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Navy
CADE HAD BEEN gone for about two hours before he called me. I’d managed to clean my kitchen from top to bottom, get Pickles settled in my room, take off my make-up, change into comfy pajamas, and talk myself out of two panic attacks in the time it took for my phone to ring, so I felt relatively calm when I answered.
Relatively.
“Hi,” I breathed out as I picked up the call.
“Hi, baby. Sorry that took a while.”
“It’s okay,” I lied. “How’s Devon?”
“He’s a little shook up, but he’s more pissed his dumbass of a friend put him in the situation.”
“Sounds like he’s not much of a friend.”
“That’s Devon’s opinion, too.” Cade sighed. “You doin’ okay?”
I bit my lip. “Yes.”
“You lyin’?”
“A little bit,” I admitted.
He chuckled. “Wish I could be there.”
“Hearing your voice helps, Lumpy.”
I double checked my alarm to make sure it was set, then headed into my bedroom, and climbed into bed.
“What are your plans tomorrow night?”
“Oh, I have big plans,” I said.
“Yeah? Big date?”
“Well, that depends on my man.”
Cade chuckled. “And what’s your man supposed to do?”
“He’s not supposed to do anything. What I’d like him to do, however, is perhaps swing by after work, provided he’s not already engaged. I’ll cook, and then we can see where the night takes us.”
“That would be heaven.”
“How does six sound?”
“Like it’s too fucking far away,” he said.
I grimaced. “Well, there is that.”
“How’s Pickles?”
She must have heard her name because she raised her head slightly. She was currently snuggled up against me on top of the covers, her head on my lap.
I stroked the dog’s head. “She’s wormed her way into the bed.”
“Lucky Pickles.”
“Oh, I tried to stop her.” I chuckled. “Alas, I think she might be a secret terrorist.”
“Not sure it’s much of a secret.”
“This is true.”
“Baby, you sound sad. Are you sad?” he asked.
“Not sad, per se,” I said. “I just miss you and wish you were here. Which is so dumb.”
“Why’s it dumb?”
“Because I’m a grown ass woman. I don’t need no man.”
Cade’s deep laugh came over the line. “I don’t think that’s in dispute, honey.”
“Well, why am I forlorn, Lumpy? Forlorn?” I let out a frustrated squeak. “My heart ached the second you walked out my front door and now I don’t want to sleep without you.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
“You do?”
“Hell, yeah, I do. Seeing you today brought me right back to high school and the intensity of those emotions hadn’t lessened for me, so I absolutely get it,” he said. “Told Devon all about you, in fact.”
I gasped. “You did?”
“Yeah. He was shocked I gave you a dog and likened it to giving you a ring.”
“Well, not really.” I chuckled. “Sounds like he might be a romantic at heart, eh?”
“You have no idea.”
“Like father like son,” I deduced.
“It’s the Wallace way.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. And you should see Cricket. She lost the absolute love of her life, her words, because she’s convinced my brother chased this guy off, and she has never forgotten him. She pines for this asshole.”
“Did you know him?”
“Yeah, I knew him. He was a biker and not good enough for my baby sister.”
I laughed. “Did he love her?”
“Irrelevant.”
“The most relevant, Lumpy,” I countered. “By brother, I assume you mean, Hatch?”
“Yeah.”
“Why would he chase this man off?”
“Don’t know, didn’t ask. I was just happy to have him away from Cricket.”
“Lumpy,” I admonished. “Your poor sister.”
“Poor sister, my ass. She had four brothers who had her back.”
“The four who blew up her road to begin with?”
“He didn’t come back, so still say he’s an asshole.”
“Think about how we felt when we were separated, Cade.”
He muttered something under his breath, and I smiled.
“Now imagine it was your brother who’d made it happen.”
“I’d probably kill him,” he breathed out.
