by Marie Force
“Because I’m doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Getting giddy and silly and hopeful about a man after I told myself I wasn’t going to do that anymore.”
“Ah, I see.”
“No, you don’t. You have no idea what it’s like to never be sure who you can trust.”
“Does that go back to the fact that you couldn’t trust your own father?”
“Of course it does, but just about every guy I’ve ever dated has been like him in one way or another. Maybe they weren’t physically abusive, but they lied and cheated and stole and deceived.”
“I can only stand here, look you in the eye and swear on the lives of everyone I love that I’ll never do any of those things to you. I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you or disappoint you, because I’m only human, but I’ll never lie to you or cheat on you or steal from you or otherwise deceive you.”
He brought her hand to his lips and set her on fire when he sprinkled soft kisses over her skin. “I understand that you have no way to know for sure that I mean what I say, so all I ask is that you let me show you. Give me a chance to show you that not all men are untrustworthy dicks.” Deacon tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and continued toward the vet clinic. “Hang on to me. I won’t let you down.”
Deeply moved by what he’d said, Julia wanted so badly to believe him, badly enough that she did as he asked and held on to him even when her better judgment was telling her to let go and stick to the man diet despite the significant temptation he represented.
Chapter 14
At the vet clinic, a tech named Lisa was working the desk and brought the puppy out to them. “I found an extra collar and leash. And because we aren’t sure if he’s already been vaccinated, Doc Potter wants to get him back for shots as soon as he feels a little stronger.”
“What if he’s already been vaccinated?” Julia asked. “Will it hurt him to have them again?”
“It’s safer than risking diseases by not being vaccinated.”
“Is there any way to know if anyone reported him missing?” Julia feared getting attached and then having to give him up.
“He’s not microchipped, and we haven’t received any reports of missing puppies, but you could check with the police. Usually, they notify us, but they’ve been busy this weekend with the season starting and the Wayfarer opening. They might not have gotten around to it.”
“We’ll check with them,” Deacon said.
“We’ve identified him as a lab mix and figure he’s about three or four months old.”
“That’s good to know,” Julia said.
“I just need you to sign the credit card receipt.” Lisa pushed it across the counter.
Julia glanced at it and swallowed hard at the two-hundred-and-eighty-eight-dollar charge to warm and rehydrate the dog. Thank God Deacon was able to pay it, because she certainly couldn't. Not now, anyway.
He signed the receipt like it was no big deal.
When they were outside on the sidewalk, she looked up at him. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I will worry about it.”
“He’s my puppy, too, so I can pay for him if I want to. Put him down to walk. He might need to pee.”
Julia no sooner put the puppy on the sidewalk than he squatted to pee a river. “Are you a puppy whisperer?”
“Nah, I’m just a guy looking out for another guy.”
They walked to the grocery store, where Deacon bought food and treats, and then to the pet shop to buy toys, bowls and a bed. Deacon carried their purchases while she held the puppy. They started back toward the hotel, passing the Naughty & Nice boutique as they went.
Deacon glanced at the store. “That’s my sister-in-law’s store. Do you mind if I pop in for a minute to see if she’s there?”
“Not at all.”
They stepped into the store, and Deacon put down the dog bed and other items inside the door. He walked past racks of frilly lingerie on his way to the front desk. He looked so comically out of place in the store that it was all Julia could do not to crack up laughing.
“Is Tiffany here?” he asked the clerk.
“She’s in the back. I’ll grab her for you. Who should I say is looking for her?”
“Deacon.”
“Be right back.”
While he waited, he turned to Julia and waggled his brows. “Need anything for yourself, babe?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
His smile was positively wolfish. “Good to know this is here. Just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“In case I need anything.”
“That bustier would do amazing things for your pecs.”
“I think it would look better on you.” He stepped forward to take a closer look at it. “In fact, that might be my first purchase.” Gesturing to a second room with rows of beads separating it from the rest of the store, Deacon said, “What do you suppose they’ve got back there?”
“Sex toys,” Tiffany said when she came out from the back of the store.
“No kidding?” Deacon asked her.
“No kidding. Want to see?”
Julia laughed at the way his face flushed with embarrassment.
“Um, not now, but maybe some other time. Quite a place you’ve got here.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“How’d you get this past the oh-so-proper Gansett citizens?”
“You should ask your brother about that sometime. He was instrumental.”
“Stick-up-his-ass Blaine was instrumental in getting a sex-toy shop approved in Gansett?”
“Yep. And PS, he doesn’t have a stick up his ass. But I do have some other things he likes back there.”
“Stop it. I cannot hear that.”
Julia giggled helplessly.
Deacon turned to her, his face flushed and his eyes big. “Stop laughing at me.”
“Can’t help it.”
“Do you know Julia Lawry?” Deacon asked Tiffany.
