by Shauna Allen
Her face morphed from curious to serious in a heartbeat as she stepped into my room and closed the door with a quiet click. “This isn’t about what Todd did to her, is it? You don’t have some hang-up about her being damaged goods or something, do you? Because if you do, that’s total bullshit, Johnny.”
“What Todd . . .? Hold up.” I spun around and folded my arms across my chest, thankful I could after therapy. “I have no idea what you’re even talking about. Damaged goods?”
Her face paled like she’d just dropped a state secret.
I lifted a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
“It’s obviously not nothing if you were prepared to ream my ass about it. Spill it, Joanna.”
“God.” Her eyes dropped to the floor. “I was just trying to do a good deed here and play matchmaker, not air my friend’s dirty laundry. She’s gonna be so pissed.” Her gaze lifted to mine. “Can we just pretend I never said anything?”
I shook my head once. “Nope.”
“Fuck.”
“So . . . Todd?”
The boys tromped around below us on the bottom floor like a herd of elephants, making Joanna’s expression grow guiltier by the second, but I could see the moment she decided to talk. “So, look, she never told me anything specific, but I’m a smart girl. I could piece it together well enough.”
“Piece what together?” Though I was beginning to get the picture myself and I didn’t like it one fucking bit.
“He abused her, okay? Hit her. I saw the bruises. Heard all the excuses. Saw every which way she tried to protect those boys from him. Lord knows what else she never told anyone because she was too proud.” Her gaze grew hard and angry. “I know he was your friend or whatever, but he was a piece of shit, and the day he died was the day she was finally free.”
I just stood there, staring, my fists clenched beneath my crossed arms, my jaw tight enough to break stone.
I’d had no idea.
None.
I couldn’t speak, but what was there to say? If I had known, what could I have done? What would I have done? I have no idea, but I’d like to think I would’ve intervened somehow, though it was insanely hard to compute the friend I knew with the monster of this tale.
Joanna’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry to lay this on you like that. I guess I thought maybe you knew or something.”
“No. I didn’t know. Believe me, if I had known . . .”
“What would you have done?”
I clenched my fists harder. “Something. I would have fucking done something.”
~ ~
Joanna had thrown me for an absolute loop. I had no idea what to do with this information. I could understand pride probably better than anyone, but why had Scarlett never said anything, even after Todd died?
I watched from my window as the two women said their goodbyes in the yard and loaded up to leave.
Scarlett got the two boys into her car and they drove across the ranch to the little house my parents rented to her. They’d taken her under their wing just after Todd had been killed, giving her a cheap place to live and a job because she’d been a friend of mine since high school and so had Todd. I’m sure they had no idea about the abuse either, or surely, they would’ve said something to me. How strong she must’ve been to endure that by herself for all those years.
My phone chirped with a text, bringing me from my thoughts.
It was from our SEAL friend, Tex.
Hey, man. Tito asked me to update you. Tracked Esteban and our white wolf friend from AZ to CA. Dumbasses thought they could waltz into our home turf right under our noses and not get caught. Both teams are loading up and heading out bright-eyed and bushytailed at 0600. Will update you ASAP. Take it easy and heal up fast, brother.
I shot him off a thank you, trying to stuff back my resentment that I couldn’t join them, Tito’s words ringing loudly in my brain. He was right. I was here with my family for the time being and I had to heal to be the most use to my team. I might as well make the most of it.
Still, I couldn’t shake the things that Joanna had said. Had Todd really hurt Scarlett? How could he have laid hands on such a sweet girl? Anger curled through my chest, making me want to kill an already dead man, friend or not. How dare he?
How.
Fucking.
Dare.
He.
He’d been entrusted with something as precious as Scarlett’s heart and he’d trampled it. The idea made me sick. She didn’t deserve that. Those boys definitely didn’t deserve that.
Jesus.
I raked a hand through my hair and glanced out the window toward their little house, remembering the way Daniel had stared up at me like I was Superman. It was uncomfortable as hell to be worshipped like I’d done something heroic, when I’d simply done the right thing, but hell, had all he’d seen of a man was one who hit his mother?
I thought of my own father and the example he set for me and my brothers. Those boys deserved better.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I yanked on my boots, jacket, and beanie, and tromped down the stairs. “I’m going out for a while,” I hollered to my mom, then I loped down to the four-wheeler and headed out to Scarlett’s place.
She answered the door with sleepy eyes, in a robe and pajama pants, her feet bare with red toenails, her hair loose and in disarray like I’d woken her up. “Johnny?”
“Hey.” My breath puffed white in front of my face. “Can I come in?”
“Oh. Uh . . .” She glanced back then swung open the door. “Sure.”
I walked in and found the boys watching cartoons on the living room floor. “Hey, guys.”
“Mr. Johnny!” Daniel popped up and hugged my legs in a running tackle with Nathan not far behind.
“Hey.” I leaned down to their eye level. “Can you give me a few minutes to talk to your mom?”
“Okay.” They didn’t look happy about it, but they moved back to the living room.
