Wounded Heroes Boxed Set

by Judith Arnold

  The game ended and a set was called. He decided to try to participate in the next one. There was some dull pain in his shoulder, so he limited himself to two games and passed on his turn to serve. When playtime was over, they headed to Pelican’s.

  Beer flowed and it felt good to be razzed by his buddies and even given sincere accolades for saving Evie from harm. The group teased him about sending him food from a nearby bakery and mocked that he looked like he’d gained some weight. Then the band began to play. Joe watched everybody head out to the floor. He loved to dance and usually went with them.

  Not long after, Susan approached him. "Wanna dance, babe?"

  Would Dana want him to dance with another woman? He pictured her shining eyes and glowing skin as he touched her intimately last night. But when he recalled how she’d trustingly cuddled into him, he decided he shouldn’t be dancing with someone else. Not, of course, that he’d ever get to dance with her. "Um, no thanks."

  Pretty little Susan shrugged and soon she was all over the floor. After watching for a few minutes, Joey got up and headed to the men’s room, feeling on edge, disappointed. And left out, he guessed.

  ***

  "OH, GOD, THAT feels good." Dana lay on the table as Ruth massaged the knots out of her neck. The windows were open and a cool breeze fluttered in. Dana liked it best without the air-conditioning on. She’d noticed lately that she was enjoying physical sensations more than she used to. More than she used to let herself enjoy them. Like Joe’s hand on her skin, his lips brushing her hair, his breath fanning her ear.

  Ruth brought her back to the present. "You did a lot of weights this morning."

  "Uh-huh."

  "Did you go to the track at the park? I noticed the sports chair had been used when I got back from grocery shopping." Dana had a specially equipped chair for aerobic exercising. It was lighter and more easily manipulated.

  "I did. It was fun because the air was a bit crisp and windy, so there was resistance."

  After a pause, Ruth said, "Don’t overdo."

  "Yes, Mom."

  "And I wish you wouldn’t go alone."

  She was about to scold Ruth for being overprotective, but that was stupid. "I’m careful, I carry my cell phone right on my body, and I’m used to wheeling alone, Ruth. Really, it’s okay."

  Ruth continued kneading her neck. This was the part Dana loved best. Ruth always took care of her legs first, both with massage and range-of-motion exercises. Of course, Dana could feel nothing, but she knew how vital the process was to limit atrophy. Often, Ruth went on to give Dana a full back-and-neck treatment. It was nirvana. "If your hands are tired, you can stop."

  Her friend snickered. "Now that was said with paltry enthusiasm."

  Dana laughed. She’d been doing a lot more of that lately, as Joe had suggested. "Just a few more minutes, then."

  Closing her eyes, Dana imagined Joe’s hands on her like they’d been last night, strong and muscular but so gentle as he’d touched her breasts and kissed the cleft between them.

  "Kara looked good today when I peeked in."

  "The other girls aren’t even jealous. She’s so good, Ruth, it’s a joy to watch her. Even they can see that."

  "And Kaelyn’s a little doll. So pleasant."

  Dana shared Joe’s concern about his younger daughter with Ruth, and of course, Ruth had risen to the occasion. She was coming to care for both Moretti girls, too. "Thanks again for offering to let her help."

  "Are you kidding? She’s amazing. She straightened out all the drawers, dusted, and she’s a whiz on the computer—at seven years old. Imagine. Plus she has amazing talent for such a young girl. A budding Degas."

  "I caught a glimpse of the ballet scenes she did while she was at the studio. She’ll have a career in art if she wants it." Dana lifted herself up and braced her torso on her arms. "That’s enough. You’ve been at this a long time."

  "I can do more."

  "No." Dana eased herself over and, wrapped in a sheet, sat up. Ruth crossed to the small fridge they’d installed under a counter and got them both water. People with disabilities needed to drink a lot of liquids to keep their bodies hydrated and blood flowing. Dana slid into a robe, then lowered the table so she could transfer into the chair.

