Healing Home

by Madden, J. M.

  “She’s tough, I’m telling you. Most stubborn dog I’ve ever trained.”

  Link watched Frankie continue to lick her chops. “We had a bulldog when I was a kid. He was harder than hell to train, too.”

  Grinning, BB nodded. “They definitely are their own person, so to speak.”

  She handed him a plate full of scrambled eggs with ham and cheese, bacon and a fruit salad. Then, turning off one of the burners, she followed him to the table with her own plate. She had a lot less food than he did.

  “I’m not going to fit in my uniform by the time you leave,” he grumbled.

  BB chuckled as she settled into the chair. “I think you can stand to gain a few pounds.”

  Yeah, she was probably right, actually. He tucked into the food, eating everything on his plate. They had scrambled eggs and bacon when they were deployed, but for some reason hers tasted so much better. Was it the care and attention she used to make the food that he tasted?

  What a fanciful thought. He was a little shocked at it. He knew he could definitely get used to the pampering.

  Link stared at BB as she finished her own food. She ate delicately, with no dropped food or fumbled utensils. When she’d first sat down he’d seen her drape a paper napkin over her bare legs like it was cloth. It was obvious she’d been raised well, politeness ingrained in her. It made him feel rough, and unpolished.

  “What does BB stand for?” he asked.

  Her lips quirked. “What do you think it stands for?”

  Link sat back in his chair. “Bryan Barcelona.”

  BB erupted into laughter, her blue eyes dancing. “Um, no.” Then she grinned. “Close though.”

  Link gave her a hard stare. “Bucephalus Blue.”

  She giggled even harder, her eyes tearing. Gasping, she shook her head, covering her mouth with her hand.

  “Blennerhasset Baker,” he said, forcing his ridiculous smile away.

  BB could only shake her head, laughter rolling through her.

  “Beatrice Beaumont.”

  For a second she stared at him, then began nodding her head.

  Link got a queasy feeling in his stomach. Oh, shit. He’d been trying to be ridiculous but had he actually guessed her name? “Beatrice?”

  She nodded again and took a breath, cleared her throat. “It’s an old family name. My mother wanted to honor my grandmothers, so my name is Brandilynn, for my paternal grandmother Brenda Lynn, and Beatrice for my maternal grand, also of the same name. BrandiLynn Beatrice Jones.”

  He blinked. “That’s a mouthful. No wonder you go by BB.”

  She gave him a crooked smile. “Yeah, it was hell in school. My older sister actually started calling me BB first, and it stuck. I was completely happy not to have to write the damn thing out all the time.”

  “How many siblings do you have?” He asked.

  BB grinned. “I have four sisters and two brothers. Carolina is one of the younger, though you can’t tell it with the way she bosses everyone around. Somehow we ended up being her pinch hitters. We started the business with her and ran all of the initial contracts until she built her employees up to handle the business. She’s booked months in advance for some things, but other contracts come in on an as-needed basis. That’s why she also has so many day contractors. If her schedule is packed like it is now, and she still needs something, she has a pool of reserve people. They usually have a regular day job but have committed to helping out active duty and veterans as much as they can. She also has a pool of higher level contractors that can be hired for more difficult, involved jobs.”

  Link had to shake his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

  “Carolina calls it a concierge service. It works. She’s been in business six years now.”

  Link was impressed. The entire premise was unique and he knew it would definitely serve a need.

  “And what about you?” She asked softly. “I know you don’t have a lot of family, but where are you from? What’s your background?”

  Link looked out the window for a moment to gather his thoughts, then back to her.

  “I’m from a small town in rural New Hampshire. I still have some cousins and an uncle there but it’s been several years since I saw them. My dad worked for the national forestry service and he was mauled by a bear more than twenty years ago. Mom moved us back to her home in Idaho. She still lives there, actually, and we try to get together every year, but it’s hard sometimes. My job isn’t exactly conducive to strong connections, and her ranch doesn’t allow her to leave very often.”

  She nodded in understanding. “That’s a shame. No siblings?”

  His mouth twisted. “I had a brother but he took his own life about five years ago.”

  BB gasped. “I’m so sorry, Link. I had a cousin take her own life and it just leaves you shaking your head, trying to understand. Did you have any idea?”

  “Not exactly,” he said, voice flat. “He’d been a cop in Boise, but he’d just gotten separated from his high school sweetheart. We think he probably didn’t mean for it to go as far as it did.”

  BB nodded, sympathy in her eyes, and he realized he’d not told anyone about his brother other than his team when he’d needed time off for the funeral. It was nice to talk to someone that understood. “I never would have expected him to try something like that. He was a solid guy and he loved being a cop.”

  “I saw a statistic the other day that really surprised me,” she said softly. “There’ve been almost fifty police officers killed this year, but three times that many have committed suicide. The media just doesn’t cover those.”

  “Damn,” he sighed. “I got back in-country after he did it and I had a package waiting for me here. Mom sent me some of his things.”

  He motioned to a shelf on the far wall. BB left her chair and crossed the room to stand before it and he followed her.

