“Here, Abby, do you want some help up?” Zane asked, sticking his hand out to her. She didn’t say anything. Her eyes got huge all over again. Then she looked back at Alex, unsure what to do. This just caused Zane to burst out laughing.
“I see what’s going on,” he said, shaking his head. “You think we didn’t all already know what was going on from the groaning. You might as well let her up.”
“There’s a difference in knowing something, and blurting it out, Zane,” Jamie said, giving her son a dirty look.
“Sorry, Mom. It’s Alex,” he answered with a shrug, not really sounding very repentant. “He can take it.”
“It’s okay, Abby. You can get up,” Alex said, feeling the need to go hide for a little while.
When Alex finally made it to his feet, he stood bent over for a few seconds, trying to decide on a course of action. Deciding there really was no point since the whole yard knew what was going on because of Zane and his big mouth, he stood up and walked off. He didn’t even bother to look back when he heard everyone clapping and hollering. He even heard a few whistles thrown in. He waved his hand over his head and walked through the basement door to go and hide in the downstairs bedroom. The thought of using the bathroom down there for a cold shower even crossed his mind.
“Well, what do you know?” Carl asked Jamie after watching his son walk off to hide until he could get himself under control.
“I think that was obviously too much on Zane’s part. But at least it was Alex,” she said with a small shrug. “Like Zane said, he can handle it a lot better than the rest of them could.”
“Yeah, but what about Abby?”
“I think she was too in shock to be embarrassed.”
“I think you may be right, but that wasn’t what I was trying to ask.”
“I think if he can ever find a way to deal with his real feelings, they’ll get married. She’s as crazy about him as he is her,” she added with a small smile. “They’re still young enough we don’t have anything to worry about yet.”
Carl turned and grinned at her. “Yeah, I know. And you know what else I know?”
“What?” she asked smiling at him.
“You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And I love you more now than I did the day we got married. The last thirty-one years have been the most amazing a man could ever hope for.”
“I love you more now too, you big sweetheart. You are amazing.” Jamie said, standing on her tippy toes to pull his head down so she could kiss him.
“Oh, Mom. Dad. Please, don’t. I don’t think I can take it,” Zane said, pretending to gag. Jamie gave her son the evil eye without saying a word. “I don’t want to think about you two like that.”
“Well, if you’re thinking about your dad and I in that way, that’s your fault. You and that sick mind of yours,” Jamie said, smirking at him.
“Zane, Emily’s not quite four yet. How did you think she got here?” Carl asked, trying not to laugh.
“The stork dropped her off, or you found her in a cabbage patch. And that’s what I’m going to continue to believe,” he said, walking off with a grin on his face.
“Carl,” Jamie said, looking at her husband with a rather serious look on her face. “Where did we go wrong with him?”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said with a serious shake of his head before breaking out in a huge grin. “He not only looks like his uncle Danny. He acts like him as well.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t want him to be any other way,” Jamie said, smiling at her son, who had already made it across the yard were Amanda was standing. “He’s definitely something else, though. You think Amanda is going to be able to handle him when the time finally comes.”
“Oh, I think there’s a lot more to his Amanda than we are seeing right now. Don’t forget who her daddy is,” he said with a mysterious smile as he watched his son wrap his arms around the young lady. He seemed to be drawn to her like a moth to a flame. When she was around, he never spent much time away from her. “I also believe, in time, Zane will be able to help her start revealing those hidden parts of herself again.”
******
When Zane stepped up beside Amanda, she actually managed to smile at him. She was finally starting to relax a little bit. “I take it, Alex has a thing for Abby.”
He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close to his side. “Alex and Abby have a thing for each other, but I’m guessing he still doesn’t think they’re ready yet.”
“Well, they are young,” she shrugged, wrapping her arms around his waist. “They both still have a year of high school and then college. Not to mention, he has always been one to over think things. Is he still planning on opening his own studio?”
“As far as I know. He hasn’t said anything different. He’s planning on having her work with him. She’s going to school for the same thing. Her pictures are almost as good as his.”
“She doesn’t carry her camera around with her quite as much as he does.”
“No, she doesn’t. It’s a good thing that neither one of them had them around their necks, or they might have broken them.”
“How many cameras does Alex own now?”
“I’m not sure,” Zane said, bringing his hand up under her chin. “Are you doing better? I think the ice kept your eye from swelling as bad as it could have.”
“Yeah,” she blushed. “I think the ibuprofen helped some, as well.”
“I still wish you would let me talk to him.”
“No, Zane. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Trust me, I wouldn’t get hurt.”
“I don’t want you getting in trouble over him, either.”
“It’s not him I would be getting in trouble over.”
“Zane, you know what I mean.”
“Yes, Amanda, I know what you mean, but I want him to stay away from you,” he growled. “I’m not going to let him hurt you again.”
