The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream)

by James, Sandy

  “Too short,” she said when Katie held up yet another selection. The dress was a beautiful pastel pink, but Joy was fairly sure the hem would stop above her knees, no matter how short she was. And the bodice was deep cut. There would be no way to conceal her scar. “I don’t want to show my legs.”

  “Why on earth not?” Samantha asked as she pushed the stroller carrying Chelsea next to Joy. “The color would go great with your hair, and it’s really not that short.”

  “But...,” Joy began before she was interrupted by Katie.

  “Just try it on. See what it looks like.” Katie pulled out another dress and handed both to Joy. Then she pointed toward the neon sign that labeled the dressing rooms. “Go on. If you don’t like either, you don’t have to buy them. We’ll help you find something else. Just give these a try.”

  Joy nodded and squeezed into one of the tiny dressing rooms. She was just about done wiggling into the pink dress when she heard a cute little melody playing. When the insistent sound repeated, she suddenly realized it was her new cell phone. She worked her way into the dress, retrieved the phone from her purse, and flipped it open. “How the heck do I open a text message?”

  Fiddling with the phone for a minute, she was finally able to display the words that were evidently coming from Lucas’s cell phone.

  i love you

  Blinking a couple of times to be sure she wasn’t imagining the words, Joy’s heart began to pound a fast and furious rhythm. Such a short message. Plain and simple, but bearing more weight that any other three words a person could ever say. Tears pooled in her eyes. Never doubting that Lucas was her mate, she hadn’t realized how important it had become to her that he knew it too.

  Having no idea why he’d chosen that particular moment to confess his feelings, Joy didn’t quite know how to respond. Although she was confident in her feelings for him, she had expected Lucas would need some time, maybe lots of time, before he would learn to love her in return. And she’d anticipated even more time would pass before he would be able to confess his feelings.

  But the three wonderful words remained there nonetheless. Her heart overflowed with happiness.

  “Lucas loves me,” Joy whispered. It took her a few minutes to figure out how to send a responding message. And she knew it wasn’t pretty. While she was embarrassed she couldn’t grasp the frustrating new piece of technology, she was very proud of the message she sent.

  * * * *

  “So what do you think?” Lucas asked, hoping his voice was casual.

  “About what?” Brian said as he plucked a suit from the rack, stared at it for a moment, and then hung it back up.

  “About Joy,” Lucas replied. His brother and Seth had seemed to accept her moving in with little concern, but neither had said much of anything about the situation. Lucas needed to know how they felt. He didn’t want one of them saying the wrong thing to Joy because he figured she still viewed the move as temporary. She had no idea that he would never let her leave, and to keep her close, he needed allies. Pretty sure that Samantha and Katie were already in his corner, he wanted to gauge where Brian and Seth stood. “About her moving in with me.”

  Seth snorted a laugh as he shrugged out of a dark blue jacket he’d slipped on. “You should worry more about how Joy feels and less about us old married men.”

  “He has a point,” Brian added. “But we both approve if that settles your nerves any.” He gave another suit some scrutiny before shaking his head and hanging it back up.

  “Have you told her you love her yet?” Seth asked as he hung up the jacket.

  Lucas gawked at Seth’s odd question.

  “I’d strongly advise telling her how you feel,” Seth added with a fatherly tone. “You have no idea how much pain I caused myself by not telling Katie how I felt about her. Or how much pain I caused Katie.”

  “I... I... I can’t,” Lucas replied. How could Seth possibly think it was all that easy? Just come out and say, “I love you,” and go about life as usual? Never. Joy couldn’t possibly have developed feelings for him as deep as the ones he held for her. They hadn’t known each other long enough, and there were still the problems with Bela. Lucas wasn’t sure those difficulties would ever be solved. How could he possibly expect her to love him so soon knowing how her father felt about him?

  She needs more time. And I need more time to convince her.

  “Why the hell not?” Seth asked, sounding a bit annoyed. “Don’t make the same mistake I did, Lucas. Tell her. And keep telling her until she believes it.”