  "So," Ruth said not-so-casually. "We didn’t have time to talk after last night. How’d the date go?"

  Once again she thought of Joe’s intimate caresses. "It was fun, Ruth. Like those first few weeks in a relationship where everything is new and exciting."

  "You need more of that in your life."

  Dana remembered the profiles Cole had sent to her just before she left the office. Though she hadn’t had the opportunity or privacy to view them, Dana was tickled about what they were doing. She and Joe planned to spring them on her after work tomorrow. "So do you, Ruth."

  "Don’t start." She waited. "We were talking about Joe."

  "He’s such a kind man, thoughtful, and funny, too."

  Leaning against the table Ruth quipped, "Not to mention hot."

  Dana giggled.

  "I thought he might come over tonight."

  "No. We won’t see each other every night. I suspect he has other things he does, you know, that I can’t do."

  Ruth stilled, then set down the bottle and began tidying up the massage table.

  "It’s okay, Ruth. I don’t expect him to give up his physical activities because I can’t do them with him. They’re a big part of his life."

  "Sometimes, that worries me. Your attitude is healthy, but the issue could be a stumbling block. Maybe you should talk about those things."

  "We did, a bit, after I saw Craig." But in truth, Dana had wondered, too, why he hadn’t even commented on what he was doing tonight; she banished the concern. "Don’t worry. For now I’m happy."

  Ruth faced Dana when she asked, "Did you two talk about anything serious last night?"

  Dana took a sip of water. "We tried not to." The concern on Ruth’s face made her ask, "Why, are you referring to something specific?"

  "No." Ruth crossed the room and put the laundry in the wicker basket. "Why don’t you go take a whirlpool bath?"

  Dana hadn’t made a lot of changes in the house after she’d bought it, but she did have a Freedom Tub put her bathroom. She was able to wheel in, transfer to a bench the width of the tub, push the chair out and fill the three-foot-high tub with water and turn on the jets.

  "That sounds heavenly." She glanced at the clock. "I’ll be done in time to watch that new cop show."

  Ruth shrugged, seemed distracted.

  Dana wheeled out of the room, wondering what TV programs Joey liked, what he thought of police procedurals. There was so much she didn’t know about him, and she couldn’t wait to find out every little detail. At the same time, she’d meant what she’d said when she told Ruth she didn’t expect him to give up his previous life for her.

  Still, as she luxuriated in the warm water, let the jets soothe her aching muscles, she wondered what he was doing tonight.

  Chapter 8

  * * *

  THINKING ABOUT JOE, Dana couldn’t fall asleep and consequently woke up well past the alarm, which she’d shut off. Ruth often went into the studio early and so she hadn’t awakened Dana before she left. Also, Dana needed more time than able-bodied people to dress. And she never skipped breakfast. A healthy diet was crucial to independence. At one time, she’d been bitter about limitations like this, but thank God she’d gotten over those resentments.

  Figuring it was too late to catch Joe when he’d dropped Kara off, she was surprised to see his van in the lot when she arrived. Pleased, she wheeled in through the back door and heard voices coming from the office. Dana stilled. The tenor was hostile. More angry parents like Elyssa Langston? If so, Ruth shouldn’t have to deal with them. And Dana certainly hoped Kaelyn wasn’t witnessing a scene like that.

  Rolling to the doorway, she saw that Kaelyn was not in the office. Instead, Joe and Ruth were so intent on each
other they didn’t notice her arrival. Ruth had her arms crossed over her chest and was glaring at him. Joe’s stance was impossibly tense. Alarm bells went off in Dana’s head.

  Was Ruth mad at him? Oh, dear, could she have found out about their search on RightMatch? Would she be this upset?

  "It’s gone too far." Ruth’s tone was cut-glass cold. "I won’t allow any more of this deception."

  "Please, Ruth. Things are just getting started between me and Dana. I need a little more time."

  "I’m not blind. I can see how fast the relationship is going to progress between you two. And I’m glad, but no more lies."

  Dana froze. And the bright light that had entered her world with Joey’s arrival dimmed. He’d been lying to her?