“We haven’t formally met, but I know Sarah, Owen and Katie, and of course I’ve seen you at the weddings.”
Julia stepped forward to shake Tiffany’s outstretched hand. “Great to finally meet you.”
“You, too. I’m a big fan of your family members.”
“I like them.”
“So I stopped by to tell you the jackass apologized to me. I understand he’s been getting the deep freeze at home due to his epically bad behavior.”
“I’m glad to hear he apologized. Was it sincere?”
“As sincere as it gets from him.”
“I’m sorry that happened, and I hope you know you’re welcome to stop by any time to see me and the girls. They’d love to get to know their uncle Deacon.”
“I’d like that. I’ll definitely come by.”
“You can take Puppy to see them when he’s out of quarantine,” Julia said.
“He’s a cutie,” Tiffany said. “Where’d you get him?”
Deacon told her about finding the puppy swimming off the coast of Gansett.
“Oh my goodness! Thank God you saw him!”
“Julia was amazing. She dove right in and went after him.”
“And then he bit Deacon.”
He extended his arm to show Tiffany the bandage on his arm. “That shirt you were good enough to iron for me is a bloody disaster.”
“Oh crap. Are you okay?”
“I’ll be better in ten days when I know for sure he’s negative for rabies.”
“Oh jeez.” Tiffany strained for a better look at the puppy, who was snuggled into Julia’s arms. “What’s his name?”
Julia glanced at Deacon. “We haven’t come up with one yet.”
“So he belongs to both of you?” Tiffany asked, clearly intrigued.
“Yes, he does,” Julia said. “Deacon is his daddy.”
“Is that right?”
Deacon groaned. “Don�
��t tell Blaine that. He’ll bust my balls until they bleed.”
Tiffany grinned. “Your secret is safe with me. Are you guys, you know… seeing each other?”
“We are,” Deacon said with no hesitation. “And we’ve already had a baby together.”
Tiffany laughed. “Come by when you have more time to shop. I’ll give you the family discount.”
“I’ll do that.”
Julia couldn’t let her mind wander to Deacon shopping for her at Naughty & Nice. She’d spontaneously combust right on the spot.
“Thanks for stopping by. Your brother will be thrilled to know he’s been exonerated.”
“You should make him suffer for a few more days.”
“When he suffers, I suffer.” Tiffany’s dirty grin had Deacon groaning again.
“Disgusting.”
“Nothing disgusting about it. In fact—”
Deacon held up his hand. “Do not go there, or we can’t be friends, and I’d very much like us to be friends.”
Tiffany laughed. “I’d like that, too. Nice to meet you, Julia.”
“You, too.”
“Bring the puppy by to see the girls. They’ll go crazy over him, and they’ll start begging Blaine for one of their own.”
“In that case, I’ll be by with him as soon as his ten-day rabies quarantine is over.”
Deacon picked up the dog bed and other items and followed Julia out the door.
“She seems rather awesome,” Julia said.
“She is. I have no idea what she sees in my brother.”
“You don’t? Really?”
“Shut up. You can’t think he’s hot if you’re gonna hang with me.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you rather look like him.”
“Ew, I do not!”
“Do, too.”
“I used to like you.”
“You still like me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“We’re in the biggest fight ever right now.”
“No fighting in front of the baby.”
As they walked and bickered, it occurred to Julia that not only was Deacon sweet and kind and sexy, but he was also fun. She’d never had so much fun with a man, and the more time she spent with him, the harder it was to remember why she’d needed that dick diet in the first place.
* * *
It took almost an hour for Owen and Laura to get all three kids settled for naps. “Why does that get harder all the time?” he asked when they had stretched out on their bed to relax while they had a minute to breathe. Three little ones was an ass-kicker, but he wouldn’t trade them for anything.
“It’s because they’re getting older and wiser. I dread the day that Holden stops napping. It’s the only break we get.”
“How old will they be before we’re not constantly tired anymore?”
“Teenagers?”
Owen groaned and then turned on his side so he could feast his eyes on his beautiful, exhausted wife. “We haven’t had sex in a week, thanks to those little cock blockers.”
“Did you just refer to our children as cock blockers?”
“Can you think of a better way to describe them?”
“Not lately.” She turned on her side, too, and moved closer to him. “Is my big baby feeling neglected?”
“Very.”
“Awww, we can’t have that.”
When she pressed her body against his, he groaned from the rush of desire that had him hard and ready within seconds. “I’m afraid to get my hopes up.”
She placed her hand over his erection and squeezed, drawing another low groan from him. “It’s not your hopes that need to be up. Looks like we’re good to go.”
Owen laughed, but made sure to be quiet. God forbid he should wake the sleeping babies when things were looking up for him and Laura for the first time in days. He wanted to give her finesse and tenderness, but they didn’t have time for those things these days. They pulled at clothes until the important parts were revealed, and when he sank into her tight, wet heat, Owen nearly lost control before he’d had a chance to enjoy it.
