Sally and I were eager to practice, but after about thirty minutes our ears and muscles had had enough.
“Two top-notch shooters ready to take on the world.” Karen looked at Megan sitting quietly to one side watching. “Are you ready to see what you’re made of?”
I could tell that Megan was still dealing with the idea of using guns. “Why don’t I take Sally inside and see if there are some drinks for us to cool off with?”
“Can we make lemonade?” Sally eagerly took my hand.
When she saw Justin, she took off running to meet him and I turned back to sit with Megan.
Worried that she was going to feel too much pressure, I could understand her dilemma.
“I don’t feel comfortable shooting a gun. GG gave us a perfectly good list of reasons last night, but it’s the idea of having to use one of those on Mike that makes me want to throw up.”
Karen began unloading all the weapons and checking them as she asked the question hovering in the air.
“You still love him, don’t you?”
Megan started crying as she tried to hide her face in her hands.
“I really shouldn’t love him after all that he’s done to me. I know that up here,” She pointed to her head, and then her heart “but it’s here that I can’t tell how to feel.”
We sat there in silence as she cried out her feelings.
“The thought of violence is repulsive to many people, but in this case we know there’s someone who’s ready and willing to use it against us and those we care about.” Karen came to sit with us and put her arms around Megan.
“Loving him explains why you were able to stay with him for so long. You can’t punish yourself for loving your husband.”
Megan tried to wipe away the tears from her cheeks.
“Remember, you have Sally. While Mike trying to kill you isn’t the best way to leave that situation, you can start over and build a new future with her. You’re giving her a chance to have a different future than you were given.” Karen urged.
If Megan could give herself a chance to heal then they might be able to move on.
“You haven’t had a good role model. You’ve been looking for others to show you instead of following your heart to do what’s right. You are the only example Sally is going to care about. You’ve shown her love since the day she was born. If you let them, the Greenley’s can show you how to accept love again.”
“I’ll be okay, one day. I promise.” A smile peeked out from behind the tears.
“No matter how much I know I may need to, I don’t think I could point a gun at Mike. Shooting him would be out of the question even if it meant him or us.” Her willpower had been torn down by a man that had never deserved it.
“We don’t expect you to shoot Mike. There are always evil people out there and the need to defend ourselves from them is important. I haven’t had to make that choice yet but knowing if we need it may come in handy one day.” I chimed in.
“Look, I know there’s a lot of pressure from everyone. I won’t force you or anyone to go against their convictions. But…I don’t think your convictions are the problem here.”
“If staying here at the Greenley’s means that I have to shoot a gun just to make everyone happy, I guess it’s a simple enough requestion. Especially considering that I’m bringing danger to their doorstep.” Megan stood determined to shut out everything. “Let’s get this over with.”
Exchanging concerned looks, we watched as she walked over to the small table with all the equipment on it.
She placed earplugs in her ears, picked up one of the handguns, and put the clip with a few bullets in it.
Using her good hand, she aimed and managed to hit the targets. Not bullseyes, but close enough that if it were a person or animal coming at her, she’d have hurt them enough to make a getaway.
Her stance looked as if she’d used a gun before. Flipping the safety back on, she took the clip out, cleared the chamber, and placed it on the table.
Ignoring our gaping jaws as they tried to touch the ground in surprise, she went out to collect the targets before arriving in front of us.
“I never said I couldn’t shoot. Just that I didn’t want to. After all, I do live in Texas and grew up in the country. Are we done now?”
While it might have sounded bitchy, I was so proud of her for standing up for herself.
“Mike might have taken most of my self-respect and self-confidence away, but I lived a life before I ever met him. It’s like riding a bike, some things you never forget.” She didn’t wait for us to follow but started walking toward the house alone.
After Karen shut her mouth and could move again, she smiled.
“I think we just saw the type of fighter that Megan can be when she’s back on her feet. It might take her a little while to sort through things, but I think she just might have a chance to come out much stronger than any of us thought.”
It was something to ponder as I helped Karen clean up after our shooting lesson.
Justin had tried to finish up everything that required his immediate attention and was hoping that I’d agree to his plan to spend a few hours at his apartment.
I was still considering it when we returned to the house where lemonade was waiting for us.
“Allie, can you come down and play foosball with me? I need to practice so I can beat Timothy when he comes over this weekend.”
“Who’s Timothy?” It wasn’t a name I’d heard Sally mention yet.
“He is a boy from school, and I need to prove that he’s soo wrong about things.” She crossed her arms as if it was the most important thing in the world to prove him wrong.
“He’s one of the boys that’s always saying things like, ‘You’re just a girl. They can’t do the same things boys can do, like play sports.’ Girls can be just as good at sports and games too, right, Allie?”
Her intense attitude wasn’t going to bode well for poor Timothy. I almost wished I could be there to see him eat his words. She was going to use foosball to enlighten him and teach him a lesson all at once.
