Rock Chick 02 Rescue (50 page)

The Empty Space Where My Bag Used to Be
The alarm went off, Eddie touched a button and rol ed out of bed.

I snuggled into the pil ow figuring Eddie would give me a reprieve. I mean, I did just survive the most traumatic two weeks of my life, culminating in being kidnapped and nearly raped.

Eddie’s hand wrapped around my wrist and he pul ed me out of bed.

“Eddie!” I said while being dragged across the room, “I deserve at least one snooze button hit. I was kidnapped and nearly raped last night.”

He stopped, I bumped into him and looked up.

Um… eek!

“We don’t joke about that either,” he said.

“I wasn’t joking,” I told him.

His hands went to the t-shirt I was wearing, then up and then it was gone.

“You’l feel better after the shower.”

He wasn’t wrong.

* * * * *

When I final y woke up and stumbled into the bathroom, I realized after I looked into the mirror that Trixie’s new hairdo did have a weakness; you didn’t sleep on it after it got wet.

One word: scary.

I pul ed the bandage off my temple to see the graze had scabbed over. I wet my hair, picked up the discarded t-shirt on the way back to the bedroom, put it on and stared at my bag on the floor. Somewhere along the line, it had exploded. There hadn’t been a whole lot of time to keep things tidy.

Therefore, I tidied.

First, I cal ed Fortnum’s and told them I’d be in late, or maybe not at al .

Then, I stripped the bed, found the stairs off the kitchen that led to the basement and stuffed the sheets in the laundry. I found some more sheets and made the bed, then I cleaned the house.

The whole time I was thinking.

The night before, Eddie took me to the station to talk to Detective Marker and make my statement so they could press charges. Then he took me for a quick visit to Dad who was stil asleep and his condition was unchanged.

Then we went to Eddie’s and Eddie had chil i while everyone put me under the microscope.

Once they’d ascertained that I was okay and not under imminent threat of suffering nervous col apse, they al went home. Eddie gave me a t-shirt and we went to bed.

Now, it was over and I was safe. Slick and Vince were locked up and Dad was hanging in there.

Over.

Safe.

Back to Just Jet.

It actual y didn’t take a lot of thought to make my decision, it was easy.

I got dressed, put on some makeup and pul ed my hair in a ponytail. I cal ed Lottie to pick me up, packed my bag and al my junk from the kitchen and cleaned out the coffee maker.

Lottie showed up in her rental and took me back to my apartment.

“You okay?” she asked on the way home, sliding her eyes to me.

“I’d be more okay if everyone would quit asking me if I was okay,” I told her.

“We care,” she sounded kind of pissy.

I sighed.

“I’m okay.”

“What’s with al the stuff? You moving back home?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Why?”

“It’s over.”

“What’s over?” she asked.

I looked out the side window.

“Al of it.”

“Jet…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Jet…”

I turned to her, “I said, I don’t want to talk about it.” She gave me a glare.

“You’re a pain in the ass, you now that?”

“Yeah,” I said, “I know.”

* * * * *

I avoided a Mom Talk (even though I could tel she real y wanted one) by putting in a load of laundry and hightailing it back out.

I got in my car for the first time in two weeks and started it. It purred like a kitten.

Wonderful. Who would have ever thought I’d want my car to be cantankerous?

I went to the Credit Union and waved to Jody and Amy and knocked on Nicki, the Manager’s, door.

“Hey Jet!” she said when she saw me, then her eyes got big, “Holy cow! What happened to your head?”

“Gunshot wound,” I replied as if I suffered one every day and her big eyes nearly popped out of her head.

I ignored it.

“Can I talk to you?” I asked.

We talked. I asked for my job back. She said they didn’t have any positions open. Then she told me she’d give me a cal when they did.

I talked with Jody and Amy for awhile, keeping the subject off my gunshot wound (even though both their eyes kept straying to it) and al my recent travails.

Then I went to Smithie’s. Smithie was open al day, but his day crew was second string. It wasn’t a nice thing to say but it was an honest thing to say.

