Unhurt

by Thomas, K. S.

  My blood was coming to an instant boil. “What did she do?”

  Bobby shrugged, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. “What she always does. Kicked him hard in the balls and then went to war with everything she had to keep Wyatt as far away from him as possible.”

  “Did he ever try to make good on his threats?” Mentally I was already trying to figure out how I could park my truck outside of her house night after night without her noticing. If this asshole was back in her life, I wasn’t about to give him free access to her and Wyatt. He’d have to come through me first. And that’d be fucking impossible.

  Bobby’s face turned grim again. “Travis was stalking her all throughout the custody battle, couldn’t ever prove it though. Since the cops wouldn’t do anything, Mattie and I started taking shifts on her couch, along with a couple of the other guys.” He nodded over at the main bar and I knew he meant members of his crew when he said ’other guys’. “The night after Joss won the case, there was a massive fire. Her whole place went up in flames. Fucking miracle everyone got out alive. The house was old and they wrote it off as bad wiring, but I’m telling you, it had Travis written all over it. He must have been worried too, because that was the last we heard of him. Until now.”

  “So are you back to crashing at her place then?”

  Bobby shook his head. “I can’t. Her new house is so fucking far away I’d never get any sleep. I’d be too busy driving back and forth all the damn time. Besides, Aunt Deb is there most nights and so far, Travis hasn’t done anything to suggest he’s stalking Joss again.”

  Somehow that didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

  “I could do it.” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  “You could do what? Crash at my sister’s and keep an eye out for her stalker? No offense dude, but you offer that right now and you’re going to come off just as creepy as Travis.” He slapped me on the back and chuckled. “I appreciate it though, man. And if it gets to the point that I think she needs it, I’ll let you know.”

  I nodded, but managed to keep my goddamn mouth shut this time. I didn’t know what the fuck I was thinking. I barely knew Joss. But then, you didn’t spend over a decade as a SEAL and not come out with some sort of an ingrained need to protect the weak and vulnerable at all cost. Maybe that’s all this was. My instincts running rampant. Maybe after nearly a year of no action, I was just desperate for a mission. No matter what it was.

  Chapter Five

  My lawyer had just said her goodbyes and taken off after spending twenty minutes reassuring me that everything would work out. I was trying hard to convince myself she knew what she was talking about, but the more I went over it in my head, the closer I came to determining it was all bullshit and she was just bluffing for the sake of my sanity.

  As if he could sense my moment of vulnerability, Travis came slithering over from whatever dark hole in hell he spent the bulk of his time.

  “Won’t be long now.” He was smiling as usual. It took everything I had not to claw his fucking lips off of his smug face.

  “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to let you get anywhere near my son.” I didn’t shout. I didn’t place my hands on my hips defensively. I didn’t even scowl or squint. In fact, I smiled right back at that asshole. He’d never know how terrified I was of what he could do to me. What he could do to Wyatt.

  “There you go again, getting all confused. I’m his father. You...you’re nobody to him. And soon he’ll know that.” Even though he was trying not to show it, I knew I’d gotten to him by referring to Wyatt as mine. Because that was, after all, what this was all about. I had something of his.

  I laughed. It hurt. Physically. “You’re an idiot, Travis. And I feel bad for you because you’re so stupid you can’t even see how everything you do and say just proves how unfit you are.”

  “If I’m so unfit why did the judge agree to reopen the case? Huh?”

  I shrugged. “Because you found a way to look good on paper. You’re not the only one who can do that, you know?” I nodded, agreeing with myself. I’d made a good point. So what if Travis had gone and gotten married and found a real job. Who was to stop me from doing the exact same thing?

  “See you in court, Travis.” I winked at him as I strolled past as if I didn’t have a care in the world.

  I was halfway to the parking lot when I heard him shout, “A lot can happen in a month, Joss.”

  There wasn’t much need to get creative about what he was insinuating. Travis was back in full force and I’d be sleeping with one eye open for the foreseeable future if I intended to survive him a second time.

