Unfortunately, during his rehab, she’d taken one look at him wrapped up in all his burn bandages, and when it had come time to change the ones near his groin, she’d made a disgusted face and walked away, saying, “I can’t handle this. I’m sorry.”
He might as well have had it chopped off at that point, but he’d endured the grafts and the well-meaning doctors who’d assured him that with the new method they used, he would be able to achieve the same level of functionality he had before.
When they released him from the burn unit, they’d even encouraged him to go out and find someone to have sexual intercourse with.
Instead, he’d taken a job as a janitor at an elementary school and hid from all social contact. He would have still been there had he not found little Harley lost behind the dumpster.
That had led him to Jenna, who had adopted the dog to give to her brother Connor as a fire station dog. Poor Harley couldn’t jump onto the ladder truck without needing help, and eventually, Jenna gave the sweet and slobby basset hound to Larry.
Jenna also stole his heart and gave him hope, but sometimes, he wondered if she really understood him.
“You’re my best buddy, aren’t you?” Larry held Harley close, and the dog slathered his face with drool.
They crossed the street to the gelato shop near the park. It was a feast of colors and a calm and inviting spot in the stormy weather.
Larry stood for a moment under their awning and shook the water off his umbrella. He set Harley down and waited for him to shake himself before opening the door and stepping into the small shop.
Because of the stormy weather, it wasn’t as crowded as it could get on a hot summer weekend. Larry greeted the owner, Luca Marcello, an old friend of his foster mother’s, and browsed the wonderfully colorful glass cases overflowing with the heavenly concoctions.
Each rectangular tin was labeled, but also garnished with slices of lemon, cantaloupe, kiwi, sprigs of mint, and rose petals.
Larry was just about to ask for Jenna’s trifecta of flavors, dark chocolate, pistachio, and raspberry, when the owner pointed at a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. “Did you watch the last episode of She Wouldn’t Dare?”
“Actually, I haven’t,” he grumbled, tucking his hands in his pockets.
“Oh, well, looks like your girlfriend has a chance for a lifeline,” Luca said. “The other contestant is failing out. They dared her to make out with her maid of honor on camera, and she couldn’t go through with it.”
“Yeah, but there are still three other contestants.” Larry didn’t want to get his hopes up.
“Don’t worry, everyone I know is voting for Jenna to get the lifeline,” Luca said. “So, what are you having today? Jenna’s trifecta?”
“You got it.” Larry forced a smile. “On second thought, add a carton of amaretto, latte macchiato, and sea salt caramel.”
Those were his three favorite flavors. Maybe he’d surprise Jenna by showing her his carton and see what her reaction would be.
It wasn’t as if he were testing her, but at the same time, he was always catering to her needs and wants, and selling himself short. While he knew she wasn’t with him out of pity, and she did genuinely love him, he wasn’t sure she truly respected him since she always expected him to bend to her will.
The refusal to let her strip had been the first time he’d put his foot down.
“Here you go,” Luca said, handing him two packed cartons of gelato. “Hope she enjoys the surprise.”
“She will,” Larry said as he paid. His stomach lurched at the thought that Jenna dominated him, and he wondered if it was because she was the beauty while he was the beast in the relationship.
“If it makes any difference,” Luca said. “I want you to know I agreed with you not letting Jenna strip in front of your buddies. I wouldn’t have allowed it either.”
“Yeah, well, to her credit, she was wearing a bikini underneath.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Luca came out from behind the counter and put a hand on Larry’s shoulder. “It’s the principle that counts. She’s your woman. No one else should get an eyeful. She already went too far jumping out of that cake and strutting that bunny’s tail.”
“That’s not the way she sees it,” Larry said. “She’s all for empowerment and women’s rights.”
“Yes, but if she respected and honored you, she wouldn’t want your buddies gawking at her and fantasizing about her in their bedrooms, if you get what I mean.” Luca gave Larry’s shoulder a squeeze and let go. “Better lay down the law now before you get hitched.”
