The Vigilante & The Dragon - Book 1 of the Guardians Saga [COMPLETED]

Couches, Recliners and Who Sleeps Where Ch. 5.2

A/N: I changed the two shopping chapters to bonus chapters at the end in order to keep the plot moving along. For those who enjoy character and relationship building chapters, they are at the end. Blessings to all who read and commented!
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Delivery fir Alex Carson."

Mary Dewey smiled at the delivery people at the front door of her house. "I'll sign for it. What is it?"

"King size mattress."

   "Is it plastic wrapped?"

  "Yep." The man held out his clipboard full of papers.

   "Please leave it on the driveway." Mary signed the papers.

"Yer da boss, lady."

The delivery men looked glad to leave the heavy mattress and box spring on the driveway instead of lugging it into a house.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Dewey," Gabe said from the kitchen. "Rile, Cale. Once the delivery men leave, carry the mattress up to Alex's."

  "Those things look heavy. Better help us, perfect eldest son." Rile bounded up the stairs to Alex's apartment and scratched on the door. He ran back down and grabbed one end of the mattress. Gabe lifted the other end and Cale the middle. They climbed the steps to the small landing in front of Alex's apartment.

Alex opened the door and blinked at the sight before her. "Hello."

  "Out of the way," Rile said. "Heavy."

  Alex stepped into the apartment. "Do I need to point the way into the bedroom?"

"Do you want this mattress or not?" Rile asked.

"Sorry, crawfish lunch as payment?"

"I want something different," Rile insisted.

"Greek food. Wait until you try flaming saganaki," Alex promised.

They hauled the mattress and then the box springs into the bedroom. Alex explained to them how to set it up.

"Glad I found sheets." Alex stretched out the fitted sheet over the mattress corner. She struggled on the third corner and Cale helped her. "The fourth corner is the hardest."

"I'll do it." Cale stretched it with ease. "Not as bad as a tent."

"Tents? Ugh. Give me a hotel any day."

"Princess too delicate to sleep on the ground?" Rile asked.

"Too smart," Alex said. "New Orleans is chock full of hotels. You sleep on the ground, Dragon Boy."

"You still owe me Greek food."

"That I do. I pay my debts. They don't deliver, so I'll drive us."

They alerted at a knock on the door. Alex waved the brothers to move out of sight.  Once they did, she cracked open the door and saw Dr. Dewey's wife.

"It's Mary, dear. The couch and recliner were delivered. They're sitting on the driveway. Perhaps the boys can bring them up as well."

Rile hissed softly.

Alex turned back to her living room. "You have acute hearing. I'll buy baklava for dessert."

"Never had it. Deal."

The three brothers trooped down the stairs to the driveway. Rile tried to lift the recliner by its back. His claws slipped and Alex winced as they punctured the upholstery.

"I'll take the back and you take the front," Cale told him.

"Please don't puncture my upholstery," Alex said when she saw their clawed hands grasp and hoist her recliner.