  “Wow, you two looked so much alike,” she breathed, leaning close to look at the two of them grinning in the pic. He’d been about twelve then, and Matt had been nine. Both dark haired, just like their dad standing behind them. Actually, it was only a year or two before dad was killed. Mom stood to the side, leaning against his father, antagonism radiating off of her.

  BB’s arm slipped through his and he jerked. She smiled at him softly.

  “Why was she angry?”

  Had he been speaking and not even realized it? “Not sure. It changed day to day.”

  Lincoln loved having BB standing beside him like this, squeezing his arm. Just having someone to talk to was very strange for him, especially considering the subject. His mother was an angry woman, not someone pleasant to be around. His dad had seen something in her though.

  BB reached out and drew a finger down the face of the Boise PD shield. It had Matt’s name on the top and the PD on the bottom. Link had been surprised find it in the box. He figured it would've gone to Matt's former sweetheart. He wasn't complaining. He was glad to have the piece.

  Then BB reached for the Wile E. Coyote lunch box. Her blue eyes flashed to him. “May I? This is a classic.”

  He hesitated, then nodded.

  She removed the box from the shelf and layed it horizontal in her hand, looking at the old cartoon. It was faded where the raised metal had rubbed for so many years. “It was mine first, and Matt adopted it.”

  “Can I look inside?”

  This time he hesitated a little longer. She moved to replace the box but he stilled her hand. “No, you can.”

  It had been a long time since he’d gone though it. Probably sometime after it had been delivered, years ago.

  BB stared at him for a moment, as if judging her timing. Finally, she repositioned the box and released the metal clasp on the front. The lid creaked open and he could see the treasures inside. There were a few Matchbox cars, as well as a homemade slingshot, the band long since degraded. They had whittled the thing together after they’d broken the first one. She pulled out each treasure to look at, before caref
ully returning it to the box. There was a magnifying glass from a Cracker-Jack box, and old gold ring with a gaping orbit where a stone had been. They’d found it along the railroad tracks one day. She dug a little deeper and pulled out a postcard with a circus on the front.

  Link laughed, taking it from her hand. “We used to want to run away to the circus but neither one of us were especially skilled at anything. I think there’s an old lock blade knife in there we used to practice knife throwing with.” She pointed the item out and he nodded. “Mom and dad would fight and we’d go out back. There was a set of train tracks about a mile behind our house, through the woods. We would go down to the line and dream.”

  His smile turned sad.

  “I’m sorry, Link. I was just curious.”

  He shrugged lightly, giving her a slight grin. “It’s okay. I don’t think about him as much anymore.”

  She dug a little deeper and pulled an old magazine page from the bottom. Before he could grab it and shove it away she’d flipped it open. It was a Playboy centerfold at least thirty years old. She chuckled, though he could feel his skin prickling uncomfortably. Grinning through it, he shrugged. “What do you expect? We were teenage boys. Our dad had a cherished stack of these in his closet and we found them one day. Oh, man,” he shook his head, remembering. “I think Mom knew about them but I’m surprised she let him keep them.”

  “I can understand why it’s in your treasure box. She’s very pretty.”

  Link looked at the woman on the paper. He didn’t recognize her name anymore and as BB stood in front of him, he decided that there were much prettier things to look at, like her. “She used to be.”

  BB glanced at him, smiling, then took a second look and locked gazes with him. She had to understand what he was trying to convey. Even as he watched a slight blush worked up through her pale skin and she dragged her gaze away, busying herself putting the things back in order in the box.

  Link loved that he could fluster her. It meant the attraction he was feeling might not be one-sided.

  Chapter 4

  BB’s heart raced and she tried not to fumble getting the box back on the shelf, but with Link standing so close behind her shoulder, radiating heat, it was hard to stay focused. Had he meant what she thought he did just now? The thought flitted through her mind to turn and just lay a big wet one on him, but that would be so awkward if she’d misread the situation. ‘Oh, sorry about the tongue, thought you’d been ready for it.’

  Instead, she took a deep breath and carefully stepped to the side, then turned to face him. “I’m sorry if I dug up painful memories.”

  He shook his head, his eyes shadowed. “Don’t worry about it. It was nice to talk about my brother again. The guys on the team, well,” his voice drifted away. “Death is a part of life, but they prefer not to dwell on it.”

  Ah. She understood. “He was an important part of your life, though.”

  He shrugged his muscular shoulders and turned away.

  BB was disappointed. She’d wanted another hug, but obviously he needed some distance.

  Frankie plopped down in front of her, staring up at her.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Crossing to the front door she swung it open, letting in a swirl of heat. Frankie jogged through the opening, down the steps and into the grass where she began circling to find the perfect place to pee.

  “Would you like to walk down to the beach?”

  She glanced back at Link, standing in the doorway. Shading her eyes with her hand she grinned at him. “I would love to! Let me run to my room for a minute.”

  She knew the water would be too chilly to swim in, but maybe she’d wade a little. And sunbathe. She changed into her flowered one-piece, then dropped a pretty white sundress over top of it. It was short and flirty, and perfect for the beach. Grabbing her beach bag she threw a towel inside, as well as a broad rimmed hat. No sunburn before she went home.

