Dwayne tapped the arm of his chair. “Francine showing up in Spring Grove totally blindsided me. Fortunately there were about eight kids at Brad Danaher’s birthday party. She didn’t know which one of the girls was Amber. I hustled her out of there before she made a scene. After getting rid of her, I felt the only option was to get Amber as far away from her as possible.”
“Did Amber know Francine was there?”
“She saw me escort a woman out, but Dad stepped in and distracted her with birthday cake. Later she asked me who it was, and I sidestepped with a vague answer. She seems to have forgotten in the excitement of coming to the ranch.”
“What do you plan to do?”
He sighed and took a moment to answer. “I’m not sure. I’m struggling with whether or not I should allow Francine to see her. Would Amber hate me if she found out years from now that I’d prevented her from meeting the mother she’s got some childhood fantasy about being a mysterious fairy princess?” His stomach knotted with indecision.
Kathleen breathed out through tight lips. “There’s no way to know until the time comes.”
“Francine said something when my brothers and I escorted her off the property and told her to get lost. I can’t get my head around it.”
“What did she say?”
“‘You’re not her father.’”
“Dear God, that disgusting tramp! What a thing to say.” She placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “That’s baloney. You are her father.”
“I’m her dad, and she’s my daughter, but God’s honest truth is, I don’t know whether or not I’m her father. Everybody but me knew Francine was screwing around before I got back here.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I know I should have told you, but you were just home from the war, and you’d spent so many agonizing months in the hospital and rehab, I didn’t have the heart to say anything. I feel certain Francine wasn’t with any other man once you finally got home.”
“Maybe, but it seems too much of a coincidence that she got pregnant so fast after we managed sex the first time. As I recall, she was throwing up the next morning.”
“It happens, Dwayne. For goodness sake, I got pregnant with Dylan the first night I slept with John. There was no mystery about why we got married in such a hurry.”
He cocked his head and grinned. “You never told me that.”
“There was never a need to. It wasn’t your business, and don’t you dare say anything to your brother.”
“Dyl can figure it out if he cares to, Mom.”
Kathleen sighed. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. He weighed almost ten pounds at birth, so it would have been a stretch to claim him premature.” She chuckled. “Oh, the things one does when young and in lust.”
She poked his shoulder. “Speaking of lust, is there something you’d like to tell me about Marla Danaher?”
“Hell yes. I’d like to tell you she’s head over heels crazy for me and we’re ripping up the sheets every night of the week.”
“But?”
He closed his eyes and rested his head on the high back of the old wooden rocker. “But she thinks I’m a jackass, and we do nothing but bicker. She’s constantly breathing down my neck on the jobsite, with her nose in every minute detail. I’m tempted to pick her up and toss her out every day.” He smiled ruefully and shook his head at how much he wanted Marla, in spite of the constant state of warfare between them.
“Ah. Sounds like love to me.” She took his cup and stood. “I don’t know about you, but it’s getting too cold to sit out here.”
The triumphant howl and bark of a lone coyote in the hills broke the vast silence to announce a successful hunt.
Dwayne grinned into the inky darkness. “I forgot how much I loved that sound.”
Still, a pervasive uneasiness sent a cold chill arrowing through him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“When will you be back?” Marla demanded over the phone. He’d only been at his ranch a day, and already she was counting the hours until his return. She wasn’t sure what she missed the most—the way Dwayne looked at her, or their constant sparring. The construction office was much too quiet.
“Not before next Monday. I’ll leave here on Friday. Cluny filled me in on Francine showing up with a summons. Do you have anything to add?”
“Only that she seemed certain you’d be here. She acts confident that she’s got standing, and she’s obtained legal advice. Do you have a lawyer down here?”
“No. That’s something I need to take care of when I get back. The man who handled my divorce and custody settlement lives near the ranch, in Buffalo, but he’s retired. I’ll talk to him, see if he knows anybody in Ventura County.”
