Brewing Trouble by Christine Gael

Author:Christine Gael [Gael, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

“That was him,” I muttered a short while later. “I’m almost sure of it.”

We’d finally decided to risk the noise of hammering the board in again, and Zoe was busy at the task as the rest of us took a breath.

“Who?” she asked, pausing to look back at me.

“The man with the necklace.” The memory of being tortured came back in a flood, and I swallowed back a rush of bile.

“It’s okay,” Patrick muttered, reaching out to give my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Even if they wind up realizing we’re here, he’s not going to risk breaking in tonight.”

“You think we should go back out there and blast him?” Mee-maw asked, her already wrinkled face getting even more wrinkled as she frowned.

“Definitely not,” I managed through my bone-dry throat. “He is fresh as a daisy and ready to fight. We’re all feeling like crap on the bottom of a shoe. I don’t even know if I have anything to blast him with. But his presence means they definitely called in reinforcements.”

Once the board was back in place, the four of us trudged up the steps to the bakery and filed into the kitchen.

"I don't know about you guys, but I haven’t showered since we left Greg’s. I’m going to set up a makeshift bathing area over there.” Zoe pointed to the industrial dishwasher and sprayer in the corner of the room. “Then, I’m going to crank the water up to scalding and work these tired muscles over a little.”

Mee-maw’s face lit up. “Oooh, lemme get my purse! I’ve got some trial-sized shampoo bottles that I stole from that hotel last time I went to visit my cousin Doris in Saskatchewan.”

“Mee-maw…cousin Doris died, like, ten years ago.”

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping them in there since then because I knew they’d come in handy. And I was right!”

“You sure were,” Zoe agreed. “Let’s get some clean clothes out of the Walmart bags for each of us, Mee-maw. I’ve got loads of dish towels to dry off with. Might take a few, but they’ll do in a pinch. I’ll get you all set up for your shower, first, and while you clean up, I’ll make a little nightcap. I've got some Kahlua in the kitchen that I usually save for my Mexican hot chocolate cupcakes that's got my name written all over it. A nice Kahlua and cream, followed by a hot shower before I hit the sleeping bag sounds like heaven."

"If you're buying, make mine a double, hold the cream," Mee-maw grumbled, pressing a hand to her lower back with a wince.

"You’ll have what I’m having, and a weak one at that. The doctor doesn’t want you drinking much.” Zoe scrubbed a hand over her weary face and shot me a glance. “Unless you think we should just take a nap and then head right back out tonight and find Mee-maw's item?"

Everyone was spent, no doubt about it. We needed to regroup and recharge before we could continue, Mee-maw more than the rest of us.

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