by J. M. Madden
“When I undress a woman,” he said, whisper soft, “she will be treated more delicately than any piece of wood.”
Gina felt her skin flush and she gasped in a breath of air. Oh, hell. Her heart raced, and she clenched her hand around her casted fingers to remind herself where she was. Desire tingled down through her belly and settled low. He was talking to her. Specifically to her. A smile spread across her lips as she acknowledged the need that spread through her.
“I’m sure you would,” she murmured, trying not to squirm in her chair.
Matt seemed to realize what he had said, because he turned to his plate and shoved the last bite of sandwich into his mouth. He set it carefully back on the toolbox and brushed his hands off, then picked up the small crowbar lying beside him. “Thank you for the food.”
Gina knew he was trying nicely to dismiss her so he could work. She hoped he thought about what he had said. She was certainly going to. Forcing herself to her feet, she collected the plate, carried it to the kitchen and loaded it into the dishwasher.
She was honestly surprised by his solemn words. Matt was quiet and reserved, and that statement had been daring. And sexy. Totally out of character. And as she went through her day, she had to wonder what else Matt was hiding under that intimidating demeanor and faded blue ball cap.
Chapter Four
Matt waited until Gina was in the kitchen before he expelled a heavy breath. What the hell had he been thinking, telling her that? As if he didn’t have enough issues without stoking the tension between them. He’d already decided not to pursue anything with her, but when she perched on that chair with the sun highlighting her kinky hair, it was all he could do not to toss the damn sandwich away and grab her.
In the deepest part of his heart, he allowed himself to admit that there was nothing he wanted more than to mean something to Gina Carruthers. For four years, fourteen hundred and some odd days, he’d wondered what she liked to eat, and what her favorite color was, and who she talked to when she went home at night. He’d seen her out with men before, and he wondered what he could do to be like them, to make her want to smile at him the same way. But he was man enough to admit he was scared, too. He knew his life was not normal. His upbringing had damaged him to the point that he retreated as much as he could. What right did he have to even contemplate bringing Gina into it? Hell, if she knew how about some of the things he’d done and gone through, she’d probably kick him out of the house and slam the door behind him.
Then again, maybe not. That boy she’d introduced had been so familiar. To himself. Not physically, of course, but his demeanor had been the same. Hunted and leery. Distrustful of anything given to him. But at the same time, so very needful.
Sitting on the step, he rubbed at the ache in his chest. Every time he saw her, he wanted to be closer to her. His eyes flicked around her house, from the cream-colored furniture to the bright paintings on the wall. Black picture frames full of laughing people marched down the hallway in an artful sweep. Even her house appealed to him more than any other he had ever been in. It was lived in and friendly. It was an actual home. Running his hand over the spindle beside him, he vowed that the work that would be done here would be an honor to her.
Monroe would laugh his ass off if he could see how conflicted Matt was.
The front door cracked open, and the tow-headed boy in dirty clothes from earlier peeked in. Stepping inside, he raised his head and straightened his narrow shoulders, standing firmly at the base of the stairs. His blue eyes met Matt’s directly.
“You need to be nice to Gina,” he said firmly, “and quit having accidents.” His little fingers put quote marks around ‘accident’. “If you’re not nice to her, I’ll call the cops.”
Matt’s brows furrowed as he looked down at the boy. The kid thought he was mistreating Gina. The thought sickened him as guilt washed through him. He had been responsible for her injury. And the damage to the stairway. “I hope you do. Gina is a good woman, and she deserves to be protected that way.”
The little boy’s eyes narrowed, as if he couldn’t believe Matt agreed with him. Some tension eased out of him as he took in Matt’s earnest expression. “Well, ok. I will.”
Matt nodded at the boy and turned back to his work, glad to see she had at least one staunch protector.
Gabe stayed for a couple of hours, asking questions here and there about what he was doing, and Matt found he actually liked the company. They didn’t dig into anything important, just made small talk. Gina brought out iced tea and chocolate-covered cookies, and they all took a break. Matt realized he and Gabe were much the same, soaking up Gina’s brand of sunshine.
