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Chapter 7
At the end of the day, her shoulder was aching so badly, Danni knew she wasn’t go
ing to be able to serve tonight at Ike’s. Her grandad rubbed some ointment on her that left her smelling like a stinky, old man, according to him. She rolled her eyes at him. “Keep those nasty boys away from you at Ike’s,” he told her before giving her a kiss and a hug and shooing her out the door.
She was waiting on a part to repair Jackson’s truck. Her grandfather had called and told him that news. It was the radiator that was causing the pinging like Walker thought. It would arrive on Monday morning. It had to be a genuine part to maintain his warranty otherwise she could have finished it today and sent him on his way.
Climbing into her truck, she headed over to the pub to tell her dad she was going home. She hated to do this to him on a Saturday night when Eddie and the Rappers were playing outside on the patio because they drew large crowds at Ike’s. It couldn’t be helped though.
It was only six o’clock, but the pub was starting to get busy already, she noticed as she turned into the parking lot. She sighed as her work boots hit the asphalt. Her dad was going to be stressed over this. Danni shut the door on her old girl. Inside, the bar, Elijah was slinging drinks not her dad.
“Where’s Daddy?” She asked.
“He’s in the back talking with Matt and Walker,” he said. “In his office.”
“You working tonight?” She asked. Elijah hated the pub. Only she and Seth worked for their dad once the kids got old enough to get other jobs and could tell Simon no.
“Maybe,” he answered. “Ben might be coming in too.”
She frowned at that statement. Ben hated it worse than Elijah. “You’re early,” he shouted when Danni started down the hall.
“I’m not working tonight,” she hollered back at him. “My shoulder is hurt. I can’t lift trays.”
She disappeared down the hall and whatever Elijah said was lost on her. Danni walked softer hoping they wouldn’t hear her, so she could eavesdrop and see what was going on.
Her dad’s voice was soft as usual. So soft, she couldn’t hear him. That is the way it had always been but her mother on the other hand, Rachel Hatfield could be heard scolding one of her children from three blocks away if she was mad enough at one of them, usually at one of her sons.
Then she heard Walker. “I’ve been there as much as I could, and not once did Jesse come by the cabin until a few nights ago,” he said.
Her cabin?
She thought it was her idea that he stayed in her barn but maybe she had been setup by these three. Living alone out there in the woods had never made any of them happy.
She leaned closer to the door to hear them better. “He outright threatened her this morning though,” her brother Matt said. “When he threatened her before you should have told us instead of taking the heat man. Now, he thinks he can get away with it and use her against you.”
“I did tell you,” Walker insisted.
“After the fact,” her father grumbled at him.
“I thought I was doing the right thing. Jesse threatened Mom too.” Walker sounded frustrated and upset.
Danni opened the door. Her father saw her first. “Danni Rose how are you sweetheart?”
She glared at him. Both her brother and Walker were looking over their shoulders at her too. “Cut the crap. I heard everything from the hall.”
Her father groaned. Matt sighed and Walker, he said, “Shit.”
“I just want to know what you’ve been hiding from me all these years, Walker Wild.” She went into the office and slammed the door behind her. Then she stopped by his chair. Walker looked up at her with those dark, intense eyes of his while he chewed on his lower lip. “I want the truth,” she informed him.
He looked at her dad. “You don’t need to look at him for the right answer, Walker.”
Rising from the chair he grabbed the arm that was hurting, Danni nearly went to her knees. “What’s wrong with your arm?” He asked.
“Can’t you smell Granddad’s potion on me?” She asked Walker fighting the tears that were welling at the corners of her eyes because of the pain that shot through her shoulder.
Walker leaned in and sniffed. “Yeah, now I do.” He stepped back a few paces.
“My shoulder is hurt. I wrenched it at work yesterday and working last night and today only made it worse. I came here to tell you,” she pointed at her dad, “that I can’t work tonight.”
