Annabelle was working the store by herself while Dawn ran down to the bank to make a deposit. Some mornings were slow, while some morning were busy. Annabelle was straightening the shelves and adding new products to replenish what they sold. Some of the shelves that didn’t have merchandise for sale she made note of. She checks the order they had place to make sure the merchandise had been order.

When she gets back to the counter she straightens and dust things behind the counter.

“Morning Annabelle. I brought fresh coffee and doughnuts."

"I hope you brought enough for Dawn too. She loves fresh doughnuts.”

Annabelle turns around to see what Johnny brought for them.

“Don’t worry, I have enough for Dawn as well. Speaking of Dawn, where is she?”

“Making a bank deposit and picking up some change for the store.”

“Are you going to hang around the store all day, or do you have something planned for today?”

“I have a job to do today. Ms. Creed has some home repairs she wants me to work on. I thought I would come in and check on my two favorite girls.”

“Ah, that’s sweet of you Johnny. I heard old man Troy could use someone to fix his roof. Do you do roof repairs?”

“No, but I know someone who does and he could use the work.”

Annabelle looks at Johnny before asking her next question.

“Can he be trusted? I mean don’t take me wrong Johnny, its just I want old man Troy to be comfortable around this fellow.”

“He can be trusted Annabelle. I know you don’t mean any harm, it’s just this fellow has been finding it hard to get any work because of who
his father is.”

“Who’s his father?”

“Greg Harrison. The man uses to be a problem around here and used strong arm tactics to force people to pay him protection money. One
day he killed someone he shouldn’t have. Four guys got together and hunted him down and strung his dead body up in town. They hung a message around his neck that said this will happen to the next person who followed in his footsteps. Ever since then, people have judge his family wrongly. His wife deserved it, because she would rub other people’s noses in it, but the children were a different story. His son always tried to do things right and his daughter got married when she was fifteen and left town. I took the boy under my wing and gave him a trade.”

“Okay, if he’s willing to do the job. I’ll let him put the material he needs on credit and he can pay it when the job is done. Old man Troy is a
good customer according to Dawn.”

“I’ll tell him, Annabelle.”

The phone starts ring Annabelle picks it up “Pembroke Hardware, Annabelle speaking how can I help you?”

“Yes, we do have those in stock and they go for $8.99 a board for the twelve footers, $5.99 for the eight footers. Yes, I have enough to fill
your order. Let’s see, you want to add in fifty pounds of 2.5 half inch nails as well. You’re total comes to three hundred sixty-five dollars. Yes, sir someone will be here to help you load the order. Okay, see you in an hour. You have a nice day sir.”

Annabelle hangs the phone up.

“Who was that?”

“One of our contractors. He just placed an order for some wood and nails.”

“Well, I better head to the job site. See you later Annabelle and tell Dawn good morning for me.”

“I will Johnny and thanks for the doughnuts.”

“You’re welcome.”

Annabelle watches as Johnny walks out and a few minutes later, Dawn returns from the bank.

“Welcome back. Johnny brought us doughnuts and coffee. I need to go and get some orders ready for pick up.”

“Okay sweetie.”

Dawn watches as Annabelle walks towards the back. She loved watching her ass as she walks. Even though she knows Annabelle wears
padding to give her, her figure, but Dawn still loves her.

Annabelle works getting the deliveries ready for pick up. She finishes the orders for pick up. She had twelve bags of horse feed, two bags of goat feed and two bags of dog food being picked up this afternoon. They were all stacked on a pallet. Annabelle looks out of the loading dock door and notice a group of boys beating up on a smaller boy.

She jumps down off the loading dock and walks over towards the group of boys.

“Leave that boy alone right now before I call the police.”

The boys ignore Annabelle and keep kicking the boy on the ground. Annabelle grabs one of the boys and toss him aside. She catches the arm of the boy kicking the boy on the ground and twist his arm behind his back and shove it upwards so it hurts and holds. She looks at the other boys still standing there.

