by Susan Stoker
Hayden was on security duty, hanging out in the lobby and keeping her eye on them.
“So…it’s been two weeks since you moved in with TJ. I take it things are going well?” Sadie asked.
Milena tried not to blush, but knew she failed when her friend smiled. “Yeah, they are.”
“Details, woman. Is he as good in bed now as he was three years ago?”
Milena bit her lip, then shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’d have to say probably.”
“Probably? What do you mean? You don’t know?”
“We haven’t slept together. I mean, we have, but not slept together.”
“I’d call you a liar, but I know you wouldn’t lie about that. Why in the world not?”
“For the first couple of nights, he slept on the couch. Then he shared what happened on his last mission, and we slept together in his bed. I told him I wasn’t ready for more. Since then, we’ve gone to sleep in each other’s arms every night. He wakes up before me, gets JT up, spends time with him, and showers when I get up and take over toddler watch.”
“So, that’s it? You just sleep?”
“Well, no. We’ve made out a few times, and the last couple nights I’ve tried to show him I’m ready to move on, but he hasn’t gotten the hint.”
Sadie shifted in her seat until she was sitting on the edge and her elbows were resting on her knees. “No more hints, Milena,” she scolded. “Either tell him straight out that you’re ready for more, or grab hold of his dick so he can’t misunderstand what you want.”
“What if that’s not what he wants? I mean, he’s been so happy with JT and our routine, I’m afraid he’s content with keeping the status quo.”
“He’s not,” Sadie said definitively.
“How do you know?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you aren’t paying attention. When you guys drop JT off, he can’t take his eyes off your ass. When you pick him up in the afternoon, he’s happy to see his son, but his attention is always on you. Has he said anything about wanting more?”
Milena looked away from her friend, embarrassed for some reason. “He’s told me he loves me a couple of times.”
“What?” Sadie’s screech was so loud, Milena was afraid everyone would come running to see what was the matter.
“Shhhh,” she scolded.
“He’s said he loves you, and you think he’s happy with a little kissing and just sleeping next to you every night?”
When she put it like that, it sounded stupid. “No. But…I haven’t said it back. I think he’s waiting until I’m sure.”
“Do you love him?” Sadie asked bluntly.
“Yes.” The answer was immediate. She didn’t even need to think about it.
Sadie didn’t respond with words, merely lifted an eyebrow.
Milena laughed. “All right, all right, I’ve been an idiot. I need to tell him.”
“Do we need to have the birth control talk? I mean, I know you work at a women’s clinic and all, but…”
Milena shoved her friend’s shoulder. “No, dork. I’m covered. Thanks for being concerned though.”
Sadie smiled, then said softly, “I’m giving notice at the coffee shop. I’m headed back up to Dallas next week.”
Milena frowned. “So soon?”
Sadie laughed. “Girl, I’ve been here for months.”
“I know, but I just…I’ve enjoying having you here.”
“And I’ve enjoyed being here. I’m not moving to the moon, Milena. It’s only like four and a half hours to Dallas.”
“Did I ever thank you for coming down to visit and staying to help with JT?” Milena asked.
“No, but you’d do it for me.”
“Of course I would, but I think you’ve got enough helpers up there with your uncles and their friends.”
Sadie rolled her eyes. “Ain’t that the truth. How about a girls’ night out before I leave? You think Hayden or any of the girlfriends of TJ’s friends would want to come along?”
“We won’t know until we ask,” Milena said with a sparkle in her eye. It had been a long time since she’d gone out. Getting to know Mackenzie, Corrie, and all the other women would be fun. Especially since Sadie was leaving soon. Milena knew she needed to work harder on finding friends. It was something she hadn’t even thought about until Sadie came to town. She’d missed the girl talk.
“Cool. This weekend?”
“Absolutely. I’m so excited,” Milena gushed.
They both laughed. Sadie stood, and when Milena did the same, she hooked her arm in her friend’s and they left the break room laughing.
An hour later, they’d finished up with the last of the morning patients and headed out to the waiting room. TJ was there with Hayden, and they both looked up as Sadie and Milena entered.
Milena went straight to TJ and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. He seemed surprised at first, but quickly recovered, his hand going to the back of her neck to hold her against him as he deepened the quick hello kiss she’d intended to a longer, more intense one.
“Hey,” she said when he’d let her go.
“Hey, Doc,” he echoed. “Did you have a good morning?”
“Yeah.” Milena turned to Hayden, not moving out of TJ’s embrace. “Sadie’s headed home to Dallas next week. We thought we would have a girls’ night before she leaves. Want to come?”
“Yeah, that sounds fun. What night? I work Friday,” she told them.
“Then not Friday,” Milena said, laughing. “How about Saturday?”
“That works. Would you mind if I invited Mackenzie and some of the other girls?”
“No, I was hoping you would.”
Hayden looked at TJ. “And so you know, I’m not going to be ‘on duty’ when I’m there, so you’ll need to arrange something.”
Milena couldn’t keep the huge smile off her face. She hadn’t even thought about the fact Hayden was an officer, despite how much she’d been around when TJ couldn’t be, watching over her. She was thrilled that Hayden wanted to be “one of the girls” rather than on duty. She glanced up at TJ. He was also grinning.
