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Pete jerked, forcing in a deep breath before answering. He had hoped neither he nor Bertie had awakened during his tossing and turning. Would he ever quit hearing the screams of his wounded and dying comrades? “Yes.” He nodded without looking up and drove in the last nail. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”
Pushing to his feet, he watched Ms. Myers drive away. She appeared more at ease today, with fewer shadows under and in her eyes. God, he prayed she continued to recover from whatever ordeal she’d endured to put them there. He knew firsthand how the memories could haunt you to the breaking point, how hard it was to function day in and day out, get through each night with nightmares of pain and suffering filling your head.
“You didn’t. Let’s take a break. I could use a soft drink and there are still donuts left from this morning,” Morales suggested.
Pete laughed, as he was sure his friend had intended. The combined sugary sweetness of pop and donuts would give them a sugar high for sure, and he figured that was Morales’ plan, better that harmless indulgence than Pete risking another lapse that would get him booted off the ranch and land him right back in prison.
“You’re on. Dibs on the chocolate long john.”
“Fuck, man, you don’t think Bertie left any of those, do you?” Morales laughed as they strode into the small barracks.
Pete returned his grin. “One can always hope.”
Instead of that scene bringing back the memory of the lash cutting into her back, the searing pain as her skin split and the metallic smell of oozing blood, Nan drove home with her back still tingling from Dan’s fingers and lips, her nipples still throbbing from the tugs and twists. She trotted up the back stairs to her apartment with an ache for so much more, a euphoric high she could only achieve submitting to a Master’s dominance. She was close, at least much closer than before, and that put her in a fabulous mood. So much so, she answered Jay’s call as she entered her apartment in a sing-song voice of happiness.
“Hello, brother of mine. How are you on this beautiful day?”
“Who are you and what did you do with my sister?” he demanded, his tone laced with amusement.
“I am your favorite sibling who is going to be the proud mama to the most precious Appaloosa filly. You will have to come up here and see her. I’ve named her Belle.” Tossing her purse on the sofa, she frowned when she spotted her breakfast plate sitting on the kitchen counter. She could have sworn she put it in the dishwasher this morning.
“Really? And when is this grand adoption taking place?”
Nan picked up the plate and placed it in the dishwasher, the clear memory of having already done so once coming back. Ignoring the shiver of unease racking her body, she answered without shying away from the truth. “As soon as I respond to Master Dan’s control again. You remember me talking about him, don’t you?”
“I remember he was one of your friends I talked to a few times after you asked me to field your calls, and that he was none too happy about my evasive answers to his questions.” Jay paused before asking with concern, “Are you sure you’re ready, sis?”
“Shit, Jay, it’s been months!” She threw herself down on the sofa, now irked with him. “If not, then I’ll never be.”
“Okay, okay, don’t get testy. How about if I give you some more good news to make up for my skepticism? Gerard lost his last bid to postpone the trial further. It’s set for August first.”
“Thank God.” Leaning her head back, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted nothing more than to get the ordeal of testifying over and done with.
“I thought that would please you. How about I make a trip up there in a few weeks? Will that give you time to win that foal in whatever wager you have going with your friend?”
“If not, I won’t be winning it. Thanks, bro. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too. Later, sis.”
Nan shoved aside the unanswerable questions about the plate and went to poke through her club clothes. Friday would be here before she knew it.
Chapter 9
Yawning, Nan made her way downstairs the next morning with less than thirty minutes to spare before it was time to open. She never overslept, but for the first time in too long to count, she couldn’t blame her restless sleep on nightmares. Just the opposite, in fact. Having Master Dan’s hands and mouth on her again worked like a charm to reawaken the cravings he was so good at producing, and the need for more of what she knew he could deliver. God, she loved those feelings, the heightened sensations that begged to be expanded upon. The only thing putting a damper on her enthusiasm for returning to the club tomorrow night was fretting over the possibility she would freak out again. The humiliation of last week’s debacle still haunted her. Another mortifying episode like that might be the final deterrent to ever getting back to her old self.
Noting the time as she entered the tea shop and stepped behind the counter, she shoved aside worries she couldn’t do anything about right now and turned to start the brewers. Her hand halted before pressing the on switch on the first one, her breath stalling when she saw the lit-up green light and felt the heat along the side of the machine. “I turned it off, I know I did,” she muttered, unease raising goosebumps along her arms. From her grandmother’s first invitation to assist in the shop, she had drilled into Nan the importance of checking and double checking everything was turned off before closing up for the day. She’d never forgotten, not once in all these years.
“I must be more stressed over everything than I thought.” Trying not to let that get her down, she flipped on the other pots then reached for the cabinet that held the gourmet coffees that were such a hit. Opening the door, Nan shook her head in disbelief at seeing two bags of tea leaves sitting on top of the ground coffee. Since she didn’t want the teas smelling like coffee, she’d made sure to keep them in separate cabinets. Did she toss those up there by mistake? She didn’t know how that could be possible; upon opening the cabinet, it was easy to see the stacks of labeled coffee bags as well as smell the rich enticing flavors.
Swearing under her breath, she snatched the teas down and stashed them in the correct cabinet before lifting down the coffees. After getting two pots brewing, she flipped the sign to open, the sight of several customers waiting to enter lightening her frustration over the strange mishaps that greeted her first thing this morning. Thank goodness her patrons were chatty and kept her hopping for the next hour, so busy she ran out of morning pastries and donuts before ten o’clock. Making a note to add to her order from the bakery for the weekend, she took advantage of the first lull to sip on her own cup
of French vanilla roast as she propped open the front door to let in a fresh breeze.
“Good morning, Nan,” Willa called out from across the street as she unlocked the library and Alice lifted a hand in greeting.
“Morning, Willa, Alice.” She waved back, thinking again how lucky they were Alice volunteered to help out. The town didn’t have the funds to hire anyone, and Willa wouldn’t be happy if she didn’t have her beloved job. Opening the library just a few days a week helped the city’s budget and gave the older woman enough hours to keep busy without being too much.
Tamara pulled up just as Nan spotted Avery and Grayson getting out of his cruiser in front of the city building. Her throat tightened as she watched the sheriff pull his wife to him for a long, deep kiss, his hands wandering down her back to trace over her buttocks. By the time he released her, Avery’s face was flushed. Since Nan preferred playing the field to being tied down with one guy, she’d never envied her friends’ committed relationships. But an unaccustomed frisson of longing hinted something might be said for being the sole recipient of such a possessive, loving look as the one Grayson leveled on her friend as she walked toward the tea shop.
