Thwarting Cupid (7 page)

Chapter 6

Hutch gave his head another shake when more rust, gunk and God only knew what else flaked off the pipe he was trying to take apart. He used his legs to push himself up into a better position to get more leverage on whatever this thing was called so he could twist it. No such luck. His arms were shaky with the effort. He checked his watch then gave his arms a rest.

He studied the configuration of the pipes and couldn't believe how something so simple-looking could be so stubborn. Perhaps it was less the pipe's fault and more his since he'd never be able to lay claim to the title of plumber. It was strange. With electronics and circuitry, he was a whiz. But add a little water and he was useless. Good thing the title ‘ultimate plumber’ wasn't his goal. He'd fail miserably. The title he was after at the moment, which had him stuffed under the kitchen sink on this impossible errand, was Daddy Extraordinaire.

Hutch looked out the cabinet doors where a little boy stood with tear-streaked cheeks watched his every move with his big brown eyes. He had most of the fingers of one hand stuffed in his mouth and sniffled every once in a while. Hutch gave the child a smile of reassurance that was a complete and total lie, then compounded it by saying, “It's okay, Josh. We'll have Captain Bobo out of here in no time.”

The boy sniffed and studied him with big trusting eyes. He nodded. That simple dependence gave Hutch a second wind. He was going to get that action figure out of here if it took all night. Okay, well, maybe not all night, he amended when he felt the muscles in his shoulders start to cramp. The next best alternative was to smash the pipes out and call in a plumber to replace them first thing on Monday. Of course, that meant they'd be without water the rest of today and tomorrow. If that were the case, he'd just treat his family to an adventure in a nearby hotel. Of course, Carissa would have a fit at that expense on top of a plumber, but he was willing to risk it.

He shot one more reassuring smile Josh's way in time to see the boy be lifted off his feet. Carissa's long legs replaced him. He couldn't see the edge of her shorts so he guessed she must be wearing the clingy short shorts he liked so well. Her bare feet showcased pink toenails. He tried his best to focus on anything other than her in an effort to head off the hard on that was threatening. Standing up, the baggy shirt and shorts he wore would have been great camouflage. Stretched on his back like this with nothing defying gravity except him, not so much.

“How's it going in there?” He looked out the cabinet door to see her squatting next to Josh. She'd wiped the boy's face, but the tears were still pooling in his eyes.

Hutch would get to Captain Bobo if it were the last thing he did. “It's going okay,” he lied and gave them both a smile. It wasn't ‘going’ at all, but Hutch wasn't about to admit that.

She kissed Josh's cheek. “Go wash your face while I see if I can help Daddy.”

Josh sniffled and nodded before trudging off like the weight of the world was on his tiny shoulders.

Carissa crawled under the sink next to Hutch. The scent of her filled his senses. The hard on he was trying to prevent quivered in acknowledgment. What did she do to him? He had to get rid of her if was going to rescue Captain Bobo. He certainly couldn't do it when all he could think about was sinking into her soft, welcoming core. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible, as often as possible.

He tried to get his mind off his gorgeous wife. “Where's Christina? She's not out starting a third world war or something is she?”

Carissa laughed. “She's hosting a tea party in her room. I wouldn't swear against the war thing, though. I think Stalin is one of her guests.”

He stopped fiddling with the pipe to give his wife an incredulous look. “She's four. What the heck does she know about Stalin?”

“Vanessa was writing a paper about him last week.” Carissa shrugged. “I think she likes his uniform.”

He blew out a breath. “I guess if that's all it is...”

Carissa turned her attention to the pipes. “How's it really going under here?”

He relaxed his arms again. “What? You didn't believe me when I said it was okay?”

“Not for a moment.” She grinned at him and patted his stomach. Oh, how he wanted that hand of hers to be just a little lower. His gaze strayed to below her neck. Carissa wore a bra under her tank top, but neither were enough to contain her bosom. She was on her side and the top breast spilled out of the tank just enough to make his mouth water. His mind got so lost in the possibilities he almost missed what she said next. “...to save your life.”

“What?”

“Can you stop staring at my tits long enough to focus?”

He licked his lips and kept his eyes right where they were. “I don't know. Maybe.”

She blew out a breath. “Fine.” She reached inside her bra. Was she going to give him a little flash? Hutch hoped so. The smile that settled on his face faded when she pulled out not the nipple he was hoping for, but a Captain Bobo action figure. This time, his eyes went to hers.

“Wait. You mean it didn't fall in the disposal after all?”

She checked the door of the cabinet to make sure they were still alone. “This is a duplicate. I figure we give it to Josh and have the plumber come out on Monday to rescue the real Bobo.”

He frowned. It sounded like a good plan, but he wanted to be the one doing the rescuing. Just like she always seemed to do, she read his mind. She cupped his jaw with a gentle hand.

“So this isn't your kind of plumbing. Big deal.” She caressed his chest and stomach, then lower still to give him an intimate squeeze. Her voice went all husky. “There's other plumbing you're plenty good at.”

Before Hutch could regain his wits, she slid out from under the sink, leaving the action figure on his chest. He picked up the little man and studied it. He really wanted to do this for Josh. Maybe she was right. He could spend the rest of his Saturday under this stupid sink or he could enjoy the day with his family. The latter sounded much more appealing. Not to mention, Hutch was a little concerned about his daughter inviting Stalin anywhere.

There was another reason he needed to get out from under here. He wanted to take the kids to the beach. He knew just how to tire them out so they'd sleep like logs all night so he and Mommy could have their own play time.

Oh yeah. He needed to make this look good. Hutch took the pliers he'd been using and scraped up the paint on the new toy to age it a bit. He hoped Josh wouldn't be able to tell the difference until they were able to get the real Captain Bobo out of the sink.

