by Harley Stone
Thinking of Ladies First had me eyeing Tina. Monica had stocked me with the group’s business cards with situations like this in mind. I didn’t know Tina from Eve, and there was something seriously fucked up about me inviting myself into her business. The idea of walking over and striking up a conversation about a stranger’s abusive ex didn’t appeal to me at all. But, I had resources that could possibly offer the help she needed. Others had helped me, and it would be a dick move not to return the favor.
Karma seemed to finally be on my side, and I wasn’t about to fuck that up.
Gathering my courage, I pulled a business card from my backpack and marched toward Tina. She had friends on either side of her, making me rethink my interference. Clearly, she had people. I bet she had this shit covered and didn’t need my resources at all. Still, I was already on the move, so I might as well connect. Worst case scenario, she’d tell me to mind my own business, and I’d avoid her anytime I came to the park. Or maybe we’d find a different park to meet Shelly and Johnny at.
When I was halfway to Tina, she looked up at me. Her eyes widened with fear.
I froze wondering why the hell she was looking at me like that.
She bolted to her feet. “No, Matt! Someone stop him! He has Dylan!”
Oh. She was looking behind me to where the kids were running. I spun around to see a dark-haired man in his later thirties who had Dylan the bully wrapped in his arms. He was tugging the boy away from the field as Dylan flailed his arms and legs, trying to get away.
“Mom!” Dylan shouted.
I was the closest adult to them.
There was no time to think shit through. My legs automatically started running on their own, closing the distance between me and Dylan. All that sprinting practice finally proved useful as I dashed across the field at my top speed. I don’t know how many other adults were at my back—if any—but Matt looked up, saw me, and doubled his efforts. Dylan went crazy, and Matt backhanded him. The kid’s eyes widened as shock and anger restricted his movements.
Matt kept backpedaling, but I was gaining on him. My legs and chest burned, but adrenaline and momentum carried me. Dylan saw me and ducked. I lunged at Matt, and he released the kid. Our bodies crashed together in a loud thwack. Pain registered, sending fire up my left side. Dylan rolled to the side. Matt went down with me on top of him. He grunted as the air was knocked out of him.
Holding still, I took stock of my aching body. I was sore, but nothing felt broken. My ears rang. In the background, I could hear one of the parents shouting something about the police being on their way.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Matt asked, his hands wrapped around my throat. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you, you interfering little bi—” The word was cute off with a blood curling scream.
Matt’s grip relaxed. I moved out of his strangling range and found Brahma, his teeth locked around the bastard’s jean-clad leg. Shocked, it took me a minute to register what I was seeing. I hadn’t seen my dog run, nor had I heard him bark or let out any sort of warning before he attacked. He’d seen that I was in danger, and reacted. Matt tried to kick his leg free, but Brahma growled and doubled down. My sweet, borderline lethargic rescue mutt was a vicious guard dog after all.
Who knew?
“Good boy,” I crooned.
“Good boy?” Matt spat. “Fuckin’ beast is eating my goddamn leg! Get him the fuck off me!”
Matt was still a flight risk who needed to be brought to justice, but parents were surrounding us in a concerned circle. Figuring nobody would let the bastard get far, I said, “Let him go, Brahma.”
The dog looked at me.
“Release?” I tried.
He unlocked his jaw and took a step back, sitting like he was awaiting further instruction. Regardless of what happened here today, I planned to give him all the dog treats his round little belly could handle. He’d earned them.
“Good boy, Brahma,” I said again.
Matt looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “He’s not a good boy! He fuckin’ bit me.”
Kids were joining us now. One gasped at his dropping of the F-bomb.
“Language,” a parent chided.
Matt flipped off the parent and shoved me away. “Get off me so I can at least see how bad the wound is.”
I sat back on my heels as he doubled over to yank up the leg of his jeans. The bite marks were bleeding, but they didn’t look deep enough for stitches.
“Look at this!” he shouted. “I’m gonna sue your ass and have that mutt put to sleep.”
“Like hell you will,” one dad said. “Plenty of witnesses here who saw you try to kidnap that kid.”
“My son,” Matt corrected.
“Restraining order,” Tina countered.
“Oh, come on,” I groaned, looking over his leg. “I’ve hurt myself worse biking, you big baby. Maybe you shouldn’t lay hands on your wife if you don’t want my dog sinking his teeth in your leg, a-hole.”
A few of the parents snickered and I mentally patted myself on the back for throwing out the zinger.
The cops arrived and busted up our little party, asking questions and taking statements. Tina thanked me and patted Brahma on the head. I handed her the business card I’d been walking over to give her, and she promised to give Ladies First a call.
Matt demanded an ambulance, but one of the officers treated his leg, rolled his eyes, and stuffed the blabbering wimp into the back of the police cruiser instead.
An officer took me and Brahma to the shelter and waited as I retrieved Brahma’s shot records to prove he didn’t have rabies or any other contagious diseases. The officer took a picture of the shot records and my ID, went over my statement again, and told me not to leave town for a while in case they needed me to testify. As the cop was pulling away, Bull arrived.
