Heart Song Anthology

by Carolyn Faulkner

  She helped him lift his injured leg as he climbed in and then she smoothed the blankets that covered him. This time she bent down and told him she was leaving for home. “Before I go, I will make sure and call your friend to schedule his visit for Thursday afternoon. That is two days from now. He will be happy to see you. He has been calling every day.” She stopped before she reached the door as if just remembering. “Your father has called again also. He wants to visit as soon as you are feeling up to it. He said to tell you he will be bringing your stepmother, of course,” she finished.

  Ike frowned. “Tell my father I will talk to him alone. I don’t want to see that woman he married.”

  Mindy nodded. Same message as always. “Yes, sir, I will relay the message.”

  “Thanks, nurse.” He looked at her nametag for the first time. “Mindy. Thanks for everything.”

  Mindy smiled as she walked out the door and down the hall to the nurses’ station. After making her phone calls, she walked out into the evening. Darkness was just falling as she hurried to her beat-up old car.

  Mindy

  Mindy was tired. It had been a long day, and although she loved her job, it was emotionally draining. She smiled as she thought of Ike. He was a big man. Six foot four and he still had plenty of muscles although he would definitely need to begin working out. He needed a haircut. Maybe she would suggest it tomorrow, so he looked nice for his visitor.

  The doctor said the cast could come off his arm tomorrow. Maybe she would suggest he get into the shower himself. She could wrap his ankle cast in plastic. He hated being dependent on her. She could see it hurt his pride to have to ask for every little thing. As soon as he could, he’d insisted on going to the bathroom on his own. She giggled when she thought of him growling at her. She would suggest he get spiffed up to look better for his visitor. It would help him feel better about himself.

  She turned into the driveway of her small one-bedroom house. It was all she could afford. After quickly unlocking the door she entered, closing, and locking it again. This was not a good neighborhood. Drug dealers stood on the corner most nights. After dropping her keys on the table, she looked around for her companion.

  “Peanut, where are you?” she called and soon a lazy, stretching calico cat came meandering out of her bedroom.

  Peanut rubbed against her leg, purring as Mindy opened the canned cat food and put a good amount in her dish. “There you go, good girl,” she cooed before she walked to the bedroom and carefully removed her scrubs to put into the laundry.

  Stripping down, she walked into the shower and relaxed as the hot water washed over her petite body. She washed her long hair first, enjoying every minute of her gentle massage. Then she began running her sudsy hands down her body, stopping as her fingers found her nipples and she pinched and twisted them with her slippery fingers. She continued, enjoying the building tension, the tingly feelings in her core begging for a cock. Her fingers left her breasts and continued down as she spread her legs. They reached her clit and she ran soapy fingers around and around, rubbing harder as her breathing became more and more labored. Her head back, her eyes closed, she let the water run over her head as her fingers found her core. She inserted one and then the other, pumping quickly in and out. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She pumped deeper and faster, daydreaming it was Ike and his cock inside her. She felt her pussy spasm as her finger continued. Soon she felt her world break apart. She rinsed off as she moaned in delight.

  She was coming to care for Ike. His determination and strength. Her dreamy thoughts continued as she realized he would be a perfect daddy. She had been struggling day to day on her own for so long. It would feel so good to find someone who would take her burdens as his own. She sighed. Drying herself, she continued thinking, things like that didn’t happen to poor girls like her. She sighed as she sat down to put on her pants before making dinner. She groaned as she planned the meal, another night of plain spaghetti. She had to stretch her food budget.

  Her parents had died when she was a toddler. Her gram raised her as best she could, working well into her sixties to put Mindy through nursing school. Just before Mindy graduated, her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The medical bills were astronomical, but Mindy had to try and save the beloved woman that raised her. Her grandmother insisted she finish and graduate, and in turn, Mindy made her promise she would retire and start her chemo. She found out later her grams did not stop working for the two months it took her to finish school. In that time the cancer advanced. When Mindy came home, a newly licensed RN, she found out her grams had continued working to make sure she didn’t have to borrow money to finish school.

