“Well, I think you need to tell him. What if the guy is crazy and comes after you?”
“I doubt that. Enid Mercier, Walcott’s assistant, says he’s normally very professional.”
“But what about the scary guys?”
“I don’t know. But I’m not going to let some asshole tell me what I can or can’t do.”
“I don’t like this. You should tell Alex. Do you want me to talk to Logan?”
“No. Definitely, no. I promise if anything else weird happens I’ll talk to Alex, or maybe I’ll call Ethan, Anna’s boyfriend. He’s with the Willow Haven PD, he might be able to give me an idea or two on how to handle him.”
“Good idea. You’d better tell me if anything else happens.”
“I will. Shit. I’ve got to go. Alex has PT.”
“Okay, call me later. Oh, and we have to talk about the Christmas Party.”
“I’ll call you. But I’ve got to go, or we’ll be late. And his therapist gets a real bug up his butt if we’re late.”
After hanging up with Chloe, Lily pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt since she’d changed back into PJs when they’d gotten home earlier. Everyone thought she was weird, but her brain worked better when she was relaxed and comfy. She used to wear them out, at least to get coffee or when she was helping Chloe with the girls, but after so getting a shit ton of crap she’d started wearing “real” clothes whenever she went out. At thirty-four, she figured it was time to dress like a grown up, at least outside of the house. Most of the time anyway.
Shit. There was no way they’d get to the rehab center on time, especially if Alex was asleep as she expected. He’d look worn out from the training with Hunter. But he surprised her. Both he and Hunter were ready and waiting for her when she got downstairs.
“I was wondering if I was going to have to send Hunter to get you.”
“Sorry, Chloe called, and I didn’t realize the time. We might be able to make it without being late or only a few minutes late.”
“Only if you drive like a mad woman. Damn, what the hell am I thinking? Do you ever not drive like a mad woman?”
“Yup. When I have the kids in the car. They tattle to Chloe.”
Alex laughed like she’d hoped. She really didn’t drive like a mad woman. Okay, maybe sometimes she pushed the speed limit a bit, kind of, maybe. But she’d never gotten a ticket so she couldn’t be that bad, right?
“Okay, c’mon sexy, let’s get you and your master into the car.”
“You’re calling the dog sexy?”
“You have a problem with that?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“On what you think I am, if you think that the dog is sexy.”
“Well hmm. As soon as I figure it out, I’ll let you know. Now hustle it up, I really don’t want to get yelled at twice in one day.” She held the door open while Alex wheeled out to the driveway with Hunter by his side. She’d slipped about the yelling, with any luck he hadn’t heard what she said.
“When did you get yelled at?” Shit. So much for not noticing.
“It’s not important.” She hoped he’d drop it. And she went to put his chair in the trunk as he got himself buckled in. If she kept this up, she’d have some pretty impressive muscles.
“It happened at the meeting, right?” Lovely. Obviously, he wasn’t going to drop it. Damnit. Stalling while she tried to come up with an answer, she put on her seatbelt and started the car, but she felt his eyes on her. He wouldn’t be put off for long.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“No one should be yelling at you. Especially not people you’re working with.”
“Seriously? This is coming from you? Who yells all the time lately? And is in the Army and got yelled at for the first six weeks in boot camp?”
“I shouldn’t be yelling at you either. I’m sorry for that.” Wait, what? Did he just apologize for yelling? Sweet baby Jesus. Maybe she’d get her old Alex back after all.
“True. But I understand why you have been. You’re in a lot of pain, and you’re frustrated, and God only knows what kind of shit is going on in your head since you won’t talk to me about it.”
“It’s a lame ass excuse. If any of my men were treating their wives this way, I’d give them hell. You deserve so much better.”
