Justice for Daesha

by Deanndra Hall

  Amos had never heard anything so honest in his life. This woman … She blew him away. Her every thought was for someone else, and when she was thinking about herself, all she saw were her faults and her shortcomings. The room seemed lighter, the air sweeter, the day better just because she was there, and he longed for a way to show her how he felt without totally freaking her out. He searched for the right words to say. What were they? How could he make her understand? “You came back more of a person. You were compassionate before, but you came back more compassionate, more engaged. Your take on life is … I don’t know how to describe how I see you. But when I look in your eyes, I see everything that’s right about the world. And the idea that I get to sit here with you is … If you decided tomorrow that you never wanted to see me again, I’d be a better person just for knowing you.”

  She stared at him. “But why?”

  Could she not see herself? Why couldn’t she see the awesome person she was? It hit him square between the eyes, what he had to do and say. “Daesha, I’ve got to tell you something.” She nodded. “Look, I’ve been a shit, or as Jack would say, a dick. I was always the guy who wouldn’t date anybody but the most beautiful woman in the room, and I didn’t give a fuck who she was. I didn’t want to talk to her. I just wanted to fuck her. I didn’t want a relationship, or to know anything about her, or to even have a conversation with her. Women weren’t good for any of that.” He could feel his eyes welling, and he didn’t care. “And my god, I met you, and I wouldn’t care if I never touched you again in my life, if you could just sit and talk to me.” She opened her mouth to say something, but he pressed a finger to her lower lip. “No. I have to say this. You are without a doubt the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met. You’re beautiful and funny and smart and kind and loving and giving.”

  “I’m a washed-up soldier. I’m an amputee. I’m a―”

  Amos wanted to scream. “Stop defining yourself by all the things you think you aren’t and start defining yourself by all the things you are! Daesha, you’re remarkable. I don’t think you realize how remarkable you are.” Put yourself out there, Fletcher, a little voice said inside him. “Look, I want to spend every minute I can with you. I want to get to know you and you to get to know me. Maybe you’ll decide you hate me, I dunno. But I know this.” He cupped her face in his hands and smiled. “When I close my eyes, I see your beautiful face. I want to see your beautiful face every minute of every day. I don’t want a day to go by without seeing your beautiful face, hearing your beautiful voice, touching your beautiful hair. If I could take all the things I’d want in a woman I could fall in love with and put them all together, you’d be the result.”

  “But you can’t, so I’m not, right?” she asked, her lower lip trembling.

  “You’re that woman, Daesha. I want you with everything I am and have. I know we haven’t known each other even a week, but I can’t think of an honor greater than to be able to wake up every morning and see your gorgeous face.”

  A tear rolled down her face. “That has to be the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard.”

  “If it were a pickup line, it would be the worst. But it’s not. I have never, never, never told a woman how I feel, but I’m telling you. I’ve only known you a few days, but my world without you in it is unthinkable.” When his lips touched hers, he could feel a spark, the kind that lit a fire that would burn forever. Breaking the kiss and leaning back, he stared into her eyes. “I want you. I want those green eyes, that blond hair, that firm ass, those lush lips, and I’ll take the hardware too,” he said and patted the prosthetic. That made her giggle. “I want you, Daesha. Just you, all of you, with everything that comes with you. I’m making a commitment to you now. For as long as you’ll let me, I’ll spend every minute I can with you. I’ll do anything you need me to do. I’ll be a better man. Are you interested at all? Does that even appeal to you? Because if it doesn’t, honestly, I guess I’m fucked.” He let out a nervous little chuckle.

  “Amos Fletcher,” she said in a hoarse whisper, “I’m very interested.” Then she leaned in and kissed him.

  There was no point in fighting it. With that kiss, Amos gave his heart to Daesha. It was hers to do with as she pleased, and he was pretty sure she knew it. And for the first time, he wasn’t scared, or nervous, or ashamed. He was proud to be with her, and he hoped she knew that. She was the one who broke the kiss, and he smiled. “Can you stay? Tonight? We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want, but waking up next to you would be the greatest gift anybody’s given me in a long time.”

