Page 14 of Before the Storm
“Trust me, you’re not. Besides, I don’t want to eat alone. I called my parents, but they’re on a date night and Maverick is up to his eyeballs with his two little ones and bath time. So, if you don’t have big plans, come and join me. I snagged some steaks from the restaurant. I have potatoes, green beans, and a nice bottle of red. I’m good with a grill.” He smiled wide. “I’m not going to take no for an answer.”
Her heart thumped heavily in the center of her chest. Saying no would only insult her boss, something she didn’t want to do. “All right.”
“Cool. Come on down. The front door’s open.”
“But.” She waved a finger. “I’m not the biggest fan of beans, so I’ll bring a salad.”
“Fair enough.” He nodded. “Let yourself in.”
“See you in a couple of minutes.”
He turned and disappeared back into his garage. The door rattled, closing behind him.
Sighing, she made her way back inside with her muscles shaking like a volcano. Men had asked her out before and she’d always said no. She wasn’t comfortable being alone with members of the opposite sex. Her life experiences had been limited to the world in which she’d grown up. Her marriage had been a prison. It had been abusive both physically and sexually. She hadn’t really understood, except deep down she knew what was happening to her wasn’t right. That God didn’t want this for any woman.
However, it had taken the loss of a child for Janelle to find the courage to leave.
She opened the fridge and found the pre-made salad she’d splurged on with this morning’s tips. The one thing she’d learned from the last three years was that what you put out in this universe, you got back. She smiled at every customer. No matter how uncomfortable it made her feel, she made eye contact. She hustled her ass to ensure that every person who walked into Blue Moon believed she was there to serve them and did her best to give them the service they desired.
So far, it had paid off.
Only, at every turn, it pissed off one person.
Pam. That woman did not like Janelle and Janelle couldn’t figure out why.
Jack kept telling her not to worry about Pam. That eventually, Pam would soften; she always did.
But Janelle wasn’t so sure. Pam reminded her of Tracy, one of her sister wives. Tracy had a need to be Jim’s favorite and did whatever she had to in order to ensure she was always in his favor. Even if that meant calling out all the other sister wives, instead of supporting them.
A covenant of their religion.
Janelle put the salad in a bowl and headed for the main house with her pulse in her throat.
The last time she’d been alone with a man had been after she ran away.. Jason had been so kind and caring. He gave her space. He never once touched her, as if he understood her aversion to human contact. But Jason had grown up in a cult. He had working knowledge of what it was like to be Janelle.
She scurried down the outside stairs. The fact that Phoenix had made two entrances so that during the winter months, she wouldn’t have to deal with the elements and could also park her car in the detached garage said something about the man’s character.
At least that’s what she’d like to believe.
When she left her father’s church, she lacked a basic understanding of how the outside world worked. She was raised to believe that the government, law enforcement, and anyone who wasn’t inside the compound walls were evil.
She now knew that wasn’t true, but that still didn’t alleviate her trust issues with people in general.
Holding the salad bowl in one hand, she tapped on the door before pushing it open. “Phoenix?”
“In the kitchen. Come on in.”
As she strolled through the living room, she paused at the fireplace to look at all the family pictures. Him with his brothers in their military uniforms. Him with his parents and brothers. Him with his nieces and nephew. Him with his parents. It was apparent that this man was a family man.
She wasn’t sure if that made this harder.
Or easier.
“Thanks for inviting me.” She set the bowl on the island.
The steaks were on a platter. He lifted a cookie sheet of potatoes and placed them in the oven. “I’ll be honest, I brought home two hoping you’d be around.” He took the bottle of wine and poured two glasses, handing her one.
Drinking had been against the church. It was the devil’s juice, and if you partook, you were going to hell. Since she left, she found herself enjoying a few sips here and there, but she never bought it and brought it into her home. Some habits were hard to break.