Laura’s hands were all over him, sliding down his back to grip his ass and pull him deeper into her. “Always so much more than your share.”
He faltered when he laughed at her regular comment. “Are you complaining?”
“Never.” She squirmed under him, looking for more, which he was happy to give her.
Owen gazed at her lovely face, the loveliest face he’d ever seen, even when there were dark circles under her eyes, a knot of what might’ve been oatmeal in her hair and a stain of unknown origin on her shirt.
“I used to think you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever met,” he said softly, holding still to drive her crazy.
“And now I look like a red-hot mess with three babies who puke and pee on me and wear me out.”
He brushed the hair back from her face and caressed her cheek. “And now, you’re even more beautiful than you used to be. Motherhood is a very good look on you.”
She snorted with laughter. “That can’t possibly be true. There’s a very good possibility that I have BO at the moment because I don’t remember the last time I showered and—”
He kissed her. “More beautiful than ever. And for the record, you always smell good.”
“Love has made you smell-blind.”
“No, it hasn’t.”
“Yes, it has.”
He shook his head, propped himself up on his arms and began to move, slowly at first, intent on making it good for her before it was good for him. By now, he knew just how to get her to the finish line, which he did far more quickly than he’d have preferred, but they were on borrowed time lately.
Afterward, he held her in his arms, running his fingers through her hair until he encountered a knot. “Is this oatmeal?”
“I think it might be from yesterday.”
Owen laughed. “They’re kicking our asses.”
“We’re outnumbered. That’s the problem.”
“We can still hire help.”
“We don’t need that. We’ve got your mom and Charlie, my dad and Betsy and lots of other people who pitch in when needed.”
“Except you rarely ask for help, even when you’re on your last leg. We’re going into our busy season at the hotel, and I worry about it being too much for you.”
“I’m fine, as long as I have you to help me with everything.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do you ever long for your previous life as an unencumbered traveling musician?”
The question, which she hadn’t asked in a while, startled him. “Never.”
“Oh come on! You must yearn for it sometimes.”
Owen propped himself up on an elbow and gazed down at her. “I never, ever, ever yearn for anything other than what I have right here with you and our kids and our family.”
“Even when all three of them are screaming at the same time?”
He cupped her face and ran his thumb over her sexy bottom lip. “Even then.” Her smile lit up her face and his life. As long as she was smiling, he was content. “So I saw Julia holding hands with Deacon Taylor.”
“Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You don’t like him?”
“I don’t know him at all.”
“You know Blaine.”
“Yeah.” He dropped down to his pillow and looked up at the ceiling fan, which was off. Soon, they would need it, but not yet.
“What’s on your mind, love?”
“I worry about her.”
“How come?”
“She’s had some health issues over the years… Eating disorders. That kind of thing. She looks particularly thin to me, and I’m worried she’s back to that again.”
“Did you talk to Katie about it?”
“I did, and she’s had the same thought. She asked me to keep an eye on Julia while she’s away. She hinted
that something’s up with Julia but didn’t give me details. I just wonder if this is the right time for her to be getting involved with Deacon.”
“I understand why you’re concerned about her, but don’t forget how we got involved with each other at the worst possible time. I was pregnant with my ex-husband’s child and going through an acrimonious divorce. We proved that sometimes the worst time is actually the best time.”
“That’s true.”
“If Deacon is anything like Blaine, your sister is very lucky to have him in her life.”
“I should talk to Blaine about him.”
“You absolutely should not do that.”
“Why not? If he’s going to be dating my sister—”
“Julia is old enough and smart enough to decide for herself if he’s worthy of her time and attention.” She snuggled up to him, her head on his chest. “I know it’s hard to break the old habit of feeling like you have to protect everyone you love from impending doom.”
“It’s impossible to break that habit. I’m constantly waiting for disaster to strike.”
“I think it might be okay to relax a little, O. Everyone is good. Your mom is so happy with Charlie. Katie is happily married to Shane and off on her honeymoon. Julia and Cindy are sticking around for the summer, which is awesome. Your brothers are doing great. Our family is perfect. It’s okay to stand down.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” His hypervigilance when it came to the ones he loved was the legacy he’d been left with after a chaotic, violent childhood.
“Let me help. When you want to interrogate Blaine about his brother, come talk to me instead. When you want to interrogate Julia about her health, come talk to me.”
“What if I see her heading for trouble?”
“Then you talk to her and express your concerns without telling her how to run her own life.” She caressed his chest and belly, which made him hard all over again.
Laura laughed. “Put that thing away. I need to shower and get some work done while the monkeys are napping.”
“That thing doesn’t like being talked to that way.”
Grinning, she kissed him. “I love you, and I love the way you love all of us. I’m here for you whenever you need me. Even when I have three kids hanging off me. You know that, don’t you?”
