Treasured

by Pinder, Victoria

  “Get some sleep,” I told him, and Joseph went to the bedroom that I had for Bruce when he got bigger. However, I’d moved his crib into my room the week we moved in here and hadn’t moved him out yet. I laid my son down and got ready for bed.

  Tomorrow’s silver lining was that Dwayne would be around. I probably should have said no to coffee, but seeing him again helped dispel the fears in my mind when I closed my eyes, and being near him again filled me with the strange sensation of my body warming. With him, I made a one-time exception to my life plan of celibacy.

  Chapter Seven

  Dwayne

  Five thirty was taking forever. I watched the second hand on my watch, which never seemed to move fast enough, as I found us seats.

  Every time someone stepped in the door or there was a jingle of a bell, my heart thumped, but so far, no Mary.

  Time had arrived, and for the first time in years, I swallowed fear. I reminded myself she’d be here, and I tried to ignore how my skin was prickled.

  Being shot at in the desert had made me laugh. Now, here I was, but this time when the door jingled, it took a second to see who’d come in as a green stroller scooted in first. My hair raised in anticipation. Then I stood up, when I saw her.

  The blond angel who’d filled my dreams. She waved, and I pushed her seat back. As she came over, I bent down to see the sleeping boy, and I beamed up at his mother. “This must be Bruce.”

  She sighed, took off her jacket, and said like she’d been in battle, “He was a little fussy before we left.”

  I tapped the table like it was a piano and said, “Well, let me get you your coffee.”

  She fixed her son’s straps in his stroller and called out, “I want tea—black, with milk, no sugar.”

  I pushed my chair back and said, “Simple and easy.”

  She shook her head and whispered, “I thought that’s what we were, but you surprised me.”

  My ears buzzed. I pressed my hand to my heart and said, “I’ll be back with a witty reply for you so you’ll agree to a dinner date with me.”

  Ordering drinks and a steamed milk in case her son wanted something was easy. Not many customers were in line, so I waited for the barista, and a minute later, I was returning with our drinks.

  She’d worn her hair down this evening, and her skin had a nicer glow without the makeup and glitter from our first meeting. I handed her the tea, and she said, “Thank you for this.”

  I sat across from her and folded my hands on the table. “No problem. So, tell me more about you, Mary.”

  She sucked in her bottom lip and shook her head. Then she pushed her hair behind her ears as her face turned red, and she finally said, “I don’t like talking about myself. Why don’t you go first?”

  My nerves weren’t good. I used to be a charmer, but with Mary, it was like I was free to be honest. “After my brother died—“

  She covered her lips, and her face went white. “I’m sorry about that.”

  I reached out and patted her arm. “It was ten years ago, but thanks.”

  Her blush went down her neck, but her lips curled higher as she asked, “What were you going to say?”

  The gleam in her eyes somehow invited me into her world, and I hadn’t been expecting this sense of awe. “I joined the SEALs, just like he did.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “You were a Navy SEAL.”

  “Yes.” I picked up my coffee and sipped it. “Been serving my country for a while now.”

  She sat back, and her shoulders slumped as if she were relaxed. “This explains… you and maybe why I feel safe with you.”

  I leaned closer and asked, “You do?”

  She finished her tea and then perused my muscles. Then she leaned closer and said, “Well, you’re sort of shaped like my cousin, who’s a professional wrestler, but you don’t seem competitive. You seem calm and sure of yourself, but I’m not a good judge of character, and I’ve not dated anyone in a long time.”

  “I’m honored,” I said, and our knees brushed under the table, but my mind buzzed. I’d watched wrestling on TV—all that fake fighting. “Who’s your wrestling cousin?”

  “Stone Steel. He just started.”

  I’d read an article. Her cousin was supposed to have competed in the Olympics. I smiled and said, “I’ve seen him. Are you related to the singer too?”

  She let out a long sigh and then said, “Another cousin. They’re the talented ones.”

