Protected by a Hero

by Susan Stoker, Cristin Harber, Cora Seton, Lynn Raye Harris, Kaylea Cross, Katie Reus, Tessa Layne

  She leaned in, enveloped by new car scent. Sure enough, the middle of the back seat was folded down, and she could see how the seatbelt had been adjusted. “Sweet. Dax will love this. I don’t think he’s ever ridden in a new car.” Neither had she for that matter.

  “Do you like it?”

  She backed out of the door and shut it, turning to study him. There was something in his tone of voice that pulled at her. Was he looking for her approval? “Sure. I think it’s great.”

  He seemed to relax. “Good, good.” Putting his hands on his hips he scanned the picnic area. “Where’s Dax?”

  “He was here a second ago. Let me go find him.”

  “No need.” Travis took off before she could stop him, calling back over his shoulder. “He’s probably on the swings.”

  Elaine bit back a sigh. The view was just as gorgeous from behind as it was from the front. His worn Wranglers molded to his ass and cut into the back of his thigh. The man filled out a pair of jeans perfectly. She could keep her libido in check, but it was the sight of Travis and Dax returning together, hand in hand, that made her go gooey on the inside and had her fighting to find air. Dax was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing when he walked. The last time he’d bounced was the afternoon the tornado hit, when she’d given him a few dollars to get candy at the Five ’n Dime, and he’d bounced out of Dottie’s without a care in the world. Thanks to Travis, she was seeing a glimpse of her little boy again.

  Not trusting herself to talk, she hurried around the front end and settled in, awed by the electronics and buttons on the dashboard. She’d relaxed into the very comfortable seat by the time they pulled to a stop at the end of the drive. Dax launched himself out of the back seat and made a beeline for the porch, shouting as he ran.

  She hurried to catch up. “What’s this?” she asked when Travis reached her. Propped up against the porch was a brand-new bicycle. It was obviously for Dax, but she couldn’t understand why.

  Travis shrugged, avoiding looking at her, instead watching Dax with a small smile. “He seemed bored inside. I thought he might like to learn.”

  Elaine shook her head vigorously, staving off the panic that fluttered at the edge of her consciousness. She couldn’t be indebted to Travis like this. He’d done so much for them. Too much. “That’s so kind of you. But we really can’t–”

  “Of course you can.” The tightness returned to his mouth. “Every kid needs to learn how to ride a bike.”

  “But what if he falls? Gets hurt?” If anything happened to him, she’d never forgive herself.

  “Elaine.” Travis turned, clasping her shoulders. “You’ve got to stop treating him like he’s porcelain. You have to let him be a kid.”

  His touch warmed and comforted her. But not enough to let it go. Her throat caught. “But Warren died keeping him safe.” She shut her eyes, fighting the tears that sprang up at the thought of Warren’s sacrifice. She still couldn’t think of him without crying.

  Travis pulled her into an embrace. She sagged against him, letting herself lean into his solid strength. Maybe it made her weak, that she needed his reassurance. But she couldn’t help it. She’d nearly lost her son. She couldn’t risk losing him again.

  His hand came to her head, fingers massaging her scalp. “Warren did die protecting your son. And that is as wonderful as it is awful. But you have to let Dax be a little boy. If you teach him to stay afraid, he’ll go through his whole life that way. You can’t do that to him. I know you don’t want that for him.”

  She nodded against his shirt, eyes wet.

  “He’ll be okay. Even if he falls and scrapes a knee.”

  She nodded again, taking a big shuddering breath, his masculine scent setting her head buzzing. Travis’s arms tightened around her and the air between them shifted. Became tense with sexual energy. Heat surged through her, setting her skin tingling and dropping with an ache to her core. Squeezing her eyes shut, she fought the butterflies that had taken flight in her stomach. With a small sigh of defeat, she pushed on his chest and stepped out of his embrace. But not before the lust in his eyes licked through her in another surge of awareness. She wanted that look. Wanted what came after a look like that. The kisses and caresses. And God help her, she wanted his cock. In her hand, in her mouth, pushing into her and filling her up six ways to Sunday, putting a glorious end to the tension that strung her out like a junkie.