  It was already after five by the time I was driving out of there. With traffic working against me, I wouldn’t be home in time for Wyatt’s bedtime as it was. Which might have been better anyway. No matter how much I tried to shield him from things, he was an extremely perceptive child. There was no way he wouldn’t pick up on just how excruciatingly tense and terrified I was right now.

  I sat at the stop sign lingering over my choices. Left would take me home. Right would take me into the historic part of downtown and the Flying Monk. If I was really going to make good on my threat to match Travis on paper, there was no time like the present to get the ball rolling. So, I went right.

  Twenty minutes later and I was barreling through the doors of my brother’s bar and marching straight for the back counter where Mattie was working. Squeezing in between Howie and Ralph sitting in their regular spots, I took one quick look around the place. My brother was nowhere in sight. Good. Bobby’d probably just tell me I was being crazy and kick me out if he heard me.

  “Mattie!”

  He looked up from the beer cooler, two bottles in hand. “Joss, what’s up?” He placed the drinks down on the counter to replace two empty ones and then strolled over to meet me.

  “I need a favor. I need you to marry me.” Shit. I was being crazy.

  Mattie snorted. “That’s a pretty big fucking favor.”

  My face gave way to a pained expression. “I know. I wouldn’t ask, except Travis is back and he’s fighting me for Wyatt again. Apparently, he went and got all cleaned up while he was gone. He’s fucking flawless on paper. Good job. Married with kids! I need to level the playing field.”

  Mattie flipped his bar rag onto his shoulder and leaned over the counter so he wouldn’t have to shout. “Look, Joss. I get what you’re saying, and if things were different I totally would. But I can’t marry you.”

  “Why not?” I sounded like a petulant child who’d been denied dessert.

  “Because,” he shrugged like it was obvious, “Bree.”

  Right around then was when I abandoned all reason and flew completely off the handle. “What do you mean you can’t marry me because of Bree? You two have been dating for like two seconds. You and I have been friends for eight years!”

  Mattie’s eyes went wide. I was pretty sure I’d scared him a little with my outburst. Maybe a lot, judging by the way he was moving his rag from his shoulder to hang from his belt in front of his crotch.

  “It’s not that,” he hissed, “Bree’s pregnant. Just found out yesterday.”

  Any normal person would have offered a congratulatory handshake at this point. But I was no normal person. Clearly. “Are you fucking kidding me? What is so hard about strapping on a motherfucking condom, Mattie?”

  I was well on my way to alienating one of my oldest friends.

  “Shit, Joss. Excuse me for having a kid of my own and not being able to help you with yours.”

  Then, out of nowhere, or rather, two seats over, I heard, “I’ll do it.”

  Derek. I hadn’t even seen him before now. I leaned back to get a better look at his face. “You’ll do what?”

  He was turned sideways in his barstool, Heineken bottle in hand. “I’ll marry you.”

  I was stumped. “You want to marry me?”

  Keeping with his casual tone, Derek nodded to confirm
. “I do. Tomorrow morning good for you?”

  Still talking over Howard, who was placed uncomfortably between us, I threw one hand up on my hip and squinted suspiciously. “Why?”

  “Well, the courthouse is closed for the day and I have a job in the afternoon, so I really only have the morning. Unless you want to wait until Thursday...” He was explaining everything so matter-of-factly, I had no choice but to conclude he was even crazier than I was. This had bad idea written all over it.

  “No, not why tomorrow morning. Why do you want to marry me?” I had a lot of nerve using a tone that suggested he was the one sitting in the mental ward, but then, nerve was all I had these days.

  Of course, he was also kind of asking for it. And apparently didn’t mind it.

  “Because I can and Mattie can’t.” As if it was that simple.

  My arms slipped down to my sides, flapping and dangling like lackluster sails abandoned by the wind. “You’re serious.”

