Entangled (Free Indeed Book 1) (3 page)

“Well of course you can, sweetie.” Annie always made things as easy as possible for people, and he knew she’d make his little bit feel right at home. That’s why he brought her here. “Let me just tell George in the kitchen to cover for me for a couple of minutes, and I’ll be right back to take you upstairs.”

She watched Annie walk away for a moment before finally turning back to look at him again, “Thank you. That was very nice of you.” So prim and proper was his little bit.

“My pleasure,” Jason smiled back at her.

“George!” Annie’s great bellow filled the entire room, “Get your hamburger flippin’ ass out on the floor and be nice to people for a while. I gotta take care of Little Bit.”

“Who the hell is Little Bit?” A deep voice boomed back.

“She’s our new tenant, now get out here.”

And then the girl sitting across from him did what he had been waiting for since he saw her walking down the road, and the smallest, but prettiest smile spread across her face.

“
S
o I gotta ask
, are you one of those hippies?” Annie casually inquired as they made their way up the outside stairwell to the second floor of the building, “Not that I care if you are or not, I don’t judge mind you. Was just curious, with those baggy clothes and a name like Little Bit.”

Allie just laughed, not in the least offended at the woman’s directness, “No, I’m not a hippie. And for the record, my name’s Allie.”

“Oh, well that’s a perfectly fine name, and every bit as cute as Little Bit.” The cheery woman looked over at her with a grin.

Allie smiled back at her, liking the buxom older woman instantly. They walked up the stairs to a small landing with one door that must lead to the apartment. Allie waited while Annie entered a key into the lock, “So it’s not that big of a place, it’s actually just a studio with an attached bathroom. But hopefully, it’ll be cozy enough for you.” Annie pushed the door open and gestured for Allie to go ahead and enter before following her into the room.

Allie swept her gaze across the space trying to take it all in as quickly as possible. It was small, but it was perfect. A small kitchen area was to the left with a quaint cafe type table set with two chairs. The bedroom area was on the right side of the room, complete with a queen sized bed covered in what looked like a beautiful hand-made quilt. The dresser and side tables were a matching set and complimented the bed perfectly. Another door was to the left of the bed, leading to what she assumed was probably the bathroom. Centered in the studio was the living room area facing the back wall and the wall-mounted tv there. The large, overstuffed couch made her want to curl up in its coziness and for the first time since she left Free Indeed, relax. There was also a coffee table and an end table, not to mention the fluffy floor rugs and other various little touches that made Allie feel right at home in the new space.

Annie’s voice came from behind her, “I know it’s not the grandest, and it’ll probably get noisy at times being above the diner and all, but all the furniture comes included, and we’ll even throw in a discount whenever you eat in the diner.”

“I love it!” With a big smile on her face, Allie swung her gaze back to look at Annie. She could see a look of relief spread across the other lady’s face. “Seriously, it’s perfect. I’d love to stay here if that’s ok with you?”

Annie beamed her big, motherly smile at her again, “If Jason vouches for you, that’s good enough for us. The place is yours, Allie.”

So excited, Allie let out a happy little squeal and clapped her hands together. “You just go ahead and get settled tonight,” Annie continued, “and then come on down to the diner when you wake up tomorrow morning. We’ll get all the paperwork and legal stuff taken care of then.”

“I can’t thank you enough!” Allie rushed up to the older woman and embraced her without even thinking. Almost instantly she realized she was hugging a perfect stranger, and Allie pulled back embarrassed, “I’m so sorry! I was just really excited! This is the first time I’ve gotten settled out on my own—”

Annie’s laughter cut her off, “Oh darlin’, you definitely don’t have to apologize for that. In fact, I’m as pleased as can be that you’re so happy. Now you get some rest, and I’ll see you downstairs in the morning.”

With that Annie left, and Allie was alone in her very own apartment for the first time in her life. She looked around her at all of the furniture and space that was her very own, and couldn’t keep from doing a little, happy dance twirling circles around the room.

She never thought she’d have her own place. Spend the rest of her life taking care of her father and his house, maybe. Suffocating to death in an arranged marriage with ten children, most likely. But her very own apartment, that she didn’t have to share with anyone, one that she could decorate exactly how she wanted, and even make messes in without being slapped around to clean it up...that, she had never expected.

