the back.
“Sorry, that wasn’t very lady like of me. I didn’t mean to make you choke.” She patted him on the back again.
“That’s alright, I’m okay now.” He wheezed and finally caught his breath.
“Jackie, do you think you should call your uncle? I mean, you said he probably didn’t know what he was doing when he sold you.” Charles asked.
“NO!” She didn’t want to talk about her uncle and what happened.
“Okay. I just thought I’d ask.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. Maybe someday I’ll call him, but not now. Not for a while.” She went back to eating her meal. She watched Charles as she ate. He was gorgeous. Blond hair, vivid blue eyes and tall, really, really tall. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone as tall as he was. She was taller than her aunt and uncle, in fact, she was taller than most of the people she knew. Plus, if the way his clothes fit was any indication of the way his body looked, he was magnificent in her book.
Since she touched his hand, she couldn’t get him out of her head. She didn’t dare get in a relationship, she had too many skeletons in her closet. She was different from other people and he wouldn’t understand. Her uncle called her a freak. Her aunt was her mother’s sister and she loved Jackie and understood her. While her aunt was alive, Jackie had a good life.
“How much further is it to your home?” She asked. She finished up the last of her breakfast.
“We’re almost there. A couple more hours and we should be home.” Robert told her.
“From what I could see of the countryside this morning, it’s beautiful around here. It reminds me a little of home.”
“Wait till we get home, you’ll love it.” Charles told her.
“Well, it’s not my home, is it? You said I could stay with you, but I can’t stay with you forever. I’ll have to look for a job so I can afford to move on, or at least pay my own way.”
“Well, you are more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you want. I told you when we picked you up that we would help and we will. Stay with us for a while before you decide, you’ve been in a terrible situation and need time to recuperate. Then, after you’ve had time to consider your options, we’ll be happy to assist you any way we can. Deal?”
“Okay, deal.” Jackie laughed and looked at Robert. “Is he always this convincing?”
“Oh, yeah. He can talk a trout into jumping out of a stream and right into a frying pan.” She laughed again and Robert laughed with her.
“Alright you two laughing hyenas, time to hit the road. I’m almost ready for my afternoon nap.” Charles told them.
“Afternoon nap, your ass!” He looked at Jackie. “When he gets home, his afternoon nap would normally last at least twenty-four hours, but we have to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Really?” She looked at Robert and then at Charles. “You’ll sleep for twenty-four hours straight?” He nodded. “That’s crazy.”
They got ready to leave. Charles paid the bill while Robert left a tip and escorted Jackie outside to the Hummer.
“How long has it been since your brother had any sleep? Is it safe to
let him continue driving?” She asked.
“He’ll be fine. There is something about driving that keeps him going. He does this all the time. Whenever we go to visit our brother, he drives all the way there and all the way back. I don’t know how he does it. I start falling asleep and my butt goes numb after three to four hours.” Jackie giggled as she climbed into the back seat.
Chapter 4
Just as Charles had said; they were pulling up to the house a couple of hours later. They had to drive around a lake on a dirt road.
“We live off the beaten path. We like the wilderness and quiet.” Robert explained to her. “The lake was formed when an earthquake caused a landslide and blocked the river. It’s called Quake Lake.”
“It’s beautiful. I like the wilderness and quiet. Is there a lot of wildlife around here?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah, but nothing to worry about.” Robert told her. “They stay away. You’ll see a lot of animals near the shore of the lake early in the morning and then again in the evening. A few tourists have been hurt messing with the bears, but nothing serious. As Forest Rangers, we just tell them to move on and find another park to camp in. We’re on the edge of Yellowstone Park and we get a lot of people that think they can be “one with nature”. They’re a bunch of kooks if you ask me.”
Jackie laughed. “Well, I know enough to stay away from bears, if that’s what you mean.”
Charles and Robert looked at each other. “Actually, right around here, the bears won’t bother you. I wouldn’t tell you to walk up to one, but they won’t come after you.”
“That’s good to know.” They got out of the car and headed for the house.
“Wow, what a beautiful place. Have you lived here a long time?” she asked Charles.
“A few years. We moved here after our parents died. Mack, that’s our youngest brother, stayed in the family home in California.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up sad memories.”
“That’s okay, it was a long time ago. Let’s go inside and get you settled. Did you keep your other clothes?” Charles asked.
“No, I tossed them, I hope that was okay? I didn’t think I could ever get the smell and stains out of them.”
Charles walked into the house. “I’ll give you one of my t-shirts to sleep in and we can go to town in a day or two to get you some clothes.” She started to protest. “I know, I know. You don’t have any money. You can’t wear the same clothes day after day. You’ve been there, done that, remember? I’ll tell you what. If you keep the house clean and do a few odd jobs around the here, I’ll pay you a salary. I’ll give you a week’s pay in advance. Two-hundred and fifty dollars a week to start, plus room and board. How’s that sound?”
“Really.” She was shocked.
“Okay, three hundred a week.”
“No, no. Two-hundred and fifty is fine, in fact it’s too much. It used to take me a month, sometimes more, to make that much at home. Wow, yes. I accept.” She gave him a huge smile. He thought she was beautiful when she smiled.
“It’s settled then, three hundred a week.” He laughed at the shocked look on her face. “Make yourself at home. Robert will show you where everything is and your room. Just a minute, I’ll be right back.” Charles ran up the stairs and into a room. He came right back. He had a t-shirt in his hand. “Here, something to wear so you can relax. I have to go take a nap.” He handed her the t-shirt, turned around and went back upstairs. He went into the same room at the top of the stairs and closed the door.
