Hers to Heal Read online

  Piper leaned over the side of the tub, her little arm looped around his knee. “I’ll watch, too, Dad…er…Reece.”

  “I’m unscrewing the fixture now.” He told his fake arm to tightly hold on to the spigot and not allow it to revolve, possibly hurting Gina’s foot. The cast-iron spout fell out of the hole in the tub, and his fake hand held it in place, slowly lowering it and her foot to the bottom.

  Gina didn’t so much as wince. In fact, she leaned her head back and spoke on a huge exhale, “Oh God! You did so good, Reece. You were wonderful.”

  Her exclamation zinged right to his cock. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to hear her say those words in bed after he’d made love to her. Don’t go there, man. He slipped the wrench into the tool belt, using that movement as a chance to adjust himself. “Don’t stand up. I’ll carry you and the blanket into your bedroom. I’m sure you know some exercises to get the blood flowing into your lower leg and foot again.” He waggled his eyebrows. “If not, I’ll give you a massage.”

  So much for hiding this hard-on. Not when just thinking about touching her makes me as rigid as the wrench in this so-called sexy tool belt.

  “Piper, will you be a good helper and take one of the towels on the floor to spread on your momma’s bed where her foot will lay? I still need to work the faucet off her toe.”

  Little blondie scurried off, eager to be of assistance. Reece slipped both hands under Gina and raised her from the tub. He straightened, her arms looped around his neck, and his real hand cupped the soft flesh at the side of her breast. “Does my fake arm feel okay under your knees? I never know its strength and I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “It feels fine, but not as good as your real hand does on my boob.” She batted her eyes at him and pressed her face against his shoulder. “It was gentlemanly of you to show such consideration for my belly button’s virtue by having Piper cover me.” She bit his earlobe and he nearly dropped her.

  “God, woman! Do you tease every man like this who comes to your rescue?”

  “Only if he’s wearing a tool belt.”

  He carried her into her bedroom. “Remind me to get a tattoo of one on my ass.”

  Chapter 11

  Gina had to admit that her first time at being rescued was rather nice. Reece could be caring and capable in an endearing way. Plus she loved how he reacted to her teasing, something she hadn’t done in years. What prompted her to behave so unlike her reserved, uptight self tonight? It had to be her hormones. They’d evidently united to perform a coup against her common sense. Damn hussies.

  “When I place you on the bed to remove the faucet that’s still holding your toe prisoner, prepare for the pain. It’s going to hurt like hell once I get it off and the circulation starts in that area. I meant what I said about massaging your foot.”

  “Okay. I’m surprised you never asked me how or why I got my toe caught in the first place.” Most men she knew would have told her how stupid she’d been. Then she would have been forced to remind them that stupidity was not assigned to one particular gender.

  He laid her gently on the bed. “I figured you’d tell me if you wanted me to know.”

  Piper sat on the edge of the bed. “The thing drips water all the time. It bugs you.”

  “Well, then, when I get it off Mommy’s toe and reattach it to the tub, I’ll see if I can fix the leak. I brought along some washers.”

  Gina couldn’t resist. “In your handy-dandy tool belt?”

  He was squirting more WD-40 into the spigot and those hazel eyes rose to lock on hers. The corners of his mouth rose slightly as the fingers of the hand he’d coiled around her ankle skimmed to her calf. And all the heat in the room swooped into her girly parts—swooped and scorched. She squeezed her thighs together.

  “Are you going to behave or not?”

  “I am behaving!” Piper pouted. “What did I do wrong?”

  “Nothing. Reece was talking to me. I was teasing him.” Her daughter’s mouth formed a silent “O.”

  His large hand clasped around the base of her toes while he twisted and lifted the spigot. A suction noise sounded and her big toe popped out. He handed the fixture to Piper. “Would you take this and lay it in the bottom of the tub, please?”

  “Piper, after you’ve done that, get your nightie, and wash off in the sink. It’s time to get ready for bed.” One glance at the clock told her it was nearing nine. There’d be little snuggle time with Piper tonight.

  “Okay, Mommy. No teasing him while I’m gone.” Off she marched, holding the evil faucet at arm’s length.