  She began to cry in earnest, and Amos wondered if he’d said something wrong. That fear dissolved when she said through her sobs, “I’d love to stay here with you. But I don’t have any clothes. And I have to be up really early tomorrow.”

  He gave her what he hoped was a tender smile. “Would you rather I come to your house? I don’t mind at all. I just want you close enough that I can reach out and touch you.” God, he sounded hopelessly needy, and he didn’t care. He needed her. He wasn’t ashamed of it.

  “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait until your dishwasher has stopped?”

  He laughed. “I rent. If it floods the house, I’ll just put down new flooring!”

  “I suppose I should put my pants back on, huh?” she said with a nervous giggle.

  With a smile, he stood. “I’d like to give you something, if you’ll let me.” Then he reached for her hand.

  “What is it?”

  “Do you trust me?”

  He could tell she was asking herself the same question before she finally said, “Yes. I do.”

  “Good. Come on.”

  “I need to put my prosthesis back―”

  “Nope. I’ll carry you.” Then he added, “Unless you don’t really trust me and want to be able to get away quickly.”

  “No, no. I trust you.”

  “Then stay right there. I’ll be right back.” Amos ran to the bedroom and rummaged around in a drawer, then found what he was looking for and ran back. “Close your eyes. I’ve got to put this on you.”

  She looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “A blindfold? I don’t think so.”

  “I thought you trusted me.”

  “I do, but … Okay. Go ahead.” Amos tied it behind her head. “Why do I need to be blindfolded?”

  “Because … I’ll explain in a minute. Come on. Wrap your arm around my neck. Gotcha.” He lifted her, and he was surprised at how light she seemed. Her weight felt perfect in his arms, but he wasn’t really surprised. Everything about her was perfect.

  Striding into the bedroom, he placed her gently on the bed. “Lie back. Head on the pillow. And clasp your hands above your head.” When she pulled her arms up and wove her fingers together, he smiled. “Yeah. Just like that. Keep them there. And don’t be scared. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to. If I cross a line, you tell me. Okay?” She nodded. “Okay. I don’t want you to think, babe. Just feel. Concentrate on the sensation. Wait―hang on.” He reached over to the nightstand, turned on his Bluetooth speaker, and set his phone to ambient music. “There. That’s better. Okay. Here we go.”

  Amos kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, then stroked down her face. When his fingers reached her chin, he kissed her, not a deep kiss, but a sweet one. He traced her lips with one finger and ran it down her chin, down her neck, and between her breasts but on top of her shirt. Using both hands, he brushed his fingers around and around her breasts, but never touched her nipples. Then he dragged them downward and brushed them back and forth across her belly, listening to her gasp. As he swept them down the outsides of her hips, he kissed her just above her navel and listened to her gasp again. Using the index and middle finger of each hand, he moved from the outsides of her hips to stroke down her groin and the insides of her thighs, and she squirmed and let out a little squeak, but he kept going. “How does that feel?” he asked.


  “Hot.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  A little rumble came from his chest, almost a growl, and he felt powerful and masculine. It occurred to him that he was making love to a woman without using sex, and that made him feel even more powerful. He stroked down the top of her right leg to her knee, then wrapped his hands gently around her upper thigh and stroked all the way down to her ankle. When he got there, he pressed a palm to the sole of her foot and applied gentle pressure, stroking the tops of her toes with the other hand. He knew she thought he was through.

  He was not.

  When he moved his hands away from her foot, he traced a finger down the top of her other leg to her stump. Then he wrapped his hands around that thigh and stroked downward until he reached the terminus of that limb.

  His hands were warm and soft when he stroked her scar, and he felt her tense up at first. He’d expected that. Then he did the one thing he knew she wouldn’t expect.

