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  “Just drape it over her. We want to combat the shock she’s in. The road was cold, and I don’t know how long she was there.” Dick slid the needle into the raccoon’s leg and hung a saline bag up.

  “I can’t leave her right now. Do you have someone that can pick you up?” He was distracted, but still trying to get me home. “How’s your head? Still okay?”

  I was the next patient all of a sudden as he put his mesmerizing eyes on me. I held up my hands and waved him away. “No. I’m fine. It’s cool. Do you need help with her?” I pointed at the raccoon.

  He nodded before putting his hands on her big belly for a few minutes. “These are babies. And they’re moving still. So, yeah. I hate to keep you but I would love help monitoring her. I mean, I know she’s only a raccoon…”

  “Are you kidding? She’s about to be a mom. She’s important.”

  He hit me with a full grin and I felt it all over my body.

  Once I could manage it, I started rotating the warm towels with the colder ones. I think I just became a road kill rehabilitator intern.

  Chapter 19

  Dick

  Hendrix had jumped right into the hectic-ness that was helping road kill. This little coon mama was in rough shape now, but I had some hope. The color of her gums was good and her reflexes were still intact.

  I had tried to protect her spine and neck while I had transported her. But every bump and turn had concerned me. I was grateful to have help with the doors and the driving.

  This raccoon was going to have cubs. If I couldn’t nurse the mom back to health, there was little I could do for newborns. And I’d hate for this rescue to turn gruesome for Hendrix. She acted like she’d been helping raccoons her whole life.

  I checked the raccoon’s heartbeat and her breathing seemed to even out as she warmed up and got some fluids. My next concern came to light when the patient started blinking awake.

  Raccoons with babies would be next level aggressive. I wasn’t sure if this one’s instinct would already be full-blown with how pregnant she was. My suspicion was that she’d had human contact in the past because of the way she had grabbed my finger at the scene of the accident.

  When she came to again, she reached for my hand and I held it out. She grabbed my finger and made no motion to try and bite me.

  Hendrix was over my left shoulder, watching. “So, sleeping beauty likes fingers, huh?”

  I laughed a little. “So far so good.”

  I could feel Hendrix breath on my bare shoulder. She was so close to me without my hoodie on to protect her from my muscles. I felt goose bumps go up my neck. She could see me. In the full light of the basement.

  I waited for her to comment. There were so many things she could say. My brain preloaded the worst it could come up with so I would be prepared.

  Disgusting.

  Repulsive.

  Caveman.

  Animal.

  “Beauty,” Hendrix whispered against my skin.

  “What?” I almost didn’t understand what she said; I’d been so focused on waiting for the bad stuff.

  “Let’s name her Beauty. Because she’s so sweet.” Hendrix put her hand on my shoulder.

  I had to swallow. My guard was up and letting it down was never easy. “That’s fine, but be careful touching me. You might catch too many feelings. If you faint, I won’t be able to take care of Beauty.”

  Hendrix removed her hand and stepped back. “Sure thing.”

  I’d ruined the moment. It was for the beast…I mean best.

  It was for the best.

  ***

  When Beauty came around, we had her cage ready. She needed a safe place to give birth so Hendrix and I flipped a cardboard box upside down and put some pillows from the sofa upstairs inside.

  She was close to the furnace, so I knew she would stay warm. I was sitting on the floor in front of the cage with my phone out Googling raccoon births. I needed to know if it was safer to keep Beauty here with me—in my gut it was --but still. I wanted all the information I could get. Birth was a big damn deal. Even with wild animals.

  Hendrix had kept her distance after I’d chased her away. Her touching me and having a conversation with me like a friend broke me a little. I tried not to egg her on.

  “Did you need a ride to your car? Do you need to get to Meme’s?” I looked at her.

  She had her sexy legs tucked up under her. Her white sweater had gotten dirty in all of our escapades. She had long bangs that covered her forehead, so I didn’t notice the bruise there until she had tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “No. I’m off today.”

