Healing Pleasure (14 page)

“Yeah, and what was that?” Trey fired back. “Sit there hidden at our coordinates while Alpha was being blown to pieces? While you were out there tripping over pieces of our teammates and taking on damn near thirty tangos alone?”

Brit lowered his gaze to Lena’s, hating the sympathy swimming in her eyes. “I wasn’t alone. I lost two men, but I still had three more. Do I think I could’ve done something to prevent that? Yeah.” He barked a humorless half laugh. “I could’ve ordered my man to fire on that kid who spotted us.”

Lena quietly gasped.

Brit raked his free hand through his hair and started walking again. “There was a kid hidden in the group. Bravo team couldn’t have seen him the way the rest of the tangos had him surrounded. Hell, Alpha team didn’t spot the boy until it was too late.” He paused and briefly bowed his head. “The kid spotted Snake first, gave away his location, and the tangos reacted. Gunfire broke out, then the IEDs start falling. The whole shit storm alerted the other tangos in the compound.”

They’d been fucked then. With their locations revealed, there had been nothing they could do but come out with their guns blazing.

“If I’d given the order to kill the kid…”

“Chance are he still would’ve had time to alert the tangos and your teammates would still be dead,” Lena finished softly.

Brit nodded, knowing deep down she was right. “That doesn’t keep me from thinking I could’ve stopped it.” He angled his head down at her and tapped a finger to his temple. “It doesn’t keep this thing in here from going through episodes like the one you witnessed last night. It doesn’t keep my mind from replaying it over and over and fucking over again.”

“No.” She took a deep breath and let it out slow. “And I can’t promise you talking about it will either.”

Wanting to hold her and needing to lighten the dark mood he’d created, he stopped and spun her into his arms. The move didn’t unlatch the hold she had on Trey’s hand. She simply pulled him in with her.

Brit slid his gaze to Trey and cocked a brow. “This coming from the counselor that fed me some line about how healing it can be when I talk about the grief in my mind.”

Lena’s delicate hand cupped his cheek and he shifted his attention to her, his heart warmed by the smile on her luscious lips. “I didn’t say it wouldn’t help, but it’s going to take time, too, Brit.”

Time was something he didn’t have much of left. He had less than three weeks to return to base, less than three weeks to get his knee and his head as close to normal as he could get…

Less than three weeks to make her yours.

He realized, as he stared down at her, it was exactly what he wanted. Before he and Trey returned to the teams, they had to do whatever it took to make sure this woman would be waiting for them when they came back.

Keeping those thoughts to himself, he dropped his hand to her ass and gave it a pressured squeeze. “You ready for your next riding lesson, darlin’?” The flames that erupted in her eyes pleased a chuckled out of him. “I think Pennyroyal would be the best horse for her, don’t you think?” he asked Trey, not missing the bolt of disappointment that moved through her face when she realized he was talking about a real horse.

“Yeah.” Trey delved a hand beneath her hair to cup her nape. Lena’s eyes turned to desire-filled slits at the touch. “I think Pennyroyal will give her some good practice before tonight.”

“You boys lookin’ to teach that city girl how to ride?”

Brit slowly released Lena as Trey eased back at Horace’s shout. He spotted the man walking toward them and sent him a nod, not missing the rosy color that filled Lena’s cheeks out of the corner of his eye. “Yes, sir. You wanna help?”

Horace made a raspberry sound with his lip and swaggered to a stop in front of them. “Had enough on my hands the last time I tried to teach one of the boys when he first got here. Trent’s been takin’ over that job since.” The old man’s eyes glinted with a knowing mischief as he glanced at Lena. “I suspect he won’t mind if you two are the ones to teach this pretty lady, though.”

“Is Pennyroyal in the barn?” Trey asked.

Horace pushed the bill of his hat up an inch and frowned. “She is, but there ain’t gonna be no ridin’ for her today. She’s under the weather. Don’t think it’s anythin’ serious. Trent’s in there with her now.”

