Operation Ginger Avenger [Divine Creek Ranch 24] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  Her cheeks warmed, but it was the warming that happened below the waist that really surprised her. She couldn’t blame that on the oven as she peered in the window to check the bread, and then remembered he’d said he’d just checked it. She rinsed the few dishes from the meal prep while he worked, occasionally glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the pantry. All she could see over the island was the rippling muscles in his broad shoulders as he gathered and tossed more pieces of glass into the cardboard box. While he wasn’t looking, she rose up on tiptoe and watched all those muscles move as he twisted to reach the box. Watching his tight buns flex made her hands twitch. I bet they’re hard as a rock, but nice and warm.

  “You’re a good mother.”

  She jumped and nearly let out a squeak when she realized Troy was standing across the living room, watching her ogle Tank’s assets.

  “Huh?”

  “I said you’re a good mother,” he repeated. The devilish twinkle in his eyes let her know he’d caught her red-handed. “Bella is soaking right now.”

  “Did you find any other cuts from the glass on her?”

  “No, just the one on her foot and the scratch on her arm. It’s not even bleeding. One side of her bottom is red, though. That must be where she landed.”

  Jessica shook her head. “I don’t know how you can say I’m a good mother. I should never have put that ladder in the pantry. The honey jar was up on the third shelf. She could’ve broken her neck. I’m a terrible mother.”

  Warm arms wrapped around her from behind. “I’d hug you better if my hands weren’t sticky. You’re a great mom, so stop talking bad about yourself.”

  Troy craned his neck to peer back into the bathroom and murmured something to Bella and smiled at her garbled reply before looking back at Jessica. “Accidents happen all the time, especially with kids in the house. She got lucky, and I hope she learned her lesson. What I meant is that you weren’t freaking out, but you also weren’t just letting her off the hook or, worse, yelling at her. She has good discipline, and in time, she’ll learn that rules are for a good reason. Would you like me to wash her hair and bathe her for you? Or would you prefer that we set the table and keep an eye on the oven?”

  Jessica trusted either of them to take care of Bella. They’d been there for her first breaths, and even though there had been a period where she’d withdrawn from just about everyone when Bella was an infant, she trusted both men like they were family. But as a single mom, she was still concerned with what others might think.

  “If you can just keep an eye on the bread,” she said as she crossed the living room and handed him the potholder. “It should be done in less than five minutes. I won’t take long getting her cleaned up.”

  From the bathroom, she could hear drawers and cabinet doors opening and closing, the clatter of dishes and silverware being set on the table, the crackle of the ice maker, and Troy’s guttural exclamation when the unit spat out that last piece of random ice onto the floor after he’d stepped away.

  She giggled at the sound, and Bella smiled up at her while she massaged the shampoo into her scalp. Her daughter loved to sing, most of it nonsensical, but as she listened to her croon, she recognized the tune to “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett and began to sing along softly in the background. “Okay, stand up, honey.”

  With Bella’s chubby little hand securely gripped in hers, she made quick work of lathering and scrubbing the dirt and honey residue that was still stuck to her.

  “Mama?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Where’s my daddy?”

  Jessica paused for a second. She’d feared this question would come up sooner or later. It had been just a matter of time before Bella noticed that fathers, and not just mothers, came in and out of the doors of the daycare she attended. But she couldn’t exactly say that Trevor Dornan was someplace that she hoped he never saw the light of day ever again. Dornan had no rights to Bella, the judge had reassured her of that. “He’s gone, honey.”

  “He didn’t want to be my daddy?” She gazed at Jessica with innocent eyes as she swayed back and forth while Jessica gently scrubbed her legs.

  He wanted you, all right. But once he’d found out Bella’s gender, he’d altered his plans for a boy to pass his hatefulness and ignorance onto. Thankfully, his plan to kidnap Grace Warner and claim the baby boy she was carrying as his own had never come to fruition. Baby Grant Warner had been born safe and enveloped in the loving arms of his family. And Bella and Jessica had been allowed a chance at living without fear.