  I stood and pushed my phone in my pocket. “Can you watch her?”

  Hendrix nodded and rearranged her jean-clad legs so she could hug them in front of her. Upstairs I washed my hands well before checking out my fridge. I had half a leftover pizza and a huge salad. It would do. I tossed the pizza in the oven and filled two bowls with salad and dressed them.

  Deciding I needed a shirt, I found a long sleeve one in my closet even though the basement was too warm for anything but short shirtsleeves. I wanted more coverage. I took out a tray I hadn’t used since Mom had passed and filled it with the hot pizza, utensils, and the salads. As an afterthought I put two water bottles on the tray.

  When I got downstairs, Hendrix licked her lips. “That smells amazing.”

  “I figured you’d be starving. You can wash up in the utility sink if you want.” I took the food over to the small card table with two folding chairs so we could watch Beauty.

  Hendrix took my recommendation and washed her hands. I watched as she took in the other cages in the basement. “Who else do you have here?”

  I smiled. She was taking to the animals, I was guessing. “Well, in that cage we have Who. She’s an owl. And in that cage we have Nuts. He’s a squirrel. They’ll poke their heads out after a while. And Lucky has been favoring the dark part of his cage, he’s doing great. It’s the first time I’ve ever brought anyone down here.”

  She took her seat. “Well, you’re really putting all the serial killer rumors to shame here.”

  We ate in silence for a while. Beauty was looking even more perked up. I was excited to see her moving around while we ate our pizza. She seemed to have a slight limp on the right rear leg, but she was putting a bit of weight on it. All in all I think her worst injury was exposure.

  Beauty came to the bars of the cage and stuck her little paw through. She motioned at us and looked at the pizza.

  “Oh, she’s been domesticated --at least a little.” I sighed.

  “Is that a bad thing? She seems sweet.” Hendrix looked from her plate to the raccoon.

  “It’s never a good idea to keep a wild animal as a pet, and in Beauty’s case, it seems whoever was domesticating her did a poor job.” I watched as Beauty tilted her head. “Because she’s here with us, and was injured on the road. She wasn’t ready to be out in the wild.”

  Hendrix nodded. “Yeah, that’d make sense. I’m so glad you saw her.”

  “Me, too.” I watched as Beauty nodded a lot.

  “Do you think she knows what pizza is?” Hendrix tapped her fingers on the card table.

  “Oh yeah. I’m willing to bet she knows how to dial her favorite pizzeria. She’s a plumpy raccoon.” I tore off a small piece of crust and tossed it gently to Beauty.

  The raccoon caught it like she was a pro outfielder.

  “Oh my gosh. She’s so cute.”

  I watched as Beauty ate the crust.

  “She’s doing great, so that’s good news. I think I need to keep her for a little while. I’d hate to put her back outside if she isn’t good at coping. Plus with the babies on the way…” I looked back at Hendrix who was nodding.

  “I think that’s smart. Do you think you’ll be all right tonight? I’m going to see if Becca can give me a ride to my car, unless…” She pointed at Beauty.

  “No. That’s fine. Do you want a ride? I can give you a ride.” I star
ted to stand up.

  “I’d rather you stay here in case she has any issues. She was pretty screwed up. Let’s make sure you’re around in case she has any problems.” Hendrix pulled out her phone and started texting. “Yup, she’s just two neighborhoods over. She’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  I tried not to allow myself to feel sad that Hendrix was leaving. It was for the best. “I’ll walk you upstairs.”

  After she said goodbye to Beauty and took one more peek at all the other animals, she helped me carry the dishes upstairs.

  As we put them in the sink, Hendrix gestured to the doorframe between the kitchen and the dining room. “Why are they so wide?”

  I went to the frame and ran a hand down it. “I did that. My mom’s wheelchair needed to fit.”

  “Oh. Wow. You do carpentry, too?” She rubbed her hands on her upper arms.

