“Okay,” she said, leaning into him for a hug. “Dad called,” she added in a scratchy voice. “He wanted me to know he wouldn’t be hitting a bar tonight. Said he’s contemplating opening a landscaping business. I don’t know that there’s a lot of call for that type of thing in these parts. Most people do their own yard work. But he’s excited and that makes me happy.”
“I’m glad. For both of you.”
“Thank you for setting him on a new path.”
“You had a big hand in that.”
“Just say, you’re welcome.”
His lip twitched. “You’re welcome.”
She released a contented sigh and gave him one last squeeze. “Goodnight, Joe.”
Smiling, he hooked his finger beneath her chin, stealing a kiss as his way of returning the sentiment. She tasted like chocolate and he had the sudden vision of her nibbling on candy while writing about castles and unicorns, and damn if that didn’t melt more of his iron heart.
“You could stay.”
Tempting, but she still seemed out of it and Joe was preoccupied with thoughts of the future. His. Hers. Thiers. “But then I’d be tempted to keep you awake. See you in the morning, Princess.” He nipped her bottom lip then left before giving into second thoughts.
Joe slipped into his room. He shed his damp clothes and toweled off in the connecting washroom. All the while, thinking, planning. Naked, he crawled into his bed with his phone, searching construction companies as a storm raged outside. One lightning strike could set that whole damned park ablaze. He thought about Bella sleeping in the next room. He had to keep her safe.
Thunder rattled the windowpanes. Rain pelted. Lightning flashed. It sounded like a damned nor’easter. He checked the weather for a tornado warning. Nothing yet, but the night was young. Zeke Mooney had to be loving this.
Unlike Killer who jumped up and burrowed under the extra blanket at the foot of Joe’s bed.
Five minutes later, Bella appeared on the threshold.
“I don’t want you to be alone,” she said in a soft voice, which he assumed was code for:
I’m scared
.
Joe set aside his phone and pulled back the sheets, inviting her to join him. In the process, she jostled Killer who gave an annoyed yowl.
Bella screwed up her sleepy face. “I thought he wasn’t allowed inside.”
“He got passed me,” Joe lied as he switched off the lamp.
“Or maybe you took pity on him because of the thunderbuster outside?”
“Definitely not.”
She smiled against his chest while settling in and snuggling against him. “You’re a good man, Joe Savage.”
He swallowed hard, thinking back on a few days before when she’d pegged him a monster. She’d been closer to the truth then. What would she say if she knew he’d pounded a man within an inch of his life? If not for Val, he would have killed the bastard without an ounce of regret.
Joe’s mind rehashed the past as the storm raged and Bella clung.
Long after she’d fallen asleep, he finally drifted off. With an angel in his arms and the devil in his soul.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Once upon a Monday
…
Bella woke at dawn still wrapped in Savage’s arms. She lay there several minutes, unmoving as she struggled to clear her sluggish mind. Remnants of broken dreams lingered. Dreams of noble knights and good deeds. And nightmares. Those were fuzzy and Bella was glad. They were no doubt rooted in Ryan’s revelation. She had no desire to relive the visions he’d inspired.
She tempered her breathing, her eyes focused on a wall of muscle. On Joe. She was safe. He was safe.
Dude in distress
.
Safe
.
Not wanting to break contact and still mired in an early morning haze, Bella reasoned her way through her scrambled notions.
Yesterday had been a long and eventful day. The day before much the same. And, yeah, the day before that had been mentally and emotionally exhausting as well. No wonder she was discombobulated. She smiled. She loved that word. The sound of that word. Sort of like derring-do.
Which circled her thoughts back to Savage.
Her senses reeled with his scent, his heat. Her mind glitched as she pushed through the morning fog into full awareness. She was pressed against his hard body. Hard in places she shouldn’t notice, but did, because, hello, he was naked.
Bella cursed a surge of randy thoughts. She was here, in his bed, as a result of noble intentions. Her noble intentions. She’d hugged him through the night, offering all the empathy and comfort and love she could conjure. He’d assumed she was frightened of the storm and she’d allowed him to believe that rather than give up her true motivation.
Part of her wished she’d never pushed Ryan for details regarding Savage’s past. In her wildest dreams she’d never imagined his demons were tied to a sex ring that preyed on children. At least she’d resisted the urge to scour the internet for more specifics regarding that task force. She trusted Ryan had glossed over the more graphic details for good reason. He’d known her for a long time. He knew when she read the daily news she avoided shocking reports in favor of feel good features. He knew she preferred fairy tales over horror fiction. Rom-coms over slasher films.
Even though she’d only been acquainted with Savage for a short time, he knew she interacted with children on a daily basis at the library. He’d seen her in action at story hour. He’d skimmed her fanciful moral tales. He probably assumed she’d be traumatized were she privy to what he’d seen, what he knew. So like a soldier returning from the battlefield, he locked away the horrors of war rather than subject family and friends to his private hell. She appreciated his sensitivity. She respected his privacy. But how did someone function with all that ugliness festering inside? Would it fade or intensify? Would he cope or would he snap?
She’d spent the last several months hoping, waiting, praying for her dad to open up and to share his sadness regarding the loss of her mom. That day had yet to come and she wondered if it ever would. At least he was on the mend. Which meant she could safely turn her energies to restoring Savage’s faith in mankind. She’d started last night. She’d written her heart out, gifting Sir Driscoll with super powers and his very own winged horse. She’d given him a noble agenda and she’d helped him to see the good in the world.
Spinning that fantasy into reality for Savage might take some time, but she had faith. He wanted to believe and that was a monumental step in the right direction.