“Girls can win at sports the same as boys can. It’s not really nice to gloat when we do win through. It could make the other person feel really bad and that wouldn’t make us feel good.” I wanted to make sure she didn’t take this too far the other way.
“Exactly!” Sally exclaimed, “Last time, he did this dance because he won, and I’d lost. I didn’t like it at all.”
“Hey, beautiful ladies.”
Sally giggled which is why he’d included both of us.
“I’m not a lady, Mr. J. I’m just a beautiful child. You have to be old to be a lady.” Sally wasn’t going to give me any mercy as she used Justin’s distraction to score a goal.
“No fair.” I pouted sticking my tongue out at Sally.
“Okay, I guess we can redo that one point because of game interference.” Sally shook her head so seriously that we both laughed.
“I’m going to have to speak up here. We are talking about Timothy Greenley, right?” Justin chimed in from the stairway where he’d been watching us.
“Yes, that’s him.” Sally eyed Justin with suspicion. “Do you know him?”
“I do. He’s my nephew and he is extremely competitive. You’ll need lots of practice before this weekend because he’s had this table all to himself for years now.”
“Well, he’s going down this weekend. Just so you’ve been warned.”
“Very good then, my lady and child.” Justin bowed to us.
“I believe that I’ll hop in the shower real quick before we head off to town for lunch if that’s still okay with you?”
I nodded, not wanting to give Sally an excuse for beating me.
Even with my vigilance, she still managed to score the tiebreaker.
“Why don’t you practice a little more on your own. I’m going to run upstairs.”
“Yeah, sure. Justin’s probably going to take you out on a date. It’s why most guys take
a shower. Otherwise, they might not take one for several days.” She shrugged, “The things we have to put up with, right?”
“Um, he might be planning to take me on a date. I should go see what he has planned. Thank you for the heads-up.” I couldn’t help shaking my head as I walked up the stairs. I honestly had no idea how Megan dealt with that smart child daily.
Our first stop before food was to check in on Julie.
They’d moved her to a secure room and out of ICU.
She was sitting up when we walked in as a nurse followed behind us.
“Well, you look about as good as I feel. I’m still a little sore from the other night. How are you feeling today?” I walked in and took a seat near Julie’s bed.
“It would be great if we could quit meeting at the hospital like this. I mean, really, can we find another place to hang out?” Julie smiled, but it caused a groan.
“Hey now, they feed you free food, and you don’t have to share the tv with other patients. How could we resist meeting in such an awesome place like this?” I laughed.
“Other than the really awesome scenery, how are you doing?” Justin couldn’t have missed how tired she looked.
“I’m told that I’m alive thanks to you.” She held out a hand, “There are no amount of thank yous, but I want you to know I’m glad you were there for both Allie and me. We won’t forget it.”
She tried to lean forward to give him a hug instead, but fell back onto the pillow, exhausted.
“You just get better. If you do, then you can give me a big hug and kiss.” He looked over at me with a wink, “We’ll keep it just between us.”
Julie laughed, “Um, I’ll have to take a rain check on that I’m afraid. I still hurt too much and by the time I’m recovered, I’m pretty sure that Allie will have something to say about.”
Ignoring his attempts to flirt with her, I wanted to make sure she was okay.
“What do the doctors think about your injuries? Are they going to let you go home soon?”
“They were worried about blood loss, but they’ve managed to give me enough blood to keep me going. Nothing vital was missed or so they tell me.” She grimaced at the thought, “Mike stabbed me twice, not just once like they originally thought. He didn’t hit any major arteries, but he did nick kidney. They stitched everything up and I’m stable.”
“I don’t feel stable though. Everything hurts like a bitch.”
“Will they let you go back to work in the next few months?” Justin had moved behind me and was rubbing my shoulders. “They won’t keep you from returning to the force, will they?”
“Somewhere between three to six months depending on how quickly I recover. I’ll have to put in some time at the gym to make sure I can pass the fitness tests.” She pressed the button to call for a nurse.
“They won’t tell me anything except that you and Megan were okay. I’m glad to see you, but I think I’ve sapped all of my strength.”
“We’ve stayed out at the Greenley’s, and Karen will be out there as well. No sightings of Mike yet, but not having to be in a hotel is wonderful.” I patted her hand as I got up, “You get some rest, and we’ll keep you up to date.”
The nurse arrived and checked her vitals before adding pain killers to her iv.
“See you later, Julie.”
With a doped-up smile, she waved.
“Thanks for coming by. Justin it was nice to officially meet you. Take good care of her, she’s a rare find these days.”
“Bye,” I closed the door and Justin took my hand.
I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it was easier to just with it. Who knows, I might even like where it led me.
Chapter 19
Allie
“Goodbye, faithful car. It’s been an honor to use your luxurious seats and wonderful air conditioning in this horrible Texas heat.” I tapped two fingers on my chest in a type of salute. “Go to your salvage yard and rest in peace.”
Justin was trying not to laugh at me, but I only quirked a brow in his direction.