******
Zane sauntered down the hall, absent mindedly taking a bite out of the apple he had in his hand, looking for his mom. He knew she was up here somewhere. Just about the time he reached his sisters’ bedroom, he could hear her voice drifting out in the hall. She was reading one of his favorite Bible stories to his sisters. She was almost to the end. Deciding to wait till she was done, he leaned against the wall and listened to her read.
Jamie read the last few lines of the story and closed the book. “Okay, you two. That’s it for tonight. I love you. Give me hugs and kisses. It’s time to go to sleep.”
“Mommy, read another one, please.”
“No, Zoe. It’s time to go to sleep.”
“Please,” he heard his little sister plead.
“Zoe, you already have your answer.”
“Okay,” Zoe said in a sleepy voice. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too, Sweetheart.”
When Jamie stepped out in the hall, she about jumped out of her skin.
“You shouldn’t lie in wait on a person like that,” she said, smacking Zane on the arm, causing him to chuckle. “I almost had a heart attack.”
“No, you didn’t,” he snorted, shaking his head at her. “You’re healthier than most twenty-year-old’s these days.”
She gave him a dirty look. “You still shouldn’t startle me like that.”
He grinned, changing the subject. “I always loved that story. It was one of my favorites.”
“I know, but I’m guessing that’s not the reason you were lurking outside your sisters’ bedroom.”
“No, I’m worried about Amanda being at my house during the day by herself. She has more than two months of vacation built up, so she’s taking the next six weeks off. Her boss told her she could take all of it, if she needed to. He’s heard enough about Austin himself, he wants her to get away from the guy. I’m not convinced Austin won’t come looking for her at my place. Would you be alright with me dropping her off here in the mornings? Phillip took her car
out to his shop. He said it might take him a few days to get to it, so he doesn’t know when he’ll get it fixed. Luke’s going to look it over after he gets done. It sounded like it was in severe need of a tune up. So, she’s decided not to drive it until they’re done fixing it.”
“Of course, but is there any way I could talk you two into her staying here at night? She would still be safe, and I wouldn’t have to worry about you two being alone, too much.”
Zane grinned and shook his head as he walked down the hall. He knew his mom had to know how he felt about Amanda, but he wasn’t admitting anything. He needed her close. He needed to be able to protect her himself. That was the only thing that was going to keep him sane until all of this mess with Austin was over.
Chapter 4
Wednesday, July 16
Zane walked through the store, his cell phone pressed to his ear. “Is there anything else we need? Are you sure we have enough cheese?” he asked, then waited a few seconds while the person on the other end obviously said something in return. “I’ll go ahead and pick some up to be sure. The worst that could happen is we end up with some left over for next time.” After another short pause, he finished up with, “Okay, I’ll see you in a little bit.”
He cut the call off and stuck the phone in his jeans pocket in time to hear someone snarl behind him, “Where’s that little whore at? I went by your house while you were at work and she wasn’t there.”
He spun around and glared down on the smaller man. “First of all, I don’t appreciate you calling my mom a whore. Second of all, I thought I smelled a stench when I reached my front door to change before coming to the store. And third, stay away from Amanda. She doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
“I know you were talking to Amanda,” he snarled back. “I want my property back. She belongs to me.”
“Just how stupid are you, anyway?” he growled, taking a step forward. “She’s not a piece of property. She doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“You can’t talk to me that way,” the man snarled again. “I can get you fired.”
Zane scoffed and shook his head. “The chief of police knows about you. You can’t even come close to getting me fired.”
“I want what belongs to me back, and you better get out of my way.”
“She’s not a piece of property,” he growled low in reiteration. “She’s a woman. One you obviously don’t have a clue how to treat. My guess is you don’t know how to treat any woman.”
“Women are a dime a dozen,” he shrugged like it really didn’t matter how he treated them.
Zane pulled his head back in obvious confusion and gave the guy a contemplative look. “If that’s what you believe, why are you so determined to get her back when she obviously doesn’t want you back?”
He smirked. “I have my reasons. And if you don’t get out of my way, you’re going to pay for your part in all of this,” he growled, doing his best to puff out his chest. With his belly sticking out so far, it just made him look more ridiculous. He certainly didn’t come off threatening. At least not to Zane. He ended up wondering how the man managed to stay on his feet, as off balance as he looked with his beer gut sticking out the way it did.
When Zane laughed at him, he turned red in the face from anger. “I mean it, Townsend.”
Zane smirked, nodding his head. “I’m sure you do.”
“I want Amanda back,” he snarled once more before trying to move around the larger man.
“Just a second, Austin,” Zane said, holding a hand up. “Did you get all of that, Joe?”
“I sure did,” the older man answered with a wide grin.
Austin turned to look at the other man, a look of almost terror on his face. “Where did you come from?”
“I’ve been here the whole time. I walked up behind you at about the same time you first snarled at Zane.”
Austin shook his head in disbelief. “You didn’t record anything,” he grumbled, looking down at the phone in the man’s hand, sounding very uncertain of the fact.