  Tearing her gaze away, she turned to the bike. “You have a helmet?” Her voice didn’t sound like her own.

  “On the porch.” Neither did his. His words came out strangled. Tight.

  She could do this. Act like there was nothing there. Be professional. Forcing a smile to her mouth, she called to Dax. “Let’s get your helmet on, kiddo.”

  Dax grabbed the helmet hanging on the lintel and put it on his head. “I know how this works.”

  “Let me help you snap it under your chin.” Travis moved to the bike and bent, securing the helmet. “Okay buddy, you can use the bike and go anywhere in the yard, but don’t use the pedals yet, got it?”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ve got to learn to balance first.” He gave Dax a fist bump.

  Elaine cocked her head in wonder. “That’s very clever.”

  “It’s how I learned. It doesn’t take long at all. Sometimes just a few hours. Did you learn with training wheels?”

  She shook her head, shame prickling up the back of her neck. Yet another example of her pathetic childhood. “Never learned,” she said with an offhand shrug, hoping it came off like she didn’t care. There’d barely been food in the cupboards, let alone money for something as extravagant as a bike.

  A muscle ticked in Travis’s jaw as he shook his head and he stalked around the corner of the house. Her insides burned as she watched him disappear. Was it that bad? That she’d never learned to ride a bike? She bit the inside of her cheek, focusing on the sharp pain instead of the dull ache in her chest. At least Dax had opportunities.

  “Here, have a try.” Travis returned with an adult sized bike.

  “Are you kidding?”

  That hint of a smile was back, doing funny things to her insides. “Does it look like it? Never too late to learn.”

  She crossed her arms. “Oh, no. I’m too old.”

  “C’mon. I promise I won’t let you fall.”

  Of course he wouldn’t. He’d stand right next to her, a protective tower of testosterone. And she’d fall over, not because she couldn’t balance, but because all she could think about was rubbing herself against him. A nervous giggle escaped. “But you don’t have a helmet.”

  “Didn’t wear one when I learned. And you’ll be fine here in the yard.”

  There was no getting out of this. She could tell by his determined stance. Opening her hands, she gave in. “Fine. Teach me how to ride a bike.”

  The smile he gave her pulled at something deep inside her. He looked as excited as Dax. “Okay, same rules as Dax. Hop on and I’ll adjust the seat.” He held onto the handlebar and stood aside so she could swing a leg over the seat.

  She covered his hand with hers, just for balance, of course. And stood still while he squatted down and ran a hand up the side of her leg. She was pretty sure touching her thigh had nothing to do with adjusting the seat, but she wasn’t about to complain. Not with the waves of electricity shooting up to rest at her apex. She clenched her thighs, but that did nothing to stave off the sweet ache. Only one thing would do that, and it wasn’t in the cards for them.

  Travis’s voice was husky in her ear. “There. That should be better. Sit back.”

  She settled on the seat and discovered she could easily keep her feet flat on the ground.

  He nodded his approval. “Great, now walk the bike around in a big circle. Get a feel for how it moves.”

  It was awkward going, at first. The backs of her legs hit the pedals. But she widened her stance and the bike moved more easily.

  “Travis,” Dax called. “Chase me.”


  His grin returned. “Duty calls. Will you be okay?”

  “Of course.”

  He jogged to where Dax was scooting across the yard, waving his arms and making monster sounds. She laughed out loud. If her camera hadn’t been in her purse, she’d have taken a video. She’d gone crazy over the last few weeks, taking pictures and videos of Dax, entertaining them both. She didn’t have any baby pictures of him, so she wanted to make up for lost time.

  Elaine continued scooting around the yard, keeping half an eye on the pair. What would happen if she gave a hard push? Sticking one leg out, she pushed with the other. The bike wheeled forward with a little wobble. She tried it on the other side. Still a wobble. Stopping, she made sure her weight was evenly divided and pushed again. This time the bike went a little further with no wobble. Confidence surged through her. She could do this. Giving a harder push, she tried a little turn. The bike tipped. Down came her foot. Okay, not ready for turns. But balancing was coming.

