this and it had never bothered her, so what was it about the conversation with Thatcher that made her hackles rise? Rhee sighed. The fact of the matter was that this kind of contribution was going to get her little charity a lot of publicity. Thatcher had attended one of her fundraisers about a month ago, when the local press photographed her in front of her new studio.
Maybe that was it—the public attention was a little overwhelming for her.
Rhee was enjoying the balance of working for a cause she loved and being a mom. And being with Dax. Truth be told, being with Dax was rather…time-consuming.
Not that she minded.
Her nipples stiffened at the mere thought of the man and Rhee found herself gasping with desire as she rinsed the soap from her body. She rushed the rest of her shower and dressed, forcing her strange thoughts out of her mind.
Chapter Sixteen
It had been two weeks, and Ruby’s tender loving care was proving to be just what Mickey needed—even though she wasn’t sure it was what she wanted. But…letting Ruby mother her seemed to be helping the kindly old waitress too, and Mickey wouldn’t deny her. In fact, Mickey was grateful to know that allowing herself to be cared for was helping Ruby heal in her own way as well.
Ruby was the perfect nurse for her—she was helpful without being demanding, and she didn’t ask too many questions. Plus, the woman ran a diner so there was an abundance of comfort food—the kind that stuck to your ribs and warmed you up from the inside out. In just a few short days, Mickey could tell she had put on a few pounds. The bones in her hips didn’t stick out so harshly and her cheeks had a little color in them. She was sleeping a little better than usual. Overall, the gentle companionship and consistent food and rest put a sparkle back into her eyes that had a few of the regular customers at the diner commenting on her improved appearance.
The diner patrons were of two main sorts: those who were passing on through, and those who came every day at the same time—like clockwork. No one gave her the creeps, which was a welcome change. It was like being stuck in a parallel universe—one where everything went slow and steady, and no one did anybody any wrong. It was a place where she could regain some strength—and formulate a plan.
It was terrifying to look at the scrap of black and white paper that she kept in her pocket. Now, instead of running away from her past, she was going to have to track her sister down and warn her. The man in the photo was evil and there was no way he was connecting himself to Rhee by accident.
He was still out there. And he was getting close to Rhee. There was only one reason Mickey could think of for that.
He knew.
He knew that Rhee was her sister. The resemblance between Mickey and her big sister was rather striking. People used to comment on it all the time when they were growing up. Plus, he had connections and he would know she had family.
The bastard wanted something—something from Mickey. The something she kept in her backpack.
Sometimes, it was hard to keep track of who she was running from—especially now with the cartel out of the picture. At least, she thought they were out of the picture. She just kept moving, ignoring the fact that she wasn’t sure what she was trying to escape now—the bogeyman…or herself.
While she tried to figure out her next move, Mickey poured coffee, cleared tables, and ran food at the diner. It wasn’t hard. In fact, the job kind of started to grow on her. It gave her the chance to interact in a very superficial way, with the random folks who came in for a quick bite to eat. Living in fear could cause a person to become isolated. But here in this small town, with Ruby as her sort-of guardian, Mickey felt safer than she had in a long, long time.
There was a pile of nametags in the drawer beneath the ancient-looking cash register. One of them read, “Kelly.” Of course, that was the one
Maybe that was it—the public attention was a little overwhelming for her.
Rhee was enjoying the balance of working for a cause she loved and being a mom. And being with Dax. Truth be told, being with Dax was rather…time-consuming.
Not that she minded.
Her nipples stiffened at the mere thought of the man and Rhee found herself gasping with desire as she rinsed the soap from her body. She rushed the rest of her shower and dressed, forcing her strange thoughts out of her mind.
Chapter Sixteen
It had been two weeks, and Ruby’s tender loving care was proving to be just what Mickey needed—even though she wasn’t sure it was what she wanted. But…letting Ruby mother her seemed to be helping the kindly old waitress too, and Mickey wouldn’t deny her. In fact, Mickey was grateful to know that allowing herself to be cared for was helping Ruby heal in her own way as well.
Ruby was the perfect nurse for her—she was helpful without being demanding, and she didn’t ask too many questions. Plus, the woman ran a diner so there was an abundance of comfort food—the kind that stuck to your ribs and warmed you up from the inside out. In just a few short days, Mickey could tell she had put on a few pounds. The bones in her hips didn’t stick out so harshly and her cheeks had a little color in them. She was sleeping a little better than usual. Overall, the gentle companionship and consistent food and rest put a sparkle back into her eyes that had a few of the regular customers at the diner commenting on her improved appearance.
The diner patrons were of two main sorts: those who were passing on through, and those who came every day at the same time—like clockwork. No one gave her the creeps, which was a welcome change. It was like being stuck in a parallel universe—one where everything went slow and steady, and no one did anybody any wrong. It was a place where she could regain some strength—and formulate a plan.
It was terrifying to look at the scrap of black and white paper that she kept in her pocket. Now, instead of running away from her past, she was going to have to track her sister down and warn her. The man in the photo was evil and there was no way he was connecting himself to Rhee by accident.
He was still out there. And he was getting close to Rhee. There was only one reason Mickey could think of for that.
He knew.
He knew that Rhee was her sister. The resemblance between Mickey and her big sister was rather striking. People used to comment on it all the time when they were growing up. Plus, he had connections and he would know she had family.
The bastard wanted something—something from Mickey. The something she kept in her backpack.
Sometimes, it was hard to keep track of who she was running from—especially now with the cartel out of the picture. At least, she thought they were out of the picture. She just kept moving, ignoring the fact that she wasn’t sure what she was trying to escape now—the bogeyman…or herself.
While she tried to figure out her next move, Mickey poured coffee, cleared tables, and ran food at the diner. It wasn’t hard. In fact, the job kind of started to grow on her. It gave her the chance to interact in a very superficial way, with the random folks who came in for a quick bite to eat. Living in fear could cause a person to become isolated. But here in this small town, with Ruby as her sort-of guardian, Mickey felt safer than she had in a long, long time.
There was a pile of nametags in the drawer beneath the ancient-looking cash register. One of them read, “Kelly.” Of course, that was the one
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