Complete Me (Book Three of The Kirkland Family)

Complete Me: Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Returning to the store, Rose noticed that the kittens were missing. "Mr. Fuller took them upstairs," Copper said. "He said it was his turn. He took some other stuff, too, and said he'd bring it back tomorrow."

"Oh...what did he take?"

"Those beach chairs," Copper said.

Rose wondered why he needed the beach chairs, but she said, "Okay. How about you take a long lunch break and be back by three?" She sat down at her desk in the small office after Copper left. When Mr. Shaw owned and managed the store, he never wanted to see a computer on his desk. "They're a nuisance," he'd growl. Instead, he prefered to hand-write all the inventory sheets and keep the store's bills in the top drawer, paying out each one with a check, an envelope and a postage stamp. The only compromise was the card scanner at the register.

Over the last five years, Rose had secretly digitized the business. The inventory list — taking up space in those massive filing cabinets — was now in a file in her laptop. Over the last week, she managed to update the way the debts and bills were paid.

There hadn't been a computer on that desk since the day the store opened. Now, Rose opened up her laptop and got to work. An hour later when her brother breezed through the front door, Zack was still heavy on her mind.

"Hey, Rosie," he said, oozing his brotherly charm. "Today is the big day, huh? All yours?" He spread his arms wide and gestured to the interior of the store.

"Half mine," she corrected. "What do you want?"

His smile slipped a little. But brandished a tiny screwdriver from his back pocket. "Just returning this."

She took it from him and placed it back inside the case with all its siblings. "Thank you," she said and brushed past him to put the case of tools in its spot on a shelf.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Hell, Rose, this isn't the first time Zack and me have been in a scuffle, and it's not even the first time because of you."

She turned to him, frowning severely. "You've broken his nose before?"

"No, of course not," he said. "But we had a little fight when he asked you to prom that year, and that's when I made him promise to keep it friendly between you two. We couldn't exactly leave marks on each other, 'cuz mom and dad wanted pictures of us all spiffed up."

Rose huffed and went back to her office. "Go away, Jak. I don't want to see you right now."

"Come on, Rosie," Jak whined. "I told him I was sorry."

"No, you didn't! You made him frozen waffles! That is not an apology."

He grinned. "He told you about that, huh? I actually had to make those damn things twice. Burnt the first batch."

Rose placed her palms on her desk, staring down at a to-do list for the rest of the week. "We ran into his father today, Jak," she said quietly. "It reminded me of all the other times I've seen Zack roughed up." She looked at her brother. "How could you? How could you do that to him, knowing what his father is like? Have you no shame, Jak? No conscience?"

Jak flushed. "I didn't think—"

"No, you didn't, Jak. Tell me why you do these things, and don't say it's to protect me."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really know, Rose. I'm your big brother. It's my job to protect you."

"You've taken it too far."