Just One Kiss: A Holiday Story [The Town of Pearl 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  Her mind was still frazzled and clouded even months after sustaining the head injury. She also would have flashbacks of the assault and close up, losing focus on what she was doing for a few minutes. She should have looked for a job immediately while the weather was still nice, but she was a bit intimidated by certain townspeople. Well, the men of Pearl actually. There were lots of them. They always seemed to be watching, and it put her on edge. Especially right now as she stared at the storefronts and wondered who may have a job opening to hire her. Her cash was getting low, and she needed to start working on that.

  As Lucia began to ascend the hill and head toward the shopping center first, she saw the sheriff’s patrol truck. She kept her head down and held the sweater tighter as she waited for him to pass by so she could cross the street.

  No such luck. Wyatt Cantrell stopped the patrol truck, placed it in park, and rolled down the window. He smiled softly at her, which was kind of odd for such a large, intimidating-looking man.

  “Good morning, Lucia. How are you today?” he asked.

  Her heart hammered inside of her chest. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and spoke softly, voice cracking and revealing how much of a mouse she really was.

  “Good, Sheriff Cantrell. How are you?” she got out.

  He looked her over, and she knew he would probably reprimand her for the sweater in such cooler fall temperatures. His wife Anna and her friends ran the women’s shelter. This time of year, they ran a coat drive and clothing was given to women and children in need.

  “You’re kind of underdressed for the weather. Temperatures drop around now in Pearl.”

  She looked around the area, could see other townspeople wearing light coats and even scarves. “I’m good, Sheriff. I have a coat back at the house.”

  He looked at her as if he didn’t believe her, like a law-enforcement officer who knew she was lying.

  “Well, if you outgrew it, Anna and the ladies are running the coat drive right now and you could probably have your choice of coats.” She widened her eyes, and he quickly added, “They always have more than enough donations. It’s not like you’d be taking a coat away from someone who you think may need it more.”

  She shot her head up to look at him, surprised he figured out she didn’t have a coat and would need one and maybe even couldn’t afford one.

  “If you’re going to be job hunting, or getting a job in town, you may want to grab a good, warm coat, maybe even some boots too.”

  “Job hunting?” She tried to act dumb.

  Again, Wyatt gave her that all-knowing look. The man ran a safe, clean town. No one dared to mess with him or his large department of deputies.

  “Bumped into Ron Anders at the hardware store. He was asking if they were hiring part-time. Told me he was looking to help you find something.”

  She was shocked but also touched by Ron’s actions.

  “That was real nice of him. I’ll still go in person to check potential opportunities for work,” she said, trying to act like she wasn’t so affected by the man.

  “Don’t give up hope. Word spreads fast around here. I’m sure you’ll be able to grab something soon enough. Good luck,” he said and tipped his hat at her.

  She said thank you then looked to the right, and her breath caught in her throat.

  Walking down the hill from the woods she had just walked through was Salvatore Walters. He and his big, mean-looking dog stared right at her and the sheriff and then turned away without a hello, a smile, or even a care. She felt herself shake a little. She had walked through those woods every time she made her way into town from the Anderses’ place. Maybe she needed a safer route. That man was dangerous and scary. Never mind how many muscles he had and how he wore camouflage like it was the only suitable attire for every occasion.

  Wyatt watched Salvatore, and she caught Salvatore look up and nod his head. Glancing at Wyatt, she saw him nod back. That was it, and it appeared to be enough to make things okay with Sheriff Wyatt. But not with her.

  “I better move along,” Lucia told him. Wyatt gave her a smile.

  “Sure thing. Remember, if you need anything, to go see Anna. She would love to help you out.”

  He rolled up the window, and she headed to the right, feeling a bit unsure and sad.