  Blood painfully pulsed into Gina’s foot. She must have winced, because Reece rubbed from her calf to her toes. He moved briskly, massaging with his fingertips as he went. “When the team found me hanging upside down and somehow got the chains from around my ankles, I remember the god-awful pain as blood finally flowed back into my feet. I was in and out of consciousness so I don’t recall how they got the manacles and chains off, but the pain brought me to consciousness.”

  “It must have been terrible.”

  He nodded. “Was a hellacious few days, both emotionally and physically. Left a lot of scars as you well know. That’s why communicating is hard for me, although you wouldn’t believe it the way I’ve talked today.

  “While insurgents tortured me to force me to speak, somehow I switched off my ability to talk. I know that makes no sense.” He shook his head once as he rubbed her toes. “I’d worked so hard at refusing to speak, it was as if I couldn’t talk once I had the chance. How’s that for crazy?”

  The pain in her leg and foot eased somewhat. “It’s hard to turn off a safety mechanism once you put it in place, especially when it’s done under traumatic circumstances. It’s become a survival technique.”

  He shrugged. “I guess so. I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “I’m glad you came to help us. I was about ready to have Piper call nine-one-one.”

  His head snapped up. “And have those lucky bastards see you naked? No, better to call me, the man with the sexy tool belt.”

  She was still laughing when Piper sprinted into the bedroom in her purple nightgown. “All squeaky clean, except for my hair and my hoochy.”

  Reece blushed, stood, and raised his arms. “That’s it! I’m through with girly talk. I’m going to reattach that faucet and see if I can fix the leak.”

  “Close my door, Piper, so I can get my pajamas on.” Gina slowly stood and, hobbling slightly, went to her dresser. From the other side of the wall came a surprising sound—Reece singing. He was belting out “You Had Me from Hello.” Kenny Chesney, move over, darlin’.

  Once she had on sleep shorts and a tank top, she folded the blanket used to cover her in the tub and the towel Piper had spread on the bed. Gina stacked them against the wall, her walking improving with every step.

  “Now, time for bed. Shall I read some of Plumdog to you tonight?”

  “But my da…special friend is here. I don’t want to fall asleep and miss time with him.” Ugh. The nighttime whining had started. “Where’s my kitty? You know I can’t sleep without Whirlwind.”

  Thank God, Reece could be heard growling at the cat to get out of his way between the lyrics of the song as Gina walked, pushed, and eventually carried her daughter to bed. “Whirlwind is helping Reece. Isn’t that nice? When they’re done, they’ll both come in to say good night.” She tucked Piper in bed and lay down beside her, opening the pages to the large book and trying her best to engage her with the drawings that made Plumdog so special.

  After ten minutes of reading, Gina closed the book, the purple fairy light on the nightstand casting a lavender glow on the room. Piper fidgeted, tossed and turned, fighting sleep with everything in her arsenal. “I want Reece to spend the night with us. He can sleep with you like all mommies and daddies do.”

  “He is not your daddy. He’s our friend.” I am so not in the mood for this tonight. I need wine and chocolate and twenty hours of sleep.


  “But I want him,” came Piper’s voice thickened with sleep.

  Gina rubbed her daughter’s back. Listened to the sound of Reece singing “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.”

  —

  Reece fixed the faucet so it no longer leaked. There was a scummy concoction along the walls of the tub. Gooey flour, probably. He looked around and found bathroom cleaning supplies in the small linen closet. After a lot of scrubbing, the tub sparkled. So did the bathroom floor if one disregarded the tiny paw prints of one small nosy-as-hell cat. Reece had taken a mop to the linoleum twice—damned if he’d do it again. He was mentally tired of telling his prosthesis what to do. Would the arm ever work on instinct? Experts claimed it would. He didn’t believe it.

  He peeked into Gina’s bedroom to tell her the bathroom was fit to use. The room was empty. He strode across the hall to what he presumed was Piper’s room and entered a world of a hundred shades of purple. Holy hell! Grape fusion. Message to self: Avoid this room when drunk.

  Both Piper and Gina were asleep, cuddled in the narrow twin bed. Gina’s one foot was on the floor. She needed the space of her own bed.

