Neal (Golden Streak Series) (3 page)

“Bronwyn wants her to do the lobby for
us,” Ryland said. “She has a good head on her shoulders for that too. You
should see what she had in mind for us.” Neal didn’t really care what the lobby
looked like but said nothing. “What would you do? I mean, how would you
approach them in seeing if they needed a partner?”

He wouldn’t take on a partner of any
kind, not if she was doing as well as she was. But he could see where she’d
need someone to help with the collections as well as billing. He wondered what
they were doing about that when he realized that Ryland was saying something. He
asked him to repeat it.

“I said why don’t you do it for me? She’s
isn’t too happy with Bronwyn or Brock right now, and maybe a fresh face would
be just the thing.” Neal was nodding before he could think it through. “Good.
Oh, and Bronwyn said don’t touch the younger woman useless she gives you
permission. Something about her being a powerful being and will knock you on
your ass like she did Brock.”

Ryland was gone for a full five minutes
before Neal thought about what he’d said. Someone had knocked Brock on his ass
and Ryland wanted him to go and see her? Not fucking likely. He was about to go
after his brother when his phone rang. He picked it up with a bark of his name.
His mom was not amused.

“You have a perfectly good first name. And
saying ‘Golden’ like it’s a command does not set well with me. If I had known
that you all were going to use it like that, I wouldn’t have agonized over
first names at all and simply named you all Golden Golden.” He smiled. “And the
reason I called…. See what you’ve done? You’ve made me forget. And it is not my
age creeping up on me either.”

“I never thought it was,” Neal said. “I
was going to say why don’t you come and have breakfast with me? Then maybe in a
more relaxed and calming place you’ll remember what is no doubt another
brilliant idea and I’ll tell you what an awesome mom you are. Then, afterward,
we can go out to The Pretty Flower and see if we can strike up a deal with the
owner.”

“Oh my, but aren’t you the charmer. I
think you’re my favorite son today. Maybe even tomorrow as well if you pay for
breakfast. And that’s what it was. Not the breakfast part but the shop. I’ve
heard Bronwyn speak of nothing else but the place. She also warned me that if I
were to go and visit it I wasn’t to touch the young woman. What do you suppose
that means?”

He told her he’d been warned as well. “Let’s
go and see her first. Then maybe we can persuade her to eat with us. Two women
on my arms as I go into a restaurant might make people forget that I’m a stodgy
accountant and go out with me.”

“You date a great deal, and we both know
it. And as for the girl eating with us, I don’t think that will work. From what
I’ve heard the girl is somewhat standoffish and is the only one working in her
place except for her mother. Do you suppose that her mother despairs of her
answering the phone in such a manner that it makes her cringe?”

“I’m sure she is a very sweet girl who
loves her mother only about half as much as I love you.” He heard her sigh and
laughed. “I mean who else invited you out to breakfast but your favorite son?”

“So you think. But I will take you up on
the breakfast date. I want to try that new place on Indiana Street. It’s called
the Casual Diner. I love the name, don’t you?” He told her he’d meet her in the
lobby in twenty minutes. “Oh, and see if you can borrow that monster of Brock’s.
I may want to pick up a few things for the Memorial Day cookout at the house.”

He called his brother, who said he
didn’t mind and was again told not to touch the girl. He was beginning to just
want to touch her just to see what would happen. He was down in the lobby when
his mom and Bronwyn showed up.

“I’m not going, so you can wipe that
look off your face.” Neal had to fight hard not to smile at his sister-in-law. “I’m
headed to the doctor’s, then on to a meeting with that idiot Sanders. He has to
learn to behave himself or I’m going to hurt him.”

“I can go with you to the doctor’s and
the meeting. I don’t want to have to have to bail you out of jail again. The
last time it happened I was told that they would take me into custody with you just
to keep you in line.” She turned to glare at her husband, Ryland, as he walked
up behind her. “And then if you’re really good I’ll take you home and massage
your poor feet.”

