“Aren’t you supposed to be back at work by now, Marisol?” Rosalind snapped. “You don’t want to keep the clients waiting. Marisol can be extremely forgetful. A bit flighty.”
Marisol ground her teeth together.
“Really? She doesn’t seem flighty to me at all. The fact that she worked late last night then came in to work so early today tells me that she is quite a hard worker.”
Her aunt’s gaze narrowed. Uh-oh. “Yes. Quite. I have to get inside. I have things to do. Marisol, don’t linger. And for goodness sake, straighten your shoulders, you’re slumping.”
Shame filled her but she forced herself to turn to Linc. “Sorry about that.”
He raised his eyebrows. “She seems like a fun person.”
“Yeah. You could say that. Good luck with the wedding gift shopping.”
He grimaced. “Thanks, I’m going to need it. I’ll text you later. Oh, what days do you have off?”
“Sundays. The spa is shut.”
He frowned. “Only Sundays?”
“Yes. But it’s fine. I like work,” she said quickly.
“Okay. If you’re free Sunday would you like to do something?”
She sucked in a breath. She should say no. She wasn’t planning on sticking around. But God, she really wanted to say yes. When had she ever done anything for herself?
“As friends, of course,” he added.
Oh. Of course he just meant as friends. And she shouldn’t feel a stab of disappointment, because being a friend was all she could offer. She wasn’t sure she’d make a good friend, but she’d try.
“All right. I’d like that. As friends.”
As she walked away, she was aware of his gaze burning into her back. She tried to straighten her posture not wanting to slump as Rosalind had accused her of doing. When she got inside, she quickly moved into the bathroom and washed her hands before checking her blood sugar levels.
They were good. Maybe hanging around Linc was good for her.
If only she’d met him in a different time. A different place. With a sigh, she moved into the employee backroom and stashed her handbag in her locker. Then she headed down the passage towards the front of the spa.
The sound of a news report made her stop and she poked her head into her aunt’s office. Her aunt was staring at the television mounted on the wall with a frown. Marisol turned to see what she was staring at. Surprise filled her to see a news report. There were images of a burning building.
“The police can’t say for certain what happened here. But it looks to have been some sort of gang war. The building behind me was the reported headquarters of a gang trying to get a foothold in the city. The Devil’s Sinners have connections to the Devil’s Kings, a gang based in Texas and Arizona. Police are currently searching for anyone who saw anything. They’d also like to hear from anyone who saw or had contact with these two men that night.”
Mugshots of two men popped up on screen.
Jeremy ‘Falcon’ James and Matthew ‘Jackal’ James. What had Saber said last night to Tiger? That Falcon and Jackal were dead. Holy shit.
At least this meant they were likely to be tied up for longer, right? It could give her some breathing room.
“What are you doing just staring at that TV?” her aunt snapped. “Shouldn’t you be working? Do I pay you to stand around gawking?”
She didn’t pay her at all. At least, not enough.
Marisol turned around.
“Oh, and Marisol, stay away from that cowboy. I didn’t like him.”
She meant that she didn’t like that Linc hadn’t fawned all over her. Marisol didn’t say that though. And her aunt’s demand only made her more determined to see Linc again. Right now, he was the only bright spot in her life.
She strode quickly into the main reception area and smiled at her two o’clock appointment. Mrs. Long was usually Eileen’s client. The older woman was a terrible gossip. And a bit mean too.
“You’re late,” Mrs. Long snapped, rising.
By one minute.
Marisol grit her teeth and smiled. “My apologies.” She led the woman to one of the nail booths. Two other booths were already filled by some of Mrs. Long’s friends. They liked to get their nails done at the same time so they could gossip together.
“Was that Linc Johnson I saw you with out there, dear?” Mrs. Olsen asked. Her question sounded innocent enough but she sensed all the women’s eyes turn to her.
“That’s right.”
“You two looked cozy,” Mrs. Olsen said slyly.
“He’s a friend.”
“You want to be careful about associating with the people on Sanctuary Ranch,” Mrs. Randall told her.
Don’t ask. Don’t ask.
“Have you heard the rumors about them?” Mrs. Long asked in a loud voice.
“I don’t listen to gossip,” she replied. She knew she had to be polite. They were the clients after all. Still, she hated the glee in their voices. They were enjoying this too much.
“Well,” Mrs. Olsen sniffed. “Just thought you might like to know how they treat the women out there.”
She stiffened.
“She might be into that sort of thing,” Mrs. Long sneered.
“It’s sick, it is,” Mrs. Randall said. “Not natural. And now I hear that two of them are seeing the one woman. At the same time. They all live together in the same house. It’s just not right.”
“It’s abuse,” Mrs. Long added. “I reported it to the sheriff. I told him that Madison told me that she heard the men all spank the women and won’t allow them to do anything without their permission. I wanted the sheriff to investigate and he refused. He told me to stop making up stories. So rude.”
“He’s so incompetent,” Mrs. Randall said.