  Tears rolled down Mindy’s cheeks at the memories. They had gone to every kind of doctor, tried everything possible, but to no avail. The frail old woman could not fight anymore; she was ready to go and be with her beloved husband. But, twenty-two-year-old Mindy was left on her own with all the medical bills to pay. She got hired at the veterans hospital in the suburbs of New York and worked all the overtime they would give her, but it was never enough. Finally, she was close to paying it all off. Another year and she would be free and clear.

  Peanut crawled on her lap and Mindy petted her furry friend. She had never made many friends. She only had one. Sally, also a nurse, worked with her at the hospital. They were two of a kind and shared their secret wishes. She didn’t have the money or time for anything but dreams. She reached over for her other old friend, Pooky, her stuffed kitten. Her grams had given it to her when her parents died. She cuddled it before she put it back against her pillow.

  She got up and warmed her dinner, then went to bed early. Exhaustion overtook her as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 2

  Mindy looked at the handsome man before her. With the help of the shower chair, he had managed to take his own shower. Mindy had the barber in to cut his hair and give him a hot shave.

  He’d loved every second of being pampered. He sat rubbing his smooth face. The cast that had been on his arm was gone. “I feel like a million bucks, little one. A new year, a new me.”

  Her pussy clenched at the words “little one,” but she ignored it. “You clean up nice, Mr. Alcoa.”

  “Call me Ike, little one.”

  “Thank you, Ike. You look very nice; your friend will be impressed.”

  His smile dazzled her. It was the first time he had really smiled. Getting off the pain meds helped, she thought to herself. She smiled back. “I will be in with lunch in an hour, Ike. Why don’t you relax?”

  “I think I will take a short nap before lunch, but don’t bother with dinner tonight. I have ordered dinner for two from Gino’s down the block. Would you honor me with your company? As a reward for all the help you have been.”

  Mindy thought for a moment before she answered, “I would love to, but I have to go home and feed my cat and change first. Would that be all right? I will need a quick shower and a quick change of clothes and can be back here at about six. How does that sound?” She didn’t tell him it was against the rules to fraternize with the patients while on duty.

  He gave her a wink. “Sure, darlin’, but not a minute later. Don’t make me spank your cute little bottom for being late or standing me up, okay?”

  Mindy stood with her mouth open. “What did you just say?” she stammered.

  Ike smiled again at the beautiful blush that crept up her face. “I said don’t be late or stand me up or I will have to spank you.”

  “That’s what I thought you said. I will be on time, Ike.” She hurried out of the room, embarrassed, to the sound of Ike’s laughter ringing in her ears as the door closed.

  She was a Little if ever he saw one. He had been looking for years for a little one of his own.

  When lunch arrived, Ike noticed Mindy hurried with her duties, not looking at him. She was still embarrassed.

  “Come and sit by me a minute, Mindy.”

  Mindy looked at him doubtfully, but slowly
came to him and sat on the side of the bed, looking down at her fingers as they twisted the bottom of her cute scrubs top.

  “Mindy, I am sorry I embarrassed you earlier today. I had no business talking to you that way.”

  Mindy looked up at him. “It is all right, Ike. I understand.”

  Ike smiled. “No, it’s not all right. I should have been a bit more patient. I am used to taking what I want, and I want you. I like your spunk and your determination. I can tell you are fighter. Hell, you put up with me at my meanest.” He held out his hand for her to shake. “Let’s start over, shall we? I would like to make it up to you. Please have dinner with me tonight. I would like a chance to get to know you better.”

  Mindy smiled, taking his hand, and shaking it. “Deal! I would love to have dinner with you.”

  Most of the rest of the shift went by in a blur, she was so excited about her dinner with Ike. She had planned out in her head the outfit she would wear. While she didn’t have many “going out clothes,” she did have a favorite: her halter dress that draped over her shoulders to tie behind her neck. It was a pretty deep blue that left her back exposed, with a full skirt that flared out when she twirled. She would wear her good coat that came to below her knees. Her knee-high boots would complete the outfit.

