It had officially been the worst week of Lucy's life, and she had had plenty of bad weeks in her life to know what one was. It had started when she was shot in the arm. Lucy knew that Zebadiah had lied when he had told Dr. Brown about a rock breaking the window, and she had the stitches to prove it. Thankfully, the wound was healing nicely and there was no infection, so she had no need to visit the doctor once again.

Sunday was only marginally better because she slept for most of the day, too tired and sore to do much of anything else. On Monday, Thomas had cornered her with a New Orleans's newspaper which featured well known business man Zebadiah Abbott and his latest mystery woman. Lucy had to admit that she looked nice in the photo even as Thomas had given her a hard time about dating the boss, and potentially ruining the LeClair job for them both. It had taken all her powers of persuasion to convince Thomas that she had only been doing Zebadiah a favor, and that she didn't think he was the kind of man to put personal feelings over business ones, not that there was any personal feeling involved.

On Tuesday, her mother had called and sunk both Lucy and Etta into a funk as she begged for money and told them that she was better and off the drugs, that she only needed a little help. It was something that they had both heard before and neither one believed her for a minute. Lucy waited full of dread, knowing that since her phone call didn't get her mother what she wanted she would soon come for a visit, and the last time she had done that she had robbed them blind.

When she had gotten home on Wednesday with a bloody hand and sore arm from working to hard, Shy hadn't come to greet her, nor had he returned to the house by Thursday evening, and she was really getting worried. He was a moody dog and had occasionally disappeared, but he had never been gone for two days before. Her worst fear was that a gator had gotten him.

Lucy was never so glad to see Friday, she worked her day, still not having seen any sign of Zebadiah. He had been gone all week and she had been glad of it. The only highlight of her week had been waking up next to him on Sunday morning. He must have crawled into bed very late because he was deeply asleep when she woke. It had taken everything she had to leave his arms. Somehow, during the time that they had slept next to each other, she had gravitated towards him , and when she had awakened her head was on his chest and her leg was thrown over his. She had been glad to get out of the house without waking him, knowing that if he did wake he would insist on driving her home, something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

She had an unreasonable and senseless fear that if he discovered where she lived she would never be safe from him again.

Lucy was in the middle of packing up her things when her phone rang, and she reached into her pocket and answered it while balancing her bag on her knee to close it. "Hey Thomas!" she greeted. Her voice sounded chipper because she was glad the week was finally over.

"Hey Lucy, I got caught up with Hope at her Doctor's appointment-"

"Is everything alright?" Lucy asked concerned.

"Yes, the Doctor is just running behind, but I won't be able to pick up the cake for Etta," he explained.

Lucy felt her heart sink. That would mean she would have to. Etta loved Hummingbird cake and the diner on the main street made the best one in the parish. Lucy had had trouble being served there in the past, so she avoid the place which meant that Thomas bought the cake for her every year.

"It's been ordered and it's in my name and I already paid for it, so you should be able to slip right in and pick it up without a problem." Even he didn't sound too sure at the idea.

"It'll be fine Thomas," she assured him, not wanting him to worry about it.

"You sure?" he asked once more.

"Yep, now go get back to Hope." She ended the phone call before he could worry about the situation any more than he already had.

With a sigh she started for her car, wondering what the odds were that she would be able to get in and out the diner without a problem. As she stepped out onto the veranda behind the house a crack of lightening lit up the sky and a clap of thunder shortly followed it, letting Lucy know that a storm was on the way. Her goal was to beat it home. Maybe if she focused on that she wouldn't be quite so terrified about having to go to the diner.

It had always struck her as ironic that she had been raised with the understanding that everyone in the town was afraid of the Monroes, and the truth was that she was just as afraid of everyone in the town, expect for Thomas and his father, and now Zebadiah, she wasn't afraid of him a little voice reminded her.

As she drove herself into town she let herself wonder what it would be like to have someone like Zebadiah in her life, someone who would handle all her problems for her. She knew was capable of handling them herself, but it would be nice to have someone else take over, just for a little while.

The sky opened up as soon as she pulled into the diner's parking and she had to make a dash for the door, cringing as she heard the bell above it ring when she opened it. She let her gaze scan the somewhat crowded room, noting Zebadiah in the back with Dr. Brown.

Great, now she would have an audience to what she was sure was about to be fiasco.

