Cinderella's Guardian

by Khloe Wren

  "It's nothing. I'm just, not used to being carried around. I was always independent, even when I was living with my mother. Now, I can't even get myself breakfast."

  "You know, I was just thinking how convenient it was that I had to carry you around the place. Because, Tina, I love having you in my arms; taking care of you."

  She frowned before she glared at him. "My being a cripple is convenient to you?"

  Oh crap, Conner's breath froze as he realized she'd taken what he'd said completely the wrong way. Conner wished he was more eloquent with words, he wasn't sure how he could make her understand.

  He dropped to his knees and took her face between his palms, "Tina, you are not a cripple. This is temporary. I'll work with you on your rehab and you'll get back your full mobility. I'm sorry if I offended you, baby. I'm not real good with explaining myself most days. I meant that being able to carry you more often is convenient, not your injury. It tears at my soul that you've been injured so severely."

  The single tear that slid down her cheek cracked his heart open.

  "I'm sorry, Conner. I'm just feeling on edge. I didn't mean to lash out at you. So much has happened in such a short period of time. My head is spinning from it all."

  He leaned in to give her a tender kiss, "I know, baby doll. How about we start with breakfast? Bacon and eggs? Cereal? Toast? Coffee?"

  Her hand came up and he reveled in the feel of her fingers softly caressing his face. "Toast and a coffee would be great. Thank you, Conner. For everything."

  "It's no trouble, sweetheart. I love you and would do anything for you."

  She pressed her lips against his and gave him a gentle but ever so powerful kiss, "I love you too, Conner."

  With a groan, he forced himself to leave her to get their breakfast on the go. He'd happily spend all day lavishing attention on his mate, but their fathers would be arriving soon.

  He placed bread in the toaster and poured himself a bowl of cereal. He didn't have time to muck about with eggs and bacon.

  "How do you have your coffee?"

  "White with one."

  "Same as me."

  He set about making the coffees and in no time both of them were munching away on their breakfast and drinking their java. Conner enjoyed watching Tina eat. All her movements were smooth and graceful. Her gymnastics training evident in each gesture she made.

  As they were both finishing off, Conner heard a car pull up. Pushing his chair back, he quickly retrieved the loan wheelchair from the lounge room. He was pretty sure Tina would want to meet her dad under her own steam. Wheeling it into the kitchen, his heart stopped as he watched Tina trying to get up from the chair on her own. He raced to her, wrapping his arm around her waist as she staggered.

  "What are you doing? You could fall, injure yourself again."

  "I thought I heard a car. Is it my dad?"

  "Yeah, baby doll. It's our dads."

  With fear for her still coursing through his body, he scooped her up and deposited her into the chair. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head, lingering to inhale her scent for a moment, allowing her natural citrus fragrance to calm him, before allowing her to wheel herself toward the front door.

  "I'm going to need a new pair of gloves, my skin is still too soft, and it aches from pushing the wheels without the extra padding."

  "Let me push you then. I'll take you shopping today, Tina. We'll get everything you need then, okay?"

  "Yeah, that would be great. You don't have to work?"

  "Only if there's a major callout. They're still a little short staffed but so long as no big fires flare up, they should be right without me."

  He saw her tense as the front door swung open and his dad came in.

  "Here she is, Dale. Waiting for you."

  His dad came over, laid a kiss on Tina's head before giving Conner a quick hug.

  "Hey Dad, uneventful drive over?"

  "Yeah, clear roads the whole way. Made great time."

  Conner turned from his father to the doorway. Dale looked wrecked, but a few days in airports and on planes could do that to a person.

  "sweet pea..."

  Conner's heart stuttered as Dale knelt before his daughter and embraced her in the chair. Tina's sobs as she clung to her father had him blinking back his own tears. Damn, this woman was going to be the end of him. His dad's hand on his shoulder brought his attention away from emotional reunion.

  "C'mon, son. Let's give them a minute or two."

  With a nod, Conner allowed his dad to steer him back toward the kitchen.

