“Listen to him, my dear,” Nate lazily drawled as he placed another needle. “I’ve known him for a couple of years. If I didn’t think he was a good person, I never would have let you walk off with him the other night. I can’t think of two people better suited to be together.”
“I didn’t even pay him to say that,” Walt said.
“Relax and let me do my job,” Nate playfully scolded. “Just close your eyes and we’ll wake you up when it’s over.”
Maybe she should do just that. Give in and let this happen, whatever it was. Wasn’t it time something good happened in her life?
Still, when she thought about enjoying this, relaxing and letting it happen, that’s when her thoughts drifted to Louis.
Guilt always followed.
Why should she get to enjoy anything when he sat in jail?
When she’d been recovering in the hospital, a counselor had stopped by to see her. She’d warned Holly about survivor’s guilt while obviously stepping around Holly’s concerns about Louis, given the state of the criminal case.
Here she was, with a great guy she had a reasonable chance with, if he didn’t come to his senses.
What’d Louis have?
Not a damn thing. Worse, he didn’t even have his freedom, and he wouldn’t discuss with her how he was really doing. She worried about him, about what he was enduring.
Maybe Kimbra was the answer to Holly’s prayers.
The appointment took ninety minutes, and when Walt helped her sit up at the end of it, she did feel somewhat better. As had happened Saturday night, the worst of the pain had faded back.
She could move a little more freely.
Walt helped her put her shirt back on while Nate made some notes on his tablet. “Make sure you set up another appointment with Cherise for next week. We need to keep up with this, or you’ll be in misery come winter at this rate, hmm?”
“I will. Thank you.”
“I’ll make sure she does,” Walt added.
“Good man.”
Holly didn’t even bother trying to talk Walt out of paying when they reached Cherise. It wasn’t a point to argue about now. She knew Walt wasn’t just trying to score brownie points to get her into bed.
Although she did want to get into bed with him.
When they returned to his truck, he opened the passenger door for her and helped her in. “Feel like eating out? Or would you like me to cook us dinner?”
“Do you like Publix sushi?”
“I love it. Why?”
“How about we split the difference, pick some up, and take it back to my place? Eating out without being out.”
He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Worn out?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“Seriously, no apologies. That’s why I asked. And that’s an excellent suggestion.”
“Fibro fog girl has one every once in a while.” She forced a smile. “I’m not just a pretty face.”
He’d started to shut the door, but at her comment he stepped in again, his expression somber. “I wish you wouldn’t put yourself down. Do you have any idea how much you do it?”
Heat filled her face. “Sorry.”
“No, sweetie. Don’t apologize. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”
He gently stroked her arm. That was something else about him—his touch never hurt. That alone was a very rare thing. It was like he knew exactly how to touch her without causing her the bad kind of pain. Sometimes, regular hugs with people were extremely painful.
Not with Walt.
“I’ve had a rough six years,” she finally said.
“I know. That’s one of the many reasons I want to do this the right way—at your speed—and be patient. Because once you can finally see things the way I see them, I think you’re going to like it a lot.”
Less than an hour later, they were back at her place, she’d changed into a soft oversized T-shirt that hung down past her ass, and they were snuggled together on the couch and watching TV.
Even this felt…right.
Right in a way very little had felt in her life in too damn long.
“Thank you for this,” she said. “I know I keep saying it, but I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”
He leaned in to rub noses with her. “Then show me by learning to not put yourself down. You are not the first person with chronic pain to be involved in BDSM. Look at Dani. She’s in pain, both from her accident and fibro. I have a lot of patience. We’ll find stuff you like to do that helps you out.”
“You can’t wait to shock me with that TENS unit, can you?”
“Oh, you have no idea.” He grinned. “Look at how much you enjoy the violet wand.”
“True.” She really did enjoy it. Just the thought of it was enough to dampen her panties.
Or maybe that was more because of the man who wielded it against her flesh so damn well.
It was nearly eleven when he finally left for the night. He’d also replaced several lightbulbs for her in ceiling fixtures that she’d been putting off doing. He’d ordered what he needed for the sliding glass door repair and would be finishing that as soon as he received the parts.
She was starting to suspect he wouldn’t ever leave without doing at least one thing for her, big or little.
As she stood there in his arms, the warmth of his body a comfort even on the warm Florida summer night, she realized how easy it’d be to get addicted to this, to him.
“Tomorrow night, then,” he said. “I’ll pick you up, and we’ll only stay as long as you feel up to.”
“Okay.” She really did want to try to make it. If nothing else, because it was Kimbra’s family. “Thanks for everything.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Thank me by letting me do stuff for you. Especially stuff that helps you feel better. I don’t expect anything in return.”
She tipped her face up to his, kissing him. “You might end up with a subby, if you’re not careful.”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t mind that at all, sweetheart, believe me.”
