Wicked Healing

by Madden, J. M.

  Circling the car, she climbed inside, rolling the windows down as soon as she started the car. If she’d have been paying more attention she should have started the car with the remote start to get the AC going, but she’d been too busy watching Luca in her peripheral, ready to jump in case he stumbled.

  “Let’s find some lunch,” she suggested.

  They drove North for a few miles till they spotted a small ice cream place on the side of the road. There were several cars parked there and a few families out on picnic tables eating food. Erin went up to order the food so that Luca could keep Wicked a little further out from the families. They sat at the farthest table and looked out over the ocean as they ate junk food. Even Wicked got a hot dog, scarfing it down in two quick bites.

  The entire day was one of the nicest Erin could remember having. Several times she looked up to find Luca watching her, as if waiting for something. She wasn’t sure what he wanted but if he articulated it, she would do what she could for him.

  “Is your ego still intact?” she asked, grinning.

  Luca laughed out loud. “Well, pretty much,” he agreed. “Had to rely on this pretty girl to drive my ass around but other than that, yeah.”

  “Well, this pretty girl didn’t mind it, believe me. She got just as much enjoyment out of it. The ocean is incredible here.”

  “Yes,” he said softly, looking out his window as they headed south. “I want to row out and catch a wave, let it carry me back in. Surfing used to be my thing. I haven’t done it in almost two years.”

  “Why are you saying used to be? If you still want to do it then do it. Either find a prosthetic that can allow you to swim or just go without the prosthetic completely. Although that might make balancing extremely hard. You’ll just have to find a different way to do it.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, sighing.

  The conversation went quiet, which was fine. There was a fair amount of traffic leaving the area and she needed to concentrate. At one point traffic came to a standstill and she glanced over. Luca’s eyes were closed, his mouth soft, head rocking gently on the seat rest. Erin’s heart thudded. She wanted to reach over and stroke her hand down his cheek. She wanted to feel his beard stubble and run her hand down his neck. The burns had left a texture there she was curious about. Did it still hurt?

  She wished there was a way she could help him accommodate to his new way of life, but it would have to be completely up to him. As a SEAL, she was sure he’d been trained to adapt to his surroundings and overcome anything he was faced with.

  The traffic began moving again so they crept forward, then had to stop again. There must have been a fender bender ahead or something to bring it to this much of a standstill.

  By the time they made it back to the hospital it was after three. Luca and Wicked slept the entire way. Even when she pulled into the parking lot, and stopped, Luca didn’t move until she turned off the ignition. His head lifted and he looked out the windscreen, then looked at her, rubbing his face.

  “I can’t believe I slept so long. I’m so sorry. I should have given you directions.”

  “No worries,” she told him. “I listened to a book and I have GPS.”

  She pulled the earbud from her left ear, showing him, and began winding the pair up. Then she stowed them in the cubby in the dash. “I hope you don’t mind walking a bit. I thought we could hit that little grass patch for Wicked before we went up to your room.”

  Luca nodded, opening his door. He shifted in the seat and pushed up and out, bracing against the frame of the car. Erin watched him carefully, but he kept his feet. Overall she thought he’d done a fantastic job today.

  By the time they got to his room, though, she could tell he was worn out. A couple of the nurses waved hello to him and within a few minutes one came in to see if he needed anything. Luca asked for something to eat and the nurse disappeared.

  Erin sank into the recliner as he took the bed. Wicked had already jumped onto the mattress and Luca removed his prosthetic, checking to make sure that the dog didn’t have any wear spots on his foot. From her position it looked completely fine.

  “If it gets damp or anything you can just leave it off for a while. He gets around fine on three legs.”

  Luca nodded. “It’s completely dry. Just a little sandy.”

  He brushed the irritants away then replaced the prosthetic. Wicked licked his hand, then put his head down again.

  Erin sighed. They were going to have to go back to the hotel soon, and she hated to leave. “Did you get a message about that rental you were looking at?”

  Luca grabbed his tablet, woke it up and began swiping. He grunted and looked up at her. “Well, looks like I got it if I want it. I just have to email him to confirm.”

  Erin’s heart sank but she forced a smile. “Congratulations, then. That’s excellent news.”

  Luca was frowning. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know.” His dark eyes locked onto hers. “I had a really good time with you today. I know you aren’t here for me, not exactly, but I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

  She smiled, shrugging. “It was for me as much as you boys. I wanted to see the ocean.”

  He stared at her for a long moment before crossing his arms over his chest, then uncrossing them. It looked like the movement had hurt. She wasn’t sure what he was wrestling with, but it kept him quiet for a long moment. When he turned back to her his jaw was firm. “I don’t want to take that house, Erin. I know for a fact I’ve imposed on you too much, but I’ve been thinking about your offer. I think I would like to go home with you. To Phoenix.”

  Her heart set off into a gallop, and she knew she had to look surprised. “Okay,” she said slowly. “I thought this house was ideal for you?”

  “It is,” he agreed, frowning hard. “But I think I want a complete change of scenery. Is that crazy?”

  “No, not crazy. Not at all. You are completely welcome to come home with me. We would love to have you.”

