by K. C. Crowne
Caleb led the way, however, taking my hand and guiding me back to the trucks. He picked up a fire truck and said, “This is Steve.”
“Steve? The fire truck has a name?”
The little boy nodded as if it was common sense that somehow I was too stupid to understand. “You take Steve.”
I took the fire truck and rolled it around on the floor. He had a dump truck he placed on the nearby table and pushed it across until it fell off on the other side. He burst into laughter that warmed my ice-cold heart right up.
“Your turn.”
Getting up off the floor with a prosthetic leg wasn’t as easy as when you had both your legs, and I struggled for a split second. It was enough that Caleb seemed to notice. He watched me but didn’t say a word, as I got down on my knees.
My jeans had slipped up on the leg, showcasing the metal prosthetic, and Caleb was now fascinated. He fell to the ground and lifted the pant leg up a bit more.
“What’s this?”
I didn’t like to talk about it. In fact, I tried to forget about my missing leg and how I’d lost it. But Caleb had his own struggles and might feel better if he knew more about my leg.
I left the fire truck on the table and sat back down on the floor. I raised my pant leg up further, almost to the knee, so Caleb could see it more clearly. His little eyes grew to the size of saucers. I wasn’t sure how to explain it in kid-friendly terms, but I did my best.
“I have a fake leg. It’s made of metal, like a robot.”
Caleb’s interest doubled. He sat down on the floor beside my leg and reached out, as if he wanted to touch it, but then retracted his hand as if he wasn’t sure if he should or wanted to.
“Go on, it’s okay.”
Caleb ran his tiny hand across the metal of the prosthetic, then looked at me. He looked back at the leg, as if he couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
I continued. “See? I also have trouble walking and running sometime.”
“You so big,” he said. “I am little.”
“You’ll be big one day too, little guy,” I explained.
Caleb seemed to think that over for a second, then frowned. “I don’t think so.”
“Yes, yes you will,” I laughed. “You’ll grow big and strong one day.”
There was so much doubt in his eyes as if he didn’t believe me. I was sure with his struggles, it was hard to imagine being big and strong and to be able to run around like the other kids. I decided that him not getting in to see a specialist was out of the question. I’d do whatever it took to make sure he got the help he needed so he could believe in his ability to grow big and strong too.
“Ready to go, kiddo?” Piper had come back into the room.
I pushed my pants leg down, trying to cover my prosthetic as much as possible. Piper was one of the few people who knew about my leg, but she’d never seen it. I didn’t let anyone see it. I didn’t want to remind them that I’d come back broken and damaged, even though the greatest damage wasn’t anything done to my body.
I didn’t want questions or people saying they were sorry. I hated the Goddamned pity I got from most folks when they’d heard about my leg. They seemed to care more about my lost leg than the families who were killed at the same time.
Piper had pretended not to see anything, or maybe she really hadn’t. She was one of the few people who didn’t press the issue. She treated me the same as she’d always treated me, and I respected the hell out of her for that.
Piper gathered Caleb, picking the toddler up in her arms to carry him out. As she bent down, I couldn’t help but notice the top two buttons from her blouse had come undone. My gaze fell on her small, round breasts that barely peeked out from her shirt. When she stood up, she looked me in the eye with a flush in her cheeks as if she’d caught me staring.
I cleared my throat and got back to my feet, unable to look her in the eye.
“Drive safely,” I grumbled as I hurried out of the daycare and into my truck.
Chapter 6
Piper
“Do you live alone, Ms. Davis?” Ashley asked as she looked around my tiny living room.
My home was on the small side. It was the same house I’d grown up in, after Dad had to downsize our larger family home. It was adequate for two people, but when we used to have the three of us there, it was a bit cramped. Since Dad had passed away and Tabby was mostly in Salt Lake City for college, it wasn’t too bad. Caleb didn’t take up much space.
“Well, my sister stays here a few days a week, when she’s not in class. She works part-time at the daycare,” I said. “But she’s already told me that the couch will be fine so Caleb can have her room, or she can find another place to stay. My best friend owns the hotel in town. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
I was babbling. I was overcompensating and giving her more information than she needed, but I wanted to be up front and honest, while also explaining that there’d be no issues.
She smiled and took a seat on my ragged old sofa. We’d had that thing since Dad was alive, and I knew we needed to replace it. It just wasn’t a priority for me.
I sat down in the rocking chair my grandma had left us, and Caleb climbed into my lap as opposed to sitting beside the strange woman. He hadn’t said much since she’d arrived, sucking on his thumb and watching her carefully.
“Caleb has a separate room here then? His own bed?”
“Yes, and yes,” I said, pointing down the hallway. “Would you like to see it?”
“In just a few minutes, yes,” she said, writing something down.
She glanced around the room, and I wasn’t sure what she was looking for until her eyes landed on the smoke detector. She checked something off on her checklist.
“Does that have batteries?”
“Yes, I replace them at least once a year. My father was always diligent about those things, and after he was injured, I had to take over.”
She seemed pleased by this. Point for me. I hugged Caleb closer to me.