  Reece scooped her into his arms and carried her to her pumpkin-colored bedroom. He shoved the cream-and-pumpkin-striped quilt out of the way and placed her between the cream sheets. Before he covered her, he indulged himself in a long, slow look at her shapely legs. How his hand wanted to skim the surface of her skin.

  Time to hit the road, jackass, before you do something stupid, breaking the fragile trust you forged today.

  She stirred and moaned his name. Encouraged, his cock stirred in return. Reece backed out of the room, noting the three nightlights casting a faint glow. Was she afraid of the dark? God, she was a beautiful woman. Get the hell away. He charged for the front door, turning off lights as he went through the house, checking locks at all the windows, securing the dwelling for the night. Searching for the light switch in the kitchen, he stepped into the room.

  Holy Mother of God! When Piper said she and the cat trashed this room, she wasn’t kidding. He couldn’t have Gina waking up to this mess.

  How could one freaking small kitchen take him so long to clean? He carried a bag of trash out to the garbage can and two neighborhood dogs announced his presence with their barking. Reece recalled seeing neighbors pushing or dragging their cans out to the curb on his way here. He’d better take Gina’s trash out front so it got picked up in the morning. No sooner had he positioned it on the street behind his truck than a black-and-white eased to the curb. Someone must have seen him, a strange man, and called the authorities. In this case, a U.S. Marshal.

  A barrel-chested man exited the car, his hand on his sidearm. Reece broadened his stance and crossed his arms. Hell, he was too tired for an interrogation. Housework had drained all of his energy.

  “Howdy. I’m U.S. Marshal Clint Silver. Might I ask who you are and why you’ve been seen skulking around this yard?” The street light glimmered on his bald head.

  Reece extended his prosthetic arm. “Reece Browning, sir. Pardon the fake handshake. Gina is my therapist.”

  The marshal’s eyes narrowed as he shook Reece’s hand. “A little late for a therapy session, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, I wasn’t here for that. Gina had her toe stuck in a faucet. I was on plumber detail. Wait, are you the Clint Silver? The marshal who took down a Russian mob member and with a little knee persuasion got him to give up an important name?” He pumped the man’s hand faster. “Hell, ZQ is still singing your praises.”

  “Son, would you mind lettin’ go of my hand? That prosthesis of yours has a helluva grip. So you’re one of ZQ’s boys?” His demeanor relaxed.

  Reece leaned against his truck. “I’m proud to say I am.”

  “You sound tired, son.”

  “Clint…may I call you Clint?” The man nodded. “You would not believe the day I’ve had.” Comfortable with a friend of ZQ’s, he told him of Piper’s proposal.

  Clint laughed. “That child is one cute pisser. Indeed she is. I’m her unofficial Grandpa Clint. The wife and I were never blessed with children. Wasn’t for lack of trying. So, over the years we’ve unofficially adopted a few teenagers and young adults who needed guidance or good friends. With Gina, we got our first heart-adopted grandchild. She’s like a blond cyclone of words, ain’t she?”

  “Oh, that’s not all. Wait until you hear the rest of the story.” Reece proceeded to recount the frantic toe-in-the-faucet call and the mess Piper and the kitten had made of the kitchen.

  The older man was still chuckling when his cell rang. “That would be the missus.” He swiped his thumb across the screen. “I’m fine, Sugar Loaf. I’ll be home directly. Wait till you hear the story I’ve got for you.” He was silent for a couple of beats. “You just keep that black leather bustier on, love. The night’s still young.”—his voice had dropped to an intimate level.

  Reece covered his mouth. Hell, he didn’t want to laugh in the older man’s face. A fuckin’ bustier? He shot the U.S. Marshal a glance out of the corner of his eye. ZQ had mentioned Clint’s being in special ops in Vietnam, so the man had to be in his sixties.

  Clint slipped his cell into his shirt pocket. “Every man needs a good woman. They’ve got magical healing properties.” He waggled his gray unibrow. “See you around.” He ambled to the black-and-white, his broad shoulders square. The man still had that military bearing. Clint started the car and waved as he pulled away.