  Brian looked up from the rack of suits to offer his two cents. “He’s right, Lucas.” When Brian’s gaze shifted to Seth, Lucas thought he sensed some conspiracy being hatched, but he was too distracted to care.

  Could it possibly be that easy? Like Seth encouraged, should he simply come right out and say it? Just three silly little words. So why did he feel a wave of nausea at the notion of saying them aloud?

  What if he spilled his guts only to find out she didn’t return his feelings? What if he scared her away by asking more than she was willing to give? He feared he only had one shot at doing this right.

  No, I’ll wait. I have to wait to tell her.

  “Lucas, Sam’s got my cell again. Can I borrow yours for a second?” Brian asked.

  Lucas pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Brian before taking a smoke-gray jacket off a hanger and slipping it on.

  Brian made a quick call, probably to Samantha judging from what Lucas heard of Brian’s end of the conversation. Then Brian tossed the phone to Seth who flipped it open and started punching buttons.

  “Give it back, Seth,” Lucas scolded as he took off the jacket and hung it back up. “I don’t need you calling Timbuktu on my cell. You might be able to afford it, but I sure as hell can’t.”

  Seth laughed at him but kept messing with the phone. “Just sending a little text message. Just for fun.” With a mischievous grin, Seth finally handed Lucas back his phone.

  “Aren’t you hysterical?” Lucas scrolled through text messages sent from his phone, but Seth must have erased his message because Lucas couldn’t find it in the outbox. “Dumbass,” he scolded, making Seth laugh in response.

  Lucas shoved the phone back in his pocket and rifled through a rack of suits, searching for something else gray to please Joy. He hated wearing suits, hated wearing choking ties even more. At his wedding to Joy, the dress code would be casual. Jeans, t-shirts, and Joy’s beautiful bare feet. That notion brought a smile to his lips.

  Not finding a proper suit, Lucas shifted his attention to finding a dress shirt. Picking a size was tough. He knew he’d lost some weight while he was away. Eating at Gypsy had put a little meat back on his bones. Pulling two shirts of different sizes off the rack, he started for the dressing room. Before he even had the chance to remove his shirt, his phone signaled a text message.

  Fishing the cell out of his pocket, he flipped it open. The message was from Joy. He cursed aloud when he realized Seth had obviously sent his message to her, and he was almost afraid of what she would say in response. “You’re a dumbass, Remington,” Lucas grumbled as he flipped the phone open and checked Joy’s text.

  iloveyoutoo

  Lucas stormed out of the dressing room to yell at Seth. “What the hell did you text her?”

  Seth merely smiled and shrugged.

  “Damn it, Seth. What did you send?”

  “Look, Lucas. You two are acting like Katie and I did. You both love each other, but you’re too stubborn to say it aloud. I just...paved the road for you. Just three itty bitty words that people can’t seem to find the guts to say.”

  Lucas wanted to smack Seth and was seriously tempted to give him an earful of angry words. Then it dawned on him exactly what Joy had replied.

  She loved him. She really loved him. And all it had taken was the courage to confess his feelings. The fact that Seth had initiated the exchange wouldn’t make Lucas brush aside the tremendous benefits he�
��d reaped from Seth’s interference.

  “Where are the women?” Lucas asked, suddenly feeling the need to see Joy.

  She loves me. Great God in heaven, she really loves me.

  He didn’t deserve her love, but he was damn well going to revel in it anyway.

  Brian gave him a goofy grin and pointed toward a women’s clothing shop several doors down. Lucas broke into a run.

  * * * *

  After sending her reply, Joy slipped her new cell phone back in her purse and smoothed the dress’s skirt. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her nagyanya would have a stroke. The hem brushed against her thighs, leaving everything below open for the world to see. She pictured her grandmother clucking her tongue and shaking her head.

  The pale pink of the material made Joy’s scar seem much darker and more obvious than she was used to. With a quick swallow, she decided to step out of the room to show the dress to Samantha and Katie and get their opinions, hoping the scar wouldn’t come as too much of a shock.

