“He’s not going to attack you, Owen. You can interact with him.” Now it’s Lucy’s turn to grin at me and she’s right, but Jesus, this feels like a job interview between the spark I feel for her and my need to impress this dog.
“Hey, Duckie!” I say, immediately turning to him and he lets out a playful bark when I scratch him behind his ear.
“There and his hind quarters are his favorite places for rubs,” Lucy tells me. “Oh! I see you have a water bowl out for him already!”
“Yeah, I hit up the pet store yesterday. I’m pretty sure the owner took the rest of the day off after my sale.”
“Shall we start working on some basic commands?” Lucy asks and I nod.
The next couple hours become the most normal day I’ve had in nearly a decade and it’s only when Lucy lets out a dry cough that I realize that I never offered her anything.
When she quickly takes me up on my offer of lunch, we move inside and I get to work on our sandwiches while she uses the bathroom. I keep an eye on Duckie while I work but instead of begging for scraps, he spends the time investigating the cabin.
“If I ask you something, will you answer honestly?” I turn to Lucy when she joins me; her shoulders tense up but she nods after a moment. “Did my application get pushed through faster than it should have?”
Lucy exhales, relieved I didn’t ask her a personal question and reaches for the plate I’m holding out to her. “Yes, with a nice sized donation. That’s why I was assigned to you though, my boss knew I wouldn’t let The Duck go to anyone who wasn’t deserving of him.”
“So, you will let me have Duckie?” I wonder how I should feel about cutting the line and getting special treatment, but I doubt it would benefit anyone to back away now.
“I insisted on a full transition period. Duckie, huh? Well, Duckie will still be coming home with me the next few nights. We can be back in the morning . . .”
“I have therapy in town at eight a.m.”
“We can meet you there, if you want to introduce him to your doctor?” she offers and my eyes widen. “You need to get used to the idea of Duckie going everywhere with you. The harness he wears and the ID card you’ll get permits it.”
“Can I ask you something else?” I try; knowing I’m pushing my luck and am surprised when she nods again. “Do you think he’ll come after you again?”
“What? How did you . . .” My question rattles her more than it should and that in itself is an answer.
“Keith is in private security, he ran a search on you yesterday,” I tell her, throwing him completely under the bus and not confessing that I nosed into her past also.
“He had no right to do that.” Her voice trembles as she fists her hand. Duckie knows her well enough to know that something’s up and looks between us, obviously conflicted. “I think we’re done for today.”
“Lucy,” I start, standing in front of her and Duckie starts whining. “It’s okay, boy. Lucy, we can help you. I’m sorry about your privacy, it’s just that Keith has contacts that can help you; if you think your ex will come for you again.”
Walking around me, with the therapy dog on her heels, she remembers his leash and doubles back for it. “He will. Look, I’ve met some cops through work, they’re veterans and foster the puppies. I wanted someone in the area to know about the restraining order and that I might be in danger. Just tell him he’s an ass for looking into me like that.”
“We’ve all told him at some point,” I say, grinning at her. “Don’t expect him to apologize, and he’ll always tell you what’s on his mind as bluntly as possible, but he does mean well.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Lucy says, turning back to the door and I’m really fucking sorry to see her go.
Letting Lucy know that I know about her past removes some wall between us and the visits over the next few days lack our initial awkwardness. I spend our hours apart studying the training guide that she smuggled to me and preparing meals that I can easily reheat, any excuse to get her to stay longer.
“Are you ready for your first overnight?” Lucy asks me just as I sip my chili off the spoon and I nearly choke on it, looking up at her and enjoying how quickly her cheeks pinken, not like she has any idea how thoroughly I’d ruin her if she did stay over. “With Duckie.”
“That name’s growing on you, huh?” I ask, holding her gaze with my own.
“The Duck sounds way more dignified,” she answers in the worst British accent I’ve ever heard and I burst out laughing. “You have a nice smile.”
“You’re really going to leave Duckie with me overnight? Unsupervised?” I ask, ignoring her compliment—biting my tongue over what I want to say. Knowing I’d never see her again if I told her I wanted to fuck her until my rage was sated. Because that’s really all that’s left inside me anymore. Rage at how fucked up this world is.
“You have my number and aren’t afraid to use it, so, yes,” Lucy says after spending a moment studying my face.
“What? You don’t like memes?” I ask, trying to look offended but really, after the bottle of whiskey I downed the other night, I didn’t even remember our meme war until just now.
“This chili is really good,” she answers, but I notice her frowning for a second.
“Yes, I made it, you can check my trash,” I tell her.
“Sorry, random memory popped up,” she says, ducking her head down and wiping at her nose.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Nope,” Lucy says, standing up. “I’ve got to get going. I have a couple meetings in the morning and will swing by afterwards. If anything happens, I can be here in twenty minutes, Owen.”
“At least tonight I can send you pics of Duckie.”
“I’m serious.”
“Yeah, sorry. I’ll reach out if there are any issues,” I promise her and she nods but doesn’t reply until she gets to the door.
“And maybe hold off on anymore dick pics.” Lucy drops that bomb as she’s closing the door behind her.
Well, shit . . .
