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“Just let him buy some cookies and milk for you, darlin’,” the cashier laughed. “I would kill to have a man like him even look at me.”
I tipped my head to the side and pursed my lips. “He’s looking at you right now.”
The woman laughed, bagged the cookies, and set the milk next to them. “You know what I’m talking about, darlin’.” She told Bear the total, and he swiped his card again.
“I would like the receipt,” I told the cashier.
Bear shook his head at the cashier.
The receipt spit out of the machine, and she grabbed it quickly. She crumpled it and dropped it in the garbage. “Oh, the machine broke. That was blank.”
My jaw dropped, and I sputtered even to get one word out. Where in the hell were hoes before bros in this store? I was so going to complain to the manager about this cashier’s lack of sisterhood.
“Let’s go, mama,” Bear grunted. He grabbed the plastic bag and milk and headed toward the exit.
I leaned toward the cashier. “Rude.”
The woman laughed freely. “Oh, darlin’, I can see you’re still fighting what that man has to offer. Come back in a month, and I bet you’ll have a completely different story to tell.”
“I plan on climbing that man like a wall, lady, but the least you could have done was show a little solidarity,” I whispered.
The woman cackled like a pack of hens and shooed me away.
I huffed and stalked toward the exit where Bear was waiting for me.
“All good?” he smirked.
I snatched the bag from him and stormed out the exit. “Take me home, lumberjack.”
He chuckled loudly and followed me back to the Bronco. He beeped open the locks, and I managed to get the door open before he was behind me, but I couldn’t haul my butt up into the truck.
“This is ridiculous,” I spat. I struggled to lift my leg onto the running board. Each time I lifted my leg, my stomach cried out in pain, and I wanted to scream. Damn, Dr. Lu! If I ever saw him again, I would personally kill him with my bare hands.
Bear moved behind me and lifted me into the Bronco as if I weighed nothing. He buckled me in and handed me the bag with the cookies and pills. “I’ll grab a water out of the back.”
Tears were pooled in my eyes, and I nodded stiffly.
I was done for.
All I wanted was to take a pill and fall into my bed.
Bear opened the door behind me, rummaged around, and was back at my side with a bottle of water with the cap off. I pulled the pills out of the bag and struggled to twist off the lid.
“I’m helpless!” I cried.
He reached over me to set the water bottle in the cupholder and grabbed the pills from me. “No, mama. You had the shit kicked out of you, and you’re tired.” He quickly opened the pills and took out two. “Take these and just close your eyes,” he instructed.
“I need a cookie,” I cried.
Bear chuckled and twisted the cap back on. “We’ll stop and get you something from Burger Shack. You need more than a cookie.” He grabbed the water bottle, pressed it into my hand, and handed me the pills.
I popped the pills into my mouth and washed them down with the water. “I want fries and a cheeseburger with peanut butter.”
Bear cringed and dropped the pills back into the bag. He grabbed the water bottle from me and screwed the cap back on. “Whatever you want.”
I laid my head back in the headrest and sighed. “I want Dr. Lu dead and all of my friends safe,” I whispered. “That’s what I want, lumberjack.”
Bear caressed my cheek for a second with his big hand, and then, it was gone. “I’ll make it happen, mama.” My door shut, and the truck was quiet.
He said he would make it happen, and something deep down inside me told me he was going to do just that.
