by Dale Mayer
Levi came on the phone. “Dani? What’s up?”
She tried to explain, but when grief overtook her, she began to sob.
“I’ll be there in the morning,” was all Levi said.
She hung up the phone and wiped away the tears. She needed to get out of here. She needed to go someplace where her love and affection would be accepted and not rejected. The animals. She stopped in little Molly’s stall, delighted to see her now snuggling up against Maggie. The two enjoyed seeing her. She spent several minutes cuddling them both and then walked out and did the rounds. Enough animals were here that any time she needed to mend her broken heart, they came willingly. How sad that she was likely to be here every day for a while now.
Still, she’d been in this position before. This was nothing new. She would overcome it like she had everything else. Feeling a tiny bit better, she walked home. Tonight she just wanted to be alone.
Anger still burned through Aaron. He pushed himself harder and felt heavier than he ever had before. Every one of his team told him to ease back and take it easy, but he just couldn’t. It burned him to think he wasn’t here just because his VA benefits covered it. The knowledge that he was here because some unnamed person had paid his bill churned in his gut. A charity case! He was damn sure nobody’s charity case. He had money. Maybe not enough money for this, but he had money to go to a decent center. Sure, he’d received great care here, and he’d enjoyed his time, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get the same care somewhere else. That was what his VA benefits were for, right?
Nobody needed to pay for him. He’d always been capable of looking after himself. Even when he got to his room last night, he hadn’t been able to resist doing sit-ups and push-ups. Now it was morning, and he had essentially had no rest. His stomach churned, his head was heavy, and he kept feeding it with more anger. Because the only thing he had left was anger. Betrayal was something he’d lived with for so long that, sure, maybe he was looking for it in other people, but … he hadn’t expected to find it anymore. Not really.
He’d thought she was different.
But just like his best friend who had blown him to shit over in Afghanistan, she’d blown him to shit here on home soil. He couldn’t accept that.
A hard knock came at the door. He considered ignoring it, when it came again. The forceful knock made him realize he couldn’t evade the upcoming confrontation. That was just fine with him as he was spoiling for a fight. If anybody from the center tried to stop him, well, they could get the hell out of his way as he was leaving as soon as he could. Today if possible.
“Come in,” he snapped, ready to stand up to whatever was coming.
The door slammed open, and Levi stepped inside—a very cold and angry Levi.
The surprise at seeing his brother pushed Aaron back to the bed. Suddenly, he was afraid this had something to do with the favor Levi was doing for him. “What’s the matter?”
Levi turned and slammed the door shut, before confronting his brother. “You’re the problem.”
“What?” Aaron frowned at him, anger churning in his gut again. The temper that hadn’t been very far under the surface since yesterday was firing already. “What are you talking about?”
In typical Levi fashion, he didn’t hold back. “How dare you target Dani for your little pricked ego. I’m the one who hooked you up with her center after the grapevine told me about your tirade at Walter Reed, needing ‘a change of scenery.’” He took a breath. “I knew how much progress the patients here were making. So I’m the one who paid for your care here. I’m the one who asked Dani to not tell you. You have a problem with that, then you tell me.” He took three steps closer to his brother and glared at him. “I’m right here. You want to take a swing at me? Do it. Get it out of your system. But it’ll be a long, cold day in hell before I let you blame Dani for something you should be thanking her for, and on your knees while doing it. So stop acting like a pissed-off child, throwing a temper tantrum.”
Aaron’s jaw dropped. He shook his head. “Why? Why tell Dani not to tell me?”
“If you’d known I had paid for it, would you still have come?”
“No. Hell, no.”
“Which is exactly why I told Dani not to tell you.”
He stared at his brother. Five minutes ago, he thought nothing could have taken the temper right out of him, but Levi had shoved a fist down Aaron’s throat, grabbing that fiery red ball of emotion and tossing it right out the window. Aaron sagged on the bed. He instantly realized what he had done to Dani. He’d blamed her for something she had no choice in. Because, just like Levi, when she made a promise, she kept it.
“I didn’t want to be a charity case,” Aaron muttered. “All I could think about was that I was no longer a man, no longer capable of standing on my own two feet, doing what needed to be done. Here people had to pitch in to treat me, bolster me so I could do what needed to be done.”
“Don’t be stupid. We all need help sometimes.” Levi glared at his brother. “You think I liked staying in the hospital for so long? Do you think I’d have stayed if I wasn’t forced to?” Levi shook his head and paced back and forth. “Do you think Dani didn’t have other people lined up to come here? Even now she has dozens of people to take your place.” He leaned forward and shoved his face into Aaron’s. “She did this as a favor to me. So you owe her a goddamned apology. If you don’t want to be here one more day, that’s fine with all of us. You pick where you want to live and transfer to whatever VA hospital you can get into. Then you can get the hell out of here.” Levi waved his hand dismissively at him. “You’re damned near well anyway. You could go home and look after yourself from here on out.”
He turned around, slammed the door open one last time, and walked out, not even bothering to slam it closed.
Aaron was left with the shambles of the mess he’d brought on.