Bronwyn was due in five days. None of
them could believe that she’d made it this far, as she looked ready to blow up
at any second. And her temper was just as bad. She wasn’t taking well to the
heat wave they’d been having, and if you were in a room she’d been in for more
than an hour, you had to bring a coat. She was always burning up.

After a nice and hardy breakfast, he and
his mother went to the shop. His brother was right about one thing, it was
really nice. The displays on the outside of the building were bold and bright,
and he wanted to load up one display and take it to his own house it was so
beautiful. And the strange part was, he didn’t really care for flowers all that
much.

They walked in to see someone at the
counter and three more in line behind them. There didn’t seem to be anyone at
the cash register. He also noticed that while they did seem to be waiting, none
of them seemed to be pissy about the wait. Then he saw the woman coming from a
little alcove at the left.

“I’m sorry, David. She said that it
would be at least another hour. Can you wait, or do you want her to bring it
out to you? Rayne said she’s really sorry but she’s been in that accident and
all.” She took his purchases and set them in a box.

“I’ll wait. That way I can spend more
money. Tell her I think she’s really clever.” When the woman started to protest,
the man raised his hand. “I was kidding, Karin. I saw her, remember? And her
mouth does not look like she was in an accident. I’d like to hit the person who
would do something like that to her. I’ll just keep looking around.”

He walked away, and the woman rang up
the other customers who were good natured and seemed to know both Karin and
Rayne, the mystery woman, very well. By the time she came from behind the
counter again and approached them, his mom had a cart nearly full of baskets.

“Hello.” He saw her hesitate, and when
she did, he realized she was a wolf. No one had mentioned that to him, and he
decided that the next time he saw Ryland he was going to point out again how
much he hated not having all the information up front. He also noticed that she
was a good deal cooler than she’d been with the other customers.

“I’m Neal Golden and this is my mom
Sandra. We’ve stopped by to see you and Rayne. I believe that’s your daughter’s
name.” Karin shook her head before he even finished. “Please don’t say no. I
have a few things I’d like to discuss with her, one of which is her accounting.
It’s perfect.”

He saw her flush and thought that she
had done it. But she only shook her head again. “I’ve tried several times to do
it like she wants, but she finally just started writing things down for me so
that I can simply put them into the computer ledger. I realized after your
family left that they got the wrong trash the other day. I noticed it when I
took the can back to the office to shred the sheets she’d given me and figured
out I’d given them to that woman. Mrs. Golden must have given them to you?”

“She did. And I can shred them if you’d
like or bring them by. I know the importance of having things like that kept
out of the trash.” Another person went to the counter and she stepped away.

Neal followed her, but detoured to the
alcove she’d come out of earlier. He saw the woman’s back first. Then when she
stood up, he was amazed at how tall she was. But it was when she turned to him
that he nearly fell backwards.

“This is for employees only,” she said.
He nodded, unsure of himself for the first time in his life when it came to
women. “That means, dickhead, that you’re supposed to keep out.”

“My name is Neal, not Dick.” She frowned
at him. He’d gotten she was insulting him. “Are you Rayne?”

“What is it you want? I’m sort of in the
middle of something here and I don’t have time to shoot the shit with an illiterate
person.” She pointed to the large sign just behind him. “See, it basically says
for you to stay the hell out.”

He took a step toward her instead of
backwards when she stepped toward him. He had the incredible urge to taste her
and was just trying to figure out how to do that when someone came in behind
him. He was pushed aside when a large man advanced to her.

“You fucking cunt, you called the cops
on me.” Neal stood up and reached for the man just as the woman did and he had
a moment of panic. Then nothing as her hand closed over his on the man’s
shoulder.

Chapter 3

Rayne hit Jeff Sanders in the face with
all she had, and when he fell over unconscious, she stepped to the younger man.
She knew the second that their hands had touched she was going to hurt him, but
there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t stop what was coming from
her that quickly even if she had wanted to. If he’d only left when she’d told
him to, he’d be fine and Sanders would be hurting all by himself.