  “Mommy, look!” Dax called from across the yard. Travis gave the boy a push and he rolled across the yard, feet sticking out to the side before the bike wobbled. He’d gone about three feet, but it was a start. “Good for you, honey,” she cheered.

  The proud smile on his face spoke volumes. “Your turn, Mommy.”

  She gave a push, imitating Dax, and getting almost as far before the bike wobbled.

  “Good job, Mom.”

  She couldn’t help the happy laugh that bubbled out of her. “I’m getting there.”

  “Here,” Travis’s gravelly voice slid over her. “Let me give you a push. On three.” He counted off and sent the bike flying, feet crunching close behind. Elaine kept her feet out as long as she dared, laughing at the pure joy of it. He was right there, wrapping an arm around her shoulder once she’d rolled to a stop. “I knew you could do it.”

  She warmed at the pride in his voice. Wanted to wrap it around her like a blanket. Letting out a sigh of pure contentment, she leaned her head against him. “Thank you, Travis. This means so much to me.”

  He stiffened, dropping his arm. Clearing his throat, he stepped back, a scowl on his face and all business again. “Time to head in.” He turned and marched back to the house without a backward glance.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Travis pulled to a stop in front of Elaine’s trailer and reached for the box on the front seat. He seemed to have a soft spot for Dax he couldn’t shake. Last week it had been the bike, and this week when he’d returned to the police station from Manhattan, package in hand, Weston had cocked an eyebrow and shaken his head.

  “What?” he’d growled. If the kid was gonna learn to ride horses, he needed a real pair of boots. And what kid didn’t want a cowboy hat?

  “When you gonna wake up and smell the coffee?” Weston had asked.

  There was no coffee to smell. Dax was a good kid. And he enjoyed having Dax at the house. Why wouldn’t he want to do things that put a smile on the kid’s face? He hadn’t exactly had the easiest life to date.

  And the SUV had made good sense. Granted, it dug into his nest egg a little more than he’d wanted. Okay, a lot more. But he was tired of borrowing Weston’s truck to bring Elaine and Dax back and forth. The built-in car seat in the back was just unexpected bonus. Nothing more. Grabbing the box, he opened the door and jogged up the short walk.

  It was only seven in the morning, but already the air was thick and heavy. The heat and humidity had been building for days, and one of these afternoons it would storm. Thankfully tornado season was over, although technically, with the right conditions another one could spin up. Unease prickled up his spine. No one looked at the skies the same way anymore. Not even him.

  Elaine’s door stood open but he still knocked twice, pushing away the flash of irritation at her insistence on leaving her home unsecure. That was a battle he wasn’t going to win.

  “Come in,” she called from inside. “Dax is finishing breakfast.”

  Stepping in, he tucked the box behind his back. Not that it got past the eagle eyes of a seven-year-old.

  “What’s that?” Dax pointed to the box.

  “Something you need for today.”

  Elaine gave him a look of exasperated pleasure that had his cock jerking in his shorts. By the time the special election rolled around, he’d be immune to her, right? Ha. Tell yourself another lie, asshole.

  Ignoring the voice in his head, he laid the box on the table. “Go ahead. Open it.”

  Dax dug into the box with the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning. He couldn’t wait to see the boy’s reaction to the boots. His chest pulled tight, then relaxed at the delight on Dax’s face. It felt so good he almost wanted to bring him something every day. Just to feel that warmth spreading across his chest again.

  “Travis,” Elaine reprimanded, but unable to keep a smile off her face. “You really don’t have to do this.”

  “Nonsense. Every boy around here needs a hat and boots.” He glanced back over at Dax, who’d immediately put on the cowboy hat, and was sitting on the floor, pulling on the boots. His heart twisted. For a split second, he’d flashed to a memory of Colton yanking on a pair of boots, excited to ride with their dad. He ignored the tickle in his throat and kept talking. “If he’s going to spend a day helping us with the horses, it’s a requirement.”

  Elaine reached for her wallet. “At least let me pay you, then.”