“Pick him up and bring him to the store, NOW!” Annabelle doesn’t let go of the boy that had been kicking the one on the ground.

“Yes ma’am.” The other boys pick up the one on the ground and carries him to the hardware store.

“Make sure you have his books and everything.”

Two of the boys run back and grab the injured boy’s stuff. They follow behind Annabelle.

Dawn looks up when she notices Annabelle coming through the front door with a boy in front of her and a few others behind her carrying a beaten-up boy.

“Dawn, call Officer Fuller please and tell him I have a boy assaulting another boy here for him to put in jail.”

“Let me go lady. You’re not my parent.”

“You’re right, because if I was. You would be turned over my knees right now and having your butt tanned till you couldn’t sit down in front of your friends.”

Annabelle looks at the rest of the kids “that goes for the rest of you as well. You should had stopped it.”

Dawn gets off the phone with Officer Fuller and comes around the counter to look at the badly beaten boy. Dawn looks at one face in the crowd of boys.

“Thomas Running Bear, you should be ashamed of yourself. You should have put a stop to this. Wait till I tell your mother.”

Officer Fuller shows up. He notices Annabelle holding one kid in front of her in an arm lock.

“What can I do for you Annabelle?”

“I caught this boy kicking on that boy over there that Dawn is helping and all these other boys standing around and encouraging him.”

Officer Fuller looks down at the boy “is that true?”

The boy didn’t want to answer, until Annabelle pulls up on his arm.

“Yes sir.”

“Why were you beating him up?”

Annabelle wanted to know.

“Because he is a sissy. Look at him, he looks like a girl.”

“So, you feel you have the right to beat him up?”

Annabelle pulls up on his arm again because she was mad.

Officer Fuller saw the look on Annabelle’s face.

“Turn him over to me Annabelle.”

“Here, you can have the bully.”

Annabelle loosens her grip and gave the boy to Officer Fuller. She walks over to look at the other boy to see how he was doing.

“How’s he doing Dawn?”

“He need to go to the hospital or at least down to Dr. Dunning’s office.”

“Go ahead and take him down, Dawn. I’ll watch the shop.”

“Alright.” Dawn takes the kid out to her truck and drive him down to Dr. Dunning’s office.

“As for the rest of you boys. I want a statement from all of you and I’m going to call your parents.”

Officer Fuller took out his notebook and started taking their names and their statement. He makes phone calls to each parent of the kids. He
has them come down to the hardware store to pick up their child.

Once all the children are taken away by their parents. Annabelle waits to see how the boy is that she rescued. Dawn comes back with the
boy in tow behind her. She takes the child to her office and set McDonalds lunch bag in front of him.

“How’s the boy?”

Dawn turns to face Annabelle and Annabelle notice she was upset.

“He’s been abused by his family and by some of the children at school. The doctor found traces where the boy or I should say girl was
whipped with a belt and switch. You should see the marks on the poor girl’s body.”

“So, I take it she’s staying with us than?”

“Yes, we have temporary custody of her. A person from Children Services will be by to speak with us.”

Annabelle peeks in on the kid. It takes her back to when she was the kids age.

Gina looks up from eating when she felt someone watching her. It was the lady that had come outside and saved her from the bullies. She
smiles at her.

Annabelle returns Gina’s smile.

“Is your lunch okay?”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you for helping me.”

“You’re welcome. I’m Annabelle and you already know Dawn. If you need anything, let us know, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

The rest of the day goes by fast because how busy they got. Annabelle and Dawn did keep an eye on the kid and notice she was asleep on
the sofa in the office. Annabelle walks in and lays her jean jacket on the kid. They still had a few things they needed to do before they left for the night.

Annabelle and Dawn go about closing the store for the night and once everything is locked and secure. Annabelle picks up the kid and carry them outside to the truck, while Dawn sets the alarm and lock the front door. They get in the truck and head home for the night.

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