Joe chuckled, glancing down at the phone in his hand to punch a few buttons. When the younger man heard what played back, he sneered, “What do you do? Spy for all of them? I’ve heard how you’ve interfered in other people’s business before.”
“I take the security of my store and the people in it very seriously.”
“How did you get so close without my noticing?” Austin grumbled.
“I think that might have had something to do with you being so focused on threatening Zane and not paying attention to your surroundings. One of the first things they teach you in the military is, always be aware of your surroundings.”
“Whatever,” he snapped, finally darting off toward the front doors.
“Well, that was fun,” Zane chuckled.
“Yeah,” the other man snorted. “Remind me never to play poker with you.”
“Why is that?”
“You never even came close to giving me away. You must have ice water in your veins.”
He raised an eyebrow at the older man. “Maybe when it comes to most things, but not when it comes to Amanda and anything that concerns her. When it comes to her, I have a lot more fire in my veins, than ice water.”
“Yeah, I can believe that.”
******
The moment Zane entered his parents’ house, Amanda and his mom immediately started peppering him with questions. He sighed and shook his head. “Give me a chance to answer a question before you ask another one.”
“Joe called me,” his mom stated with irritation.
“I figured that out the second I walked through the door,” he replied dryly.
“He called because he didn’t figure you would see fit to tell us what happened,” she snorted. “Something about you being ‘the Ice Man’ and not thinking you needed help. He felt it would be best if we were made aware of what had happened.”
“Okay,” he grunted when she smacked him in the stomach. “I can see his point. Just remember, there isn’t a one of you who waited to see what I would do before you attacked me,” he added, including his father in their little group. He had just walked in the room and obviously had something to say, judging by the look on his face.
“Zane, I know you. Don’t forget I’m the one that changed your dirty diapers and wiped your snotty nose. You wouldn’t have told us if you could have gotten away with not doing so.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he grumbled. “That was an attractive picture you created. And are you saying Dad never changed any diapers when we were all babies?” he asked with a smirk at his father. “I know he changes them now, for the grandbabies.”
“Don’t get smart with me, Zane Townsend, or I’ll prove to you I can still paddle your behind.”
“Mom, I’m almost twenty-nine and I work for the police department,” he grumbled. “I would never hear the end of it, if something like that got out.”
She snorted. “I’d be sure to let it be known you stood there and let me do it when I told everyone at the station.”
He rolled his eyes at her like he was still a teenager and shook his head. “Funny.”
“Okay, now will you tell us what happened?” Amanda asked, still looking close to panicking. “All Joe would say was you had a run in with Austin and it would be best if we asked you about it.”
“I never realized how much of an old woman Mark’s dad could be.”
“Zane,” Jamie huffed, smacking him in the stomach again. “I’d almost bet, by the time you reach Joe’s age, you’ll be worse than he is. You’re pretty bad to stick your nose in everybody else’s business already.”
His dad chuckled and turned to leave the room. “I think I’ll let your mom handle this after all. She’s doing a pretty good job, from what I can see.”
“Thanks, Dad,” he replied dryly.
“You’re welcome,” he heard him call from down the hall with another chuckle.
He looked back to his mom to find her with her arms crossed in
front of her and tapping her foot in impatience. “It’s my job to be nosy. I’m a cop,” he smirked.
“It’s not always your job,” she replied, uncrossing her arms to ram her fists on her hips with a huff. “Sometimes you’re just being nosy.”
“Mom, what’s wrong?” he asked, giving her a concerned look.
“You know what’s wrong,” she answered, bursting into tears. “I’m worried about you and Amanda.”
“Don’t worry. He was just posturing. He knows he can’t really do anything.”
Chapter 5
Tuesday, July 22
Amanda had been in the game room folding laundry when the door came open. She looked up in time to see Zoe walk through with a hairbrush in her hand, using it like a microphone. She could tell the little girl hadn’t realized there was someone in there. She was singing at the top of her lungs and dancing around the room like a little pop star. She sat there, not saying a word, enjoying the impromptu show. She didn’t want to embarrass her.
The second Zoe realized she had an audience, she stopped singing and blushed scarlet. When she started to turn around to leave, Amanda stopped her. “You have a wonderful voice, Zoe. Do you sing in church?”
“Yes,” the little girl nodded. “But not that song. All my older brothers and sisters say I’m going to be as good as Hunter when I’m old enough.”
“Yeah, I bet you sing church songs at church.”
“Yeah,” the little girl agreed.
Amanda patted the couch beside her, indicating she wanted the little girl to sit down with her. “I’ve not heard Hunter sing. I’ve heard he’s really good, but it embarrasses him to sing in front of people.”
“Uh-huh,” she nodded, walking over to sit down. She sat there for several seconds, obviously thinking hard before she finally said what was on her mind. “Are you and Zane going to get married?”
Amanda blushed to her roots and jerked around to look at the little girl, nearly knocking the basket off the coffee table in front of her. “What makes you ask that?”
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