“I know you love your sister, but everything that’s happened to you has happened to her and she’s a girl with no mom to help guide her. It doesn’t make it harder, necessarily, but it does make it different and if she was in love with this man and he made her happy, and she thinks Hatch took that away, well...”
“Fuck,” he rasped. “I haven’t given Cricket enough credit.”
“Maybe not, but you were all going through a really shitty situation, so I doubt anyone blames you.”
“Yeah, but we coulda been a little gentler with her.”
“I have a feeling if she heard you say that, she’d probably punch you,” I guessed.
“You have no idea.” Cade laughed. “I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
“Same.” I smiled. “I should let you go.”
“Why?”
“Because we both have this annoying little thing called work in the morning.”
“Right, that,” he said. “I’ll see you at six, then.”
“Can’t wait.”
“Love you, beautiful.”
“Love you too, Lumpy.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I hung up, then climbed into bed next to Pickles.
* * *
The next morning, Pickles woke me before my alarm, and I let out a few choice swear words as I stepped in poop on the way to my bathroom. “Pickles Penelope Wallace Henderson,” I snapped. “You poopy on your pad, not on Mommy’s carpet.”
I hopped into the bathroom and Pickles followed me, her tail wagging a million miles a minute. I pointed to the pee pad next to the tub. “I mean, come on, it’s right there.”
Pickles gave me a little yip and flopped onto her belly.
“Just because you’re cute, doesn’t make it okay.”
I cleaned myself up, then took care of the biohazard before making my way to the kitchen to start the coffee.
I had just pressed the BREW button when my doorbell rang. I checked my doorbell camera app and my heart raced. I rushed for my door, unlocking it, and pulling it open with a quiet squeak. “Hi!”
Cade chuckled. “Good morning, beautiful.”
“What are you doing here?”
He held up a paper bag. “I brought bagels.”
“You brought bagels?”
“I did.”
“Poppyseed?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he retorted.
“Come in,” I ordered. “But kiss me before we eat.”
He grinned, his lips covering mine as he stepped over my threshold and wrapped an arm around my waist. “You look pretty.”
I snorted. “I’ve barely brushed my teeth, Lumpy.”
“So? You can’t still be pretty?”
I blushed, closing the door and locking it. “Well, thank you.”
“Just speakin’ the truth, Navy.” He gave me a gentle squeeze. “You don’t happen to have coffee, do you?”
“Just hit the brew button.”
Pickles decided she was done being ignored and let out a little yip before jumping on Cade’s foot.
He grinned, releasing me, and bending down to scoop her up. “Well, hello there, princess.”
“Princess my ass,” I grumbled, heading into the kitchen. “More like dictating terrorist.”
“Is she?” Cade asked in a sing-song voice. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Well, that’s because you didn’t step in her poo this morning.” I narrowed my eyes in Pickles’ direction. “In my bare feet.”
“Oh, shit, really?”
“Really,” I confirmed. “She decided the carpet was better than her puppy pad.”
“Oooh, not good, madam,” he said, setting her on the floor again. “You’re going to need to learn.”
“I’m going to need to crate her.”
“Yeah.” He kissed my cheek before stepping to the sink to wash his hands. “I’ll pick one up for you today if you want.”
“You have a job, Lumpy. I can do it after I take Dot to her doctor’s appointment.”
“Who’s Dot?”
“My neighbor. I’m taking her to the doctor after my conference call. I can swing by the store after I take her.”
“I don’t mind doing it.”
I slid my arms around his waist as he dried his hands. “And I love you for it, but you seriously don’t need to do it.”
“I want to. It gives me an excuse to see you.”
I chuckled. “You never need an excuse to see me. Open invitation.”
“Good to know.” He leaned down to kiss me quickly, before dropping his paper towel into the rubbish bin.
“You schmeer the bagels, I’ll make the coffee and feed the terrorist,” I suggested.
“You got it.”
For the next hour, we moved as a unit, spending our breakfast chatting about the schedule of our upcoming week and how we planned to spend every open minute together.
