Chapter Thirteen
Lainey
I couldn’t believe Conor was still sleeping as I got ready for my day at the bakery. I guess his bath was going to have to wait until tonight.
After leisurely enjoying a cup of coffee at my tiny kitchenette in the quiet of the morning, it didn’t take long for me to wash my face, put deodorant on, get dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt with the bakery logo on it, and my comfy tennis shoes, then slap some mascara on, and throw my hair up in a ponytail and tucked it under my ballcap that said, “Beaumont Bakery” on the front.
I walked into my son’s room, still affected by the sight of shirtless Adam holding Conor. Whoever landed that man was going to be a lucky woman. She’d probably be pregnant once a year for twenty years.
“I’m going to have to wake him up. I have to get to the bakery soon and won’t have time to feed him in the middle of the morning rush.”
As he handed over my child, the little guy began to fuss. Finally, now that he was out of his warm Adam cocoon, his empty tummy was talking to him.
I noticed Adam glance down at the clothing on the floor and wrinkle his nose.
“Do you have any laundry pretreatment I can put on his pajamas? And my shirt?”
I laughed out loud.
“It’s in the cabinet by the front door. My washer and dryer are downstairs in the bakery, but you can rinse your shirt out in the kitchen sink.”
“What about his pjs?”
“Just toss them in his hamper. They’ll be fine until I do laundry tonight.”
I was in the glider nursing Conor when Adam poked his head around the corner.
“Do you mind if I hop in your shower?”
“Of course not. Towels are in the linen closet in the bathroom.”
Seconds later, I heard the water turn on and envisioned him stripping off the rest of his clothes and stepping into my shower naked. A whimper may have escaped my throat as I pictured the water droplets streaming down his muscular body.
I really needed to find time to go on a date with my vibrator and watch a little porn. I hadn’t gotten myself off since before Conor was born. But at my last appointment, my doctor had given me the greenlight to have sex, and I assumed that included with myself.
I was sure that was the only reason I was lusting after Adam. I had some pent-up sexual frustration that simply needed to be released.
Unfortunately, he was fully dressed in a new pair of jeans and a black, vintage Led Zeppelin t-shirt when he appeared to lay Conor’s wet pajamas over the edge of the hamper.
He held up a hand containing his wet polo. “Do you have a plastic grocery bag I can stick this in?”
“On the cabinet door, under the kitchen sink.”
A minute later, he returned, this time holding his black backpack.
“I’m going to head over to the diner and see if I can catch Brian. I need to apologize to him. I was supposed to crash at his place last night. I don’t want him to think I blew him off, although I guess that’s exactly what I did.”
“He texted me last night. I explained you fell asleep on my couch.”
Adam winced. “Do you think he was mad?”
“I don’t think so. He said not to leave town without saying goodbye.”
“Unless he wants to see me to punch me in the face. Give me a black eye for my bus ride home.”
“That’s not Bri’s style.”
“That makes me feel better. I’ll stop by the bakery before I head out, okay?”
The idea that he was already leaving town made me sad, but I offered him a smile. “Make sure you do.”
Seconds later, I heard the door leading to the outside staircase close, followed by his heavy footsteps as he descended the stairs. Then there was shouting and a lot of commotion.
****
Adam
I went down Lainey’s stairs and put my backpack on as I walked along the alley to the corner of the bakery’s red brick building.
I’d just got the bag situated on back, with both hands on the straps when I turned the corner and was met with pow! and immediately saw stars as I staggered a little.
On instinct, my hand flew to where I hurt—the back of my head. There was red on my fingers when I pulled them away from my scalp.
“Son of a—”
Bam!
My head jutted back at the force of the blow to my nose.
I realized I was being attacked. In Haven Springs. What the actual fuck?
Standing in front of me was a man in a black ski mask, long-sleeved grey t-shirt with a hood, dark jeans, and black tennis shoes. He was shorter than me, and on the skinnier side, but his sucker punches had still landed, especially since the first had been delivered via a baseball bat.
But now I was ready, and I was going to kick this fucker’s ass, then pull that mask off his face to watch him bleed.
He spun the bat in his gloved hand like a baton.
“Come on, jarhead,” he sneered as he kept twirling the bat.
He hadn’t expected me to kick it out of his hands and send it flying, but that’s exactly what I did. It landed with a ting! and bounced end over end until it stopped and rolled further away.
“What now, bitch?”
He raised his fists and danced around like he was a boxer.
Whatever, dude.
Without warning, I delivered a one-two punch to his side and stomach, then came in with an uppercut to his chin when he bent over.
“Not so tough now, huh?” I taunted. I should have gone in with a roundhouse to his face, but I was worried with my boots on, I might do some serious damage.