  Chapter Nine

  Holding his precious daughter tightly, Dale breathed deeply for the first time in days, finally allowing himself to believe she was unharmed and safe. He kept her in his embrace as she cried.

  "I am so sorry, Tina."

  Through her slowing tears, Tina spoke, "It's not your fault, Dad. You couldn't have known how crazy she was."

  No, but he could have checked her out a little more. Could have hired a trained nurse. He knew he'd be living with his regrets for a long time, no matter how swiftly his daughter forgave him.

  "Why didn't you ever tell me how bad she was, sweet pea?"

  "I don't know. I knew she'd get worse if you knew what she was doing and you wouldn't have been able to get back to me quickly. Honestly, there wasn't any one thing that she did that was bad in itself that I could have told you about. Well, aside from the no rehab thing. When you first left, my focus was on the chaos in my mind. I didn't really notice what she was doing. I didn't notice how far I'd slipped until Conner." She paused and took a deep breath. "I met Conner at the salon. He was picking up his mum, his brother's bride-to-be and her daughter. I was heading to the counter to grab the receipts to enter in-"

  "You were doing what?"

  Damn it, Dale's blood began heating. He paid Robyn well to look after Tina. There was certainly no need for Robyn to put Tina to work! He bet his last dollar Robyn didn't pay her either.

  "Robyn worked out pretty quick that I was good with numbers. So she made me do all the salon's bookwork. It wasn't a big deal, Dad. It actually gave me something to do."

  "It is a big deal. She forced you to work for her, and I can put money on her not paying you for all your hard work?"

  "Ha, yeah, your money's safe on that bet. Anyway, Conner ran into my chair, I crossed in front of the door as he came in. Robyn obviously saw that we were interested in one another because she wheeled me away quick smart and herded Conner and his family out pretty fast too.

  "Conner came back a few times after that, I saw him. Heard the foul things Robyn said to him and accused him of. Anyway, that kind of clued me in on things I'd been ignoring. I started watching her a little more closely. You know she was sleeping in your room? Not the spare one like you told her to."

  "She was doing what? I told her that was a hard and fast rule. My room was off limits."

  Man, maybe the fact his house had burned wasn't so bad. He couldn't handle sleeping where that nutcase had laid her head.

  "Conner and I started meeting at the swing at night, after Robyn had gone to bed. But she found out after a couple weeks. That's when she took my phone and started taking my chair at night. I wanted to ring you but I couldn't get my phone and I didn't know if you'd be able to answer out on the rig."

  "Oh, sweet pea. No wonder you weren't answering my calls. I'm just so sorry. Can you ever forgive me for doing this to you?"

  She gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek, "Dad, there's nothing to forgive. You did what you had to. I'm an adult, I do understand how the world works, you know?"

  "That you do. Probably better than you should have to."

  "I understand Robyn better now too. In the last month I've started paying more attention. Robyn tells Barbara—her employee at the salon—everything. There's no door to the back room, just a curtain. I heard a lot of what they spoke about."

  "I'm pretty sure I know where you're going with this, but please, tell me what you pi
cked up."

  "She's madly in love with you, Dad. Has been since high school. She was and still is insanely jealous of mother. She said she only tolerated being friends with mother so she could be near you. She said more than once that taking on my care was just a means to an end. Apparently, you were meant to fall at her feet in gratitude, completely in love with her."

  A humorless laugh left his throat. "You got the madly and insanely parts right. I barely noticed her. She was Gloria's shadow. Never thought of her as anything more."

  Tina's next words, spoken quietly, were filled with so much pain it ripped through him all the way to his core. "The house is gone, Dad. I couldn't grab anything."

  "It's all just stuff, sweet pea. We can replace all that. Just so long as you got out, that's all that matters. How about we go over in a bit and see if we can salvage anything? You never know our luck."

  "Sounds good, Dad. Conner can come too right?"

  "Want to tell your old man what's going on between you two?"

  "He makes me so happy, Dad. I'm in love for the first time, and he loves me."

