“But you do.” He laughed, the sound so impossibly compelling she had to grin.
“I do.” She ran her hands behind his neck, up over the soft skin of his scalp. “I love you so, so much.”
“Since I need to hear that some more”—he smiled, his dark eyes wicked—“keep saying it…or I’ll stop.”
He moved inside her, hard and fast, filling her full, sliding out, driving her up and up and up.
As long as she kept saying how she felt.
And when she came, when he came, when he was so deep inside her they were one, and he said it to her again, the tenderness in his voice made her weep.
Chapter Nineteen
In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips. ~ Salman Rushdie
* * *
Since Bull had lowered the blackout curtains, they’d slept late, and then he taught her to kayak. It was such a peaceful way to exercise and so beautiful with only the sounds of the oars and water and birds. New York was never quiet.
When they returned and shared a shower, Bull started to leave to get a condom, but she stopped him. “I’m on birth control pills…and I get tested for STDs regularly.” When he said he had been tested and was clean, the condoms were left in a drawer—and oh, the extra closeness was worth the awkward conversation.
During their late breakfast, Gabe dropped by to make up his official police report and left Frankie a copy. It was good he had, since she spent the rest of the morning using Bull’s laptop to get replacements for her driver’s license, credit cards, and everything else.
There were moments of accomplishment…and moments of pure self-pity. The copies of Kit’s guardianship papers had been burned to ash. So had her phone and laptop. That had been a really bad moment. Her phone.
When the rental company said they’d send her an undamaged vehicle, she unloaded her poor scorched car that, once again, Hawk had driven to the Hermitage for her. Then she got all teary-eyed because her jo hadn’t burned up in the cabin.
She also hauled in the brand-new backpack that contained the equipment to rescue Kit—giant bolt cutters, hunting knife, rope. The navigation equipment, first aid kit, travel-at-night stuff.
Three more days, Kit, and I’ll be there the second it’s dark.
A tap at the sliding glass deck door made her jump.
“Frankie?” Audrey stood outside. “It’s me and JJ and Regan.”
“C’mon in.” At the dining room table, Frankie waved to them. “Give me one second to get this form sent off.”
The SUBMIT button appeared on the laptop display. She clicked on it and leaned back in the chair with a relieved sigh. “Done. You know, in all my years in so-called crime-ridden New York City, I never had my purse stolen.”
They laughed.
JJ patted her shoulder. “It’s good you started on replacing your documents right away. Some of those agencies move pretty slowly.”
“Speaking of replacements,” Audrey said. “How about we take you to Soldotna to get clothes and personal stuff? Or if you want more variety, we can go to Anchorage.”
Audrey and JJ were smiling; Regan was bouncing a little.
“Really?” Frankie pulled in a breath. “You guys are a miracle. Only…I don’t even have shoes. They won’t let me in—”
“You have shoes.” JJ held up a pair of battered black high-top sneakers. “Bull said you’re a size seven, but Audrey wears a six, and my shoes would fall right off your feet. We checked around. These are from Regina, our municipal building receptionist.”
Last week, when Bull said he planned to teach her to fish, he’d asked her shoe size so he could borrow waders for her. “He got me shoes.” Frankie swallowed hard. “I knew I could borrow his clothes, but I felt so…defenseless…not having any shoes.”
Audrey gave her a sympathetic look. “Last year, I…let’s just say I kind of know how you feel.”
There’d been a few hints that Audrey’d arrived in Rescue when running from someone. One of these days, Frankie needed the whole story. She rose and rubbed her hands together. “Shopping. I’m in.”
JJ tucked an arm around Regan’s shoulders. “While we’re in a shoe store, Regan here could use a pair. She’s outgrowing everything.”
Regan shook her head. “Papá just got me shoes last winter. I don’t need—”
“You do need.” JJ kissed the top of her head. “Don’t be so worried. Every kid outgrows clothes and shoes until…oh, until around seventeen or so.”
Regan didn’t relax.