  He widened his stance, crossing his arms. “Nope.” He hadn’t intended to buy anything on his weekly trip up to Manhattan, but he’d found himself in front of the western wear shop on Poyntz, and he couldn’t resist taking a look.

  “Travis.” Her face softened and the faintest whisper of pink crossed her cheeks. Maybe her plain white shirt was his favorite. It set off her pale skin and brought out the color in her cheeks, as well as the blue of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but Dax interrupted.

  “Mom, mom, mom. Look.”

  She swung her gaze to her son, her face lighting. Her reaction was even better than Dax’s. He’d definitely bring them something every day to be the recipient of that look.

  “Every inch the cowboy.” She turned back to Travis, eyes full of concern. “You’ll make sure he stays safe?”

  He nodded. “Of course.” There was no way he’d let anything happen to Dax. “Remind me where you’re off to?”

  Dottie crowded into the living room. “I’m driving Elaine to Manhattan to take her GED today. You ready, sweetie pie?”

  “What?” His stomach sank. He should be the one to take her. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have–”

  A flush rose up Elaine’s neck. “I wanted to do this on my own. You’ve done so much already.”

  God, he wanted to hold her. Reassure her and kiss away her worry. He hated seeing her face pinched with anxiety. It made his chest hurt. He would do anything to see her smile. He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ll knock it out of the park.”

  And there was the smile that warmed his belly. “Thanks. Dottie’s been a great tutor. I’m prepared.” And her quiet confidence. “Are you sure you’ll be okay with Dax?”

  “Don’t you worry about Dax, sweetie pie,” Dottie reassured her. “Between Travis and the Hansens, someone will have eyes on him at all times.”

  Elaine bent and gave Dax a hug. “You be good, ’kay? Listen to Travis?”

  He squirmed out of her hug. “I’ll be fine, Mom.”

  She stood and took a deep breath, turning her focus to him. “Thanks again. Call if you need anything.”

  The urge to take her in his arms and press away the wrinkle above her nose had his hands twitching. But he stepped aside to let her pass, fisting a hand at his side so he didn’t reach out.

  “All set, kiddo?” Travis asked, dropping a hand to the boy’s shoulder.

  Dax grinned up at him. “I’m having a man’s day, huh?”

  “You bet, buddy. But let’s go get some grub first. How does special breakfast at the food truck sound lik
e?”

  Travis fought to keep from laughing as Dax’s eyes narrowed shrewdly. “Can I have chocolate milk?”

  “Does your mom let you have chocolate milk?”

  He looked a little guilty. “Sometimes, but not at breakfast.”

  This kid. He should say no. “Well, I bet once won’t hurt. Chocolate milk it is.” Warmth spread across his chest as he was rewarded with another toothy grin.

  Hours later, Dax stood on the rungs of the pen, arms draped over the top as he watched Hope coach Cassidy through a pattern with a big gelding. Travis slung an arm over his narrow shoulders as Cassidy left the ring. “What do you think, buddy? Would you like to do that someday?

  Dax nodded eagerly. “And I want to ride a bucking bronco too.”

  Again the pang. Colton had become obsessed with bucking broncos at roughly the same age. “First, let’s get you riding tame horses. How does that sound?”

  Hope returned to the paddock with a small palomino mare. “This is Sunny. She’s half Arabian. I picked her up in Oklahoma about a week ago. She’s real gentle and on the small side. Does she fit the bill?”

  Travis nodded. Pleased. She’d be the perfect first horse for a new rider. He tilted his head and eyed Dax. “What do you say? You want to ride her?”

  “Yeah,” he shouted, hopping off the fence.

  “First rule of horseback riding,” he said as he caught up to Dax. “No yelling around the horses. It scares ’em, right? And what do you think would happen if a horse got scared?”

  Dax thought for a minute. “Would it buck you off?”

  “It might. And we promised your mom safety first, right?”

  Dax nodded.

  Hope bent. “Okay, Dax. I’m going to teach you how to join up with Sunny here. You know what that is?”

  Dax’s eyes were saucers. He shook his head. “It’s when the horse and rider get to be friends. Would you like to be friends with Sunny?”