I pop open my phone and sure enough, I sent her a before and during of my jack-off session. Thank Christ I was too wasted to make a video.
Well, maybe we’re making progress after all.
“Hey Duckie! Rule number one, no letting me text anyone after I’ve been drinking. We’ll figure out the other rules as we go,” I tell my new companion and he cocks his head to the side. “Come on, let’s go get some exercise.”
Out back, I spend some time tossing a ball with Duckie and shooting the shit with him, happy he won’t tell anyone the thoughts that are spilling out of me.
“Duckie, man, you gotta tell me, how did Lucy like those texts last night?”
“See you got the dog?” Keith’s voice nearly makes me shit myself.
“Not yet, she’s going to make me go through the whole process, no matter how much Duncan donated,” I answer, trying to control my breathing like I’ve learned to do.
“Sorry about that, thought you would have heard my car.”
It takes me a moment to register Duckie has pushed himself against my leg, or even that I shifted my hand down to the crown of his head. When I exhale and look down, his chocolate eyes calm me even more.
“Well, fuck me,” I whisper.
“Come on inside, we gotta talk about the future.”
Chapter Four
Lucy
“Do you have any update about his status?” I ask the legal aid lawyer who was recently assigned my case. I can’t help but get frustrated that I’m the one who has to keep checking in with them but the original lawyer has moved on and they don’t consider it a pressing case anymore.
“I can call and ask when I get in tomorrow, unless you just want to call the police officer that you dealt with,” the woman who sounds as young as I am replies, barely stifling a yawn.
“Well, in the interest of not being murdered on your watch, I guess I’ll call the Atlanta precinct and spend the day on hold to see
if the man who swore he’d kill me is going to be released from jail in a few weeks. Have a spectacular evening.”
Grrr. It’s times like these I miss the satisfaction of slamming down a landline phone. It has been three days since I left a message for the local cop I had met, but now that I’ve been offered another option, I decide to jump online to see what I’d be in for if I accept the offer Owen made about having Keith look into it.
While I’m reasonably certain that Keith and the mysterious benefactor, Duncan, are on the up-and-up, I want to make sure I’m not asking a favor of the wrong sort of people.
Ten minutes into that exercise, all I’m really sure of is that Duncan is beyond loaded and Keith seems to, indeed, be in security.
Deciding to ask for help doesn’t come easy for me—and that thought saddens me. It’s what every veteran that comes through our doors is encouraged to do, over and over again; men and women who have served their country without being asked to do so, come home and suffer in silence. I do believe that one of the bravest things a person can do is ask for help, but it does require swallowing one’s pride a bit.
The next morning, I kill time after the only meeting I had, wishing I had the energy to do something more productive than fantasize about Owen. I know he was just drunk and lonely the other night, but if I thought I was remotely his type I would have considered doing more than masturbating to his dick pics. Besides, I have way too much of my own shit to pull together before I can consider getting together with anyone.
I nearly drop my phone when I receive a text from Owen.
O: I’m going to head down to the river with Duckie. Just let yourself in when you get here.
Me: Sounds good. See you soon.
After checking in with the team leader about the workload, I head out to see how Duckie is fairing in the river, after stopping at a nearby deli to grab lunch for us today.
It is way too gorgeous to be stuck inside anyway. Grabbing my gym bag from the trunk, I head inside to store the food and change my clothes before heading down to join them.
“Hey!” I call out when I see Owen fishing near the shoreline. “Catch anything?”
“Not with Duckie splashing around, but it relaxes me,” he says, his eyes widening when he sees me in shorts and a T-shirt. “Whatcha got there?”
“I brought us lunch,” I answer proudly but hold up my hand in warning. “It’s not homemade like you always do, but, in my case, that makes it edible!”
“There’s a log up that way a little bit,” Owen points and I try not to look disappointed that I forgot to bring a blanket. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind heading back and sitting on that porch swing either.”
I look up at him to gauge how obvious it is that I don’t want to eat on a log that is probably sheltering a dozen kinds of crawly things, but when he shrugs his shoulders I finally nod. “Porch swing, please.”
“Lead the way,” he responds, holding his hand out.
I’d like to think of myself as totally professional, but technically, he crossed that line already, so I think nothing of the little extra sway I add to my hips on the way back to his cabin.
“I wanted to let you know I’ve been offered a job out west and I’ll be leaving within the next month. I do want to make sure Duckie and I are in sync before we go.”
We’re nearly to the fenced in backyard when he drops that bombshell on me and I can’t stop the gasp of air leaving my lungs.
“Move? But . . .” I try to keep my voice calm but, my eyes flip from him to Duckie and thankfully he seems open to talking. “I guess I thought you were going to settle here.”
“Let me wash up, I’ll be right back.”
I take the time to refill Duckie’s bowl and set out our meal; I’m completely lost in my own thoughts and startled when he returns.
“Looks good.” Owen’s deep voice comes from directly behind me and I look over my shoulder to see his eyes locked onto my ass.
“No free lunch for you, soldier!” I sass back and his eyes snap up to mine. “I do need help, but I’m not used to asking people for anything, so I went to the best deli in town and even got us cake for dessert.”