  Reece glanced at his truck, yawned, and looked over his shoulder at Gina’s house. Her back door was still unlocked. He headed inside. Some unseen force or need led him to Gina’s bedroom. He removed his prosthesis, toed off his sneakers, and yanked his t-shirt over his head. Damn, he was dog tired. Crawling into bed next to Gina, he nudged her, hoping she didn’t wake up screaming.

  “Wh…what is it, Piper? Did Mommy’s darling have a bad dream?”

  “Don’t be scared. It’s Reece.”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and snuggled her face against his collarbone. “I’m not afraid of you, Reece.”

  He brought her closer. “That’s good, baby. I just got through cleaning and I’m too tired to drive home.” His mouth stretched with another yawn. “Give me an hour or two to sleep…and…I’ll be…”

  —

  Whatever pushed against the small of Reece’s back woke him. He glanced over his shoulder. Piper was spooned against him, her little hand under his stump. Whirlwind slept curled against his head, one set of its claws lightly scratching Reece’s scalp. To his erection’s delight, he was wrapped around Gina, her rounded ass against his groin, his thigh over her slender one, and his hand cupping her breast.

  Damn, a man could get used to waking up like this.

  How had he ended up here in bed with the whole family? He didn’t move. He listened to the quiet of the house, the gentle, deep breathing of his sleeping girls, and the serene beat of his heart. Sunlight floated in the windows and seeped into his darkened soul. Roots of protectiveness for them all, including the damn spastic cat, took hold and wove a deep pattern of possessive strength through every fiber of his being.

  Was this a good thing or a problem?

  While lying in Gina’s arms throughout the night he hadn’t had one nightmare. One night of blessed relief. Not the kind his cock craved, but the type his mind needed. This woman centered him. He had no clue how she did it. Perhaps just by being the fantastic person she was: giving, caring, determined, and—yes, dammit—talkative.

  Piper kissed his shoulder blade and whispered in her sleep. “My daddy. Mine.” Drool trickled down his back and he didn’t give a shit. Daddy or not, this little girl had wormed her way into his heart. He could teach her how to ride a horse, play ball, and kickbox. She needed a male influence in her young life. He could give her that for as long as he was near Warrior Falls.

  Gina rolled over in his arms and sighed. One of her hands cupped his face and he shifted his head to press a kiss to her palm. “
Reece?” Her eyes snapped open.

  “Yeah, baby. Go back to sleep. You’ll wake Piper.” The cat’s claws extended into his scalp as a silent warning it didn’t want to be disturbed. “And the cat, too.”

  She rose onto her elbow, pushing the hair out of her eyes. “Reece?” Her hand went to his waistband as if doing clothing inventory. Her gaze swept over his shoulder to her daughter. Brown eyes narrowed. “How did we all end up in bed together?”

  “I was too tired to drive home. I asked if I could grab an hour or two of sleep here. You didn’t sock me in the jaw, so I thought you were okay with it. Sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep so long. Hope I didn’t frighten you. Believe me, nothing happened but a lot of snoring.”

  Piper, wide awake now that two adults were whispering, crawled over his hips to sit cross-legged beside her mommy. Happiness bloomed on her little face. “Now we have to get married. We slept together. We’ll be the Browning family! Yes!” she said with a fist pump. “Won’t that be great?”

  “Honey, it doesn’t work that way.” Gina rolled out of bed and glared at her daughter and then him. Her face tightened with an expression he couldn’t read. “Reece, tell her I’m right.”

  Evidently that was his cue to dive into the discussion. “Getting married is a decision adults make after they go out on dates and get to know each other better. Just because I was here for the night doesn’t mean we’re getting married.” He looked to Gina for her approval over what he’d said.

  She rushed out of the bedroom. “Bathroom!”

  Yeah, I could use a morning piss, too.

  Piper’s lower lip trembled and tears the size of boulders tumbled from her eyes. “Why…why aren’t I good enough to have a daddy like everyone else?” Sweet Lord, her pain was palpable and sharp. So sharp, it sheared off a portion of his heart.

  He curled his arm around her and sat her on his lap. Tucking two fingers under her chin, he lifted her little face to his. “I think you’re looking at this all wrong, my precious girl. It’s going to take a special man to be good enough to be your daddy. Not all dads are loving and nice. Did you know I have a twin brother?”