Hart & Stocker

by Max Ellendale

  "I am. They didn't tell me much over the phone so I was in a panic, thinking the worst."

  "What was the worst thing you thought?" she asked, patting the spot on the bed beside her. I shifted to sit with her with my back against the headboard.

  "Why do you want to know that?" I scrunched up my face and she smirked.

  "Because it tells me what you're afraid of." She turned on her side, and slid her hand over my knee. "Tell me."

  I stared at her pretty face, with the small bruise on her cheek, and ran my knuckle over her chin. "Detective Moreno told me you had bruises and a concussion. I went right to thinking all the ways you could get those things. Being beat up, raped. That scared me."

  "I'm sorry you were scared." She took my hand and kissed my fingers. "I literally tackled a guy and fell down the stairs."

  "You have a scary job regardless…"

  "Not right now I don't. Right now, I'm a farmer who's wondering if Esteban looked after the animals and pumpkins today," she said, a smirk playing on her lips.

  "I'm sure he did."

  "He always does." She grunted when she moved her legs.

  A soft knock on the door interrupted us and we looked up to see Mom carrying in a tray with tea and biscuits. "Hello, loves."

  "Thanks, Mom," I said as Dax shifted to sit up beside me.

  "A little tea to settle your bellies." Mom set the tray between us then sat beside Dax's knees. "How are you feeling, Dax?"

  "A little dizzy, but okay. Thank you." Dax leaned her head back against the pillow after, the ice pack now in her lap. I lifted a tea cup and handed it to her before taking my own.

  "Good." Mom's eyes darted over Dax's face while she surveyed her. "That cheek might give you a black eye tomorrow."

  "Not my first." Dax fiddled with the handle of her teacup, her gaze following the shimmer of the liquid. I gave her arm a squeeze and she smirked. "Doctor Hart, what's a golden prick?"

  I laughed and Mom offered her a smile. "Heard that, did you?"

  "Yeah," said Dax, her half-smile perpetual.

  "Well, I meant everything you heard, Dakota." Mom gave Dax's knee a squeeze. "I've known you since you were a tiny little peanut, and you were handed a few bum deals compounded by the lack of support. What matters right now is that we love you." Mom gestured between herself and me. "That won't change."

  Dax's eyes welled up as she nodded, her gaze on her cup still. "No one's ever told her off like that. Well, except Willa. Sort of."

  "I mean, overripe prat was pretty good, but chasing a golden prick is way better," I said, laughing softly while bending to nibble Dax's cheek. She smiled as she leaned into me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

  "Rowan became unhappy of her own accord, darlin'." Mom patted Dax's knee again. "And she dragged you through it. Small town life for thirty-some-odd-years took its toll on her. She started spending time in Seattle, met some folks, and it drew her away."

  "She hated me for wanting to stay with Dad," Dax said, setting the cup back on the tray. "Said she would make me go to court and tell them why I wanted to get away from her. That's a fucked up thing to tell a kid. I believed her."

  "It is," Mom agreed. "I'm sorry she put you through that."

  "Me too, honey." I brushed my lips over her cheek.

  "I got through it and had summers with Dad. I tolerated things and she was always judgmental, but it wasn't until everything that happened to me when it got unbearable." Dax's sudden desire to talk to my Mom surprised me, but we rolled with it. "She made me feel like it was my fault. And that I deserved it because I wasn't a good enough cop to recognize a sociopath."

  "How do you feel about it now?" asked Mom, her tone unassuming.

  "The same, sometimes."

  "Can you look at me a moment please, darlin'?" Mom held both of her hands out to Dax. It took her a second, but her gaze flickered to meet Mom's. Mom didn't wait for the follow up and gripped both of Dax's hands after she set down the teacup. "It was not your fault, Dakota. You did not deserve to be hurt. And from what I've learned, you're a wonderful law enforcement professional. Can you hear those words?"

  Dax nodded, her eyes welling up immediately as thick tears followed.

  "You deserve to be happy. And you deserve to be happy with my daughter. You've made her so very happy." Mom smiled, giving Dax's hands a gentle tug. "Did you know that?"

  "A little." Dax sniffled, her eyes fixed on my mother. Tears streamed my cheeks as I watched her try to rewrite some of the damage done by Rowan.