Aw. Bull said Regan hadn’t even met Caz until last fall. How long would it be until she felt as if he truly was her father? Frankie felt the ache of empathy. Sometimes it felt as if her family weighed out love on a scale. How much worse would it be to have not grown up there?
JJ gave Regan a squeeze. “Your father expects you to need new clothes. However, he’s male, which means he’s blind when it comes to women’s clothing, so it’s my job to keep you outfitted. As it happens, I think that’s a great job. You wouldn’t deprive me of a fun time, would you?”
Now worried she’d hurt JJ’s feelings, Regan started assuring JJ she really liked getting new clothes.
Frankie glanced at Audrey and said in a low voice, “That was one smooth snow job.”
Audrey covered her mouth, but a laugh escaped. “JJ is as good at smoothing out problems as you are at managing people. By the way, we’re all glad Bull is getting a break from managing the roadhouse.”
“Let’s get moving,” JJ said. “Frankie, gather what you might need.”
Frankie automatically checked for her purse and groaned. “Wait, I don’t have money or credit cards or even a phone.”
“Obviously, you wouldn’t. We should stop at a phone store, though.” Audrey patted her purse. “We’ll use our credit cards, and Bull will reimburse us and take it out of your salary. All arranged.”
Frankie stared. “Seriously?”
“He knew you wouldn’t let him pay for everything, so he arranged it the best way he could.” Audrey snorted. “However feminist Mako’s sons may be, they have cavemen-worthy protective instincts. You were in danger; Bull’s protective instincts were triggered. This is what happens.”
“Sometimes, it’s really clear you majored in biology, professor.” JJ walked around, making sure everything was locked up, then glanced at Frankie. “She’s right about them trying to shield us. Caz and I get into some pretty vehement discussions about me being in danger.”
Regan giggled. “He yelled at you last time. A lot.”
“Troublesome child.” JJ tugged on her braid. “You got the same lecture when you and Delaney rolled down that steep hill in a cardboard box. You almost spent your summer break in the doghouse with Gryff.”
Audrey’s smothered giggles sounded like little snorts. Frankie just laughed.
As Frankie pulled on her loaned sneakers, Audrey smiled. “For someone with no clothing that fits, you’re remarkably put together.”
“Mostly because I’m trying to hide the lack of a bra,” Frankie admitted. Bull’s plain black T-shirt made a mid-thigh-length dress. Over that was his dark gray and black flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She’d braided his black and silver ties into a silky belt. With Regina’s high-top black sneakers, it was a rather unique outfit. “My Italian grandmother taught me that a belt adds class to anything.”
JJ grinned. “I agree. Of course, my belt usually has my firearm, Taser, cuffs, and—”
Regan bumped her hip against JJ’s. “You’re such a cop.”
And a really nice one. Frankie eyed her. Maybe during the shopping trip, she could get a better idea of what might happen if the Rescue police were called on for help. Just in case.
Sure, she’d researched and practiced night hiking, but her reading had also shown that, even with an experienced woodsman, things went wrong.
On top of that, the PZs might catch on, either as Kit and Aric were trying to reach the fence or after, during the escape.
After helping get Frankie squared away that morning, Bull spent the rest of the day making phone calls and doing paperwork. Damned paperwork. There was no end. Talk about frustrating. All he wanted to do was go home and be there for his woman.
Finally, he called it quits and returned to the Hermitage only to discover he’d been drafted to grill for everyone, including Lillian and Dante.
Normally, he loved cooking for the family, but fuck, he was tired. He’d hoped to spend a quiet evening with Frankie.
Instead… Eh, maybe it wouldn’t be quiet, but at least, she was here.
It seemed his cooking wouldn’t require much effort. While catching him up on her day—between kisses—Frankie said she’d marinated the chicken and made a dessert. All he had to do was the actual grilling.
Yeah, he loved her.
An hour later, after piling a platter high with lemon-garlic grilled chicken, Bull set it on the table. Already seated, Caz and JJ, Gabe and Audrey, Dante and Lillian had all brought side dishes and served up drinks. Hawk came out of his cabin with a stack of baked potatoes and fixings.
