“Yes, please, to both.”
His smile was breathtaking.
Yes, I wanted to run my hands over his hard body while hot water swirled around us, and yes, I wanted to eat lunch with him today and every day. I wanted it all. With him.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door, making me jump.
“Oh my God! What if it’s Dan?” I yelped, starting to panic. “What should I say?”
I stared at Alex anxiously, but he didn’t seem the least bit concerned.
“Depends on what Dudley Do-Right says.”
“He must know something! Why aren’t you worried?”
“Because I did the right thing.”
“Alex! You broke a gazillion laws last night!”
“Such as?”
“Breaking and entering.”
“Well, I entered . . . but there was no breaking . . . this time,” he muttered under his breath.
The knocking started again, louder this time.
“What do I do?”
Alex didn’t answer, instead he stood up impatiently, adjusting his towel as it threatened to slide from his hips, and walked to the front door, pulling it open.
“Hey, Dawny, I . . .”
Stella’s voice broke off suddenly, her words stuttering to a halt as she started to laugh. “Jeez, I’m gone for a few days and this happens! Maybe I should go away more often.”
Alex laughed, and I didn’t hear what he said next, but then Stella was laughing too, when she followed him inside.
“Well, hello there, little sister. No need to ask how your Thanksgiving went.”
I tugged my robe around me more tightly, my cheeks scarlet as I tried to sound less flustered than I felt.
“Stella! I thought you weren’t flying home until tonight?”
“Mom and Dad made a last minute decision to go on a mini-cruise to the Bahamas—they send their love—so I took a taxi to the airport first thing and changed my flight. Where’s Katie? Or did you send her away for the night to have some private mommy and daddy time?”
Alex grinned and winked at her.
“She’s at Holly’s,” I said, rather stiffly. “But she’ll be back shortly.”
“Yeah, I’d better go shower,” Alex said.
I watched him leave the room, my eyes reluctantly dragged back to Stella as she started to laugh again.
“By the way, you look like shit, sis,” she chuckled, her eyes roving over my flushed face and birds-nest hair.
“Wow, thank you,” I said, infusing my voice with every ounce of sarcasm at my disposal.
Stella had come back from her Florida vacation looking tanned and relaxed. And, of course, beautifully dressed and well groomed, even at this early hour. We were so unalike. Although we did seem to have similar taste in men.
She gazed at me with critical eyes.
“Seriously, you look like you haven’t been sleeping—and not completely in a good way. So,” and she paused. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Alex? I’m assuming it’s serious since he was sitting at your breakfast table in a towel, which was a very nice welcome home, incidentally. Thank you for that visual.”
My laugh was rather hysterical.
“God, Stel, I don’t know where to start.”
Her smile faded.
“He took you to a dog fight, didn’t he?”
“You know about those?” I asked, shocked.
She nodded. “Yes, he told me some of it.”
“I didn’t go—I couldn’t. But he filmed it and I saw . . . well, what do think about them . . . about what he’s doing?”
“I think he’s crazy but in a good way.”
“What do you mean?”
“It drives him, gives him something to live for—a challenge. Although . . . he gave it up for a while. Did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Moving from Denver was deliberate. He wanted to get away from it all. It’s just one of life’s ironies that it found him again. But for the first few months he was here, he looked out for forest animals instead. It was his way of continuing the work.”
I thought about that.
“So he really wasn’t looking for fights to stop when he came here?”
“No. From what he says, he redirected his energies. I think it helped that there was a certain veterinarian he was interested in.”
I sighed.
“Well, he’s into it again now and I don’t think there’s anything I can do to stop him.”
Stella huffed noisily.
“Is it bat-shit crazy day and no one told me?”
“What?”
“Of course you can’t stop him, but you can . . . redirect him, like I said. He’s already thinking about building an animal shelter here in Girard.”
“He is? I suggested that to him last night, but he didn’t say anything.”
