Man of Honor (Passion in Paradise Book 4)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  Honor’s eyes bulged as she stared at the other woman. “What exactly are you sayin’, Doctor?” she questioned sharply as her heart pounded in her chest though, God help her, she suspected she already knew what the wily woman had planned for her.

  “I’m saying that it’s time to put yourself on the market, Honor. Experience the thrill of the first date. In fact, since it’ll actually be two weeks until our next session since I’ll be out of town for a conference, I’d like you to experience that first date joy at least three times before we meet again. Consider it homework, and know that Zeke is absolutely forbidden to tutor you during any of these assignments. If you cheat, I’ll simply make you continue to perform the assignment again and again until you pass it with flying colors.”

  Honor’s jaw dropped. “You know, I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one, but you’ve lost your ever-lovin’ mind!”

  “Honor, you need to learn if you’re actually and truly emotionally and physically attracted to Zeke or if he’s just convenient because you trust him. If there’s chemistry with another man, then what you’re feeling for Zeke might not be as real as either of you hope it is.”

  “I… I know how I feel about Zeke. That isn’t going to change, Bree. I love him,” Honor acknowledged aloud.

  “But what kind of love is it? Is it the love a woman has for the man she wants to spend her life with or is it the love a woman has for the man responsible for keeping her safe? Is it a friendly love or is it a passionate one?”

  Lifting a hand to massage her temple, Honor frowned. She’d thought she knew the answer to those questions when she walked into Bree’s office this morning, but now she was feeling more and more confused.

  “Trust me, Honor, a couple of dates with a few men may shed a whole new light on this for you.”

  “Zeke is gonna have a hissy fit,” Honor murmured worriedly.

  “I warned Zeke that he might not always agree with my methods before you ever started therapy. This is one of those times that I tried to warn him about. The thing is… do you have enough confidence in me to try this.”

  “You really think this is an important thing to do?” Honor questioned unhappily.

  “I truly do.”

  “Bree, no one has asked me out in ages. Everybody in town knows that I don’t date. And if you think I’m forward enough to do the askin’….”

  “I know you can be forward enough to do this. It’s another exercise in empowerment. Choose someone you like and think might enjoy spending time with you. I’ve been in this town long enough to know that unless that guy is married, there’s not much chance they’ll say no to you. If you truly don’t think you can extend the invitation to your choice, ask your sisters to help you. They might know someone that will suit you wonderfully. Open your mind to the experience, Honor. This is supposed to be fun.”

  “Says you,” Honor grumbled. Scrubbing a hand over her face, she groaned. “Okay, I’ve got three sisters and I need three dates. I suppose I could enlist their help, but I still think this is a bad idea. And it’s likely to drive Zeke plumb crazy.”

  “Zeke is a grown man, completely capable of understanding why this needs to happen. You just need to explain it to him.”

  “Yeah, right,” Honor mocked. “Have you met the sheriff? Convincing that man that I need to be able to trot off and spend time with other men when he considers me to be his isn’t going to be an easy feat. In fact, if I manage it, it might qualify as a bona fide miracle.”

  “Would you rather I have a chat with him?” Bree offered magnanimously.

  “Do you fancy takin’ up residence in a jail cell until you change your mind?” Honor quipped, only half-joking. It was entirely possible that’s exactly what Zeke would do if he was pushed.

  “Not really,” Bree denied with an easy laugh. “But seriously Honor, do you consider yourself to be Zeke’s?”

  “Well, no. Not exactly. We’ve never declared exactly what we are to each other. Or I guess it’s more honest to say that I’ve never declared what he is to me.”

  “Why?” Bree asked, canting her head to the side.

  Honor thought about it for a second before shrugging. “I reckon because I’ve never been sure what I wanted to call us.”

  “Then until you do know what you want to call Zeke, you need to make an effort to see if you can have similar feelings for anyone else. I don’t think it would be fair to Zeke otherwise.”

  Honor made a soft sound of acceptance. “Now, I’m just gonna need to convince Zeke of that.”

