by Anthology
Couple. He’d kissed her. It had been going somewhere until Mother Nature decided to try to kill them.
She slapped her hands together. “Cool. Then lay it on me, Doc. What do I need to watch for with the big guy?”
She and Will stepped outside, talking about pain medications and side effects.
“Is the restaurant gone?” They might have less than Ally said. They might be down two jobs.
Sean shook his head. “She’s exaggerating. We’ve got blown windows and some minor damage. We’ll be open again in a week, which will give you plenty of time to recover. I’m going to find someone else to do the desserts for the parties. You need to rest.”
Sean was hosting a birthday party for his wife this weekend. Two actually. There was a family party on Saturday afternoon and an adults-only party at Adam, Jake, and Serena’s that night. Macon had already planned a spectacular cake. “Don’t. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. I want to do it.”
“If you’re sure, but if you change your mind give me a day or two,” Sean said. “I’ll go let the crew know they can come in and see you.”
“Are there really a bunch of people waiting to see me?” Macon asked after the door closed.
Adam nodded. “Yeah, it’s not like home, buddy. These people give a shit. There have been times that we’re all we have so we stick together. Are you really feeling all right?”
“I feel like hell.” He smiled. “And I feel great, too.”
“Because of Ally?”
He shrugged. “She’s cool.”
Adam leaned over, his hands on the metal railing of the bed. “She was adamant about not being admitted, Macon. I got here right as the ambulance did and she was a little off.”
“Well, she’d just survived a tornado.” He felt off, too. And they were going to have a long talk about who was in charge when Taggart wasn’t around. She hadn’t obeyed his very reasonable commands.
Of course if she had, he might be dead, so maybe he’d rethink the lecture and make her some pancakes instead.
She’d also joked about his leg, so maybe she wasn’t entirely adverse to it.
“It wasn’t that and it wasn’t only about the money. I tried to explain workman’s comp to her. It would cover everything and I know damn well Sean is paid up, but she wouldn’t listen,” Adam explained. “She got really upset when they asked for ID.”
“If they get her ID they can bill her.” He thought he was starting to understand her. She’d been closed off, with all kinds of walls up, but he liked the woman who wasn’t hiding from him. She was funny and maybe the tiniest bit insane. It was like she’d opened up to him after the day’s incident with that asshat, Timothy. Or yesterday’s. “How long was I out?”
“A night. It’s almost noon. And I would bet a lot she wasn’t as worried about the money as she was handing over that ID. She didn’t want them to see it. I think she might be hiding something.”
His brother could be paranoid. It came with the territory. He worked in high-level security, the kind that sometimes got co-opted by the CIA. Adam had gone from being a soldier to being what their father called a mercenary. Now that he’d seen Adam in action, he would simply call him a hero. But he was a paranoid hero.
“I don’t think she’s trying to hide anything except the fact that she’s broke, and I have no room to complain there. It’s not like I’m rolling in it.” He stopped, coming up with another reason his brother might have a problem with Ally. “If you don’t want her in the guesthouse, say so.”
His brother’s eyes narrowed. “And if I said so? What would you do?”
“Get an apartment,” he replied.
“Shit, you want her.”
“I like her.” And he wanted her. She was the first woman he’d wanted in forever and that scared him because he hadn’t exactly tried having sex since he’d lost his leg. He’d been afraid his dick didn’t work anymore, but she’d fixed that problem. “I like her a lot.”
“Yeah, you like her in a ‘give up my nice house and go live somewhere scary because at least we’re together’ way.” He sighed and shook his head. “Of course she’s welcome. Sean says she’s passed all his background checks, so we’re good. Also, she saved you so her goodwill bank is full with me. She’s hiding something and it’s going to come out in the end. Do you want me to run a check on her?”
Sean would have run a cursory check, the same most employers did. Adam would delve into her background, peeling her apart like an onion and going through every layer. He would be ruthless about it and Macon was sure that once Adam was on the case, he would know everything there was to know about Allyson Jones. Including the stuff she might not want him to know.
