with women that knew what he had to offer,
which wasn’t a whole lot. He had always made it clear to women that
he would not be taking any relationship to that 'next level.' Some
women had dealt well with those terms, some women thought they
could convince him otherwise.
When they realized they couldn’t, and it had
inevitably had a messy ending, it never bothered him. In his
military career, he was gone for such long periods at a time and
moved around so much that he could just move on.
What he felt for Amber was more than he had
ever felt for another person, but that didn’t change who he was. He
couldn’t give her everything, and she deserved everything .
“How much?” she repeated her question,
pulling him out of his reflective thoughts.
“Nothing,” he answered.
“Well who’s paying-” realization dawned on
her. She firmly stated, “No. Absolutely not. You are not paying for
this.”
She stood in front of him, arms crossed her
brows raised expectantly as if she was waiting for some kind of a
response from him. Well, she could wait all night if she wanted to,
but this wasn’t up for discussion. The security system was going
in. It was non-negotiable.
When he remained silent, she stubbornly
added, “I won’t approve the work order.”
“Cranston approved it,” he explained. He knew
she understood that she didn’t have a leg to stand on, because -
although she leased the retail space - Cranston owned the
building.
Honestly, Seth was pissed that it had taken
the old man two days to reply to his request. He had just needed
Cranston to sign off on the work. He hadn’t asked for a dime from
the stingy SOB.
Seth had wanted to do this install the night
of the break-in and had immediately contacted Cranston, submitting
a work proposal. He hadn’t heard anything back from him until about
an hour ago. He had still been at Jason and Katie’s for
Thanksgiving when he received the approval via email. He had
immediately taken off so he could come and install the cameras and
high tech security system.
Amber closed her eyes and took in a deep
steady breath. When she opened them, she said begrudgingly,
“Fine.”
With that agreement, she turned to go back to
what he assumed she had been doing here in the first place. She was
using what looked like a pricing gun and marking the tags on a rack
of clothing.
“Amber.”
She turned her head looking over her
shoulder.
“Lock. Your. Doors.” He formed the sentence
slowly, with an emphasis on each word.
Her golden eyes silently communicated the
same words he had heard from his brothers growing up: ‘You’re not
the boss of me.’ He half expected her to cross her arms and stomp
her feet. Instead her lips pursed and she exhaled through her nose
loudly before turning back around on her heel and acting as if he
didn’t exist.
Seth headed to the back to install the
cameras. She could pout and ignore him all she wanted, but she damn
sure better lock her doors from now on. That point was also not
negotiable.
Chapter Eleven
Amber’s entire body ached as she stepped out
of her car at the Harper’s Crossing Women’s Shelter. It was a crisp
November day and the wind whipped across her face as she slowly
made her way across the large parking lot. She was glad she had
chosen to wear gloves and a beanie for this errand.
After she dropped off the gift cards – the
ones she hadn’t been able to give the director on the fifteenth
when she had overslept - she planned on going straight home to bed.
She didn’t plan on resurfacing for at least twenty-four hours.
The Black Friday sale the day before had gone
even better than she had hoped. It had been busy. Crazy busy. She
didn’t think she stopped moving for the entire fourteen hours Bella
had been open.
Amber had gotten a few hours of shut-eye
after the sale had ended and before she had to be back at the store
to open this morning, but it hadn’t made up for the completely
sleepless night she had suffered
which wasn’t a whole lot. He had always made it clear to women that
he would not be taking any relationship to that 'next level.' Some
women had dealt well with those terms, some women thought they
could convince him otherwise.
When they realized they couldn’t, and it had
inevitably had a messy ending, it never bothered him. In his
military career, he was gone for such long periods at a time and
moved around so much that he could just move on.
What he felt for Amber was more than he had
ever felt for another person, but that didn’t change who he was. He
couldn’t give her everything, and she deserved everything .
“How much?” she repeated her question,
pulling him out of his reflective thoughts.
“Nothing,” he answered.
“Well who’s paying-” realization dawned on
her. She firmly stated, “No. Absolutely not. You are not paying for
this.”
She stood in front of him, arms crossed her
brows raised expectantly as if she was waiting for some kind of a
response from him. Well, she could wait all night if she wanted to,
but this wasn’t up for discussion. The security system was going
in. It was non-negotiable.
When he remained silent, she stubbornly
added, “I won’t approve the work order.”
“Cranston approved it,” he explained. He knew
she understood that she didn’t have a leg to stand on, because -
although she leased the retail space - Cranston owned the
building.
Honestly, Seth was pissed that it had taken
the old man two days to reply to his request. He had just needed
Cranston to sign off on the work. He hadn’t asked for a dime from
the stingy SOB.
Seth had wanted to do this install the night
of the break-in and had immediately contacted Cranston, submitting
a work proposal. He hadn’t heard anything back from him until about
an hour ago. He had still been at Jason and Katie’s for
Thanksgiving when he received the approval via email. He had
immediately taken off so he could come and install the cameras and
high tech security system.
Amber closed her eyes and took in a deep
steady breath. When she opened them, she said begrudgingly,
“Fine.”
With that agreement, she turned to go back to
what he assumed she had been doing here in the first place. She was
using what looked like a pricing gun and marking the tags on a rack
of clothing.
“Amber.”
She turned her head looking over her
shoulder.
“Lock. Your. Doors.” He formed the sentence
slowly, with an emphasis on each word.
Her golden eyes silently communicated the
same words he had heard from his brothers growing up: ‘You’re not
the boss of me.’ He half expected her to cross her arms and stomp
her feet. Instead her lips pursed and she exhaled through her nose
loudly before turning back around on her heel and acting as if he
didn’t exist.
Seth headed to the back to install the
cameras. She could pout and ignore him all she wanted, but she damn
sure better lock her doors from now on. That point was also not
negotiable.
Chapter Eleven
Amber’s entire body ached as she stepped out
of her car at the Harper’s Crossing Women’s Shelter. It was a crisp
November day and the wind whipped across her face as she slowly
made her way across the large parking lot. She was glad she had
chosen to wear gloves and a beanie for this errand.
After she dropped off the gift cards – the
ones she hadn’t been able to give the director on the fifteenth
when she had overslept - she planned on going straight home to bed.
She didn’t plan on resurfacing for at least twenty-four hours.
The Black Friday sale the day before had gone
even better than she had hoped. It had been busy. Crazy busy. She
didn’t think she stopped moving for the entire fourteen hours Bella
had been open.
Amber had gotten a few hours of shut-eye
after the sale had ended and before she had to be back at the store
to open this morning, but it hadn’t made up for the completely
sleepless night she had suffered
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