Dizzy from spinning around, she finally flopped onto the couch in the center of the room. A huge sigh of contentment escaped her lips as she basked in the happiness that she was safe, and she was free, and she was going to make Serenity her new home.

* * *

J
ason left
the diner after grabbing a meal to go and drove back out of the city limits to his family ranch that sat just on the outskirts of town. Ever since his parents had passed away, the house and land were all left to him, and he had been doing his best to make it profitable with the short staff he had on hand. It had been tough being responsible for the cattle and horses on his own, but now it seemed like things were finally falling into place.

A slow smile spread across his face as he thought about his little bit that he had left at the diner. He still hadn’t gotten her name. The little thing was dang stubborn. No matter though, he’d get her name the next time they met. Or he’d just keep calling her Little Bit. Either way was good with him. He’d have to find a reason to meet up with her soon. Good thing he liked the diner’s food. He saw a whole lot more visits there in his future.

“
D
id you sleep ok
, darlin’?” Annie asked as she dropped off a plate full of bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast at Allie’s table. Even though Allie had told her that she didn’t need to give her free food, her new landlord had insisted she get a fulfilling breakfast while Allie filled out her paperwork.

Allie was sitting in one of the booths in the corner and had just finished signing the lease for her new apartment. Now she was just finishing up on the rest of the paperwork, but the distracting smell wafting up from the plate in front of her made her mouth water. Despite not wanting to be an inconvenience to her hosts, she really was hungry. All she had in her bag to eat last night were some granola bars that she had picked up at a gas station during her venture out west. She had planned to pick up some groceries later today, but being able to eat first as well as get her all-important coffee was absolutely heavenly.

“I slept wonderfully.” Allie turned her gaze to smile up at Annie, “The apartment is perfect. Thanks again.”

“Oh our pleasure, darlin’,” she responded while topping off Allie’s almost empty coffee cup. “You look about finished with those papers. Are you ready for me to clear them away?”

“Yes ma’am,” Allie shuffled them all together into one big pile and handed them over to Annie, “I was wondering, by any chance do know of any job openings nearby? I’m not very picky. Either part time or full time would work.”

“Hmmm, you know what, I did hear the Yips & Wiggles Animal Shelter was looking for another assistant. Do you like animals?”

“Yes, I love them.”

“It’s not very far from here either, so you’d be able to walk to and from each day if you wanted to. It’s just a couple of streets over.”

The more Annie talked about it, the more excited Allie became. It sounded just perfect. Being able to live and work in the same general area would be a huge plus. Then if she wasn’t able to get her car fixed, it wouldn’t even matter.

Speaking of her car, that was something else she was going to need to take care of today. The good citizens of Serenity probably wouldn’t take kindly to her just abandoning her car on the side of the road right near the entrance to their town. Oh well, one thing at a time. “That sounds just perfect.”

“If you’re interested, you just tell them Annie sent you.” Annie winked at her as she picked up the stack of papers and returned to the kitchen while Allie started to dig into her food.

Things were definitely looking up. And to think, a week ago she had fled Free Indeed worried and unsure about the future, and now things were settling into place. Being able to check living conditions off of her checklist was a huge relief. With that out of the way, she could move on to the rest of what she needed to accomplish. She knew the money she had taken wouldn’t last forever, so the thought of possibly getting a job was a godsend.

An animal shelter. She really did love animals. Granted she hadn’t been around them too much, but she did love them. Especially dogs.

While walking home from school one day at Free Indeed, she had found an abandoned puppy and brought it home. Her father was definitely not happy about it, but her mother had said she could give it a try. Allie fell in love with it instantly. It was a little bundle of joy that loved her unconditionally and was her constant companion during the day. Right up until her father had decided she apparently loved it too much, and that it was taking her love and devotion away from God. Deeming it an idol in her life, he had taken it out back and killed it despite all her crying and pleading to the contrary. He had claimed that he was doing it to keep her heart pure and right with God. All it seemed to do was fill her heart with anger and bitterness. If God didn’t like animals, then God sounded like as big of a douche as her father.

