by Vonnie Davis
ZQ’s dark eyebrows dipped. “So what’s your middle name? Susie? Clementine?”
“Morgan, wiseass.”
JJ ran a finger over his lips in a weak attempt at hiding a smile. One black eyebrow arched. “I gotta tell ya, your voice has a rusty quality to it.”
Reece’s scowl bounced from JJ to the commander. “Both you sons-a-bitches can go to hell. I promised Gina and Junebug I’d force myself to talk more.” He shrugged. “A man lives up to his promises.”
Gina pivoted from the window, less pale than she’d been earlier. “Give me a few weeks to think things through and spend some time just talking with Ashley.” She pushed her fingers through her hair. “I’m tired. I need to take Piper home, fix supper, and spend some time with her and the kitty. Plus, this evening’s the damn highlight of my week. Bathroom cleaning and changing cat litter once I get Piper down for the night.”
Her shoulders straight with tension or exhaustion, Gina headed for the double doors, stopping for a beat to press a hand to Reece’s chest. Their gazes connected. It seemed their souls did, too. A helluva time for her touch to whip through every cell of his being, sparking his sexual desires again.
ZQ aimed his steely gray eyes on Reece after she left. “Something going on between you two I ought to know about?” He raised an open palm. “Not that I would mind but, hell man, are you ready for any kind of involvement at this stage of your recovery?”
“Involvement?” Dammit, now he was pissed—and he hated being pissed. He didn’t appreciate anyone nosing into his personal business, not that he had any. A brief necking session and holding her close with his one arm to offer comfort didn’t exactly qualify as their having any kind of romantic connection. Maybe if he kept telling himself that lie, his heart and rising testosterone levels would believe it. Never gonna happen, buddy.
“Hell, can’t a man have friends? You think I wouldn’t have your six if you needed me? Or JJ or Nance?”
ZQ cupped his shoulder. “You sound like a man running scared, son. Gina’s a fine woman. There’s not a damn thing wrong with developing feelings for her, but you’ve got issues of your own to work through first.” He looked at Reece’s amputee arm. “You want to explain why your stump is bandaged? Your eyes are a little glassy. You running a fever?”
“Low grade, according to Gina. I went overboard doing push-ups with my prosthesis last night. I’ve got blisters and some bleeding. Gina pitched a bitch of a fit.” He lifted a shoulder. “Nothing new where she’s concerned. She’s always ragging on me about something.”
Someone squealed and little feet pounded the wooden floors through the living room. “Uncle Zee! You’re here!”
Piper charged into ZQ’s office and leapt into his outstretched arms. “Uncle Zee!” She smacked a couple of kisses on his face. “Mommy told me you were in here.”
A jab of disappointment punched Reece’s gut. He’d enjoyed his afternoon with Piper and her bubbly attention. The unexpected hero worship. Sharing her didn’t settle so well; his gut clenched and rolled. Get a fuckin’ grip, man.
A wide grin spread and the commander blew raspberries against Piper’s neck, making her giggle. “How’s Uncle Zee’s favorite little girl?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Reece and twiddled her fingers. “Actually, I’m going to be Reece’s little girl, although we’re still in negotiations on that deal. He can be stubborn about stuff. But I’ll always be your sweet niece. How’s that? Momma’s not into getting married, but she does think Reece is cute.”
“Oh, does she now?” ZQ’s eyes sparked with humor as his gaze rose from Piper’s to Reece’s.
“Mm-hum. And if I keep talking to her about Reece’s good points…and he’s got a lot…I might convince her to give him a chance. He likes animals and he reads stories really, really well.” Piper extended her little arms heavenward. “Piper Morgan Browning. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I’ll finally have my own daddy. It’ll be epic!”
Kee-ryst! I’m getting out of here. He took a couple of steps backward.
As if the kid had eyes in the back of her head, she turned and pointed at him. “Reece Morgan. Don’t you dare leave this room. I need you to carry me out to the car.”
JJ bumped Reece’s shoulder as he and Nance walked by. “I’ve heard of men being pussy-whipped before, but never crayon-whipped.”
“Kiss my lily-white ass,” Reece hissed.