Gryff and Sirius were strategically placed between the humans easiest to con out of tidbits—Regan and Frankie.
As Bull sat beside Frankie, he realized cooking and then listening to the women’s shopping trip tales had eased his frustration and anger.
At least until Lillian spoke to him. “My boy, was there a problem at the roadhouse? Is that why you got home so late?”
“No,” he growled. “It was because I was trying to wade through everything for SIG and—”
“What’s SIG?” Frankie asked.
“Stands for Sarge’s Investment Group. A corporation to handle all the properties Mako bought up around Rescue.”
She frowned. “I thought he was a retired military officer.”
“Yeah, but one who didn’t spend much when serving, then as a twenty-plus year man, he had a decent pension and lived off the land in a cabin with no utilities for years afterward. Once we were grown, we all sent him money, thinking he was using it to live on.” Bull found his throat getting tight.
After a glance at Bull, Caz stepped in. “When Mako moved to Rescue, the town was dying, and he bought properties from the residents who needed to leave. To help them. But before he died, McNally’s ski resort opened, and he realized the town might come back to life.”
Gabe cleared his throat. “He left us instructions with his will. Gave us a mission—to restore the town.”
“He… Seriously?” Frankie gave Bull an incredulous stare. “Is that why you’re all here after living everywhere else?”
“That’s why. It’s a worthwhile goal.” There was a satisfaction in seeing the town come back to life. Become a community.
Lillian frowned. “He bought a lot of properties.”
No shit. “I can’t keep up with all of the work: renting and selling the properties, managing the rentals, bringing older buildings up to code, taxes, and contractors and all that.” Just like that, Bull’s mood went sour again. No, past sour into pissed-the-fuck-off. He growled under his breath.
Regan’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t know you got mad like that.”
Rein it in, asshole. “Sorry, little mite.”
Frankie put her hand over his. Her eyebrows lifted as she asked Gabe, “Are all of you guys overloaded with the SIG stuff?”
“Hardly.” Bull snorted. “They dumped everything on my plate.”
“Are my ears failing me?” Lillian straightened. “When did Mako’s chosen offspring become work-shy, bed-pressing loiter-sacks?”
Bull’s brothers winced.
“It’s not like that, Lillian.” Gabe shook his head. “He’s—”
“No, don’t start with the ‘he’s this or that’.” Frankie’s expression resembled the sarge’s after they’d majorly screwed up. “Why are you making Bull do everything?”
Caz held up his hands defensively before frowning at Bull. “You’re the one with the business degree, ’mano. I’m swamped with the health clinic funding and paperwork.”
“Same with me.” Gabe shook his head. “I can’t keep up with the police station budgets and paperwork. Being the chief involved more of it than I expected.”
Bull eyed Hawk who never did paperwork if he could avoid it. He was a hands-on guy, could fix just about anything, from broken buildings to broken machines, and did all the maintenance for the Hermitage and their vehicles.
As expected, Hawk shook his head. “You don’t want me doing accounting shit. Trust me. You like that stuff—and you know it.”
“I do, but I don’t want to spend 24/7 doing it,” Bull said.
With a disgusted sound, Frankie turned to the other women. “Maybe I’m blind, but I’m not seeing the teamwork Bull keeps boasting about.”
“What teamwork?” JJ tilted her head. “That sarge of theirs obviously made this a one-man mission.”
Caz’s brows drew together.
“I thought there was a no man left behind rule,” Audrey said. “Or is that only when the soldier is dead?”
Gabe scowled.
Bull blinked at the harshness of the comments delivered in soft female voices. But…when he sized up what he’d been doing from an outside point of view, well, yeah. He’d been screwed. By his brothers.
Dante shook his head. “He taught y’all better.”
“F—” Gabe cut the profanity short after a glance at Regan. “You’re right, Frankie. All of you. I’m sorry, Bull. Mako left the mission to all of us and that includes the properties—and the paperwork. Let’s figure out how to divide up the work.”