  "Just take it slow, Tina. Don't rush into anything."

  Her short laugh made his chest tighten with worry. She brought her hand up to show him a beautiful elegant emerald and diamond ring. Shit, it was on her left ring finger.

  "He proposed? Already?"

  Maybe Robyn had a point with Conner.

  Tina opened her mouth but before a sound came out, Conner's voice came from the doorway. "Sorry, Mr. Anderson. I would have asked your permission if I could have got a hold of you. I love your daughter very much. I want to spend the rest of my life with her by my side. I think I've more than proved my intentions are pure."

  "He's saved my life more than once, Dad. I haven't been the easiest person to be around, yet he's still here."

  Dale looked from his daughter to Conner, their gazes were now locked and it was perfectly clear the love and affection that flowed between them. Looks like his daughter was getting hitched in the near future. He sighed as he scrubbed his face with his hands.

  "I guess, so long as you both are happy and committed to make it last forever, I'm good."

  They both quickly assured him it was definitely forever.

  Unable to contemplate his little girl getting married, he decided a change of subject was in order. "How about we go check out what's left of our house? Then Tina and I have an appointment with Dr. Reid at the hospital."

  After accepting a travel mug of coffee from Jake, he followed Conner and Tina out of the house to go see how much of his house was left. Something he really wasn't looking forward to doing, but something that had to be done.

  ~ * ~

  Robyn flexed her hands in frustration, feeling the burned skin tighten and bite. She forced her fingers to relax then examined them closely and noticed more than one blister had burst. The throbbing pain and heat radiating from her burns was intense, but she couldn't go to the hospital, they'd lock her up.

  "I need to get to Dale, explain what happened."

  Then he could tell the police they didn't need to charge her. Dale could fix it all. Then she'd go to the hospital.

  She shifted her position as a car pulled up across the road. She shuffled forward from where she knelt hidden behind some shrubs, twigs and rocks roughening up her legs. They'd only been slightly singed by the flames but they still didn't appreciate the scuffing up.

  She watched as a forest green Prado pulled up in front of the charred house. Her gaze followed Conner as he got out and retrieved a crappy old wheelchair from the rear.

  "Damn it! I don't need Tina. I only need Dale."

  As if her thoughts had called him, he stepped free from the vehicle and helped Conner get Tina from the car and into her chair before they headed into the remains of the house. Even though the firefighters had arrived quickly last night, the house was basically gutted. It was really bad, but not entirely gone. The roof had completely caved in so she'd guess no one would be allowed into the actual house before an inspector of some sort okayed it.

  She sat back making sure she was still hidden from view and watched as the three of them moved around the ruined house. Conner carefully slipped into the building a few times, returning with little bits of stuff which he handed to Tina or Dale. She was pretty sure the fire inspector would have something to say about them messing with the scene, but she really didn't care. In fact, maybe if they compromised the scene, she'd get away with it.

  Not that it had been intentional.

  Far from it.

  She'd been innocently sitting cross-legged on Dale's bed nursing a candle, which she moved from hand to hand slowly as she focused on the flicker at the tip of the wick. Watching a flame had always soothed her. But her hand had twitched unexpectedly and she'd dropped the candle, the flame quickly igniting the quilt cover. Stupidly, she'd attempted to smother the fire with her hands. Dumb move, but in the heat of the moment she didn't think. As she cried out in pain, the flames took flight over the bed and on to the floor, quickly engulfing the curtains. She'd rushed from the room as fast as she could and singed her legs through the thick denim jeans she had on as she'd crawled from the burning mattress. In her panic she'd fled the house, not remembering Tina at all until she was well away from the fire. She'd come back to see if she'd gotten out. Dale would never forgive her if Tina had died or been harmed in the fire. She'd been trying to work out a way to get into the house when Conner came out with Tina slung under his arm.

  "The boy does have some useful qualities," she quietly admitted to herself.

  After realizing Tina was safely away, she'd made herself comfortable in the shrub across the road and awaited daybreak. She knew Dale would be coming home soon. She just needed to be patient, wait for him. He'd listen to her. He'd understand it was all an accident. Then, he would be hers.

