Chapter Ten
Serenity
As I wander around the house, Peanut is never more than a step behind me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for it. Now that it’s getting dark, I realize how far outside of town we actually are. There aren’t any lights surrounding the property.
The dog nudges my hand, and I pat him on the head as I move away from the windows. “You’d let me know if there was someone out there, wouldn’t you, boy?”
He offers me a little sneeze, letting me know he’s got my back.
When the phone rings, I jump a foot. Jesus. I place my hand over my chest. This is the reason I don’t like them. It’s the rudest way to summon someone.
I debate whether I should answer, but when the fucking thing doesn’t stop ringing, I have no choice.
My ass falls into the chair beside it, and then I cautiously pull the receiver to my ear.
“Next time I expect you to answer after the first ring. If you’re on the shitter, then I’ll give you three,” Rage says on the other end.
“How was I supposed to know it was you?” I snip back.
He’s quiet. I guess he doesn’t have an answer for that.
“It could have been a bill collector,” I continue to reason with him.
“Impossible. I pay my bills,” he says dryly.
We suffer through a few more minutes of silence.
I sigh, finally breaking it. “How is your sister?”
“It’s crazy how much she’s improved physically, but …”
He pauses so long, I think we might have lost connection. “Rage?”
“She doesn’t know me, and she’s scared.”
“It will take time.”
He makes a noise of disbelief. “I think it will be better once I get her home and start giving her some stability.”
“Did they say when they were going to release her?”
“Maybe tomorrow. The following day for sure, unless she has any setbacks.”
“Your club brought over so much stuff for Mila. It was really sweet how they all came together so quickly.”
“That’s a relief. I’ve been trying to make a list of what she might need. I always dreamed about the day she might come live with me, but I never really …”
“Thought it would happen,” I finish for him.
“Yeah,” he sighs loudly. “Well, I was just calling to see if you found the dog food.”
“About that,” I begin.
He chuckles.
“Who names a cane corso Peanut?”
“Me,” he says flatly.
“Well, a little heads up would have been nice.”
“You wouldn’t have agreed, and I know he’s well trained.”
“At eating people,” I joke.
“Only bad guys.”
Peanut rests his big head on my knee, his eyebrows teeter-tottering up and down as our conversation continues.
“I think he knows we’re talking about him.”
“I’m glad the two of you are getting along.”
“We are.” My gaze roams around his house.
“I’ve got to go. Mila is waking up. Call me if you need anything.”
“Same.”
He’s quiet for a second. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I hope you and Mila have a good night. Bye.”
“Bye.”
This is all so weird. I hang up the phone and pull the duck out of my pocket. “What should we do now?”
I’ve always loved my quiet time, but tonight it feels strangely lonely.
“I’m really glad you’re here with me, Peanut.” He follows me into the kitchen, sitting by my feet as I make a sandwich.
The longer I’m here, I find myself growing more and more curious about Rage. There’s not much around the house that tells me anything personal about him.
After I’ve cleaned up my supper mess, I stand in the hallway. A quick peek into his room wouldn’t hurt, would it? My hand presses against the wood of his door, but I can’t bring myself to open it. He trusted me in his home. I can’t violate his personal space, even if the curiosity is killing me.
I force my feet to keep moving down the hall, stopping at his sister’s room. It’s piled high with everything she’ll need. I sit on the floor, peeking in a box filled with little girl clothes. Aw, everything is so cute.
It’s a room filled with love. I didn’t get that as a kid, but I can help make sure her space here looks the best it possibly can when she arrives. If he brings her home tomorrow, it can’t look like this. She needs something a bit more functional.
My gaze lands on the cans of paint in the room. I crawl over to them, finding brushes and tape in a sack nearby. The pink color Rage picked out for her brings a smile to my face.
“Scary on the outside, gooey in the center. Just like you,” I tell Peanut.
