Clonely You (Sunrise Cantina #2)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER

NINE

MICHAELA

When I head into Port on Monday to make my usual delivery, I’m met with an ugly surprise.

There’s an unfamiliar bottle in the refrigerated case, and it looks like it’s filled with milk. The label on it isn’t my little UFO, but a swirling TF. I pick it up and sniff the lid, but I can’t smell anything through the container. Annoyed, I march with it up to the counter while Skritch counts the cases of butter I’ve brought.

“What the fuck is this?” I ask, gesturing at the milk.

The avian shopkeeper eyes it, then me. He squawks. “Dairy product. Milk. You want it?”

“No, I don’t want it!” It takes everything I have to keep my cool. “I thought you were buying from me .”

“I buy butter from you and skim milk. You never have regular milk to sell. She does.” He reaches over and takes the jar of milk from me. “She just started bringing her stock to me. It’s a good thing, too, because we run out of your product so quickly it will be nice to have an alternate.”

I don’t know what to do. I want to pitch a fit, scream at the top of my lungs, and smash every bottle in the room. But I can’t do that. If I act like an asshole, nothing will stop Skritch from approaching these other dairy jerks and getting them to fill my orders. I have to be nice to the retailer. That’s rule number one of business.

But I’m supposed to be the one with the dairy market cornered. It was my idea first. People are always complaining they can’t get enough of my butter…what if she decides to sell that, too? What if she takes all my customers? What if others start making dairy products as well and there’s no money left in it for me?

What if there’s no money left over to hire a bounty hunter?

The control of the situation is slipping through my fingers. My lungs feel tight. My eyes burn. I need…I need…

I need Aithar.

Just thinking about his sweet smile and the scent of his skin fills me with hot yearning. “Hurry up and check in my order,” I manage, and cross my arms over my chest to hide my clenched fists. Aithar will kiss me and reassure me. He could put his arms around me—if I’d let him—and hold me close. Hug me.

God, I desperately need a hug from him.

My delivery is completed and I turn and leave the store with my credit receipt, unable to trust myself to stay longer. Normally I’d browse a little, see what other local products are being offered, and buy a few supplies. It can all wait, though. I head straight to my air-sled and launch it into the air, then careen my way through the skies until my barn comes into view. I drop the sled in the front yard and stare at my front door.

It’s too early for Aithar to come over. Right now I should be starting another batch of butter. Aithar’s offered to come daily and help me with it, but I’ve said no every time. Told him I wanted to be in control of the situation.

I feel very, very out of control at the moment.

Instead of working, I head inside. What’s the point of working if someone’s going to take everything that I’ve built? Listless, I look around my small home, but nothing about it reassures me. I stumble to the bed and curl up there, under the blankets, and try not to cry. Crying won’t fix anything.

I’ve been waiting for everything to collapse around me, and it looks as if it finally has.