  She hurried to complete her charting, smiling at everyone around her. Her only friend Sally laughed as she sat down next to her. She had the next shift.

  “What has you in such a good mood?”

  Mindy smiled at her. “Ike just asked me to come back and have dinner with him.” She put her hand over her mouth and giggled.

  Sally laughed. “I know you have had a thing for him, Mindy, but his folks are rich. Don’t set yourself up for a fall.”

  She held up her hand as Mindy began to deny it. “I see how you light up, Mindy. I will make sure he is all ready for your dinner.” She reached over and gave her friend a hug. “Just be careful. Promise me.”

  Mindy’s face grew beet red. “Is it so obvious?”

  Sally smiled. “Yes, but it is time you were happy, Mindy.”

  Mindy bent over to whisper in her friend’s ear. “I think he is a daddy.”

  Sally backed away looking deep into Mindy’s eyes, her mouth open in a perfect O. “Really, Mindy?”

  Mindy nodded her head. “He said he would spank me if I was late.”

  “Oh, my Lord, Mindy. You are so lucky.”

  The girls had talked about wanting a daddy, one day when they went out for lunch, but they had agreed it would be impossible to find one. They were the same, the two of them, yearning to be able to be Little. Sally gave her friend another hug. “I will be extra careful to make tonight perfect for you.”

  Mindy pushed her chair back to leave. “I will see you at six sharp.” She headed to the elevator and fairly skipped to her car. She barely noticed the ride home, until she saw the dirty young man on the street corner talking to a couple of the prostitutes. They used the motel a couple blocks from her little home. She hurried into her house and locked the door, putting her keys on the counter and removing her boots and coat after she made sure the curtains were closed. Humming, she called for Peanut and gave her a cuddle before she filled her food bowl. She fairly ran to the closet and took out the dress she had decided on. Laying it on the bed, she bent to pick up Pooky. “Oh Pooky, I am so lucky today. I have met the perfect man for me. You will meet him someday.”

  She quickly turned on the hot water in the shower and undressed, laying her scrubs on the dresser before she let the hot water wash the day off of her – the smell of the hospital and the sick. She used her rose shampoo and body wash because she’d noticed Ike taking in breaths of it. She knew he liked it. She hummed as she lathered her hair and body, not stopping to play today. She would save that for tonight when she returned home.

  After dressing carefully, she put on just a touch of makeup. She looked at herself in the mirror, twirling around and watching the dress billow out, showing off her cute little panties. She brushed her hair until it shined, then she picked up Pooky and looked at Peanut sitting on the bed. “Well, what do you two think?”

  Peanut gave a meow and rubbed her hand wanting to be petted, which was a good enough sign to her. She looked at her watch: five thirty. Time to go. She put on her boots and retrieved her good winter coat before picking up her small purse and opening the door.

  Down on the corner was the drug dealer and another man. He was well dressed, wearing a long coat, his collar turned up so she couldn’t see his face. His fancy new SUV, engine running, was idling on her side of the street. He was yelling at the dealer and pushing him. She hurried to her car, but as she put the key in, she heard the nicely dressed man stop yelling and give out a wolf whistle at her.

  “My, my, Harry I didn’t know you had such nice-looking neighbors.” He turned to give her a closer look. “Hey there, good looking, come over here and talk to me.”

  Mindy hurried to turn the key, but her hands were shaking so much she was having trouble. The man began to walk towards her, just as she opened the door. Her breath coming faster, her heart hammering in her chest, she jumped in, slammed the door, turned the car on and began backing out of the driveway just as the man arrived.

  He slapped at her window with his hand, but she knew better than to stop. She continued until she got to the parking lot of the hospital. She was so unsettled, she had to take time to slow her heart before she opened her door. Tears gathered in her eyes. She was so afraid. What if he came back? He knew where she lived. What if he threatened Peanut or Pooky or her? She should buy a gun and get lessons on how to use it, but lessons cost money she didn’t have.

