Hart & Stocker

by Max Ellendale

  "Jo mentioned that." I stood up to find her pointing at a two-tone flower arrangement on the top of the desk. "What's that?"

  "For you." She shrugged, though she bit her cheek while smiling.

  I reached over her to pull the purple vase from the counter. The cold crystal in my hands made me nervous at first about the gesture and who sent them. Red and pink roses, intermixed with white, had me leaning down to smell them while plucking the card from the holder. I smiled, stroking the soft petals of a pink rose. "They're lovely. Did a patient leave them?"

  "Uh, I doubt it. They're beautiful roses, Willa. Patients don't send romantic roses." Nellie looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

  I tore open the little card to find an ink drawing of an open mouth with a suggestive tongue poking out. I laughed and hugged the card to my chest.

  "What's it say?" Nellie grinned up at me.

  "They're from Dax."

  "Duh. What'd she write?"

  "Nothing I can show you." I tucked the card into the pocket of my scrubs and fought the blush that accompanied it. The smile never left my lips as I lifted the vase to smell the flowers again. "Be back in a few. Bringing these upstairs."

  "Okay, Doctor Smitten." Nellie snickered and swung back around to face her computer when the front door opened.

  My cheeks never stopped burning all the way upstairs.

  In my apartment, I set the flowers on the island counter and smiled at them like a goofy teen on Valentine's Day. I pulled out my phone and texted Dax, Thank you, honey. For the flowers and the promise.

  Thought you might like that.

  My first ever flowers as an adult…

  Happy to pop your flower cherry. Be naked in ten minutes.

  Dax! I laughed aloud reading her text. I'm still at work…

  Don't care. Been two days. Be naked.

  My next patient is in thirty minutes.

  Leaves me twenty minutes to make you scream.

  Oh my God.

  Be naked.

  I bit my lip, glancing to my watch as my skin tingled with excitement. At war with my professional responsibility and so badly wanting to greet Dax the way she wanted, I stood frozen in the kitchen. My clit throbbed at just the thought of her arrival and how she would fulfill her promise. I would have to find a middle ground, to get what I craved and take care of the new kittens coming in for a checkup.

  My phone chimed and I looked down to see another text from Dax. Panties wet yet?

  Yes. Tease.

  Open the door.

  My brow furrowed and I hurried over to pull open the front door. Dax stood there, grinning like a fiend until she grabbed me in a heated kiss. She shoved me inside, kicking the door shut with her foot. My phone hit the floor with a clatter and I grabbed handfuls of her hair, melting into her delicious assault.

  "Hi, baby," she said, breathing against my lips as she swayed with me.

  "That was like four minutes." I gasped when she untied the string to my scrub bottoms. "Hi."

  "Speeding and texting has its benefits." She claimed my mouth at the same time that her hand met my soaked core. I moaned into her as she pressed me up against the wall, and fucked me in the kitchen in the best possible way.

  By the time I nearly slid down the wall, Dax tugged my pants back up then lifted me off the ground. I wrapped my arms and legs around her, panting heavily against her neck while she toted me over to the sofa. She gripped my ass then hugged me like we hadn't seen each other in days, because we hadn't.

  "Hi," I whispered, nibbling her ear.

  "Missed you." She brushed her lips over my cheek.

  "I missed you, too." I curled up against her, allowing myself to settle into the sweet afterglow of our reunion.

  Her hands roamed up and down my back, and her soft breathing against my ear settled the ache in my heart. I leaned back, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I want to do that to you."

  "I've been on the road for almost three days and reek like a traffic cone," she said, laughing through it.

  "You do not!" I chuckled, giving her hair a tug.

  "How about this." She caught my hands, then brought them to her lips for a kiss. "You go back to work, I'll go shower, and I promise to be naked in your bed when you return."

  "Really? I get you naked in my bed?" I grinned at the thought of it.

  "Yup." She snickered then bit my knuckle. "How's that plan?"

  "I'm here for it." I wagged my brows at her. "Thank you for the flowers, honey. They're really special…" I bit my lip, smiling around it.

  "Pretty flowers for my pretty girl," she said, leaning in to offer me a soft kiss.