Good for the sheriff. She thought of the cop from last night. He’d actually been nice. And concerned for her. As they changed their topic to some woman who was having an affair with her best friend’s husband, Marisol’s mind wandered to what the women had said about Sanctuary Ranch. She didn’t believe that any of those women were abused. They were all so happy and sweet. She knew what it was like to be stuck. To be scared.
Those women seemed secure and healthy.
And Linc definitely didn’t strike her as the sort of man to hurt a woman. No, she dismissed those accusations and her mind instead turned to the news report she’d just seen. It reminded her that even though she might have some more time to plan, she still needed a way out of here.
For good.
6
Marisol grabbed some food from the kitchen and moved quickly up to her bedroom. The house was quiet and her aunt’s vehicle wasn’t in the garage, but that still didn’t make her feel any happier. She was exhausted.
At least tomorrow was going to be a bit quieter with so many people at the wedding.
She opened her door cautiously, part of her expecting to see Tiger lounging on her bed. It was empty. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she walked in, put her food down then locked the door and pulled her dresser across it for good luck. By the time she’d done that, she was feeling sweaty and slightly light headed.
Shoot.
She didn’t know if she was just tired or her blood sugar was low again. Honestly, sometimes it felt like she could never rest. It was a constant worry in the back of her head. Trying to figure out what she’d eaten that day. What her symptoms meant, if anything.
She just wanted to be carefree. To have nothing to worry about. It wasn’t possible, of course. Not with her life.
But after checking her blood sugar, she was pleased to see it was all right. Must just be tired. After a shower and dinner, which consisted of a peanut butter sandwich and some yogurt, she grabbed her snuggly and Princess Nana, her doll, from the closet. As she rubbed her snuggly against her nose, her thumb found its way into her mouth and she just lay on the bed, trying calm herself.
This was the closest she ever got to being able to relax and let things go. She never fully let her Little side out.
She didn’t feel like she had a safe space to do so. There was no way she wanted her aunt discovering her. So she usually just lost herself in the stories she read.
But there were times, like now, when she just needed the extra comfort. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel a man curling up around her, holding her tight, telling her that everything would be okay.
Daddy will take care of you, Little girl. You don’t have to ever worry while you’re in Daddy’s arms.
Her imaginary Daddy was usually faceless so she was startled to realize that tonight he had a face. Linc smiled down at her, crooning to her, comforting her.
He gave her definite Daddy vibes. She could picture him taking care of her if she stubbed her toe, being gentle and caring. But also stern when he needed to be. She wondered what it would be like to be taken over his knee and spanked. She’d had a bit of a spanking fetish for years. Even though she’d never once been spanked. Her aunt preferred to verbally abuse her. Or lock her in her room. That was usually her go-to when Marisol was a child. Once she’d locked Marisol in her room all day. She’d had a seizure and knocked herself out. By the time she’d been found, she was nearly in a diabetic coma. She spent a week in the hospital.
Her aunt had stopped locking her up after that.
She started sucking on her thumb harder as she felt her anxiety grow. She wished her snuggly was big enough to wrap around her.
She hugged Princess Nana tight. Thank God, Tiger hadn’t found her. Harry had won Princess Nana for her at the fair. That was the only fair she’d ever been to. Her aunt had tried to make her leave the doll behind when they’d left Harry. But Marisol had managed to sneak it into her bag. Eventually, Rosalind forgot where the doll came from.
Her phone beeped then and she closed her eyes. Seemed reality was hell-bent on interrupting her me time. Some people took baths, others got their nails or hair done.
She sucked her thumb and pretended she had a Daddy who cared. A Daddy who wanted a big Little girl. Like the ones in CJ Bennett’s books. That’s what she wanted.
The phone beeped again. She sighed and heaved herself out of bed. She felt so heavy-limbed. As though she was moving through quicksand. A yawn caught her by surprise. She wished she could watch some mindless TV until she fell asleep. But that would involve going downstairs. And she didn’t want to risk seeing her aunt. Or falling asleep on the couch.
She could read, but she’d finished the paperback she had already. She needed to go to the secondhand bookstore and get some more, since her eReader was gone. But she hadn’t had time to get there today.
Maybe she should read one of the books she already owned. That could be fun, like returning to see old friends. Grabbing her phone, she rested back against the headboard. Only a few people had her number and so she was expecting it to be from her aunt or someone at the spa.
She nearly fell over in shock as she saw the name pop up.
Sexy Cowboy.
She let out a shocked laugh. That’s what he’d typed his contact in as? She rolled her eyes as she eagerly opened his message.
Hi, Mari-girl, just checking to make sure you got home safe. What are you having for dinner?
Oh. That was sweet. She’d never had anyone check in on her. Sure, her aunt didn’t like her out late, but that was a control thing. Not because she actually cared.
Hello, sexy cowboy.
Okay, she sent that before thinking it through.
Why, Mari-girl, thank you for the compliment. *blushes*
She grinned. He was so silly.
I had a sandwich for dinner. You?
No veggies? Tut-tut. That’s naughty. I had pot roast with all the trimmings. I even ate the beans.
Ick. Beans. I like most veggie. But even if I could cook, there’s not much point for just me.