For Bella the challenge entailed suppressing everything she’d learned from Ryan. She couldn’t hug Savage—making everything all better in her mind—24/7. Life had to be lived. She was expected at the library this morning and he had an appointment with Tank. More immediately, someone needed to let Killer outside before he had an accident.
Note to self:
Buy a kitty box and litter
.
Not wanting to disturb the soundly sleeping man, Bella gently extricated herself from their tangled limbs. She swallowed her disappointment, because what sane woman wouldn’t want to indulge in some morning delight with a gorgeous, extremely naked hunk?
Just as she thought she’d made her escape, he nabbed her wrist. “Where are you going?”
“To let Killer outside.”
“I’ll do it. You wait here.”
“I have to shower for work.”
“Use the stall in the main bath. I’ll let Killer out then I’ll join you.”
The ornery spark in his eye triggered an erotic vision. Soaping up with Savage certainly counted as morning delight. Her skin tingled and her cheeks flushed. “Angel’s picking me up at eight. I don’t have a lot of time to fool around.”
“I don’t need a lot of time to make you come.” He tugged her down for a teasing kiss.
Her entire body thrummed. “You sound awfully sure of yourself. And me.”
He grinned then rolled out of bed and padded across the room buck-naked. “Are you staring at my ass?”
His oh-so-fine gluteus maximus gave new meaning to buns-of-steel. She crooked her own grin. “Uh, huh.”
He cast her a look that kick-started that promised orgasm. “As soon as I find the mouser, I’m booting him outside. Meet me in the shower.”
“I might have to start without you,” Bella blurted. Good Lord. He did bring out the bad in her.
“I wouldn’t mind walking in on that,” he said with a devilish wink and then he was gone.
* * *
Joe promised himself that the next time he made love to Bella it would be a leisurely marathon. Not that he didn’t enjoy a quickie, but they’d rushed twice now. Not that she’d complained. According to Bella, once again, Joe had set her world on fire, even though they’d been in the shower.
He’d delivered, true to his word, getting off on the explosive way her body responded to his touch. He’d never lacked confidence pleasuring women and was always rewarded in kind, but sex with Bella surpassed his vast and varied experiences. He assumed it was because he loved her. And because he loved her, he wanted to be honest about what he could offer. It wasn’t the kind of fairy tale relationship she probably had in mind. For one, he didn’t want children. His reasons were many. If she understood even one, would it make a difference? Would she be willing to invest in their relationship knowing it would always be just the two of them? Would she be willing to live with his demons, because, damn, as much as Bella brightened his life, the darkness lurked.
She’d been living in his house for one day and he knew he wanted her there forever. Since everything was moving at lightning speed, he had to step up his game. She deserved to know what she was getting into before she got in too deep. What he could share about his past was limited, but it affected her future so he had to find a way to navigate that minefield.
Joe sat on the porch swing, sipping his coffee, contemplating a plan. Killer—who’d made it through the night accident-free—was curled against his thigh. Bella had promised to join them after she dried her hair and dressed. He’d offered to make her breakfast but she confessed to being a donut and coffee kind-of-gal who usually grabbed something quick-to-go from the bakery.
Joe didn’t have any donuts, so he’d made her a piece of toast and slathered it with apple butter. He knew from last night at the Caboose that she liked her coffee white and sweet. He offered her both when she blew out the door and onto the porch.
She looked cute as hell in her official library attire—tan capris, bright blue polo, and one of those genie-like ponytails. The blue gym shoes with the purple laces and glittery flowers were less conventional and wholly Bella. She blinked at the foil-wrapped toast and plastic travel mug. “That was really kind. Thank you.” She smiled. “As it happens, Angel’s running late. I have fifteen minutes grace.”
He thought back on Bella’s slick, soapy curves. “Wish I’d known that earlier.”
“I’m still wobbly from the time we had,” she said, blues eyes dancing. “Not sure I’d survive a full half hour.”
“You’d survive.” Focused on her beautiful face, Joe followed his heart. “Can you walk and eat?”
“Actually, I’d rather save this for later.” She tucked the toast into her bag and swung it around so the bulk rested on her hip. Travel mug in hand, she raised her brows. “Where to?”
“Funland.”
“Okay.” She looked suspicious, but she didn’t balk. She sipped her coffee then nodded. “Lead the way.”
Knowing she was strapped for time, Joe walked at a quick clip, holding Bella’s left elbow as they made their way across the manicured lawn. The grass was slick with last night’s rain. A few tree limbs littered the ground as well as scattered leaves—casualties of the strong winds. No major damage, not within the close confines of the private yard. But the closer they got to Funland, the more visible the effects of the most recent storm compounded by the damage of every storm in the last five years. That’s the last time the park had been open to the public. The last time Mike had tried to fix or maintain the buildings or rides. After years of misfortune, his savings and health had taken a lethal hit.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been this close to Funland,” Bella said as they neared the splintered fence that surrounded the actual park. She pointed up. “That doesn’t look good.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Joe said.
Since the rides were geared toward smaller kids, the tallest attraction was the western-themed ferris wheel. The top three cabs were visible over the fence and one of those cabs was hanging loose from the spoke.
“I would have noticed that before,” Joe said. “Must’ve happened last night.”
“We get severe storms like that all the time, especially in the summer. We’re nearing the tail end of tornado season. May’s bad. June’s worse. July…” She shrugged. “They happen. You don’t have to take a direct hit to sustain major damage. The one that touched down five years ago, a few miles from here, took out a lot of the original festive walls. Mike enlisted friends and neighbors to erect cheap temporary fencing, which is what you see here, but the battered rides and buildings…” She sighed. “This old park has been through a lot.”
Joe muscled open the main gate.
Bella sipped coffee and squared her shoulders as if bracing for the carnage.
Together, they slipped inside.