He parked, ripped off his helmet, and looked me over, his expression full of concern. “What the fuck’s goin’ on? Everything okay?”
Happy to see him, I hurried over and gave him a kiss. “Yep. Just me and Brahma being heroes and shit.”
His eyebrows rose in question. “You’re not hurt or in trouble?”
“No. I told you, we saved the day. Come on in, I’ll tell you all about it,” I said.
“Actually, I was hoping you’d come with me.” He held out the second helmet. “I have a surprise to show you.”
My heart kicked up as I eyed him. “What is it?”
His expression told me nothing. “I told you, a surprise.”
He knew I lived for surprises. “Will I like this surprise?” I asked.
He shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Only one way to find out.”
Excited, I tried not to squeal in delight as I herded Brahma into the house and gave him a couple of treats with the promise of more. Then I hopped on the back of Bull’s bike and put on my helmet.
Instead of heading for the freeway, we drove a handful of blocks deeper into the neighborhood, coming to a stop in front of a little gray bungalow. Bull parked, offered me his arm, and dismounted behind me. Removing my helmet, I shook out my hair and looked around. I could feel his gaze on me as I took in the wooden “For Sale” real estate sign with “Pending” clipped beneath it. Thick bushes lined the sidewalk and the sides of the house. A concrete driveway led to an attached garage, and a concrete walkway led to a freshly painted red front door that looked inviting.
Bull linked his arm in mine and tugged me forward. “Come on.”
“Where are we?” I asked.
Before he could answer, the red door swung open and a bubbly blonde in her mid-thirties stepped out to greet us. “Hello, Deryk, good to see you again.”
“Jenna.” He nodded. “This is my girlfriend, Lily.” To me, he added, “Jenna’s my real estate agent.”
Bull had a real estate agent? Confused, I shook the hand she offered and tried to sort through the scraps of information I’d collected.
Jenna walked back into the house, and Bull nudged me to follow
her. We stepped into a living room. The stark white walls held a few nails and looked like they could use a good washing and a coat of paint. The carpet beneath my feet had seen better days as well. I couldn’t see much past the two archways leading out of the living room, but the place smelled clean, and it was bright and airy.
“Do you have any questions?” Jenna asked.
I had so many, but she wasn’t talking to me.
“What happens now?” Bull asked.
She went through the archway at the back of the room to the left, leading us through a square dining room and turning right toward a small kitchen. Stopping at the bar that separated the two rooms, she pulled her briefcase over her shoulder and started thumbing through it. “Now that your offer’s been accepted, I just have a few more forms for you to sign, and then we’re looking at closing mid-September. I’ll let you know the exact date once we hear back from your lender.” She set a manilla folder on the bar and opened it. “I’ve marked all the places you need to sign with sticky notes.”
“Thank you,” Bull said, glancing at the folder. “Do you mind if I show Lily around the place first?”
“Not at all.” Jenna glanced at her cell phone. “In fact, I need to step out and make a call. Just leave the folder on the bar when you’re finished, and I’ll grab it before I lock up and head out.”
I watched her go back the way we came before spinning on my heel to face Bull. “You bought a house?”
“Yeah. You want to see the rest of it?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course, I want to see it. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
He chuckled. “Didn’t want to get our hopes up until they accepted the offer. I know it’s not much to look at, but Spade said it has good bones and everything it needs is cosmetic. Won’t take much to fix it up. The roof is only a couple years old, and all the plumbing and electrical was rewired in the late nineties.” Bull led me into the small kitchen. The cabinets and laminate floor were dated, but the large window over the sink opened the space up, making it bright and welcoming.
“We’ll need to shop for a stove and refrigerator. A couple of bar stools. Spade’s giving me a stellar discount on new cupboards and granite countertops. Said he’ll even help with the install. Good thing, since I have no clue what I’m doing. Stocks offered his services too. I can’t tell you how lucky we are to have knowledgeable friends who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and help.”
My cheeks were burning from smiling so hard. “I still can’t believe you bought a house.”
“Crazy, huh?” He grinned. “The flooring is all shit. I figured we can install hardwood.” He led me through the dining area to a small laundry room. “Maybe tile in here. We’ll need to buy a washer and dryer, too. Maybe a stackable set, since the space is kind of tight and it’s just the two of us.”
The way he kept including me in his plans made my chest swell and my smile grow impossibly wider. I was so damn happy it was all I could do to keep from bursting at the seams.
“The walls can use a coat of paint, but I figured we’ll do that once we know what we want to do with the floors. Then we can color coordinate and shit.”
He led me back through the living room and around to open the door to a small coat closet. Another door led to the bathroom. Like everything else, it was small, but it did have a clean tub and shower combo, a toilet, and a sink. The windows over the shower let in a lot of natural light, which seemed to be the theme of the house.
“Tile in here, too,” Bull said, frowning at the worn, dated vinyl flooring before leading me into a small bedroom. “I was thinking new carpet for the bedrooms, but maybe it’d be best if we put wood down in here, too. Then we can use some throw rugs to cozy it up. Maybe put a little desk and chair in here, and you can use it to study when you have to test again.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I followed him into the slightly larger bedroom across the way.