Scarlett tugged her robe tighter around her chest and studied me with a strange expression. It suddenly dawned on me how exhausted she looked. “You want some coffee or something?” she asked.
“Yeah, sure.”
We moved to the kitchen and she poured me a cup, but none for herself as she waited expectantly for me to explain my presence in her home. I sipped and glanced around at her cute little decorations and the way she’d made the place homey for herself and the boys with her little knickknacks and candles and their artwork on the fridge.
“So . . .” she started.
“So . . .” I sipped my coffee then placed it down. “I’ve been thinking. If it’s okay with you, while I’m here on the ranch, I’d like to spend some time with the boys.”
Her brows curled down in confusion. “Time with the boys?”
“Yeah. You know, since Todd’s not around, I figured they might like to have a man to do guy stuff with.”
Her expression softened considerably. “You’d do that?”
“Well, sure. Why not? They’re good kids.”
“But they’re not yours.” She swallowed and glanced away.
“I know that.”
She met my eyes again. “What about when you go back to the Marines?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. I’d only given that a cursory thought. “Well . . . then I guess we’ll have to settle for occasional visits when I can get leave and come home. If that’s still okay with you.”
Her eyes glossed over with held back tears and she nibbled her lip. “You’re sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“Does this have something to do with what happened at the pond?”
“Maybe a little. But I just got to thinking about it, and I want to do it. For them. For you. You guys deserve it. Besides, it’ll be fun for me, too.” Anything to get my mind off my injury.
Her gaze lifted to mine and my heart caught in my
chest, making my breath stall. God, she was beautiful. How anyone could call her damaged goods was utterly beyond me. “Well . . .”
“Say yes, Scarlett.”
“If you’re sure . . .”
“Say yes, Scarlett.” I repeated with a grin.
She smiled back. “Okay. Yes. I’d appreciate it.”
“Good.” I stood. “How about I start now?”
“Now?”
“Yeah. You look tired. How about I take them off your hands for a while so you can get some rest?”
She reached up and brushed her hair back self-consciously, making me laugh.
“Don’t worry, Scarlett. You’re still beautiful.” I spun from the room. “Nathan! Daniel! Get dressed, guys. We’re going on a man trip!”
Six
Scarlett
I watched Johnny and the boys tromp down the front porch steps to make their way to whatever manly things he had planned for them. I clutched my ratty robe tighter around my chest and realized with a start that I hadn’t even questioned him about what he was going to do with my sons. It hadn’t even crossed my mind. But as I saw him smile down at them before he swung Daniel up onto his shoulders (which he probably shouldn’t have been doing with his injury, but it made my boy grin so much I couldn’t help but laugh), it dawned on me that I trusted him.
I always had.
I’d known him since we were young, but more than that, I knew, down to the marrow of my bones, that he was a good man. An honorable man. He’d never, ever hurt my children.
Once they were out of sight, I spun around and made my way to the bathroom, where I indulged in a long, hot shower before I dropped into my bed and fell fast asleep.
I woke up groggy and disoriented, my stomach growling.
I glanced at the clock and blinked the sleep from my eyes. Blinked again.
Five o’ clock.
Five o’ clock?
I’d slept all day?
I bolted up in bed and raced to the living room. It was silent and dark. I threw back the curtains and peered outside, but the yard was quiet.
I raced back to my room and threw on a pair of jeans, a sweater, and my boots, then ran out to my car to drive up to the main house. Johnny was probably pissed I’d left him with the kids so long, sleeping like a lazy person.
I threw the car into park and loped up the steps to pound on the door as I caught my breath.
When it opened, I was struck dumb by the huge grin on Johnny’s face. Something I hadn’t seen in way too long.
“Hey!” he said, swinging the door open. “You’re just in time. We were just getting ready to fry up our catch for dinner. Hope you’re hungry.”
“I . . .” My eyes fell to my two boys as they crowded around him at the door.
“We caught a bazillion fish, Mommy,” Nathan crowed.
“But mine was biggest,” Daniel added.
I lifted my gaze to Johnny. “You went fishing?”
“And horseback riding.”
“And shooting,” Nathan added helpfully.
My eyes widened.
Johnny nudged him. “You weren’t supposed to mention that, remember?” he said in a stage whisper. “Man stuff.”
I lifted a brow as I stepped inside around their snoring dog, Barkley. “Shooting?”
Johnny closed the door looking appropriately chagrined. “Yeah. Sorry if that was out of bounds, but they wanted to learn. It was just a BB gun and some old tin cans. Nothing too big.”
I relaxed. A little. “Oh. Well . . .”
Daniel grabbed my hand. “Come on, Mommy. Johnny said I get to help with the potatoes for the French fries.”
“He did, did he?” I let my son lead me toward the kitchen while Nathan and Johnny followed, obviously happy I wasn’t going to fuss about the shooting.
I watched as the three of them settled into a routine they’d already had going, preparing a dinner of fried fish and potatoes and simple green salads, and I had to admit as strange as it was, it was kind of nice, too.
I went ahead and made myself useful by setting the table, earning myself another heart-melting smile from Johnny.
“So, where are your folks?” I asked.