Or maybe he’d been about to . . . I tried to recall everything that he’d said, but I’d been in shock. Had he mentioned retraining fighting dogs? I wasn’t sure if he’d said it or I’d just imagined it.
Stella lifted her eyebrows.
“Jeez, do you two ever talk to each other, or are you too busy getting frisky?”
My cheeks heated.
“Keep your voice down, Stella!”
She smirked at me.
“Well, at least one part of your relationship is functional.”
I shook my head, tears pricking my eyes as I smiled at her.
“I didn’t want to love him, for all sorts of reasons. It’s so hard, trusting someone, letting them in. And Alex is so . . . but every time he goes out, he’ll be taking these insane risks, and just thinking about it terrifies me. I didn’t want to love him. But I do. I’ve been falling in love for months, I was just too stubborn to realize it—or rather believe it. I don’t have a great track record with men.”
Stella raised her eyebrows, one corner of her mouth lifting in a mocking smile.
“Neither of us do. But I’ve never stopped believing that I’d find someone. I’m really glad that you’ve found Alex. He’s one in a million. I’m jealous as hell, mind you. But . . . and it’s a big one . . . because of him, I have my sister back.”
She stood up and walked around the table to hug me.
“Just make sure that you don’t let anything get in the way of that,” she said fiercely.
I didn’t know if she meant in the way of us being sisters, or of loving Alex. In either case, she was right.
“I’ve told him that I love him, and he loves me, too. But I know it’s not going to be easy.”
She took my hand and squeezed it.
I saw the sadness and regret in her eyes, and a new understanding was born between us.
“He’s a good man, Dawn. You must know that?”
“I do. And he’s wonderful with Katie. It would have just been nice if he was . . .”
“Normal? Honey, let me give you a tip. I’ve dated a lot—before and since Bob—and there is no normal, just varying kinds of craziness. Truthfully, Alex is a little higher on the totally-nuts scale than most people,” she paused. “Okay, a lot higher, but that just makes him more special, don’t you think?”
“You’re right. He is special. Very special.”
“Good call. Now, tell me, because I’m dying to know—what’s he like in bed?”
“Stella! I’m not telling you that!”
“Uh-huh. That bad? Pity.”
“No! He’s amazing!”
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m not!”
“It’s okay, you can’t have everything, since you’ve just finished agreeing with me.”
“Shut up, Stel! He’s amazing in bed!”
Stella started laughing and I whipped around to find Alex leaning against the door, a huge grin on his face.
“Am I interrupting, l-ladies?”
He was fully dressed now, his hair damp from the shower and beginning to curl.
&n
bsp; Still grinning, he scooped me into a hug and threw an arm around Stella at the same time.
Just as I was beginning to think this day was going to be fine after all, another loud knock at the door made me jump.
“What’s going on this morning? It’s like Times Square in here!” I huffed.
Stella peered out of the window.
“It’s Dan. He looks grumpy.”
Horrified, I glanced at Alex but he just shook his head slightly. I didn’t know what that meant.
“Go get dressed and I’ll make Grumpy Boots some coffee,” Stella suggested.
“I’ll make him c-coffee,” said Alex with a smile.
I almost laughed at Alex’s nerve, and he strolled over to the coffee machine, a small smile on his face.
Stella opened the front door, and I heard Dan’s voice, his tone sharp. Then he followed Stella into the kitchen.
“Dawn.”
“Hello, Dan. This is a nice surprise.”
He clenched his jaw, his glances volleying between us.
“I see you didn’t take my advice,” he said coldly.
“Dan, sit down and have some coffee with us. I’m just going to get a shower. I’ll be five minutes.”
Reluctantly, he sat as Stella filled a cup for him.
Throwing a final, panicked look at Alex, I ran out of the room, jumped in the shower and was out again 30 seconds later, then fought with my clothes as I struggled to pull them on over a still damp body.
My mind was racing, trying to decide what I needed to do and say, or not say, as well as how much lawyers cost on holiday weekends.