  "You make me very happy," I whispered against her cheek and she smiled through her tears.

  "You make me happy, too." She leaned her head against mine and I hugged her.

  "Safe with you," I said, giving her a squeeze. "Safe with me."

  "Yeah." She released my mom's hand to return my embrace.

  "It's settled then. You're part of this family now. Our July fourth barbeque is coming up." Mom patted Dax's leg again before standing. "You're on potato salad duty."

  We both laughed at that.

  "Thank you." Dax swiped at her eyes. "For listening to me and defending me."

  "It's what moms do." Mom leaned over and kissed Dax on the forehead, then me. "Good night, girls. Get some rest."

  "Are you heading home?" I asked as she lifted the tray from between us.

  "In a little bit," she said, tossing me a wink before stepping out of the room.

  "C'mon, honey." I pulled the covers over us then lay down with my arms open to Dax. She shifted into them, favoring the side with her injured rib, then settled her head on my shoulder. We snuggled together, with Dax's lips pressed against my neck while we held each other.

  "I'm sorry you were scared, baby," she whispered.

  "There's no need to apologize, honey. I'm just glad you're okay. And you've been adopted by Mom. So technically we're sisters. Gross." I scrunched up my nose and she laughed.

  "Your mom is great. Is she always like that? Intense and supportive?"

  "Yes. Sometimes the intensity can feel judgy or pushy, at least to me."

  "It didn't feel that way tonight. I mean, not with your mom anyway." She smirked and I kissed it right off her lips.

  "I'm glad. I'm sorry your mom got there before I did. I wished I could've been there first to fend her off," I said while she brushed her lips over mine, then along my chin.

  "She beat you only by five minutes and you were two hours away."

  "Mom flew a little…"

  "Good." Dax rubbed slow circles on my chest. "No more apologizing to each other for things we can't control."

  "I can agree to that. Are you sleepy?"

  "Very." At the question, her body felt suddenly heavier against me.

  "Go to sleep, honey."

  "I love you," she said, tucking her nose against my neck.

  "I love you, too, Dax." I pressed my lips to her forehead, and held her while she slipped away into the sleep that grabbed at her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  "Eat food." I pointed at the nachos in front of Dax on the bar counter at Rooney's the following week. "Or I will."

  "My stomach is still a bit swirly," she said, but picked at a chip anyway. "I've never sat here without downing whiskey."

  "Do you want to move?" I asked, pointing to the empty spots by the pool table.

  "Nope. How about we order whiskey?" She smirked and I swatted her arm.

  "Whatever you want, babe." I laughed, leaning my chin on her shoulder. "You're not driving nor are you particularly distraught. There's drinking for the right reasons and for the wrong ones."

  "What's the right reasons?"

  "You like it. It makes you feel sort of relaxed."

  "And the wrong reasons?" She nudged my forehead with her chin.

  "Wanting to escape dangerously, and to hurt yourself."

  "Well, none of those reasons today," she said, her hand sliding over my thigh.

  "Good."

  "How about we each have a beer with
our burgers?" Her suggestion made me smile, and I nodded my agreement.

  "Works for me."

  Our dinner arrived a few minutes later and Andy slid down the beers we ordered to go with it. Dax's hand never left my leg, and our close proximity brought me comfort.

  "Should we order for Sage?" she asked before taking a bite of a pickle spear.

  "Good question. She should be here soon but she changes her mind every second. First she'll want a burger, then order pulled pork at the last second. Or vice versa."

  "Fussy." Dax laughed and I nodded.

  "Oh yeah."

  Behind us, a swell of folks entered through the side door, chattering away. The older crowd usually brought weekday gimmicks like trivia, karaoke, or line dancing. Dax watched them, a single eyebrow arched as they funneled toward the far end of the bar.

  "If they dance, so will you," she said, wagging her brows at me.

  "No way." I laughed, giving her arm a poke. "That one time was a fluke."

  "Liar."

  "It was!"

  "C'mon. It was cute." She smiled at me and I scrunched up my nose.

  "Hi, guys." Sage's windswept presentation interrupted our flirting. "Sorry. Macie was being fussy."

  "Fussy," Dax whispered through a snicker.