Nance swiped her tongue over the ass of Reece’s Levi’s and he nearly jumped out of his pants. Honest to God, there were times he wondered if the dog wasn’t half human the way she seemed to understand conversations and respond in some comical way.
“Piper, where are you? It’s time for us to go.”
“Coming, Momma.” The blond cherub leaned both arms toward Reece. “How about a horsey-back ride? We can do that with you only having one whole arm.” She smiled and he was toast.
Reece walked over to her and turned. She coiled around his back like a skinny boa constrictor. Her arms circled his neck and her legs, his chest. He secured her feet in place with his arm.
“I’ve seen Olivia’s poppa carry her around like this and I always wondered what it would be like. Now I know, Daddy.”
He stopped. What was he to do? He wouldn’t hurt this sweet child, but it was wrong to go along with her childhood fantasies. “Piper, we talked about this earlier. We’re going to be special friends. Won’t that be nice?” When he’d explained all this as he showed her the new colt, he thought she understood and agreed. Now it was plain she hadn’t. “Special friends do things together that ordinary friends don’t. Am I good enough to be your special friend?”
She leaned her mouth to his ear. “I already have a special friend—Olivia. What I really need is a daddy. I told you earlier, with our having the same middle names, it’s like a sign.” She sighed as if he was too dumb to understand. “Like when a rooster crows, it means the sun is coming up or when you see lightning, thunder will follow.” One of her small hands patted his Adam’s apple. “Don’t you worry. I’ve got a plan and I’m nearly a genius, so it’ll work.” She bounced on his back. “Giddyup, horse.”
But he was worried. He’d have to talk to Gina about this. Piper was in for a serious letdown. He’d seen his niece cry several times when Riley, his twin brother, left their small ranch for parts unknown. The self-centered, coke-snorting bastard.
Little Brooke had cried her heart out, beating her fists on Reece because he wasn’t her daddy. He allowed her to pour out her pain and frustrations. His niece was suffering her first broken heart, maybe the worst of her life. Dear God, he couldn’t do the same thing to Piper.
He walked into the kitchen, ducking down enough to make sure the little chatterbox’s head cleared the top of the doorway.
Junebug filled a bag with plastic containers. “Now you won’t have to cook when you get home, Gina. Everything should still be hot. Oh, look at this! Miss Piper has her own man to carry her to the car.”
“He’s a horse, Miz Junebug. My fiery steed. Look at his beautiful mane.” Piper rubbed her cheek over his hair.
Oh, I’m a horse, all right. A horse’s ass. How could she get so attached to me in one freakin’ day? What did I do that was so special?
By the jut of Gina’s chin and the narrowing of her eyes, he got the distinct feeling she considered him a horse’s ass, too. “Thanks for supper, Junebug. Horse, if you’re carrying my daughter to the car, follow me.” She snatched her purse from the table and carefully held the bag ZQ’s mom handed her. With shoulders rigid, she marched to her vehicle and stopped. “Well, crap, what a perfect ending to a perfect day.”
“Daddy,” Piper whispered in his ear. “It’s another sign. The two goats on the hood of Momma’s SUV are a poppa and baby goat, just like you and me.”
Kee-ryst, the kid knows how to work every angle.
“Gina, if you’ll unlock the doors, I’ll put Piper in her car seat. You can buckle her in while I get the goats off your car.”
A Rhode Island Red flew over Gina’s head. She squealed and ducked. The reddish chicken landed on the hood and proceeded to peck the poppa goat as he chewed on fresh green leaves on the low-hanging limbs of the huge oak tree. “Mr. Goat, I know exactly how you feel.”
Gina whirled on him and narrowed her eyes again. “What did you mean by that?” She pressed the button on her key fob and the locks chirped in release. “Sorry, I’m being rude. I’m still shaken by that meeting in ZQ’s office. I was grateful you sided with me.”
“I thought I made it clear this morning, I’ll do whatever I can to protect you. Maybe I didn’t say so in exact words, but I assumed you felt what I meant.”
“Truthfully, Reece, this morning confused me.” Stepping in front of him, Gina opened the back door. He squatted and Piper kissed his hair and his cheek before she let go of him to crawl into her seat.