In the kitchen, Dan was leaning against the door, a cup of coffee in his hand while he glared at Alex, who stared back stonily.
The display of testosterone was balanced out by Stella who was painting her nails a pale peach, keeping up a cheerful monologue about ‘the season’s palette’, whatever that was.
When she looked up, she gave me a tight smile and raised her eyebrows, her glance flipping between Dan and Alex.
Dan cleared his throat and looked pointedly at me.
“Well,” I said to Dan, “two mornings in a row—I’m honored.”
“It’s no laughing matter,” he scowled.
“Hence my lack of amusement,” I said crisply.
He cut me a sharp look, then glowered at Alex again.
“Where were you last night, Winters?”
“He was here in my bed, Dan.”
Alex grinned, and Stella hid a laugh by pretending to cough. Dan’s face turned red, probably from anger.
“All night?”
“Way to go, sis!” Stella chuckled.
“Goddammit! This is serious.” Then he turned to Alex again. “Where were you last night?
Alex screwed up his face, his chest heaving, then he spat out a single word.
“D-d-d-disneyland!”
Stella laughed, but to me it was a painful reminder that his speech impediment wasn’t going away. My mind rushed back to our first encounter—his inability to speak a sentence, his furious frustration at his own limitations. He was so easy with us now. And with a jolt I saw it all plainly, saw what everyone but me had already known: Katie, Stella and me—we were his family.
With us, he could speak. With us, he could be himself.
And it was my turn to protect him.
“He was with me.”
Which wasn’t untrue.
“He got you covering for him now, Dawny, lying for him?”
I stiffened at his dismissive tone, and Alex took a step toward him.
“I’m not lying—I’m doing what’s right, that’s all,” I said, trying to sound calm as I stepped between them.
Dan sighed.
“Anyways, I didn’t come over here about that.” He looked at Alex again. “This morning, we got a call from, uh, a man who claimed to be out for a walk on your land. Looks like he’d gotten caught in a snare. Thing is, we found a whole bunch of them in a bag just a few yards away. We think he was carrying and tried to throw them away when he got caught. I’m pretty certain we’ll find they’re his and he’d been setting them, then went and broke his ankle tripping over one. The paramedics took him into hospital.”
Alex looked furious and stood up straighter.
“Wh-wh-who?”
“Guy’s a damn owl,” Dan muttered.
I punched him in the arm at the same time Stella slapped his ass.
Alex’s eyes had darkened and his fists were clenched.
“Okay, okay!” Dan yelped. “I’m sorry, that was a cheap shot. I apologize, Winters.”
“Mister Winters,” I said angrily.
“Ahem, Mister Winters, I apologize. It’s been a busy weekend.”
Alex nodded stiffly.
“Wh-wh-who?” he asked again.
Dan scratched his neck.
“Well, if that isn’t the darndest thing—it was Bob. Your ex-husband.”
Stella’s eyebrows shot upward.
“Bob is the one laying traps? I wondered, but I didn’t want to believe it.”
I stared at both of them.
“You mean, like that day you found the dead raccoon?”
Alex nodded.
“You got any proof of that?” asked Dan, flipping open his notebook.
Alex shook his head, then shrugged.
“Well, if you can give me times and dates of any other incidents, I’ll look into it.”
I knew Dan was being sincere. It was his way of making up for being such an a-hole before.
“We were talking about it the other night,” said Stella. “There was a real estate developer from Pittsburgh interested in buying properties along the lake. You know Bob has always wanted to be part of the big time.”
She laughed bitterly.
“I’ll look into it,” Dan said again. “You got my word on that.”
Alex nodded at him, his lips pressed together.
“Dawn, Stella . . . I’ll see myself out.”
Dan tipped his hat then left the room. None of us spoke even when we heard Dan drive away. I hoped that we could mend our friendship one day. But he wasn’t my priority. The angry, silent man in my kitchen was.