  Mary was strong too. I stood up and tossed our cups and waved for us to leave for that walk. “That’s more than talent. Seems to me your family has drive.”

  She fixed her jacket and walked beside me as she said, “They do. Not me, though.”

  I held the door open for her. Once we were outside with the fresh air hitting our faces, I pressed my arm into hers gently and said, “You’re… tell me about you now and how I got so lucky that you’re not with your son’s father.”

  She let me push the stroller and crossed her arms like she wished to hide but then said, “Fine, but that’s not a happy story.”

  With one hand, I massaged her shoulder and hoped she trusted me as we entered the park path near the reservoir. “Sharing our past is a good way to start, and I want to know everything there is to know about you.”

  She blinked and stared up at me. For a few moments, I wasn’t sure she’d speak at all, but then she said, “You make it easier to talk. My ex, Arthur… he was my one and only, until you.”

  I was honored, but I asked in a low voice, “Are you wanting him back?”

  “Absolutely not.” She lowered her arms, and her face became red like she was angry now, and she said, “He beat me. He almost killed Bruce when I came home from the hospital.”

  “You’re stronger now.” I curled my hands tighter around the handles of the stroller.

  She swallowed then said, “I don’t always feel that, but I have full legal custody, and he’s gone from our lives now, though he’s threatened to sue me.”

  She took the stroller back, but I stayed beside her, and as night birds sang around us, I said, “I’m glad you told me. I hope you know you can trust me.”

  She slowed, let out a sigh, and then said, “I… last night when you called, he came to my apartment, uninvited—“

  “Did he hurt or threaten you?” Tension raced up my spine. If she was in danger, I’d help. No one would ever get to her again if I was there.

  This time, she massaged one of my shoulders like she needed me to relax, and then she said, “He… tried to threaten me, but I called his bluff. Then my brother came over and stayed in my spare bedroom.”

  Good. She wasn’t alone entirely. “So you were protected.”

  “I can’t keep calling him.” We walked in sync as she continued, “Joseph and his company are about to launch some major app and software, so he’s super busy these days, but he makes time for us.”

  Good, I thought again. I wasn’t sure how much Mary would let me in her life yet, but I said, “Well, if you need me this week, I’m in town.”

  She looped her arm in mine and placed it on the stroller. “When we first got together, I was okay with it because I never thought I’d see you again. Now I’m getting confused and crossing the lines.”

  I smiled. “Is that your way of telling me to get lost?”

  She snuggled closer. “No!”

  “Good,” I said, and we curved around the reservoir on the empty path covered with green branches overhead.

  She gently elbowed me, and our gazes met. “I’m glad you’re here today. And having you on my side a little is nice. So, what do you do now that you’re not a SEAL? If I remember right, you work for Cole Securities.”

  Where I inherited a bunch of older-brother types that I hardly remembered and now everyone checks on me to make sure I’m not overburdened. I swallowed and simply said, “With Cole Securities. I hired them to help me get my brother’s company out of Wanda Frost’s hands.”

  “Arthur works for her.”


  “He won’t work for me. I’d choose you if you let me.”

  “I don’t want to think about him.” She motioned with her hands and pushed forward in silence for a moment and said, “It has to be hard to go from larger-than-life hero to legal paperwork as a means to get what you want.”

  I laughed as she created a box like she was a mime. I helped steer the stroller. “Being a SEAL isn’t like the movies.”

  She winked at me and retook the stroller. “I’m sure it’s not. What was the best part of the job?”

  Her son started crying. She stopped short and turned him toward us. I knelt down and motioned that I could hold him. She unstrapped her son, kissed his head, and handed him to me.

  He smelled good, and I was captivated by his big blue eyes. As we stood up again and I held him to my chest to keep him close, I blinked and remembered her question. “Being around others who I knew were just as capable as me and that we’d look out for each other. I missed my mom’s cooking, but otherwise, my team was like family.”

  Her lips curved into a wide smile as she glanced up. “That sounds nice.”