“No problem, Hayden. I’ll talk to the others.”
“Anyone have any ideas on where we should go?” Sadie asked.
“There’s a new club not too far from here,” Hayden told them. “It’s called Five.”
“I’ve heard of that!” Milena exclaimed. “It’s gotten really good reviews.” She looked up at TJ. “For safety as well as for the atmosphere.”
“That’s good, Doc.”
“What time? Nine?” Hayden asked.
“Perfect!” Milena said enthusiastically. “Thank you so much for coming with us.”
“You work hard,” Hayden said. “You’re always going out of your way for the women here, don’t think I haven’t noticed. And from what TJ has said, you haven’t had a lot of time in the last three years for yourself.”
Milena felt TJ’s arm tighten around her waist. It made her feel good that he’d been talking about her with his friends. She didn’t know them all that well, but she hoped this weekend would change that. “I haven’t. I’m looking forward to it.”
They all headed out of the clinic. Hayden’s car was parked on the street, and they said their goodbyes then continued down the street to TJ’s Mustang. Milena loved the feel of his hand in hers as they walked.
When they were almost there, Milena saw a familiar figure sitting on a bench a little ways down from TJ’s car. She tried to tug her hand away. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
TJ didn’t let go of her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want to go say hi to Blythe.”
TJ’s eyes narrowed as he looked to where Milena had gestured. “Is that the woman who brought in the pregnant girl the other week?”
“Yeah.”
“And she’s homeless?”
“Yeah. She doesn’t say much about where she stays or what her deal is. But I’m fairly certain
she hasn’t always been on the streets. She’s too…soft.”
As if he knew exactly what she meant, TJ nodded. He dropped her hand then reached for his wallet. He pulled out the forty bucks he had in there and handed it to her.
Milena almost blurted that she loved him right then and there. She’d been out with men in the past who’d looked down their noses at the homeless. Who didn’t care about stray animals, or giving money to disaster relief funds, or in any other way giving to those less fortunate than them. TJ hadn’t thought twice; he’d given her money as if his bank account was bottomless.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
“You’re welcome. I’ll be impressed if she actually takes it though. Go on. I’ll keep watch from here.”
Milena nodded then headed for Blythe.
The other woman had short black hair cropped close to her head. It was uneven, as if she’d given herself the haircut, which Milena supposed she probably had. She was wearing a dirty, beat-up T-shirt and had a sweatshirt wrapped around her waist, even though it was hot outside. Her jeans were just as dirty, but didn’t have any holes in them. A pair of gray sneakers rounded out her outfit.
“Hey, Blythe,” Milena said softly as she approached. She’d never seen the other woman with a shopping basket full of her stuff, or even a backpack. She had to have some belongings somewhere, but Milena didn’t know where she kept them.
“Hi, Milena,” Blythe answered.
Her words lacked the pep that Milena was used to from her. Her hazel eyes were dull and her shoulders were slumped, as if she had a great weight upon them. Milena sat on the edge of the bench next to her. “How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
The words were automatic, and Milena knew she was just being polite. “I’m okay. I haven’t seen you around much lately.”
Blythe shrugged.
Not able to stop herself, Milena put a hand on the other woman’s knee. “If you ever need anything, you know all you have to do is reach out and I’m there, right?”
Blythe nodded. “I’ve been hearing that a lot recently.”
Milena didn’t know who she had been hearing it from, but it was more than obvious she was reluctant to accept any kind of help from anyone. “When I was pregnant with my son, I thought I could do it all myself. But then the doctor told me that if I didn’t go on complete bed rest, I’d lose him. I had to ask for assistance. It sucked, and I felt like a failure when I had to move back home to have my parents wait on me hand and foot, but it not only helped me, it made them feel good. They wanted to help and hated watching me suffer.”
Blythe glanced away from her fingers in her lap and looked Milena in the eye. “It’s not the same.”
“Bull,” she chided. “It’s exactly the same. I wouldn’t have JT today if I hadn’t accepted that help. This isn’t you,” Milena said, gesturing to the street in front of her. “I don’t know you, but it’s obvious to me and anyone else who cares to look. I don’t know what happened to bring you here, but dammit, Blythe, let me help you. Let whoever else has told you they’re there for you to help too.”
Blythe looked away and took a deep breath. “I used to think that not having any sugar for my coffee was the end of the world,” she said quietly. “But now I would give anything for that to be the worst thing that has happened to me.”
Milena hadn’t removed her hand, and she squeezed Blythe’s knee once more. “Me and my friends are going to that new nightclub Five on Saturday night. Come with us. We’re not going to hook up with guys or anything like that. Just us girls hanging out. We’ll eat and have a few drinks. I consider you a friend, and would love to introduce you to everyone.”
Blythe looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Are you insane? I’m homeless. I could be a crazy person. Besides, look at me. They’d never let me in a place like that.”
“I’ll bring you something. Nothing fancy, a pair of jeans and a blouse. Please?”
Blythe hesitated, and it looked like she was going to agree. Her gaze suddenly focused on something down the street and her mouth tightened.