“There is no deserve in this, Alex. Damn it. Why can’t you get it through your thick skull? I almost lost you. When I got that phone call, my entire life stopped. It was like my world imploded. But we were given a gift. You survived. I don’t care if you never walk again as long as we’re together. You are my world, my sunshine, my best friend, and the other half of my heart.” Shit. She tried but couldn’t stop the tears from filling her eyes. Why couldn’t he get it? It seemed so clear to her.
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Just don’t throw this away. I know what you’ve been thinking.” He looked surprised when she glanced at him. But they’d been together too long for him to be able to hide anything from her. It’s why she wanted to bean him with the frying pan. Stubborn ass.
“I guess I’m not hiding my feelings as well as I thought.”
“I guess not.” She was turning into the parking lot of the Rehab Center when she noticed the brown car behind her. She couldn’t make out the driver, but the car looked like the one from the Walcott parking lot. Were they following her? Why hadn’t she looked around when they’d left the house? Stupid.
“You don’t have to wait if you have stuff to do.”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to drive back home for forty minutes. Maybe I can find Tag and talk to him about the Christmas Party.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Checking the parking lot as she pulled Alex’s wheelchair out of the trunk, she didn’t see any sign of the car. It was probably just her imagination. The confrontation with douchenozzle must have gotten to her even more than she’d thought.
Alex was wheeling toward the sliding doors when he stopped and turned around. She waited and wondered what was up. He surprised her when he turned the chair around and stopped in front of her. Before she could say anything, he took her hand and pulled her down until she was eye level.
“Lily, I know I’ve been an ass lately.”
Where was this coming from?
“I can’t imagine my life without you, and trust me, I’ve tried these last few months. I think you’d be better off without me, but I can’t let you go. I’m really sorry for all I’ve put you through. I hope you can forgive me. I’ll try harder. I promise.” Damn. There she went again. Tears. What was wrong with her, she wasn’t usually so mushy, but today she couldn’t seem to stop.
“I love you, babe. There is nothing to forgive…” She had more to say, but the glass doors slid open behind them revealing the therapist from hell aka Carlos.
“Hey slacker, you planning on working today or blowing me off? You’re not going to ever get out of that chair if you keep up this shit.” Carlos was one of the best physical therapists at the rehab center, but they had a love/hate relationship with him. He was excellent when he and Alex were working, but an arrogant ass the rest of the time.
“I’m coming. Don’t get your panties in a twist.” Expecting him to wheel away, he winked instead and pulled her onto his lap for a kiss. It was the first time he’d initiated anything intimate since he’d been wounded, and it squeezed her heart in all the good places. But when Carlos signed loudly, she couldn’t hold back her giggle.
“You better go. He’s going to torture you in there.”
“Maybe, but Hunter will protect me. Right, boy?” Hunter woofed in response as she hopped off his lap. “Ciao, baby. See you after my session.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She watched him roll into the building with Hunter by his side, then she grabbed her tablet and bag and followed him. She’d see if she could find Tag and get the details about the party and then try to get some work done.
“Who’s this?” Ca
rlos asked as he waited for Alex to get to him.
“Hunter. He’s a therapy dog.”
“So, you finally got him, huh?”
“Did everyone know I was getting a dog except me?”
“Yup. Now hustle, we have a lot to do today, and you’re wasting time.”
Grumbling under his breath about impatient asswipes, he followed Carlos to the torture chamber. If anyone ever tried to tell you that PT was great, they were either lying or never had to do it. It hurt like hell. Not that he was afraid of pain, but the pain without any progress was just pissing him the fuck off. In all fairness, he’d only been working with Carlos for a week, but he’d had months of therapy at Walter Reed before they got home.
“Dr. Andrews called this morning. You get to move up to the next level today.”
“That means what exactly? More torture?”
“You know it.” Just freakin’ wonderful.
“Did he say anything else? X-ray results or anything?”
“Only that some of the swelling was down so we could work on some other areas to help keep you in shape. You can flap our lips with him at your appointment. Now it’s time for work, bro.” Hunter growled when Carlos approached him, and it surprised them both.
