her friends, wherever she came from. She was that good at it. “Nope.”
Her lips thinned. “I’m sure you’ve got someplace else to be.”
“Not really.” She didn’t like someone challenging her directly, that much was clear. She was used to being in charge. Probably the oldest child, he decided.
Her hand slicked back, smoothing her ponytail again. As far as personal tics went, it was odd. “Don’t you have anything else to do?”
He settled his butt into the chair. “Not today.” Not when he could sit here all day and watch her fight herself. Beads would keep.
In a flash, her demeanor changed and she smiled, the smile of a woman who got exactly what she wanted. His blood ran hot. “Good. Then I’m sure you won’t mind helping Clarence unload the supplies. Since you’re so familiar with my stock closet.”
Oh, he’d like to be familiar with a whole lot more than that. But if she wanted him to prove himself by carrying boxes, then so be it. At least then he’d have a good reason for still being here. “Yes, ma’am.”
“The white Jeep,” she said, dismissing him with a wave. “Irma? Come on back.”
He had to look around, but he finally found the white Jeep parked in back. He should have guessed that a vehicle that nice and new was hers. Not many cars like that around here. And who would buy a white car? Back when he’d gone off the rez, white cars were all driven by drivers paid good money just to take wealthy old ladies from point A to point B. She didn’t look that old.
Clarence had a stack of boxes on a hand truck. “Hiya, Rebel,” he said with a grunt as he lifted another box.
“Hiya, Clarence. That’s a lot of boxes.”
He looked from the hand truck to the Jeep. “I think she managed to get forty boxes in here. And so far, they all weigh a ton.”
Rebel peeked in. Boxes were crammed in, floor to ceiling, window to window—passenger seat included. “What on earth did she get?” He’d only given her a grand. A grand went a long way for him, but he didn’t think it would cover this much. He picked up a box marked FRAGILE. X-RAY FILM .” A ton didn’t begin to describe it.
“Everything, I think. There’s got to be five thousand bucks’ worth of stuff in there.”
Wow. That’s why she bought a white Jeep. She was a wealthy lady. Just not old. “I brought Irma in. I can help until she’s done.”
Even with the two of them, it still took over an hour to get all the supplies in. As they wheeled the last boxes in, Rebel noticed Tara was smiling. It didn’t happen very often, not unless Nelly was behaving herself. “Better day today?”
Sipping a Diet Coke, Tara nodded. “She hasn’t yelled once. It’s been almost pleasant. I thought she might be even grumpier about spending all that money...”
His curiosity got the better of him. “How much?”
“More than eleven grand.” Tara’s voice was a true whisper, like she was afraid to name the number out loud. “She gave me the receipts to file. That’s a lot of money.”
Rebel whistled. That wasn’t a lot of money. That was a hell of a lot of money.
Who the hell was Dr. Madeline Mitchell?
It took nine hours to unpack eleven grand worth of medical supplies. He even took Irma home and then borrowed her car to come back and keep helping, much to Blue Eye’s disappointment. When Albert showed up, Tara left to get Nelly at four thirty, marking the official end of the work day. Clarence held out until five thirty before he bailed. Albert asked if he should help, but she must be picking up on some of the language, because she yelled from the stock room that Albert was sweet for asking, but he should go home and check on Jesse, which Rebel duly translated.
And it was just the two of them.
By seven, they were done. She sprawled out at Tara’s desk, her head down as she ran her hand over what was left of her pony tail. There wasn’t much there, but damn it all, it was smooth.
Rebel took up residence on the floor
Her lips thinned. “I’m sure you’ve got someplace else to be.”
“Not really.” She didn’t like someone challenging her directly, that much was clear. She was used to being in charge. Probably the oldest child, he decided.
Her hand slicked back, smoothing her ponytail again. As far as personal tics went, it was odd. “Don’t you have anything else to do?”
He settled his butt into the chair. “Not today.” Not when he could sit here all day and watch her fight herself. Beads would keep.
In a flash, her demeanor changed and she smiled, the smile of a woman who got exactly what she wanted. His blood ran hot. “Good. Then I’m sure you won’t mind helping Clarence unload the supplies. Since you’re so familiar with my stock closet.”
Oh, he’d like to be familiar with a whole lot more than that. But if she wanted him to prove himself by carrying boxes, then so be it. At least then he’d have a good reason for still being here. “Yes, ma’am.”
“The white Jeep,” she said, dismissing him with a wave. “Irma? Come on back.”
He had to look around, but he finally found the white Jeep parked in back. He should have guessed that a vehicle that nice and new was hers. Not many cars like that around here. And who would buy a white car? Back when he’d gone off the rez, white cars were all driven by drivers paid good money just to take wealthy old ladies from point A to point B. She didn’t look that old.
Clarence had a stack of boxes on a hand truck. “Hiya, Rebel,” he said with a grunt as he lifted another box.
“Hiya, Clarence. That’s a lot of boxes.”
He looked from the hand truck to the Jeep. “I think she managed to get forty boxes in here. And so far, they all weigh a ton.”
Rebel peeked in. Boxes were crammed in, floor to ceiling, window to window—passenger seat included. “What on earth did she get?” He’d only given her a grand. A grand went a long way for him, but he didn’t think it would cover this much. He picked up a box marked FRAGILE. X-RAY FILM .” A ton didn’t begin to describe it.
“Everything, I think. There’s got to be five thousand bucks’ worth of stuff in there.”
Wow. That’s why she bought a white Jeep. She was a wealthy lady. Just not old. “I brought Irma in. I can help until she’s done.”
Even with the two of them, it still took over an hour to get all the supplies in. As they wheeled the last boxes in, Rebel noticed Tara was smiling. It didn’t happen very often, not unless Nelly was behaving herself. “Better day today?”
Sipping a Diet Coke, Tara nodded. “She hasn’t yelled once. It’s been almost pleasant. I thought she might be even grumpier about spending all that money...”
His curiosity got the better of him. “How much?”
“More than eleven grand.” Tara’s voice was a true whisper, like she was afraid to name the number out loud. “She gave me the receipts to file. That’s a lot of money.”
Rebel whistled. That wasn’t a lot of money. That was a hell of a lot of money.
Who the hell was Dr. Madeline Mitchell?
It took nine hours to unpack eleven grand worth of medical supplies. He even took Irma home and then borrowed her car to come back and keep helping, much to Blue Eye’s disappointment. When Albert showed up, Tara left to get Nelly at four thirty, marking the official end of the work day. Clarence held out until five thirty before he bailed. Albert asked if he should help, but she must be picking up on some of the language, because she yelled from the stock room that Albert was sweet for asking, but he should go home and check on Jesse, which Rebel duly translated.
And it was just the two of them.
By seven, they were done. She sprawled out at Tara’s desk, her head down as she ran her hand over what was left of her pony tail. There wasn’t much there, but damn it all, it was smooth.
Rebel took up residence on the floor
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