Redeem

by Janice M. Whiteaker

  That. Would. Not. Happen.

  “This is not a big deal.” He rubbed softly in small circles. “I have handled more frozen pipes than I can count. I won’t leave until everything is okay.”

  Beth turned to him, her eyes burning with unshed tears. “I just wanted everything to go right tonight and instead everything went to shit.” She waved one arm in the direction of the smokehouse she called a stove and the other toward the front of the house. “I almost burnt my filthy house down while my child went missing.”

  She took a deep breath trying to calm down, to avoid yet again telling him more than she wanted, but it was too late. One thing after another went wrong all damn day and the frozen pipes were the topper that sent her sailing over the edge to land in crazy town.

  “And then the other one tried to knock you out.” The words tumbled out of her mouth one on top of the other, not giving Beth time to catch her already short breath.

  Whether it was the lack of oxygen or an equal lack of sanity after the perfect night she planned going to complete shit, every thought that sprang to her mind was running straight out of her mouth without so much as a pause for filtering.

  “How can I expect to prove I can take care of another child when it’s pretty obvious I’m not that great at taking care of my own?”

  That was it. The thing scaring her the most. And she’d just spewed it at the man she desired. The man she really wanted to desire her back.

  But once it was out of her mouth, she didn’t even want to take it back. Don was already proving to be the kind of man it was difficult not to care about, but after seeing him with Kate in his arms, tucking her into bed so gently.

  Now it was damn near impossible.

  And if there was one good thing that could come out of tonight, it would be finding out if there was anything that would make him run screaming in the opposite direction, because this evening, in spite of her good intentions, was a complete shit show.

  Hell, she’d run screaming if she could.

  And that was before she saw the look on Don’s face.

  His eyes narrowed and the nostrils of his perfectly straight nose flared as he stepped close to her.

  “Beth. I want you to listen to me and I want you to listen closely.” He gripped the counter on either side of her and leaned down, looking her straight in the eyes.

  Her heart sped up and damned if she didn’t lick her lips. This was serious. She’d just unloaded a big pile of steaming issues on him that would most likely send him scooting his tight behind right out of her life and all she could think about was if he’d at least kiss her goodbye.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump that on you.” She closed her eyes, trying to forget how close he was. The undeniably sexy way the shadows of the darkened kitchen played off his already dark features. “It’s just been a really frustrating—”

  “I need you to be quiet for just a minute and listen to me.” Don’s voice was smooth and strong. “Look at me.”

  He didn’t have to ask twice. Her eyes opened and her breath caught at the intensity of his gaze.

  “You are the best mother I have ever met. There are so many kids who would give anything to have a mother who was half as caring and patient as you are.” He paused, his Adams apple bobbing as he swallowed. When he spoke again, his voice was tighter, full of emotions she could only guess at. “I would have.”

  Beth bit her lip and weighed her options. Option one, break down crying over the thought of Don as a little boy willing to do anything to have a mother who took care of him, protected him, and loved him the way he deserved.

  Option one was very tempting. Her throat was already tightening in anticipation of the crying fit it would bring on. But option one sucked.

  And option two sounded much, much better.

  So she decided on option two. Abruptly.

  If Don wasn’t in such good physical condition, option two would probably have knocked him on the floor.

  Them on the floor.

  Because option two was to wrap herself around him and do whatever it took to make them both feel better.

  And after the day she had, it might just take a lot.

  Don grabbed her as she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her open mouth against his. If he was unhappy with option two it didn’t show. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing so tight it was hard to breathe. But she’d happily do without air if he would keep kissing her back.

  His lips were hungry against hers as his tongue swept through her mouth, filling her with the taste that she’d been craving all day. His clean smell wrapped around her almost as tightly as his arms, and she breathed it in, memorizing the scent that reminded her of a warm ocean breeze.

  His hands were gentle but strong as they held her, softly forming to her body as he touched her, making her skin melt under his chaste caresses. He stroked her hair, her face, her back making her flesh tingle with each brush of his fingers.

  Don was so different from any man she knew and being with him made her feel like she’d never felt. Cared for. Protected. Safe. And it warmed her all the way to her core.

  Or maybe that was just him.

  Either way she wanted more. More of him. More of his touch. More of her fantasy to become reality.

  Beth pushed her hands under the navy blue shawl collared sweater Don wore, her pulse racing at the thought of being able to touch what she knew was hiding underneath, but her hands only met more fabric. She growled in frustration, fisting her hands in the undershirt tucked into the waistband of his slim cut jeans and yanked up. And up.

  And up.

  The damn thing had to be three feet long.

  Abandoning the undershirt she grabbed onto the hem of his sweater. That she knew she could get off. And she would have.

  “Beth honey.” Don tried to talk around her lips as she attempted to keep them firmly pressed against his. He was about to rain on her parade. She could feel it coming.

  Don moved his hands to her shoulders and held her firmly in place as he took a sizeable step back. “I don’t think we’re ready for this just yet.”

  Oh she was ready. More than ready.

  “What do you mean?” Her words came out breathy as she fought to recoup some of the air she lost hyperventilating in anticipation of touching him.

