Deacon's Defender

by Pandora Pine

  Taking another sip from his beer, Finley grinned at me. “What’s got you smiling like the cat who ate the canary?”

  Thankfully, the old Finley was back. It would have been a hell of a long lunch if he’d sulked about work the entire time. “Well, Ozzy took me home to meet his family yesterday.”

  Finley’s eyes widened. “His parents, or all those brothers too?”

  “Everyone. I swear by the end of the first hour, I felt like one of the family.” It was true. The first round of hugs had been nice, but as the day went on, everyone was genuinely interested in me.

  “That’s a pretty big step, meeting a man’s family.”

  I hadn’t really thought about it like that. “Ozzy’s family was having a cookout and he invited me. No big deal.”

  “Okay, if you say so.” Finley rolled his eyes. “What did you think of the brothers? Any of them single?”

  I burst out laughing. “How much fun would that be for us to date brothers? Dallas is single, but he seems really focused on his career since he took over for Hal a few weeks ago. Then there’s Hennessey.”

  Finley’s eyes darkened. “The one who looks like a member of the Hells Angels?”

  “I suppose he does with his long hair and beard.” I hadn’t really paid that much attention to the brothers. I’d been gawking at Ozzy all afternoon.

  “He rides a giant Harley too. Mmm, there’s nothing sexier than a man who loves horsepower between his legs.”

  “I’ll mention it to Ozzy. I’m not sure if Hennessey is looking for someone or someones, if you catch my meaning?” I didn’t want to dash Finley’s hopes, but I had a feeling Hen was looking for Mr. Right Now, rather than Mr. Right, but who knew. I would have said the same thing about Ozzy until we started dating.

  “Here we are, boys!” Our usual waitress, Katie, dropped off the onion and anchovy pizza Finley ordered for us. “Can I get either of you a refill?”

  “I’ll switch to Coke,” Finley said.

  “Me too.” Finley had ordered me a beer. I wasn’t particularly in the mood for it, but I sipped at it anyway. I needed to get back to work after we ate, and the last thing I needed was to walk back into the paper smelling of alcohol.

  “Tell me about the barbecue with Ozzy’s family.” Finley sounded interested in my day.

  “His father was hilarious. King of the dad joke. He told one after another. All the brothers rolled their eyes at him, but I could tell they all thought the jokes were hilarious.”

  “It’s the kind of family you always wished you’d been born a part of.” Finley grabbed a slice of pizza and set it on his plate. The stringy mozzarella stretched all the way from the pan.

  It wasn’t that I’d been born into a bad family. Neither of my parents drank. There was very little drama in the house, and they’d never abused or neglected me. On the other hand, they never hugged me or did fun family activities, like cookouts. “They’re good people. I don’t know where this relationship with Ozzy is going, but it would be amazing to be part of that family.”

  “You have to know where it’s going. He’s asked you out on two dates and he introduced you to his family. Did the two of you…” Finely trailed off.

  I wasn’t one to kiss and tell. Well, not usually. “We haven’t gone all the way.” Saying that made me feel like I was back in high school. “He’s been very gentlemanly, never pushing me for more than I wanted to give.”

  “Wanted to give? Deacon, this is the man of your dreams. You’ve done nothing but moon over him for the last six months, and when you have the opportunity to bag him, you’re waiting? I don’t get it.”

  “This is different. I don’t just want to sleep with him, and I get the feeling he feels the same way about me. I’m really enjoying getting to know him.” I could honestly say I was comfortable with the slow pace Ozzy and I were taking.

  Finley raised his glass to me. “All the best, man. All the best.”

  I knocked my plastic cup against his. “How can I help with the situation at work?”

  Finley tore into his slice of pizza now that it was cool enough not to burn the skin off the roof of his mouth. “I don’t know. Like I said, it’s an organic dog food company. They want this ad campaign to reach out and touch the heartstrings of their potential customers.”

  “What have you thrown at them so far?” Advertising wasn’t my thing. I had no idea how to sell products, but maybe I could turn him on to a different way of coming at the client.