Carefully, she stepped over him after
making him more comfortable. Then she went out to the show room to search for
her mom. She was talking with another woman who had one full cart of her
baskets and was putting more into a second one. It looked like she was going to
have another good day. Her mom turned when she stepped close.

“I have a problem in the back.” She
looked around the showroom, then back at her. “A man came back and I think—”

“Tall, good-looking man with light brown
hair and a suit that looks as neat as a nice row of numbers?” She nodded at the
other woman. “That would be my son. He said he needed to talk to you, that is
if you’re Rayne Morrow. What did he do, piss you off by saying his name was
Golden Golden?”

“Golden,” Rayne asked. “Just how the
hell many of you people are there? And yes, it would be him and Sanders too. He
was coming back to….” Rayne took a deep breath, and the older woman started to
laugh. She had started to say that Sanders had come back to get his pound of
flesh but shut her mouth in time.

“I’ll call my oldest. He’ll come and
collect his brother and Sanders if you let him. I believe my daughter Bronwyn wanted
to speak to him anyway. Oh, and I have six sons and two very lovely
daughter-in-laws that I love more than them at times.”

Rayne asked her mom if she could speak
to her while the other woman pulled out her cell phone. “Sanders is back there,
and when he wakes up, he’s not going to be happy. I zapped him. The other guy,
too, but that wasn’t my fault.”

“Oh, Rayne, why don’t you press charges
against that bully Sanders and then have him called to the carpet for not
paying your bill? You could certainly use the money, and I wouldn’t have to
worry about you so much.” She told her mom she’d pressed charges against him
yesterday on her way home from him having his goon squad knock her around a
bit. “Oh. Well good then. But if he thinks that I’m going to allow him to harm
you again, he’s gonna have to tangle with me.”

Mrs. Golden came up to her just as her
mom went to cash someone out. She smiled at Rayne and nodded to the alcove. “Is
he all right, or do you need to call an ambulance? His brothers are on their
way here to see to the two of them. Though I’m sure not in the same way.”

“If you know that Bronwyn woman, then
you’re aware of what kind of monster I am. I never wanted anyone to be hurt,
but Sanders was coming at me. When I reached for him to shove him out, your son
did as well, and I hurt him. For that I’m sorry.” Rayne looked back at her work
area, then back at the woman. “I’d really like it if you people would just
leave me alone. I never asked for your help, and as far as I’m concerned, when
I missed that appointment, things between us was finished. Understand?”

“Oh I understand what you’re saying, but
I don’t agree with it.” Before Rayne could tell the woman she didn’t give a
flying fuck what she believed, she continued. “As for the monster part? Not
going to believe that any more that I can believe that I can fly. No one that
makes things like this from nature can be called that horrid name. As for us
people leaving you alone? I’m afraid that’s not going to happen either. Last I
heard from Bronwyn, she’s planning to hire you to do the lobby for us, and I,
for one, can see why.”

“I can’t do that job. I don’t have the
money for the upfront capital any longer.” She flushed when she realized what
she’d said. “I have some unforeseen hospital bills.”

“I can see that you’ve taken a beating. Did
someone I know do that to you?” She didn’t answer, but she seemed to know
anyway. “Sanders is a pain in the ass most days, but hitting a woman is about
as low as it gets. How much have you healed yourself?”

“None. I can’t do that. And why do you
care?” Before she could answer, Bronwyn and a large man walked in the shop. She
looked at Mrs. Golden, and she nodded. Rayne stepped up to them just as they
started for the counter.

“He’s in there. I didn’t mean to hurt
him, but I did it. I’ll take full responsibility for it if you want to press
charges.” She started to turn when the man said her name.