  “Honey, not all men make good daddies.”

  “Tank and Troy would be good daddies, I bet!”

  Jessica hung her head and cringed. I don’t think they quite heard you at the Dairy Queen, honey. She heard an answering chuckle from the kitchen.

  With the glee of an uninhibited three-year-old, Bella suddenly burst into song, her arms spread wide. “Baby, I cou’ die a happy man!”

  An amused “amen” came from the other room.

  Kill me now. She felt like dousing her hot face with the cup she was using to rinse Bella off with.

  Speaking of uninhibited, Bella showed her rosy bum as she ran squealing through the living room in a detour on the way to her bedroom. “Look at me, look at me! I’m nekkid!”

  “All right now.” Jessica tried to adopt a stern tone but wound up laughing.

  “Nekkid as a jaybird,” Troy said with an exaggerated southern accent.

  “I nekkid as a jaybird!” Bella squealed with childish glee as she streaked back down the hall to her room. Her dark curls bobbing all around her.

  After grace was said over the meal, which they’d arranged on her table along with four place settings, Tank took a deep sniff when she removed the lid of the casserole dish. Troy made a gulping sound and then chuckled. “That looks literally mouth-watering.”

  “Thanks.” She felt like preening as both men held out their plates for her to fill while Bella reached for a slice of the fresh bread. “It was kind of you to think to bring bread, and...wine?” she said, noticing the white wine in the glass next to her plate.

  “We didn’t want to arrive empty-handed,” Tank said as he watched the serving spoon move from the casserole dish to his plate. “I stuck the bread we brought in your freezer so you can use it later. Speaking of bringing you stuff, we brought a surprise for both of you.” He tilted his head to the kitchen island where two ribbon-wrapped boxes sat.

  “Are those from Divine Drip?”

  “Yep.” Tank fiddled with his napkin for a second and then looked directly at her. “Cassie said it was your favorite.”

  “Italian cream cake? She was right.”

  “And there’s something special just for Belly McPoohbear after she eats her supper.”

  Bella made a yummy noise as she used her spoon and got about half of the spoonful of chicken and rice in her mouth.

  Troy said, “We talked to Ace this afternoon. He did some preliminary checking for us, and he said he’d be willing to take the case on as pro bono.”

  “But he’ll have travelling expenses. If Dornan is in East Texas like you said, it’s going to require time and money for transportation, especially if they fly.”

  “We’re going to provide their means of travel. Chance and Clayton will approve the use of the helicopter.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because we’ve already talked to them about it. They said you’re like family to them and whatever they can do to help, they would.”

  Warmth flooded her chest. She was blessed to have such generous friends. “I feel like family to them, too, but I’ll still find a way to pay you all back somehow. It’s too much to expect for nothing in exchange.”

  Troy shook his head. “You can try, but we won’t accept repayment. I wish we’d known about him bothering you sooner. I know it’s ultimately up to you how you move on. Tank and I have wanted to help somehow, ever since we met you.”

  Tank made a soft
snorting sound. “If we sound altruistic, don’t be fooled, Jess. Getting past your worries about Dornan’s brother clears the way for you to move on with us, at least that’s what I hope.”

  “Is that right?” she asked, surprised by her own boldness. A sound distracted her, and she burst into laughter at the sight Bella made, with gravy and rice from the chicken casserole all over her grinning face.

  “Mama, I gonna need anudder baff. It got on my hair.”

  “Yeah, I see it jumped on you and all down your front, too. I expect you’ll be even dirtier by the time you’re done with your special treat. It’s a good thing I put you in a one-piece sleeper. We’ll peel it off of you and get you cleaned up in a few minutes. Finish your supper now.” She took a deep breath, grateful Bella hadn’t caught on to their conversation while she’d been painting her face.