A quick, little gasp escaped her lips.
Douche
was a word she was never allowed to use. Somehow it made her feel all warm and tingly inside using it about her father now. Allie let out a little laugh. She didn’t want to be the churchie girl anymore. She wanted to be able to make her own decisions, and to find out for the first time who
she
really was. Not who her father instructed her to be. Not the person who was molded and trained to be a perfectly dutiful daughter. She wanted to just be her...whoever that was. And she was going to find out starting today. So that meant not being hard on herself if she did things her group had considered inappropriate. Even swearing, if the situation called for it. And it definitely meant buying new clothes. She knew that she stood out from everyone else with her baggy shirts that covered up every inch and hid every curve, down to her frumpy skirts. Heck (yes, this was a situation that called for the use of the semi-bad word), even her shoes were frumpy. Flat, boring, lame, nothing shoes. She wanted heels. Really high ones. Even if she couldn’t wear them because they were too uncomfortable or whatever, she still wanted them. They would be a symbol of her independence.

Allie pushed her finished plate away from her and stood to her feet. She grabbed her purse from the table and pushed it up on her shoulder. But before leaving, she stacked her coffee cup and plates together and carried them over to the counter that separated the dining area from the kitchen and lay the items down. The least she could do after her new landlords were so kind to her was help clean up after herself. Annie smiled her thanks over to Allie from where she was waiting on a customer. With a quick wave goodbye, Allie turned and walked out the door.

She was torn as to which she should do first, either the job hunt or new clothes. Logically, it would make sense to try the shelter first, because that was the most important, and she anxiously wanted to know if she could get the job. But then again, new modern...normal clothes might make a better impression and give her a better chance at getting the job. So many options, she sighed to herself.

Job first, shopping later, she finally decided. Goodness knows she’d feel more comfortable spending her limited funds if she knew that she had a job lined up to get more.

Allie followed Annie’s directions to a building a couple of blocks away. It wasn’t huge. A small parking lot was in front with space for maybe five cars. The building itself was one story, with several windows in front and a big sign stating
Yips & Wiggles Animal Shelter
. She took a deep breath and reached up to clutch her mother’s locket still around her neck. Then she walked up to the door and inside.

She entered a small waiting room area. Allie took a quick look at her surroundings. It was very nice inside. Comfortable looking chairs with magazines littered about were separated by doggie beds so owner and pet could comfortably wait together. A long counter separated the front waiting area from the rest of the shelter in the back. There was a woman in a lab coat sitting at the desk behind the counter who was somewhat older than her, maybe in her mid-thirties or so. She was on the phone, but quickly waved Allie forward as soon as they made eye contact.

Allie moved forward just in time to hear the lady speak to the caller, “I think she just walked in now, Annie. Thanks so much for sending her over. I’ll be sure to take good care of her.” It would seem Annie may have taken care of her job application for her. The lady hung up the phone, and then turned her attention to Allie with a welcoming smile, “Well hello, you must be Jason’s friend.”

Instead of rolling her eyes like she wanted to at
that
man’s name, Allie just smiled back, “That’d be me,” she nodded holding out her hand in greeting, “Allie Kensington.”

“Dorothy Danvers, I’m the vet around here,” she reached out and grasped Allie’s hand, “but you can just call me Dory. Annie tells me you’re looking for a job?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Allie nodded, “I may not have very much experience with this type of job, but I am a very fast learner, and you have my word I’ll work very hard for you.”

Dory just smiled and replied, “I’m sure you will, honey. And don’t worry about the experience, my other assistant had to be trained from scratch too, and it worked out just fine. You’ll like her, she’s about your age and a bubbly little thing. It’s her day off today though, so you’ll have to meet her later. How bout you come on back, and I’ll show you around?”

Allie could barely hold in her excitement. She was being offered the job, just like that. Word of mouth was obviously very powerful in this town. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, the fact that Jason recommended her to his friends was quite possibly the greatest thing that could have happened to her right now. Of course, she’d never admit that to anyone other than herself. Goodness knows that man didn’t need an even bigger head than he already had.

Dory came around to open the door so she could enter, and they walked back through the hallway. While they walked, Dory pointed out a couple of different rooms and explained that they were examination rooms, and then she led Allie to a bigger more sterile room that was obviously the operating room. Past that they came to the kennel area where Allie could hear the barks and whines of dogs along with the mewing of cats even before they entered the room. They entered the spacious area, and Allie looked around trying to take it all in. It was mostly full of animals, but she could still see some empty crates. Obviously being the new person in the building the dogs picked up on her immediately and turned their attention toward the newcomer.