“What’s wrong, boy? It’s okay.” He spoke in the low, soothing tone Cage showed him earlier. But Hunter wasn’t backing down. He placed himself square in front of Alex and blocked Carlos from getting any closer.
“Tell your guard dog to chill.”
“If you weren’t such an asshole he’d be fine. But he picks up on attitude, and he probably thinks you’re going to hurt me. He isn’t wrong either, just not how he thinks.”
“Do something about it.” Alex considered not doing anything. But if Dr. Andrews said he was making progress then he needed to get his ass in gear.
“Hunter, he’s a friend. He just acts like an ass.”
“Ugh, gee thanks.”
“It’s true. Hold your hand out slowly. But don’t try to touch him.”
“Hunter. It’s okay. See, he won’t hurt me.” Slowly the dog relaxed, and after one more low growl at Carlos, he moved back to the side of Alex’s chair. “See it’s all good.”
“Except now you’ve wasted fifteen minutes. C’mon I’ll show you the new machine we’re going to be using today.”
“Great. Hunter, stay.” The dog didn’t look like he wanted to listen, but he did, laying down on the floor where Alex pointed. The next forty-five minutes were going to be ugly.
Fifty minutes later, Alex was ready to dig a hole in the backyard and hibernate for the winter. He wasn’t sure if it was having the training in the morning and then PT or if Carlos had just been that much harder on him. Probably a combination of both, plus the new machine. He had a feeling he’d be popping an extra pain pill before bed.
He couldn’t wait to get away from the torture chamber, and went to look for Lily. Hunter saw her before he did. She was sitting in the waiting room and focused on something on her tablet. He should have known she’d be working. This new project was her biggest and most visible one yet and could take her little design firm into the big time if she handled it well. It was important to her, and he’d be her rock or something, but he’d be damned if they were going to treat her like shit either.
“Miss me, Lilybee?” He knew he startled her when she almost dropped the tablet and it took her eyes a second or two to focus on him.
“Hey, babe. Shit. Were you waiting long?”
“Nope. Just got done, but I am ready to get out the fuck out of dodge. How about you?”
“Yup. How did it go?”
“It was brutal. Abso-fucking-lutely brutal. But Dr. Andrews said the x-rays showed improvement, so he worked me harder. Progress, painful, but progress.”
“Yay! That’s great.”
“Easy for you to say, you didn’t just spend most of an hour in the room of horrors.”
“True,” she said with a giggle. “How about I treat you to Starbucks on the way home?” She looked so hopeful there was no way he’d say no. It was more her thing, after years in the field, just getting a cup of hot coffee was good enough. He didn’t need any of that fancy shit to make him happy.
“Sure. Just get me out of here before Carlos decides he has some extra time. Thank God I have the weekend off.”
“Yeah, about that. He’s going to be at the party on Sunday too.”
“Shit, really?”
“Yeah. I spoke to Tag about it while I was waiting for you.” They’d gotten to the car, and as he lifted himself from the wheelchair to the car, the shooting pain made the world spin. Thankfully, Lily was too busy telling him about the party plans to notice, but Hunter did and put his head in his lap. Petting his furry head helped him to center himself, and work through the pain. He might have pushed a little too hard today. It was worth if it since he was finally making progress.
“Are you okay? You look a little pale,” Lily said as she buckled her seatbelt. He turned to see her staring at him, her expression concerned.
“I’m fine. Just worn out. I think there may be a nap in my future. I never took one this morning.”
“No wonder you were ready when I got downstairs earlier. I’d say a nap sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“But first Starbucks. You could use an extra boost.”
“I’m fine. I can make coffee at home.”
“Nope. I could go for a slice of their gingerbread stuff. I bet Hunter will like it too.”
“I’m sure he will.” Asking for something guaranteed they’d stop, he knew his wife well. She played the tough snarky female but she was nothing but a big marshmallow in the inside, and everyone who knew her eventually figured it out.