  “Carpentry is a strong word for watching YouTube how-to videos and cursing a lot. But she needed it done. MS is a progressive disease. In Mom’s case, a slow progression with bits of relief in between. She didn’t want to do the doors and the ramp out front because she felt like it was a defeat. She had another two years with me here, so I’m glad she could get her chair around.” I felt my heart twinge with the pain that it held.

  “Do you have a picture of your mom?” She gave me a gentle smile.

  This was the kind of girl I could trust. Returning her smile felt like stepping into an open elevator shaft. A rush of fear and excitement.

  I walked into the living room and found a picture I had of Mom and I together. Mom was so different looking by the end. I handed the picture to Hendrix and waited to see her flinch or something.

  Instead she touched the picture and grinned. “Look at the love in her eyes. She was crazy about you. And obviously, you felt the same way.”

  This girl. She saw the world different. Like the outside didn’t matter at all.

  Hendrix set down the picture and headlights bounced off the front windows. Her friend was here. She was about to leave. And I should let her go.

  Chapter 20

  Henry

  Becca was in the driveway, I was sure. This guy, this beast of a man was the most tender-souled person I think I’ve ever met. The broken animals in his basement. The broken heart in his chest now as he replaced his mom’s picture.

  I could see him now, as if I had been there watching as he stopped to save the owl downstairs. I pictured him figuring out how to widen doorframes for his mother’s wheelchair because he loved her. And how hard it must have been to lose her.

  I didn’t know much about Multiple Sclerosis. I knew it affected the muscles, and it wasn’t necessarily fatal. But obviously it had contributed to the loss of his mom.

  And the town had him pegged. He was to be tossed out of bars, turned down as a date because he was a serial killer. So much incorrect information. He must feel so alone.

  I stepped toward him but then remembered how he’d rebuffed me in the basement. Told me about how all the girls fell for him. He was a bit of a douche but a bit of a prince. I had second thoughts about the hug I wanted to give him and kicked the floor with the toe of my shoe instead.

  “I better get going.” I reached for the doorknob.

  He put his hand on top of mine. “Wait.”

  “Yes?” I looked at him.

  He was staring at my lips, and then my eyes. “Are you afraid of me?”

  “No.” My breathing was getting faster. “Should I be?”

  He ignored my question. “Do I…” And then he stuttered. The look he gave me was so raw it brought tears to my eyes, “d-d-disgust you?”

  I got it then. Like a flood of knowing that came from a higher being. It was a front. This fear he had that all women were falling in love with him. Because he was terrified that one never actually would.

  I shook my head. I wasn’t disgusted. Not even a little bit. I was stunned by who Dick was. And he’d shown me that he was kind and brave all in one weekend.

  Dick stepped closer. He moved slowly like I might bolt.

  I waited. My cell phone started vibrating in my purse. Nothing mattered but what this man wanted to do in the semi-dark of his foyer. To me.

  He pushed hair out of my face. Then he traced the shell of my ear, gently touching my earlobe before brushing my cheek.

  I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand. I felt the shaking then. He was scared.

  I turned my head and pressed both my palms on the back of his knuckles so he wouldn’t pull away. Then I kissed the center of his hand.

  He was a good man. And I trusted him.

  Dick took to his knees in front of me like I was a prayer he was about to say.

  I still held his hand.

  “Hendrix.” His deep voice was rough.

  The doorbell sounded throughout the house. Dick was on his feet again in one fluid motion.

  “Saved by the bell, I guess.” He let out a self-depreciating chuckle. “You don’t have to be nice to the monster anymore.”

  I turned my back on him and opened the door. Becca was on the other side. I could feel his hope deflating behind me. He was ready to pretend everything that had just happened never had.

  I held up one finger over my shoulder to halt Dick. “Becca, can I get a few more minutes? I need to kiss him.”