I turned to look at Alex. His face was grim and Stella was anxious. I don’t know how I appeared to them: worried, angry, maybe even pleading.
I opened my mouth to speak, struggling to find the words that would be right.
“Mommy! I’m home!”
Suddenly, Katie came crashing into the kitchen, her mouth dropping open when she saw us all.
“Alex! Aunty Stella!”
Screeching like a banshee, she flung herself forwards, winding her thin arms around us in a spontaneous group hug. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
“I have the coolest family,” she said, her voice muffled against Alex’s shirt.
Family.
My family.
A warm feeling spread through my chest and my eyes watered. Alex’s gaze softened and he placed a gentle kiss into my hair, winked at Stella, and tickled Katie’s side, making her giggle.
Yes, I had a very cool family.
My daughter was very wise.
Eighteen months later . . .
Katie’s Diary
June 5th—my 10th birthday!
MOM AND ALEX are being all lovey-dovey again. Well, all the time. Holly says it’s cute.
I’m ten today and I still think boys are weird. And they smell funny.
I like living here, by the lake. Alex says I can call it my house now, too. Mom gave him a funny look when he said that, but then he gave her a big hug and that made her smile. He laughed at her because she didn’t argue this time, and Mom always argues with Alex. Not in a mean way, but because he always wants to buy us treats and do stuff for us. I don’t know why she gets so mad at him.
We spent our first Christmas here and it was awesome because Alex has a real log fire. I even helped him chop the logs. I did! He showed me how to stack the pieces
of wood on top of a really big log so he could split them into kindling. He wouldn’t let me touch the axe. But then he showed me how to set the twigs and logs and little scraps of paper so that the fire catches. Then Mom made us a feast! Wow!—and we had all our presents piled up around a real Christmas tree that Alex got out of the forest. Aunty Stella came, too, and gave me some really cute earrings. Yep, I got my ears pierced for my last birthday and I have a really great collection now.
It’s great having Aunty Stella around. She’s super fun and we do cool stuff like paint our nails ten different colors. She’s going to go riding with me and Mom, and she says she’s going to teach Alex. I’ve been on her horse, Beau Brummell, but it’s a bit scary being up so high. She says she’s going to buy me a pony so I can ride on something smaller. Mom says she can’t, but I think she will.
I got some more books for my birthday and Alex got a subscription to Netflix. He says it’s for me, but I think it’s for him, too. He loves watching movies as much as I do. The only ones he won’t watch are anything to do with animals getting hurt. He turns those off or walks out of the room.
I really like having Alex around and Mom is sooooo happy—like a gazillion ooooo’s on the end of soooooooo. That happy!
Oh, and Mom’s going to have a baby. She was really nervous about telling me and I got so scared, I thought she was going to say she was sick or something. When she told me it was a baby, I burst into tears, so she thought I was upset. I was just glad that it was a baby and not something bad.
Alex looked really happy and started laughing when I said I couldn’t wait to have a little sister. I guess it would be okay to have a brother, but I’d rather have a sister. As long as she doesn’t borrow my makeup or clothes. Holly says that’s what younger sisters do. I guess she’d know. I borrow Mom’s makeup sometimes, but she makes me wash it off before I go out. That is so dumb! I think she should wear more makeup, but Alex says she’s perfect as she is. Gag.
I wonder if Mom and Alex are going to get married? I could be their bridesmaid, as long as I get to choose my own dress. Alex could be my dad—that would be cool. I mean, I’ve already got a dad, and he said he was really sorry for leaving me on my own at Thanksgiving that one time and promised he wouldn’t do it again. Mom was really mad at him and so was Alex.
I’m really excited to spend summer at the lake and school lets out next week. Alex got a sailboat and he’s teaching me how to sail. He’s good at loads of stuff. He can make campfires and he’s really good at building things. He’s making me a tree-house that’s big enough to sleep in if I want to.