“Is that Amber I hear? What’s all the excitement?”
“Mom just told her we’re taking horses up to the hills to check on the cows that haven’t come down. She’s excited because she gets to ride her own horse and tag along with us.”
He laughed, and the sound buried itself deep in Marla’s chest. Shocked she’d missed his laugh after such a short time, she cleared her throat. “Do you have an attorney who handles legal matters for Big D Construction?”
“Yeah, but family law is outside his area.”
“I bet he can recommend a good lawyer here. Would you like me to call him?”
“Nah, I already asked Cluny to get on it.”
She responded with a weak, “Oh.” It wasn’t her place, but she wanted to help him.
As if he’d read her mind, he said, “I know you want to help, Red, but I’ll be back on the job in a few days. It’ll all get resolved.”
“I’m not worried about you being back on the job, you big jerk. I’m worried about your daughter and your ex-wife and what she’s up to.”
“Uh, OK. See you next Monday.”
* * *
Dog tired, Dwayne pulled into his driveway and turned off the ignition. He groaned and dropped his head on the headrest. Every muscle and bone in his body ached. He’d been on the road for over twelve hours. He should have spent more time sleeping in the noisy fleabag motel and not made the grueling drive to get home by Friday night.
But he’d promised Marla he’d be back on her jobsite by Monday. The sooner he finished her project and moved on to the next job the better. He needed to put some breathing room between them. They’d never be a couple, and he didn’t see any point prolonging the agony. His first priority had to be Amber. Once she was grown up and on her own, he’d consider a romance. In any case, it wouldn’t be Marla Danaher. Her micromanaging drove him nuts.
A light winked on in the neighbor’s house. Dwayne saw movement at the window. He waved and the man waved back then closed the blinds and turned off the lights. It was good to have neighbors who looked out for each other.
The house would be quiet, dark, and empty without Amber.
He couldn’t remember what he left in the refrigerator and he hadn’t stopped for dinner. He pulled open the door and the light came on to reveal a carton of milk and some black bananas. He sniffed the milk, grabbed a banana, and pulled a box of Cheerios from the cupboard.
Other than air-conditioning, the thing he missed most while in Iraq was Cheerios.
He polished off a medium mixing bowl full of cereal, dragged himself down the hall, and flopped on the bed fully clothed. Sleep came fast, and the sunlight of early morning even faster.
Showered, shaved, and wearing heavy, clean work pants and a denim shirt, Dwayne rolled up the sleeves and headed for the grocery store. He needed more Cheerios and milk, the staples of his bachelor diet. Perusing the frozen food section, he threw a half dozen frozen dinners in the basket then added a big can of coffee and a box of Entenmann’s doughnuts. It was a good thing he usually had a kid to take care of or he’d either have had a heart attack by now or be overweight and severely malnourished. He wouldn’t survive the summer at this rate.
Oh for the love of…
Marla pushed a shopping basket around the corner of the
aisle and banged right into him.
“Oh, I’m sorry I…Dempsey?”
“Are you referring to the nearly departed Dempsey? Where did you learn to drive, Danaher? You’re dangerous.”
Clearly flustered, Marla huffed. “What are you doing here?”
“Shopping for groceries. My only reason for coming to a grocery store. Are you out sightseeing?” Her heaving chest presented an attractive picture, and he broke out a smile.
“What are you grinning about?”
“Just enjoying the view.” He heard a noise coming from her purse. “What have you got in there?”
Marla put a finger to her lips. “Shhh. It’s Skipper. He wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t want to leave him home alone.”
“He’s in your purse? Are you planning to suffocate the little rat?”
“You’re an idiot. This isn’t my purse. It’s a dog carrier, and it’s well ventilated.” She smacked the leather strap resting on her shoulder. “This is my purse. Now be quiet, please. They don’t let dogs in the store unless they’re service animals.”
“You can always slap a vest on him and say he’s essential to ease your emotional insecurities, although if that were the case he’s falling down on the job.” He grinned at her outraged expression.