“I want to know what Sanders did to
you.” His voice was hard and unforgiving. She took a step back when she felt
his cat seem to slide along his skin. “I have a beef with him already.”

“Good for you, but that doesn’t concern
me. If you’re here to take your brother home, then go get him, but me and mine
are not your concern.” She turned in time to see his brother coming out of her
work area.

He looked pale and seemed to be working
hard at keeping upright. She moved when his brother went to help him stand. He
moved toward her, and before she could figure out his intentions, he trapped
her against the counter with his hands on either side of her.

“Ryland?” His brother, she supposed,
moved forward. “Can you see to Sanders for me? This is my mate, and he hurt
her.”

Rayne heard her mom’s sharp intake of
breath and knew that she’d heard him. Before either of them could say a word,
Ryland moved to her work area and she heard him saying something to Sanders. She
couldn’t take her eyes off the man who had trapped her.

“You step back or I’ll shove you back.
And this time you won’t be getting up for a little while.” He smiled at her,
and she found herself responding in a way that made her scared. “I’m not
screwing around with you. I want you to back up and get the hell out of here.”

“I’m not leaving until Sanders does, and
since I’m reasonably sure that he’s not leaving on his own two feet, I’m
staying,” he said. She put up her hand to push him away. “You can’t hurt me.
I’m your mate, and as such, you’re not able to cause me any harm.”

She fisted her hand and pointed a finger
at him. “Fuck you,” she said in a low voice just before she touched him again.

The power in her finger shot out at him
and knocked him back. Before he could hit the floor, she lifted him up with the
same finger and held him above her head. She walked him to the door and dropped
him on the other side.

“I’m not now, nor will I ever be, anyone’s
mate. If you return here, I’ll not be so kind about it.” She turned to the rest
of his family and glared. “You come here again, I’ll have you arrested for
trespassing and anything else I can think of. Then I’ll—”

“Enough,” her mom interrupted. Rayne looked
at her. “I did not raise you to be a fool, and you know it. Tell them you’re
sorry right now or so help me I will get medieval all over your ass.”

“But Mom, I—” Her mom simply put her
hands on her hips, and Rayne shut up. She turned to the Goldens and noticed
that Sanders was across Ryland’s shoulder, still out. “I’m terribly sorry for
the way I’ve acted. I can’t really have you arrested, and I’m pretty sure that
I need your business more than I need to keep you away. But I’m not going to be
his mate.”

“You already are, love, and you know how
that works,” her mom said, coming to stand next to her. “You all are welcome to
finish whatever it is you need to do today. We can meet at my house to discuss
this matter. I’ll have dinner ready at six. And my daughter will be on her best
behavior, won’t you, Rayne?”

