Didn’t ask for help.
Not much had changed.
“You were drinking sweet tea at The Whistling Frog,” Delsey said softly.
“I saw how the stress affected my dad’s drinking and while I never had a problem, I didn’t want to take any chances. I stopped drinking when Maddie came to live with me. I have no use for liquor right now. I need to be up early and work hard. I can’t risk a kick to the head by a horse because I’m hungover.” It went deeper than that, though. “But know this about my dad. He straightened up and made up for the shitty years. He got that chance, but I never did. I never got to make it up to you, what I did to you. Because you left. I’m sorry. I’m fucking sorry.” I dumped my head in my hands.
“Stop it,” she said with a catch in her voice. “I’m trying to help, but you can’t get past what happened between us. It’s getting in the way. After today, I can’t see you anymore.”
My heart pounded at the idea she’d be gone.
Yeah, I was making this trauma about me. Why? Because I’d been robbed of everything. My parents. My sister. My freedom. My money. Sure, getting Maddie made me close to being whole as I could. As complete as I’d ever felt. But something inside me was screaming for attention.
“No. Please.” I gripped her hand. “I have to get my shit together. I know I let the rent go. But I never expected you to show up here. I never expected you’d be here right now, helping me. And I’m sure this isn’t how you thought this trip would go.”
“No,” she said softly.
“So, I should let Maddie go to the dance?” I had to get back to that subject.
“It’s sponsored by the school so—”
I stormed up on her, our lips almost touching. “Not that. I’m worried she’ll get...laughed at.” An angry sob bubbled in the back of my throat.
Delsey breathed, warm and sweet. “I think it’s amazing how you’re so protective. All I can think is if classmates were laughing at her in school, the last place she’d want to be was a dance with all of them there.”
Christ, I never would have made that connection. “I assume she’s not trying to flounce around. She keeps herself steady. This is opening herself up.”
Delsey nodded. “And that’s good. She wants to take that chance. You have to let her.” Her lips were so full and red, and it had nothing to do with damn makeup. The way she’d been licking them, her mouth just glowed.
“You’re right.” Christ, what I could do with that mouth.
“I’m sure the school will let you go, too. Parents chaperone things like that, right?”
“I guess.” I stepped back, her sweet perfume making me crazy.
“Just give everyone that evil glare you do so well, especially when you put your hat down.” She reached up and pushed on my Stetson and the pressure felt so glorious. “Boys will respect her if they see how much she means to you. And she’ll take her cue from you, demand only respect and honor. And to be...worshipped.”
Where in the world did this woman come from?
How in the world could I let her go back to Houston and forget about me?
No sooner did I have those thoughts when Delsey lifted up a crutch leaning against the railing and rested it under her armpit. A smaller version sat next to Maddie’s bed at home for middle-of-the-night bathroom trips and her showers.
Delsey set it down, a curious look spreading across her face, then a look of distress. “Two seconds with this thing and my hand hurts already.”
I covered her hand with mine and rotated the angle of her wrist. “You’re putting too much pressure here. Hold the handle like this.”
It hadn’t been my intention to press my chest into her back, but the connection sent a powerful jolt to my heart, just like yesterday. Her breath hitched feeling the full breadth of me. In my late twenties, my body had exploded. I bulked up in muscles and my shoulders widened. Standing among other men I felt beastly and superior in size and ability.
“That does feel better,” Delsey said, low and controlled.
No shit.
She rotated to face me bringing the crutch around and the heel settled right into my boot, clipping my toes. The pain wasn’t spectacular, but enough for me to jump. Only, Delsey had let her weight rest on the crutch, and when I moved, down she went.
Almost. I caught her by the waist, but the violent swing of the crutch clipped my shin, and down I went taking her with me. Horrified to smash my two-hundred-and-thirty-pound muscular frame into her, I wrenched around and sacrificed my back. I’d pay for that one in the morning, but having Delsey’s breasts crush into my chest was a feeling I’d remember.
Long after the back pain disappeared.