  A creak from the front of the house grabbed his attention. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped around the counter, putting the island between them as he peered into the front room.

  Beth crossed her arms over her chest, fighting the pout her lips were threatening to occupy their newly acquired free time with. “The house is old.” Maybe if she could reassure him, he would come back. “It creaks all the time.”

  “You sure it’s not one of the girls?” He continued to watch the doorway, obviously unconvinced by her explanation.

  Damn it.

  But she couldn’t be mad about it. He was only trying to protect her daughters from what would be a difficult situation to explain. He didn’t know the chances of that happening were slim to none. Yet.

  “Positive. Once they are asleep, they are both out for the night.” She snorted. “I think it’s the universe trying to make up for the other sixteen hours.”

  Don braced his forearms on the counter and leaned his weight onto them. He looked away from the room and back at her. “This is all new for me.” He looked down at his hands.

  Beth picked at the arm of the fuzzy sweater she threw on after her shower this afternoon, pulling off a ball of pilled up yarn and rolling it between her fingers as she thought about what this must be like for him.

  She wasn’t just a single mother. She wasn’t just a widow. She wasn’t just his boss’s sister-in-law. She was all of those, and while none of them seemed to be an issue for him, they would definitely make her a difficult map to navigate for someone with no experience with any of those things.

  On the plus side, she was very familiar with all of them and would be more than happ
y to show him the way.

  ****

  Don didn’t know whether to be proud of himself, or to kick his own ass. He gulped down air, trying to slow the adrenaline and the arousal fighting for control of his body.

  And his brain.

  “I just want to be sure we do this the right way.” And he was pretty sure running his hands all over Beth’s body while her girls were upstairs was not the right way. “And we need to address the pipe situation before it gets any worse.”

  Beth’s eyes went wide. “It can get worse than frozen?”

  “It might already be worse than frozen.” Don went to the sink, feeling confident he no longer needed the island to act as an addition to his moral wall. There was barely a slow drip from the fully open faucet. “I’m going to need help though. There’s no basement here, right?”

  “Just a crawl space.” Beth started stacking the dinner plates strewn across the counter into a pile with the silverware piled on top. “Is it something I can help you with?”

  Don gently snagged her hands as she continued to straighten the dishes they’d abandoned to watch a movie with the girls. He laced his fingers with hers, needing to touch her again. “Why don’t you go back on the couch and I’ll call Thomas.” He leaned down with the intention of giving her lips a soft brush with his.

  But her mouth was so warm, her lips so soft, he couldn’t stop himself from taking a little more. A little more that Beth was very ready and willing to give. She dropped his hands immediately, shoving her fingers into his hair and pulling her body against his. Hauling two sleeping girls to bed every night must be a great workout because her grip would be difficult to get out of.

  Not that he wanted to just yet.

  The pipes would be okay for five more minutes. Just a little more and then he would stop. He could feel the smoothness of her skin under his hands and that would be enough.

  Don gripped her narrow but rounded hips and lifted her, setting her perfect bottom on the counter she just cleared. She gasped in surprise, but recovered immediately, spreading her knees apart and pulling him to her. A groan escaped his throat as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed against his throbbing erection.

  “Don.” Her voice was husky in his ear. Her hands ran up and down his chest and her lips nipped at his neck.

  He slid his hands under her bottom and ground into her. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders as she rocked back against him. “Don that feels so good.”

  She was right. Never before had he been so aroused by so little. The little bit he’d decided to allow himself was gone and past. Moving against her, her soft moans and gasps egging him on, made him forget the timer he’d mentally set for himself. And it made him want more.

  He slid his hands under the soft, knit sweater she wore, moving them up each side of her ribcage, her skin passing under his fingertips, smooth and satiny. One palm went to rest flat against her back and the other grazed across her breast.

  Her moan was louder this time. He pressed his mouth over hers to drink it in as he pulled the thin fabric of her bra down to expose the full mound to his touch. Her nipple was hard and tight as he skimmed over it with his fingers.

  “Mommy?”

  The sound of Liza’s voice made him jump back, yanking his hands from under Beth’s shirt fast enough to make a teenage boy being caught by his girlfriend’s daddy look like a sloth. Also fast enough to leave Beth scrambling to catch herself as she fell forward.

  He caught her as she toppled off the counter.

  “Mommy, why are you and Mister Don hugging?” The kitchen light flipped on and Liza stared at them with one eye while she rubbed the other with her fist.

  “I, um.” Beth looked at him with questioning eyes. “I almost fell and Mister Don caught me.” She nodded her head as she gave her daughter the accurate but omissive explanation. “Mister Don has a knack for being right there when I need him.” She glanced his way and gave him a little smile.

  “I’m going to call Thomas and see if he can come help me, is that okay?” Don backed toward the door not intending on waiting for her answer. He needed to get outside in the cold air.

  “Okay.”

  Don barely heard Beth’s answer as he closed the door behind him and pulled out his phone. Thomas picked up on the second ring.