  “The usual thing where a pet owner compares the ingredient from one bag of food to another. Those kinds of campaigns are very popular right now.”

  I could attest to that. I’d seen those commercials all over the place. “Okay, so they’re looking for something new and fresh.” Suddenly I knew how to help Finley. The idea hit like a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky.

  “You’ve got an idea, don’t you?” Finley leaned in closer. His eyes sparkled.

  “Maybe. New and fresh got me thinking about food in general. No one wants to eat anything old or out of a can, right?”

  Finley nodded, but stayed silent.

  “What if you use that angle as your pitch? Have a bunch of dogs surrounding an owner who’s eating the dog food himself. The dogs are whining and drooling, but the man or woman is licking their fingers like they’ve just eaten the tastiest thing ever. ‘If it’s good enough for me. It’s good enough for them.’ Or something like that. What do you think?” I held my breath. Finley wasn’t showing any emotion on his face, but I could see him processing my idea.

  “Hmm, that’s really good, actually. Maybe the guy has a red and white checked napkin hanging from the collar of his shirt.”

  “I love it. I think your client will too.” I really hoped this idea would help him create the right ad campaign.

  Finley was out of his seat. He threw a few bills onto the table before bending down to kiss my cheek. “Thanks! You’re a lifesaver!”

  Before I could respond, Finley was out the door. Not wanting to let the rest of the pizza go to waste, I grabbed another piece and took a bite. There was nothing better than onions and anchovies. While I was chewing, my phone pinged with a message from Ozzy.

  [Dinner? My place?]

  Oh, heck yes. Wiping my fingers on a grease-stained napkin, I hurried to type my answer to Ozzy. I had a feeling tonight was going to be the night.

  23

  Ozzy

  I swear I held my breath from the time I texted Deacon about tonight until the second he texted me back. My anxiety only ramped up from there. I’d spent the entire day cleaning the house and researching recipes.

  With Deacon scheduled to be here at any minute, I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. My brain had been stuck on a loop ever since it suggested I might be falling for Deacon. All I knew at the moment, was that I never felt this excited to be with Stark. Dates with him had filled me with a different kind of anxiety, the kind that made people feel like the world was going to end. Doom and gloom was what I’d called it in my mind.

  When the doorbell rang, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I checked myself in the mirror one last time. I was wearing dark jeans and a short-sleeved plaid shirt. It was hot as hell outside, but thankfully I’d had central air installed when I’d bought this house a few years ago. I finger combed my hair and smiled to make sure nothing was stuck in my teeth. I was good to go.

  Racing down the stairs, I knew there was no way I’d be able to open the door without seeming out of breath. “Hey!” I greeted when I opened the door.

  “Hey, yourself.” Deacon looked good enough to eat. He had on a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a green golf shirt. He looked relaxed and completely at ease.

  “How was your day?” I pecked Deacon’s cheek, knowing that if I did more than that, dinner would end up burned. I led him into the kitchen where the tomato sauce was simmering away on the stove. I dumped the fresh pasta into the boiling water.

  “You’re not going to believe what happened today.
” Deacon’s eyes danced like he’d just won the lottery.

  “Tell me.” I couldn’t wait to hear the obviously good news.

  “I had lunch with Finley. He was in a bad mood because he was dealing with a difficult client at work. I floated an idea for the ad campaign, and the client loved it!” Deacon set his hands on his hips in a classic Superman pose.

  “Congratulations! What was the ad campaign about?” I was looking forward to meeting Finley, but I wasn’t going to push Deacon to introduce us.

  “Organic dog food. My idea was to show a human eating it.” Deacon smiled from ear to ear.

  My face fell. Humans eating dog food? Blech. “Remind me not to have dinner at your house unless we’re calling for takeout.” I burst out laughing.

  “Funny.” Deacon rolled his eyes at me. “I really think you’d like Finley. High school was a tough time and he was there for me every step of the way, helping me break out of my shell.”