  Frankie didn’t appreciate being left but BB refused to carry her all the way down to the beach and back. So, making sure she had a treat bone with peanut butter inside, she left her behind.

  Link was waiting for her with a small string sack in hand. As he tightened the strings he glanced up at her, and BB felt a rush roll through her. Lincoln looked at her like he’d been struck, his mouth open a little. His eyes flicked over her body and down her legs, and she saw him swallow as he turned away. A surge of heat settled in her belly as she realized he thought she was appealing as much as she did.

  He guided her out of the house and down the street, the bag over his shoulder.

  It was as she’d expected. Brisk and windy. BB doubted she’d even be able to keep the hat on when they got to the public beach. It was definitely exactly what she needed after the scorching look in the house.

  “Let’s go down this way.”

  Link motioned to a path through several bushes.

  “Isn’t this someone’s property?”

  “Yes, but I know the guy. He’s pretty laid back. I come through here when I want to work out. It’s a nice shortcut.”

  Link tried to hold the branches away from her but a few managed to drag across her skin. When they broke through the clearing, she was surprised to see a long expanse of open beach. Something about it felt more secluded, even though she could see it stretched only about half a mile. “What’s to keep the public from coming along this beach?”

  “Nothing, really. The houses are a little closer to the water here. Maybe they think it’s private because of that.”

  They headed down the beach to the water and she had to stop and stare. The Pacific was so vibrant, the blue water churning. It was a wild and treacherous and lovely place. “Is it high tide?”

  Link nodded his head, glancing at the black watch on his wrist. “It’s almost eleven, so yeah, high tide.” He looked at the water as if it were a friend, a slight smile curling his lips.

  For a moment she stared at him, caught by the similarities between the two of them. There was a power to him, an unseen force. Standing there with his arms crossed over his heavy chest, staring out at the water, legs planted, she could see how dangerous he was. And she could feel how dangerous he could be to her sanity. He’d glanced at her several times as he’d guided her to the beach.

  She started walking toward the water. Bending over she unfastened her sandals, dropping them into the bag.

  “It’s going to be chilly,” he warned.

  The sun was shining down on her head, making her warm. Surely the water was at least warm enough to wade in? The first splash that swirled around her feet proved otherwise. Then a second wave reached her thigh, shocking her. She gasped, dancing out of reach.

  “I warned you,” Link laughed, holding a hand out to her.

  Before he could withdraw the offer, she grabbed his hand, letting him tug her up the sand. Then she continued to hold it as they walked along. “Navy SEALs train in this water, right?”

  “Yes,” he agreed, “but that’s part of the struggle, the water temperature.”

  “It’s a damn polar plunge.”

  Link laughed and they danced away from an overly ambitious wash of water around their feet. “I’ve been in colder,” he told her.

  BB couldn’t imagine.

  They held hands as they walked down the beach and she eventually got used to the temperature of the water. A couple of times BB really appreciated Link’s strong hand because the sand seemed to want to roll out from beneath her feet as she walked. Patiently, he helped her regain her footing, his hand a solid tug against hers.

  “I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the beach like this.”

  He looked at her, head cocked back. “I don’t even know where you live.”

  “North of Bakersfield. About five hours from here. I live at the edge of the Sequoia National forest. This is not my normal scenery,” she laughed.

  Nodding like he knew where it was, they walked on. Miles of beach stretched before them and she wa
s more than happy to just walk along with him, holding his fingers. It was easy to pretend that they were like the other couples walking along.

  They’d been walking for the better part of an hour when Link directed her to a fairly unpopulated area. “Let’s take a break and enjoy the sun for a bit.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she admitted. Digging in her bag she drew out the towel and stretched it on the sand, then sat, leaving him room beside her. Link left some space between them, but she let it go. “What a beautiful view.”

  “Yeah, I come down here as much as I can when I’m home.”

  “It’s a bit different from the Middle East, yes?”

  Lincoln laughed. “Hell, yes. The desert has its own beauty, but I grew up with water and trees and ocean. It’s what I prefer.”

  He stared out over the rolling waves and she could see how important it was to him. Even with his glasses shielding his eyes she could tell he loved it. She turned to look as well, and for a long time they just shared space on the towel and allowed nature to replenish their souls. Eventually, Link moved enough to reach into his bag and dig out a couple of bottles of water. He handed her one.

  “Thank you.”

  Cracking the top from the bottle, he drank most of his down. BB did as well, and her attention was caught by a young couple with a child down the way. The parents held hands as they watched their little man, he couldn’t be more than three or four, race after the receding water. Then he would dash back to his parents, the waves chasing him in. He did it over and over again, giggling the entire time. The parents leaned in to kiss and it was very sweet. BB couldn’t help but watch the lovely scene.

  Then one of the waves moved faster than the boy did and he crashed into the water, the wave rolling over top of him silently. Before she could even open her mouth Link was racing down the beach and dragging the boy up out of the surf. Gasping and crying, the little boy had a shocked look on his face.

  The parents seemed shocked at what had happened, and thankful that Link had reacted as quickly as he had. They fawned over the coughing boy, making sure he was okay. Lincoln leaned down in front of him, saying a few words, and the child nodded. Then he walked back up the beach to her.