  Leaning down, he lifted her leg and kissed her scar over and over, traced it with his tongue, and then cupped both hands over it and held it, his palms pressed against the end. Still holding it, he whispered up to her, “You’re beautiful, Daesha, every part of you.”

  She wailed, and Amos let her. It was the sound of a broken heart, years of loneliness, and too much time to think about all the horrible things that had happened. He just sat there and held her leg, letting her release all that aching and burning inside. When she began to quiet just a little, he released it and moved up to lie beside her, then took her in his arms.

  Daesha tucked her head under his chin and pressed herself against him. She was still crying, but it was a quiet thing, almost like she was washing away anything left over from her sorrow. Amos just wanted to hold her all night. All he could think about was the bird in his arms, the one with the broken wing, the one he wanted to see fly again. It would be his greatest accomplishment, teaching her to love who she was in all her perfection and imperfection. He didn’t hesitate when he asked her, “Now, do you feel loved and cherished.”

  “Uh-huh,” she mumbled against his neck.

  “That’s because you are.” The little kiss he placed on the crown of her head was more of a promise.

  She reached up and pulled the blindfold off, then gazed into his eyes with her green watercolor ones. “Thank you. Nobody’s ever treated me this way.”

  “This is what you’ll have when you’re with me. I’d like to worship you, but you’d have to acknowledge that you were a queen first.”

  “I’m no queen.”

  “You know, I don’t think you are. You know what you are?” She shook her head. “You’re a warrior princess. You’ve slayed all the dragons that have come for you, and you’ve lived to tell. That’s quite an accomplishment, warrior princess.” She giggled. “Still want me to come to your house?”

  “Oh, I want you to come to my house even more now,” she said and kissed his chin.

  “Then I guess we’d better get going. You’re going to have to get to bed soon, and I want to be there with you.”

  “I want you there with me. Who are you, Amos Fletcher, and where did you come from? Where have you been until now?”

  “I think,” he said and kissed the tip of her nose, “I was looking for you.”

  Chapter 4

  They pulled up in her drive and the garage door opened. When she pulled her little car in, he could see her through the back windshield, motioning for him to pull his in too, so he parked it beside hers and she hit the button to close the door. By the time he got out of his Jeep, she already had her keys out and had opened the door from the garage to the house.

  She was disarming the alarm system when he stepped inside and closed the door. “Want something to drink?” she asked as she opened the refrigerator door.

  “Got a beer?”

  “Sure do. I’ve got about five different kinds.” As she recited them, he picked a Bell’s brew. He’d always had a fondness for their products, and he was surprised and glad that she had an Oberon in her refrigerator.

  Once he opened it, he took a swig and set it on the counter. She’d walked to the back window and was looking out when he heard her mutter, “Oh, shit.” There was no time to ask what was wrong before she threw the back door open and took off.

  “What the hell?” he yelled.

  “Help me!” she screamed as she ran, and he chased after her, surprised at how fast she could move on the prosthetic.

  She threw open the gate and ran toward the pond. He wasn’t sure what she’d seen, but he kept running and when he got close, he saw it.

  A horse. It was in the pond, thrashing about, and she’d already dropped to the grass and was pulling off her shoes, pants, and prosthetic. “Don’t! I’ll do whatever you need me to! What do I do?” he bellowed, pulling off his shoes, socks, and jeans.

  “She won’t trust you! I have to do it! Help me get out there, please?” she yelled, and Amos grabbed her arm and let her hop along beside him until they got to the edge of the pond. “The bottom is kind of slippery, but you’ll figure it out in a few seconds.” As soon as he dropped down into the pond, he helped her slide down into it and worked to stay upright while acting as her crutch. They moved along and he listened to her.