  Hoping they weren’t irritated by the interruption, she turned back to the men. Troy wore a big grin as he swiped his spoon over his nose, leaving a wet trail, sending Bella into giggles, while Tank sat there with a sappy grin. Then his gaze met hers.

  Was the moment over—ended before she could answer them? Troy laid his hand on hers, where it clenched her napkin in her lap. “Is that something you’d like, Jess?”

  Tank’s expression was tender but with an edge of seriousness in the tilt of his mouth. “Is it, honey? Tell us it is and we’ll pull the trigger on investigating him. But I also want to know—need to know—if this is what you really want. We’ll help you either way.”

  Troy nodded and looked at her and gently squeezed her hand. “All we want is a chance.”

  “We want you...and everything and everyone who comes with you,” added as he glanced at Bella. “Whether it works out is anyone’s guess, but we deserve a shot, all of us.”

  Her heart lurched a little, but it wasn’t fear that sped its pace. It was hope. “Even knowing that I’m going to have bumps in the road, learning how to be...w-with you?” she whispered while Bella serenaded them with the jingle from an insurance commercial.

  “We’ll be learning, too. And remember, you’re not the only one who handles living with PTSD,” Troy replied, giving her a nod. Understanding was in his eyes. She wondered how it manifested itself in him since she’d never noticed any signs. He probably had a better grip on his symptoms than she did.

  Tank lifted his glass. “Here’s to trying.”

  She tipped her glass to each of theirs and then giggled as Bella raised her sippy cup, wanting to be included.

  “We have another proposition for you, Jess,” Tank said with a grin.”

  “Okay. Name it.”

  “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jessica seemed to take to their idea with enthusiasm, and Bella had been so excited that Tank felt bad about putting it all out on the table with her listening in. Some girls loved horses, and with Bella, it was starting early. Part of him was damned proud to be the one, along with Troy, to start her on the path. He just wasn’t sure if Jess would be able to get her little girl to sleep tonight—so they could enact the second part of their plan.

  Jessica coaxed her down the hall at bedtime while he washed dishes and Troy dried them. He could see Troy’s characteristic grin reflected in the window glass above the kitchen sink as he said, “I can’t believe she said yes.”

  Tank smiled at the thought. “I can’t either. It’s time to push her, just a little, to see if we can’t get her past...”

  “The first hurdles?”

  Amused at Troy’s obvious enthusiasm, since he used the word in its plural form, he nodded. “I don’t mean being pushy. But I think we’ve taken it so slow that she’s gotten...” It wasn’t like him to not be able to find the right words. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what he wanted. He’d just wanted it a long time.

  “Comfortable?”

  He sighed as he nodded. “Exactly.”

  “She’s been on edge, in the negative sense, so long that she’s forgotten there’s a good kind of edge, too.”

  Tank nodded as he rinsed the glass baking dish a second time and then shut the water off. The strains of the song Jess was singing to Bella drifted from down the hall and something almost painful pulled within his chest. A want that was so strong it had a physical ache. As much as his hunger for Jess was a physical thing, the idea of being a part of Bella’s life, forming a family with both of them, filled his heart with such warmth he couldn’t speak for fear of his voice breaking.

  Finished in the kitchen, he shut off the lights and they adjourned to the living room, now lit only by the lamps on the two end tables. Firelight would’ve given the room a romantic mood, something Jessica would appreciate, but it wasn’t quite cold enough for it and he didn’t want to risk looking cheesy. He grinned to himself when Troy eyed the fireplace before shaking his head. He chuckled when he saw Tank watching him and said, “Can’t wait for the first cold front. Both of our houses have fireplaces. Maybe by then...” He looked across the room, and his words dwindled away.

  Tank turned to find Jessica standing in the doorway to the living room, watching them, wringing her hands together. Where Jessica and her nerves were concerned, to hesitate was to lose the moment.

  “What were you talking about?” she asked.

  Before Troy could say something about the weather, Tank blurted out, “Keeping you warm when it’s cold.”