  “I’d love to meet him.” We’d only been dating for a short time, but it worried me a little that Deacon wasn’t gung-ho for me to meet someone from his family. Getting to meet his best friend would be a good first step in that direction.

  “He works from home on Wednesdays. Maybe next week he would be interested in meeting us for lunch.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I smacked a kiss against the side of Deacon’s head.

  “What is it that smells so delicious?” Deacon had moved toward the stove and was about to lift the lid on the bubbling pot of spaghetti sauce.

  “When we were kids, our mom always made sure we helped with meal preparation. We all had a job to do. One of us would gather the ingredients, another would help mom cook the meal, while another set the table, and the others helped with dishes. She’d always joke that we ate like a pack of wild lions and she wanted us to be self-sufficient once we were out on our own. Spaghetti sauce was the first meal she taught me to cook. Ever since then it’s sort of been my good luck meal.”

  “Good luck?” Deacon snorted. “Does that mean you make it for all the men you invite home to dinner and intend on seducing?”

  I knew Deacon was kidding, but I could see where he was coming from. “You are the first man I’ve ever made this meal for. My mom made it for me the night before my first day at the Fire Academy. She made it again the day we were expecting the results of my final practical exam. I suppose this is the meal that’s always been there for me at the biggest moments of my life.”

  “You think this dinner with me is one of the biggest moments of your life?” Deacon seemed shocked by his own conclusion.

  I set my hands on either side of Deacon’s face. He smiled up at me, his blue eyes shining with what I was pretty sure was love. “This relationship came out of the blue for me. As much as I didn’t think I was ready for a relationship with anyone, things between us just keep moving forward. Being with you is a breath of fresh air. I never expected this, but I’m also not fool enough to throw it away. I’m holding onto this relationship and to you with both hands, if you’ll have me?” My heart was pounding so hard, I was certain it was going to burst through my chest. I meant every word I’d said to Deacon, and so far, he was only staring up at me as if I were some sort of curiosity.

  “I’ve been in love with you from afar since the day we met.” Deacon’s eyes widened at his words, but his confession didn’t seem to faze Ozzy. “It was sort of a childhood crush, like you have on a famous athlete or an actor. These last few weeks getting to know you have been a complete eye-opener for me. When I used to daydream about you, I imagined you as being warm and kind, funny and squishy all over.” Deacon snorted. “I never predicted all of the traits my imagination gave you were actually your own.”

  I had a feeling I knew where Deacon was coming from. I wasn’t a vain man, but I knew how other people responded to me. I was tall, dark, and handsome. Most men were willing to overlook my scar for the opportunity to ride me like a bucking bronco. Deacon was the first man who actually took the time to see past the scar and see me for the man I was. If I were being honest with myself, I would admit that was the reason he was standing here with me today. Deacon’s kindness was the reason I had given this dating relationship a chance between us. I didn’t have the right words to respond to Deacon, so I leaned forward and kissed him.

  When Deacon kissed me back, I swore I could feel every bit of love being transmitted from his heart to mine. Maybe I was being fanciful. I honestly didn’t care. When I pulled back from our kiss, Deacon wore a bemused look on his face. “Dinner’s almost ready. Why don’t you set the table?”

  “I see you’re taking after your mother with assigning chores.” Deacon snorted.

  I swatted Deacon’s ass and pointed out the cabinet with the plates and the drawer with the silverware. I lifted the lid on the sauce to give it a stir. It smelled absolutely perfect. I did the same with the pasta, knowing it had another few minutes to cook before it would be ready to drain and serve. Watching Deacon set my kitchen table was something I never thought I’d see. Another man moving around my space as if he belonged here. I smiled to myself at the way he fussed over the placement of the napkin and silverware on either side of the plate.

  “Okay, Captain, what’s my next job?” Deacon raised up on his tiptoes to press a kiss against my scar.

  “The bowl of salad is in the fridge. Grab that, and a couple of bowls.” I grabbed a set of rubber tongs from the utility drawer and set them on the counter near Deacon.

  “You really went all out for this dinner, didn’t you?”