  “Ivory, baby, it’s Mom. It’s okay, honey. I’m going to help you. You’ll be fine. Calm down. You got too close again.” To his surprise, the horse began to quiet, and before they could reach it, it had rolled to a lying position. “That’s a good girl. Now, come on. You can stand up. It’s not too deep. Come on, baby, you can do it. That’s a good girl.” They reached the horse and Daesha stroked her neck. “Come on, pretty baby. Stand up. Come on. You can do it.” Amos watched in amazement as the horse worked until it was standing. “Okay. Come on. I’ll help you. This way, sweetie,” Daesha crooned and grabbed the mare’s halter with her free hand. They walk-hopped along, her leading the horse, until they reached the edge of the pond. When they did, she took her free hand, lifted one of the horse’s front legs, and put it on the bank. That was all it took, and the animal climbed out of the pond, stood on the firm ground, and shook.

  Amos helped her climb out and get to the horse. “Oh, poor old girl. It’s okay, baby. You know not to do that. Why did you do that?”

  “What the hell? Why was she doing that?”

  Daesha cut her eyes to look at him, still stroking the horse’s neck. “She’s blind, Amos. Blind as a stone. She rarely comes over here, but she must’ve gotten disoriented and fallen in. She’s done that a few times, but I guess I’m going to have to put a fence around the pond. I hate to do that. Felix will be upset.”

  “Felix? Who’s Felix?” A loud noise came from behind them, and Amos turned to look at the source.

  A donkey stood there, a little guy barely three feet at his withers, and he was braying his head off. “Felix! Cut it out! Ivory’s fine! Mom got her! She’s okay.” At the sound of her voice, he got quiet, but he came straight to them. As he did, Amos noticed he was walking oddly.

  “What’s wrong with him? He’s walking funny.” Then he noticed something odd.

  The donkey didn’t have any ears. What in the hell? he wanted to shout.

  “He belonged to these hicks who thought it would be funny to cut his ears off. He was just a little guy when they did it. Without his ears, stuff fell down in his ear canals and he was always getting ear infections. When that happened, he’d lose his balance and fall down, which they thought was funny for a while. After a while, he wasn’t that entertaining anymore, so they broke one of his back legs and left him to die.”

  “What? No!” Amos was appalled. Who were these idiots?

  “Yeah. A neighbor saw him and called the sheriff’s office. They came out and arrested the people. Of course, they got almost no jail time and paid almost no fines. Animal control came and took him away to a vet’s office. They wanted to put him down, but the vet said he could save Felix, so he did surgery and put a rod in his leg.
That’s when I found out about him. They were having a fundraiser to pay for his treatment. When I saw him, I paid his vet bill and brought him home with me. He’s been here ever since, haven’t you, boy?” she said sweetly and scratched the donkey’s mane. The little fella sidled up to her and rubbed his face against her thigh.

  “What’s that on his head? Are those … tea strainers?”

  She laughed. “Yeah. I managed to string them together with leather straps and make that contraption to put over his ear canals. It keeps the dust and debris out without impeding his hearing. I’ve got like six of them. Sometimes Azalea chews them off.”

  “Azalea?” Amos looked around, and that was when he saw her.

  There was a goat standing across the way from them, and when she heard Daesha call her name, she came running, bleating the entire way. As she got closer, Amos noticed that she looked weird. “What happened to her?”

  “Kid set her on fire. Burned her skin pretty badly. They did skin grafts and saved her, and we were all surprised when her hair grew back. Of course, it doesn’t look right, but at least she’s got hair. Right, girl?” Daesha asked the goat and scratched its face. It nodded and butted the donkey, who turned and licked its snout.

  “This is quite the bunch you’ve got here,” Amos said and smiled.

  “I did have a three-legged dog, but he died last year. But gosh, he was like sixteen or so, so he had a good long life.” She stroked the horse’s face. “I’ve got to get inside, get cleaned up, and get my prosthetic back on. Can you help me in and come back and get my stuff?”

  “Yeah. What do you want to do about the horse?” Amos asked as he helped her hop toward the house.

  “As soon as I get all cleaned up, I’ll put her in the barn for the night, and tomorrow morning I’ll put her in the back pasture. She’ll be safe back there. Before I go to rehearsal, I’ll brush the mud out of her coat.”