“No. If I need to know she’ll tell me.”
“And if she decides you don’t?”
“It’s not a grand love affair, Adam. She needs a place to stay. I need someone to make sure my brain’s not bleeding. I’m sure she’ll be out and on her own in a week or two.”
Adam huffed. “No way. That’s one stray who’s looking for a home. I’ve seen it. Sometimes they really like to drift, but not that one. She took the first responsibility she could. She sacrificed for you the minute it came up. She might not think she’s looking for long term, but she’ll get comfortable. You better be sure you like her because getting rid of her might be hard on both of you.”
He wasn’t going to sic Adam on her. She’d saved him. She’d risked her life for his and if she had some secret…well, who didn’t? There were things he would never tell her. He would never give her the full story of what happened the day he lost his leg.
“Okay, I’ll back off,” Adam said. “Now, I’m going to let the hoard in. That is one mean-looking set of cooks, man. Do all restaurant employees look so rough?”
He grinned. “They do when they work at Top.”
For the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged somewhere. He sat back as Adam called the first visitors in.
***
“I’d really feel better if you let me run a few tests.” Will Daley was a handsome man. He was also stubborn.
“I’m fine.” Her back hurt like a mother, but she wasn’t about to run up thousands of dollars of debt when she could take some Advil and be good as new in a couple of days. Well, except she was fairly certain she’d developed a new fear of storms, but hey, what was one more phobia to add to the list?
“If you need me, call.” He handed her his card.
“I will.” She would for Macon.
The doctor shook his head and walked away.
“I think you frustrated the hot doc.” Deena walked up carrying two coffees.
“Tell me you got some sleep.” Deena was still wearing her cute top and blingy jeans from the night before.
She smiled, her lips curling up as she handed Ally the coffee. “I napped against Eric. He might look like all hard muscles, but he makes a nice pillow.” She frowned suddenly. “Oh, god. What if I snored? I’m pretty sure I snore, and not in a sweet snuffle way. Do you think the fact that I sound like a dying elephant will turn him off?”
It had been so long since she’d had a friend like Deena. Maybe never. She’d been that trashy Jones kid back in her hometown, the one whose dad went to jail. No one here cared about how awful her father had been. No one knew how much trouble she was. “You don’t sound like an elephant. It’s really more like a rhino.”
Deena slapped playfully at her arm and then gasped. “I’m so sorry.”
Ally shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m bruised, that’s all.”
She’d had way worse. This was going to be an ache, but she kind of liked it. She’d earned this ache. She’d done good.
Deena’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you did that. You know they’re saying he might have died without you.”
She wasn’t so sure of that. “I don’t know. He’s got a thick skull.”
“Stop. You need to stop being so modest and start thinking properly. You know what Macon’s reputation
is, right?”
“He’s a nice guy?” He’d always been nice to her. Was he nice to the other waitresses? Sure. Maybe he was really nice to them. She’d noticed Jenni and Tiffany in the waiting room. They were two of the other servers. Both were young and pretty and probably had never spent a night on the streets or attacked a drug dealer with a hammer. Jenni was a petite blonde working her way through college, while Tiffany was an artist of some kind. She had the willowy figure found on magazine covers.
Ally was kind of short, and since she’d started eating at Top, she’d filled way out. What if Macon kissed any woman who totally threw herself at him?
“Macon is known as the great deflector,” Deena said as they walked toward the waiting room. “I gave him the nickname myself when I noticed how easily he deflected Jenni’s every attempt to trap him. That poor girl had it so bad. I don’t think it’s because she’s passionately in love with him. She’s the kind of girl who notices when a guy doesn’t notice and then she’s all over him.”
She knew the type. They annoyed her. “But everyone notices Jenni. The girl can’t walk into the kitchen without someone telling her how good she looks.”
