Morgan smiled and stepped off the ATV. “Looks like you’ve been busy—the fence looks good. I’d been meaning to get to that for weeks now. Thanks.”
Rhea shifted uncomfortably on her feet and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “That’s what you hired me for, isn’t it?”
Morgan’s smile widened at Rhea’s sudden awkwardness. She caught the defensiveness in Rhea’s tone. Her guard was up. Morgan couldn’t blame her after how she’d behaved the past few days.
“You’ve finished all the repairs I had pending at the shop too. You know you don’t have to work around the clock, right?” Morgan kept her tone light and playful and hoped she could melt some of the ice shimmering in Rhea’s liquid blue eyes.
A faint smile lifted the corners of Rhea’s mouth. Morgan shifted as her head grew light from a familiar but surprising stir in her belly. She would have to be blind not to notice how attractive Rhea was, and she wasn’t blind. Morgan tried to focus on the reason for her visit and drew her eyes away from the curves of Rhea’s body to Rhea’s mouth. Those soft lips, that smile could be her undoing.
“I have to go into town for supplies today. Would you mind tagging along? I have some feed to pick up at the Co-op and some heavier pieces of steel, and I could use your help.”
Rhea looked uncertain and Morgan thought she was going to say no. Morgan took a step onto the porch and pulled her wallet out of her back pocket. She handed Rhea three crisp one hundred dollar bills.
“Here’s your pay for the week. You’ve worked hard and I figure you could use some supplies around here.”
Rhea looked down at the money. “It’s too much. I can’t take that.”
Morgan was confused. “Rhea, I’ve seen the work you’ve done and the money you’ve brought in at the shop this week. Trust me, for what you’ve done so far, this is barely minimum wage.”
Rhea frowned. “Really?” She reached for the bills, her fingers sweeping across Morgan’s hand as light as a butterfly landing on a flower. Morgan’s skin warmed, and her stomach fluttered at the faint touch.
Rhea pulled her hand away, and her brows furrowed as if she was trying to figure something out.
Morgan went on as if she hadn’t felt the energy pass between them. “Yeah. And trust me, it won’t go very far. You’ll see. What do you say, you up for a little trip to town?”
Rhea smiled again and nodded.
“Good. I’m out of milk and almost everything else. I hope you’re okay with a little grocery shopping while we’re out.”
Rhea’s eyes brightened, and her nod was more earnest this time. “That’d be great.”
Morgan kicked herself again for not realizing Rhea needed food and the basics. How had Rhea managed the last few days without their usual lunch and dinner? Rhea was living up to her end of the bargain, and it was time Morgan got on board and started giving Rhea a chance.
*
Rhea leaned against the counter at Hoskins Drugstore and Soda Fountain. Her mouth watered as she waited for her first chocolate milkshake in fifteen years. It was the first time she could remember feeling happy.
The waitress set the large glass in front of her full to the rim with thick chocolate topped with a cloud of fluffy whipped cream and a plump cherry nestled on top. She placed a spoon and a straw on a napkin on the counter next to the glass.
Rhea licked her lips in anticipation of the sweet heaven in front of her. She chose the spoon first and scooped out a mouthful of the whipped cream. It melted on her tongue, coating her mouth with creamy richness. This was even better than she had expected. She scooped out a spoonful of the chocolate and closed her eyes as the full, rich flavor flooded her mouth with bliss. In that moment the world could have exploded around her, and she would have died a happy woman. This was by far the best moment of her life.
Halfway through the milkshake she switched to the straw and allowed the thick chocolate ice cream to melt a little more as she watched the cherry sink to the bottom of the glass.
She heard the bell ring above the door and a dark shadow blocked some of the sunlight streaming through the giant storefront windows. Rhea’s shoulders stiffened and the tiny hairs at the back of her neck prickled as someone walked up and leaned over the stool beside her. Rhea shifted uncomfortably and chanced a glance at the newcomer. She clenched her jaw the instant she recognized the man. It was Jeff, the man who had been so rude to Morgan at the studio.