  “Everything okay?” The genuine concern in his childhood friend was a little bit of a surprise and a lot of relief. Thinking Don was an okay enough guy to hire on in a tight situation was one thing. Thinking he was an okay enough guy to be worried about after you catch him at your widowed sister-in-law’s house is another.

  “Yeah. Well, everyone is okay, but…” He took a breath, knowing after tonight there would be no doubt in Thomas’ mind what was going on. “The pipes in the kitchen at the farmhouse are freezing and I think I’m going to need help to figure out what’s going on.”

  “Shit. I bet the heat tape failed.” Don could hear rustling in the background. Probably Thomas getting up from his comfortable spot on the couch beside his pregnant wife. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Don slid the phone into his back pocket and propped his arms on the deck railing, letting the icy breeze cool what remained of the heat Beth stoked inside him before going in to face her and Liza. Hopefully he could do it without feeling guilty about being the man who just felt up her mommy.

  Opening the door, he stepped inside. The air still smelled a tiny bit of smoke, but mostly of lasagna and garlic bread. Don checked the kitchen sink and was happy to see the drip was picking up a tiny bit. Before he could go make sure the downstairs bathroom wasn’t suffering the same fate, Beth walked into the kitchen. “Thank you for not running away screaming tonight.”

  “Why would I run for the hills just because you can set off a smoke alarm better than anyone I know?” He gave her a grin.

  She stepped close and gave his stomach a gentle pinch. “You know what I mean.” She stared at the wood buttons on the collar of his sweater and her brow furrowed. More than once she opened her mouth to say something, but never did.

  Don cupped her cheek with one hand and tipped her face up. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else tonight.”

  She looked up at him. “I—” He wanted to hear what she had to say about his admission, but her words were interrupted by a pecking on the front door.

  “Mommy Uncle Tom is here.” Liza’s voice was accompanied by the sound of her bare feet running across the wood floor. By the time she got the door open, Don was in the living room to greet him.

  “Thanks for coming. I’m happy to be the one to crawl under there, but I figure I’ll need a hand.”

  Thomas tugged gently on Liza’s braided hair without even looking down making her giggle and squirm away. He kept his eyes on Don. “I’m glad you were here to catch it.” He dropped his voice. “I mean that.”

  “Hey Tommy.” Beth leaned against the kitchen doorframe. “My kitchen’s a mess. Don’t judge me.”

  Thomas laughed as he passed. “I think you overestimate the cleanliness of most people’s houses.” He made it two feet into the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks. “Did you make lasagna?”

  Beth straightened, her face brightening into a smile. “I did.” She was clearly proud of her accomplishment, and should be because from what Don gathered, Beth might not be the best cook.

  But she’d worked hard to cook for him. More than once.

  And he would happily eat shit if it meant he got to eat it with her.

  Not that he was hoping to test that claim.

  FOURTEEN

  “Levi honey, why are you still here?” Beth stood up from her desk as the little boy came walking slowly into her room.

  “I missed the bus.” His heavily lashed blue eyes stayed glued to the floor.

  The buses ran the same way every day after school. There was no way for him to suddenly miss his. This wasn’t an accident and unfortunately, his tactic was only going to delay the inevitable. But maybe for a kid l
ike Levi, a few minutes delay was worth it.

  “Okay honey. We can call your mom and see if she can come get you.” Beth picked up the phone and opened her planner to search for his mother’s cell number.

  “She prolly won’t answer. She sleeps all day before work.” His voice was quiet, sad.

  “Oh.” Beth set her room phone back in place. “How are things going?” It was a question she didn’t want the answer to, but had to know, as much as it would kill her to hear the sad details of his life.

  Levi shrugged. “My step-dad went to jail ‘cause he had all their drugs in his pocket.” His chin barely quivered. “My mom said it was my fault because I told you.”

  Beth wanted to scream. Wanted to wrap her arms around him and squeeze him. Then kidnap him.

  But that would be illegal and if she was going to be able to help Levi, she was going to have to do things she didn’t want to do.

  Like not kidnap him.

  She sat down on a student desk, bringing herself to his height so she could look him in the eye. “Sweetheart, nothing that happens to your mother or your step-dad is your fault. They are adults and they make their own decisions.”

  Levi nodded, but his head dropped, and he wiped at his eyes with the tattered and filthy sleeve of a jacket that was too light for the weather and two sizes too small for him. “Okay.”

  She blew out a breath and drug herself off the desk. “I have to at least try to call your mom though.” She picked up the phone and stabbed at it with her fingers wishing it was Levis’ mother’s eyeballs she was poking.

  The phone rang in her ear and she counted each one hoping for voicemail, because any time she had to talk to his mother the threat of violence always ended up on the tip of her tongue. And that was before she made the phone call landing her boyfriend in jail.

  After five rings the line connected.

  “What do you want?”

  Well this was off to a good start. The disgust in Levi’s mother’s voice was evident, not that Beth expected the woman to be nice but she could have at least said hello. Fuck you. Kiss my ass. Something.

  Beth forced a smile, hoping it would soften the anger in her voice. “It’s Beth Dalton, Levi’s teacher. Levi missed the bus and you need to come get him.”