Gina made sure she was fastened in properly, closed the door, and pivoted. Her soft brown eyes locked on his and a small smile blossomed. “When you promised me earlier you’d talk more, I never expected you meant you’d say so much. I was on the verge of having a panic attack right there in ZQ’s office. Usually I can keep things together better than that. It was as if you knew, Reece.”
He brushed a tendril of blond hair away from her cheek and her lips parted at his touch. “I did know. Having had enough of them myself, I recognized the signs. I also know you’re a proud woman. Saving face is important to you.”
She’d planted her hand on his chest, her fingertips gently rubbing, digging their way inside where he hadn’t allowed anyone for a long time. God help him, he wanted to hold her, to kiss those soft lips of hers again. But what kind of message would that send her? He was too damaged mentally to have a healthy relationship with her or that sweet child who was all eyes and smiles as she watched the two of them talking.
“You’ve had a long day. Go home. Rest.” He shooed the rooster off the SUV’s hood. “I’m not sure how you goats got up here, but you better hope you didn’t scratch the paint.” He scooped the daddy goat into his arm and lifted him to the ground. The baby started bleating right away and Reece wrapped his arm around her to help her join the other pygmy goat.
Gina started the vehicle and he waved. A loud commotion came from the backseat as Gina wound down her window. “She wants a kiss.” Exhaustion was in her voice and in her eyes. He couldn’t recall seeing Gina appearing so weary. The meeting really had hit her hard.
He opened the back door and leaned in to kiss Piper on the forehead, ignoring her puckered lips. “Do me a favor, precious Piper. Make your mommy lie down when you get home and rub some lotion on her bare feet. She looks really tired and kind of sad. Will you pamper her like a big girl?”
Piper nodded. “Don’t worry about a thing.” She folded her arms. “I got this.”
He touched her nose with the tip of his finger. “I knew you were the right person for the job.” He winked at her and she blew him a kiss as he closed the door.
Chapter 9
Gina checked on Piper in her rearview mirror as she drove over the gravel lane. “What was all that about back there between you and Reece?”
“He’s worried about you, Momma. He said you seemed sad. Are you depressed?”
Depressed? Where did Piper come up with words too big for everyday use by a six-year-old? If only her baby girl knew how depressed she was. How she feared Piper finding out the truth. She stopped and, after checking for traffic, pulled onto the macadam two-lane road. “I’m tired, baby. It’s been a long, rough day.”
“I’m glad you and Reece are getting to be special friends like he says the two of us are.”
Did a special friend kiss her the way he did this morning? Sweet mercy, the man knew his way around a woman’s mouth. Maybe her simmering reaction was purely hormonal because she was rarely kissed or embraced as securely as he’d held her afterward. She had to admit Reece’s holding her hand during ZQ’s talk in his office had helped keep the panic attack from bursting forth like a category-five hurricane. He had an effect on her she couldn’t deny or explain. I need to stop obsessing over this guy and focus on my daughter.
“What all did you do today?”
“I helped Miz Junebug make meatloaf. I made this special icing for on top of them because we made them like cupcakes. I threw Frisbee with Nance. Boy, she can jump high. Then I made a sandwich for Reece and he ate it all. Said it was the best sandwich he’s ever had. The bestest in the whole world!” She raised her arms in a wide “V” like a cheerleader.
Glancing in her rearview mirror, Gina saw ink on her daughter’s arm. “Did you write on yourself? Is that ink I’m seeing?”
Piper looked at her arm as if she’d never seen the scribbling before. “Yeah, it’s some numbers I want to remember. Oh, Reece took me out to the stables to see the baby colt. It’s a girl and she’s only a few hours old. She’s standing already on her skinny legs. Isn’t that something?”
Gina recognized a quick change of topic when she heard it, but frankly she was too emotionally drained to push the ink issue. “Yes, that is something.”
“Reece told me how to act around a horse. I’m to use my whisper voice. Horses can get skittish and act impulsive, especially around strangers. He explained how to approach them and hold out a hand for them to sniff. He…he put a sugar cube on my palm and warned me not to squeal when the horse nibbled it off.” Her little pointy chin jutted. “I didn’t, either.”