  "Hi, sissy." I hugged her when she grabbed me into an embrace. "We just got our food."

  "Good. Hi, Dax." Sage didn't hesitate to hug her as well. It took Dax by surprise, but her return was a warm one. "How do you feel?"

  "Better, thanks," she answered, her gaze meeting my sister's when Sage gave her hair an affectionate caress.

  "Good. We were worried," she said, her smile soft. Dax's expression softened, her eyes wide as if she didn't expect to hear that. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you called me, Will." She glanced between us. "I was stuck in a meeting."

  "It's okay. Mom was a great support," I said, then picked up a French fry.

  Sage paused as she slid on to the bar stool. "Are you being serious?"

  "Yes." I laughed at the perplexed look on her face. "She was."

  "Well then." Sage grinned then waved to Andy when he headed over. She put in her order for a beer and mac and cheese.

  "Told you she'd change her mind." I pointed at Sage while looking at Dax. "She said burger, switched to mac and cheese."

  "You did say that." Dax laughed at the two of us.

  "Don't tease me, Willa Dean." Sage whined and smacked my arm.

  "Uck. That name." I scowled and Dax snickered in my ear when she hugged me from behind.

  "It's pretty. Willa Dean Hart." Dax squeezed me and I leaned into her.

  "It is," agreed Sage. "Better than Sage Lee."

  "That's nice, too," said Dax. "Very country-western of your folks. I was named after two states."

  I huffed at the way she minimized her name. "No, you were not. I saw that plaque in your room with your name and origin on it. It's Native American and means friend or ally. And it's very pretty."

  "It is. And it has a cool nickname. What's your middle name?" asked Sage, taking a swig of her beer.

  "Jane."

  "Dakota Jane Stocker is a very pretty name." I offered her a fry over my shoulder and she snatched it with her teeth.

  "I agree." Sage smiled at the two of us. "Are you Native, Dax?"

  "My Dad always said he had a drop of Native blood, but who even knows anymore. I wouldn't say so." She shrugged as she turned back to her burger. I joined her then offered Sage a bite.

  "Want?"

  "Yes." She plucked it from my fingers and grinned.

  "You better share your mac and cheese then." I laughed as she pretended to squirm in her seat.

  Music kicked up when more folks began to file in, turning Rooney's into its bustling dinnertime haunt. Marjorie showed up with Kellee at her side, and they waved to us right away. Sage pointed to the vacant seats on the other side of her around the curve of the bar counter. Dax and I stuck to the two corner seats whenever we dined together so that no one could sit beside her. Dax's shoulder nearly pressed the wall while Sage took the first spot on the long side of the counter.

  "Hey, girls." Marjorie smiled at us. "Don't mind if we join?"

  "Hi. It's okay," I said, though I wasn't totally sure how Dax felt. She didn't seem to care at present.

  Sage's dinner arrived and the other two women ordered their food and drinks as if the crew of us made for a revolving door.

  "We came for karaoke tonight," said Kellee as she shrugged out of her sweater.

  "Oh no." I groaned. "We always pick the worst night."

  They all laughed at me while Sage poked my elbow. "Willa always sings on karaoke night."

  "Sage! I don't."

  "Aw, c'mon, Will." Marjorie joined in the teasing. "Your girlfriend would love to see you sing. Wouldn't you, Dax?"

  "Don't you dare agree with her." I swung around and put my index finger against Dax's lips. She cracked up, her eyes twinkling with the newfound mischief that she'd harbored of late.

  "Actually." She grabbed my wrist, and pretended to bite my finger. "I would."

  "It's settled then!" Kellee clapped her hands. "We're karaoke-ing after dinner."

  "Neener neener." Sage nearly giggled while poking at me.

  "I strongly dislike all of you right now." I huffed and puffed out my frustration, but it only made Dax laugh more as she slid her hand over my thigh.

  "It's like pushing you in the lake all over again," she said.

  "Not funny!" I squeaked, then laughed at her as I cupped her cheeks in my palms. "I was freezing!"

  "But I got to see your tits. This is kind of similar." Her laughter, and the light it left in her emerald gaze, warmed my insides.

  "Oh my God. I cannot even."

  "You can even." She closed the space between us and kissed me. I melted into her public display of affection and our smiles ended our connection. "Hi."