  She stepped out of the car as the first snowflake fell. She smiled. She had always liked snow. It was a sign from Gram that everything would be all right. She walked into the hospital with a watery smile and entered the elevator. When she arrived at the nurses’ workstation, she saw Sally who at first glance gave her a wink, but an instant later crossed to her and put her arm around her shoulders. “What’s wrong, Mindy?”

  “Can you tell I have been crying?” she asked her friend, who nodded her head.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “That drug dealer on the corner had a visit from another man. A more dangerous looking man. He saw me and came after me as I was getting into my car. I am worried about Peanut. That man knows where I live.”

  Sally’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no, Mindy. You stay at my house tonight. You can’t go back there.”

  “I cannot leave Peanut and Pooky alone. I have to go back. I will be okay. I have my phone. I will call the police if anything happens. Don’t worry.” She tried her best to look brave.

  Sally looked at her doubtfully. “I don’t know, Mindy. That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

  Mindy blew it off. “I have been on my own for a long time. I will be fine.” She walked to the nurses lavatory and washed her face. “Does that look better?” She tried to put on a normal face for her friend.

  Sally slowly nodded her head, before she gave a weak smile. “The food will be here in a half hour, you go in and greet your maybe daddy. I will bring it in as soon as it arrives.”

  Mindy gave her friend a hug. “Thank you, Sally, for everything.” She turned to leave for Ike’s room just down the hall.

  She found Ike sitting in his chair arguing with someone on the phone.

  “No, I don’t need to see you and I don’t want to see her. I am fine. Talking to you on the phone is fine. I will call you when I feel up to going out to lunch. Just you and me, Dad.”

  He hung up and smiled at her, noticing something not right about her, but not able to put his finger on it. He watched as she smiled and took off her coat. The sight that met him was jaw dropping. Her pert little breasts were just the right size. The halter emphasizing them. The form fitting dress showing off her trim waist and hips. He noticed she could use a few pounds, but otherwise she was perfect.

  “That is lovely,
Mindy. You look perfect.” He held out his arm and pulled her onto his good knee as he looked deep into her pretty eyes. “Something is bothering you, little one. Is it what I said earlier? Are you afraid of me?”

  Mindy looked down at her twisting fingers. “No, sir.”

  Ike’s cock stood straight up. He knew she could feel his arousal.

  “Then what is it that has scared you? Can you tell me.”

  “It is nothing, Ike. Nothing I can’t handle.”

  Ike looked at her, she was trembling. She was hiding something from him. “Mindy you don’t know me very well, but you should know this by now. I don’t like lying of any kind. It will hurt our relationship, should we choose to have one. Now I want you to tell me what has you afraid and I want to know the truth.”

  With a deep sigh Mindy began, “I saw a man on the corner of my block, and he scared me. That is all there is to tell. He just looked menacing and not like a nice man. I don’t know him, and he didn’t do anything to scare me, really, but he just did.”

  Ike looked at her carefully before he said, “I don’t know if I believe that, but I can’t prove otherwise. If I find out you are lying to me I will paddle your cute little butt. If he bothers you again you will tell me. Do I make myself perfectly clear, little one?”

  Mindy’s face grew red. Maybe omitting the part about how the man had approached her and she was barely able to drive away in time, was a bad idea. She didn’t like to lie, but she didn’t want to let Ike know she lived on the bad side of town. She didn’t want Ike to know how poor she was.

  Ike loved her blush. He pulled her closer to his chest, kissing her temple so as not to scare her with the intensity of his attraction. How he wished she would call him daddy, but it was too soon yet to get into that discussion.

  Mindy jumped up from his lap, as Sally entered the room followed by two men with trays of food and supplies on a cart. Sally helped Mindy pull out the table from the corner as they chatted like the old friends they were. Sally had even brought a tablecloth to cover the table and the men began setting it just like at a restaurant.