Delsey
MY HEART LEAPT IN MY chest losing my balance, and next, I faceplanted right onto Logan. Didn’t feel as soft if I’d landed on the pad, but definitely a little more exciting.
“Umph,” I blurted, my chest banging into Logan’s.
He’d not made a sound, unless heavy breathing counted. His hands started to roam my body, sliding up and down with gentle squeezes like he was checking to see if I was hurt.
My brain should have been telling me to get the hell up, but I couldn’t move. The blue in Logan’s eyes made me long to swim in Caribbean waters. I couldn’t turn away.
He lifted his head to kiss me. Softly at first, until a fever hit us. His lips were warm against mine, smooth compared to the rough hands finding their way under my coat.
Oh Christ. Maddie. I couldn’t let sweet Maddie see me all over her uncle. So, I stopped. “Um...”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. His stare gripped me from the inside and warmed me. If it were possible, the feel was better than the kiss. This felt pure.
His full lips parted and he breathed, “Are you okay?”
Quite.
“I was just getting fancy.”
Logan roared with laughter and his hands tightened around my waist. “I wouldn’t categorize balancing on a crutch getting fancy. Especially from someone like you.”
“Someone like me?”
“Folks, do you need help getting up?” a stout man in a tracksuit said, folding his arms.
“Can you stand?” Logan whispered like my ability was his secret.
Despite the question, my entire body moved with Logan’s, who pushed up with one hand taking me with him. The strength of him. Wow.
Smiling, he took the crutch away from me. “Before you do any more damage.”
“To who?”
“To me,” he blurted. “I mean—”
“What did you mean, someone like me? And getting fancy?”
“Isn’t that your brand, madame? Fancy.” He stared at me. “It’s what got Maddie hooked. Seeing you on the television, on magazine covers, red carpets. That’s your image.”
I didn’t know what to address first. That Logan had an understanding of brand marketing. Or that he called me madame. But he was right. “Being fancy? As my brand, I guess so. I have to be polished. I can’t expect women to wear my makeup and feel amazing about themselves if I don’t set that example.” Still, I never expected Logan to point that out.
I...liked that he got me. What I was about and the importance of being the face of my cosmetics company. A scarred face, nonetheless. I wore my hair down whenever possible, but I spoke proudly of my imperfections. And what my makeup did for me. Physically and emotionally. I just never really showed anyone.
Smiling, I continued, “Fancy is a dated term, though. Elegant is more my speed.” I exhaled. “I wanted to know what it was like, using the crutch. I never broke a bone. I feel a little left out.”
“Being in a plane crash could have spectacularly changed that.”
“Don’t remind me. And I’m not trying to blow my karma.” I’d gotten a message that the plane was all fixed up and back in my hanger at Houston. Just waiting for me to need a ride back home.
Home. This was home. Wild Heart...
“That’s what this is about?” Logan distracted
me. “Counting your blessings?” He pushed my hair away looking ready to kiss me again.
“Uncle Logan?” Maddie’s soft voice pulled his eyes away.
Logan jumped. “Yo.”
“Were you guys...kissing?”
“Just for a moment.” I set my shoulders back like it was no big deal. “Your uncle kissed me in high school, too.”
“He did?” Maddie asked in a voice that I’d expect if she were questioning whether or not he’d beaten up a teacher.
“Guilty.” He shoved his hands back in his pockets. “So, how did it go with the technician?”
“Good.” She shook her head and lifted her pant leg. “She’s letting me take this one home. I think I figured out the center of gravity thing like Miss Campbell said.” Maddie spun around and took a few steps. Holy cow, what a difference. It was that simple!
“Here you go,” Miss Campbell said, handing Logan a long paper bag. “Her other prosthesis. We’re excited to build a new one for her.”
Awww. I held my chest at the sincerity in the woman’s voice. Her dedication. I loved getting letters from women who’d said nothing worked on their skin, but my makeup made them feel beautiful.
“That means a lot,” Logan said, hiding how choked up he was. “The administrator told me when I handed in the forms that you’ll be taken care of as far as payments?”
“Absolutely,” Miss Campbell answered him.