Rayne nodded and went back to finish the
pots she had been working on. She was nearly finished with the first one when
the man she’d tossed around like a rag doll came in and sat down. She decided
to ignore him. It was that or piss her mom off again.

~~~

Neal watched her work. He was amazed at
the artistry she exhibited in her work on the different flowers she was arranging
in the large crock. He noticed that there was another one sitting beside it,
and he wondered if these were what the first man had been waiting on.

“I’m sorry.” She didn’t respond to him, but
he smiled. “When I came here today, it was to offer you a partnership. Ryland
said that it would be a good investment, and I have to agree with him. You have
a good head on your shoulders, and you are damned good with your record
keeping.”

He saw her pause, but she didn’t speak.
He didn’t care, watching her was too much fun. When she bent to pick up a large
bag of potting soil, he stood to take it from her when she told him to leave
her alone.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time
and your help is not needed. In fact, don’t you have somewhere else to be right
now?” He told her no, he liked where she was. “I can’t be tripping over you all
day. Get the hell out of here.”

He stood up and realized that he was
bothering her, so he went out to the counter where Karin was ringing out his
mom. They were talking about how to water the flowers that she was getting and
what sort of sun they needed. He noticed that his brother was gone, but Bronwyn
was still looking around. She had another cart of plants.

“I’ll have to have Rayne get that for
you, sir.” Neal looked at Karin and the man standing to her left. “I can’t lift
things that heavy for very far. When she comes out, I’ll have—”

“I can get it for him,” Neal said. She
looked at his suit and he pulled off his jacket and tie. “Just tell me what it
is and I’ll get it for him.”

Karin looked a little nervous as she
glanced at the area where her daughter was. He wanted to tell her that she and
he would come to an agreement sooner or later, but he had a feeling she
wouldn’t believe that any more than he did. She was as stubborn as he’d heard
she was.

Neal put the twenty bags of mulch on the
two carts from the back storage area and rolled them up to the counter. Ryland
was just coming in when he offered to help the man load it into his truck. He
was dirty and sort of enjoying himself. Ryland helped him load them as the man
paid.

“Is she really your mate or just hopeful
thinking on your part?” He told his brother both. “Yeah, I can see that. She’s
a little on the hardheaded side. And fucking amazing too. She lifted you up ten
feet without touching you.”

“I know and dropped me from there too.” He
put the last bag in the truck and looked back at the shop. “I’m going to hang
out here today. I think she could use the help, and I need…Ryland, I hate my
job.”

His brother nodded. “I know. Bronwyn
said that she’d been feeling your resentment for some time.”

He started to tell him he never resented
his job when he realized that was it. He loved numbers. When they lined up in
neat rows and added up to the correct sum, he was thrilled to death, but he
felt that there had to be something out there that gave him more than that. He
looked at the shop again.

“Do you suppose she’ll let me have a
job? I could work with her a few days and come into the office a few days. I’m
nearly burnt out and this might have what I need.” His brother nodded as they brought
the empty carts back in. Karin asked him if he had some time to get another
thing for her.

Ryland brought him in a shirt and a pair
of tear away pants to change into, then he and Bronwyn took his mom home along
with her purchases. Neal parked Brock’s truck as far from the front as he could,
leaving the front spots for shoppers. He was pulling a large tree from the
middle of a line of them when he smelled Rayne come up behind him.

“I thought I asked you to leave,” she
said. He handed the apple tree to the man and turned to Rayne, but before he
could speak, she said, “You should have left over an hour ago, not getting in
the way of customers.”

“I’ve been helping the customers, not
getting in their way, and your mom asked me to. Besides, you said to go away,
not to leave. I went away.” She stiffened when he took a step toward her to go
around. “I’m not going to touch you. Though I’m not sure how we being mates
will work if I can’t. But I’m sure there are ways.”

He left her standing there as he went to
help another customer lift a large container of flowers onto her trolley. He
was watching the names of things as he put them out and helped tote them around.
The ones he was helping with now were pansies. He thought they looked like
happy little flowers. But damn, they were colorful.

He saw her a couple of more times over
the next hour. She was helping customers as well. When her mom asked to speak
to him, he walked to the counter where she was ringing out the customer. She
smiled at him.

“I need to go and get us some lunch, but
we’ve been so busy that I can’t leave. Do you think you could run the
register?” He looked at it and then her. “Everything is marked with the prices,
and when you can’t find them, just use the intercom to call for Rayne. She has
another three special projects to do and the people need them today.” He
nodded.

How hard could it be?

Much harder than he’d ever thought it
could be. First of all, he had no idea how to use the little wand thing. He’d
called Rayne out twice when it refused to scan. Then she’d picked it up and it
read it like it was nothing. Then a man wanted to pay by check, as his credit
card didn’t scan. Rayne had told the man that she didn’t accept checks because
the bank wouldn’t take them from her due to her status as a small business. He
was sure it was more of a trust issue with the bank in that the customer’s
check might bounce and she couldn’t afford it. It was a nice way to say it, he
thought. He’d heard that before from someone he’d met at the gym and decided
he’d help her with that too. The man left but promised her he’d be back with
cash. Neal thought he’d never return.