Chapter Fourteen
If it wasn’t for the fact that it was Kimbra’s family, and that Holly was attending the dinner with Walt, Holly knew she’d probably cancel. Despite the treatment by Nate the night before, her stress ratcheted up during the day. Especially at lunch, when Joyce made a point to glare at her then turn her back on her without a word and storm off.
Between her stress and her pain, Holly wasn’t sure how she was supposed to pretend she was a functional human being who people wouldn’t think was a total and worthless basket case.
It pissed her off, too.
Once upon a time, Holly had a really good life, a decent career, and hadn’t felt like she had to rely on others. She’d felt worthwhile, independent, and pretty much like she had a handle on her life.
One afternoon changed everything and drop-kicked her into a living hell in more ways than one.
It felt more than a little strange to have crawled her way up the slope to the edge of the crevasse and be peering over it into the tantalizing hints of what might be a relatively “normal” life lying just out of reach.
The question was, could she keep fighting to reach it?
She didn’t want to think about the possibility that she was setting herself up for failure with Walt. Kimbra, Nate, and Cherise didn’t have a problem with him. Hell, he played with Kimbra’s friend, Tory. Tony seemed to like the guy.
Surely any of them would have noticed he was a closet serial killer, or at least an asshole, right?
That meant she needed to hang on and try to see this through to whatever might lie ahead.
Because what she’d been doing so far wasn’t working for her any longer. If anything, it was trying to drag her more deeply into what she knew was close to approaching depression.
On her way home, she stopped by the store and picked up several flavored dark chocolate bars, a small gift bag and tissue paper, and what sh
e hoped would be received as a funny birthday card for the man she’d never met, but who Walt assured her had a great sense of humor.
When Walt arrived to pick her up, he smiled when he saw the gift bag. “Chocolate?”
“Just like you told me.”
“Excellent. He’ll fall in love with you.”
“You said they know about Louis?”
“No one will judge you or him,” Walt assured her. “Kimbra’s family is great. Hell, Kimbra and I have been divorced for twice as long as we were married, and they still love me.”
Kimbra’s parents, Cedro and Amaleeza Luzon, lived in an older but well-kept house in Osprey, in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood that invoked serenity and peace just by driving through.
“What do they do for a living?” she asked him.
“Momma is a retired science teacher. Papi’s an electrician and owns his own business. He’s got something like thirty guys working for him.”
“Wow, that’s great.”
“Yeah. That’s how I knew how to fix your front porch light. He taught me a few basics to get by on my own. Anything serious, though, I call him.”
The driveway was full and cars had been parked along the street when they pulled up. Walt turned around and parked at the end of the line. After getting out, he opened the back cab door and pulled out a gift bag of his own.
“Papi’s going to love us,” he told her with a grin.
He walked around to open her door for her and offered her a steadying arm as she climbed out. She also noticed how he slowed and matched his pace to hers as they headed up the driveway to the front door.
He’d reached out to ring the bell when the front door was thrown open by a slender black woman nearly Walt’s height, and who wore a beaming grin. “There he is!” She engulfed him in a huge hug before he could even say anything.
“Hey, Momma.” As she finally released him and focused on Holly, he held out a staying arm. “Amaleeza Luzon, this is Holly Olson. But please, be gentle. She’s got fibromyalgia, and hugging can hurt.”
“Git outta my way, Walt,” she said. “Kimbra already warned me.” She stepped forward, still smiling. “You will call me ‘Momma,’ FYI,” she insisted before opening her arms to Holly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Holly stepped into her embrace, pleasantly surprised when the woman lightly patted her back without even squeezing her at all. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”
Holly was whisked inside the delicious-smelling house and quickly introduced to so many people she knew she’d never remember everyone’s names on the first try. Walt led her through the house to the large kitchen, where they found Kimbra and her father apparently arguing over the proper way to season something cooking on the stove.
“And here’s the birthday boy,” Walt said, introducing them.
Cedro had also apparently been prewarned about her fibro and gently greeted her, insisting she call him Papi.
She held out her gift bag. “Happy birthday.”
His eyes lit up as he pulled the chocolate bars from the bag. “I see Walt already gave you some advice, thank you!” He leaned in and dropped his voice. “Quick, help me hide them!”
“I heard that!” Momma called out from the kitchen doorway. “Cedro Luzon, you know the rules. You get it when I tell you you get it.”
“Can’t blame a man for trying.”
Kimbra burst out laughing. “Papi, you’re incorrigible.”
“It’s bad enough she’s already bribed my men into telling on me,” he playfully complained. “I can’t even indulge in my own home.”
Walt eased Holly out of the kitchen and got her settled on a comfortable sofa in the living room. After going to get her a glass of water, he rejoined her, his arm protectively draped around her shoulders.
Kimbra joined them a few minutes later. “I filed the first batch of motions for Louis’ case,” she told Holly. “Now it’s just a matter of me finishing going through all his files. But I need to go talk to him, too.”
“I’m going to visit him next Saturday, if you’d like to come,” she told Kimbra.
