Stanley: Dalton’s Kiss Book 2 (Dalton's Kiss)

by Kathi S. Barton

  “I don’t think you’re mean.” She laughed. “You’re wonderful. The things you are starting here are going to help a great many people. It’s going to also be something that will live on forever.”

  Remy still had some things he had to catch up on. Things weren’t as difficult to work on when he had a place to call his own. Usually, he would have to find a place to work, and then it would be one interruption after another. But having his own office and a place to call his own seemed to be making his focus better. He owed that to Lizzy. She was his rock and the foundation under it.

  ~*~

  Josh was broke. Not only that, but he’d not eaten for a few days except for a sandwich he was able to snatch from the local food stand. It hadn’t been very good, but he had eaten every bite of it. Christ, he had never been this hungry before.

  Yesterday he’d managed to see Lizzy twice but had not approached her. She was always with that big man—her husband, Remy, Josh remembered. Sitting on the bench shivering from the cold, he thought about his life so far.

  He’d been broke before, lots of times. But this was the first time in his life that he could remember being broke for this long. There was no place for him to live and get warm. He didn’t have the money for a meal to fill his belly. And the worse thing was, the woman he was supposed to have married was running around town like she owned it. Lizzy might well, from what he’d heard around town.

  The man she’d married had money. Not only did he have money, but Josh had also found out that Lizzy had a great deal of it too. Like millions. Why she’d not shared any with him was still a tick in his craw.

  “What the hell does that even mean?” He had also begun talking to himself. Josh blamed that on being lonely. He was too. There wasn’t anyone he could just hang out with. No one to call him when he was fucking around. Josh wanted to have friends like the ones he could see Lizzy had.

  As if he’d called her, she was across the street talking to one of the police officers that had run him off this morning. Trying to get himself arrested so he’d be able to have a meal and a place to sleep had failed miserably. Josh was a failure at even trying to fail.

  When Lizzy came across the street toward him, he tried to straighten himself up. He was a mess and knew it. As soon as she sat down next to him, he moved away. Josh also knew he smelled.

  “That’s the first nice thing you’ve ever done for me, Josh. I’m guessing you don’t have a place to stay.” He told her he was hungry too. “Yes, I guess you would be. Patrick, the officer that told you to move on this morning, called me. He said you were going to end up freezing to death if you didn’t get some help soon. I’m going to make you an offer. If you refuse it, I won’t offer it again. All right?”

  “You going to marry me?” She told him no, she was already married. “Yeah. That big guy. You should know that he is known around town as a vampire.”

  “He is. I’m a vampire, as well.” He looked at her, and she smiled, showing him her teeth that were sharper than needles. “So you see, there isn’t any way you would have been able to hurt me, so you should really get that thought out of your head if you want my help.”

  “I have to find a job, don’t I?” She told him she had one for him if he wanted it. “Will I be required to work?”

  “Yes, Josh. That’s the way a job works. You work, and then you get paid for it. How did you make it this far in your life without someone having you put away? The things that come out of your mouth borders on me thinking you’re mentally challenged.” He nodded and looked across the street again. “Do you want me to find you a place to stay and a job, or are we going to find you in the spring frozen to death? It’s up to you. As I said, I’m only going to make this offer to you one time.”

  “I’ll take it. It’s not like I have much of a choice, do I?” She told him he did have a choice. “Sure. Me working for you at some lame assed job or fucking freezing in the winter because you went and married someone else instead of me. I still don’t know why you did that to me.”

  “I did that to you because you had a plan to murder me after we were married. Not just that, but I fell in love with someone very special. You and I would never have made it, Josh. I don’t like you any more than you do me.” There was that, he thought to himself. Josh didn’t even wonder how she knew that. Lizzy was a great deal smarter than he’d ever thought. “Now, about this job. It’s a good one. You’ll be working a line at the factory at—”

  “No. I don’t want to have to be on my feet all day.” She suggested another job, one where he would be taking phone calls. “No. That won’t work for me either. If I have to sit around all day, I’m going to get swollen feet and ankles. That’s not good for anyone.”

  When she got up and started away, he asked her what she was doing. Lizzy told him she would say a little prayer for him in hopes that when he did freeze to death, he’d not find himself near a roadway. Asking her why brought up vivid visions of him getting run down by a county truck with a blade on the front of it.

  “I don’t have all day, Josh. Pick a job or not. I really could care less right now. Which is it going to be?” He asked her which one was the least amount of work. “The sitting job. However, it doesn’t pay nearly as much. Before you ask, no, I’m not going to make any exceptions for you in the amount of money you make.”

  “Christ, this is a nightmare. I’ll take the factory job. It’s not like you’re being nice to me about either of them.” She called him ungrateful. “Perhaps to you. But I had lots of plans for the money you have.”