  "I’m not lying to her, Ruth."

  "Every day that you don’t tell her your father had ALS and was in a wheelchair is a lie of omission."

  This time, Dana gasped.

  They whirled around.

  For a moment, Dana just sat there, staring at the woman she cared about more than anyone in the world. And the man she’d come to have feelings for. "Y-your father had ALS, Joey?"

  "Yes, but—"

  Images surfaced. She’d seen firsthand the awful deterioration of the disease at her rehab facility. ALS victims started with minor symptoms like shaking and slurring words and progressed to not being able to take care of any of their needs. Swallowing hard, she couldn’t believe Joe hadn’t told her something so vital to his life, to his upbringing. And something that might affect them as a couple. When his dad’s name had come up the other night, he’d simply said he didn’t talk about the man.

  Though her heart ached for him, she had to know some things. "First, I need to say I’m sorry you went through such a devastating illness and loss."

  "Dana, look—"

  She held up her hand to stop his words. "How old were you when he was diagnosed?"

  "Seven. He died when I was ten."

  Oh, Lord. Such a young—and impressionable—age. "Do I even need to ask why you didn’t tell me about his condition?"

  His expression was bleaker than a February dawn. "I…I’m not sure."

  Well acquainted with seven-and ten-year-olds, Dana knew the damage illnesses of parents could have on them and the effect on their adult lives. "Your unconscious probably kept you from admitting that my situation reminds you of a very painful time when you were young."

  Hot emotion flared in Joe’s eyes. "What’s with you two about the unconscious mind? I know what I’m doing."

  "Until it snakes up on you and bites you in the ass."

  Now he straightened and she got a glimpse of the tough cop inside the fun-loving man. "All right, I know why I kept this from you, Dana. I thought you’d refuse to chance a relationship with me right out of the gate if you knew about my father’s illness."

  She waited before she answered. Thought about it. And tried to gentle her voice. "I’m not sure it would have, Joe, but that’s a moot point. What is relevant is that growing up with a man who had ALS shaped a very big piece of your personality. Under any circumstances, I should have known about your childhood. What happened might not have swayed me. But this certainly does affect my feelings for you."

  " This?"

  "Joe, you’ve lied to me for almost three weeks. That changes everything."

  His shoulders slumped and his eyes went bleak. "No, Dana, don’t say that."

  "It’s said, Joe, and done. We’re done. I can’t make a life with a man who lies to me about something so important."

  She pivoted the chair and wheeled quickly to the workshop room, where he couldn’t follow her because his daughter was there getting ready for class. Dana had to get away from him.

  ***

  THOUGH HE'D BEEN banished until Monday, Joe went into the office to do some paperwork, but once he was alone, he ended up banging around the room, ostensibly looking for some files. He was pissed off about what had happened with Dana this morning—she’d run away so he couldn’t talk to her more. Even Ruth had been devastated by her own deception with Dana. Man, he hoped he hadn’t created a rift between them.

  So disgusted with himself, he kicked the wastebasket, and just as his partner walked in, its contents spilled onto the floor.

  Shelly looked down at the mess, then back up at him. "O-kay! What’s going on?"

  He grunted.

  "You got a couple more days until you come back."

  "I know I do. I’m mad and came in to do some paperwork to take my mind off my problems."

  Glancing again at the rubbish on the floor, Shelly said, "Yeah, I can see how much you’re getting done." She propped herself against his desktop. "What’s wrong?"

  His anger increased by degrees as he told her the whole story. Being together ten hours a day had made it easy for him to open up to her and there were few secrets between them.

  "Let me get this straight. You’re mad at her reaction instead of feeling guilty you lied?"

  "No, I feel bad I hurt her by keeping this from her. Guilty. I was just trying to get her interested before I gave her another thing to hold against me. But damn it, Shelly, I was the one with the sick father, the one who had to endure the goddamned agony of watching my hero die a miserable death. She could have had some fucking sympathy for me."

  "Wow, you never talk about him, even to me."

