Angel's Hero

Chapter 8

The day dawned bright with promises for another gloriously warm day.
Angel reached for her phone on the bedside table and checked the time.
She'd climbed into bed at around ten, and had fallen asleep relatively soon, even though she could see by the evidence of her jumbled sheets, that she'd slept fitfully again.
The past week had been one of the most frustrating and lonely weeks of her life.
It had been seven days since she had been in Conner's arms. Seven days of actively avoiding him.
She knew he'd been in to the coffee shop, and into her bakery too. She'd gotten lucky each time he'd been in the harbor area, as she'd seen him pull up, and been able to hide.
It wasn't because she was always thinking of him, or that she was searching for any glimpse of him.
And it definitely wasn't because she'd spent the last week tortured by some of the most erotic dreams she'd ever had.
Michelle didn't even know how torn up she was about the new Sherriff.
Sure, she'd told her friend about their not-a-date in more detail once they had been away from all other ears at the barbeque the previous weekend.
Angel knew that Michelle suspected there was more to her feelings than just being mortified over her slight infatuation.
Angel just couldn't admit it yet.
A man had never done this to her insides before.
So, with her feelings turning her stomach whenever she saw, or thought she saw, Conner's car nearby, or for that fact, the police vehicle he'd driven when they'd first met, she would flee.
Her nerves were frazzled from being on alert all the time.
Bo and Sienna, both firmly put in place thanks to Michelle, helped to cover for her when he had stepped into either store during the week.
Conner had no idea what she was going through, thankfully.
He was just a man who had become the object of her fantasies, unknowingly.
The day after her humiliation, Angel had driven over to fetch Jackson to have a day of swimming, ice cream and hot dogs.
Every now and then she would spend the day with the child. She loved him like he was her true nephew, and spoiled him like any aunt would.
She'd had to answer more questions about Jackson's new hero, though, which had spoiled her hope of being distracted.
"You haven't even met him yet, little man," she had said laughing, after Jackson, drying out on the wooden platform next to her, had said that Sherriff Grayson was his favorite superhero.
Kids.
That was a week ago. Now here they were. Sunday.
Sundays were her down-day as the bakery didn't open, unless for special orders, pre-arranged during the week.
They'd had no orders for today, so Angel had looked forward to hiding out at home, not having to jump each time she heard the chime of the door bell signaling it opening, or whenever a car drove by.
She also had Monday off.
She and Bo, who was her partner in the kitchen and all other aspects except ownership - his years of experience made him invaluable - alternated Monday's off with her, to keep them rested.
God, she loved her job.
On days she opened up, she would be at the bakery to turn the ovens on and get the prepped products cooking by five in the morning. The store closed at three o'clock, so she always had free afternoons and evenings, regardless if she opened or closed.
Bo opened more often than she did, as he preferred the earlier finishing time of noon, so he could have the time with his kids when they got home from school.
She had no problem with that. Angel loved a good lie in.
Well, here she was, lying in.
"At six thirty," she stared at the ceiling.
She rolled over, hid her head under the pillows, and closed her eyes, hoping to get more sleep.
Conner appeared on her closed lids.
Groaning, she rolled to her back and threw her arms over her face.
She felt his hands on her back, imagined them travelling around and up, and closing over her breasts.
"Stoooooooop!" She let out on a long breath as she pressed her hands to the side of her head and clasped her fingers into her hair.
Only one thing for it.
She threw back the covers and got up.
She had a cold shower attempting to cool her fevered skin. She was obsessed.
Gross.
Angel couldn't believe the way she had become so consumed with someone she'd only met twice.
It had to be because she'd wanted him to kiss her, and he hadn't.
Her curiosity had gotten the best of her, and it had turned into this all-consuming obsession.
Conner's manliness had nothing to do with it.
Okay.
That was a lie. His masculine, muscle-bound body made her weak at the knees. Her size and height usually meant that the men she dated matched her in height.
That was it. She hadn't come into contact with anyone bigger than her.
That's all it was - fascination with the colossal size of the man.
Immensely relieved that she had figured it out, Angel climbed out of her shower, onto the rug and wrapped the towel around her body, feeling lighter.
She had a thought.
What if all he'd wanted was to be friends with her? A newcomer to any place would be looking to make acquaintances. And she'd been avoiding him!
She cringed. The poor guy just wanted a friend.
Happy she had resolved her feelings, telling herself it was just enthrallment and nothing more, she left her bathroom.