  The fact that she must look in need bothered her. She was trying to be independent and self-sufficient. Raised in a family where her parents controlled her every move and every aspect of her life, even her clothing and her friends, she found it difficult to change. But she was slowly establishing her own wants and desires. But on a limited budget with no family or friends for support, it was depressing and difficult at times. But at least she was free, and not a slave to a world or a man that would suck the soul and the life from her little by little until she was finally dead.

  She took a deep breath and headed toward the shopping center. She would take anything. It was better than nothing at all and would save her from worrying about getting through the winter or having to move on from this safe, loving town.

  * * * *

  Salvatore Walters headed down the streets of Pearl with his dog, Brutas. He had grown to love the four-legged beast pretty quickly. The dog always seemed to know when Salvatore was feeling distressed or on the verge of losing it. Not that Salvatore would go postal on anyone. It was just the sudden flashbacks and sometimes the overwhelming need to seek shelter and security at home.

  Brutas understood that. He had been trained by the best and by other soldiers who knew what it was like to live with PTSD and other effects of the service.

  He caught sight of Wyatt talking to some young teenage girl. She was shivering and only wearing a raggedy old sweater as she stood by the patrol truck. Salvatore wondered who she was, and then she turned her head and he saw her face.

  Lucia.

  She was fairly new to the area, renting a small apartment and bedroom from the Anders family. She didn’t come into town much, but there she was today, looking so fragile and like a teenage girl. He wondered how old she was and then dismissed the thoughts. Why should he care?

  Probably because he saw her walking through the woods all alone and it concerned him. As much of a prick he knew he had become, there was still that instinctual pull from deep within to always protect women and children. It seemed nothing could take that pull away.

  He had been there, walking in the woods, when he heard her coming from yards away. Another talent from being a Marine. He knelt down and kept Brutas quiet as she passed only yards away without a clue that he was watching her. Not so smart. He thought then that she was just a teenager, but then he found out she was renting the apartment and heard she was in her twenties.

  He continued on his way with thoughts of the pretty little brunette jumping in and out of his mind. He had work to do once he got back to the ranch. It had been months of counseling and working with Brutas that got him finally feeling a bit normal. He was able to help out on odd jobs with Lucifer, who was a finisher and worked construction. Lucifer was finishing up a construction job with Liberty Construction as a subcontractor. Gabriele was working on a welding job for the Hendersons. Then there was Maxwell. Maxwell was a detective working late in Turbank at the police department there. It was Maxwell who maintained the family ranch and left the Marine Corps ten years ago at twenty-three to help out their parents. They were older, and once Mom passed away, Dad got worse and worse and basically died of a broken heart. At least that’s what Maxwell believed.

  Their mom and dad were close. They were high school sweethearts who knew that there was no one else in the world for them but each other. Salvatore had a lot of fond memories of them and his childhood. They all grew up being patriotic and loving their country. Cowboys at heart, they talked about serving, about being part of a modern-day Wild West. Running into the line of fire, guns blazing, kicking ass, all guts and glory. Boy, did that belief change the moment Salvatore was deployed to the Middle East.

  Hot desert days
and frigid, cold nights, bunkered down under sandbags and makeshift shelters while sandstorms blew over them. He couldn’t even keep count as to how many times, directly after the sandstorms, their troops were fired upon from terrorists who knew the land and had the advantage.

  He instantly thought about Carlos, Smitty, and Gabe. All three died that first week. Blown out of their shelter by a rocket launcher a hilltop away. That could have been him. That could have been any of them. That was only one example of the reality of war. They were sitting ducks, and doing his job—completing his missions—was a top priority as well as trying to stay alive and not get picked off.

  Salvatore made his way toward the ranch just outside of town and back a few yards from the main road. He loved it out here. Quiet, secluded, yet not too far from town. He approached the long driveway and then made his way to the outside workshop and stable. He could hear the grinder echoing against the metal and imagined seeing the sparks flying as Gabriele worked on the project for the Hendersons.

  The grinder stopped as Gabriele looked up.

  “How was the walk?”