  “I really went all out for you.” I hadn’t meant to say those words out loud, but they were the absolute truth. I wanted Deacon to come here tonight and be a part of my real life. This was the home that I bought for my future family, not knowing if I would ever have one. After everything that happened with Stark, I was convinced I was going to spend the rest of my life knocking around the four walls of this house alone.

  Deacon didn’t respond right away. “I don’t know what to say to that. No one’s ever treated me the way you do.”

  “You deserve it.” I’d give Deacon the world if it were mine to give. So far, all I’d given him was a lie.

  Nodding, Deacon took the salad bowl and brought it to the table. He was back a few seconds later, grabbing salad dressing and two bottles of beer out of the fridge. He’d only been here for ten minutes and looked perfectly at home.

  What Deacon really deserved was the truth. I knew that. I wasn’t a stupid man or one living in some sort of fantasy. The time was going to come when I had to pay the piper, one way or the other. Either the real arsonist was going to be found and arrested or I was going to come clean to Deacon myself. I couldn’t keep this secret from him much longer. Nothing I’d seen in his behavior or his house indicated he was even remotely connected to these fires, with the exception of the gorilla glue lying on the floor of the back seat. There were a million random reasons the bottle was in his car. Unfortunately, there was also one very suspicious reason to explain its presence.

  Pushing all thoughts of the arsonist from my mind, I emptied the pasta into the strainer. Giving it a few good shakes to get all the remaining water out, I dumped it into a large pasta bowl, before pouring the sauce into the gravy boat.

  “Is that everything?” Deacon asked when he brought the food to the table.

  “The only thing left is the parmesan.”

  “Ick.” Deacon shook his head. “That stuff in the plastic container is like sawdust.”

  Grinning, I walked to the fridge. “It’s a good thing my mama taught me right.” I pulled out a wedge of fresh cheese and grabbed the hand-held grater from the drawer. “You’re gonna love this. Trust me.”

  “With my entire heart and soul.” Deacon took the cheese from me.

  His words sent me soaring and plunging back to earth all at once. To have earned Deacon’s trust was the most miraculous thing to ever happen to me. On the other hand, I wasn’t worthy of that trust. Not one bit
.

  In that moment, I made a decision. After dinner, I was going to tell Deacon the whole story. Whatever happened from there would be in Deacon’s hands. All I could do now, was enjoy dinner and pray he understood the situation I’d found myself in.

  24

  Deacon

  I’d never had a meal as delicious as the one Ozzy served. I’d had spaghetti and meatballs before, but there was something else in this dish that made it the best meal of my life. That something else was love.

  I wasn’t ashamed to admit to myself that I was head over heels in love with Ozzy Graves. Being here in his house, eating his food, and spending time with him was a dream come true. I never knew life could be like this. I never imagined I could be this happy.

  “Thanks for helping me to wash and dry the dinner dishes.” Ozzy wore the damp dish towel around the back of his neck.

  “You cooked this incredible meal for us. The least I could do was help clean up.”

  Ozzy shook his head. “Don’t ever think about it like that. I made you dinner because it made me happy to take care of you.”

  “Okay then,” I agreed. “I washed the dishes because it made me happy to take care of you.” I waggled my eyebrows at him. “I guess that makes us even, huh?”

  “Oh no. Far from it. It’s going to take a lot to make us even.” Ozzy advanced toward me with a devious look in his eyes. Chucking the towel back toward the sink, he grabbed my hips, pulling me flush against him.

  I had no idea what Ozzy was talking about, but with the way he was looking at me like I was the only item on the dessert menu, I wasn’t about to start asking questions. Ozzy was hot. I could feel his body heat sinking into me. What would it feel like to be skin to skin with him? I had a feeling I was about to find out.

  “I’ve got cone bowls, hot fudge, and rocky road in the freezer. Are you in the mood for a bowl now or do you want to wait until later?” It was obvious from the look in Ozzy’s eyes that he was in the mood for something else right now. His erection digging into my stomach seemed to be seconding that assumption.