Robert came in and looked around. “He’s gone already, isn’t he?”
“Yes he is,” she laughed. “Is it always like that?”
“Yup. Come on, I’ll show you to your room. You’ll have your own bathroom. What’s that in your hand?”
“Charles loaned me one of his t-shirts to relax and sleep in. He said he’d take me to town in a day or two to buy some clothes. I gather that means when he wakes up.”
“Yup. You got it. Actually, he has to get up and go to work in the morning. I’m going to unpack. Make yourself at home. I’ll have to go grocery shopping this afternoon, do you want to come?”
“I’d love to. Who does the cooking?” Jackie asked.
“We take turns; do you know how to cook?”
“I love to cook, my aunt taught me. Bake too.” She smiled.
“Oh, that reminds me.” Robert ran out to the truck and pulled out the cooler and brought it in the house. “Follow me.” Robert went into the kitchen. He set the cooler down and opened it. He reached in and pulled out the cake box.
“What in the world?” She looked at Robert.
“Charlie bought you a chocolate cake before we left that restaurant last night. Would you care for a piece of chocolate cake? I don’t have any milk, but I can make some ice tea. Then we can go shopping. I can unpack later.”
“That sounds great. Chocolate cake for lunch, can’t get any better than that.” She laughed and asked where the dishes were and forks. If she was going to live there, she’d have to learn where everything was. “I didn’t tell you, Charles offered me a job. Housekeeping.”
“Really. Did he offer to pay you? Because if he didn’t, tell him to jump in the lake. No wait, he’d like that.” They both laughed.
“Yes, he offered to pay me. Quite well, in fact. Well, at least it’s better than I ever made at home. Better than I’ve ever made anywhere.” She told him. “I don’t like to accept charity and I told him so.”
“Good for you.” They ate their chocolate cake and talked. “Come on, time to do some shopping. We can decide what to have for dinner on the way to town. It will just be you and me. Charlie will probably sleep until he has to get up in the morning.”
“I can’t believe he sleeps that long. Does he always do that when you travel somewhere, do all the driving?”
“Yeah, he does. Something about driving. Put him behind the wheel and he’ll drive for days without getting tired, but when he’s done; he’s out.”
“That’s amazing.” She couldn’t believe someone could go for so long without sleep.
They drove back to town. The town was small, but it had a Walmart where they could do all their shopping.
“If you need to buy some clothes and essentials, go ahead while I start the grocery shopping. Did Charlie give you an advance amount? If he did, go ahead and get what you need and we’ll pay for everything at one time. It will save him having to bring you back tomorrow.”
“Really, I haven’t even done anything yet?”
Robert laughed. “That’s why they call it an advance.”
Jackie laughed too. “All right. I’ll go and catch up with you when I’m done. You’re sure it’s okay.”
“Absolutely. Get what you need. If you go over your advance, I’ll cover it.” He gave her a wink.
“Thank you.” She stood on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the check, then headed for the clothing department.
Robert stood there and watched her walk off. She had a nice ass. What he wouldn’t give to have someone like her for a mate. Only one problem, she wasn’t the One. There was no desire to make her his. He had a sneaky suspicion she might be Charlie’s mate. He’d bet Charlie hadn’t realized it yet. Charlie didn’t mind helping people from time to time, but this was something more. He had gone out of his way to help this woman. Robert made up his mind to do everything he could to get the two of them together. He liked Jackie and wouldn’t mind at all if she became his sister-in-law.
They finally finished the shopping. Robert bought enough food to last a week or two. Once every other month, Robert and Charles would drive to a nearby big city that had a Costco and stock up on all the canned and dry goods they needed.
Jackie bought four outfits, under garments, a pair of sneakers and a pair of sandals. She didn’t use any make-up, but she got her favorite shampoo, a brush, a comb, toothpaste and a real toothbrush. When she got back to the house she planned to brush her teeth for an hour. She had us
ed paper towels and water for the last four weeks to brush her teeth. She got the heebie-jeebies just thinking about that.
They loaded up the truck and headed for home. They decided to fix salmon for dinner. Jackie couldn’t believe how much food they bought. Robert explained that, being so big, they ate a lot.
Jackie told Robert to go and unpack when they got back from the store. “Are you sure, there’s a lot to put away?”
“I’ll be fine. That way I’ll learn where everything goes. If you finish before I do, you can help me then.” Jackie set to work, putting things away. Robert had shown her where the extra fridge and freezer were. She had put almost everything away by the time Robert came back. Beside unpacking, he took a quick shower and changed clothes.
Chapter 5
Jackie and Robert fixed dinner together. He did more than she did, only because he knew where everything was. They had grilled salmon, homemade scalloped potatoes and salad.
“This is delicious. I’ve never had salmon like this before. It’s always been out of a can.” She continued to eat.
Robert thought about eating salmon out of a can, he cringed and almost gagged. “You like salmon out of a can?” He remembered what she said about sandwiches in vending machines. “Now that is disgusting.”
That made Jackie laugh. They finished dinner and decided to have desert on the porch, it over looked the lake.
“What a splendid view.” The lake was calm and the sun was starting to set and sparkled on the water. “I could get use to this, it’s beautiful here.”
“We like it. We bought this property before the lake existed, ended up with lakefront property. No one else is allowed to build here now. They sat for a while eating chocolate cake. Finally, Robert spoke up. “I better hit the sack, we have to report back to work in the morning. Have to be up and out of here before dawn. Make yourself at home and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Good night and thank you for everything. I’m going to wash up the dishes and go to bed myself.”
Bearly Saved My Heart: Quake Lake Bears (Madison Range Shifters Book 1) Page 2