“Ignore his disrespect.” I admonished the crushed car before gathering the box with my belongings taken from it.
“Did you know that air conditioning only comes as part of the standard package here in the south? In the northern states, it's optional.”
Justin took the box from me and nodded toward the small building that was considered the office.
“Go let the guy know we have everything we need. The insurance people will be out for pictures and to finish up.”
The owner was watching us closely and gave me the shivers.
It didn’t take me long because he just seemed creepy, and I didn’t want to stay anywhere near him.
All I wanted to do now, was get a clean change of clothes and head to Justin’s for some much-needed rest.
Justin had insisted that I bring my Nova stuff to work on while I was at his house.
“I feel like I’m rushing into things a little bit.” I sat on the floor to start sorting things for delivery.
“What do you mean?” Justin questioned from his perch out of the way at the counter. “You’re the one fluttering around like a crazy woman.”
“It’s kind of like I’ve moved in with you. We aren’t even dating yet.” I gave him an exasperated look.
“I can take care of that problem for you.” He grinned when he realized that I wasn’t upset at the idea of moving in with him. “The offer’s still good, I can take you out on a date.”
“Hmm, we can discuss that later. Right now, I have to get all of this put together so everyone can have their stuff on time.”
It felt comfortable to have someone there, but not be obligated to say anything.
“Yes, ma’am.” He got up and flopped on the couch where he could reach out and touch me. “I’ll leave you to your business stuff. When you’re ready to load it up, I’ll carry it. I don’t want you lifting too much and hurting yourself.”
Thirty minutes later, I was finished and ready to get this last errand done so we could relax this evening.
Nothing like the joyful person I’d been the week before, I still chatted with my customers and gave them their orders.
Dollie’s Salon was one of my favorites on the weekly list. They had the most orders and I wanted to get it done first.
Justin opted to sit in the truck.
“Chicken!” I taunted him.
“Nope, I just know that men aren’t allowed in their inner sanctum unless specifically invited. I’d prefer to keep all my parts attached.”
Sticking my tongue out at him as I got out, I felt a freedom I’d never had before. The ability to be myself so completely with another person.
The door had barely opened when I was assaulted with a barrage of questions.
“Were you the one attacked Friday night?” A lady with rollers in her hair turned off the dryer to ask.
Another lady waved off the hairdresser as she asked anxiously, “Was there anyone in the car with you?”
“Where have you been keeping yourself since then?” Someone from the back called out.
“We’ve all been very worried about you,” Dollie spoke up from her station.
It all jumbled into an overflow of noise, but I could feel their concern.
The room fell silent as they waited for the answers to their questions.
“I was helping out a friend last week. When I left work on Friday, someone broke into my car and tried to kill me because I helped her out of a tough situation.” Unconsciously, I rubbed my neck.
Dollie moved closer to examine it.
“Oh, my goodness. Your attacker did that to you?” Her gasp had everyone crowding around me.
“Looks that attacker got mighty close to doing you in, my dear. Someone certainly didn’t want you to help your friend anymore, that’s for sure.” She shook her head in sympathy.
“There was an officer at the Triple T, but he attacked her as well. She was stabbed twice and is recovering in the
hospital. They haven’t been able to find the guy that did this.” It was easier to just finish the story than to try to answer everyone’s questions. “They’re doing their best to find out who did this to us.”
“It just so happens that an amazing guy came to my rescue and that of the officer. He took me home to let me recover. He claims it was for my own good.” I winked at them causing knowing looks and eyebrows to be raised from a few of the older ladies.
“While he’s been a perfect gentleman, he is kind of growing on me.”
“Well, don’t keep us waiting. Who is he?” The lady in rollers urged.
“We need the rest of the story.” A voice from the back of the room called out.
“Yeah, we’re not getting any younger you know.” One of the ladies with tinfoil yelled.
“Justin Greenley has not only kept his hands to himself. He’s taking me out for dinner when I get all of my deliveries done. I’ve met his family as well.”
“Is a local, honey?”
“Oh, yes. He and his family have lived here forever. I’m seriously thinking of adopting his family right away. The verdict is still out on him though.” I smiled as their heads nodded up and down. “Does anyone know the Greenleys?”
“I’m going to need the entire scoop ladies. Don’t hold back on me. Is there anything I need to worry about?”
“Oh, you’ve managed to snag the youngest Greenley. Justin, isn’t it?” Dollie grinned as if I’d just found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
“His family is just the sweetest. There are few crazies on the edges of the family tree just like in any family. We just love his family though, don’t we ladies?” Dollie raised an eyebrow to allow the others a chance to share their opinions now that she’d shared hers.
“Sugar, GG is known for her charity work in the community and the church. Even raising that brood of boys, with every one of them just as handsome as their daddy was in his prime, they made such a cute couple.”
“So…” I drew out the word, “what you ladies are telling me is that I should run out to the truck where he’s waiting for me?” I trailed off as everyone raced to the window to see for themselves.
Witness Protection Page 18
