week. He needed to keep their location a secret and going in the local grocery store was not going to help him with that cause. Julian had bought enough canned and nonperishable items to hold them over for a few weeks just in case they had to stay longer than planned. The other stuff, the perishables, would last about a week and then they were going to have to tough it out with all the other items they had. He was fine with that. He had eaten far worse and far less, but he wasn’t sure how she would take the news.
“That smells good already,” Carissa hobbled over to a chair in the kitchen and sat down. She wasn’t the type to take long to recover from anything. She liked being busy, and while she was in some pain, sitting was not an option for her.
“Can you not sit still for even five minutes?”
She looked at him with a blank stare. Was he serious? How was she supposed to just sit around and do nothing? She didn’t know how to do that. “I wanted to come in here. Do you need some help?”
“No,” he growled. “You’re supposed to be resting so you can heal. Resting, you know what that is right? If you keep trying to get around on that leg you might rip your stitches.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I broke my toe when I was a little girl and I managed to get around then too. Back then they only used tape and cotton to secure the injury. Do they still do that?”
He shrugged. “I’m not a doctor.”
“Alex, I can’t sit still. I need to do something. At least let me sit in here with you and talk with you.” She noticed he wasn’t really thrilled about her being up and moving around, but staying in that bedroom was too depressing. Being alone was depressing too because it gave her too much time with her thoughts. “Tell me about your family.”
He grunted. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about his family. “Okay, tell me about the people you work with, or tell me about where you live. You’re in Texas I guess, unless my father hired you from out of the state.”
“I’m in Hill Country, Texas.”
“Very nice,” she winked at him. “I was going to move up there, but I opted for Austin instead. I thought it would be nice to be close to my business. Gas prices and all,” she nodded. Having money did not mean she wanted to spend it all filling up the car.
“You don’t have one of those electric cars I take it.”
“No,” she shook her head. “Those things are really expensive. Maybe if they go down in price. Look, my dad has money. I’m building my empire, but I don’t want to just take advantage of his money. I want to try to make my path and have my own money. I’m doing okay, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend a lot of money on expensive gadgets and vehicles. I drive a Ford Mustang and that’s good enough for me. It’s American; it’s the hottest shade of red ever—that was custom, and yes I did splurge on that, but for the most part I think it’s sensible. Don’t you?”
He nodded. “Sounds like it works for you. You value the made in America stamp huh?”
“I do. I think a lot of people here need work and if I can buy products that lets the company know I appreciate them giving Americans work then I’ll do it. That doesn’t mean everything I buy is made here, but I try when I can. All of my products are made here.”
“Really?” He looked utterly shocked.
“Of course. My company is in America and I make my lingerie here too. It’s more expensive though. I like to pay more than minimum wage. Nobody can make it off of that in this economy. Plus, the equipment and taxes are more here. It would be cheaper to outsource to workers in another country, but then a lot of good people here wouldn’t have jobs. They wouldn’t be able to feed their families. I live here. This country is important to me and I’ll do whatever I can to help.” If he didn’t see that already then he
“That smells good already,” Carissa hobbled over to a chair in the kitchen and sat down. She wasn’t the type to take long to recover from anything. She liked being busy, and while she was in some pain, sitting was not an option for her.
“Can you not sit still for even five minutes?”
She looked at him with a blank stare. Was he serious? How was she supposed to just sit around and do nothing? She didn’t know how to do that. “I wanted to come in here. Do you need some help?”
“No,” he growled. “You’re supposed to be resting so you can heal. Resting, you know what that is right? If you keep trying to get around on that leg you might rip your stitches.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I broke my toe when I was a little girl and I managed to get around then too. Back then they only used tape and cotton to secure the injury. Do they still do that?”
He shrugged. “I’m not a doctor.”
“Alex, I can’t sit still. I need to do something. At least let me sit in here with you and talk with you.” She noticed he wasn’t really thrilled about her being up and moving around, but staying in that bedroom was too depressing. Being alone was depressing too because it gave her too much time with her thoughts. “Tell me about your family.”
He grunted. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about his family. “Okay, tell me about the people you work with, or tell me about where you live. You’re in Texas I guess, unless my father hired you from out of the state.”
“I’m in Hill Country, Texas.”
“Very nice,” she winked at him. “I was going to move up there, but I opted for Austin instead. I thought it would be nice to be close to my business. Gas prices and all,” she nodded. Having money did not mean she wanted to spend it all filling up the car.
“You don’t have one of those electric cars I take it.”
“No,” she shook her head. “Those things are really expensive. Maybe if they go down in price. Look, my dad has money. I’m building my empire, but I don’t want to just take advantage of his money. I want to try to make my path and have my own money. I’m doing okay, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend a lot of money on expensive gadgets and vehicles. I drive a Ford Mustang and that’s good enough for me. It’s American; it’s the hottest shade of red ever—that was custom, and yes I did splurge on that, but for the most part I think it’s sensible. Don’t you?”
He nodded. “Sounds like it works for you. You value the made in America stamp huh?”
“I do. I think a lot of people here need work and if I can buy products that lets the company know I appreciate them giving Americans work then I’ll do it. That doesn’t mean everything I buy is made here, but I try when I can. All of my products are made here.”
“Really?” He looked utterly shocked.
“Of course. My company is in America and I make my lingerie here too. It’s more expensive though. I like to pay more than minimum wage. Nobody can make it off of that in this economy. Plus, the equipment and taxes are more here. It would be cheaper to outsource to workers in another country, but then a lot of good people here wouldn’t have jobs. They wouldn’t be able to feed their families. I live here. This country is important to me and I’ll do whatever I can to help.” If he didn’t see that already then he
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