I swung in.

“Wel look who’s here. I hear you got your shit sorted last night,” Smithie said when I walked in.

I was learning quick that Darius had a big mouth.

I nodded to him.

LaTeesha, one of Smithie’s women, was standing in front of him at the bar. Smithie had clothes in the closets of four different women and they didn’t seem to mind sharing.

This could be because a little of Smithie went a long way. It also could be that Smithie had a big enough heart to keep them al happy. It could be a bit of both.

“Hey girlfriend, how’s it goin’?” LaTeesha asked, pul ing me into a hug.

“Much better now, thanks,” I told her and hugged her back.

When she let go, I turned to Smithie.

“Can I have my job back?” I asked.

His eyebrows shot up. “Thought your sister was gonna help out.”

“I’m sure she is.”

“Then why do you need two jobs?”

“I’m quitting Fortnum’s, this pays better.” Smithie stared at me, then he looked at LaTeesha, then back at me.

“What does your cop boyfriend think of that?”

“We’re breaking up,” I said.

Smithie looked back at LaTeesha, she was biting her lip and looking at me.

“Come a-fuckin’-gain?” Smithie said, his eyes back to me.

“We’re breaking up.”

“Breaking, not broken?” Smithie asked.

“I haven’t told him yet.”

More looks between Smithie and LaTeesha.

“You wanna tel LaTeesha about it?” she asked.

I shook my head but smiled.

“I just want to know if I can come back to work here.” Smithie sighed.

“Once a Smithie’s girl, always a Smithie’s girl. You want to come back you start Monday night. You don’t want to come back, I don’t fuckin’ care. You’l always be welcome here, wearin’ an apron or havin’ a drink. Though, I think you should let your sister work for awhile and just have the drink, but what do I fuckin’ know? I also don’t think you should be breakin’ up with a boyfriend who’d put his ass on the line for you.”

“Smithie,” LaTeesha said softly.

I ignored him.

Wel , I didn’t real y ignore him because I felt his words in my gut but I didn’t let him know that.

I nodded and said, “I’l be here at seven on Monday.”

“Or not, your cal ,” Smithie returned before he looked away.

LaTeesha squeezed my arm.

I left.

* * * * *

I pul ed the stuff out of the bags and started preparing to bake like a baking fool.

Mom, Lottie and Ada came into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Mom asked.

“Baking,” I said, opening up the flour with a little more force than it needed so it gave a dusty, white “poof”.

“Baking?” Mom asked.

“I can’t afford to buy nice things to say thank you to everyone, so I’m gonna make stuff for them.”

“That’s nice,” Ada said.

Lottie leaned a hip against the counter.

“Mom and I’ve been talking.”

Wonderful. Mom and Lottie talking. This spel ed Disaster for me with a capital “D”.

“About what?” I asked, though I didn’t want to know.

“Wel , Mom cal ed the landlord to this place and gave up the lease. He’s got a waiting list and wants to jack up the rent so he’s pleased as punch.”

I turned and stared.

“What?”

“I’m moving in with Trixie,” Mom said.

“You can’t move in with Trixie!” I kinda yel ed.

“Why not?” Mom asked.

I didn’t have an answer to that. She was getting around better al the time. Eddie was right, she didn’t need me as much as I thought she did.

I knew I couldn’t fight it and didn’t have the energy anyway.

I turned back to baking.

“Where am I going to live?” I asked.

“We found you a sweet one bedroom, in a big old Victorian house close to Eddie,” Lottie told me.

I closed my eyes.

I opened them.

“Where are you going to live?” I asked Lottie.

“I got some money stashed, I’m going to buy a place. I’m also going to pay for Mom’s OT, PT and medical stuff and give Trixie a little bit extra until Mom gets ful y back on her feet. I’l stay with them until I get my place. You’re off the hook.”

I turned to them.

“Who said I want to be off the hook?” I asked.

“No one, we’re just letting you off the hook,” Lottie replied.

I stared at them then turned back to baking.

“Whatever,” I mumbled.