  “You’ll do fine. And if you don’t, you have my number. Call me. Despite the threat of incarceration, I’d still be willing to have a talk with him if it becomes necessary. In the meantime, chat with your sisters and have them recommend some gentlemen to you. Set up at least three first dates and go have some fun. Dinner. Movies. A walk through the park. The 4th of July is Monday; see the fireworks with someone. You can do anything, really, as long as you feel comfortable and safe.”

  Honor wanted to laugh in Bree’s face at the idea that Zeke would allow her to spend the holiday with anyone other than him, but she nodded instead as the buzzer on Bree’s desk began to go off. Calmly, she began collecting her purse and the cup of coffee she’d brought along with her. “Wow! Time flew today. I guess I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. Enjoy… where was it again?”

  “London, England. I’m attending a series of lectures at Oxford.”

  Honor smiled. “How exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever been any further away than the Gulf Shores.”

  Bree grinned. “Well, you never know. That might need to be a future homework assignment. There’s a big world out there, Honor, just waiting for you to take it by the throat.”

  Honor laughed and shook her head as she rose, her light pink shift dress falling around her knees. “No. I’ll leave the taking on the world business to people like Patience and Maggie. I prefer the quiet life. Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing England or Ireland. You take care over there. Bring me back a few postcards.”

  “Absolutely,” Bree agreed with a firm nod without disturbing a hair in her elegant French twist. “But, I have an international calling plan, Honor. If something comes up and you need a session, you call me, okay?”

  “I will. Thanks, Bree,” Honor said softly as Bree walked her toward the door of her office. Briskly advancing down the hallway, Honor slowed to wave at the receptionist behind the desk. “Have a great holiday weekend, Cheyenne.”

  “You, too, Honor! Are y’all gonna close the café?”

  Honor shook her head. “No, but I think all us girls are going to take the day off so there won’t be any fresh baked goods. If you wanted an apple pie or anything though, I could hold one for you at the counter,” she offered.

  “Awesome! My kids will think you hung the moon for this, lady! I’ll pick it up at lunch,” Cheyenne returned happily.

  Nodding, Honor pushed open the door in the reception area, shooting the slightly overweight young man sitting in one of the waiting room chairs a smile as he looked at her from behind the frames of his thick glasses. Vaguely familiar, she tried to place where she’d met him. “Hi,” she murmured pleasantly, nodding to him and feeling a vague sense of déjà vu the longer she gazed at him.

  “Ma’am,” the young man returned gruffly, barely offering her a sidelong look before averting his eyes as he looked down at the magazine he gripped with his blunt fingertips, hunching his rounded shoulders.

  Feeling an odd tightening in her chest the longer she gazed at him, Honor’s mind raced, struggling to place him in her memories. She knew she recognized him from somewhere; she just couldn’t recall how. Honor knew they hadn’t gone to school together since the guy was probably a handful of years older than her, but maybe she’d seen him around one of her sisters.

  “David,” Honor heard Cheyenne call, “You can come on back. Dr. Daniels is ready for you, hon.”

  Honor didn’t recognize the name and was forced to quickly step
to the side as the man all but leapt from his chair and barreled toward the door leading to their therapist’s office. She couldn’t help noticing that he still kept his gaze down as he sped past her, their shoulders brushing briefly as he speed walked past her.

  Shaking her head at the man’s abrupt departure, she shrugged it off. She didn’t know of anybody that actually liked counseling. It was a necessary evil to most patients. And as far as that feeling that she somehow knew the guy, she chose to chalk it up to small town life. Everybody knew everybody some kind of way in a community their size. She figured it would come to her sooner or later why that man seemed familiar.

  A few seconds later, she stood on the sidewalk outside the office and took a deep breath. Already hot, the sun beat down on the top of her head as she headed for her vehicle. Sparing a quick glance toward where Deputy Hightower had parallel parked across the street, she nodded and smiled toward the tall man slouched behind the wheel of his cruiser. Jeb Hightower had been assigned as her tail again since Zeke refused to take any chances with her safety, and she knew the lanky white officer would be trailing her until she was either back in Zeke’s care or another member of her family’s custody. Since the sheriff once again had his full roster of officers working at the station this week, the hazel eyed deputy had volunteered to be her shadow again.

