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CHAPTER27
SEVEN YEARS
After I fixed a plate of scrambled eggs and maple bacon for Maizy’s breakfast, I relaxed on the concrete porch step with a glass of orange juice, taking a moment to savor the early morning sunshine before the heat settled in.
In Texas, that meant around ten in the morning.
I had Austin’s cell phone tucked in the back pocket of my shorts so he could get a hold of me if needed. I stressed that he not let my mother overwork herself, but I was glad she had something to keep her occupied after everything that had happened. When my father left us, it destroyed her, and I was worried she might slip into a state of depression like before.
Quite the opposite, in fact. Her ability to find strength through all this allowed me to focus on other matters.
After spending an hour reviewing the documents Charlie left for me, I uploaded the flash drive onto a computer in Austin’s house and e-mailed a few files to April. I considered having Wheeler review some of the bookkeeping stuff if he had any expertise in this area, which I’m sure he did.
People never got why I liked working at the candy store, and maybe at the time, neither did I. But pieces were locking into place, and now I understood what I didn’t then.
I loved the store, plain and simple. It felt like home. Charlie had been grooming April for the manager position—I could see that now.
Little did I know he had something bigger in store for me. It explained why he’d left me in charge to make decisions I shouldn’t have been making.
My legs were quickly browning in the sun, so I finished my coffee and went inside. Maizy wanted me to paint her nails shell pink. I braided a few strands of my hair, wishing I could wear it more like Ivy did. It suited her in an elegant and lovely way, whereas I would just look childish. I put a few braids in Maizy’s hair because we were going to graduate from Pretty Pigtail Day to Salon Day. After our trip to the Salon of Lexi, we devoured a homemade cheese pizza for lunch.
Austin called to check on me and we chatted for a little while. I laughed when he told me my mom was running the show like a drill sergeant, giving orders on where to paint and what not to touch. She had put Denver in charge of scrubbing the floors.
Austin told me he’d been able to secure the new house so quickly because the couple had moved out a year ago. They hadn’t gone through a realtor, so he’d bought it from them directly.
In cash.
That pretty much earned him the key on day one after signing a few papers and shaking hands.
A few minutes after Maizy went to her room with a book, I dozed off on the brown sofa. I missed lawnmowers, dogs barking, and passing cars—all the vibrant sound effects associated with living in the city.
The phone in my back pocket startled me and I answered in my sleepy voice. “Hello?”
“I hoped you would answer,” Lorenzo replied.
“Hi, cousin,” I grumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I walked into the atrium and closed the sliding glass door behind me so I wouldn’t bother my sister with our conversation, in case she had fallen asleep. “Why are you calling Austin’s number?”
“Because you returned my phone and I had no way to get in touch with you. I was going to give Cole a piece of my mind, but I’m glad it’s you. Is he taking care of your needs?”
“I take care of myself,” I said, crossing my ankles and leaning back in the lawn chair.
“I hope you took care of yourself when you were in heat. Is that over?”
I held the phone away from my ear and looked up at the sky with my palms up.Why me?These guys thought my libido was appropriate table conversation to bring up while discussing their favorite beer or what’s on TV.
“Alexia?” he called out.
“I’m here. All that’s over with so, yeah. I don’t really want to discuss it.”
“Fair enough, but one day, you’re going to tell me everything that happened. I hope Austin warned you that you shouldn’t have sex while in heat unless you want to get pregnant. That’s what your body is preparing for, and a baby will tie you to him permanently.”
He was trying to get me to fess up either way on what happened. I decided to whistle instead.
A deep chuckle filled the other end of the line. “I get the point. Have you decided if you want to join a pack or are you stalling?”
“What do you have to offer?”
I was only kidding, but Lorenzo switched to his business voice and decided to give me his best sales pitch. “My property is five hundred acres and I own two more lots on the other side of the city. As I’ve told you before, I control a large pack. That means safety and protection for the females who live among us. My men follow orders or there are consequences. I left two of those consequences on your porch the other day.” He paused so I could get his full meaning. “We have sixteen bitches in the pack and eleven are mated.”