“She knows she’s mine.”
“Right, but she’d better act that way too.” Luca crossed his arms over his pot belly. “My wife knows her place and she hasn’t worn makeup since we returned from our honeymoon. I don’t need her flirting with any other man, and after forty years of marriage, she’s still as beautiful to me as the first time I saw her.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice.” Larry opened the door of the shop and bade Luca goodbye. He and his wife were invited to Jenna’s Valentine’s Day extravaganza, and they were one of the few people from his side of the “family.”
Chapter Six
Jenna frowned at her brother from the bathroom mirror. “I’m late for my date with Larry, and all you want to do is bitch and moan about gold diggers and phony women?”
“All women want these days is to control a man.” Grady scowled and picked up one of her perfume bottles. “Look at you, you’re making yourself beautiful and irresistible so you can have Larry on his knees.”
“That’s not why I’m putting makeup on.” Jenna half-closed her eyes and brushed her lashes with mascara. “I simply feel better when I look my best. If I’m beautiful and irresistible, that’s a bonus.”
“Right, a big bonus in your ability to wrap him around your finger.”
Jenna untwisted her lipstick and pointed it at him. “What’s your problem? Did you get dumped or something? You sound bitter.”
Ha, ha, ha. Grady guffawed too exaggeratedly. “No woman would ever dump me. I’m the type of guy they love to be seen with or brag about. The problem is they’re not satisfied to be seen with me, they want to control and acquire me, too. Lock me down to be their slave.”
“Wow. You have issues.” Jenna dabbed a tissue over her lips. “So let me get this straight. You’re hiding out at my apartment because you’ve escaped some control freak ogre who wanted to parade you around as her boy toy?”
“I’m not hiding out. I’m done with women, all except for one night stands.”
“Wow, you’ve really evolved from high school.” Jenna closed her eyes and sprayed her wavy blond hair. “What’s really going on, Grady? I thought you had a thing going on with that dog rescue lady.”
The Hart family had spent Christmas in the Sierra Nevadas where they had a cabin. While there, Grady had met a friend of Cait’s who ran a dog rescue.
“She’s a big flirt, but she thinks her dog hates me.”
“All dogs hate you, except Harley.” Jenna laughed. “So what happened? She chose her dog over you? Poor baby.”
“She’s one of those phony women,” Grady lamented. “She comes off as so caring and genuine, but you know what? She’s only looking out for herself.”
“Because she wouldn’t hook up with you without her dog’s approval?” Jenna punched her brother lightly on the bicep. “Snap out of it, Grady. You’re starting to worry me.”
“Entitled, spoiled, whining, wah, wah, wah, I have to think about my dog’s feelings.”
“You’re jealous of her dog!” Jenna slapped her thighs and burst out laughing. “Anyway, you do what you want. I’m off to Larry’s. Don’t wait up.”
“Why? You’re finally going to play hide the salami?”
“No, of course not.” Jenna said, twisting her lips to the side. “Larry, the saint, has decided to keep me as pure as the driven snow. I respect that. He wants to do things right.”
/> “Yeah, well, I think he’s afraid.” Grady twisted his lips, mirroring her. Even though they were far from identical twins, they had slept in the same crib for years, and growing up, they’d always had each other’s backs, and of course they copied each other’s facial expressions to a ‘T.’
“Of poor little ol’ me?” Jenna fanned herself and blinked preciously. “I’m just a damsel in distress. He’s a big he-man firefighter who pulls people from burning buildings. What does he have to be afraid of?”
“Jenna, Jenna, Jenna.” Grady patted her on the shoulder and walked her to the door. “You’re pretty much perfect and can have any guy you want. Him? Let’s just say he doesn’t have any gold for you to dig. He’s not a superstar athlete, singer, or in show biz, and I know you like him and all, but he’s no trophy boy. You won’t find actresses parading him around on the red carpet.”