“Because the other guys are smart,” Deena explained. “She’s a sweet kid, but none of these guys are interested in a kid. When Eric figured out her game, he hit on her once, let her turn him down, and now she leaves him alone. She’s perfectly satisfied with getting some compliments, but Macon ignores her. She trapped him in the storage closet once and I swear I’ve never seen a dude run so fast. For a guy with a C-Leg, he’s a gazelle when he wants to get away.”
“So he’s not a player.” She liked that he didn’t bother to play Jenni’s game. Maybe she should have a talk with Jenni.
“Not at all. I thought he might play for the other team. Until you walked in.”
“What does that mean?”
Deena took a sip of her coffee, her heels clacking on the laminate floors. “That man watches you like a hawk. I swear he practically drools when you bend over. He’s got a thing for your backside.”
She needed to stop doing that. She wasn’t sure she wanted Macon watching her fat ass. “But my butt’s really big.”
“I believe the word he would use is juicy,” Deena corrected. “Most men don’t go for skinny things. That’s a lie perpetuated by the media and skinny bitches. I dropped down to my ideal size and the sex dried up. The boys like me with about ten extra pounds.”
“Macon stares at my ass?”
“Yep.”
“I kissed him last night.” That popped out of her mouth. She hadn’t really meant to let anyone know about that. Restaurant life ran on gossip.
Deena stopped in the middle of the hall, her eyes wide. “When he was unconscious? Did you pull up the shirt? Because I bet he’s hiding a six-pack. He never takes off his shirt. I’ve thought about spilling water on him so I can see his chest.”
“Of course not when he was unconscious. Before he was unconscious.” She couldn’t really blame her friend. She wanted to see his chest, too. There was a basketball hoop in the back parking lot and sometimes the guys played before they opened. They would pick shirts or skins, but Macon always stayed back, simply watching. Maybe she was being silly, but she thought there was a sadness when he stood there. The guys encouraged him to play, but he would shake his head.
Deena smiled. “And he kissed you back?”
He’d pulled her into the heat of his body and kissed her until she’d been breathless. “Yeah. I like him.”
“And he obviously likes you, so why do I hear a ‘but’ coming up?”
“I know something he doesn’t and when he finds out, he might not like me anymore.”
Deena stopped. “What are you saying?”
What was she saying? Why had she even mentioned that? She’d been about to blurt out the truth concerning her past to Deena. She quickly recovered. There was more than one reason Macon might have issues with her. “I don’t know. I heard he comes from a wealthy background and sometimes guys like that don’t like the girl from the wrong side of the tracks.”
She wasn’t sure exactly what had happened with him. Ronnie had talked about Macon being from a wealthy family, how he always had money but he wasn’t snooty.
Ronnie. She’d forgotten all about Ronnie the last few weeks. She’d gotten caught up in how gorgeous Macon Miles was and forgot that he was the only person alive who could tell her what happened to her brother.
And he refused to speak with her.
She’d even sent him an e-mail from one of the computers at the library. She’d sent it from the e-mail account she’d had back at home, one of the free kind. She’d asked him very politely if he would give her any information about Ronnie’s death.
He hadn’t replied.
What was she supposed to think of that? How did she reconcile the sweet, kind man she knew with the asshole who hadn’t replied to a dying woman’s pleas? She wasn’t the only one Macon had refused to answer.
“Oh, Macon’s not like that and from what I heard, he lost everything in the divorce.”
She’d wondered what happened to his wife. Ronnie hadn’t mentioned her. When she’d come to Top, she’d discovered that Macon had been married and had gone through a nasty divorce.
“Well, I’m sorry he lost everything because I like the man.” She hoped he hadn’t had anything to do with Ronnie’s death or the cover-up. She prayed he didn’t because she was pretty sure she was crazy about the man and it would break her heart. “I’m going to stay with him while he’s recovering.”
“You are?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Like with him, with him?”
