She snuggled deep and fell silent.
After a few moments, she whispered, “I miss him, Mike. He used to call once a week, sometimes twice. And I…well, I just miss him.”
“Yeah,” Mike whispered back wishing there was more to say, magic words. But there just wasn’t.
She took in a stuttering breath.
Mike held her close and Dusty held him close right back.
After a while, he dipped his chin and asked softly in her ear, “You want me to clean you up and put you to bed?”
She didn’t answer verbally, just nodded, her head moving against his shoulder and neck.
At her answer, Mike lifted her up, straightening from the couch and he walked her to the bathroom. She leaned heavy into him as he ran a warm cloth between her legs.
This was something else Mike had never done with any woman. With Dusty, he didn’t do it every time, not even often, but he did it. And each time he did it, he found it profound. This was because the woman he held was a woman who could take care of herself but when she was with him, she trusted that to his care. That was a gift but with this act, so intimate, it was more. It was treasure, precious and it never failed to move him.
When he was done, he carried her to her bed. He took off his jeans. He left her in his shirt.
The minute he joined her in bed, he pulled her close even as she burrowed deep.
In the dark, staring at the ceiling, tangled up in Dusty, Mike asked, “You wanna talk?”
She shook her head against his chest.
“I think the beer, tequila, mechanical bull, witnessing an alpha badass in action times two, hot sex and a crying jag took it all out of me,” she replied and Mike grinned.
“That shit happens.”
Her voice held a smile when she muttered, “Yeah.”
“Rain check,” he whispered, “Call it anytime.”
He figured she’d eventually accept his offer but right then she just sighed.
“Sleep, Angel,” he ordered gently.
She sighed again.
Then she whispered, “Yeah.”
He fell silent.
She did too until, “Mike?”
“Right here, sweetheart.”
“Love you, babe.”
Mike’s chest got warm and his arm around his woman got tight.
Then he whispered, “Love you too.”
She pressed closer and within minutes fell asleep.
Seconds after that, Mike followed her.
*
It was Monday morning. The bags were packed. The boxes taped. The agent had been through the house to add it to her rental listings. There was a shitload more work to do but Dusty’s manager was going to see to any of it that had to do with the pottery, Jerra any of it that had to do with Dusty’s personal shit and Javier anything that had to do with the horses or the land.
Good employees, good friends. They had her back.
They’d had breakfast with Rivera, Jerra and their two loud, crazy kids who definitely took after Mom and Dad and were supposed to be in school but were out to say good-bye to Auntie Dusty. Now the kids were chasing each other on the sidewalk, Jerra and Dusty were hanging on each other, quietly talking and barely holding back tears.
Mike and Rivera were five feet away, giving them time.
Mike put his hand out to Rivera and muttered, “Glad we had this opportunity.”
Rivera took his hand, gripped it and locked shades with Mike, muttering back, “Yeah.”
They dropped hands and looked at the women.
“Jesus, shoulda brought my scalpel,” Rivera mumbled and Mike grinned.
Then he looked at his watch and he said, “We gotta get on the road.”
“Right, I’ll take Jerra, you take Dusty. Plan?”
Mike looked at Rivera and nodded.
Mike started to move to the women but stopped when Rivera called, “Mike?”
He tipped up his chin.
“Take good care of her,” Rivera whispered.
Good friends.
They had her back.
Mike again locked shades with him.
The he replied, “Absolutely.”
Chapter Sixteen
Unleashed Hell
Fin pulled his books out of his locker and shoved them in his bag. Reesee was standing next to him, shoulders to the lockers beside his, eyes scanning the emptying halls.
It was after school and Fin was taking Reesee home.
This was because, since she and Mr. Haines came back from Texas a week and a half ago, his Aunt Dusty had totally stepped up.