“Okay. Come through.” Axel led O’Malley into a kitchen that was as ancient as the rest of the house. The counters were made of solid wood, not the stuff you bought at the hardware store these days. The stove looked like something from the last century, but it was all scrupulously clean and well cared for. So well cared for it looked as if it might all be around for another century.
But the best part about the kitchen was the incredible smell coming from the ancient stove.
“You can cook.” O’Malley leaned against the counter as Axel poured them both a cup of coffee.
“My mom taught me. She told me I should be able to fend for myself and also impress a woman with my culinary skills.” He looked wistfully toward the living room where the sound of daytime TV filtered through to the kitchen. “I was a little rusty when I moved back home but we began cooking together because my mom has all these recipes stored in her head and the doctors said it was a good way for her to use her memory.”
“How is your mom?” O’Malley asked, his own problems forgotten for a moment.
“Better. I think.” Axel’s mouth turned down at the corners. “But she’s never going to fully recover.” He nodded, his shoulders heaving before he forced a smile onto his face. “Anyway, you didn’t come here to hear me complain.”
“You never complain.” O’Malley studied Axel for a moment. His decision to employ the guy might not make sound business sense but his gut told him it was the right thing to do.
“Oh, I do, plenty. Just no one ever hears me.” Axel looked away and O’Malley was convinced he’d caught the guy in a lie.
Interesting, his cougar said.
He’s trying to play the hard man when we both know how much the guy loves his mom and would do anything for her. O’Malley could understand why a man of Axel’s build and age would not want to appear as a momma’s boy.
“I’ll get to the point,” O’Malley said. “I am handing the running of the bar over to you until I get back. You know the schedule of works in place. You were due to be around for most of the deliveries anyway. So it shouldn’t be too hard. While I’m away, Kelos and some of the other guys, and their wives, will come by and check that everything is okay.” O’Malley held up his hand. “They are not checking up on you, they are just there if you need them.”
“Okay.” Axel shuffled his feet, not sounding too sure about the situation.
“Is it okay?” O’Malley asked.
“Are you sure you want me to carry that kind of responsibility?” Axel asked bluntly. “You know I don’t have a lot of experience.”
“Do you think you can do it?” O’Malley asked.
“Sure.” Axel nodded confidently.
“That’s all I need to know.” He took out his phone. “Okay, I have a slew of numbers I need to give to you. Including the guys who run O’Malley’s in the city. You’ve met some of them. You can count on them for any help and advice you might need. If you are not sure about anything, call someone.”
O’Malley handed Axel a piece of paper. “I will.”
“When I get back, I’ll figure out a bonus for you.” O’Malley took a moment to compose himself. Was this the right thing to do? He was putting a lot of pressure on Axel.
He can handle it, his cougar told him. Axel can handle it all.
“There’s no need.” Axel waved O’Malley away. “The job opportunity itself is more than enough.”
“We’ll argue about it when I get back.” O’Malley grinned. “I need to get going, but I’ll just go and say hi to your mom if that’s okay.”
“You know she likes to see you,” Axel said. “I might have to bring her with me to the bar. I don’t like leaving her alone for too long.”
“You know she’s more than welcome.” O’Malley grinned. “When we open, I was going to buy your mom a nice comfortable chair so she can sit in the bar. I thought she might enjoy getting out and talking to people.”
“She would,” Axel agreed, “Although, now I’m definitely thinking you are trying to destroy my reputation.”
“Ah, you’re a momma’s boy. Accept it and learn to celebrate it.” He thought of Hannah who had lost her mom and his heart ached for her.
We can’t do anything to change what happened to Hannah, but we can help Axel and his mom.
His cougar was right. They could not change what had happened to Hannah, they could not bring back her mom, but they might be able to bring Karl back to her.
O’Malley made a silent promise to his mate that he would do whatever it took to find Karl and bring him home safely if it was possible.
Chapter Six – Hannah
Hannah arrived back at the bar while it was still light. She’d gathered up all the gear she might need, including some survival rations and a water bottle. She’d also bought sturdy hiking boots and some warm weather gear since the mountains were going to be cold.
Of course, she was willing to share her body warmth with O’Malley at night, in the two-man tent she’d have strapped to her back but sticking close to him during the day was just not feasible.
She sighed. Thoughts of O’Malley had plagued her all day.
That was unfair, he wasn’t a plague, he was a good guy who had agreed to help her find Karl. But she needed to think of O’Malley in a way that would make her less likely to wrap her arms around him and kiss his lips. Because that is exactly what