“This is the master. The closet’s kinda small, but neither one of us have many clothes, so I think it’ll work just fine. I can always use the closet in the spare bedroom if we run out of space. We’ll need to shop for furniture.” Bull’s eyes lit up. “Not gonna lie, I’m looking forward to picking out a bed with you. Probably can’t fit a king in here, but a queen would do nicely.”
All his plans for his new house included me. Emotions choked me and kept trying to leak out of my eyes.
“Come on, let me show you the rest of it.” Bull sounded somewhat disappointed as he gave me a quick tour of the garage before leading me through the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. We stood on a raised wooden deck that needed to be stained and sealed, and looked over a weed-filled yard surrounded by a tall wooden fence. The space would be perfect for Brahma.
Tears I could no longer blink back, streamed down my cheeks.
Concern clouded Bull’s eyes as he wiped them away. “I know it’s not much, but there weren’t many options in my price range that had space for a dog. It’s close to the shelter and the fire station, and if we put in the work, we can sell this place for twice what I bought it for and find someplace better. In the meantime, we’ll be able to stay together. I’ll be able to spend every night with you, without having to worry about getting you home so you can take care of the dog and get some sleep.”
Realizing he must have misinterpreted my tears, I shook my head. “Bull, it’s perfect. Ohmigod, I love it so much! These aren’t tears of sadness. I’m so happy I could…” I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tight. “I don’t even know what to say. You didn’t officially ask me, but you bet your ass I’m moving in here with you. I’m still floored you bought a house. In Seattle, even. How can you afford this?”
“My grandparents set up trust funds for me and my sister when we were little. They grew up poor and struggled to do shit like buy a house until Grandpa’s business took off. They’ve been sittin’ pretty for years and wanted to pass along their good fortune. Or that’s the story they gave me. I’m financing some of the loan so we have money for shit like furniture, appliances, and repairs, but I can easily handle the payment with what I make while saving money for us to travel.”
“And I’ll help,” I said.
“You’re still apprenticing. You can buy groceries and stuff if you want, but I got this.” He cupped my face in his hands. “I want to do this for you. For us. And for that useless mutt of yours.”
Offended, I poked him in the chest with my index finger. “I’ll have you know my mutt is not useless. He helped me take down a would-be kidnapper at the park today. That’s why the cop was there. I tackled the guy, and Brahma bit his leg.”
Bull stared at me skeptically. “You’re shittin’ me.”
“I most certainly am not. I told you he was protective.”
Shaking his head, Bull chuckled. “Well, I’ll be. I guess it’s a good thing we’ll have the beast around guarding the place.”
“He’ll love it here. This is so perfect, babe,” I said, leaning into Bull as he wrapped his arms around me. “We’ll have privacy! I can’t wait to christen every room in the house.”
His eyes darkened. “That’s definitely a benefit to having our own place.”
He dropped his lips to mine in a sweet, gentle kiss full of promises and hopes. Then I led him into the kitchen to sign the last of the paperwork. We had plans to make and shopping to do, and more than anything, we needed to get back to the fire station so I could show my man exactly how excited I was about our new home.
Epilogue
Bull
“DON’T BE NERVOUS,” I whispered to Lily before knocking on the door. It was my childhood home and I technically didn’t have to knock, but barging into my parents’ home felt invasive to me. Even if they were expecting us.
“How?” Lily asked, rubbing her sweaty palms on her jeans.
She’d purchased a long skirt and flowery blouse she described as “wholesome church girl style” that she had wanted to wear for my parents, but she look
ed completely different in them. I didn’t want her buying new shit to impress my folks, so I had her return the outfit. Lily was perfect as she was, and she didn’t need to change for anyone. Instead, she wore the same distressed skinny jeans, boots, and sweater she’d wear if we were back home. She had kept her makeup light, and left her long brown hair down, making her look soft and casual.
Personally, I preferred my woman with no makeup and no clothes, hair mussed, spread out before me like a fucking buffet. I’d had a lot of time to enjoy that look on her in the months since we’d moved into our little house, but I couldn’t get enough of it. Or of her, for that matter.
“How what?” I asked, realizing she’d asked me a question I had yet to answer.
“How do I not be nervous? These are your parents. I need to make a good first impression, and you wouldn’t let me wear the innocent clothes.”
I shook my head at her. “You don’t need them, Angel. I told you, I’m so fuckin’ impressed with you, I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.”
Her eyes softened. “I love you.”
Knocking again, I slid my hand into hers. “I love you, too. I got you. It’ll be fine, no matter what.”
My parents answered and after the stunned second they took to process Lily’s resemblance to Amber in person, they hugged us and welcomed us into their home. As usual, Christmas decorations were everywhere. An enormous, professionally decorated Douglass Fir brushed against the high ceiling of the living room, looking a far cry nicer than the sparse wannabe Charlie Brown tree Lily and I had back home.
“Your home is gorgeous,” Lily said to Mom as she took it all in. A life-size nutcracker stood guard by a table with a Christmas village. The place smelled of cinnamon, apples, and Christmas.