That was the big question. That kiss last night had been spontaneous. Of course, waking up and hearing his low rumble and the doctor saying Macon needed someone to watch over him had spurred her to spontaneously offer to be his new roommate.
Why had she done that? Was it because getting closer to him might bring her the answers she was seeking? Or because she simply wanted to be closer to him?
“I’ll stay in the guest room. I’m going to be there for him.” They turned to walk into the waiting room.
“Wow, that’s a lot of boobs,” Deena said, her eyes wide.
“I think it’s nice.” There was nothing sexual about women feeding their babies.
“It’s not right. They should cover up.” An older man was complaining to the volunteer who sat at the desk.
“I’ve asked them to go to the bathroom, but they won’t go,” the woman whispered back as though she feared being overheard.
“Shit.” Deena leaned over and whispered in her ear. “That’s Charlotte Taggart, the big guy’s wife. She recently had twins. And the other one is Avery O’Donnell. She’s married to the big scary Irish guy in the back. This could get nasty.”
Ally didn’t understand why. The Avery lady’s baby had his hand covering most of her breast as he suckled. Charlotte Taggart’s very nice breast was bare for a second as she handed off one tiny bundle and accepted the other from her husband. The baby immediately went to work. It was sweet. She knew Big Tag from the restaurant. He was the one Macon made pies for. He tucked his baby daughter into the sling he was wearing. Even though the sling was the cutest pink it didn’t make Big Tag any less masculine.
He looked over where the man was making a fuss. This could get ugly.
“Well ask them to leave,” the man said, his face turning red. “My mother is having a procedure done. I shouldn’t have to watch pornography.”
Ian’s eyes narrowed.
It was going to get really nasty.
The woman stood up and smoothed down her very sensible blouse. “I’ll explain that they’re being offensive.”
“No, they’re not,” an elderly lady sitting near the door said. She pointed the cane she was holding at the complaining man. “They’re taking care of their babies. He’s a sad old codger who’s never seen a breast before. If you don’t like it,
don’t look.”
“They should go to the bathroom like decent folks would.” The asshole wasn’t backing down.
“Yes, because they would be so comfortable feeding babies while sitting on toilet seats. It’s a freaking hospital.” Ally was so sick of hypocrisy. “They tell you to breastfeed and then make it hard on the mom.”
She realized everyone was looking at her. Eric and the guys from Top were in with Macon, but Macon’s family was all sitting in those chairs and every eye was glued to her. Except the babies. They were occupied.
“You stay out of this, missy,” the man said. “I have rights and I shouldn’t have to see women running around showing off their titties like it’s a Girls Gone Wild film.”
“Seriously? This is Girls Gone Wild, asshole.” She flashed him. She’d taken off her bra the night before. She hadn’t exactly been able to slip it on in front of Macon and his brother.
The man gasped and then practically ran out of the room.
The volunteer breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. That big guy over there scares the hell out of me. I think he was about to come over here. I was actually going to run and hide in the bathroom. I don’t get paid to handle this.”
Ally smoothed down her shirt. Yep, she’d flashed her boobs in front of Macon’s friends and family. She was all kinds of classy.
She glanced over and instead of looks of horror, she got thumbs-ups and wide grins.
“Oh, my god. I can’t believe you did that.” Deena was laughing her ass off.
“You’ve got very nice breasts, young lady,” the woman with the cane said primly. “If you want to keep them that way, you should wear a bra. My poor sister’s drag the floor and she never wore a bra.”
Ally felt a hand on her shoulder and turned, praying security wasn’t about to escort her out. Instead, she got Macon’s smiling brother.
“Oh, you’re going to be trouble. I think you’ll fit right in.” He drew her into a hug. “Did I thank you for saving my brother?”
It took her a second, but she hugged him back. She missed this, missed having anyone who was happy to see her, who liked her. Even the last few months with her mother she’d felt more like a caregiver than a beloved daughter. “No problem.”