“Why do you have to be such a jerk?”
“Can’t help it.”
What was it about this gorgeous woman who brought out the worst in him? “Look, I apologize. If you’ll back up, I’ll turn my cart around and get out of here.”
She sneered at the contents of his basket. “I hope that unhealthy drek is not what you feed Amber.”
“Considering she’s eleven hundred miles from here, that’s unlikely.” He watched as she pursed her lips and sniffed. “Do you want me to put it back? I will if you’ll cook my dinners, otherwise this is what I eat when I’m on my own. Get over it.”
“Come to my house at seven.” She glared, backed up her cart, and headed down a different aisle.
Dwayne grinned and turned in the direction of the produce section. On the way he picked up a six-pack of Dr. Pepper and a bottle of red wine. He grabbed a large bouquet of flowers and headed for the checkout lane. Ooh rah.
* * *
Rushing down one aisle after the other, she finally spotted Charlene. “Char! Char,” she hissed hoarsely. “Come here quick. I need your help to get me out of something stupid I just did.”
Charlene rushed to her side, eyebrows raised with alarm on her usually sunny face. “What happened? Did they catch you with Skipper?”
“No, it’s much worse than that. I don’t know why I did it.”
“Did what? Marla, you’re unnerving me. What?”
“I just ran into Dwayne Dempsey. Literally. I ran my cart right in to him.” She pressed both hands against her burning cheeks.
Charlene gasped. “Is he hurt?”
“What? No!”
“What’s the problem then?”
“I invited him to dinner tonight. I don’t want him to come to my place when Amber isn’t with him. What should I do?”
“Lordy, is that all? Call him up and un-invite him.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Of course you can. You’re always telling everybody what to do and not do. Why does he get special dispensation? Tell him you changed your mind. It’s easy. I do it all the time.”
“I’m not you, Charlene.”
“No kidding.”
Marla’s stomach did flips. Skipper picked up on her anxiety and emitted tiny moans from inside his carrier. She shushed him and fanned her cheeks with the grocery list.
“If you don’t calm down, I’m calling an ambulance. Anyway, I know what to do.”
“Oh, thank goodness. What?”
“Simple. I’ll come to dinner too. I’m sure he won’t think you invited him over for a threesome.” She giggled as if she thought it might not be a bad idea.
Marla took a deep breath. “Thank you, Char. You saved my life.”
“I doubt it, but you owe me. I was planning to talk on the phone to Donovan all evening. I hope he can get more leave soon. I miss him. I’m mad about him.”
“You’re mad about every man you sleep with. For a while at least.”
“This is different. He’s different. If he can’t get leave I might go down to Camp Pendleton to visit him for a few days.”
“How are you going to get time off?”
“I’ll tell them I’m quitting if they don’t give me a couple of days off. I have a lot of accumulated vacation coming, especially after the tax season we had this year. I put in a lot of overtime before April 15th, and plenty after on returns for people who filed for extensions.”
“OK, we need to figure out dinner. I don’t know what to fix. He’ll be there at seven.”
“I hate to make life too easy for you, but I’ve got a freezer full of leftovers from Dadley’s birthday party. We can do a whole new Mexican dinner. I even have cake left. How’s that?”
Marla sighed and hugged her sister. “You’re the best, Char. Let’s grab a couple of fresh avocados and a bag of grated cheese.”
* * *
Dwayne grinned all the way home. So, what happened to his resolve to forget about her, to get away from her, and put any idea of a love life out of his plans? As a gunnery sergeant, he’d possessed a cool head and the ability to plan strategically when he and his men found themselves in dangerous situations. But with this woman, his mind turned to mush. He shook his head to suppress the looming sexual images of him and Marla in bed together.
Determined not to spend the entire day mooning over her, he threw himself into cleaning the house, mowing the grass, and tackling a full laundry hamper. And—he’d left town right in the middle of rearranging his tool shelves in the garage.