  Derek placed his Heineken on the counter and stood up from his seat. He took two steps toward me and then dropped down on one knee. I thought I might throw up.

  “Whooaaa, now. What are you doing?”

  He grabbed one of my limp hands. “Shut up. I got this.” He cleared his throat. “Joss Kelley, for the sake of saving your family and also because I’m hoping this will mean I won’t have to pay you for painting my furniture...will you marry me?”

  Holy shit. I mean, I knew it was a fake proposal. But HOLY SHIT.

  “You’re insane.”

  He didn’t move. “What?! This was your idea. You just proposed to Mattie two minutes ago.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve spent more than just one day with him.”

  Derek shrugged. “And that didn’t seem to work in your favor.”

  I gasped. “You motherfucker. Fine, but remember - You asked for this.”

  “Is that a yes?” Right around then I noticed he was still holding onto my hand.

  “Apparently it is.”

  Derek grinned as he got back to his feet. Then, in case the entire bar crowd wasn’t already staring at us like we were circus freaks, he lifted our hands into the air and shouted, “We’re getting married. Drinks on me!” Naturally, everyone cheered. Except for me.

  “What are you doing? You’re acting like this is a real engagement.” And if he didn’t quit I’d be tempted to believe him. The way my life had been going lately, I’d be all too happy to abandon reality for this kind of deluded fairy tale shit if he continued to throw it around so carelessly.

  “Relax. I know this arrangement is lacking the very vital romance component, but just because it’s a marriage of convenience instead of love, doesn’t mean it can’t be celebrated. Besides, you look like you could use it.” He nudged me gently in the side. “Plus, I’ll take that ‘you’re a fucking moron face’ you’re giving me right now over the one you had when you walked in here, any day of the week.”

  “Good to know. You keep this shit up and you’ll be seeing it a lot.” It was either that or my ugly cry face because he was quite literally moving me to tears with all of his knight in shiny armor crap. Oh well, if he still wanted to marry me come morning, at least for one brief moment I would be able to claim I had a husband who was not only the sexiest man I’d ever seen , but knew his way around a tool box, was kind to animals, and spent his free time volunteering for children’s charities. Yeah, if I absolutely had to get married, I could do worse than marry Derek Tice.

  ***

  “Here, one round. Don’t go crazy.” I handed Mattie my debit card. I had no fucking clue what I was doing anymore. Apparently, I was getting married though. And, it seemed, I was happy about it. Not because I was looking forward to some fantasy of wedded bliss, but because for the first time since I’d left the Navy, I felt like I had something of value to contribute other than my occasional participation in the dog therapy program.

  I wasn’t hunting down terrorists or fighting for freedom in some repressed shithole of the world, but this meant something, too. Maybe it should have paled in comparison, but truth was, knowing that I could keep a son in the arms of his mother, keep them both together, keep them safe, it seemed like the perfect mission for someone seeking redemption. Not that I could ever truly redeem myself for what I’d done, but maybe, just maybe, if I could pay if forward often enough, I could someday be at peace with the debt I could never pay back.

  When I turned around toward the crowd I saw Joss still standing in the middle of the room, clearly unsure how to proceed. Well, we’d have to wing it because I didn’t know either.

  “Hey,” I tugged her elbow to get her attention. “Let’s step outside for a minute.”

  She pressed her lips together tightly and nodded.

  We walked to the door, followed by random cheers and congratulatory handshakes as we moved through. The deserted sidewalk was a welcome change of pace by the time we finally made it to the exit.

  “You don’t really have to marry me, it’s fine. I mean, it was ridiculous of me to come in here asking Mattie in the first place. I was just desperate.” Joss was rambling. “But seriously, I don’t really expect you to go through with that crazy proposal you made in there.”

  “Are you kidding me? I just paid for a hundred drinks. We are getting married! No take backs, no bailing.” I reached up to grasp her hand and unfold her arms in the process. “I knew what I was doing when I volunteered to marry you. I’m not changing my mind, so don’t you. You need this, Joss. Let me do it for you.”