Milena looked around, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Thanks, but no, I don’t think so.”
“At least come see me tomorrow then,” Milena begged. “I’ll see what I can do about finding you a place to stay for a while.”
“I’m meeting someone today. He said he’s got a place for me.”
Milena didn’t like the look of desperation on Blythe’s face. “Don’t go with him,” she said immediately, not liking the odd tone in her new friend’s voice. “Let me help you. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I can’t.”
“Blythe,” Milena said desperately. “Look at me.”
It took a minute, but the other woman finally turned her head and met Milena’s gaze.
“I’m your friend. You’ve been nothing but kind to the girls around here. You’re the first to offer to hold their hands when they’re scared and desperate.”
“Why are you so nice to me? You shouldn’t be,” Blythe said, her words hitching. “You’re making this so much harder.”
“What? What am I making harder?”
Blythe shook her head. “I don’t have a choice. It seems like I never have a choice anymore.”
Milena didn’t like the absolute devastation in the other woman’s voice. She shifted and pressed the money TJ had given her into Blythe’s hand. “That’s all I have right now, but come see me tomorrow and I’ll have more. I can get you a hotel room away from here and help you start over. Please, Blythe.”
The other woman didn’t look up, but Milena saw the tears escape her eyes and cascade down her cheeks, the tracks leaving white marks on her dirty face. “I don’t have a choice,” she repeated. “I never wanted anyone to get hurt.” Her head came up, and Milena froze at the ferocious look on the homeless woman’s face.
“I’ll make it right though. I swear. I know it’s too late for forgiveness, but I swear to God I’ll do what I can to make sure no one gets hurt.”
Before Milena could respond, Blythe stood and walked away.
“Blythe!” she called, but she didn’t slow nor turn around.
Milena felt TJ come up behind her and put a hand on her hip. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, but Blythe isn’t,” she said, distressed.
“Did she take the money?”
“Yeah, but something’s wrong. She was so depressed, and she said she didn’t have a choice about something.” Milena looked up at TJ. “I’m worried about her.”
“I can have Hayden or Cruz see what they can find out about her if that would make you feel better.”
Milena struggled with indecision. She wanted to run after Blythe and force her to come with her, to tell her what was wrong, but she’d already disappeared. She knew the alleys and streets way better than Milena did. If she didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t be.
Sighing, she shook her head. “I don’t even know her last name. I don’t know what kind of information they’d be able to find out anyway.”
“You’d be surprised, Doc.”
“Come on, let’s go get JT. Sadie is going to need our support when she tells my parents she’s leaving. I think they’ve unofficially adopted her. They’re used to a house full of people, then I left with JT and now she’s leaving too. They aren’t going to take it well.”
“Then we’ll stay over there today. You can hang with your mom, and me and JT will watch football with your dad.”
His answer was matter-of-fact and so TJ. Milena knew Sadie was waiting for them, but she couldn’t have held back her words if her life depended on it. “I love you.”
TJ’s eyes widened and his hand tightened against her side.
She went on. “I know I haven’t said it yet, but I don’t think I ever stopped. You broke my heart, TJ, but I never stopped loving you. Not for one second. Please, please don’t hurt me like that again. I couldn’t survive losing you a second
time.”
“I won’t, Doc. I swear to God, I won’t.” He pulled her into his arms, and they stood locked together for a long moment before they heard a whistle from behind them.
Smiling, Milena pulled back. “Looks like Sadie is getting impatient.”
TJ brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, then nodded. “Come on. We’ll pick up some grub on the way to your folks’. Got a preference?”
“I don’t. But Sadie is gonna want the Blanco Café. She loves that place, and since she’s headed back to up Dallas, I know she’s going to want to get her fill.”
“I could go for a breakfast taco for lunch.”
Milena grinned at him, not surprised he’d heard of the eclectic Tex-Mex café.
They headed back toward his car and an impatient Sadie. When they got close, she asked, “Is Blythe all right?”
Milena shook her head. “No, I don’t think so, but I’ll tell you about it later.”
Sadie looked like she was going to protest for a second, but eventually just nodded.
“You up for some Blanco Café this afternoon?” Milena asked.
“Do bears shit in the woods?” Sadie returned even as she was climbing into the back of TJ’s Mustang.
Milena and TJ shared a smile before she sat. He closed the door behind her and went around to the driver’s side.
None of the occupants of the car saw the man in the alley across the street watching them, and they didn’t see him head off down the sidewalk where Blythe had disappeared.
* * *
“So?” the man asked belligerently when he found Blythe in an alley a couple blocks from where she’d been talking with Milena.
“She said that she’d be at that new club, Five, on Saturday night.”
“And the redhead too?”
Blythe shrugged. “I guess so. She said she was going out with her friends.”
Jonathan smiled. It was an evil smile, one that Blythe knew she’d never forget.
She hated betraying Milena like this. She’d always been nice to her. The money she’d pressed into her hand burned a hole in her pocket. All Blythe wanted was enough money to get off the streets for more than a night. She used to want her old life back, but that was impossible. The Blythe she used to be didn’t exist anymore.