  She turned her attention across the road as they got back into the car. She was just close enough to hear the odd word. She got 'appointment' and 'Reid.' Reid, that was the name of that annoying shrink at the hospital. She pulled herself up and began walking in the direction of the hospital. She could sneak in and approach Dale there. Maybe afterwards she'd get her hands treated properly.

  "The perfect plan."

  Half an hour later she stood behind some trees near the delivery entrance of the hospital. The walk had worn her out. The pain from her burns combined with her lack of sleep, left her feeling considerably unwell.

  "I can't give up now. I've come too far and am too close."

  She easily slipped through the door and into a storage room. Glancing around, a box of syringes caught her gaze. She smiled as her mind formed a plan. But before she acted on it, she found the burn kits. She covered her raw flesh with silica cream before she carefully wrapped gauze around her hands. Thankfully, her fingertips had escaped being too badly burned. She gingerly took a wrapped syringe and slipped it up her sleeve for later use. Then taking another, she opened it and pulled the plunger up. A nice shot of air into someone's bloodstream would cause havoc—even if she missed a vein, she was pretty sure her victim would still not want her to push the plunger down.

  Satisfied she was now armed appropriately, Robyn made her way toward the consulting rooms where the shrink saw most of her patients. Her heart rate did triple time as she heard footsteps coming down the hallway but she managed to quietly slide into an empty patient room. She held her breath as she heard a squeak of a wheel pass the door along with the heavy footsteps. Oh, how convenient. Conner and Tina had left Dale all by his lonesome. She might not need her syringes after all.

  Holding her weapon so it was hidden behind her wrist, she crept from the room and quickly headed down the hallway toward her man.

  ~ * ~

  Dale stood in shocked silence looking at Jennifer as Conner left with Tina. Dr. Reid was Jennifer. The same Jennifer he'd crushed on in school, before he'd met Gloria. In fact, if Jennifer hadn't turned him down, he doubted he would have even given Gloria the
time of day. But she'd been Jennifer Wilson back then, which meant she was married. Reid, he knew that name. Dale forced himself to think back to his school days. Ryan Reid, he was a big bloke. Gentle giant that he was, had refused to join the football team. Dale couldn't blame him for chasing after Jennifer. She had been beautiful and very smart. Still was on both counts.

  "So, Dale. How are you coping with everything?"

  "Well, I realized I put my daughter in the care of a crazy woman and got a phone call after she attempted suicide. Raced home in time to see my house burned down and to discover my daughter has gotten engaged. It's been a rather busy week."

  Jennifer softly chuckled. "And you can throw jetlag in on top of all that too. How about you give yourself a couple of days to reset your body clock to Aussie time? Get rested up, then come back and see me. We'll have a chat about how you're coping with everything then. After you've had some time to process it all."

  Yeah, however he doubted a couple days would be long enough for him to process all of it. Especially the fact his old flame was standing before him.

  "I can't believe it's you."

  She frowned over at him. "What do you mean?"

  "When we spoke on the phone, I didn't realize it was you. Jennifer Wilson."

  "Well, it's Jennifer Reid now, but yeah, it's me."

  "How's Ryan doing these days?"

  He frowned as he watched her entire body stiffen. "He died. Accident at the mines several years back now."

  "Oh shit, I'm sorry, Jen. Didn't mean to drag up painful memories."

  "That's okay, Dale. It happened a long time ago, I've had plenty of time to adjust to being a widow. I'm surprised you remembered either of us to be honest."

  "Seriously? How could I forget my first crush? You shattered my poor pre-teen heart when you turned down my advances."

  She laughed with a smile that reached her eyes. Dale was so glad to see the sad edge to her expression disappear.

  "Now that day I remember. You were so sweet. I wanted to give in to your charms, but I knew you weren't meant for me."

  He stood from where he'd been leaning against the wall and moved toward her. "So, you found me charming. But how could you have known I wasn't meant for you?"