When a car door slammed, it all shattered. Gabe paled, and for the first time appeared to be the scared young boy Matt knew him to be. “He’s back,” he whispered, clutching Gina’s hand.
Gina didn’t look any better, but she forced a smile for Gabe. “Let’s go talk to him. It’ll be okay.”
Tugging him along behind her, they went quickly out the front door. Matt followed, but stopped on the porch.
A bearded man was getting out of a beat up Crown Victoria, case of cheap beer hanging from one hand. When he saw Gabe walking across the yard holding Gina’s hand, anger slid over his sallow face. “What the hell you doin’ out of the house, boy? I told you to stay inside.”
Gabe dropped Gina’s hand like it had burned him. “I know, sir, but...”
“No buts,” the man yelled. “I tell you to do something, you do it. You understand me?”
Gabe nodded, eyes to the ground.
Gina stepped in front of the boy, drawing the man’s attention. “Mr. Freeman, it’s my fault Gabe is out of the house. I had an accident, you see--” she held up her cast, “--and I asked Gabe to come over. This is my strong hand, and there are several things in the house he’s been helping me with.”
Chuck’s glazed eyes sparkled with meanness when he saw the cast. “Ha, somebody probably finally put you in your place. What’d you do, stick your nose in somebody else’s business?”
Gina looked down at the ground, deliberately, Matt though, looking small. “I fell, actually.”
“Right,” he drawled, as if he didn’t believe a word she said.
“I would like to hire Gabe for a little while, to help me out. I could pay him a few dollars a day and he would be out of your way when you came home at night.”
Greed narrowed the man’s eyes as he looked at the boy. Matt wondered how long that money would be in Gabe’s possession before it disappeared. He had never met Chuck Freeman before, but he knew the type. He was just like Rick Calvin.
Matt realized his fists were clenched and his heart thudded heavily. He wanted to go out in the yard and beat the shit out of Chuck. Give him back some of the grief he had been giving the boy, it looked like. But he held himself in check. As long as they were safe, he would stay out of it.
“Fine, but just for a little while. He’s got chores to do at the house.”
“I’ll get them done,” Gabe promised in sullen tones.
“You better,” the man threatened, before turning to stomp into the house.
Gina turned Gabe and hustled him up the porch steps. Matt stepped back so they could come in the house and shut the door behind them. Just inside, Gabe turned into Gina’s arms. She lowered to the floor, holding him to her. “It’s okay, buddy,” she whispered.
Matt’s throat was tight. What if things had gone down differently and he hadn’t been here? Gina was a lightweight compared to Chuck, and he could have pulverized her with a single blow. Unable to help himself, he knelt down beside her and gripped her shoulder.
“Why did you do that?” he demanded. His voice was harsh, but he couldn’t help it. “You could have been seriously hurt.”
Gina looked up at him, and her eyes were bright with tears. “I know, but Gabe didn’t have a chance. We usually have him home before Chuck gets back from work. We lost track today, didn’t we?”
Gabe
pulled back and nodded his head, wiping his face furiously. “You shouldn’t have done that, Gina. He’ll just wait until I’m not coming over here anymore, and it’ll be that much worse when I go back. He just yells a lot right now. He’s never actually hit me.”
Gina clutched at the boy’s arm and leaned down to look him in the eyes. “Do you think it’s going to stop there, though? It’s a progression, and it starts with yelling and emotional abuse.”
She snapped her mouth shut. She must have realized what she was telling the nine-year old. That the hitting would be next.
“Gabe, you have to be prepared to run if he ever comes after you. You just need to get out of the house and call me if I’m not home. Go to the hidey hole under the stairs and lock yourself inside. Remember? I will come get you.”
Gabe nodded as if he had heard the warning before. “I know. I will. I promise.”