  “Yes, well, too bad. Now. I have written down the information for both jobs. You will be expected to be on time and work a good job. In the first two weeks, you’ll be trained, and then after that, they’ll start you out slowly and move you up. You should be fully trained and working alongside of others by the end of three months. Otherwise, they’ll let you go.” He asked if then he’d go to the other job. “I’m helping you get a job, not keep it. If you fuck up, that’s all on you. Keeping a job will be paramount to you getting a place to stay, food, and transportation. I can’t believe you’re not thinking of this at your age, Josh. You should always be thinking of where your next meal is coming from.”

  “I am. But no one will give it to me.” He sighed heavily. “All right. I’ll start on this job if you’re going to make me. It would be easier on me if you were to just pay me like you do the other people that work for you, and forget the job.”

  “This place you’re working isn’t one of my places. I don’t want you working for me at all.” He asked her why not. “Because so far, you’ve shown that you’re not going to work well at anything. So why should I try and find you a job working for me?”

  He didn’t have an answer, but he did have plenty of questions. Like where was he going to be staying? How was he supposed to be getting back and forth to work? And most importantly, when was she going to give him his first check?

  “There is no helping you, is there, Josh? You’re all right with taking all the time, but when it comes to you making your own way, you’d just as soon not do it in hopes of someone else making sure you have all the basic needs.” She shook her head. “Why did I ever think you’d be all right to marry? For that matter, why did I think you’d be willing to get yourself up on your own feet and work for a better way of life? You’re impossible.”

  When she left him, he figured she was going to figure out what he was going to do for a place to live. Leaning back on the seat he’d been sitting on daily for the last several days, he thought about his lot in life. Shaking his head, he wondered how Lizzy had messed it up so incredibly badly for him.

  She had no follow through, that’s what he came up with. Plans had been made and set up for her. Things were all in line with the two of them marrying. He had even gone to the trouble of getting the insurance policies set up so he’d have money after she died. But she had messed that up by gett
ing taken by some idiot that had probably known how hard Josh had worked to get Lizzy married to him.

  Josh did wonder how much trouble her husband was having with Lizzy to get things done. But he supposed that ship had drove off, and he was lucky to be rid of her. But she sure could be slow about getting things to him. He looked at the big clock on the courthouse and thought that Lizzy was taking a long time in arranging things. It was just after noon. He couldn’t remember when she’d been there with him. Josh thought it had been at least an hour.

  Josh decided right then that he needed a cell phone. That way, he could make sure she was aware that not everyone worked on her time schedule. He’d also have a way of ordering some new clothing, as well as getting hot food delivered. Josh realized he should have told her he’d rather live in a hotel of some sort so he wouldn’t have to make his bed every day. Those were things she should think of when helping someone out.

  Smiling to himself, he thought he might start a business of keeping people on a time schedule when helping someone out. They had to remember that the people out there they were trying to help had things they couldn’t stop doing while waiting for them to get in gear. Then he realized that would be too much work for him. There wouldn’t be any time for him to take his walks and such.

  Looking at the tower clock again, he realized it had been over an hour since she’d left him. Just as he was trying to figure out what to do about Lizzy, he saw her husband pull up in front of one of the buildings he’d been sleeping in. He got up from his seat and made his way over to him. Josh had to pause in the middle of the street when several larger trucks with equipment on them parked right in front of where Remy, he thought his name was, had parked.

  “Watch where you’re going.” Josh thought that was rude, as the street was made for walking across, not for big trucks to park in the middle of. “We’re unloading here, Josh. If you want to talk to me, you’re going to have to wait.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to know where Lizzy is. She’s supposed to be finding me a place to stay and getting me a cell phone.” She’d not said that, but he thought Remy just stupid enough to not know what his wife had said. “Hello? Are you listening to me?”

  After about twenty minutes more of waiting on Remy to get finished with whatever he was doing, Josh went back to his seat. The nerve of some people, not answering a question when it was put to you. He had a mind to tell on him. Who he’d do that to was beyond him, but he was just mad enough to go to the police again.

  They’d been no help to him either. You’d think with the taxes he paid, he’d be able to crash on one of the beds for a few nights. Josh knew he paid taxes too. It would usually be about half his check when he had a job. They should be grateful he was giving them something to do in this little town. Nothing ever happened here.

  The loud crash had him sliding off the seat and under it. He had no idea what had just gone off, but he was surely not going to be hurt by it. There was all sorts of smoke where Remy had been, and he hoped the man had been crushed to death. It would save him all kinds of work. Lizzy would be free as well.

  However, when the dust settled, he realized he wasn’t that lucky, and that his home, where he’d been staying the last few nights, had been torn down. There was Lizzy and that husband of hers standing together as if they knew they’d both pissed him off. He made his way to them, once again leaving his chair to confront the two of them on their duties.

  “You said you were coming back.” Lizzy told him she’d done no such thing. “You did. You were finding me a place to live, as well as transportation. You’re slacking on your promises, Lizzy. Have you always been like this? Maybe it’s good that I didn’t marry you.”

  “You’re very lucky that you didn’t marry me, you dick head. I didn’t say a word about finding you a place to live. Nor did I mention a cell phone. Where are you getting this from? I certainly didn’t break any promises to you, because there were none given.” He told her about the job. “Yes, you’re to start working in the morning. I wrote it all out for you to follow.”