Your aunt isn’t home?
She hesitated before replying. Was it wise to tell him that she was here alone? But she had never once gotten a vibe from him that he might hurt her.
No. Don’t know where she is.
You’ve always lived with her?
Since I was four when my mama died.
Oh baby girl, I’m so sorry.
Tears reached her eyes. Jeez, she felt like she was on the edge of an emotional breakdown and one push would send her over.
It was a long time ago but thank you.
I still miss my nana. She raised me. Taught me all those old-fashioned values.
She sounds like a wonderful person.
She was.
This was different, she’d never had a friend she could text. Suddenly, her phone rang in her hand. His name popped up.
“Hello,” she said shyly.
“My fingers were getting sore. Not used to all this texting,” he joked.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Young thing like you? Didn’t you spend most of your teenage years texting?”
“You have to have someone to text,” she said jokingly. But his silence told her that he heard the truth in her words.
“You didn’t have friends, Mari-girl?”
Christ. There went those tears again. She blinked rapidly.
“We moved around a lot. There wasn’t much point in making friends.”
“Must have been hard.”
“It was. And then I mostly attended schools in wealthy areas, and well, I wasn’t rich. I just went there because my aunt has a thing for rich men and we lived in those neighborhoods. Most of the other kids just saw me as a poor relative.”
“Oh, Mari, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. Being a teenager is never easy, right?”
“Nope. Try being a teenage boy being raised by your grandmother. I was fifteen before she sat me down to have the birds and the bees talk. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’d already taken sex ed at school and that there was a reason I went through so many socks.”
She choked on her laughter.
“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?” he said, a laugh leaking through. “She caught me going for it once. I had just come home from a date with Carly-Sue Anderson. She was the prettiest girl in our class. We spent half the night making out in the back of my car. When I get home, I thought my balls were gonna explode. High-tailed it up to my room without even checking in with Nana. I was in my room, pounding away when in she walks to ask how my date went.”
She burst into gales of laughter, holding her stomach as tears streamed down her face. “That did not happen.”
“Oh, it did. We had an unspoken agreement to never speak of it.” He started laughing. “Being a teenager was definitely hard.”
She giggled. “I can’t believe you told me that.”
“Hey, friends share their embarrassing teenage moments with friends. Haven’t you got any to tell me?”
Well, she could tell him that right now she was lying with her snuggly and hugging her doll. But nope.
“That’s okay,” he said quietly, letting her off the hook.
They talked for ages, him telling her about growing up with his nana. She told him stories about some of her previous clients. About an hour passed before she started yawning.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “It’s not the company.”
“You must be exhausted from working late last night then getting up this morning to open. And you’ve got work tomorrow.”
“And you have a wedding to go to. Did you get a gift?”
“Sure did. Charlie really likes photography and Clint likes fishing. So I got them this fish photo frame. It’s like in the shape of a fish and you set the photos into the body. What do you think?”
“You didn’t.”
He was joking, right?
“Uh, I did. Is it no good? I can take it back.”
“No, no, I’m sure it’s fine,” she said, managing to sound somewhat convincing. She hoped. “I’m sure they’ll love it.”
Oh shoot. Did that count as a lie? Well, it’s not like she knew them. Maybe they would l
ike it.
“Are you free Sunday?”
“Oh. Yes, I suppose so.”
“You suppose so?”
“Sorry. I just . . . sometimes my aunt springs things on me.”
“Ah, right. I was hoping you might come on a picnic with me. But if you think you’ll be busy . . .”
“I’ll make it work,” she blurted out.
She should say no. It would be better for both of them. But how could she say no when she knew she would regret it? She’d spend all of Sunday sitting around, wishing she’d said yes. As long as she got up early and cleaned the house then left before her aunt got out of bed, which was never usually before midday, she should be fine.
“Good. I’ll pick you up around eleven?”
“Actually, could we meet in town? Maybe outside the diner or something?”
There was a beat of silence.
“Of course, Mari-girl.”
She let out a silent sigh of relief. She’d been worried he’d want to know why she didn’t want picked up at the house. But she wasn’t going to take the risk of her aunt seeing her with him again.
There was silence.
“I don’t want to hang up,” she confessed, feeling herself blush. She hoped that didn’t sound too clingy.
“Me either,” he confessed. “All right, how about this? I’m going to put you to bed.”
Put her to bed? What did that mean?
“That all right?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s all right,” she agreed.
“Why don’t you put the phone down and go brush your teeth, pee, and then when you’re ready, climb back into bed and pick up the phone again.”
“Okay,” she said kind of breathily.
She threw the phone and it slid off the bedside table and fell to the floor.
“Mierda! God damn freaking crap!” She grabbed the phone picking it up to check that she hadn’t accidentally ended the call. “Are you still there?”
“Yes. Interesting language you have there, Mari-girl.”
Whoops.
“Sorry, the phone fell off the table and I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m right here, teeny,” he said in a low croon that sent a shiver through her blood. “And if you’d lost me you know how to find me again, huh?”
Daddy in Cowboy Boots (Montana Daddies Book 9) Page 5