“I’ll go see if he needs some help,” Trey volunteered. He turned to Lena, leaned in, and brushed a kiss to her lips. “We’ll teach you to ride later, sugar. I’ll catch up with you back at the house, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Brit saw Horace nod, the mischief in his eyes morphing to a deep understanding. “Why don’t you go with him, Brit? I’ll see your girl makes it back to the house in a bit.”

Not quite sure what to make of that, but knowing better than to argue, Brit reeled Lena back in and planted a kiss on her mouth. “I guess I’ll see you after a while, darlin’.”

* * * *

Lena watched Trey and Brit walk away and felt an immediate loneness that left her disconcerted. You’re not only in over your head, she told herself as she turned and flashed Horace a smile.
You’re getting in way too deep.

She put her hand in Horace’s extended one, surprised by the warmth and fatherliness of the touch. He started to walk and she followed, settling into step with him as he led her away from the horse barn.

“I hope you don’t mind I sent them away,” Horace finally commented after a long moment. “We’ve barely got a chance to talk since you came to the ranch.”

Lena smiled at him. “I don’t mind at all. Thanks for giving Trey the day off. They’ve been showing me around today. To a city girl like me, this place is absolutely amazing.”

He chuckled, sounding so much like an older version of Trey that she found it hard not to believe Horace wasn’t Trey’s real father. “We do our best. We got a lot of help from the neighboring ranches and the townsfolk. They know what we do here, how we take in boys who are down on their luck, and they donate a lot to keep us goin’.”

“That’s incredible! What you do for these boys is even more so.”

He lifted a nonchalant shoulder. “I may not have provided the sperm that created them, but they were all put on this earth to be my sons. It just took me a while to find them.”

“Will you stop when the youngest ones grow up?”

“Ten at a time is about all we can handle. I wish it wasn’t. We’ve talked about takin’ on more, but we ain’t got the space or the means. A couple of the younger ones we got now came to us before a couple of the older ones were grown enough to go on their own way. Royce and Rowdy, you haven’t met them yet, they were still here when we started bringin’ in the new batch.”

He shot a grin at her when he said that and she laughed.

He puffed out a long, audible breath. “I’d love to take in more when these grow up, but May and I ain’t gettin’ any younger.”

“Aw, come on.” Still holding his hand, Lena gave his arm a playful swing. “You’re only as old as you feel, right?”

He laughed. “Some days, sweet thing, I feel older beyond my years.” He stopped near the wooden fence where a few horse grazed on the other side, turned her to face it, and released her hand to drape his arms over the top board. “Trent and Bobby’ll take over when May and I can’t handle it anymore. They served their country, but their heart’s been on this ranch since the day they stepped foot on it.”

Lena folded her arms on the fence and rested her cheek on her hand as she looked at him. “May told me how they tried to rob you.”

Horace slowly nodded. “They just needed to be shown a different way. That’s all.”

“Do all the boys you take in serve in the Navy?”

“Not all the Navy. A couple of them are in the Army, Marines, Coast Guard…” He shrugged. “Whichever branch suits their fancy. We…Myself, May, and Hank, when he was still around,” he qualified, “don’t require much out of any of them. No trouble with the law.” He stressed the point by lifting a stiff finger. “We won’t tolerate them doin’ anythin’ like that. They have to finish school and we encourage them to serve our country.” He shot her a grin. “By the time they’re old enough, they serve at least one term. Some stay. Some don’t. That choice is left up to them.”

“Did you serve?”

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I was a frogman just like Trey and Brit. Hank was, too.”

Lena sighed. “I’ve heard a lot about Hank. I wish I could’ve met him.”

He gave the back of her shoulder a soft pat. “I wish you could’ve, too. I’m a pretty good man, but he was far better.”

“Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

He hung his head, his shoulders shaking with a quiet laugh before he looked at her again. “He would’ve liked you. I know our boys sure seem to.”

“I…well, I…”
Have absolutely no clue what to say to that.

Horace threw his head back and roared with laughter. “No need to stutter, girl. I didn’t weasel this time with you to pry into what’s goin’ on between you and those boys. You and me got business to discuss.”

Lena felt her eyes widen. “We do?”

“Well, yeah. The whole reason you’re here on the ranch is to help Brit, ain’t it?”

She briefly closed her eyes and bit back a smile. “Yes, sir.”