  Becca’s mouth dropped open before she gave me a wink and a grin. “Sure thing. I’ll be out here. Take your time.”

  I closed the door on my friend.

  Dick turned me around by my shoulders and he pressed me against the door. “What did you just say?”

  “You heard me.” I gave him a defiant stare.

  I watched as he swallowed hard. He eyed me like I was a poison. And then he snapped.

  Dick lifted me with one arm so we were eye-to-eye, then he leveraged me against the door. “You don’t have to do this.”

  He was still scared.

  “Yes. I do.” I touched his face, and I felt who he was. These burdens he carried that he was so terrified to drop.

  I leaned forward until his full lips were on mine.

  The growl that came from deep within him belonged to me.

  He put his hand in my hair and gave in to what he wanted. Dick took control of the kiss. He committed a kiss on me that let me know he’d planned for it his whole life.

  It was how to cherish a woman. This wasn’t a drunken bar kiss. This was a kiss that told fairytales. The chills down my spine made me clamp my thighs around his middle harder. I let my hands travel all over him. He was too much. Overwhelming. The muscles were a cliff I fell off of. He was just so fucking strong. There was a feral part of me that craved the survival of the species that this man promised.

  We kissed forever like this. That he could hold me against a door for this long was insane. And I knew my panties were hilariously wet. His kisses went to my neck and I was gasping when his big hand slipped under my shirt.

  “She’s honking.”

  I realized he’d said it three times but I only comprehended it the one time. “Who?” I felt like I had been drugged.

  He was flush in the dim light. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Becca. Outside. Honking.”

  “Right. Yes. Becca. I need to go.” I didn’t stop kissing him and he kept touching my stomach, threatening to inch up to my breasts. Which would be very welcome.

  He eventually let me slide down the wall and tried to fix my hair a little. “You okay?”

  I just nodded and opened the door. I had to get out of here otherwise I would hump Dick Dongy on the tile floor of his foyer in front of a very sweet picture of his mother. And I didn’t want it that way with him. I wanted it to be special.

  I got out to his front stoop and faced him with the screen door between us.

  He had his arm on the doorframe and his head resting on it. He looked up at me and shook his head with a smile. “You scare the hell out of me, Hendrix.”

  I smiled in return. “I’ll keep you safe. Just brea
the.”

  I turned and walked back to the passenger side of Becca’s sporty car. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. I added a swish to my hips because that’s what I felt the moment needed.

  I slid into the car and Becca started slapping my arm. “Are you out of your goddamn mind? That’s Dick Dongy. You kissed Dick?”

  “Oh, hell yes I did.” I watched the shape of him in his doorway as Becca backed us out of the driveway.

  Things had just changed.

  A lot.

  Chapter 21

  Dick

  I watched until the tail lights were gone. Until she was gone. When I closed the front door I had to lean against it for a few more minutes. Something happened tonight.

  It was the first time I hadn’t felt alone since my mom had passed. I didn’t realize how isolated I was until I heard how empty the house was without Hendrix in it.

  It had to be exhaustion induced mania, or something. The way she’d looked at me—it was shaking me to my core.

  I pushed away from the door and paced the house. My blood was still pumping and I kept flashing through the snapshots my mind had taken of her.

  It was something else. Something different. For sure dangerous. I was always worried about girls falling too hard for me but damned if I think that Hendrix had a stronger power than I did.

  It wasn’t abs. But it was the way she was able to look into me. And smile.

  I paced back to the door. The place where it had happened. She’d brought me to my knees with a touch. I turned and saw my mom’s picture.

  It wasn’t the last one I’d taken of her, but it was taken a few months before she passed, so it was at the worst time for mom.

  She was so worried about me. For after she was gone. She’d started trying to prepare me for the world outside our house.

  “You know, Richard, it’s going to be fine.” My mother’s voice was strong today. A good day. She was taking full advantage of her tongue obeying her command to mother me. Even though I was grown. Even though I took care of her now.