  Oh, damn. Luca was coming home with her. Panic raced through her at the thought. She would need to call her mother to let her know. They would have to clean the apartment.

  This fluttering attraction she’d been feeling was going to have to be controlled.

  “What will your parents say?”

  Luca frowned. “They’re not going to like it. But, at least we can say it’s partially Mom’s fault. She hired you through that Helping Hands service.”

  Laughing, Erin shook her head. “I don’t think that’s going to keep your mother from being angry.”

  If this happened she would need to let Carolina know that there might be trouble on her horizon. If Luca’s mother wanted to, she could probably cause Carolina some grief.

  “Well then, why don’t you talk to your team and see when you’ll be released, then? And we’ll decide if I’ll come back to get you or if you’ll go home with us now.”

  Luca nodded, looking completely calm, like now that he’d made the decision part of his worry had disappeared. And if he wanted to come home with her that was completely fine. She would provide him with a way to heal and recover, and the space to find the man he needed to be.

  “I think we both have work to do. I’ll head back to the hotel and you can do what you need to do here.”

  He nodded, stroking Wicked. “That’s fine. I’ve taken up a lot of your day. You probably need a chance to chill without taking care of me. I swear to you that I will be self-sufficient.”

  Erin shook her head. “No, that’s not why I’m leaving. You are not an imposition in any way. Don’t misread me.”

  He didn’t look completely mollified but she couldn’t say it any plainer. And she’d spoken truth. She need to call the ranch and get ready.

  Gathering Wicked she left the hospital room, leash in hand. “Call me to let me know what your team says.”

  He gave her a wave, then watched the two of them walk through the doorway. />
  Erin didn’t feel bad about leaving. She really did have things to do. Literally she had done no work for three days other than be here, and she knew she had emails to answer at least. Her mother had called once, leaving a voicemail, and she needed to get back with her. Besides, it would probably be smart to give Luca just a little distance. As much as she enjoyed him, she didn’t want them to become entangled in each other too quick. She wanted to give him the space he needed.

  Plus, she needed some space. She didn’t do relationships, but she could definitely do one with Luca, she could feel it in her heart. And it was too much too fast.

  Chapter 8

  Luca watched Wicked go, escorted by the woman that had changed his life. He had no idea what the hell had come over him, but he wanted to be with Erin. When he thought about leaving her and taking Wicked with him, his heart ached for all three of them. Being with her today had shown him that she was just as amazing as he’d thought from her emails. More so even. They clicked on a friend level, and he knew by the subtle tension running between them that he could pursue more, and she would be receptive. That sounded a little conceited, but he’d seen that look in women’s eyes before.

  His own insecurity held him back, though. She hadn’t seen everything and it was way too early to assume how she would react. His body wasn’t pretty anymore.

  Luca called his regular nurse and told her what they were thinking. Smiling, she nodded, promising to check with his primary doctor.

  It took three hours to hear back, but Dr. Young was thorough when it came to things like this. Sometimes too thorough. He suggested that another week of therapy should be enough to set Luca up for success.

  The disappointment was crushing. Yes, he was tired from his excursion but he felt like he was doing everything right. There was a need to move into the next chapter of his life, and while he appreciated everything La Jolla had done for him, he was ready to move on.

  To give Erin some of the distance she seemed to have been needing, he emailed her.

  ‘Looks like another week.’ And he gave her the expected release date.

  It took her an hour to respond.

  ‘That’s fine. We’ll leave tomorrow and come back to get you in a week.’

  The delay fucking sucked, and now Wicked would be gone from him again. Luca left his room and powered out to the main atrium, looking for something to soothe his emotions. But he wasn’t finding it.

  Instead he found a little girl at the edge of the small koi pond. The child couldn’t have been more than three or four, he didn’t think, her dark hair trailing down her back. When he stopped on the other side of the pond she glanced up at him, her deep blue eyes flashing, then back down at the water.

  Luca looked around, curious where she’d come from or who she belonged to. It was only the two of them in the atrium area at that moment.

  Deciding to monitor the situation, he limped on around the pond. A rock-bed stream trailed away from the pond overflow and about thirty feet later flowed into another pond. Luca followed the stream and sat on a bench near the second pond, but he kept an eye on the little girl, just in case she tripped or something. He was the only one here to help her if she did, which may not be good chances for her, he thought with a bitter inward chuckle.

  She stood at the side of the pond for a long time, then settled on a rock at the edge of the water. Luca could see the big orange fish circling in the water, hoping she had food for them. For the better part of a half hour they each sat at their spots and allowed the water to heal their sorrows. Luca listened for the intercom system to call out her name or something, but it never did. He was going to have to bring her to the attention of the nurses or something. Surely someone had to be looking for her?

  Luca’s frustration had cooled as his worry for the little girl built. He needed to do something. Using the bench to brace himself, he pushed to his feet and started back toward the other pond. He watched his feet because the trail between ponds was fairly level, but could still be dangerous. At one point he glanced up to check the girl’s location, and that was when his prosthetic caught on the side of a rock. Luca knew in a heartbeat he was going down, but he tried to angle along the length of the path.