  It was just as well. At least Honor had grown accustomed to his presence. Mostly silent, unobtrusive, and slightly shy himself, Deputy Hightower understood that Honor valued her privacy and kept his own peace most of the time. They had a good working relationship and she had learned to be able to relax in his presence. Luckily, they both shared an affinity for brainless reality television so they weren’t completely bored in each other’s company. Lifting her hand, she saluted him smartly as she continued toward her own vehicle.

  Squinting at the windshield as she drew closer, she frowned when she spotted a red piece of construction paper stuffed behind one of her windshield wipers. Ignoring the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, she reached out to pull the paper free, turning it over quickly to scan the typed words, her body going solid as she read.

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  Where have you been?

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  I want to stroke that skin.

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  I’ll lap your cream.

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  I’ll make you scream!

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  I’ll fuck your tail.

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  I’ll make you wail.

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  He may call you Kitten.

  Oh, but Pussycat, Pussycat!

  Our love won’t stay hidden!

  Pussycat, Pussycat!

  Don’t make me see red.

  For Pussycat, Pussycat!

  You’ll end up dead!

  Honor gasped as she dropped the sickening attempt at poetry with nerveless fingers, her eyes already scanning the area for a threat as the paper fluttered through the air to land harmlessly at her feet. God, she was tired of this! She’d been exhausted by the endless fear! She’d grown weary of the constant dread that sat like a lead balloon in her belly! She wanted to be free of the danger. She wanted to live her damned life. And to do that, this had to freaking END!!

  “Where are you?” she screamed into the mostly empty parking lot as furious tears pricked her eyes. “Come out and face me, you Son of Satan!” she challenged her unseen terrorist shrilly as people walking across the street stopped to stare at her.

  “Where are you?” she shrieked again, stumbling as she turned this way and that, trying to locate the person responsible for countless sleepless nights.

  “Miss Honor?” she heard Deputy Hightower’s deep voice call as he ran toward her, the thick wavy locks of his chestnut hair flopping against his forehead. “What’s going on? What happened?”

  “Where is he?” Honor shouted. “Did you see him? He was here, Jeb! You had to have looked right at him!”

  “Who?” the deputy asked blankly.

  “The monster that sent me that,” Honor screeched irately, jabbing her finger toward the pavement where the red piece of construction paper rested on the cement. She started to bend and snatch it up, but the deputy quickly stilled her with a hand on her arm.

  “Don’t touch it,” he ordered. “Might have some prints on it.”

  Shaking her head as Jeb crouched at her feet to read the perverse poem, Honor fought the rage bubbling up her windpipe. “He’s here. Somewhere! I feel him,” she bit out, looking toward the tree line at the back of the lot.

  “I radioed the station before I got out of the cruiser. Sheriff’s on his way. Just hold tight and take a couple of deep breaths for me and settle down.”

  Enraged by the whole situation, Honor’s eyes became narrow slits. “Settle down?” She echoed on a sneer, shoving a hand through her wheat colored tresses as she laughed hysterically. “You want me to settle down? You’re kidding, right? He’s was freaking HERE! And you missed him!!”

  Remorse flashed in the man’s eyes. “Miss Honor, whoever left this here for you to find must have done it when a semi stalled in the intersection earlier. It obscured my view of the parking lot for a good two minutes. About the time I got out of my car to walk across the street, the traffic began to move again. I’m sorry,” he apologized solemnly.

  Honor’s throat tightened, clogging with emotions she didn’t want to feel. “I can’t take it anymore,” she choked, taking a step back, her bottom meeting the bumper of her car. “Do you hear that?” she yelled, her voice agonized. “You’ve won! I can’t do this anymore! Just come out and do whatever you’re gonna do to me!” she begged with a desperate cry.