  Pulling the door open, Joy was greeted with a grinning Lucas. “You love me,” he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her inside. Shutting the door, he backed her into the wall of the dressing room and put both hands on either side of her head. “Say it.”

  Joy gave him a coy smile. Her message had rattled him. For a quick moment, she wondered why it seemed so important for her to say the words when he had sent the message. Well, he would just have to work a little harder to make her say it first. “What do you think of the dress?” She swished the skirt and feigned disinterest.

  Lucas put his hand under her chin and raised her face to his. She was shocked at the fear she saw in those amber eyes, the need for reassurance. His expression stole away her desire to tease him.

  “Say it, Jozsa. Please.” The last word was whispered with the reverence of a prayer.

  “I love you, Lucas.”

  His mouth dropped to hers. The consuming kiss told Joy more about how he felt than any words ever could. Pulling away, he whispered against her lips, “I love you.”

  Nodding, she tried to choke back happy tears. The absurdity of standing in a dressing room, declaring their love for each other almost made her laugh. Nothing about their relationship had been conventional. “I really need to find a dress. What do you think of this one?” she asked, hoping to break some of the tension.

  His gaze raked her, and she was a little surprised how his scrutiny could heat her blood so quickly. Feeling the heat of a blush spread across her cheeks, she waited for his reply.

  Lucas gave her a scowl. “I don’t like it. It’s not as long as your other skirts.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “I don’t like it. I can see your...” He cleared his throat and stared at her chest. “The neckline’s too low.”

  Joy nodded. “I know. The scar shows.”

  Lucas shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t like you showing your...” He cleared his throat again.

  She couldn’t stop a chuckle. “You mean my cleavage? You think I’m showing too much—”

  “Yes,” he interrupted. “And it needs to be a little...longer. Too much leg.”

  “You sound like Nagymama.”

  “Nagymama?”

  “My grandmother. Did I tell you that Romungro women aren’t supposed to show their legs to anyone except their mate?” She watched his face closely to measure his reaction. If it was a day of revelations, she wanted to subtly let him know her intentions. Love didn’t mean just for now. Love means always.

  Lucas rubbed his hand across his chin in contemplation. Joy nibbled on her bottom lip, waiting for his reaction.

  “Sounds like a wise woman. If it’s a gypsy tradition, you should follow it. If we want your family to come around to accepting us, we need to do all the right things.” Pulling her to him, he gave her a quick, warm kiss. “I need to go find a suit. You need to find a longer dress.”

  After he left, Joy took off the dress and pulled her skirt back on. As she put the dress back on the hanger, she thought about his words. Lucas still thought her family could accept him. Naïve though he was, he still believed her family would allow them to be together.

  Joy knew better.

  There was a knock on the door, bringing Joy back from her thoughts.

  “Here’s a couple more dresses,” Katie said when Joy opened the door. “Lucas said you would be more comfortable with something like this.” She held up a sky blue dress that Joy knew would almost reach her ankles. “What’s up with him anyway?” Katie asked. “He was grinning like a Cheshire cat.”

  “He’s just happy.” Joy checked the tag hanging on the dress. “I might need a bigger size. The pink was a bit...tight.” She looked at herself in the mirror and saw Katie’s gaze fall to her scar.

  “Heart surgery?” Katie asked.

  Joy nodded, trying not to feel embarrassed. “When I was little.”

  Samantha had come to set Chelsea’s stroller next to Reed’s and had obviously heard the conversation. “One of my old grooms had the same kind of scar. Now I understand how you were able to get Lucas to accept his arm. You showed him your scar, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah. I think it helped him know he wasn’t alone.” Holding the dress to her chest, Joy thought about how it would look. “I really think I need the next size up. I think I’m gaining some weight.”

  Katie arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re gaining weight?”

  “Yeah.” Joy wriggled her shoulder to loosen the uncomfortable dig of the strap of her bra. “Even my bra is getting too tight.”