  He dropped down onto his chair and pounded his fist on the desk. "I hate remembering all that. Talking about it brings it all back."

  Shelly paused before she spoke. "How come if Ruth found out about him on the internet that Dana didn’t?"

  "She doesn’t surf the web. She’s afraid she’ll find pictures of herself dancing on there. A few years back a reporter discovered she was in Rockland and did a story on her studio and the remarkable things she’d accomplished after the accident. She said videos of her were all over the Net."

  "Joe, I—"

  "You know, she was the one that lied to me first. That kept something from me first. And I got over it. Shit!"

  "All right, let’s forget about the lies. Don’t you think maybe she’s right, that being with her brings back the pain of your dad?"

  "No! Damn—"

  The phone buzzed and the dispatcher came over the line. "Shelly, there’s a call you have to take. It’s a domestic disturbance. Problem is most guys from our precinct are out at that fire downtown and we’re shorthanded."

  "I’ll get right on it."

  Joe reached into his desk just as Shelly headed for the door. "What are you doing?" she asked when she saw him strapping on his gun and retrieving the coat he’d just taken off.

  "I’m going to the scene. I’m sick of sitting around. Don’t worry, I’m ready."

  Shelly simply said, "You’re the boss."

  The call had come from East Avenue, the ritziest section of the city, at a looming three-story Victorian, with a Mercedes and a sports car in the circle driveway. Joe hated these DV calls but focused on what he needed to do. Hurrying to the front, he took a brief notice of the name Dr. and Mrs. Archer Lincoln on a plaque off to the left. He pressed the bell, and when he heard yelling inside, he tried the knob, found the door unlocked. He and Shelly drew their guns and rushed inside.

  A teenage boy stood in the huge foyer made of marble and glass with sky-high ceilings. His fists clenched, he towered over a woman spread out at his feet.

  "Police!" Joe shouted. "Hands up." When the kid just stood there, Joe waved his gun. This could be a murder scene. "We’re serious, man. Now step away from the body, drop to your knees and put your hands behind your head!"

  The kid pivoted and stared at them, eyes shiny as polished diamonds. "What the fuck—"

  Before either Joe or Shelly could react, the guy bent over and charged Joe. His gun went flying and he was slammed backward against the wall.

  ***

  AT LUNCHTIME, DANA knew she had to face Ruth. Her anger had drained away during the morning instruction, and now she just felt s
ad. For a woman who’d spent twelve years avoiding situations that made her feel this bad, she’d certainly blown it with Joe. Not the least of her worries was that he’d brought trouble between her and Ruth, as she’d feared he might the very first time Joe had met her.

  Devlin Dance provided lunch outside for the girls, healthy nutritious fare ordered from next door, and gave them a half hour afterward to digest it. They were free to laze around, watch some TV in one of the rooms not being used, or even take a short nap.

  When Dana wheeled into the office, she found her own lunch set up near the window and Ruth putting out bottles of water. Her friend’s face was pale and her expression grim. "Would you like to eat or talk first?" Ruth asked.

  "Let’s talk."

  Ruth dropped down on one of the chairs, and Dana wheeled over to the table. "Why did you keep something like that from me, Ruth? As far as I know, we’ve never had secrets between us."

  "I was wrong. I should have told you what I’d found out." She shook her head in obvious disgust. "I was thinking it was Joe’s place to tell you. You might as well know the whole of it. I confronted him with what I’d learned and gave him a deadline for telling you."

  Dana’s jaw dropped. "I can’t believe this all went on behind my back."

  "As I said, I was wrong. But my motives were as they’ve always been—your best interest." Ruth bit her lip, a show of vulnerability in a woman who’d been so strong during Dana’s recovery that the reaction stunned Dana. The last thing she wanted was to hurt her best friend.

  So she gentled her voice when she said, "Keeping this from me wasn’t in my best interest. I feel terrible. You and I never have disagreements like this and I thought we were honest with each other. Especially after the counseling we got. Your deception is hard for me to handle."