  Her half-smile disappeared, and she wrapped her arms around herself. The way she turned to the doorframe and hunched her shoulders was the last straw for him. In a gentle but firm tone, he said, “Come here, Jessica.”

  Hesitating, she met his gaze and held it as she inched into the room, her arms still tight around herself. When she drew close enough he could touch her, he could see the goosebumps on her arms.

  Troy sat on the other end of the couch, and they drew her down between them.

  Careful to not make her feel trapped, Tank unclenched one of her hands from where it gripped her upper arm. “You were somewhere else for a few seconds there. Tell us where you went.” The bones and tendons in her hand felt delicate between his fingers as he stroked her and then enclosed her hand between his.

  Her breathing slowed to a more natural rhythm as she watched his hands, and Tank felt her fingers twitch within his grasp. “Your hands are so warm. Gentle. Feels good.”

  Troy inched closer, and she looked over her shoulder at him when he brushed her long dark hair behind her. “Can you tell us?”

  “There was a draft in the hallway.” With a light shrug, she attempted to make light of her earlier reaction. She lifted her eyes to his.

  Tank admired her brave attempt to make light of her reaction, but he shook his head. “Are we trustworthy?”

  With a tilt of her head and a sudden sweet smile, she nodded. “Of course.”

  “You can trust us with the bad stuff, too. Tell us. This is not therapy. It’s building an honest relationship based on the truth. We don’t want you to gloss over the parts of your life that you think are ugly.”

  Her throat bobbed a little as she swallowed her fear, and the gulp was audible. “I-uh...It was winter when he took me. The house was old, poorly insulated if at all. He would leave me chained up for hours at a time while he was gone. When he left, he would shut off the power to the house...and the heat. I think he did it to wear me down, to be mean. The cold was damp, and it got into me so deep there were times I was sure I’d never feel warm again. I never heard any road noise or signs of civilization, so I had no reason to hope I’d be found. I used to love the winter...” She shivered as some distant memory darkened her gaze.

  With a slowness that belied the eagerness Tank knew he felt, Troy wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned in enough to share his heat against her back. She stilled and locked gazes with Tank as she took in a shaky breath, on the verge of either shrugging out of Troy’s hesitant embrace or...

  She lifted her hands to Troy’s forearms and rested them there. “He
took so much from me. Even though he’s rotting in prison, he’s still taking from me.”

  “Only if you let him, Jess. Don’t let what happened in the past keep you from your future. Bella’s future. Does what Troy is doing right now hurt?”

  She shook her head.

  “What if he tightened his arms?”

  Uncertainty stiffened her grip on Troy’s arms, but Troy remained relaxed, loose in his hold on her as he said, “I’d love to hold you tight, Jess, but not if it scares you.”

  “You don’t scare me,” she muttered as she looked away. “Damn it. I hate what he did, what he took from me.”

  “Let us take care of you,” Tank murmured as he lifted a hand and stroked her hair back behind her ear.

  “How can you stand the constant seesaw, though? I want to be held. I want to try with you. But then I freeze up from a simple touch.”

  “Your fight-or-flight response kicks in. You can’t help it. You can only overcome it,” Troy whispered before kissing the side of her head. “Can Tank kiss you?”

  “I...”

  It hurt to see her so torn, wanting to move on but unable to take the first step without her approval. It needed to be her that made the first move. Tank enclosed her other chilled hand and said, “Can you kiss me?” He was determined to overcome this first hurdle tonight.

  The way her teeth tugged at her lower lip made the urge to kiss her even stronger, and he leaned fractionally closer in case she needed the encouragement. Troy brushed her hair aside from her cheek and kissed her there then whispered in an encouraging tone to her.

  Her hands turned in his grip, holding on to him now, and the distance between them melted away. She kissed him with such a light touch he almost didn’t feel it, except for the trace of warmth her silky skin left behind. She opened her eyes and, gazing at him, did it again, and again, the last time brushing her lower lip against his and lingering for a couple of seconds before pulling away and licking her lip.