He stared at the empty doorway, realizing Levi would likely have gone straight to Dani. Just where Aaron should’ve gone first when he had questions. When he had doubts. He should’ve trusted that she was doing what she needed to do. Instead, he got on his high horse and ripped into her, and for that, Levi was not very happy. It was a stupid thing to do. Of course, it had taken his older brother to show him the way.
Feeling like the little boy he’d been accused of being, he slowly made his way to Dani’s office, only to find it empty. He took a deep breath and realized that if he had to apologize publicly that was a punishment he well deserved. He made his way to the main buffet area and saw both Levi and Dani sitting on the deck outside in the sun. Levi was holding Dani’s hands in his. It was a jolt. Nothing could’ve made Aaron feel more like a heel than seeing his brother comfort the woman who Aaron loved. He felt like such an asshole.
He approached them quietly. Levi looked up and glared at him. When Dani saw Levi’s face, she stiffened. Aaron knew he wasn’t exactly welcome. He ignored that and stepped forward.
“I’m sorry, Dani. I had no right to blame you or to push you into telling me who my donor was. But to me, it was yet another betrayal. I didn’t think I could handle that again. Not from you. So Levi brought the truth home to me this visit. I am sorry.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t need any more physio or medical treatments that I can’t get locally. I’ll pack my bags and leave today.”
He turned and walked away, but she interrupted him. “How could you think you’re the only one dealing with betrayal?” Her voice was low and hard, but he could hear the pain in it. She pointed at Levi. “You know your own brother’s story.”
She stood and faced Aaron. “Now here’s mine. My last relationship ripped me apart physically and mentally, but I put myself back together, and I recovered. Here. In a hospital bed. Just like you. But what you said to me ripped me apart emotionally, down to my very soul. I’ll take a lot longer to heal from that. Betrayal is not a two-way street. Just because you were betrayed doesn’t give you the right to treat others the same way.” She glared at him. “This
center is where we give to each other. Where we accept that we all need help. It’s a place where we’re free and comfortable to both give and receive charity. There is no debt. There are no checks and balances here. We’re all here for one thing, and that is to help people move forward,” she snapped. “The problem with you is you.”
Spinning on her heel, she turned her back on him and stalked away.
Aaron turned to look at his brother, but Levi was already up and following Dani.
Aaron didn’t think he could feel any worse than he had before, but he was wrong.
Chapter 16
In front of the center, Dani watched Levi get into his rental and waved goodbye to him. He would come back tomorrow to give the good news to Aaron, but Levi had refused to share that today. As far she knew, Aaron would be gone by then, but Levi said he had faith in his brother. He was an asshole, but he wasn’t that big of one.
Dani didn’t believe Levi. Not after what she’d seen and heard. The little boy in her heart was gone, and the man he had become was not somebody she wanted to spend any time around. Not any longer.
“Stay strong,” Levi called out to her as he left.
That she could do. She had been doing that since forever. She returned to her office. At least she had a never-ending supply of work. About two hours later Stan called her.
“I think you should come down here,” Stan said quietly. “It’s Aaron.”
He hung up before she had a chance to say anything. She stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t coming, but she had no choice. If Stan had called, then it was major.
Hating the nervous panic and worry forming in her stomach, she made her way to Stan’s office. She stood in the doorway. “What’s up?”
He motioned her to one of the rear treatment rooms. “Go see for yourself.”
She was about to refuse, but from the look in his eyes, she figured it was easier to take a peek. She walked down to the last treatment room and looked in through the window in the door. Aaron was busy fitting a new leg onto Helga, but the dog was having none of it. She was barking and running away excitedly as he tried to strap on the prosthesis. She didn’t know why Aaron was in there all alone and not with Stan, but she assumed Aaron had a decent reason.
Stan stood beside her. “He’s been designing new prostheses for her.”
She nodded. “Good. Maybe that will be a career option for him in the future.”
“Maybe.” His voice was noncommittal. He nudged her arm. “Keep watching.”
She studied Aaron again and saw when he caught the dog and held her close, he hugged her tight. When he let the wiggling bundle go, Dani caught a glimpse of his face, saw the tear tracks down his cheeks.
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. Was there anything like seeing a strong man cry to make her heart break?
“He told me an hour ago he was leaving. That everyone would be more than happy to see him gone.” Stan sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I thought you should see this.” He patted her shoulder and left.
Stan’s words played on her mind. Yes, she would be happy to see Aaron go, only because having him here was a painful reminder of what she had lost. And he needed a stress-free environment to finish his healing. No matter how hurt she was, she wished him well.
She realized now how long she had cared for Aaron. She closed her eyes. She prayed that it was a year later … so she didn’t have to cope with this hurt, the pain … the loss. Opened her eyes. Saw Aaron with Helga. He smiled at the dog. But Dani still saw the hitch in his breathing.
She wished Aaron could somehow wipe away her agony. She almost laughed at the absurd thought. He was the one who had caused this agony.
She didn’t think he had the words in him to mend her, to fix what he had broken.