  "I want to send you flowers back…"

  "Nah." She shook her head. "Send me a cheeseburger instead. I like those better."

  I laughed hard at her request. "A bouquet of cheeseburgers. You got it."

  "I'm glad you liked the flowers, baby." Her hands caressed my sides while we sat together. "Speaking of, you still want to go to the Lavender Festival tonight?"

  "I do. Mainly for the food and music. Want to?"

  "With you, yes."

  "Good." I kissed her quickly then pointed to my watch. "I have kittens waiting for me. I'll be back up in an hour. Okay?"

  "Okay." She pulled me into a hug and I squeezed her to me. The smile never left my face with her warm return.

  Ever since we'd spoken to her mother over a month ago, Dax's confidence in life increased each day. She made bold gestures, initiated conversations readily, and made public appearances in places that weren't just Rooney's. Last week, I even got her to go to the grocery store with me. Progress and change. What else could I truly ask for?

  We made it to the Lavender Festival just as the evening bands began their sets. Dax and I perused the food trucks and tents first, picking up a funnel cake, burgers, jalapeno corndogs, and kettle corn to begin our fatty meal. I set a blanket out on the grass facing the bandstand, and we perched on it to devour our dinner. Without Pepper bouncing between us, I wasn't as worried about dropping spicy food particles. She spent her first evening alone with Esteban and his son. Dax trusted only two people with our little charge, her trusty farmhand and my sister.

  "Good spot. We can run off to the rest of the food trucks without missing the show." Dax nodded to my right. "Look, babe."

  "What?" I turned to see a taco truck, with a line of half a dozen people waiting for food. The owners plated up tacos, nachos, burritos, and empanadas. "Yes!"

  Dax laughed, rolling on her knees to kiss my cheek. "I'll be right back."

  "Best. Girlfriend. Ever!" I called after her as she trotted off toward the truck, walking backwards with her arms spread wide. She laughed, wagging her brows at me before jogging the rest of the way to the truck.

  "Is your woman off fetching you sustenance?" my sister's voice crooned before she dropped down on the blanket beside me.

  "Yes." I grinned around my bite of corndog. "I love junk."

  Sage laughed, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "I'm aware. You love junk and you're love drunk. It's a cute look on you."

  I laughed while continuing to watch Dax. "Where's everyone else?" I asked, huffing when Sage stole the last bite of my food.

  "Pending. Mom has Macie with her doing something with flowers and Jake is being a good hubby." She pointed to Jake who stood beside Dax in line at the truck, the two of them talking in animated fashion. "Look at them. Old pals."

  "She's more comfortable around him now," I said, smiling as I observed them.

  "Around all of us." Sage sent an affectionate stroke down my back.

  "Yeah."

  Dax and Jake returned each with a box of nachos, and half-a-dozen tacos balanced on each arm. They set their spoils down on the blanket and I dove into the nachos first.

  "Hooray." I grinned up at Dax around the cheesy, crunchy goodness.

  "You're welcome." She leaned down to kiss me quickly, though her gaze flickered to something behind us. She stood up, her hand on my shou
lder as I turned to see what she was after.

  On the blanket behind us, a small group chatted while sharing food and drinks. A scrawny teenager, probably fourteen, skulked around behind them. Dax watched him while he glanced around. He pretended to drop his phone, bending down beside one of the women's purses. He snatched something, and made to bolt but Dax stuck out her foot and tripped him after shifting away from us. Sage gasped, and I started at the rough movement. Jake stood up, creating a barrier between Sage and the scuffle.

  Before the boy hit the ground, Dax grabbed him by the elbow with one hand, the other gripped his wrist with the small pink wallet clasped in his fist.

  "No you don't," she said, pulling him to his feet after wrestling the wallet from his grip.

  "Get off me," he muttered, jerking his arm in an attempt to free himself, though Dax didn't release him.

  "Sit down." She jostled him, knocking his feet out from under him and forced him to his rear in the grass.

  "Leave me alone," he protested, still tugging at her.

  "Want me to arrest you? Because I can. Sit down." Dax's harsh tones drew the attention of the group behind us. The woman whose wallet he stole, looked on with wide eyes. Dax tossed her the wallet, and she caught it, her mouth falling open.