Not that the prick didn’t deserve it. But I’d seen enough movies. A stranger in a small town killing a local, justified or not, never ended well for the stranger.
A few people either waiting for the bakery to open or on their way to the diner had stopped to watch. One person was on their phone, I hoped with 911. Another appeared to be filming the incident.
The masked dude tried to land another punch, but I delivered a right hook, then pulled his shirt over his head and incapacitated him with it.
The sound of a police siren wailed in the distance, and the guy slipped out of his shirt and took off running, leaving me holding his grey hoodie.
My nose was still gushing blood from the second blow he’d landed. I could taste it in my mouth and knew it had to be smeared all over my face, so I used the asshole’s shirt to wipe my cheeks and mouth.
It smelled like Irish Spring, the soap my dad used.
I was certain the majority of the droplets on the ground were from me, although I knew that asshole had to be bleeding from my last punch. There probably wouldn’t be a blood trail though since his ski mask more than likely soaked it up.
An old man in overalls, plaid shirt, and John Deere trucker’s hat approached and asked, “Are you okay, son? The police are on the way. Do you need an ambulance?”
“I—I’m not sure.”
The adrenalin might have worn off because I staggered a bit. He grabbed my arm and proclaimed, “Whoa! Why don’t you sit down before you fall down,” as he gently guided my ass to the dirt.
“Thanks.”
Two police cars roared up, lights flashing but the sirens were now off.
One cop got out, his hand on his gun on his duty belt as he approached. The other I recognized right away.
I tried to be flippant and lifted my chin toward Brian, even though blood was still streaming from my nose.
“Hey, dude.”
“What the hell happened to you?”
“I got jumped by a masked man in the alley.”
“ What? ”
“Yeah, he hit me in the head with a baseball bat,” I lifted my hand to the back of my head and realized my hair was soaked. I was still bleeding from there, too. “Then punched me in the nose before I fought back.”
Brian turned his head toward his shoulder as he clicked his mic. “Sierra Four, start meds to Beaumont’s Bakery on Main. I have a thirty-year old male bleeding from the head.”
The dispatcher responded that paramedics were en route.
“I’m twenty-nine,” I grumbled.
“Eh, close enough.”
“I don’t need an ambulance.”
“I’m gonna overrule you on that one, Tough Guy.”
I heard Lainey’s voice from behind me. “Adam?” Then felt her hand on my shoulder as she knelt beside me and looked at my face. “Oh my God, are you okay? Did you fall down the stairs.”
I grimaced, and Brian grumbled, “Something like that.”
“What happened?” she demanded.
“Someone jumped me when I came around the corner.”
“ What ? Who ?”
“I don’t know. He was wearing a mask.”
“What did he look like?”
Brian and I chuckled at the same time, then I repeated. “I’m not sure. He was wearing a mask.”
“Oh, you said that. Sorry. I’m just so stunned this happened to you right here in Haven Springs.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing as it was happening.”
She looked up at Brian. “You’re going to catch who did this, right?”
“I need to talk to the witnesses. Someone got part of it on video; maybe there are some identifying characteristics of the suspect.”
I snarled, “I want a copy of that video.”
The ambulance pulled up, their lights flashing and siren blaring. Brian closed his eyes, as if he was asking for patience, and shook his head.
The young EMT hopped out, but before he made it two feet, Brian commanded, “Turn your siren off!”
“Oh, right!”
The kid darted back inside the cab and killed the blaring noise.
“Jesus Christ,” Brian grumbled under his breath, and I couldn’t help but grin.
“You sound like me whenever we got someone fresh out of bootcamp.”
The young kid and his partner came over with their medic bag, and I waved them off and stood, with Lainey’s help, before they could even squat down to examine me.
“I know I need stitches.”
“And probably an MRI,” Brian added. “At least a CT scan.”
“You a doctor now, too?” I groused as I started toward the waiting ambulance.
The asshole grinned in return. “Nope. But if the situation was reversed, what would you think?”
“I can meet you at the emergency room,” Lainey called.
I gingerly shook my head. “You’ve got to open the bakery.”
“I’ll be with him,” Brian volunteered.
“You guys don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.”
The sergeant crossed his arms over his chest, and replied, “Too bad, I’m going,” like that was the end of the discussion.
Which it was, I reluctantly concluded. I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument.
“See you there.”
I heard Lainey tell Brian, “Let me know the second you know anything.”
Before they closed the ambulance doors, I saw him kiss her forehead and reply. “Of course.”
Then we were off. Lights flashing and siren going full blast as we slowly made our way to the emergency entrance at Haven Springs General, the town’s small hospital.