“When did you become so cynical?”
“I outgrew the fairy tales our parents entertained us with. How each one of us has one true love somewhere out there in the wild blue yonder. People don’t marry for love. They marry for utility. Each wants to get something from the other and in turn they trade favors. It’s all a big game hunt, to see who can bag the trophies and pass themselves off as someone they’re not.”
“Not me and Larry.” Jenna gaped at her brother who had become more and more a mystery to her. “We love each other and enjoy being together.”
“Do you?” Grady quirked an eyebrow the way he always did when he doubted her truthfulness. “Come on, I know you, Jenna. You’re clinging onto Larry because he lets you get your way all the time. He’s a big teddy bear. He not only cooks for you, he labels everything for you and arranges them in your refrigerator for you. He worships the ground you walk on all because he’s afraid he can’t get anyone else. The entire celibacy thing is him being afraid he isn’t good enough in bed, and he wants to trap you first before you find out the truth.”
“That’s pure nonsense,” Jenna protested, although how many times had she, too, had that nagging doubt in the back of her mind? Larry’s groin area had been burned, and there was no reason to think his genitals had been spared. His rehab had been long and painful, and he never wanted to talk to her about that part of his anatomy.
Whereas most men were only too eager to pull out their sausage, Larry had been prudishly private about it. The furthest she’d gotten was feeling him over his pants.
“Yeah, well, I’m just looking out for you, sis. You might not be gold digging him, but how do you know he isn’t gold digging you? With the publicity you’re getting from She Wouldn’t Dare and your award winning fashion shows, you’re one hot chick. You do have a pre-nup ready, don’t you?”
“Uh, no, I don’t.” Jenna squared her shoulders with her brother. “My relationship with Larry is not about checks and balances and who’s getting what from whom. We simply love each other.”
She was doubly, triply late for her date, and she still had to go pick up the Chinese takeout, so without waiting for Grady’s snarky retort, she opened the door and stepped out.
Her brother must have had a bad experience out there, and now that he was back in town, she’d get to the bottom of his bad attitude.
But not tonight.
Tonight was her chance to make up to her sweetheart.
Larry paced his apartment while Harley lay on the hearth rug, occasionally following his progress with his large doleful eyes.
“She’s late,” he said to the dog. “Am I too easy on her? Do I let her get her way all the time?”
Harley was so lazy, he didn’t even lift his head to yawn.
“I know she’s upset I stopped the strip show, but it’s because I honor her and respect her. I wish she’d respect herself more.”
The basset hound made a loud moaning sound and turned over, closing his eyes.
Man up, Larry. Luca’s right. You gotta show her who’s the boss.
The old Larry, the confident guy who was the big man on campus, would have had no trouble showing Jenna the door if she didn’t comply with his wishes.
The new, scarred, ugly, and broken one? Not so much.
After Shelly canceled their engagement and left him in that burn ward, he’d given up—completely, utterly, totally.
He bent over and gave Harley a belly rub, breaking the hound dog’s snores.
“If it hadn’t been for you bringing Jenna to me …”
But did Jenna truly belong to him? If a woman like Shelly who’d worshipped him as a hero and bragged on him everywhere they went could dump him flat, what about Jenna who’d never even enjoyed his former abilities in bed?
How hooked could Jenna possibly be if she hadn’t ever experienced explosive sex with him?
Could he even keep it up long enough for her to climax? What about the scarred skin and the areas that were prickly or numb?
Larry tamped down his anxiety and poured himself a glass of water. Maybe his vow of celibacy was more like trying to trick Jenna into buying without trying.
Oh, it sounded noble and pious enough, and it would make their priest happy, but in this day and age, when divorces were so easily obtained, how could he be sure he and Jenna were a hundred percent compatible, in every way?
The doorbell rang, shocking him out of his thoughts.
He padded to the door and opened it, unable to help the smile cracking across the scarred half of his misshapen face.