The woman behind the counter had worked at the diner since Lucy was a child. Her brown hair was tinged with strands of grey and she had it pulled back into a messy ponytail. Her makeup had long ago worn off and she looked as tired as Lucy felt, maybe she was so tired she wouldn't care and would just give her the cake.

She gathered up her nerves and forced a smile to her face as she approached the counter. "Hi, I'm here to pickup a cake under the name of Kane." She was pleased her voice sounded firm if a bit soft.

"You're not Thomas, Lucy Monroe, I can't give you his cake," the woman insisted.

"He asked that I pick it up for him, he got caught in town with Hope." She knew better than to say that it was for her grandmother. "Would you like me to call him so that he can speak to you?" Lucy asked, keeping her tone low and friendly.

"I only have one cake, sorry," the woman said, turning away from Lucy.

"I see it right there in the case, it has Thomas's name on it." Lucy pointed to the spot where it sat in the cold case under the counter.

"Again, you're not Thomas," she shrugged.

"Fine, then I'll buy the cake that is right next to it," Lucy suggested, looking at the second Hummingbird cake that sat in the case."

Her phone rang, and she looked down to see Thomas's number, so she quickly answered it. After a brief explanation to Thomas she passed the phone over to the woman behind the counter, and whatever he was saying was not going over well as the woman turned bright red and her lips grew tight in a firm line.

She handed Lucy's phone back to her then reached into the case to grab the cake and Lucy sighed in relief. The woman was in the process of handing over the box when she released it before Lucy had even touched it and it fell to the floor, making a mess as the box exploded around her feet.

"Oh dear, the woman said with mocking concern, you should really be more careful." Then she shot Lucy a smile so evil that she wondered why she was the one that was called a witch.

"That was your fault," Lucy said in soft voice, not wanting to cause a scene.

The woman only shrugged as if to say prove it.

"Fine, I'll take the cake in the case then," Lucy suggested once more.

"Sorry, that's for the guests that dine in only, and we don't sell whole cakes unless they are ordered."

Lucy walked over the diner's counter and sat down. "I'll take eight pieces of cake please and a cup of coffee." She placed the order with a passive face, but her blood was boiling. "And I expect you to credit back Mr. Kane's credit card for the cake since you were the one that dropped it."

"Sorry, no refunds," the woman said, ignoring Lucy. Lucy sat there for a few minutes before she placed her order again. She started to notice that all of diners in the restaurant had turned their eyes towards her.

She was about to cave and leave the restaurant when she felt someone sit on the stool next to her, and she knew immediately that it was Zebadiah. He turned so that one knee was behind her and the other was in front of her and she suddenly felt safe as his large presence surrounded her.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked softly.

"It's my grandmother's birthday and Thomas always orders the cake," she hated the way her voice sounded so small, "but he had an appointment with Hope and her doctor and couldn't get away." She was doing her best not to burst into tears due to both frustration and embarrassment.

Zebadiah reached up and rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. "How's your arm?" he looked down at it, only the edge of the white bandage was visible below her shirt sleeve.

"Fine," she said, taking a deep trembling sigh.

"May I please have two pieces of Hummingbird cake and a cup of coffee to go?" He ordered in a voice that dared the woman behind the counter to object.

Lucy was even more mortified that he had gotten what he wanted so easily.

*******

Once the order was delivered she wanted to get out of the diner as quickly as possible and Zebadiah didn't try to stop her, but as soon as she was gone he gave one of his bone chilling looks to the woman behind the counter and asked to speak to the manager, even going so far as to insist that she call him into the restaurant from his home. Then he suggested she clean up the mess she had made in front of the counter before a customer slipped and fell as he rejoined Holden at their table.

"That proves my point," Holden said, stirring his coffee, watching his friend.

"No, all that proves is that this town is full of small minded people who have not been made to face the injustice of their actions."

Holden looked amused. "What is it about this woman that makes you so concerned for her?"

Zebadiah refused to admit that it was the woman herself, it was only the way that she had been treated. He thought of his beautiful mother and how she had been treated in the past.

No, it wasn't fair, and he wasn't going to stand for it.

"Let me guess, you're going to fix it all?" Holden asked, still amused.

Zebadiah gave a cold smile that made his friend shiver a little.

"How are you going to fix it," he asked, resigned to the fact that he was. He had seen Zebadiah get his way too many times in the past to doubt that he would this time.

"I'll buy the whole town if I have to."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Holden said, not doubting that he would do it, and he would do it all for a silver haired woman whether he realized it or not.