  Deputy Hightower rose in front of Honor, holding his hands out in front of him. “Honor, Zeke’s gonna be here real soon. Just try to hold it together a little longer,” he pleaded with her. “Everything’s gonna be alright,” he tried to soothe.

  Honor jerked like she’d been hit as his words hung in the air. “Did you read what he wrote to me?” she asked harshly as a sob broke her voice. “Nothing is going to be alright, Jeb! That monster wants me dead, but first, he wants to violate me again! And, God, he called me Pussycat. I’d forgotten,” she trailed off, her voice becoming faint as she paled quickly. “Oh, God! One of them called me that,” she panted as memories began to bombard her.

  ~~***~~

  “Hold that fucking cunt down,” a deep voice snarled as she tried to wrench herself away from the hands painfully groping her thighs.

  “Please, stop!” she begged, her breathing ragged as she twisted and fought. “Don’t do this. Please!”

  “Oh, I love it when they beg,” another sinister voice moaned. “Get her shirt off! I wanna see those pretty little titties,” Honor heard the voice order as another pair of hands began to work her sweater up her torso.

  “Stop it!” she screamed, her voice hoarse from her pleas. “Please don’t hurt me. Get your hands OFF me,” she cried, managing to free one of her arms from the manacle-like grip one of her assailants had on her and raking her nails against the side of his neck.

  “Ah, fuck yeah!” The ominous voice growled as he ground his pelvis against Honor’s stomach. “I fuckin’ love it. My little pussycat’s got claws for me tonight.” Honor moaned as she felt his hot breath gust against the side of her face as his lips touched her ear. “Hiss and spit all you like, pussycat. I’m still gonna fuck your pretty tail tonight.”

  ~~***~~

  Gasping for breath as she began to sink to the ground, Honor felt a strong arm surround her waist, holding her steady as the panic welled inside her chest and a scream climbed its way up her throat.

  It was only when she felt her body shifted toward another set of waiting arms and a gentle hand against the back of her head nudging her damp cheek to rest against a soft flannel shirt that she began to relax, her body instantly recognizing Zeke’s comforting familiar scent before she h
eard his steady reassurances vibrating against her ear.

  And turning her face into the solid wall of his chest, Honor quickly decided that in the shelter of his embrace might be her new favorite place to hide.

  Zeke

  The sound of her screams slammed into his gut with the force of a freight train. Even with his windows rolled up, he’d heard those raw, wounded sounds coming from her as soon as he’d whipped his SUV into the parking lot, taking the turn on two wheels despite his brother’s growl from the passenger seat.

  He didn’t have time to worry about Ice’s criticism of his driving skill though.

  Right now, he needed to get to his woman and hold her against him until those tortured wails stopped. Leaving his engine running, he’d barely jerked the gearshift into park before his feet hit the pavement and his long strides quickly ate the distance between himself and where Honor stood. Making a rough sound in his throat as he watched her knees begin to buckle and her body start to crumple to the ground, he growled when he saw his deputy wrap a hand around her waist to keep her upright.

  Mouth tight, Zeke stomped toward them, keeping his eyes glued to the man holding Honor as she cried. He liked Jeb Hightower alright on most days of the week. The guy was a decent man and a qualified officer, always willing to pull an extra shift if it meant Honor would have some extra coverage. In spite of all that, however, the sight of the other man’s hands touching the woman Zeke loved was enough to make him slightly homicidal. Honor was his, damn it. The idea of anyone else touching what belonged to him – no matter how well-intentioned- made him see red.

  Glaring at his deputy when Zeke finally reached them, he quickly reached for Honor, withdrawing her from the other man’s arms and pulling her into him as he cradled her like she was the most precious thing on Earth. “What the fuck happened here, Hightower? Explain to me why the hell my woman is in this state!” he demanded on a snarl at the younger man, his bright eyes promising fast retribution to whoever had sent Honor spiraling into the dark place where she was now trapped. Silently vowing to God that when he found whoever was responsible for this clusterfuck, he was going to make them pay. There wouldn’t be enough ashes left of them to fill a coffee can when he was finished.