  "Hi, honey."

  "You two are cute." Kellee hooted, clapping her hands once. "To think, Dax, your crush on Pig Girl turned into your dream girl."

  "Sure did." Dax pinched my chin between her thumb and forefinger. "Sexy Cowgirl."

  My laughter continued under her doting and my cheeks burned with a blush. In all my relationships, no one celebrated me as much as Dax did. It acted like a soothing ointment over all my injured parts. She made my heart whole, and my blood pump strong.

  Everyone tucked into their dinners and drinks while we listened to a few rounds of karaoke. It took Sage a few beers before Marjorie could convince her to get up on the small stage and belt out a duet to Summer Nights from Grease. The whole bar cheered for them when they were done and I promptly sent the video I snuck to Jake. Dax looked over my shoulder and grinned at Jake's reply, She gone kill ya.

  "He's right," Dax agreed.

  "I know. Blackmail."

  "Next to the mic is my baby sister!" bellowed Sage and pointed at me. "C'mon, Will."

  "No way!" I waved my hands in front of me, and the whole bar booed.

  "C'mon, girl," called one man with an old Stetson similar to Dax's.

  "Get up there, baby girl. C'mon." One of the women from Mom's lavender ladies group clapped for me. "Betcha girl will love it." She pointed at Dax.

  I bit my lip and looked over my shoulder at her.

  "Double dog dare you," she crooned against my cheek.

  "Fine!" I tossed my hands in the air and the room burst into applause. "But I'm going to embarrass you, too."

  "I'll take it." Dax grinned as she watched me head up to the mic with Sage.

  "No pictures, Dakota." I pointed at her, squinting my eyes in an attempt to appear threatening.

  "No promises, Willa Dean." She laughed at me and I watched her sneak her phone from her pocket on purpose.

  Sage bounced up and down like an excited teenager when we looked over the karaoke song book. "What should I do?"

  "That doo-wop song that you used to sing as a kid." She wiggled her fingers. "The stupid
piano duet thing we used to play from that movie Big."

  "Uck. Really?" I huffed at the suggestion.

  "Yeah. You sing it cute." She lowered her voice to whisper, "And you can sing it to Dax and adlib words."

  "Oh yeah." I perked at that idea. "Okay. Find it."

  We flipped through the book hurriedly as the silver-haired karaoke host looked on. "There it is."

  "Okay. This one." I pointed out Heart and Soul by The Four Aces.

  "You got it, darlin'." He plucked a disc from the sleeve of his fat binder and loaded it into the machine. Sage handed me the mic and I nearly hurled from nerves when everyone looked at me.

  "Stay up here!" I shrieked, grabbing her arm when she made to step down. She stumbled off the landing and laughed on her way back up.

  "Sheesh, sissy. Fine."

  When the music began, I skipped all the doo-wop parts and only sang the verses. The older folks in the crowd swayed along to my terrible singing. As soon as the lyrics about falling in love came on, I met Dax's gaze and sang the song directly to her. She leaned back against the bar counter, her elbows perched on it with her boot hooked on the ring of the stool beside her. Her cocky grin, pink cheeks, and sexy figure in her tight jeans made my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

  On the next verse, I changed Heart and Soul to Hart and Stocker, and pointed between the two of us. Half the room chuckled, the other half aww'ed at us and clapped. From that point on, whenever the song said heart and soul, I switched it out for our last names. Dax's face lit up with her twinkling eyes as she gazed at me. Her bottom lip found its way between her teeth while she watched me sing, somewhat off-key at times.

  During the last doo-wop part without lyrics, I spoke over it. "She stole her first kiss from me in the old schoolhouse on her property." I pointed at Dax, and her cheeks turned so red that I worried her face would explode.

  Whoops and hollers followed and I laughed as I finished up the final Hart and Stocker line before taking a bow. Sage clapped along with the others and I gave her a shove on my way down.

  "Such a ham," she said.

  "I know." I bounced over to Dax and she grabbed me by my belt when I neared, giving me a firm yank. "Hi, honey."

  "Hi, baby. You're so fucking adorable." She grinned as she pulled me into a swoon-worthy kiss. I laughed through it, my feet leaving the ground when she lifted me in a half-twirl.