“Listen, Missy…” Uh-oh, Mom used the m-word, “You’re al -fired determined not to live your own life, so we’re making you and you don’t have anything to say about it. Got me?”

I nodded. I knew better than to argue during a Missy Moment.

“Henrietta Louise…” Mom knew I wasn’t ful y committed to the nod.

Dear Lord.

I turned and looked at Mom and said, definitely snippy,

“What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me. I don’t know what’s going on with you and that bag of yours being back in the house but I’m going to tel you now, you’re al kinds of fool if you don’t hold onto Eddie Chavez and hold on tight.”

“Mom…”

She gave me The Hand.

“You let go of Oscar for no good reason…” Mom informed me.

“He was possessive,” I said.

“So what?” Mom shot back, “Good trait in a man if you ask me. Anyway, he
adored
you, stil does if you want the God’s honest truth.”

Yeesh.

I went back to measuring, Mom went back to lecturing.

“You let go of Luis after he asked to marry you.”

“He lived with his mother.”

“So? He would have moved out for you,” Mom shot back.

“Do we have to go through this?” I asked.

Mom started talking to the ceiling, “I don’t even know what was wrong with Alex, he was a nice boy.” Guess we had to go through it.

It was then Ada came forward and wrapped her hand around my wrist. I stopped measuring and looked at her.

She stared into my eyes, smiled a smal , kind of sad, smile, let go of my wrist and turned. “There’s a
World’s
Most Unbelievable Police Chases Caught on Video
starting about now. Let’s watch it at my place.” she said to Mom and Lottie.

Both my mother and sister opened their mouths to argue but Ada must have given them a look. I didn’t know Ada was capable of giving a look, but whatever she did, it worked.

They left.

I watched the space they were in for a long time forcing, with a super human effort, my mind to go blank.

Then I baked.

I swung by the hospital to visit Dad.

They said it was good he made it through the night. They took him off the critical list and would move him out of ICU if things kept on as they were.

They told me he’d been awake for awhile but he was asleep when I went in to see him.

I sat, holding his hand and tel ing him about my day.

Then I told him about my decision.

He didn’t respond, he didn’t give me any judgements, attitude or advice and certainly not The Hand.

This, I thought was good even though I’d rather he didn’t do it because he didn’t have any judgements, attitude or advice, not that he was a couple of brain pathways shutting down away from a coma.

Then, I left.

I walked into Fortnum’s about half an hour before closing carrying bags fil ed with tins and boxes that were stuffed ful with cookies, cakes and pies.

Everyone was there. Lee, Indy, Al y, Tex, Duke, Jane and Hank.

“Jet!” Indy yel ed when she saw me and ran up to me, giving me a big hug.

I was about to tel her I was okay but she pul ed away and shoved her hand in my face.

There was huge rock on her ring finger.

“Ohmigod!” I yel ed, dumped the bags and hugged her, shaking her body from side to side and laughing. “You’re getting married,” I said when I pul ed back a bit.

She nodded. “Lee asked me over a champagne breakfast.” Then she leaned in, “We just got out of bed, like, an hour ago,” she whispered.

She leaned back, eyes bright and happy, and I nodded the knowing girlfriend’s nod.

“Nice,” I said

“You better believe it,” she replied.

Everyone was in celebration mode and it was far, far better than desperation mode so I went with it. I’d tel Indy I was quitting later.

I handed out cookies, cakes and pies, giving Lee a big bag al to himself to take to the office. At first, I was glad I had Indy and Lee’s news to take attention off the gifts. It didn’t real y work, considering the looks and hugs I got, but they knew me enough by now not to make a big deal of it.

We were locking up and going to Indy and Lee’s for a celebration drink when Daisy came storming up, carrying what looked like twenty magazines.

“Al y

texted

me.

I

got
Bride
,
Modern Bride
,
Contemporary Bride
,
Today’s Bride
,
Denver Bride
,
Wedding
,
Martha Stewart Wedding
and
Vogue
, real y just for the pictures ‘cause who dresses like that? And
People