Audrey took Gabe’s hand and smiled her approval.
JJ raised her eyes at Caz…who gave a pitiful sigh before nodding in resignation. “Sí.”
A glimmer of hope rose inside Bull.
Frankie turned her gaze to Hawk who scowled, then sighed.
“Sorry, Bull.” Hawk rubbed the scar that pulled his lip slightly upward, then made a harsh sound. “If you keep the damned renters and buyers away from me, I’ll take over the maintenance and upgrades. I can deal with contractors and repair people. And Knox and Chevy, too. They’re okay.”
Damn, he’d never expected the hawk to step forward. “It’ll be a relief to get maintenance off my back,” Bull said. “You can take charge of all the physical upkeep.”
“Renters and buyers—give them to me and Caz,” Gabe said. “We’ll work out how to deal with appointments and showings and complaints.”
Caz nodded. “Sí, we can do that. We’re both on-call, anyway. If it’s repair problems, we’ll toss the problem to Hawk and his group.”
Hawk grunted his agreement.
Audrey tapped her lips as she thought. “You can give me the rental screenings and backgrounds. I can also take on the website and advertising.”
Bull frowned. “I can’t ask you to do—”
“Actually, you can.” Audrey’s voice quavered. “Being part of the family means pitching in.” She held up her hand and turned a ring around. A diamond glinted at them.
Silence fell as everyone stared at the engagement ring.
Then Regan squealed in delight and rushed around to hug Audrey. “Now, I’ll have an aunt!”
“’Mano, about time.” With a wide grin, Caz slapped Gabe on the back of the head, then pulled Audrey into a hug and told her, “He talked to us a while ago, but…he’s slow, the viejo is. He always has to think out his plan of action first.”
To Bull’s surprise, Hawk hugged Audrey, too, before shoving Gabe’s shoulder. “Took you long enough.”
Gabe laughed. “I asked her a few days ago. On the anniversary of our first meeting. It seemed…right.”
Bull grinned. “Next, you’ll start reading romances.”
“Don’t diss romance.” Frankie’s sharp elbow impacted Bull’s ribs before she smiled at Audrey. “Was your first meeting amazing?”
&nbs
p; Audrey burst out laughing. “He terrified me and then accused me of shoplifting.” She gave Gabe a scorching glare before kissing him. “But you’re my cop now.”
The love in her eyes sent a pang of envy through Bull’s heart. But, damn, he was glad his brother had found himself such a good woman. Someone to walk beside him, be with him for the long haul, and have his back when needed.
Bull pulled Audrey into a hearty hug. “Welcome to the family, champ.”
He felt her tears on his shirt—sentimental little female—and handed her back to Gabe.
As he sat down beside Frankie, she was wiping under her eyes.
Make that two sentimental females.
Slinging an arm around Frankie’s shoulders, he pulled her against his chest. And realized what she’d just done for him. Somehow, she’d saved him from death by paperwork by guilting his brothers into stepping up.
Last month, after Paisley’s diva-act in the roadhouse parking lot, Dante said a lover was like a teammate on steroids. He was beginning to see what the Okie meant.
“Are you all right?” Frankie asked softly.
He kissed her lightly. “Thanks for having my back. I might have retreated otherwise.”
“You probably would have,” she agreed. “Family expectations can mess a person up.”
Her tone wasn’t bitter, but…resigned. Unhappy.
Frowning, he rested his chin on her head and wondered what expectations her family was forcing her to fulfill.
Perhaps he should investigate—and see what he could do to intervene. Because damned if he wasn’t going to do his fucking best to keep her right here where she belonged.
He brushed his lips against hers and murmured in a voice for her ears only, “I love you, Frankie Bocelli.”
And saw her eyes light up.
Chapter Twenty
If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly. ~ David Hackworth
* * *
While Bull helped Hawk repair a lawn mower, Frankie joined Lillian and Audrey in the garden. The soil was warm and fragrant and soothing, and the small plants simply adorable. Baby greens were the best.
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