“And you have a car seat for him, correct?”
“Yes, his father gave me one the last time I watched him for a few days. It should still be good for a couple more months. Caleb is on the small side. I know all about the codes and weight limits and safety issues, keep track of recalls since I buy a lot of baby and children’s items for the daycare.”
“Good,” she said.
She asked me a grew more general questions, and it felt a little like one of my college tests. As usual, I strived to pass with flying colors.
When it came time for the tour, Caleb walked beside me, his hand in mine. I opened the door to Tabby/Caleb’s room and turned on the light. The room was small, hard to believe that two twin beds used to fit in there when we were younger. Now the room contained just one bed and a desk with a chair, plus a dresser and some bookcases.
Ashley stepped inside, and if the color scheme - all pink and purple, Tabby’s favorite colors - bothered her, she didn’t say much. It was decorated for a college student, not a toddler.
“I plan to put up some bed rails, I hadn’t expected him to stay for this long,” I commented. “And we’ll obviously make it more kid-friendly if he’s staying for more than a few days.”
“Of course,” Ashley said, offering her first friendly smile. “Hopefully Mr. Davis returns soon, so this will only be temporary.”
“Yes, hopefully so.” I noticed her wording, and it gave me a bit of hope that Caleb would be able to stay with me.
She seemed pleased with the inspection, and just to be safe, I showed her the rest of the house. I had a bathtub, so that made bathing easier for a child. Still didn’t have any clothes for the boy, but I’d washed what he did have on every night and made sure it was dry before morning.
She checked the locks on the doors, looked in my cabinets. It was a pretty thorough inspection, but nothing I hadn’t considered. I may not have children of my own, but I had a background in early childhood education and owned a daycare. I kn
ew safety. Probably more than some parents do because I’d been tested on it countless times in school and by the state for my certifications.
“Well, I see no reason Caleb can’t remain in your custody until his father returns,” Ashley said at the conclusion of our tour.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”
“We try to keep children with family as much as possible, and it’s clear Caleb is comfortable with you.”
I squeezed Caleb’s hand reassuringly. “Yes, I’ve helped care for him since he was an infant.”
I saw Ashley out of the house and said our goodbyes. As soon as the door closed behind me, the tears began to fall. Not tears of sadness or fear, but tears of relief. Caleb didn’t understand that, however, and reached his arms up toward me. I picked him up, holding him close.
“It’s going to be okay, Caleb,” I whispered. “It’s going to be okay.
Ooo000ooo
Caleb was tucked away in his bed, fast asleep. It was only after nine in the evening, but I was beat. I climbed into my own bed, pulling the covers over me, and closed my eyes. It was the first time I’d been able to relax all day. Not only did I have to work long hours at the daycare, I was also parenting a toddler, something I wasn’t prepared for. And all this with social services, well, it was taking its toll on me. But for now, I’d won, I would be able to keep Caleb.
My phone buzzed, causing me to jump. Part of me was cursing, thinking Andy had finally decided to respond, but when I saw who it was from, my tone changed entirely.
It was Grant.
How’d the meeting with CPS go?
Outside of the daycare, we hardly ever spoke. It was almost entirely about business. Sure, it hadn’t always been that way, there was at least one summer we’d started to get close to one another, but since he’d come back from the war, he was a different man. He was much more closed off.
Seeing his text warmed my heart. He cared about us, and he obviously cared about Caleb. He might like to act tough, but truthfully, he was a softie on the inside.
I typed my good news, telling him how I’d get to keep him until they found Andy. I thought that might be the end of it, but he responded.
Good, I’m glad to hear that. He belongs with you.
Every once in a while, I’d catch a glimpse of the old Grant. The protective older brother type, the guy who offered to teach me how to play football when I expressed an interest in high school. Most guys would have laughed at little old me trying to play a so-called man’s sport, but not Grant. He’d taken me under his wing, just like he’d done with Caleb.
Thank you for everything. You’re really good for him, especially since his own father is often MIA. You’re a good influence on him.
I bit my lip as I waited for a response. Maybe I’d pushed too far, but I wanted him to know how much I appreciated all that he’d done. He was easily one of the best men I’d ever met, and seeing the way he bonded with Caleb put thoughts into my head I knew I shouldn’t have.
He’d make a damn good father.
Grant took some time to respond, but when he did, it was short and to the point.
Thanks. He’s a good kid.
Grant wasn’t the overly affectionate type, and I knew it made him uncomfortable to be praised. But sometimes, he just deserved it.
I put my phone away, feeling giddy about the good news - and about Grant’s messages. Hearing from him outside of work was nice.
Not that I expected us to be more than friends - or as he liked to refer to us, family. There was a part of me that had always hoped we might end up together one day. Leah had teased me briefly about us getting together a few months back when Grant took care of me after the fire at the daycare. But I wasn’t sure he felt the same way I did; it often seemed that he considered me as another little sister.
Except, of course, that one time long ago.