“They went to town to visit some friends.”
I nodded and glanced away as I realized we were alone. “That’s nice.”
We settled down to eat and I made sure to ooh and aah over the boys’ catches. I did insist on doing the dishes, and instead of hanging out with the boys, Johnny put them in front of the television with bowls of ice cream and stayed with me in the kitchen.
“Did you get some rest?” he asked quietly, handing me the last of the dirty plates at the sink.
I shot him a glance. “I did. Thank you for taking them.”
Dark eyes seared mine. “It was my pleasure. They’re great kids.”
“Thank you.” Our eyes held a beat longer than normal, and I would’ve sworn something passed between us that felt like a bit more than friendship, but I couldn’t be sure. It was probably just me and my wishful thinking. I ducked my head and dunked the plate into the suds. “I know they love having a man to do things with.”
He was silent for a long moment and I could feel his questions in the air. I bit my lip and forced myself to keep my eyes down.
“Scarlett?”
“Hmm?”
“Was Todd—?”
Thankfully, he was interrupted when the back door flew open and his parents came in, along with a giant flurry of frigid December air.
“Phew, it’s a cold one out there!” his dad said, stomping his feet on the mat.
“It smells good in here.” Mrs. Ray kissed his cheek. “Hey, Scarlett.”
“Hello, Mrs. Ray.”
Her gaze moved between me and Johnny quizzically, but settled on her son. “Did you manage dinner alright?”
“We did,” he said. “We fried up some fish the boys and I caught today.”
Her expression beamed. “You did?”
“Yup. Delicious, too.”
“That’s wonderful.” They moved on to chat with the boys about their catch, leaving Johnny and I alone again.
I spun away to finish the dishes. I reached up to put a glass away, but it slipped from my wet grasp.
Before I could think, he zipped out a hand near my head to grab it, making me gasp and flinch, lifting my arms to protect my face in an automatic protective stance.
I let my arms fall as soon as I realized my mistake, my face growing hot as I spun away, embarrassed beyond belief.
A gentle hand grasped mine. “Scarlett.”
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to his, my heart slamming into my throat.
“You never have to be afraid of me, you know that, right?”
I swallowed hard and forced a jerky nod as tears flooded my eyes. “I’m sorry. I just . . .”
“Don’t.”
I froze at his commanding tone.
He softened his expression and I realized he still had my hand in his. “Don’t ever apologize to me. Not for being yourself.”
I frowned. “But—”
“Do you wanna get out of here for a while?”
“I . . . what?”
His grip tightened and he leaned in a fraction, making my heart do wild things in my chest. “You heard me. Do you want to get off the ranch for a little while? Go get a drink or something?”
“With you?”
“With me.”
“Right now?”
“No time like the present.”
I swallowed, taking in the warmth of his hand surrounding mine. There was such strength and comfort there, I was afraid to read too much into it. “What about the boys?”
“I’m sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t mind watching them for a couple of hours.”
I blinked up at him, taking in the ring of nearly black that surrounded his brown eyes. “Why?”
“Why would my parents—?”
“No. I mean why are you asking me out? A few days ago, you acted like yo
u could barely stand the sight of me, now this? What is this, Johnny?”
Now it was his turn to flinch. “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I never meant to give you the impression that I couldn’t stand the sight of you.” He dropped my hand to rake his fingers through his hair, which had grown out considerably in his time on the ranch. “Quite the opposite, in fact.” He ignored my confused frown. “I just . . . we’re friends, right?”
“I guess.”
“Well, friends can go out for a drink once in a while. We both deserve a break. A clean slate, so to speak.”
“A clean slate?”
“Yeah.”
“I wasn’t aware that we needed a clean slate.”
“Well, you don’t, but I know I’ve been a bit standoffish and grumpy lately, so . . .”
I crossed my arms. “Why is that, anyway?”
He lifted a brow. “How about that drink and we’ll talk about it?”
I smiled begrudgingly. “Fine. But only if your parents really don’t mind. Otherwise, I’ll take a raincheck.”
“Deal.”
But, as he pivoted to amble away in the most form-fitting Wranglers I’d ever laid eyes on, I found myself hoping and praying his folks were up for babysitting tonight.
Seven
Johnny
I had no idea what came over me that night, but I’d never been happier to be possessed. I had no clue why Scarlett wanted to go home and change after we got Nathan and Daniel settled in with my folks—she looked fine to me—but when she sauntered out her front door all decked out in tight white jeans and a sinfully soft-looking red sweater that showcased all the curves that had been invading my dreams more and more at night . . . well, I got it and I shot up a prayer of thanks.
“Ready?” I think she caught me drooling and I could’ve sworn she blushed, but the dusk hid it well.
“Yup.” I had the truck already warming up for her, so I opened the door and helped her up. Damn it, she smelled even better than normal. I stifled a groan as she brushed past.
We drove off the ranch and I adjusted the radio to a low hum, finding myself at a loss for words with no idea why. We’d known each other for forever. And, yet, after Joanna’s revelation, Scarlett felt like a stranger to me.
I glanced over at her dainty profile.