Chapter Seven
The weekend went quickly. Alex and Hunter spent most of the days together either walking or hanging out while Lily worked on the Walcott project. She was relieved that there hadn’t been any incidents following the meeting, but couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that something wasn’t right.
The job was hers, that’s what the boss said, so no matter what the asshole Chandler had to say, she had work to do. By Sunday afternoon she had a good plan for the opening roll out. It was a relief too, it meant she wouldn’t worry about taking the night off for the Taggart Christmas party.
Neither she nor Alex were big partiers anymore, but she’d been looking forward to getting out and having some fun. It would be good for both of them—at least she hoped it would. And since they never went out, she’d decided to get dressed up for a change. She’d gone through her closet twice before settling on a forest green dress, low-cut enough to be sexy but not so much she’d have to wear a strapless or worry about a wardrobe malfunction. The biggest chore for her was the makeup. Other than mascara she was usually bare-faced. She went the whole nine yards, maybe even ten if she thought about it. After sliding the red lipstick across her bottom lip, she sat back and examined her reflection in the mirror.
Shit. She hardly recognized herself. It was like she’d had one of those makeovers. But all she’d done is gone on YouTube and learned how to do the ‘smoky eye’ technique, added some fake eyelashes, face makeup and blush. Then she completed the look with some bright red lipstick. It was brighter than she felt comfortable wearing usually, and she didn’t even remember buying it, but it fit the flirty, sexy look she hoped would entice Alex. Satisfied with the final result, she stepped into a pair of black four-inch heels and prayed she wouldn’t break her neck before the night was finished.
“You almost ready?” Alex called from the bottom of the stairs and looked up just as she’d started down, and his voice trailed off. The surprise quickly turned to admiration and then heat as his gaze slid down her body and took in every curve revealed by the clingy fabric of the dress. “Holy fuck. Yeah, I’d say you’re ready.”
The look on his face sent a thrill down her spine. Mission accomplished. She finally admitted that she’d been nervous about it. Especially after every
attempt she’d made at intimacy had been rebuffed. But maybe tonight would be different, it was promising so far.
“Does that mean you approve?” she asked as she did a pirouette in the hallway. A wolf whistle from Alex and a woof from Hunter was the answer.
“Hell yeah. Shit woman, you’re gonna be the death of me. Everyone is going to be drooling all over you. Maybe you should put on something a bit less…”
“Oh hell no. We haven’t been out in ages, and I never get dressed up. I kind of like it.” It was a half-truth. She was enjoying the fire in his eyes and the very prominent bulge in his pants, but maybe she’d gone a little over the top with the eyelashes. “Let me grab the wine, and we can go.” As she walked into the dining room to get the bottle, she felt his eyes on her, and she couldn’t resist adding an extra swing to her hips. His low groan made her smile with satisfaction. Yes, this little game of dress-up was a good idea.
Willow Haven was a small town, but even after living there for five years there was a lot she had never seen. Too much time in her PJs in front of the computer had its drawbacks for sure. Anna Taggart’s house was one of those places. It was tucked away at the end of a neighborhood of large modern homes with lots of glass. Anna’s was the same, but you couldn’t see it from the street. Then she remembered that this was the first house in the development. A development built by her family.
“Nice place, huh?”
“No shit. I wonder what it looks like on the inside?”
“Park the car, Lilybee, and we’ll find out.” Lilybee. He hadn’t called her that in longer than she could remember, and now it was twice in the last few days. Another little sign that her Alex was coming back.
“Smart ass.”
“Some things never change.” But some things do. She pulled around the circular drive, and a valet stepped up to open her door. “Seriously?” she whispered under her breath, but Alex heard and chuckled.
“I have to get a wheelchair out of the trunk,” Lily said as she climbed out of the car.
“I’ll get it for you, ma’am.” Damn, there it was again. Stupid ma’am shit, and it didn’t help that Alex was laughing his ass off inside the car.
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