  She sucked in a deep breath of air, trying to ward off her emotions. It was pointless. “Everything is such a mess. Honestly, I don’t even know if this will make a difference.”

  Automatically, I brought her to me and held her tight while she continued to cry.

  “Well, we won’t know unless we try, right?”

  “I guess.” She sniffed against my shoulder. “Thank you...just, thank you.” Her head turned up at me. Her big green eyes were flooded to the point of overflowing. Between the tears and the sheer depth of what lie beneath them, I knew in an instant I would fucking drown there if I ever let myself fall in.

  Chapter Six

  Since there was a three day waiting period between getting the marriage license and being able to get married, we couldn’t follow through with Derek’s initial proposal to have a wedding the next day. We did however meet on the front steps of the court house to acquire our license first thing in the morning.

  Given the high crazy factor in our endeavor, I opted not to give Aunt Deb any details and simply allowed her to remain innocent and ignorant, believing Derek and I were getting together for a simple breakfast which she repeatedly told me could turn into dinner, wink wink. Oh, there would be dinner alright.

  By some miracle, Bobby never did show up at the bar during my little engagement fiasco the previous night, and pending any furious phone calls from him, my ‘fake marriage-real wedding’ plans were moving along without a hitch.

  “You’re not nervous, are you?” Derek nudged me in the side with his elbow as we walked up the massive steps toward the building.

  “About marrying a guy I barely know in hopes that I won’t lose custody of my son? Psh, not at all.” There was a delay between the words coming out of my mouth and my brain really registering what they were. When it hit me, I froze up mid-step. “Holy shit. What am I thinking? If anyone finds out this marriage is a sham I’ll be even more fucked than I am without a husband.”

  “No one is going to find out.” He was leaning in close to me. So close in fact, for a moment I thought our foreheads might touch.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because,” he pulled back as he reached down to take my hand, “we’re not going to let them.”

  I don’t know why, maybe because I had no other choice, but I believed him.

  Still holding my hand, Derek led the way into the building. Less than an hour later we were walking out again, marriage license in our possession. The whole
experience had made me feel like puking, a sensation I was getting uncomfortably used to. Although I probably wasn’t the only one having that reaction to filling out forms in preparation for a lifetime of legal bondage.

  “Well, that was different.” I glanced down at the papers in my hand.

  “Oh, you’ve never done this before?”

  My head shot up to meet his eyes. “You have?”

  He grinned. “No.”

  I shook my head and slugged him in the arm. “Asshole.”

  He lifted his hand and gently touched the corner of my mouth with the tip of his thumb. “Made you smile though.”

  “How can you be so calm about all of this? You’re about to marry this crazy chick you barely know...with a kid! I mean, have you thought about this? Really thought about what it’s going to take for this to be convincing? There will be home visits. Social workers. Court hearings. You’ll have to be present. You’ll have to MOVE IN!” Why was I the only one freaking out about this?

  “I know, Joss. I know all of that. It’s fine. It’s not like any of it is really going to affect my life all that much. All I do is eat, sleep and work. Maybe have a beer at Bobby’s place a couple nights a week. I’m telling you, I’ve got no life. And if making a few simple changes like sleeping at your place instead of mine can protect you and Wyatt, why not?” Derek nodded toward his truck. “I’m parked over that way.” I could see Hattie sitting in the back, her nose to the wind, enjoying whatever random scents were traveling by. “Where’s your Bronco?”

  For a moment I couldn’t even remember. “Parking garage. So, Hattie’s cool just chillin’ in the back of your pick-up? Don’t you worry she might jump out or get taken?”

  “Nah, she’s fine. She’d live back there if I let her. Listen, we have three days to decide if we want to go through with this. There’s a coffee shop right off of Main Street. Why don’t you hop in and we cruise over there and have a cup...or two. You can ask me anything you want and I promise I’ll answer...but you have to do the same. It will be our own little version of speed dating.”