She took her cellphone off charge and looked up the Sherriff department's number, intending to call him and extend a gesture of friendship.
Maybe he'd like to go for a drink? No, best not be alone with him just yet. She didn't trust her stupid hormones not to jump him.
Before she could dial though, something hit her window.
Walking to the glass plane slowly, Angel jumped when a bird flapped against the window loudly.
"What the bloody-" her words were cut off as another bird hit the window on the other side of her room making her scream in fright.
She grabbed the dress she had planned to wear that day from where she'd hung it over the wrought iron frame.
She didn't stop to put her underwear on, leaving them on the bed. She pulled the navy blue strapless item over her head. Its bust was fitted, and the dress flowed from her ribcage in a straight line to her knees. It had a lot of heavy material, which she knew would keep her lower half covered, but she would have a Marilyn Monroe moment if there was a strong gust of wind.
Rushing down the stairs, she saw more birds through the windows opposite her lounge.
"What the hell?" Angel unlatched the security chain and threw her front door open.
Birds scattered from the small covered porch she'd had added last month. It faced the water, and she'd hoped it would be the perfect spot to laze away in the upcoming summer heat.
"Shoo!" She flitted her hands, almost sending her cellphone flying from her fingers. She grasped it at the last second, her heart dropping to her feet in the sudden movement.
"What are you doing here? Go away!" When the birds resettled on another part of her property, she noticed them pecking at the ground. Fed up, she screeched as she ran out flapping her arms, being sure to grip the device in her hand securely. "GO AWAY!"
There were birds all over her car, driveway, and porch. Thankfully she'd put the canvas top and sides on her Jeep two days prior when rain clouds had rumbled in, and she hadn't taken it off again yet.
There was bird poop everywhere.
"Oh my god... Really?"
Angel had just stepped into some, barefoot, and shuddering, she looked down.
"Yuck!" She moved around the side of her house to make use of the tap there to rinse her feet off immediately, cringing at the squishiness between her toes.
She heard a distant voice.
Standing up straight, she looked around, shutting off the tap and focusing her ears on the silence around her.
"Hello?"
It took her a moment to realize the voice was coming from her hand, or more accurately, her cellphone.
Confused, she put the device to her ear. "Hello?"
"Ma'am, a car is on the way to you now. Stay on the line," the voice said to her calmly.
"What?" Angel looked around, confused. "What do you mean a car? Who is this?"
"This is the Sherriff's Department. You called us, and I heard you shouting at an intruder."
"An intruder? Oh dear, I must have hit dial by mistake! I was calling to speak to the Sherriff about another matter," Angel laughed lamely.
"The Sheriff will be there soon, Ma'am," the woman on the other end said.
"What? No!" Angel panicked. Conner, on his way here? Oh, god no.
"We used your details to get your name and address when I couldn't get a response from you and heard you scream. I followed procedure."
"I was shouting at some birds! This is all such a huge misunderstanding," Angel said, racing inside.
"It's procedure for a follow up with any distress call. He will be there any minute, so you'll be able to explain to him yourself."
"Alright, okay, thanks." It wasn't the operators fault.
Angel hurried around the kitchen. She needed to find something to do when he arrived, so she could have an excuse to escape.
What was an acceptable reason for her? Think, think, think! She's a baker.
"A cake! Yes!" She'd bake a cake. That'd be the perfect excuse. She'd tell him she had a bun in the oven, no, cake, a cake in the oven. Slamming the bottom cupboard doors open, she grabbed a mixing bowl, flour, eggs, sugar, milk... what else went into a cake?
Oh god, who cares? It's not like anyone would actually be eating it.

Just mix something! Hurry! The lady said he was almost here!
She cracked eggs into the bowl, dropping shells in the container. Next she tore open the bag of flour, sending a plume of the powder into the air. She coughed as some hit her face and went into her open mouth as she panted.
She was on the verge of hyperventilating.
"What's next? Milk!" Moving quickly, she tipped the carton too quickly and milk poured all over the counter, missing the bowl completely.
"Crap," she admonished herself in a low voice. "Slow down, Angel."
She turned to get a cloth from the sink, when she heard the sirens, and a vehicle bouncing up her drive.
"Shit!" Now she shouted her expletive, and hurried to clean the mess on her counter.
Some of the milk had made its way down the side of the kitchen island, and she stepped into it. Her foot shot out from under her, sending her soaring backwards. Her flailing hands reached for something to grab onto, and knocked everything off the counter. And then everything went black as her head connected with one of the open cupboard doors.