“Is there anything I can do?” Logan asked.
“No. It’s my pleasure,” she said and when she smiled, I saw wrinkles and dry skin.
That woman was getting a gift basket filled with all my best moisturizers. That was my pleasure in life.
Well, one of them anyway...
Chapter Ten
Logan
To my surprise, all Maddie talked about after leaving the VA was the dance. Like she’d been keeping it bottled up and now it gushed out of her.
“You’re sure I’m allowed to be at that dance?” I asked her while figuring out how the hell to get out of that parking lot.
“Other kids said their parents stick around.”
“You’ve never been to one, Maddie?” Delsey asked, twisting around, her shoulder hitting me. The concept of personal space between us had disappeared in the last few hours.
I didn’t hate it.
“No.” Maddie’s voice sounded small.
“You bet, I’ll be there, Mads,” I said, mostly because I wanted a lay of the land with these parents.
Right after the accident, Maddie and I plunged into crisis mode. Getting to the next hour, the next meal, the next sunset, the next weekend, the next month. Then we’d made it to the first anniversary where we unveiled the headstones for my parents and Janey who all were buried together. Never mind it being more economical for me to buy one gravesite, something else Mom and Dad hadn’t done, and do one service, I never could have imagined putting Janey by herself.
“Delsey, can you come, too?” Maddie cried out in excitement.
Crap. I’d been waiting for that. My stomach clenched waiting for Delsey to say no and then have to listen to the pain in Maddie’s voice.
“Of course, I’ll be there.” But Delsey’s breath clipped. “If that’s okay with Logan. Maddie, your uncle is in charge. I respect whatever he wants,” said the woman blinking puppy dog eyes at me.
“Uncle Logan?”
“I’ll double-check with the school, but if Delsey wants to come, it’s all right with me.”
“Can Delsey do my makeup?”
“Makeup?” I screeched. “What you need makeup for?”
Good God, it was starting. The growing up. The hair and the makeup and the dresses and the high heels. My eyes skated to Delsey, who no doubt ignited this blast of femininity out of nowhere. She was the woman Maddie wanted to be, I’d bet.
Maddie could do a lot worse when it came to having a role model. All I’d had were rough-riding cowboys for her to get to know. Lakelyn, Cam’s wife had been a great help early on, but she’d had a difficult pregnancy and didn’t want Maddie to see her so sick all the time.
Then the tiniest baby we’d all seen popped out a few weeks early and she was as good as new. So much so, that I’d heard hints that she was already cooking up baby number two. Freaking Cam Renner, no surprise.
“Do girls in your class wear makeup yet?” Delsey asked. “Women my age would kill for your smooth peachy skin, Maddie. We’d all love to go au naturel.” She choked up. “I mean. Oh shoot,” she whispered and I laughed at her.
I was certain Maddie didn’t know that meant naked. In the bodily sense.
Although, now I was picturing Delsey naked. And trying to drive. Not a smart combo.
“Some wear eyeshadow and blush,” Maddie chatted on, not noticing Delsey and me pushing through a massive avalanche of sexual tension we’d just brought upon ourselves.
“Your skin naturally glows, but if it’s okay with your Uncle Logan, I can bring some eyeshadow to make those baby blues pop.” Delsey twisted back and around. “Is it okay, Uncle Logan?” she asked, nudging me with those dark green eyes of hers. “You can trust me. I won’t overdo it.”
Hell yeah, I trusted her. Completely. Blindly.
“What color dress are you gonna wear, Maddie?”
“Oh, no. A dress? I... I can’t go.” With a catch in her voice, she said, “I don’t have a nice dress.”
I exhaled. “We’re going to the mall next, aren’t we?” My eyes narrowed at Delsey, and all I saw were wide red lips in a smile that... Holy shit. I had to kiss or I’d go nuts and drive us all into a ditch.
“I AM SO OUT OF MY DEPTH.” I felt like a zombie in Forever 21.
