Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(77)
“You’ll be lucky if you can walk across the room.” He exhaled in a gust, hands on hips. “You don’t have to push it. Stay until you’re strong enough.” He turned and left.
Perrie closed her eyes in thanksgiving.
A reprieve. Time to plan.
Perrie made it to the table before her legs turned to spaghetti. It was barely light, and Davey still slept soundly.
Outside, she heard a steady rhythm. Glancing out the window, she saw him.
What a beautiful male animal.
Gilded by shafts of light streaking down through the trees, he could have stepped out of a legend. Stripped down to a sweat-soaked t-shirt, every muscle showed clearly the raw power of the man.
Perrie had borne a child, but she had never known desire. Simon had taken a child-woman and taught her all about sex, but nothing about passion. It had been the happiest day of her life when he had stopped visiting her bed and had gone back to his other women. When he had fallen hard enough for one of them and demanded a divorce, she had gladly agreed to any terms to escape him.
Perrie had always believed that she lacked something essential, some ability to be fully a woman. She had buried herself in being a mother and planned to live out her life alone.
But watching this man’s hard, dangerous beauty, Perrie wondered.
“Mom?” From behind her, Davey’s sleepy voice interrupted her thoughts. “Are you all better?”
She arose and clutched the chair as the room tilted. Quickly, she sat back down. “Maybe not all better, honey, but I’m really tired of that bed.”
He smiled and ran to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her neck. “I missed you, Mom.” His voice dropped to a fierce whisper. “I was scared. You were sick and I don’t know where Grandpa Cy is. You said he would keep us safe.”
Traitorous tears threatened. Perrie hugged him tightly, then settled him on her lap. “Listen, sweetheart, I have something…” Perrie squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted Grandpa here, too.
Then she straightened her shoulders and leaned back to look into Davey’s eyes. “Sweetie, Grandpa Cy got very sick, and he can’t be here to help us, after all.”
“When will he come back?”
She swallowed hard. “He won’t be coming back, Davey. Grandpa Cy is in heaven with the angels.” She watched her son’s beautiful blue eyes widen.
“You mean he’s dead? Like Sparky?”
The only time Davey had been allowed a pet had been the brief hiatus after the divorce. His little puppy had escaped and been run over. Davey had struggled with the concept of death.
Blue eyes glistened with sudden moisture. “You said he would be here.”
“Yes,” she nodded, “And I know he would want to be with us if he could. I know he’s watching over us right now. You don’t have to worry.”
He cocked his head as if she’d spouted nonsense. “I’m not worried. Mitch is here. He’ll take care of us.”
Perrie knew that her son’s confidence about their welcome was misplaced, but now wasn’t the time to make him feel less secure. “He hasn’t—he didn’t hurt you or scare you?”
Davey pulled back, honestly shocked. “Mitch?” He shook his head. “Mitch is great. He showed me how to fish and he doesn’t make me take a bath and he lets me—” He stopped suddenly, covering his mouth with one hand.
She couldn’t help grinning. “What?”
Blue eyes went wide, and he shook his head.
“Shall I tickle you until you tell me?”
Davey squirmed to get away, but Perrie held him close, laughing. “No bath? Better tell me what else.”
He giggled and squirmed harder. “Mitch said—” His eyes danced, and he shook his head.
Perrie’s fingers started moving. “Mitch said what?”
“No, Mom, you—” He squealed one loud scream, then laughed harder.
Perrie was laughing, too, but she knew she’d better stop before she dropped him. “I what, sweetie? You know you want to tell me—”
The door crashed open. Mitch charged inside, looking wild and fierce—
Perrie and Davey stopped cold, both faces still wearing traces of laughter.
Mitch’s heartbeat thundered. He’d heard the scream and known a fear beyond anything he’d felt in years. There was so much the boy could have hurt himself on—
He lost it. “What the hell are you doing out of bed?”
Every trace of a smile vanished. Davey’s eyes filled, and Perrie ruffled like a wet hen. She set her son down and rose to face him like a small warrior.
A warrior whose face had all the color of a sheet of paper.
“I’m a grown woman. Don’t try to tell me—”