“How ‘bout I let you outside for a few minutes and then we’ll get started,” I tell him, scratching behind his ear.
I change while the dog is out doing his business. I’m so excited to have something to do. Besides, it will help take my mind off my situation with the Scorpions.
The dog curls up right outside the door to Mila’s room while I paint.
It’s nice. I feel like I can focus on my task.
Maybe I should get a dog. I’ve never had one.
One of my mom’s boyfriends had one. It was the sweetest pup.
The man too, but of course the good ones never stayed long.
I remember how sad I was when they both left.
It only takes two coats of paint, which makes things easy. I’m hoping the paint fumes have faded by the time Mila comes home. I’ve kept the windows partially open, so it shouldn’t take long.
After I finish painting, I decide to start putting things together. I walk out to the garage to look for a few tools, and when I flip the light on, I find Rage’s bike. It stirs something inside of me, and before I know what I’m doing I’m running my hand over his seat.
As much as I’d like to, I can’t deny how sexy he is when he’s on his bike. My fingers glide over the handlebars, and then I notice the corner of a photo tucked against the gauges. I tug it out. It’s him holding a baby. I’m assuming it’s Mila. She’s about six months old.
I saw a printer and computer inside. I wonder if I could enlarge it and put a copy in her room. Maybe it will help her make a connection between the two of them. It couldn’t hurt.
By the time I’ve copied the picture and put her little toddler bed together, the sun is breaking over the horizon. But I don’t stop. Once I have the furniture set up, I get to work on washing all of her clothes. They’re new, and I don’t want her to be itchy. She’s had enough to deal with.
After that, I begin putting toys together.
I laugh because I find myself wanting to play with some of them.
I think the club bought her every princess Barbie there is.
And books. She has so many books! I decide to fashion a couple of bookshelves out of some regular shelving the club brought by to make her a little book nook.
I’m just setting the picture I printed of her and her brother on the bedside table when Peanut stands at attention. A few minutes later, Cole is hollering down the hall.
“You awake?” he asks, knocking on my bedroom door.
“I’m in here!” I yell.
A few seconds later, he’s filling the doorway. “Holy shit,” he says, stepping inside. “Did you do all this?”
“Peanut helped. I can’t take all the credit,” I tell him.
He walks around the room and then pauses behind me. “Serenity, this was very nice of you, but have you slept?”
“I’ll sleep when I’m done.”
“Have you eaten?”
I take a step back to admire my handiwork. “I ate a sandwich.”
His eyes widen. “Since I left yesterday?”
“Yeah,” I say, shrugging. I shoo him out of the way so I can put the clean bedding on the bed.
He sighs. “I’m going to go make you some supper.”
“Supper?” I ask, looking up from my task to peek out the window. “Where did the day go?”
“Where they all go. Anyway, my brother is on his way out with Cub, and I know the two of them will be hungry. They haven’t eaten either.”
I stumble back, suddenly feeling lightheaded at being bent over. He grabs me by the arm, and his brows pull together in concern. “When was the last time you slept?”
“Um, I don’t know. At the Inn?”
“Jesus, why are women so damn stubborn?”
He finishes making the bed for me while I let my eyes slide around the room. “Everything has to be perfect.” I grab the cutest stuffed giraffe out of her toybox and place it on the bed once it’s made.
“It looks great, Serenity, really. Now go shower while I get the grub on.”
“Fine,” I say, feeling my burst of energy fading as fast as the light of day. He walks away, and I manage to grab some clean clothes out of the drawers in my room.
Gosh, I’m so tired. I need to sit down. Just for a minute.
My arms and legs turn to rubber, and the longer I sit, my back begins to ache. Maybe I’ll lie back and stretch out. Just for a minute.
I smile as my head hits the soft mattress. When Mila comes home, everything will be ready for her. She deserves that and so much more.
I rub my eyes, struggling to keep them open. Maybe I will close them. Just for a minute.
Just one little minute.