Jeff ordered a cup of coffee and turned to Rhea. “Hey, aren’t you that girl I saw over at Morgan’s place?”
Rhea nodded. She shifted her eyes just enough to keep him in sight without encouraging any small talk.
“Sorry about calling you a skank. That wasn’t right. Morgan and me have some bad blood between us, and I lose it a little when she’s around.”
Rhea toyed with her straw. “Sure.”
Jeff turned to face her with one arm against the counter and leaned toward her. “What’s a pretty lady like you doing with the likes of Morgan Scott anyway?”
Rhea fished the cherry from the bottom of her glass with her spoon. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this guy’s game. She wasn’t stupid and she wasn’t in the mood to play.
“She’s my boss.”
“Your boss, huh?” Jeff ran his finger along the side of Rhea’s arm.
Rhea flinched and jerked her arm away as a dull pain lanced through her as if he had drawn the tip of a knife across her bones. The sensation traveled to her fingertips, and she reflexively closed her hand into a fist.
Jeff laughed. “Trust me, sweetheart, you need to watch yourself with Morgan or you’ll be doing more for her than shoveling shit and mending fences, if you know what I mean.”
Rhea blinked in irritation and tried to reel in the spark of anger that made her cheeks burn. “No, I’m afraid I don’t. Why don’t you enlighten me?”
Jeff smiled and blew across the top of his coffee cup, filling the air with the rancid smell of tobacco and black coffee.
Rhea’s stomach soured, and she pushed the last of the milkshake aside.
“Morgan’s the kind of woman who thinks she can have what belongs to a man.” Jeff reached his hand toward Rhea as if to stroke her cheek.
Rhea threw up her arm and slapped his hand away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Jeff laughed again. “I’m just being friendly, there’s no need to get in a twist.”
Rhea stood and moved away, putting the stool between them. She didn’t want this creep to touch her again. She put her money on the counter and told the waitress to keep the change.
“Come on, honey, don’t run off so soon. I thought we could get to know each other a little better. What’s your name? What was it Morgan called you? Ray, wasn’t it? That’s a man’s name.”
Rhea moved to go, and Jeff grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving. Rhea met the big man’s gaze for the first time, and panic hit her the instant she saw the lustful look in his eyes. She’d seen that look before. She’d been prey to that hunger almost every night when her father came to her room. The sour smell of him and the burning whiskey on his breath were sometimes bad enough to make her vomit.
Rhea grabbed Jeff by the balls and gave his nuts a twist. “Don’t touch me, you fat fuck!”
Jeff yelled, “Let me go, you stupid bitch.”
The waitress gasped and moved away.
“What’s wrong, Jeff? I thought you wanted to get to know each other a little better. You touched me first. I guess that makes this consensual.”
Jeff’s face was death-white now. “Let go,” he groaned.
“The only thing you need to know about me is that if you put your hands on me again, you’ll lose them.”
The bell above the door rang again, and Rhea let Jeff go but didn’t take her eyes off him.
“Hey, Rhea, you about ready to go?”
Rhea didn’t back down but at last let her eyes follow the sound of the familiar voice. Rhea had never been so happy to see
anyone in her life as Morgan strolled up beside her as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Her body was relaxed and she moved with confidence, her shoulders back, her head held high, and a little swagger in her step. She winked at Rhea as she sidled up next to her as if sending Rhea a message.
“Hello, Jeff. I see you’re still having trouble making friends.”
The big man glared, and Rhea imagined she could hear the grinding of his teeth as his jaw clenched.
“Shut up, Morgan. I don’t think anyone invited you to the party.”
Morgan shrugged. “Too bad, I’m sure the conversation was riveting. I’m sorry to break things up, but Rhea and I have some things to do. It’s good to see you again, Jeff.”
Morgan held out her hand and gestured for Rhea to walk ahead of her.
Rhea sighed and stepped away, never taking her eyes off Jeff as she passed.