  “Good.” Brutas walked over to Gabriele, and Gabriele pet the dog before Brutas returned to Salvatore’s side.

  “Did they start decorating the town for the fall festival yet? It’s two weeks way.”

  “Didn’t notice,” Salvatore replied as he walked over to the corner of the room where his work area was and where he worked on his own style of woodwork art.

  “You cut through the town from the woods. You didn’t see anything?” he asked.

  “Saw Wyatt talking to someone. That was about it.”

  “Who was he talking to?”

  “Lucia.”

  Gabriele stopped what he was doing and looked at Salvatore.

  “Was he talking to her about walking through the woods alone? It’s on the outskirts of town, and like we talked about a couple of weeks ago, there have been some stragglers coming through lately.”

  “I don’t know what he was talking to her about. Maybe her lack of warm clothing.”

  “What do you mean?” Gabriele asked.

  “She was only wearing a sweater. A raggedy old thing. But hey, it’s not our business. That’s Wyatt’s worry,” Salvatore said and then pulled off the cloth covering the wooden bench he was custom designing.

  “Damn, that looks awesome. Who’s on the list in the bidding war?” Gabriele asked.

  “A few people. But I don’t know if I’m going to part with this one. It’s wide enough to turn into a front swinging bench for the porch. Replace that old one Mamma used to use. Damn thing is breaking and rotting.”

  Gabriele chuckled. “It would be nice to have a new one out there. Can’t even sit out at night. You couldn’t have done this project in time for the summer instead of the fall?” Gabriele teased.

  “Can’t rush creativity, man,” he replied, and Gabriele went back to work chuckling.

  Salvatore smirked and felt a bit odd. He never felt normal anymore. He thought the swing would bring back memories of his mom and the days before he left for war. Instead it made him think about having his own wife, a woman to love and share with his brothers whom they could have a family with. When he thought about that, he thought about Lindsey. Even though she was just a means to fulfill his sexual needs, she was still a woman, soft, sweet, and passionate. But he fucked that up. His inability to control the anger inside of him and the damn flashbacks was too much to handle.

  He stopped working and gripped the table. He hated feeling like shit and so inadequate and abnormal. Then he felt the cold nose to his hand and Brutas pushing his head against his leg, looking for loving and consoling his master.

  “Good boy,” he whispered and took a deep breath, released it, then went back to working on his bench and not letting his mind wander over the things that could never be.

  Chapter 2

  “I’m sorry, dear. We’re not in need of any extra help. Have you tried in Keanter? That town is a lot bigger than Pearl. Usually there’s always work there,” Mrs. Kirkland from the shopping center told her. Lucia had been to just about every store, and she was losing her faith that something would come up.

  “I appreciate the information. I’ll check into it,” Lucia said but knew she couldn’t. There was no way she could get to and from Keanter. She didn’t have a car or any means of transportation.

  She headed back out into the cold, the wind now blowing and leaves flying around the streets.

  “Lucia! Lucia!” She heard her name and turned around to see one of the owners of the hardware store, Lisa Burgos. Lewis Burgos and his sister Lisa Burgos owned the store. Lucia wondered what the young woman wanted as she made her way across the street and onto the sidewalk.

  Lucia held her sweater tight.

  “Hi, come on inside. I want you to meet Mary Higgins. She owns the really big house behind the Main Street Inn. She’s looking to hire someone to help do some odds and ends around the house.” Lisa pulled Lucia along with her and whispered to her, “Mrs. Higgins is loaded and is really nice. She has these parties all the time and usually hires some of the teens or women from Second Chances to help serve food and prepare things. She was in the back of the store and heard you asking about work earlier. She asked me about you.”

  Before Lucia could process everything Lisa was saying, she was inside the store and facing Mrs. Higgins and Lisa’s brother Lewis, who stood there smiling.

  “This is her, Mrs. Higgins,” Lewis said, and he winked at Lucia.