  Luckily, he didn’t land on any of the rocks surrounding the trail, just the trail itself. Gasping in pain, he held himself completely still for a moment, trying to gauge his injuries. He hadn’t felt or heard anything snap, so that was a good thing. It took a long, panicked second for him to be able to draw his breath in, though. His ribs ached but there were no stabbing pains like there were when Wicked tackled him.

  There was the slightest of touches on his right shoulder. Craning his head, he looked up at the little girl. She’d left her rock to come check on him. Big, sorrowful blue eyes looked him up and down, and he forced a grimace. “I’m okay,” he lied. Her tiny hand stayed on his shoulder as he sat up.

  Actually getting to his feet presented another problem. “Back up, darling,” he told her. She walked down the path a little, but stayed close, like she would try to jump in and help him if he faltered again. Luca appreciated her concern but he had to do this himself.

  Rolling over onto his good knee he stretched out his prosthetic, trying to brace the toe of his shoe into a rock, then he used his hands to walk himself up into a ‘downward dog’. Then, getting his good leg beneath him he pushed to a stand. It wasn’t the most graceful of movements but when he was vertical the little girl gave him a small smile.

  “Thank you for trying to help me out,” he told her, giving her a grin. “I’m glad you were the only one that saw me go down.”

  She smiled again and nodded, and he wondered if she didn’t want to talk or couldn’t.

  “Do you like looking at the Koi?”

  She gave him a confused look.

  “The goldfish. They’re called Koi.”

  “Yes, I like the koi.”

  Oh, she did speak, just not very much. “Do you think your parents are looking for you?”

  Her big eyes filled with tears and it was almost enough to break his heart. What had he done wrong. “Are you lost? Is that why you’re down here?”

  She shook her head, letting her dark hair fall forward to cover her face. “I know where I am.”

  “Where are you supposed to be?”

  She glanced at him guiltily. “In the break room.”

  He thought about the size of the facility. “Which break room,” he asked with a laugh.

  “On number six.”

  Sixth floor. Near the administration offices? “Are you here with a patient?”

  She shook her head again. “My dad is a boss.”

  “What’s his name?” Luca asked, but he had a sneaking suspicion who she belonged to. The dark hair and blue eyes were a pretty strong tell…

  “Paul Jameson.”

  Yup. That’s what he thought. “Let’s go talk to your dad.”

  He held out a hand to her, not sure if she’d take it or not. But she did, slipping her little fingers into his hold. They walked to the elevator hand in hand. It only took a second to arrive, and they began to lift to the sixth floor.

  “Did you lose your leg like my daddy lost his arm?”

  “Yes. In a way. If you’re around tomorrow you’ll have to come see my dog, Wicked. He has a prosthetic too.”

  “Really?”

  The elevator bumped to a stop and she went quiet. Luca had never been here but he remembered Paul saying his office was up here somewhere. As if he’d heard his name called Paul came around the corner down the hallway. When he saw Luca holding his daughter’s hand, his face closed down.

  “Hope,” he said firmly, “you were not supposed to leave this floor.”

  Her fingers tightened on Luca’s hand before she let it go. “I know, Daddy, but I was bored. There’s nothing to do in the waiting room. And my battery died on my tablet.”

  Paul looked at Luca. “Where was she?”

  “She was showing me the Koi in the at
rium.”

  Paul’s eyes widened slightly before he sighed, looking down at his daughter. There was frustration and love in the look and Luca wondered why the girl was here, rather than at home or with a sitter. Paul was single, Luca knew that much, but he hadn’t realized he had a little girl.

  “I told her to come find me tomorrow morning if she’s here. Wicked will be back and he loves little girls.” Paul gave him a grateful nod. “Erin is taking him back to Phoenix, then coming back to get me in a week when I’m released.”

  Paul cocked his head, his dark brows furrowed. “You’re going home with her?”

  It was Luca’s turn to nod. “She has an apartment available on her ranch and it will give us more time to work with Wicked.”

  Paul’s eyes narrowed and Luca hoped he couldn’t see through the flimsy excuse. He was going to Erin’s because he wanted to and for no other reason.

  “If that’s what you think will be best,” Paul said, no judgement in his calm voice.

  Luca appreciated that. He had to do what he thought he could live with and he didn’t need to be criticized for it. His mother was going to rip him a new asshole, but if he was honest with himself he was kind of looking forward to it because it would give him a reason to leave. Which was totally wrong. That shouldn’t be why he wanted to go to Arizona.

  Honestly, he wanted to be with Erin more. In the short time he’d known her she’d changed his life, literally, as well as that of his dog. She’d given him hope when there had been none and he appreciated that more than she could ever know.

  Did he see a relationship with her? Yes, he could, if the timing was better. It was such a cliché falling in love with the first woman he had serious contact with other than the nursing staff. Whether he could actually see it or not, he knew he had to have some emotional issues going on, what with surviving death and everything else that had gone on over the past two months.

  Luca knew that he was not in a position to make rational life decisions right now, so he had to go with his gut. Wicked loved her and he… enjoyed being with her.