  Her son took hold of my finger and held it tight. My heart melted a little as I said, “And you sound like you and your family are close.”

  She wiped her eyes like she had sudden tears when she stared at us and said, “That’s one of the best parts of my life. I have people who care about me.”

  I inhaled and hugged her son as I said, “Include me on your list, Mary.”

  She placed her small fingers on my hip. “You care about me?”

  I bounced her boy, and he laughed. “Is that a problem?”

  “No.” She went onto her tiptoes and tugged me to lower my face as she said, “It’s nice. Look, I don’t live in a fancy place or anything, but you’re welcome to come over.”

  I kissed her cheek. “I’m touched.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

  Her boy closed his eyes, so I put him back in the stroller. She helped me with the straps. As we finished, I said, “That I need to get my things from the hotel, but I’m excited to spend every second I can with you.”

  As we headed toward the parking lot, she said, “Okay, look, I shouldn’t ask you over.”

  “You want me. It’s okay to admit it.”

  She typed a text into her phone. “I’m probably crazy, but here is my address. Meet us there.”

  I pressed my hand to my chest. “I’ll be fast.”

  Then I walked her to her car and helped her with the stroller and baby seat. Once her baby was secure, I quickly claimed her lips as my own.

  Mary was an angel who I needed to keep in my life. Her kiss set my skin alive and awake as adrenaline raced through me. She was mine—now, forever—if she would have me.

  Chapter Eight

  Mary

  I came home. My son had woken up in the car but slept for most of the ride, so it had been easy to put him in his crib. Then I quickly put the washed dishes away, cleaned up the room, and took a sixty-second shower to wash myself without wetting my hair.

  Any second, Dwayne would show up, so I applied moisturizer. My skin still buzzed from his touch, and I’d caved in letting him come here.

  Bruce was young enough to not remember much, and honestly, Dwayne’s touch made my knees weak.

  As I finished ensuring my spare bedroom was clean, my stomach did a little flip. This was about to be real, and where I’d have to show him if we—no, when we—honestly, I couldn’t even say the words, but that night we were going to repeat our night in the hotel.

  There was a knock at the door as the moon appeared in the sky, and I checked the peephole.

  The huge guy with sexy dimples on the other end was all mine.

  I swallowed and flung open the door. Then his lips met mine. I rose up higher on my toes and held onto him.

  Once the kiss ended, I invited him in, and he offered a bottle of wine.

  I double-locked the door and put the bottle down to grab glasses for us. Dwayne explored my living room but was clearly looking for something.

  I left the kitchen and pressed a finger to my lips. Then I opened my bedroom door and waved for him to follow me.

  We stood over the crib, and I said, “Normally, he sleeps with me in my room.”

  I motioned for us to leave, and I closed the door.

  “We can go in your bedroom later. Is this going to be his room?”

  My body softened at his words as he pointed to other room. I took his hand and opened the door. “Yeah, but it has a bed for when my brother stays here, for now.”

  We left the door open and stood outside, but Dwayne asked, “Do you call him over often?”

  Almost a year ago, I’d had to learn to live all by myself, with a baby. When I’d signed the lease, I’d been nervous. My face heated when I started to explain. “At the beginning of moving here, yeah…”

  The front door rattled like someone wanted to get in. Dwayne crossed his arms and asked, “Who’s that?”

  My heart twisted in my chest as fear inched through my body. I trekked forward to look as I said, “No one I invited… give me a second…” At the door, my stomach clenched, and I stepped back.

  Why was he back? Ice raced up my spine. I wasn’t sure what to do.

  Dwayne then took my hands, and the world became full of color again when he asked, “Who is it?”

  Heat rushed through me, changing me and centering me back in my body. I pushed my hair behind my ear and said, “Arthur. My lawyer said the restraining order goes into effect at midnight.”

  Dwayne led me back to my living room and rubbed my arms as he asked, “He’s your ex?”