  “Hello, Lucia, my name is Mary Higgins. It’s nice to meet you,” she said and stuck her hand out for Lucia to shake.

  Lucia shook her hand, and the woman smiled.

  She stared at her and looked her over as if she were sizing her up. Lucia knew the type. Wealthy, high-class, and only wanting the best, she was seeing if she was from good stock. It would knock her socks off if Mrs. Mary Higgins knew what family Lucia came from. One rich in historic wealth tied to prehistoric ideals and beliefs.

  “Nice to meet you too, Ma’am.”

  “Mrs. Higgins was in the store when you asked about some part-time work,” Lewis began to say.

  Lucia looked from Lewis to Mrs. Higgins as the older woman began to speak.

  “I usually hire on a need-to basis from Second Chances. However, I was in the pharmacy yesterday and heard that you rent the apartment from Kelly Anders and her husbands. Ron mentioned that you were looking for part-time work, and then I overheard you asking if there are job openings here.”

  Lucia felt her heart racing. She was also getting a little emotional. These people who lived in Pearl really were very compassionate.

  “Yes, Ma’am. I just started asking around today,” Lucia told her.

  “And were you successful in grabbing anything good?” she pushed.

  “No, Ma’am. Seems this time of year is a bad time to be looking for work.”

  “Well, it just so happens that I’m looking for someone to do some odd jobs around my home and assist me with various things when needed.”

  “Various things, Ma’am?” Lucia cautiously asked.

  Mary gave a small smile.

  “I run an online business selling lots of different types of jewelry and other home items for women. I can’t seem to keep up with the housework and getting things organized and fixed around the place. I have someone who comes in and cleans. But I need an organizer, like a personal assistant. I’ll pay by the hour at first to make sure things work out and we get along, then weekly.”

  Lucia couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like her little miracle. Something had to go wrong.

  “When would you need me to start?”

  “Don’t you want to know how much the job pays?”

  Lucia felt her cheeks warm but quickly replied, “I’m certain you’ll pay me what you think I deserve.”

  Mary smiled.

  “Wonderful. Lewis can direct you to my house, just right behind the Inn. Could you meet me in an hour
to go over some things?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  Mary nodded and then winked at Lewis and Lisa before exiting the store. Lisa smiled wide.

  “That is so awesome. She’s going to love you.”

  “She’s a tough woman to work for and expects a hundred percent, Lucia, so be sure to get there on time and do as she directs you to,” Lewis informed her.

  “I will, Lewis. Thank you so much for getting me back in here.”

  “Are you going back outside to wait?” Lisa asked and eyed over Lucia’s sweater.

  She nodded.

  “You can stay in here if you want. It’s cold out there,” Lisa said and smiled before she headed back around the counter.

  But she declined. Knowing that it was past lunchtime now, she had some money on her to grab something small to eat. She didn’t want them thinking that she was so needy. It hurt her feelings and made her feel like a loser when she was just trying to survive on her own. She gulped down the lump of emotion, straightened her shoulders, and lifted her chin. “I’m going to grab a quick bite to eat and then head to Mrs. Higgins’s house. Thank you again.”

  Lewis swung around to look at her, appearing concerned, and Lisa smiled wide. “Enjoy, and good luck with the new job.”

  * * * *

  Dale and Virgo London were grabbing lunch at Francine’s while they waited for Matt and Quaid to arrive. Dale immediately noticed the young woman—Lucia, he was sure her name was—enter the restaurant. Her eyes darted around the place and then to the two empty seats alongside theirs. Dale could tell that she was very shy. Sage mentioned her over a dozen times in the last several weeks, and her curiosity about the young woman was contagious.

  “This seat’s empty, doll,” Virgo told her before Dale had a chance to.

  She nodded her head and gave a small smile, maybe even whispered a “thank you,” but he wasn’t sure. She took the seat two stools away from Virgo and sat down.