Allie turned back to look at Dory and asked, “Is it ok if I pet them?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Dory replied. “Just make sure to let them sniff you first so they can get to know you. For the most part, all of the pets in house right now are very social animals. Some are more on the shy and timid side, but we’re working with them to try and get them ready for families.” She explained with a grin. “The only one to use real caution around right now is Reavers over there.” Allie turned her head to where Dory was pointing to a very severe looking German Shepherd who stared very intently at the new stranger in their midst. He was beautiful, mostly black but with some tan in the face, neck, and leg areas. As soon as Allie made eye contact, the dog started growling at her in displeasure. Dory quickly made her way over to Reavers and corrected him with a snap of her fingers. The dog’s attention turned back to the other woman; he knew who the boss was around here, for sure. He had a brief staring match with Dory until finally deciding to give in, he spun around and flopped to the ground in a huff. And then just to ensure everyone in the room knew he still wasn’t on board with this new person, he let out a deep grumble.

Allie followed Dory around the room as she introduced her to the other animals, there were fifteen total including Reavers. Ten dogs and five cats. Dory said she did make house calls to take care of horses and cattle as well, but the fifteen they had right now were the strays they had accumulated and were trying to train and domesticate so they could possibly get adopted into nice homes.

Allie felt very welcome and comfortable in her new surroundings and was looking forward to starting her new job. They got all of the paperwork out of the way, and then Dory told her she could start first thing in the morning.

“I’ll be here! Thank you so much!” With an even bigger spring in her step than before, Allie pranced out of the building. One more thing to cross off her list. It felt so good to cross it off because it was definitely one of her biggest needs if she was going to be able to survive on her own indefinitely. Not that she was ever going to go back to Free Indeed, no matter what. Even if she was homeless and had to beg, she was done with that place forever.

Since it was still early, Allie had plenty of time left in the day to get more things done. She remembered passing a garage on her way to the shelter and retraced her steps until she stood in front of the wide open bays of Hank’s Cargo Hold.

A gruff but kind looking man walked up to her while wiping the grease off of his hands with a not much cleaner rag. “Hi there miss. What can I help you with today?”

“Hello sir—” she paused to read the name tag on his shirt, “um, Hank, I need some help retrieving my car. It broke down on the interstate just outside of town, and I’d like it towed then maybe if it’s not going to be too expensive, possibly repaired.” Out of curiousity her eyes roamed around the bays in front of her while she spoke.

“Of course,” the man grabbed a pen and a pad of paper from the overflowing with clutter table to his right. He turned back to Allie and asked, “What kind of car should I be looking for?”

“It’s that one right there,” Allie blinked in surprise as she found herself staring at her beat up, dilapidated car on the lift directly in front of her. She pointed to the suspended vehicle in the bay, “Umm, that’s my car.”

“You must be Little Bit!” A smile quickly grew until it covered his entire face. “Jason called about your car last night, so we went out and brought it in. Shame that it broke down, but I’m glad Jason stopped by to give you a lift into town.”

“Yes, it was very Prince Charming of him,” Allie grimaced and then sighed. She knew she probably wasn’t being fair, after all, he did help her out multiple times now. He gave her ride and set her up with an apartment referral. And now he arranged to have her car taken care of as well. But still, something about him was just so absolutely annoying! Maybe it’s because they started off on the wrong foot, but he just rubbed her the wrong way. Made her feel all knotted up and tense inside, Allie wasn’t sure what that was all about. The less she saw of him going forward, the better off she’d be.

“Yep, Jason told us to make sure we took good care of you,” Hank grinned. “We’ve already started working on your vehicle and—”

His words were abruptly cut off by an irate honking noise that stole their attention. Both of their heads spun quickly to the street to see a shiny red convertible speed right up to the bay door and slam on its breaks. Hank snatched Allie’s arm and jerked her out of the way just in time to avoid impact with the car.

Momentarily stunned, Allie just stared at the car that had almost run her over twice now. No doubt about it, the convertible in front of her with horn blaring was the same one she had an altercation with on the interstate just outside of town.