“Seem to be doin’ a fine job at it, too. I ain’t seen him out of that house since he got back.”

“You mean except for day I arrived and found him in the front yard on the treadmill?”

Horace grinned at her. “Yeah, that was my doin’ there.” He poked her arm. “May tells me it was your doin’ that had all his stuff hid this mornin’, though.”

She gave him her best innocent look. “Who? Me?”

He barked a laugh. “It worked. May said you had some unconventional ways at reachin’ people. You got him out of that house. Is he talkin’ to you yet?”

She nodded. “More than I expected after such a short time, actually.”

Horace looked immensely please. “That’s ’cause you’re good at what you do and you’re good for him. What I need to know is what I’m supposed to be payin’ you. Whatever it is, you’re damn well worth every penny and then some.”

“Thank you, but…”

“Now don’t give me no buts, missy. I sent Trey to hire you to do a job and, from where I’m standin’, you’re doin’ a damn fine one.”

“Again, thank you, but this one is on the house.”

He lifted a brow as he studied her for a long moment. “Do you do a lot of work on the house?”

“Well, I…uh…”

“We take some charity from the neighborin’ ranches and townsfolk like I told you. That’s to keep this place runnin’. But, when I hire someone to do a job, I expect to pay for their services.”

“Yes, but…” This time, when she trailed off, he simply looked at her. “Things between Brit and I haven’t exactly been the normal client-counselor relationship it should be. We…uh…”

Kissed.
No, that was the wrong thing to say even if it was true.
He ate me out by the pond.
Oh, hell, no. That was definitely not something to say to a man that might as well be Brit’s father. “I can’t take your money, Mr. Hoskins. It simply wouldn’t be right.”

“But you’re gonna keep workin’ with him, ain’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered far too quickly. In truth, there wasn’t much more she could do for Brit. She could make sure he knew she was around if he needed a pair of willing ears to listen, but, after the amazing progress he’d made today, she was starting to believe the rest of his heeling would be solely up to him.

“Good.” Horace nodded, obviously please. “That’s real good. Now, about Dillon.”

Lena blinked at him. “What about Dillon?”

“I’ve been thinkin’ he might could use someone like you to talk to same as Brit.” He straightened, pulled his cowboy hat off his head, and raked a hand through his balding hair. “I gotta admit, I don’t think you’ll have such an easy time with that boy as you have with Brit. It’ll probably take a lot more of those unconventional methods you got under your sleeves to get that boy to talk. But, if you’re willin’ to give it a shot, I’d like to hire you on.”

She wasn’t sure what to say. She’d met Dillon, of course. She’d watched him at lunch and dinner and last night on the porch, but that was about as far as their interactions had gone so far. Working with him would mean spending more time on Rescue Ranch, possibly staying around longer than she’d intended. It would mean…

“You ain’t gotta give me an answer right now.” Horace put his cowboy hat back on his head and turned to fully face her. “You think about it and let me know what you decide.”

“Yes, sir. I will.”

“Good.” He extended a hand and gave her a crooked grin. “Now, I believe I promised those boys I’d see you back to the ranch house. May’ll have dinner ready shortly and she gets fit to be tied if we ain’t all there on time.”

Trey followed Lena up the stairs with Brit taking the lead, his gaze locked on the sway of her sexy ass the whole time. He bit back a smile when Brit stopped outside the closed door of his room only to have Lena walk past him.

“Where do you think you’re going, darlin’?”

Lena hesitated with her hand on the doorknob of the room she’d been staying in and glanced at Brit. “I need to change and do a couple of things. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

Trey moved next to Brit, exchanging a look with his friend as they both leaned a shoulder against opposite walls of the hall, folded their arms, and waited.

Lena expelled a quick burst of breathy laughter. “Really, guys? You’re going to stand there and wait for me?”

“Do what you’ve got to do, sugar,” Trey told her. “We’ll be right out here when you’re finished.”

She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and disappeared into the bedroom.

“One,” Trey muttered softly and Brit chuckled. “Two. Three.” He count the seconds and didn’t make it to five before she poked her head out the doorway, confusion and suspicion alight on her angelic face.