The tension eased from Gina amid all the chatter from Piper. “Did it tickle?”
“Yeah. Their lips are soft and kinda hairy. Reece said I did really good.” She quieted for ten seconds. “We let the chickens out of their pen and sprinkled kernels of corn and grain on the ground for them to eat while Miz Junebug fed and watered her little goats. We went inside and Reece took off my sneakers. We had some of Miz Junebug’s cookies and milk. Then Reece and I went in on the sofa. He read to me until he started to snore.”
Piper did an imitation of how he must have sounded and Gina laughed. She braked at a stop sign and sighed. The best decision she’d ever made was to continue with the pregnancy even with no father present. The thought of life without her child was something she couldn’t comprehend. Her daughter taught her how to love again, to be happy, and to look forward to the future. She was not the emotional albatross Gina’s retired Marine father claimed his granddaughter would be.
He’d waged quite the campaign against her carrying the child full-term. In the end, he’d disowned Gina for disobeying him. A move that compounded her heartache. Her stubborn dad still refused to see Piper, and Gina knew deep in her heart it was his loss.
She pulled onto the highway and turned right at Albertsons food store, then a quick left onto Bluebell Street, where she and Piper had lived for the past four years. The little Cape Cod she’d bought was comfortable even without all the future upgrades Gina planned as money permitted. She’d purchased it when real estate prices were low. Being self-employed meant you never knew how your budget could expand—or shrink. Paying cash had become her mantra.
Her first big upgrade had been central air. The second was a concrete driveway leading to a new garage with laundry facilities attached to the kitchen. She’d been arguing with herself over the next renovation project: a kitchen remodel with a dishwasher or an updated bathroom with a shower. Heaven help her, she wanted both.
Once she pulled into the driveway, Whirlwind jumped from his perch at the double windows in the living room and was no doubt scampering to the side door to greet them with his “my-feed-bowl’s-empty—I’m-dying-here” meow.
Filling the kitten’s bowl with dry food and the automatic water fountain with fresh water were Piper’s chores. Meanwhile, Gina threw a load of laundry in the washer in the garage before setting the table and unloading the supper Junebug packed for them.
Maybe she’d do only half her chores tonight—the litter box. She and Piper could snuggle and watch an animated movie. Hearing
about Ashley’s experience had wiped her out emotionally.
Piper’s chatter continued while they ate. The second time she stopped and asked if her mother was paying attention, Gina finally locked the bad memories in her mental closet and smiled. “Yes, sweetheart, I’m listening. I’m a little slow tonight.”
“What you need is some pampering. I’ll wash our dishes and Miz Junebug’s plastic containers while you take a bubble bath.” Piper shoved a stool in front of the sink, her little tongue tucked between her front teeth. Eager for a ride, Whirlwind jumped on the top of the stool and then pranced across the counter, her paw batting at the running water. Piper squeezed in enough dish detergent to wash plates for a battalion. “Go on,” Piper said, shooing her with a dishrag. “We didn’t use any knives so I won’t cut my fingers.”
Gina gave the kitchen a quick visual just to make sure it was safe to leave Piper alone. Her baby was growing up too fast. And how many times a day did she tell herself that?
The bubbly hot water in the claw-foot bathtub rose to lap at Gina’s nipples. Her muscles unwound in the water’s warmth as she mentally ticked off all she’d done with her clients today. Had she missed anything? The leaking spigot bothered her and she absentmindedly stuck her big toe in it to quiet the tedious dripping.
She should have examined Reece’s stump before she left, but she was so focused on her own feelings she hadn’t given him a single thought. Once she was through with her bath, she’d call him. He could remove the bandage before he went to bed and allow some air to hit it. She’d rewrap it in the morning.
When she would straddle his one knee to minister to the stump, would his other leg lean to touch hers? Would his hand slid up her top and cover her breast again? She moaned at the memory. There was such passion that emanated from his body. It made her girly parts all hot and horny, a foreign yet sweetly feminine feeling. Her hand slid beneath the water and touched her needy lips pulsing with thoughts of one hazel-eyed man and the effects of his deep voice on her when he chose to use it.