Gina leaned forward and clutched him to her again before she released him.
“Why don’t you go make some chocolate milk, then I’ll put you to work.” Her pretty blue eyes smiled, though. Work indeed, Matt thought.
Gabe walked to the kitchen to do as he was told.
Gina sat on her butt with a sigh. Matt removed his hand and sat back as well.
“Thank you,” she said with a slight smile. “I really appreciated you watching us from the porch. You kind of gave me the courage to confront him. I’m sorry if it’s a little presumptuous, but I had a feeling you wouldn’t let anything happen to us.”
Matt glowered at her words. His being there had gotten her into another dangerous situation. Great. “I wouldn’t have let him lay a finger on you. Actually, I think I would have enjoyed kicking the shit out of him.”
Gina grinned and nodded, her eyes gleaming vindictively. “I know what you mean. The man is damaging Gabe, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Gabe’s parents were killed two years ago in an auto accident, and sweet old Uncle Chuck was appointed guardian. I’ve filed a report with children’s services, and they’ve come out to do an investigation, but nothing ever came of it.”
“I’m not surprised,” he rumbled. Thoughts of his own jaunts in foster care tumbled through his mind. Rick had lost custody of him half a dozen times, each time for about six months before he’d gotten clean enough to petition the courts to get him back. Matt used to pray that he would just leave him in the home and forget about him. But he always came back.
“What can I do?” she pleaded as she turned to face him. “I protect him as much as I can, but I’m afraid my interference is just going to get him into more trouble.”
Matt felt like crap because there was nothing he could say to ease her mind. The system sucked, and the kids were always the ones to pay.
Gina must have seen the truth in his face. Her eyes clouded over and she looked away. Her hair fell forward to shield her face, and she was quiet for a long time. Matt didn’t know what to do for her, so he just sat beside her.
When she looked up again, she smiled slightly. “You’ve kind of been thrown in the deep end of my life, haven’t you? You just see me at my best, all the time.” She choked out a laugh, and leaned toward him. Before he could even think to retreat, she had wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you for not running out of here screaming. It’s nice having somebody to vent to.”
Matt felt his throat close up at her words. Is that actually what she thought? He pulled back to look down into her face and search for deceit. Her eyes were as beautiful and clear as always, and he was at a loss. Nobody had ever depended on him before. “No problem,” he whispered. Then, unable to do anything else, he wrapped his arms around her.
Gina sighed and leaned against him, and it was life changing. Thirty-two years old, and he had never held another person this way. Never had the chance to. Rick certainly hadn’t been affectionate, and relationships since then had been few and far between. When his body’s needs had to be addressed, he went to the adjoining town and found somebody for the night. They exchanged names, and that was about it. There was certainly no affection.
This warmth building in his chest staggered him, and his heart thudded painfully. Gina didn’t seem to notice because she snuggled down closer to him and melted, with her forehead against his neck. Matt gritted his teeth and forced his muscles to stay relaxed, even as her soft, sweet breath puffed against his skin. What excruciating, delicious agony.
After a heartbeat of time, she sighed deeply. Matt’s arms felt the loss as she pulled away and sat across from him on the floor. Looking down at his scarred boots on her hardwood floor, he tried to remember that he was just helping her out for a few days. Just until he got her stairs done. He’d fix what he broke and be gone. He couldn’t give her any more than that.
Fighting panic, he lunged to his feet and snatched up his hammer. Work! He avoided Gina’s hurt expression.
***
Gabe was a nice distraction after the incident in the foyer. He didn’t allow her to think too deeply on why Matt had pulled away from her as if she were poison. Since she had made the assertion to Chuck that she was going to work him, Gabe insisted she give him something to do so that it wasn’t a total lie. She put him to work in the kitchen, cleaning and putting away dishes. She showed him how to start a load of laundry and sweep a floor, and later how to shuck corn for dinner. He was quiet and good natured about everything, but as the afternoon wore on, he glanced at the clock more and more.
