Page 12 of Stone Blind

“Noticed it too,” Ricky said, sounding almost disappointed. “I put locks on all the bedroom doors, including yours.”

“Thanks, I need them all to feel as if they have control over their safety. In time, they will go to bed with the doors open or even unlocked.”

“This house needs a lot of work: roof, bathrooms, floors,” Ricky added. “Living here and working here simultaneously is going to be tough.”

“Yep,” he said. “Helen will need to employ serious problem-solving skills to make it less chaotic for herself and the kids. School starts next month, and there’s a lot to get done.”

THE BED WASN’T HALFbad, but it was also not half good. A tiredness eked into her spirit, facing a colossal task, as well as preparing the kids to start school next month. He’d only given her five grand to get a lot done and she would. It was a test to see if she would blow the money on bullshit or if she actually had a working brain in her head.

“I like that fucker,” Helen said, rising to start her day. There was no bed to make since there were no sheets. She couldn’t put away her clothing since there were no hangers or rods in the closets to put away said articles, for a body to wear. No dresser, not even a rug was available to greet her feet as she stepped out of bed. “Mister. I’m smarter than you think. Five grand in my world is like a million dollars. I’m going to show you some shit.”

By the time she made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth, a new energy filled her. The watch on her arm said 7:30 a.m. Coffee. Breakfast. Make a plan. With her planner in hand, she made her way downstairs to discover coffee already made and what could be considered a bagel with cream cheese, soggy from being stored in a cooler overnight. The same cooler also held creamer. On the table was a small sugar container and a Styrofoam cup.

“It will do,” she said, sitting down, gnawing on the chewy bagel, and going through her phone. Happily, the community had a wholesale club for which she was already a member and a consignment shop, as well as a few big box stores to pick up items. The big stores didn’t open until ten.

“Morning,” Apple said, entering the room and filling it with Alpha male energy.

“Thanks for making the coffee,” she said, continuing to make notes. “Are there washer and dryer connections in the kitchen?”

“Yes; the appliances should be arriving this morning,” he said. “The washer and dryer connections are in the mudroom.”

“Odd question, but do you have any cash? I can make better deals at consignment shops with cash on hand versus using the card,” she told him.

“Yep, I have about a grand in cash,” he said.

“Can I use five hundred of it?”

“The cash will come off the budget, leaving only 4500 to use on the card,” he said.

“Roger that,” she told him, sipping at the coffee.

“What’s the plan?”

She looked up, giving him a wry smile. “I’m going to go spend your money.”

He smiled. The man actually smiled, and it creeped Helen the hell out. When he spotted her reaction, the smile quickly faded. “Helen, how do you plan to spend it?”

“Wisely,” she replied, smiling at him.

“Listen here, Cranberry, I will fight a woman,” he said and chuckled. “I will open-handed give it to you and make you see stars.”

“That’s if you get close enough before I cut off your balls,” she replied, chuckling as well. Helen took a pause. “Listen, I get it. You want to see how my mind works. If I tell you up front what I’m thinking or planning, it defeats the purpose. You are charging me with creating an environment for the souls in this home to live and thrive, including myself. I understand the first assignment.”

“This isn’t the first assignment; the first one you’ve passed,” he told her.

She sat back in the chair, squaring her shoulders and asked, “And what was that?”

He poured himself a reheat on the coffee. Intentionally, he entered the pauses in the conversation to make her wait for his words. She didn’t jump in to fill the air with unnecessary confrontations, which he greatly appreciated in the woman. This was the conversation he had meant to have yesterday, but it would happen today.

“We are the gatekeepers,” he said. “Each state has a gatekeeper. Our job is basically to safeguard the women and children. Societies fail and collapse when children and women no longer have hope. Yesterday, you gave us all hope. This house is a shit box. You gave me hope that you would turn it into a home for those kids. It doesn’t matter that you’re not staying. They have hope that when you come back today from wherever you’re going to spend my money wisely, there will be fresh fruit and Jeffrey will get to try shrimp for dinner.”

He paused again before saying, “Hopefully, if not tonight then maybe tomorrow, Stephen will set the table for dinner with cloth napkins. It’s not much, but they have hope.”

“And what about me in this scenario? What are you hoping that I understand?”

Apple was a handsome man. He was tall, dark, and mysterious and exuded manliness. However, in his eyes, a darkness lurked, which made her wary but not afraid. This man too, was a protector.

“Cranberry, taking lives really only requires you to aim and shoot. Creating a life means you understand those you’re sharing space with, and everything you do from now on is to be a part of their world, and you’re doing everything you can to make their world a better place to live,” he said, sighing heavily before changing the topic. “Do you want to take my truck today?”

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