He was halfway done trimming the top of the hedge between his house and the neighbor when the guy called to him.
“Dwayne, I’ll do the rest. I was planning on tackling that this weekend anyway.” He sauntered over and wagged a bottle of Kona Longboard. “Want one?”
“No, but if you’ve got anything soft, I’m game.”
“Come over. The wife just put a big tray of sandwiches out on the patio. There’s enough for a regiment. It’s her form of bribery for the afternoon of shopping she’s got planned.”
Dwayne set down the trimmer and ran his arm over his forehead. “Don’t mind if I do. I was about to go inside and rustle something up.”
“Great. I’ve got the Angels game on. They’re about to throw out the first pitch. You can play bachelor while your little girl’s out of town.”
Play bachelor. Yep. That’s what he planned on doing tonight if things went the way he hoped.
At nineteen hundred sharp he rang her doorbell and was greeted by her mouse’s yips. Rolling his shoulders, he took a breath and waited for her to answer the door, taken off guard by the flutter in his gut.
“Dwayne! Marla said you were coming. Come in, come in.” Charlene gestured and reached for the flowers. “For me? You shouldn’t have.”
“No, they’re not for you, and what are you doing here?”
With a stage wink, she said, “Protecting my little sister from the big bad wolf.”
“Ha ha.”
Any hopeful fantasies he’d been harboring flew right out the window. He held on to the flowers and handed Marla’s sister the wine.
“Oh, you are so kind—for such a grumpy bear. How come you’re not more like your little brother? He’s very sweet, In fact, he’s perfect.” The wink again.
Ah yes, his lucky little brother. At least one of them was getting laid.
He picked up Skipper, who’d been pawing with excitement at his leg. “How’s it going, bruiser?”
“Have a seat, and I’ll pour you a glass of this,” Charlene said.
“No, I don’t drink. Water will be just fine with me.”
“Oh, please don’t tell me you had plans to break down my sister’s defenses with w
ine. For shame. Here, give me those flowers. I’ll put them in water.”
He thrust the flowers into her hands and made a face, then strode to the living room, Skipper tucked in the crook of his arm. He plopped down on the end of the sofa and sighed. Staring into the tiny dog’s big eyes he whispered, “If I’m not careful your mom will have my balls, just like she got yours, soldier.”
Skipper took on a hangdog expression as if he understood exactly what Dwayne had said. He rewarded the little guy with a vigorous belly rub.
* * *
Marla relaxed and enjoyed the dinner table banter between Dwayne and Char. Her sister tried to wheedle information about Donovan out of him. He wasn’t having any of it. Instead he turned the tables on her with questions about her past as if conducting a job interview. “So how many hearts have you broken, Ms. Danaher?”
Charlene turned to Marla with a look of phony outrage on her face. “Do you believe this? Tell him. I’m not in the business of breaking hearts. All my exes love me.”
Marla snickered. “Maybe not all, but I have to admit you’re very clever when breaking up, and making them think it was their idea.”
“Speaking of breaking up, have you shown Edwin the door?”
Now why did Charlene say that? It wasn’t her business, or Dwayne Dempsey’s either. Her arrangement with Edwin was convenient and without unsettling fireworks. A companion for dinner and a movie, with Edwin she never had to worry about the turmoil she drowned in whenever she was with Dwayne.
“Edwin’s been in Brussels, at the company headquarters for the past few weeks. He’ll call me when he returns.”
“I’m sure he calls you every night, right? Because he misses you so much?” She faced Dwayne. “Edwin Plimpton is Marla’s boyfriend.” She cocked her head. “You didn’t know she had a boyfriend?”
“No. Uh, who does he work for?”
Marla’s stomach cramped at the defeated look on his face. Why should she care? It wasn’t her fault he didn’t know she already had a boyfriend and wasn’t looking for another.
Heart of a Marine (The Wounded Warrior Series Book 1) Page 11