Just as I’d suspected, Delsey took over. It made me glad, but angry at myself because there was no way I could have handled any of this by myself. All I could have hoped was that Lake, or Emma, or even Harper, Jamie’s wife would have helped me out. Last resort, a helpful salesgirl who I could then... I stopped when the idea of kissing someone other than Delsey made my stomach twist and burn.
I tried to keep up with the conversation that flew by me going one hundred miles an hour between Maddie and Delsey. Dress style. Length. Color. Neckline. Long sleeve. Short sleeve. Sleeveless. Strapless.
“No strapless,” I grunted, meandering around a rack of colorful fluff, feeling like a stalker.
Delsey was in her element. Shining like a diamond, going from rack to rack, pulling dress after dress. All pink. They’d decided before we even parked that Maddie would wear pink. Her blonde hair would sparkle against the pink, Delsey had said stroking Maddie’s long waves before she went into the dressing room.
Like Delsey’s blonde hair did against all the pink I’d seen her wear.
After a few minutes that sailed by with Delsey and me staring at each other, “Uncle Logan?” came out from the under the dressing room door and the sad tone worried the hell out of me.
My back straightened and I said, “Yeah, honey?”
“Can you come in?”
My head hit the door and I hoped to hell she was dressed in some capacity. Talk about shit your eyes can’t un-see. I’d been lucky that she hadn’t asked me to help her bathe in any way after the accident. In the months she’d spent in the hospital, wonderful aides had taken care of that. By the time she’d gotten home, she’d been using a crutch for everything, the way the physical therapist had shown her.
My heart couldn’t have prepared me for seeing Maddie in what I could only describe as a ballerina dress. Pink sparkles, a scoop neck, cinched at the waist, and a full skirt down to her knee.
And to her... Shit. The prosthetic.
“I didn’t even think about this. This leg feels so good. I forgot I had it on.” She held back tears. “But you can see it. I... I can’t go if I can’t wear a dress.”
I hugged her immediately and let her sob into my stomach, keeping my shit together as best I could. “Let it go, honey. It’s okay.” I bent down and whispered in her ear, “We’ll get t
hrough all this. We’ll figure something out.”
She nodded against me and sniffed. “I didn’t want Delsey to see me cry.”
That grabbed me by the throat. “Why?”
“She’s so strong and smart.”
Nodding, I said, “Yeah. She is. Now. I knew her in school. She was shy just like you. She used to wear these thick black-rimmed glasses. They were big and swallowed up her whole face.”
Her beautiful face.
“Really?” Maddie hiccupped.
“Yep. You can ask her about it. It’s okay.” I stroked Maddie’s hair. “The point is, look at her now. She had to overcome stuff, too. It’s part of growing up.”
Now Maddie nodded and stepped back, wiping tracks of tears from her reddened cheeks. “Do you like the dress?”
It killed me that she wanted to know what I thought of it. “I love the dress. Do you like it?”
“These others didn’t feel right. This is comfortable.” She pinched the skirt and did an adorable little spin. “What do I do about my leg?”
“Do you wear shorts in gym class?”
“Sometimes.”
“Your classmates have already seen your leg. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” I ran my hand down the smooth chrome. Damn thing felt like a showroom-new race car. “Should we ask Delsey?”
Maddie nodded fast.
Smiling, I opened the door and let Maddie walk out. She was still a little unsteady in a different kind of way from before. When the bottom of the fake foot hit the carpet, she was steady as a rock. Maddie’s hips had to learn a new way to shift.
“Oh my gosh!” Delsey cooed and did a little hop. “I love this one. You look like a princess.”
“I would have said ballerina.” I took my place next to Delsey.
A shockwave went through me and I’d gotten a déjà vu, only I’d never been with Delsey and Maddie before in a dressing room. But it felt real. And ground in. Shopping for...our girl one day off in the future.
Uh oh.
“What should I do about my leg?” Maddie asked, reaching for my hand like she needed my support to open up and ask for help. Grady stubbornness was hereditary, apparently.
The Cowboy's Rebel Heart: An Enemies to Lovers Second Chance Romance (Wild Texas Hearts Book 4) Page 10
