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“Stop it. I can’t get involved with any man. I just can’t handle that. I need to be stronger and to forget this foolishness.” She sat up and forced herself through the pain to stand. She immediately moved to the bed and took a seat.
“I think you’re scared,” Juliet whispered, and Susanna stared at her.
Susanna knew Juliet’s fears. She kept triple locks on her doors and windows, she carried Mace with her and she didn’t trust men either. She was scared and had very little self-confidence.
Susanna covered Juliet’s hand and stared into her eyes.
“You’re right. I am scared. I’m scared of trusting anyone other than you guys. I’m scared of getting hurt again. I don’t know if I could survive another abusive relationship. Add to that the fact that there are two of them, and individually they’re a force to reckon with. I couldn’t handle one of them, never mind two men with such dominant and superior personalities. They’re both ex-military and both work in law enforcement and surveillance. I’ve got a past, ladies, and it’s not pretty.” Susanna squeezed Juliet’s hand before she released it.
“When have you ever done anything the easy way, Susanna? You’re a fighter. You helped to save each of us on your journey to safety and a new life. You deserve more and you deserve love,” Ava told her.
“Love?” Susanna shook her head. “I don’t know about that. I especially don’t know about it from any man. I can’t allow them to get to me. I can’t afford that kind of weakness right now when we’re almost there. We’re almost free and clear of anyone getting in our way to financial freedom. Don’t you see what I’ve been working so hard for? It’s so none of us, including Alexa and Sally when they get here, will ever have to rely on a man or anyone else ever again.”
They were silent a moment.
“We’re there, Susanna. We’ve been there for months now. We each have hefty bank accounts. We each have our own lives back, and I, for one, want to settle down soon, if the right man or men came along,” Elise stated.
“She’s right, Susanna. It’s time to pull back. You’ve done so much for us. You’ve saved us and given us our lives back,” Paula added.
“We need constant stability. We need to continue to be successful and not back down or it can all be taken away from us.”
“Well, enough of the serious talk. Let’s get back to you, the sheriff, and Monte. They left something for you downstairs,” Ava stated, and Susanna looked surprised.
“Come on, it’s lunchtime and we need to get things ready for tonight at Dixie Chix.” Paula stood up and held out her hand for Susanna to take.
“What did they drop off?” Susanna asked.
“You’ll see when you go downstairs. Maybe it will put a smile on your face and allow you to see that they’re not so bad after all,” Juliet said as they headed downstairs.
* * * *
Susanna stared at the piece of paper with Sheriff BJ Parker’s cell phone number on it. He and Monte had sent over a platter of different wraps and sandwiches for her and her friends as well as homemade sweet tea from Georgio’s Italian delicatessen.
Following the food delivery, while she was upstairs losing her mind, the florist had arrived with a large bouquet of cream-colored roses with lavender and fresh ivy.
It was classy and beautiful. The card was signed, “We look forward to seeing you tonight.”
She took a deep breath and wondered what to do. She had taken a shower and gotten dressed to head to the club, even though she didn’t need to be there for a couple of hours. The others were out and about or at the club taking deliveries and stocking up the bars for tonight. In the least, she had to call him to say thank you.
She felt her throat close up and fear grip her belly. She didn’t want to speak with him or hear his voice. She didn’t want to allow the excitement and appreciation of their show of care to affect her and knock down her defenses.
She chickened out, knowing that she had to do the respectable thing and thank the sheriff and his brother.
She hit send message on the cell phone and added his number then texted. These days, texting was as good as calling, wasn’t it? She felt guilt fill her belly, but she continued to text him instead of actually calling him.
Hi, Sheriff Parker, I just wanted to send you and Monte a quick message to thank you for the great lunch you sent over today. The ladies and I enjoyed it as well as the beautiful flowers. Susanna.
Susanna hit the send button then released an uneasy breath.
That wasn’t so bad after all.
She got up, placed the phone in her bag along with her makeup and lip gloss to reapply later at work and headed out the door.
* * * *
Sheriff Parker looked at his cell phone as he sat along the long stretch of road that led toward the outskirts of town. He always caught tourists or visitors speeding down this long stretch of open road between two large farming estates. He was working until five o’clock, and then he and Monte were planning on heading over to Dixie Chix to see Susanna.
“Are you fucking kidding me? A text message? Not even a phone call?”