“That’ll work for me. I filed the motions already to alert the court I’m his new attorney. That’ll give me time to file notices with DOC.”
“I’ll drive you,” Walt said.
“You can’t, sugar,” Kimbra told him. “You need to apply to be a visitor, and that usually takes a couple of weeks.”
“You’re going.”
“I’m his attorney. That’s different.”
“She’s right,” Holly told him.
Holly would have laughed over the slightly pouty look on Walt’s face if she didn’t think it’d hurt his feelings.
“Fine.” He almost looked like a disappointed kid. “I can still drive you.”
“And what, sit outside and wait for a couple of hours?” Kimbra asked. “No. That’s just silly, Walt.”
“You forget how stubborn I am,” he said. “I’m driving you, and I’ll wait outside for you.”
Kimbra rolled her eyes but turned to Holly. “Might as well agree with him. He is stubborn. Did he warn you about that?”
“I’m starting to get the memo, yeah.”
“Once he latches on, just let him have his way, if you’re so inclined.”
Momma also joined them. “Kimbra told us about your brother’s case. If you need anything, you let us know.”
“I need a lot of luck and prayers,” Holly said. “I had really started to worry that I might never get him free.”
“Well, my daughter is at least twice as stubborn as I am, and anyone you ask will tell you I’m the most stubborn woman they know.” Momma nodded her head, punctuating the statement. She had short, natural hair clipped close to her scalp, which offset her beautiful hoop earrings even more. She hadn’t passed her brown eyes or dark brown skin to her daughter, but Kimbra had her mother’s slim, willowy build instead of her father’s short, stocky frame.
“Thank you all for welcoming me like this. I’m…overwhelmed.”
Momma tipped her head to the side. “You don’t have any other family?”
“Not really. Not who I’m close to anymore. Once Louis was convicted and I stood by him, most of them deserted me.”
“I know that feeling,” Momma said. “My mother hated Cedro when I brought him home. My father wasn’t very fond of him either. Once we started having kids, they finally came around and decided to get to know him.” She grinned. “They learned to like the taste of crow, I guess. Now his family, they never had a problem with me. At least I had them to fall back on for a few years.”
“They didn’t like him because he wasn’t black?”
Momma laughed. “No, they didn’t like him because he didn’t go to college. My mother and father were the first in their families to graduate from college. They pretty much expected us to as well. I met Cedro through my roommate’s brother. They worked together. I dared to fall in love with a blue-collar worker. Honestly? He made a lot more money than I did over the years. When he asked me to retire, I was happy to. Now I volunteer as an after-school tutor at a youth center up in Newtown.”
Papi’s voice boomed through the house. “Let’s eat!”
“And there’s the call,” Momma said. “Hope you brought your appetite.”
“It smells delicious.”
* * * *
Walt struggled to calm his nerves. While he knew the Luzon family would welcome Holly with open arms, he worried more about Holly’s nerves getting the better of her. Fortunately, as they all sat at the huge table to eat, she seemed to be doing quite well.
As the evening progressed, he kept a close watch on her, looking for signs she was trying to conceal her pain or discomfort from him, but with Kimbra’s help she seemed to have relaxed and genuinely enjoyed herself.
At one point, while Walt had taken their dishes into the kitchen to rinse off, Momma cornered him.
“I love her,” she whispered in
his ear. “Don’t let this one get away from you.”
Kimbra’s family didn’t know about the kinky part of his life. He and Kimbra had kept that knowledge back from them for obvious reasons. “I’m going to do my best not to.”
“Good. ’Bout time you were happy. I ain’t seen you smile this much in years.” She patted him on the shoulder and left him standing there, thinking about her words.
So it wasn’t just him.
Once Holly had finally reached her endurance limit for the evening, they bid their good-byes and he drove her home.
“Thank you for this,” she said. “I really did have fun.”
“I hope it wasn’t too much for you.”
“No, I needed this. Really needed it.”
“What, exactly?”
“A reminder of the way life’s supposed to be. I’ve spent the past six years with blinders on, tunnel vision. Hyper-focused on one goal. I needed this.”
“Fair warning, Momma’s ready for us to set a wedding date.”
Her laugh sounded tired, but genuine. “I got that impression, too.” She reached over and laid her hand on his thigh. “Will they be okay with us taking our time?”
“I think so. Don’t be surprised if she starts giving you hints, though.”
“Like what?”
“Like asking what flavor wedding cake you want.”
Chapter Fifteen
Thursday morning, Holly felt the good kind of exhausted, but her pain levels were manageable.
Having been welcomed into the Luzon family was almost as good as hitting the lottery, in her mind.
Still avoiding direct contact with Joyce, Holly instead chose to take her lunch to work again. She and Walt texted as much as possible during work, and Walt came over after work to finish repairing the sliding glass doors. At least he let Holly cook him dinner, and she had talked him into bringing his laundry over so she could wash it for him.
It was one small way to help her feel like she wasn’t totally mooching off him.