  I placed my hand on his chest. These men were so different, and honestly, Dwayne was double a man’s normal size, yet his heart under my palm somehow didn’t scare me. I swallowed and said, “I hadn’t seen him until yesterday.”

  His face darkened, and he patted my shoulder. “Stay back. I’ll have words with him.”

  I tugged on his arms. “Don’t. It’s my battle.”

  He kissed my knuckles. “You’ve already been told you’re not welcome here.”

  True. I trembled a little, but he unlocked the door and then stood, fully blocking my view.

  Half of me wanted to run in the bedroom and lock myself in there with Bruce.

  However, I stood where I was and listened as Arthur asked, “Who are you?”

  Dwayne didn’t budge from the frame of the door and said, “Mary’s boyfriend. And you’re interrupting our evening.”

  Boyfriend? I felt hot. He sounded so serious.

  Arthur’s voice screeched like static, “I didn’t know she’d found someone else.”

  Dwayne held the door like he was about to shut it. “Look, buddy, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave Mary and Bruce the fuck alone.”

  Wow. I’d have never sounded half as forceful. Arthur’s voice no longer banged against my skin like nails when he said, “He’s my son. You’re a man. You must understand.”

  “Step back,” Dwayne said, and my heart froze. Arthur would be stupid to threaten Dwayne. “I’ve killed men with my bare hands. Mary and her son are under my protection now.”

  “Mary!” Arthur called out.

  My heart thumped, but I pressed Dwayne’s shoulder and wiggled beside him as I said, “Go, Arthur. Don’t come back.”

  Dwayne slammed the door, and I locked it.

  Once we were sure he was gone down the hall, I returned to the wine and poured us each a glass as I asked, “Is what you said true, Dwayne?”

  He leaned on the countertop and took his glass. “Yeah. In war, hand-to-hand combat happens.”

  I sipped from my glass and then put it down. “I didn’t mean that.”

  He directed me to my couch. “What did you mean?”

  He took up most of the sofa, but I curled up beside him. “Boyfriend. Is that what you want to be, with me?”

  “Yeah.” He wrapped his a
rm around my shoulder. “I’d like that, Mary.”

  “We don’t make sense.” I fluttered my lashes, and my heart raced. “You don’t even live near me.”

  His lips came closer, and I put my wineglass down so I wouldn’t spill. “We have a lot to figure out, but I want you, and I don’t share well.”

  He put his glass beside mine, and our hands brushed. I ignored the racing heat in my veins as I said, “I’m scared of how easy everything is with you.”

  He touched my arm and left a trail of goose bumps. “Are relationships supposed to be hard?”

  I opened my lips and let out a small sigh. “I’ve avoided them, to be honest.”

  Adrenaline coursed through me, and my lips were moist when he leaned closer. “That guy at the door doesn’t represent all men.“

  I closed my eyes and said, “True enough. You’re more like my brother.”

  He sat back, but his hand pressed on my thigh as he said, “I hope the fuck not.”

  I laughed. That had clearly not been sexy. I was out of practice. “No, I mean you’re protective and sweet. But unlike him, you’re sexy and make my heart skip a beat.”

  He curled his hand under my thigh to bring me closer. “That’s better.”

  Butterflies grew in my soul. “But you’re good to me, and I like that about you.”

  He asked, “Are you safe here?”

  I sucked my bottom lip and ignored the ice that inched up my back. I was different now. I took his hands in mine and squeezed. “I hope so. I mean, Arthur coming over makes me nervous, but that’s just started happening. For the past year, since I became a mom, I’ve been really learning to believe in myself, and we’ve been fine.”

  He tilted his head toward me and said, “Good.”

  I swallowed and nodded now that the truth was all coming out of me. “And I started online classes for a degree in management.”

  He smiled at me, and I swear I saw acceptance in the gleam of his eyes when he said, “You already manage a shelter.”

  I exhaled, and the coldness in my veins dissipated. “True, but I want to be respected and learn things. I skipped learning a lot about myself, but learning about other things is almost easier than looking inward.”