“Just to butter me up, huh? Even though help was already offered?” he asks, unaware of how much space he takes up on the swing when he sits next to me.
“Yes,” I answer around a mouthful of pastrami, swiss cheese, and spicy mustard on rye. We sit on the bench quietly staring out at the woods across from us until he finishes his sandwich. “So?”
“Are you going to eat that half?” Owen points to the equally large half that sits in front of me. I nod my permission and he eagerly reaches for it.
A few minutes later, he leans back and sighs, resting his hands on his stomach. “I will do absolutely anything you want after that sandwich.”
Owen sounds so sincere that I can’t help but laugh.
“Since my case is closed, it’s just hard getting updates on the weasel’s status. So, if Keith can help, I would appreciate it. And I can pay, unless he’s outrageously expensive.” I add that last part on when I remember how pricy his suit and shoes looked.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already on it,” Owen tells me. “Keith can be a bit of a dog with a bone.”
Duckie lifts his head, suddenly interested in our conversation.
“Sorry, boy. We’re still training your human,” I say, getting a bark of laughter from Owen. “Come on, I think I saw treats inside somewhere.”
Picking up the wrappers, I dispose of them and get a pig’s ear for Duckie plus forks for us. When I head back outside, Owen is texting away but looks up when I open the container with the oversized piece of cake.
“Holy shit!” He eagerly takes a fork from me and shovels the first bite into his mouth.
“I hope you don’t mind sharing,” I ask shyly, taking a smaller piece while he continues to pack away the cake. I look down to his flat stomach and sigh in frustration. “Can I ask why you’re leaving? I mean, were you offered your dream job?”
“Yes and no,” he says after a moment. “Dream job, as in I’ll be hundreds of miles from any hustle and bustle, with limited people around to deal with. Not that you’re so bad, but . . .”
“Thanks. I think. Are you sure that being isolated is the best thing, I mean, well, don’t you have family or friends around here?”
“Naw, no family left. Just my old team. I think I told you that core group is tight. Duncan, he watches out for all of us, reaches out as soon as we get back stateside to make sure the men and women he served with have everything they need.” Owen covers a burp before finally putting his fork down. “In my case, I have to commit to video chats with my shrink once a week once I get moved. Duckie will keep me from getting lonely, so there’s that and occasionally, I’ll be supervising visitors on the property.”
“So, this mysterious Duncan guy is kind of like the Wizard of Oz?”
That gets another laugh from Owen and this time I can’t help but to reach up to wipe the bit of frosting from the corner of his lips. He catches my hand suddenly and I nearly cry out, until he realizes what I was doing and slips my finger into his mouth.
Then I do moan and lean forward without thinking.
Kissing Owen is everything I imagined.
Owen
One moment Lucy shocks the hell out of me when she snakes a finger out to touch my face; the next, I have her straddling my lap and I’m gripping her ass cheeks like my life depends on them.
Standing up, it’s my turn to startle Duckie but he races to get inside before I kick the door shut.
“Lucy, Lucy, wait.” My breath is ragged as I break off our kiss. “Baby, I want you so fucking bad but this is all I can give you. Today, tomorrow, however fucking many times I get to bury myself in you until I leave. I’m not able to give you anything, promise you anything, because I need to get my shit together before I’ll be any good for anyone.”
“Deal,” she whispers, gently kissing my neck as she moves
her lips back up to my face.
“Baby, deal? Really, you can’t let me in here,” I demand, pressing the pad of my finger into her chest above where her heart would be until I can’t withstand the draw of cupping her full breast. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially you. No matter how badly I want this, you gotta understand I don’t have it in me to be responsible for another person right now.”
No matter what I’m saying, I’m still walking toward my bedroom; desperate that she wants me as badly as I want her.
“Then fuck me until we both feel a little better,” Lucy says, pressing her lips against mine again. “I’m only going to hold you responsible for making me come. Today, tomorrow, and maybe a few more times until you leave; deal?”
“Deal.” I seal our stupid-ass pact with a rough kiss before I lean over to the nightstand to reach for the condoms I bought the other day.
Lucy leans back and reaches up her sleeve, pulling her bra strap down.
“Oh, no, none of that crap. I want full access to your tits,” I nearly growl and her jaw drops. “Seriously, I’ve been fantasizing about them for weeks now; don’t be shy with me.”
“Owen, I . . .” she starts, and I can tell she’s nervous so I lean forward and pull her back to me for a kiss.
“I’m gonna touch, kiss, and lick every inch of you within the next twelve hours, so pull your shirt off and let me get to it,” I demand.
Lucy’s jaw drops open and I wink at her to get her back on the same page. In a flash her shirt is off and as soon as she slips her shorts down, I bend over her, spreading her thighs to get a good angle on her clit. Flicking that with my tongue gets an immediate groan from her.
Nice to know I’m on the right track.
“Owen!” Lucy squeaks when I slide a finger inside her, still working her little nub with my tongue.
“Busy down here,” I say, turning to grin back at her.
That earns me a smack on my shoulder.
“Fuck. Me. Now.” Lucy bites out each word. “I need you inside of me.”
No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology Page 6