  "Get off." The boy stopped fighting her at the threat, and Dax gripped his shoulder as she crouched beside him, her badge held an inch from his nose. The kid gulped, and avoided looking at her.

  "Why'd you take that?" she asked.

  "Fuck off." He pushed at her forearm, but her grip remained on his shoulder. Everything about her remained calm, focused, and strong. Her brow narrowed, and her intense expression struck a chord of fear in my chest.

  "Look at me." Dax moved in front of the kid, blocking his view of the stage he stared at. He met her gaze after the second demand, his lips pursed. "What's your name?" she pressed.

  "I'm not telling you."

  "Okay. I'll take you down to the Sheriff's office and they can pry it out of you."

  "David," he choked, gulping afterward. In this state, he appeared younger than I originally thought.

  Dax leaned her elbows on her knees, still in a crouch though no longer holding him in place. "Why'd you take that, David?"

  "I wanted to," he spat, his brows narrowed as he stared her down.

  "Do you need money for drugs? Smokes? Booze?" she accused, cocking a brow at him.

  "No!" he cried, panicking on the spot.

  "What then? Trying to pay your mortgage? Put your kid through college? What's the deal here?" She gestured around them, shrugging after.

  "No." He huffed, and I glanced to Sage who wore a smirk while she looked on. The energy around us calmed, and everyone seemed keen to allow Dax to handle the situation.

  "Then why'd you take it?"

  "I don't know. Can I go already?" He mimicked her shrug, frowning and squirming in place under her looming presence.

  "Nope. See that man there?" Dax pointed toward the street where one of the Sheriff's Deputies wandered while patrolling. "I can either turn you over to him and let him charge you with petit larceny, or you can tell me why you took it. Your choice."

  The boy drew his gaze to the cop then back to Dax. His blue eyes shimmered in the evening sunlight as he stared at her. Only when everything felt under control was I able to take in the full sight of the boy. Tattered jeans, messy brown hair, and dirty fingernails told me almost as much as his crime.

  "Are you hungry?" asked Dax, finally breaking the stalemate.

  "Yeah," said the boy, resigning as his shoulders slumped.

  "Where are your parents?"

  "Work."

  "Okay." Dax leaned back, grabbing one of the plates with the burgers and fries on it. "Next time you're hungry, ask someone for food, David. People in Sequim will help you. You don't have to steal and end up in trouble." She sat the plate in his lap. "Got it?"

  He stared at her, then dropped his eyes to the food. "You're giving me this?"

  "Yes. Don't steal shit." She stood up now, nodding for him to go.

  Without a second's hesitation, he picked up the plate and bolted to a nearby picnic table where he devoured the food. His gaze flickered to Dax every so often until she moved back to our blanket. I stared at my girlfriend, my heart in my throat as I fought the emotions that strangled my voice. Sage smiled at Dax as she leaned into Jake's protective arm around her waist.

  Dax dropped to sit behind me, bending her knees on either side as she picked up a corndog and tore off a bite. I turned slightly to look at her, and the three of us stared at her.

  "What?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

  "You're incredible," I said, on a heavy breath.

  She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks tinged pink under the compliment. Sage snickered and Dax shot her a glare. Dax's arm snaked around my middle, and I leaned into her embrace while I attempted to get a hold of myself. It took her a moment before she rested her chin on my shoulder and calmed down.

  "I think that's the first time I saw you as a law enforcement agent," I whispered against her cheek. "You're strong and beautiful, inside and out."

  "I'll tell the Sheriff about him later. They probably know who he is."

  "He's Aladdin."

  "Without a lamp."

  "Today he got one wish at least, thanks to you." I kissed her temple and she smirked.

  The band kicked up and we shared the rest of the nachos and tacos. Sage and Jake respected Dax's shyness about her heroism and didn't press her on it, unlike me.

  "Is this a nineties cover band?" My heart skipped a beat when they began to play a Gin Blossoms song. "Hey Jealousy."

  "It is." Sage perked up, and bopped around with Jake kissing her cheek.

  "Nerd," Dax muttered against my cheek and I laughed as I reached back to stroke her hair.

  "You know you love it. As evidenced by your nineties bedroom still preserved in time."