  “Bra’s too tight?” Sam asked. “Have you been tired, too?”

  Joy nodded, wondering how Samantha could be so perceptive. Considering her own face in the mirror, she saw dark circles under her eyes. “Awfully tired. And food smells...bad. I don’t know how I’m gaining weight when I really don’t want to eat.”

  Katie and Sam both gaped at each other for a moment before they both started to laugh. Joy wasn’t sure what to make of that reaction. “Do I look that fat?” She turned so she could look at her profile, but it wasn’t as if she could judge well when she always wore loose clothing.

  “You’re not fat, Joy,” Sam said with a reassuring grin. “Well, at least not yet. Looks like I’m not the only one who’ll be gaining weight.”

  “Give it a few months,” Katie replied with a knowing smile.

  “A few months? Why on earth would I...”

  The revelation hit her so hard and fast that she had to sit on the small seat in the dressing room before her knees gave. Sam came inside and patted Joy’s shoulder.

  “Didn’t you even suspect?” Then Sam looked back at Katie. “Déjà vu?”

  With a quick nod, Katie replied, “Just a little bit.” She glanced over at Joy. “I take it you’re surprised at the actual news, but not that it could be possible. Don’t feel bad. When I was pregnant with Reed, Sam figured it out before I did.”

  “But it was only once...” At least only once long enough ago we could have made a baby.

  “Well, the Mitchells are a bit...fertile,” Sam replied. “We got pregnant with Chelsea the first month we stopped using protection. God, Lucas will be so full of himself. Just one time, huh?”

  Joy nodded in reply, still feeling somewhat catatonic.

  “There’ll be no living with his macho ego.”

  “He won’t be angry?” Joy asked. Her heart pounded at the implications, and her mouth went as arid as a desert. She might have been able to coax the three words she’d longed to hear from Lucas, but she had no idea whatsoever how he would respond to being told he was going to be a father.

  She should have known. Her whole family bred faster than rabbits. Her three brothers and their wives had all produced children in the first year they were married. But even Joy was having a hard time believing that she could have conceived after only one time.

  Yet her heart suddenly knew. She didn’t need a silly test to co
nfirm her impending motherhood. The moment she had opened her heart and mind to the possibility she might be pregnant, she had no doubt.

  “Do you want me to go down to the pharmacy and get a test?” Sam asked.

  Joy shook her head, hoping the two women wouldn’t think she was being cavalier about the whole predicament. “No, thank you. I already know the answer.”

  “Some gypsy thing?” Katie asked.

  “Yeah, some gypsy thing,” Joy replied. “Please don’t say anything to Lucas yet. I need to find the right time to tell him.”

  Sam’s nod was a relief. “Our secret, but you need to tell him soon.”

  “Fine,” Katie said with her own quick nod. “But please trust me on this, you really need to say something soon. Things like this have a way to getting out, and not always at the most opportune moment.”

  Joy took the dress Katie offered and closed the door, hoping the women wouldn’t think she was too rude. She needed a moment alone with her thoughts and to come to terms with the revelation.

  Staring at her profile in the mirror, Joy wondered if any outward signs showed the world she was pregnant. There was a subtle fullness to her breasts, but only if someone who knew her well looked pretty closely. Amazing how it was so easy for her to see she was expecting even though her stomach was still flat.

  Joy did some mental arithmetic. Two weeks late. Always regular as clockwork, she chided herself for not paying attention. But things had been so crazy lately. Realizing she couldn’t be very far along, she knew there couldn’t possibly be any way someone would know simply by looking at her.

  “How can I possibly tell Lucas?” she whispered to her skeptical reflection. Knowing things had already moved way too rapidly, Joy was terrified at what would happen if she confessed her pregnant state.

  He’ll run. Very, very far and very, very fast.

  She couldn’t lose him now. Not now. Not when she knew just how much she needed him and how much he needed her. She would wait. Not too long. But she would keep the news to herself, trusting Samantha and Katie to do the same.