  He pulled the note out that she’d given him. “It says here that I have to be at work as six-thirty. What sane person sets up a workday at that ungodly hour? I can perhaps do nine, but ten would be better. Here, fix this.” She just stood there. Josh turned to Remy. “How on earth do you keep her on schedule? All she’s done today is talk to me. I’m still waiting on some money and the transportation she was to set up for me. Also, don’t think I didn’t notice that you tore down my temporary home. While I might not be living there for long, it was still a rotten thing to do.”

  Chapter 8

  Every time he thought of the look on Josh’s face, he would break down in laughter. The man hadn’t a clue what changed the Lizzy he thought he knew to the pissed off woman she became when Josh managed to push all her buttons at one time.

  “It wasn’t that funny.” That, of course, would send him off again. The way Lizzy pouted at him at what she’d done. “You have to admit, he was sorry for bothering me. I’ve never spoken that way to anyone before. I didn’t know I had it in me.”

  “I did.” She looked at him over the blueprints they were going over for the new pantry. “You have this quietness about you, just like the one Kelly has, but with curse words added. Christ, some of them, like douche waffle, I swear to you, I’ll never hear that word and not think of you.”

  “Josh really thought I was letting him down because I wasn’t finding him a place to live and giving him money. I always knew he was lazy, but this goes beyond that.” She laughed a little when he did. “I guess I did call him quite a few names. But I’m not sure it was all that funny.”

  “It wasn’t what you were doing, love. It was what you were saying that cracks me up. Like when you turned around to him. That alone should have had him backing off. Then he snapped you by mentioning you getting him a phone, so he could keep you working on his things.” She growled. “Yes, that was another thing that should have warned him. You growling like a large beast was a little frightening to me, honestly.”

  “Well, not that I think it did any good, but I know I told him this time that he was on his own. I can only go so far in helping someone before they’re going to have to pick up and get their ass in gear. What do you think will happen to him?” Remy told her he didn’t know, but not to expect too much from him. “No. I can’t be worrying about a grown man who is simply too lazy to get himself gathered up and doing things for himself. Christ, I’m glad I averted a death sentence by not marrying him. For all sorts of reasons, but I think in hindsight, I would have killed him before he did me. He would and is driving me crazy.”

  The shelves had arrived just yesterday morning when they were at the courthouse getting married. The men he’d hired to tear the packing off had done an excellent job. Not only were they ready to be put together, but all the paper had been disposed of in the recycling bins for the city.

  All they’d done about getting hitched was sign the paperwork that had to be filed and go on their way. Neither one of them had that many friends except Kelly and Bancroft. Then there were his other two friends that had shown up in the last couple of days. Besides, they were going to have a big dinner with all the families tonight.

  “The bus engine has been looked over and checked out. I guess I didn’t think about that when I thought I was getting a good deal on the buses.” He told her it was something they’d have done to a new bus too. “I suppose. Getting it stripped of the seats has certainly opened up a great deal of room. I had no idea they were that huge when empty.”

  That was another thing he had loved working on, the bus. He and Bancroft had not only gotten the bench seats out easily, but they’d even been able to take out most of the windows and board those areas up. The camper air conditioning unit was working perfectly. With it, things would be nice and cool in there.

  Right now, five men were working on
putting the shelves in for the foodstuff. He looked over the plans again when Lizzy walked away. There was something here that they were missing, and he just couldn’t locate it. It wasn’t until Clyde came up and pointed it out to him that he realized what he was, or in this case, wasn’t, seeing on the blueprints for the building.

  “You think only one bathroom is going to be enough in a place this big? I’ve come to talk to your wife. She gave me the biggest bag of gems I’ve ever seen without it being in a vault or something.” He knew that Clyde had been told where they came from, but he loved the shocked look on his face. Lizzy joined them just as Clyde found himself a place to sit. “They’re all stolen.”

  “Well, damn.” Clyde laughed but told her not to give up so quickly. “If they’re stolen, I’m going to have to give them back. Not that I want to keep someone from their treasures, but using them to fund some of this we have going on would have been nice.”

  “When I said they were stolen, they were. However, not by Richardson. The people that paid him with them stole them from someone else, who actually stole them from someone too. They’re all legitimately yours, Lizzy.” She asked him if any of them could be returned to whoever they’d been stolen from. “I would imagine they’re all dead by now. However, I’d not do that anyway. There could be, and more than likely would be, repercussions on such an act, being nice or not. I’m sure people would turn on you for even having them. No, you’re better off just using them when you need them and keeping what you want out of it.”

  Lizzy showed Clyde the ring that Remy had pulled out of the things for her. Remy had already gone to Clyde about the ring. It had been stolen by Richardson’s maker, Robert. Clyde couldn’t figure out how the man had gotten it, as it never came to him that it was anything but belonging to Robert. He wondered at it but figured it meant little now. Clyde said it was beautiful on her and nothing more. Remy was glad for that.