“When do you think you should go home?” she asked him finally.
Gabe shrugged. They both knew it probably wouldn’t matter.
“Well, why don’t you go upstairs and watch some TV? I’ll get dinner going, and you can go home after that. Okay?”
The boy nodded and trudged through the kitchen door. Gina felt bad for him, having a perpetual threat hanging over his head. She would call Children’s Services again and see what she could do.
Matt continued to work in the foyer. When she peeked out the door, he looked well involved into pulling up hardwood floor boards. There was no way he was cleaning up in the next hour, so she started to cook and hoped he would stay.
Gabe came downstairs when he smelled the pork chops frying. Gina directed him to the cupboards and the silverware drawer, then dished him out a plate of food. His eyes widened when he sat down to his plate, and Gina could not help but laugh. But then she sobered. He was impressed by a meal he should be getting every night.
Walking down the hallway, she was surprised at the reduction of noise in the foyer. Matt was gathering up his tools and stacking wood, but he glanced up when she neared. Gina searched for some hint of emotion in his eyes, but he dropped his head too quickly. That damn ball cap.
“I have dinner ready, if you want to come in and sit down.”
Matt gave a single shake of his head. “No, thanks. I need to head out. Will you be home tomorrow?” His sharp, green eyes glanced up long enough to catch the nod of her head, then he continued to stack tools. “I’ll be back around eight. Is that too early for a Sunday?”
“Nah,” she told him, pushing her hair back. “I’ll be up.”
He stood to face her. “I’ll be back then. Call me if you have problems when you send Gabe home. Keep your cell phone on you if you talk to Chuck.” He held out a business card with the picture of a level running across the bottom and several phone numbers. When she curled the card into her hand, he turned away, gathered up his tools and headed out the front door.
Gina couldn’t resist calling out a small thank-you as he crossed the yard to the truck. He waved slightly but continued to walk. She waited on the porch to see if he looked up when he drove away, but he didn’t.
Gina tried not to let his distance hurt her. What had she done to chill him off so quickly? Was it admitting she liked somebody to vent to? The statement had been innocent, but maybe he didn’t want any kind of attachments. Some men were like that. The thought depressed her terribly.
When she returned to the kitchen, Gabe had cleaned his plate
and was looking longingly at the stove. “If you want more, you can get it.”
But he shook his head. “No, you haven’t eaten yet.”
Gina crossed to the table and retrieved her plate. She realized she was too worried to eat. Dipping out a few spoonfuls of whatever, she returned to the table. “I have mine now. Go get seconds.”
The boy did not argue again. He delved into the second plate, hardly taking time to breathe. “This is so good,” he mumbled.
Gina laughed. The food was quick and not very inventive.
“What do you normally eat at home?”
He avoided her eyes, and his movements slowed. “Soup.”
“Soup? What kind?”
He swallowed heavily and cleared his throat. “Ah, noodle soup. The kind in the plastic package.”
“Ah,” she said. “Ramen?”
Gabe nodded his head.
“What do you eat other than soup?”
He looked up at her in confusion. “That’s it. Noodles. Chuck says it’s the cheapest thing he can buy.”
Anger tore through her, and Gabe crumpled in his chair, thinking it was directed at him. “I’m not mad at you, Gabe.” Gina reached across the table for his hand. “I’m mad at Chuck. A little boy needs more than just noodles.”
Now that she knew, though, she could see it in his body; his smaller size, pale skin. “Any time you get hungry, you come over here. Do you understand? If I’m not here, let yourself in and get something. You know where the key is.”
Gabe nodded obediently, and his eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. “I better go.”
Gina agreed. It was only going on seven, but they didn’t want to keep him out too long.
She walked him to the front door. “I’ll whistle for you in a while, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you for dinner, Gina. It was really good.”
Daring to reach out, she gave him a quick hug. “And thank you for the help today.” She pulled out a few dollars. “Put this somewhere Chuck can’t find it.”