I thought about that summer. Leah was gone, and I was bored. Grant had been teaching me how to play football. It turned to goofing off, where I play-tackled him. He fell to the ground even though there was no way I could take a guy his size down. We fell together, and I landed on top of him.
His body had pressed into mine, and my eyes almost popped out of my head when I felt his erection pressing into me. He’d been turned on, and hell, so was I. I’d always thought him incredibly hot, but to feel his body underneath mine had been magical.
Before I knew what was happening, we started kissing. I’m not even sure who kissed who - one second, I was straddling him, staring into his gorgeous brown eyes, and the next, our lips were locked and we were rolling around the grass.
At one point, he was on top of me, staring down at me. He whispered, “God, you’re so beautiful,” and those words were forever etched into my memories.
He thought I was beautiful.
Back then, I’d been a bit of a tomboy. My hair was often super short in a pixie cut. I wore jeans instead of dresses. Preferred playing football over going to prom. He could have had any girl he’d wanted in high school, and he’d dated a few blonde cheerleaders from time to time.
But he thought I was beautiful.
I was a virgin back then, but in that moment, I was ready to give myself to him. I told him this, and he pulled away. He’d acted like I’d slapped him when I told him I wanted him to be my first.
My body had ached for him back then, and it still ached for him today. I allowed my hand to move down underneath the blanket, pushing my nightshirt up. With one hand softly teasing my nipple, I pushed my panties aside with the other.
I laid back on the pillows, circling my clit. I was so wet already. I was being eaten alive by the need, my insides craving to be filled with Grant’s cock. I’d never seen it, but I’d felt it, and he was obviously well-endowed.
I slid a finger inside, but that wasn’t enough. I needed more.
I slipped in another.
Then another.
I stretched myself open, trying to imagine what it would feel like to have Grant thrusting his cock inside me. With my thumb on my clit, I proceeded to finger my pussy, picturing Grant rising and falling above me.
“Yes, yes,” I muttered, my thighs trembling as I slid down lower onto the bed, flat on my back.
As much as I wanted to, my hands could only reach so far inside of me. There were parts of me that remained untouched, and I yearned for more. This was nothing more than a tease, reminding me of what I couldn’t have. But it would have to do.
“Grant, yes, Grant,” I whimpered. “Come inside me, please.”
I wanted to watch as his face contorted into a look of bliss, listen as his breathing grew ragged and turned to low moans. I wanted to feel his cock pulse deep inside me as he filled me with his seed. I begged for it in my fantasy, and since I was in control, it happened.
I pictured Grant burying his thick shaft balls deep into my pussy, shooting his load inside of me. That pushed me over the edge, and I had to stifle the noises coming from my mouth as I came hard around my fingers. My pussy spasmed, tightening and releasing around my hand just as it would his cock.
Wave after wave of pleasure shot through me until I relaxed into the bed. I breathed heavily for a few seconds, as the world around me spun. It felt so good, but I knew there was no way it would compare to the real thing.
But sadly, that’s all I had, and when it came to Grant, it was probably the closest I’d ever come.
Chapter 7
Grant
“You know, I’m worried about Piper.” Leah had a look on her face, one I knew well. She wanted to do something nice for her friend. “She works herself to the bone, and now she’s practically a single mom too. I’m sure she wasn’t prepared for any of this. Do you think she’s eating?”
I was at my sister’s house, hanging out and having a beer. Matilda was in her arms, and the little girl was fast asleep.
“I don’t know.”
Leah frowned as if she expected me to have all the answe
rs. “I think we should take her some food over, maybe pick up some groceries for her. What do you think?”
“Now?” I asked, looking at the baby in her arms. She looked so peaceful; it would be a shame to wake her.
“Yeah, why not? I doubt she has much to eat, not like she’s had a chance to go to the store.”
“But when will Kellen be back?” Kellen was helping Levi, our fire chief, with some renovations at the firehouse, and he’d been gone late into the evening for a few days. I didn’t expect him to get home until after most of the stores were closed.
Leah sighed. “You’re right. He won’t be back until late, most likely. I guess we’ll have to do it tomorrow, I just worry so much, you know?”
I did know. I hadn’t thought about it until she’d mentioned it, but now that I was, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to go without food. I pushed myself off the couch.
“Where are you going?”
“Going to the store,” I muttered as I tossed my beer can into the trash.
Leah chuckled. “You like to act like a big, bad tough guy, but you take care of those you love, Grant. I knew you’d do it.”
I shot her a grumpy look. She’d set me up. Or maybe she hadn’t meant to, but it worked out that way anyway. Leah gave me a knowing grin, just like she used to when she’d told me I’d get in trouble for something and she was right. Leah liked to be right.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I growled, not sure if I was annoyed at her for her little game or thankful that she’d pointed out that Piper might need some groceries so I could feel useful.
I left Leah’s house and ran to the only grocery store we had in town. It was small but had the basic necessities. I had no fucking idea what I was doing, though, since I usually just survived on beer and whatever meat I picked up to grill.
Piper didn’t have a grill, though. She didn’t even have a place for it. Her house didn’t have much of a patio or backyard since it was surrounded by woods.