“Josh! I've got him,” he shouted and scooted out from under the sink. He cradled the toy like he'd been seriously wounded. Little feet came running into the kitchen. Josh stared up at him with his huge brown eyes. He reached for the toy, but Hutch held it a little out of reach.

“I think he's injured. We should put him in the hospital until he feels better. Can you get me some napkins?”

Josh nodded in solemn agreement and raced over to the drawer where they kept a stash of paper products. He brought the napkins back to his father and watched while he used exaggerated care to bandage the toy up. The toy’s tiny sword was all that stuck out from the swath Hutch created.

“Will he get better, Daddy?”

Hutch thought it best to lay the groundwork now in case things didn't go like they’d planned with the plumber.

“Yes, son. But you have to prepare yourself. He may look a little different than he used to. That's natural after such a battle.”

“Okay.”

Hutch stood and looked around the kitchen. He grabbed a small box of tea and dumped the bags out on the counter. He handed the empty box to Josh. “Here. Can you make him a little bed? He'll need his rest so he can recover.”

Josh took the box and squatted next to it on the floor. With great care, he folded up more napkins to make a tiny mattress and pillow. Hutch lowered the “patient” into the bed then tucked a napkin blanket around him. He looked at his son.

“There. I think he's all comfy now. We should let him get some rest.” Josh nodded. Hutch picked up the bed and stood. Josh slid his hand into his father's and the two headed to the boy’s bedroom.

Hutch's heart filled with love. He'd move heaven and earth for this child. When they walked down the hallway, he peeked in his little girl's room. She was wearing a big hat with an even bigger feather sticking out of it and holding court with a table full of imaginary guests.

Hutch couldn't help but smile when he heard her scolding Stalin to use his napkin. He caught a glimpse of Carissa in the guest room. She stretched up on tiptoes to stuff an old comforter in the storage space above the closet. Her tank rode up, baring her midriff above the tiny shorts she wore around the house. As much as he admired her body, he admired her spirit more. He loved the way she took care of them all. She turned and caught his gaze just then and smiled.

“Whatcha got there?” she asked, closing the storage door and padding over to them.

He held up the makeshift bed. “The patient needs his rest to make a full recovery.”

She met his eyes and gave him a beautiful smile. “That is just brilliant.”

And just like that, he felt ten feet tall. Hutch didn't know how she did it, but she always made him feel good about himself and what he could accomplish with little more than a look or a word. Carissa swung Josh up in her arms.

“Isn't Daddy brilliant?” The boy nodded and she planted a kiss on his temple. Carissa turned her smile Hutch’s way again and he smiled back. He couldn't help thinking he was the luckiest man alive.

She carried Josh into his room. Hutch tried to follow, but he felt rooted in place. Like his feet just didn't want to work. He frowned down at them. They looked normal. He just couldn't get them to move. What was wrong with him?

He looked toward Josh's room to call for Carissa, but somehow the hall had gotten quite a bit longer. He could still see her. She was just so far away. She waited in the doorway holding Josh expecting him to join her. She was still smiling so she must not know anything was wrong.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked toward Christina's room to find that it had gotten far away, too. How was that possible? And the light was dim. Was it evening already? Why was it getting so dark? Carissa was standing right by a light switch. Why didn't she turn it on?

The lights faded completely. He felt so bereft. Where was his family? What had happened to them?

Someone whispered in the darkness, “You have to fight for it, Hutch.”

He sucked in a ragged breath and opened his eyes. He was trembling all over and confused. Where was he? He didn’t recognize anything in the room. Not the bookcases. Not the closets. Not the chair by the window that was big enough for two.

“Hutch?” A woman called his name. He latched onto it for dear life. Carissa. “You're not... I mean... Are you awake?”

Awake. That was it. The previous night came rushing back to him. It dispelled what he'd thought had been reality. Sadness settled heavy on his heart. It hadn’t been real. Still, he was in Carissa’s bedroom. Heck. He was in her bed. Cradling her...holy cow! He had quite a handful of soft breast and a raging hard on pressed into her backside. No way was he going to be able to hide that. “I'm not sure.”

“What do you mean, you're not sure? If anybody should be sure, it should be you!” Her voice took on a higher pitch. He felt her take a breath. It would be hard not to, considering where his hand still was. Even though he was more aware of his surroundings, he was in no hurry to move it. In fact, he was more than comfortable playing dumb until she mentioned it.

She took a deep breath. He enjoyed the long rise and fall of her chest under his hand. She looked to be gathering her thoughts and he was more than willing to stay put and let her.

“Let's try this again.” Carissa pressed her backside against him, causing him to suck in a breath. “Um. Well, you know, if... Then...yeah. You're still...um...there.”

What the heck was she talking about? He figured he'd just agree. Sooner or later he'd catch up with the thread of the conversation. “Yes. I'm still here.”

“We've established that.” She paused. “Do I dare ask what you dreamt that caused such an effect?”

His erection! Ah ha! He knew he'd figure it out sooner or later. Wait. She must have figured he'd already had a happy ending. Things were making much more sense to him now.

He let his hand slide over her tummy toward her shorts. Somehow his hand had already worked its way under her shirt and he didn't think the elastic of her shorts and panties would put up much of a fight if he chose to invade.

“I'd rather show you.” No way was he going to tell her he'd imagined them living in domestic bliss with a couple of kids and him spending Saturday mornings trying to rescue an action figure from a garbage disposal.

She grabbed his hand, stopping it before it reached its destination. She rolled over to face him. He didn't miss her wince of pain, but she seemed to ignore it. Her back must still be bothering her. His hand made a detour around behind her. The muscles in her low back still felt pretty tight. He started to massage them. Carissa didn't appear to notice. She was staring at him with such an intense gaze.