Then she saw his face as he hugged Helga close again. His tears.
Maybe he did realize how much he had hurt Dani.
Maybe he was hurting, just like she was.
Maybe he wanted her to wipe away the agony he felt. Even knowing full well it was his fault.
Wanting love with no judgment.
Oh, my … Just like the animals give us.
Here she had been preaching about two-way charity and missing this deeper point. Wow.
Both of them had to get over this for any hope of a reconciliation to come about.
Some harsh words had been spoken. Hurtful words. Definitely something she never wanted to go through again.
Either way, she couldn’t let Aaron leave like this. Not with so much anger and pain. Instead of knocking, she opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. Helga raced toward Dani. She laughed and dropped to the floor beside Aaron, hugging the dancing dog. “You don’t even need your spare, do you, girl? You just feel so free and unencumbered without the prosthesis. You’re just happy to be alive and well.”
“And to be loved.”
She stiffened slightly at the pain in his voice. She nodded. “I think that’s what we all want,” she said quietly.
“Do you?” His tone was bitter. “I’m sure any number of people who want that would love a chance to love you.”
“Apparently I don’t want any of them,” she said, tears choking her voice. “Seems I only like pigheaded, stubborn men.”
“You’re better off without those types.”
This time she looked directly at him. “Maybe … but don’t count on that. Because I’ve liked this one very stubborn male for a long, long time.”
His gaze was deep and fathomless. For a protracted moment, silence lay between them, as if neither knew what to do, what to say.
“I’m sorry.”
She studied him carefully, looking into his eyes, searching for the truth—and finding it. She sighed. “I know you are. The thing is, that was your one shot. That was the one and only time you are allowed to blame me or hold me in any way accountable for the shit in your life. No more, do you hear me?”
A slow, tentative smile dawned on his face. “I was in pain, lashing out. I didn’t mean what I said.”
“You drew blood. Like I said, I’m not tolerating that anymore.”
“Anymore? Does that mean you have forgiven me?” he asked, hope evident in his voice.
She looked at him for a long moment, then smiled. “I was afraid you’d react this way, right from the very beginning. I wanted to tell you, but Levi was adamant. For good reason,” she added drily. “You just might be a tad sensitive on that issue.”
He chuckled, then snaked an arm around her and pulled her close. “Thank you,” he said against her ear. “You’re a very warm, loving, generous soul.”
“Don’t you forget it,” she said with spirit.
They sat on the cold hard floor in companionable silence for several long moments, just happy to no longer be at odds with each other. “I owe my brother an apology too.”
She nodded. “You’ll get the chance to tell him tomorrow morning.”
He looked down at her. “He’s coming back?”
“Yes. He has some good news for you but figured today wasn’t the right day.”
“If it’s good news, I have no problem waiting,” he said quietly, his tone one of acceptance. “Besides, if I get to hold you in my arms like this, I’m happy to wait forever.” He dropped a kiss on her temple and just held her tight. “I still won’t be a good bet for a long time, you know?”
“I wasn’t asking for you to be a good bet,” she said. “You have a lot of decisions to make moving forward. You have a lot of things to consider. I was just hoping to be one of the things you kept in your life.”
His arms tightened around her. “If you have enough patience, give me a year, or maybe longer, to get back into a proper career. I have money. Not enough to pay for this treatment, but I do have money to keep myself going. I did speak with Stan about veterinary school, and I’m certainly considering it. This could be a five-year process.”
He looked down at her and smiled. “Maybe one thing I’m hoping to do soon.”
She frowned. “What’s that?”
He dropped his head and said, “This.”
He tentatively kissed her lips, as if testing the waters. Maybe it was too soon. But when she kissed him back without feeling hesitation or fear, he proceeded to kiss her passionately and thoroughly.
When he lifted his head, she said, “Yeah, we can do lots of that but not until the doctor clears you.”
Aaron snickered. “I asked him a couple days ago.”
“I’m sure he got a kick out of that.” And Dani would never live it down. But it wasn’t going to happen here. There were some lines that didn’t need to be crossed. Not when she had a house of her own close by.
Aaron shook his head. “No, I think he was half expecting it.” He fell silent again. “Do you think if I phoned Levi, he’d tell me?”
She studied his face and realized he had a lot riding on whatever Levi found out. No point in waiting. That was torture. She pulled out her phone and dialed Levi’s number. When he answered, she said, “Your brother wants to speak with you.” She handed the phone to Aaron.
Holding Dani close in his arms, Aaron took the phone. “I’m sorry, Levi. I had no business acting the way I did.”
Levi said, “Good … Glad that’s over with.”
Aaron laughed at his brother’s evident surprise. “Well, not quite. I’m still groveling to get in Dani’s good graces.”
He dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Keep groveling. That’s one hell of a girl. You’d better treat her right.”
“I will,” he promised. “She also said you had some good news for me, but you were coming back in the morning.”
“I don’t have to return in the morning,” he said. “Now that your senses have returned, I’ll tell you on the phone. We caught your buddy, on tape and over several beers, admitting to what he did.”