  "Accurate." She laughed and nuzzled my hand. "Check out the girl drummer."

  "She's hot." I wagged my brows and she nipped my shoulder.

  "Not as hot as the bassist. Look at his chest. Damn."

  "You love his perky pecs and his huge tattoo." I smiled when she gave me a squeeze. "Yeah?"

  "Sure do." She nodded. "Bet he has a nice butt, too. Not as tight as yours though."

  "Dax." I laughed and she snickered while nipping my shoulder. "Hush up and eat your tacos."

  "I'll eat your taco," she whispered against my ear and I nearly melted from the best kind of embarrassment.

  "Naughty."

  "Like you."

  The picnic area filled up as the band drew a crowd. More blankets, camp chairs, and food joined us on the lawn. Mom returned with Macie, who plopped in her father's lap while devouring a giant cotton candy. Mom, dressed in a head to toe lavender outfit, carried a dozen small bundles of dried lavender, tied with pretty ribbons.

  "Want something to eat, Ma?" I asked, though she shook her head.

  "I'm alright, little girl. Thank you. Just waiting for the rest of the ladies. We're handing out these souvenirs."

  "That's nice of you," I said, then offered Dax a sip of soda which she accepted.

  "I helped maked them," Macie piped up, grinning proudly.

  "And you did a great job." Mom chuckled, swiping her cheek.

  "Helping Grandma is her favorite, right kiddo?" Sage tucked Macie's hair behind her ear.

  "Yup. Gramma gives me candy when I help." She held up her cotton candy and we all laughed.

  A moment later, Mom's group of Lavender Ladies appeared, each toting the bundles of lavender. As if they had rehearsed it, the women began handing out the trinkets to each person. Smiling faces met their regards, and it only encouraged them more.

  "Hello," said a soft voice to our left. I turned to see Rowan, clad in a similar getup to Mom, standing beside us.

  "H-hi." I tripped over my greeting at the unexpected sight. Dax tensed, though mildly, as she gazed up at her mother.r />
  "I made these for each of you." Rowan held out a lavender bundle to me and Dax. Unlike the others, the ribbon around the center wasn't white. Instead, a rainbow ribbon held the flowers together. The sentiment brought a smile to my lips, and I accepted it first.

  "Thank you, Rowan," I said, my voice softer than I intended.

  "You're welcome." She held out the second bundle to Dax. With caution, Dax reached for it, then ran her thumb over the ribbon as if she understood the intention. She offered her mother a nod, then hugged me gently as Rowan smiled before joining the rest of the group.

  We watched our moms continued to hand out lavender, then I turned to see Dax stroking the rainbow ribbon.

  "Like that?" I asked and she nodded, her chin on my shoulder again.

  "It's like she's acknowledged me."

  "She has, honey. In a subtle way. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest Rowan fan, though I can see her trying. Can you?"

  "Yeah. It's weird for me." She sniffled softly and I kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

  "For what?" I quirked a brow with the question.

  "For loving me, Willa." She set the bundle down and wrapped both of her arms around me. I leaned into her embrace, turning my head to kiss on her. "For loving me like no one else ever has. When no one else did."

  "I was meant to love you, baby. It feels like that. Like we were meant to love each other. You're very easy for me to love." I stroked her cheek and she brushed her lips over mine.

  This time, it wasn't me or Dax sneaking a picture, but Sage. She drew our attention when the flash went off on her phone.

  "Hey. Creep," I scolded and nudged her with my foot.

  "Don't be a creep, Momma." Macie giggled at her new word, then turned to Jake. "Dad, let's get ice cream."

  "After you eat some actual food." Jake lifted a plate with a corndog in the center. "Here."

  Macie shrugged, and picked it up without complaint.

  I stroked Dax's arms, my fingers falling to my bracelet that still encircled her wrist. She smiled when I gave it a gentle tug. "First thing you ever gave me," she said.

  "First thing you ever accepted."

  "It reminds me of you…"

  "I know." I hugged her arms and she kissed my cheek. While we snuggled there, the band began to play the familiar guitar chords of another song. When I looked over, I noted the pretty drummer now stood at the microphone. When the vocals to 4 Non Blondes' What's Up began to play, my stomach lurched with excitement. "I love this song."