“You know, one of these days you’re going to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong and someone’s going to put you in your place for good,” Jeff growled.
Morgan smiled. “Have a nice day, Jeff.”
Rhea walked beside Morgan in silence. She didn’t understand how Morgan could be so nice to that jerk.
They were half a block away before Morgan broke the silence. “You okay?”
Rhea shrugged. “Sure. I can handle assholes like him.”
Morgan frowned. “I’m sure you can, but that doesn’t mean their words and actions don’t hurt.”
Rhea glanced over at Morgan. She still didn’t show any tension in her body, and there was only the slightest dip in the tone of her voice to betray her emotions.
“You’re one to talk.”
Morgan smiled this time. “Just because I choose not to let him see the wounds doesn’t mean they aren’t there. But if I play into his anger, things only get worse for both of us.”
Rhea shook her head. Her own anger still simmered just beneath the surface and she wanted nothing more than to shut that prick’s mouth for him. “Someone needs to knock that plug of tobacco down his throat and let him choke on it.”
Morgan stopped and looked at Rhea. Her frown was so deep with disappointment that Rhea flinched.
“How does that help anyone? Beyond that, how many people does it hurt? You can’t go around forcing people to do or be something just because you don’t like them,” Morgan said.
Rhea wasn’t sure what did it, maybe it was putting up with Jeff and his degrading attitude, maybe it was the disappointment in Morgan’s eyes, but something had struck a nerve, and she was beyond angry now. “Yeah, well, I’m not going to let anyone treat me like their property. Sometimes if you don’t fight back, everyone loses, Morgan.”
Rhea turned and stormed away. She needed to cool off before she said something that would really get her fired. She wasn’t even sure who she was angry with the most, Morgan for her passive, fantasy view of the world, Jeff for his chauvinistic, degrading attitude, or her father for ruining her life.
Maybe Morgan was right. Maybe she wasn’t any better than the men who had hurt her. Maybe all she knew was pain. How was she ever going to make it in the world if she couldn’t be more than a victim? Rhea ducked down an alley and threw up behind a Dumpster. Everything was spinning out of control. She was only safe when she was alone in her cabin, and she longed for the silent solitude of the farm. She couldn’t afford to mess things up with Morgan. She didn’t think she had the strength to start over, and she couldn’t go back to her mother. She had to get it together and make things right.
*
Morgan wasn’t sure this thing with Rhea was going to work out. She wanted to believe that Rhea could make a change, but her sudden outburst of anger was scary. Morgan needed to talk to J.J. Maybe they needed to reconsider some things and work something else out for Rhea. There were times when Rhea’s guard was down, and Morgan forgot about Rhea’s past, but most of the time she was wound so tight, Morgan thought she might snap. What was she doing taking in an ex-con anyway? She shook her head. That wasn’t fair. Rhea wasn’t just an ex-con. Rhea was strong, independent, hardworking, smart, and beautiful. She’d been through a lot, and she wasn’t going to have a chance in the world if no one saw beyond her past to all the good she had to offer, and that included Morgan.
Morgan turned the corner to find Rhea leaning against the side of her truck. Her arms were folded across her chest, but there was no sign of the anger that burned so fierce earlier. Morgan keyed the locks and got in the truck. Rhea opened the door and climbed in beside her.
“I’m sorry about what I said back there. I shouldn’t have taken everything out on you like that.”
Morgan wrapped her left arm over the steering wheel and leaned forward to see Rhea better. “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to discount your feelings like that. Jeff can be a lot to handle. I’m sorry I upset you.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Rhea picked at a loose thread in a hole in her jeans. She wasn’t used to anyone apologizing to her, and Morgan’s sincerity caught her off guard. She took a chance and asked the question that could change her life. “You going to make me leave?”
Morgan sighed. “Honestly, I thought about it. But I don’t think we’re there yet. So if you still want to stay, the job’s still yours.”
Rhea let out a long heavy breath. “That’s good then.”