“Jenna.” He enveloped her in his arms and kissed her in greeting.
The sweet fragrance of her perfume was mixed with the spicy oily scent of Chinese food.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as soon as they disengaged from the kiss. She handed him the plastic bags of takeout. “My brother talks a lot for a guy.”
“What’s he upset about this time?” Larry asked, even though he probably should have let it go. Ever since Grady came home for the holidays, he’d been either complaining or ranting.
“I think he’s frustrated with the dating scene,” Jenna said. “The dog rescue lady saw through his pickup artist act.”
Larry shook his head and shut the door, guiding Jenna with his hand on the small of her back. “He’s too good-looking for his own good, and he’s not used to not getting his way.”
“Is that a backhanded remark about me?” Jenna put her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
“You two are twins, and objectively speaking, you’re the prettiest of the girls and he’s the most handsome of the guys, so yeah, maybe.” Larry tugged his collar. “But I don’t want to start a fight. Let’s eat.”
“You’re still sore about the reality show, aren’t you?”
Larry shrugged. He should have known he wasn’t going to slip a sideways remark past Jenna.
“I did the right thing stopping you, and I’m not going to apologize for it.” Larry put the bags of food on the counter and went to the cabinet to retrieve plates.
Surprisingly, Jenna encircled her arms around his waist and leaned her face against the center of his back. “I ought to apologize. I got so carried away with the show, I forgot to figure out how you might feel.”
Larry’s heart melted in a pool of warmth, and he set the plates down and turned around.
“I didn’t want you to be dishonored in front of everyone, especially my buddies at the station. These reality shows are designed to humiliate for entertainment’s sake.”
“Yeah, I know, but the prizes are worth it,” Jenna said. “I was upset when I had to cut up Cait’s dress, but my winnings are allowing my parents to get granite countertops and backsplashes, along with solid wood maple cabinetry, and top of the line appliances.”
“Someday, I’ll make up the Paris shopping trip to you.” He caressed the area under her lower lip, making her smile.
“I’ll take you to the ball game sometime, too.” She tipped on her toes and kissed him.
“Do you think you’re out of the show or will you get a lifeline?”
“It all depend
s on the audience.” She flashed him a bright smile. “Amy called me and said the ratings for my segment were astoundingly good. So maybe.”
For her sake, he hoped she’d get the lifeline. She loved the prizes and the publicity, but knowing the way the shows worked, she’d probably have to do something really dastardly to keep going. These reality shows always upped the ante to create the most drama and angst.
“I only hope our wedding goes off without a hitch.” He tucked a loose strand of her hair back over her ear.
“So do I, but whatever happens, the end will be great because we’ll finally be married.”
Harley woke from his nap and wandered into the kitchen to join in on the lovefest. He greeted Jenna, who patted and rubbed the loose skin around his neck, all the while sniffing and inhaling the jumbled up mixture of wok fried food.
“Dog food for you,” Larry said. “You’re getting too fat.”
“Ah, don’t be mean. We should throw him a piece of chicken.”
“Only if it’s lean meat. I shouldn’t have let him eat at my bachelor’s party. He was sick in the stomach for two days after.”
“Oh,” Jenna said, standing back up. “Well, then, let’s break out the chopsticks and go set up in front of the TV.”
This was good. She’d apologized, and a fight was averted. Soon, very soon, he’d be her husband, and they could go on with their lives without the wedding looming over them.
“You okay if we watch pro wrestling?” Larry picked the channel. Usually, he’d defer to her and watch a romantic comedy. But if they were equal partners, he should get his way some of the time.
“Seriously, wrestling?” She crossed her eyes and snickered. “I can’t believe we went from symphony tickets to an evening on the couch wrestling, unless …”
“We do the wrestling. Exactly,” he said, opening the first carton of food and sticking his chopsticks in. “Try to relax and let me run the show for a change.”
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