Morgan knew she’d overreacted earlier. What was it about Rhea that had her so jumpy? She could take all kinds of crap from people like Jeff, but the minute Rhea stepped on her toes, she’d been ready to pull the plug on the deal. Maybe she needed to heed her own words. Who was she helping and who would she hurt by continuing to hold Rhea’s past against her…or was it her own past that kept getting in the way? She had no business trying to help anyone turn their life around. She’d tried that with Ashley, and it had cost her everything. She couldn’t allow that to happen again.
Morgan sat back and started the truck.
Rhea’s next words were soft, almost timid. “He said you two have some bad blood between you. What did he mean?”
Morgan clenched the steering wheel with both hands. There it was. She didn’t like to think about Ashley and she never talked about her.
“That was a long time ago. We were little more than kids.”
Rhea nodded. “Yeah, I get that, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still paying for the things we did back then.”
Morgan cringed. She guessed Rhea knew better than anyone that there were some things that you never stopped paying for. “It isn’t as dramatic as it sounds. He doesn’t like who I am. That’s how it’s always been, and I don’t see that ever changing.”
Rhea bit her lip. “It’s hard sometimes to tell the difference between love and hate,” she said quietly before she turned to stare out the window, as if seeing images from the past. “You don’t have to hate someone to hurt them and sometimes you love the person you hate the most.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Morgan wanted to understand Rhea. She had a gut feeling that Rhea had the heart of a bull and wouldn’t back down from a fight. Morgan was all about heart, but the fighting she could do without.
Rhea pulled her gaze away from the flickering images outside her window and met Morgan’s eyes. “Yes.”
Morgan swallowed. “What did you do?”
Rhea pressed her lips together and turned away. It was a long time before she answered. “You’re right. There are some things I can’t change. I can’t force someone to be what I want them to be. But I did what I had to do.”
Morgan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Do you regret it?”
Rhea considered her answer. This was one of those conversations that had the power to change a person. To Morgan’s credit, this was the first time she had asked her about prison or what she’d done to get there. Most people would have asked on the first day. Maybe Morgan thought she already knew enough and had made her judgment already.
“I spent almost fifteen years trying to answer that question. No m
atter how I play things over in my head, the end is the same. So no, I don’t regret it.”
“Do you think what you did was right?”
Rhea laughed. “Sometimes there is no right, only a list of wrongs. Like I said, I did what I had to do.”
Morgan didn’t say anything, but the tight set of her shoulders reminded Rhea of the tension that she learned to read in the gang members just before someone got jumped. It was time to duck and cover. She didn’t think Morgan was a physical threat, but something was brewing, and Rhea wanted to be ready.
“So Jeff knows something about you that he doesn’t like, and he judges you by it, right?”
Morgan nodded.
“Kind of like you knowing something about me and judging me by that.”
Morgan shook her head. “It’s not the same thing, and I’m not judging you.”
Rhea laughed. “Keep telling yourself that, but I don’t think it’s possible not to judge by the information you’re given. Your problem is not having the right information. You don’t know me, Morgan.” Rhea leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes. Morgan was her boss, her ticket to starting over, and she didn’t need to add to her problems by pissing off the one person who had given her a shot.
Rhea pictured the courtroom, her mother, neighbors she’d known her whole life, people she’d gone to church with every Sunday, even a few of the staff from her school. Everyone looked at her with hatred and disgust. No matter how many times she’d explained herself, told them what her father had done, no one believed her. No one cared about the truth. They believed what they wanted to believe based on what they’d been allowed to see. It didn’t matter how many times she told the truth, no one believed her. Why would Morgan be any different?
*
Morgan pushed her cart through the aisles and mentally ran down her list. Why didn’t she write these things down? Grocery shopping wasn’t exactly her favorite thing to do, and the last thing she wanted was to have to come back any sooner than necessary. She passed Rhea staring at the ice cream like a child at the candy counter. She looked into Rhea’s basket and was surprised by how little was there.
Love’s Redemption Page 5