I didn’t know how he was going to do it with Devon’s schedule, but Cade assured me he had it all under control. Tonight, however, he wanted me in a pretty dress because he was taking me out somewhere fancy.
“I thought I was cooking?” I reminded him.
“You can cook tomorrow. Tonight we’ll head downtown to that little steakhouse by the water.”
“Chez Paul?”
“Yes.”
“It takes months to get a reservation, Lumpy.”
He grinned. “Hatch knows the chef.”
I clapped my hands. “Oh my god, really?”
“Yeah. But this gives me brownie points, not my brother, got it?”
I laughed. “What brother?”
“Good answer.” He leaned down and kissed me. “I have to go.”
“Go.”
“I’ll drop off the crate after lunch.”
“You really don’t need to do that.”
“You seriously have time to do your conference call, take your neighbor to the doctor, run out and pick up a crate, then come back and get ready for dinner?”
I wrinkled my nose. “I do if I rush.”
He smiled, stroking my cheek. “Now you don’t have to rush.”
“You’re kind of amazing Cade Wallace.”
“Back atya Navy Simmonds Henderson.” He kissed me again. “Now I really have to go.”
“Okay. Thanks for breakfast, Lumpy.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
I grinned. “Can’t wait.”
Pickles and I walked him out, then locked up after him. I kissed the dog’s cheek. “Are you going to let me do my conference call in peace?” She licked my chin in response, and I chuckled. “I hope that’s a yes.”
Pickles licked me again and I smiled before setting her back on the ground.
* * *
Cade
I climbed in my truck and backed out of Navy’s driveway. I was grinning so hard as I drove down her street, I almost missed the nondescript white sedan parked two doors down.
Almost.
The reason I noticed it at all was because a middle-aged fat guy with male-pattern baldness was in the front seat and turned his head as I passed as though he didn’t want me to see him. I frowned, glancing in my rearview and noticed the car start up, pull out and drive away.
I chalked it up to a commuter heading to work and put it out of my mind.
Until...
I drove back to Navy’s after lunch and noticed the car again. She was still on her conference call, so I dropped off the crate and a few other things I got for the dog, kissed her quickly, then climbed back in my truck, but when I started my drive back to the jobsite, the car was gone.
I stopped at a red light and scrolled to my brother’s number.
“Hey, brother, you good?”
“Hey, Con. Can you have Booker check on a plate for me?” I asked as the light turned green.
Booker was the VP of the Dogs of Fire, and he was also a gifted hacker. If you wanted someone found he could find them, even if they didn’t want to be found.
“Yeah. Got trouble?”
“Not sure. Gut feeling.”
“Okay, give me the plate and I’ll let you know what we find.”
“Thanks. I’ll owe you one,” I said.
“Nah, this one’s about family, Cade. It’s all good.”
“Thanks, Con.”
We rang off and I went back to work.
I pulled into Navy’s driveway three hours later, the white sedan nowhere to be seen as I drove back into her neighborhood. Connor also hadn’t called with any concerns, so I put the issue aside to focus on giving my woman a romantic night out.
I walked up to Navy’s door and knocked. When she pulled it open, I nearly lost my breath. “Jesus.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. You look fuckin’ beautiful. That dress reminds me of your prom dress.”
She wore a black, deep V cocktail dress with a dark blue sash under her breasts, and it hugged her curves all the way down her hips, stopping just above her knees.
She smiled. “You remember my prom dress?”
I nodded. “It’s burned into my brain.”
Navy and I had gone to junior prom, and she’d looked stunning in a dark blue gown with a little belt made of ceramic daisies just under her ample breasts. God, all I’d wanted to do was peel her out of that dress and worship those tits.
I didn’t, because I was a fucking gentleman, but it didn’t mean my hand didn’t get a workout bringing me some relief in the following weeks.
“Come in, Lumpy. I need to get Pickles settled before we go.”
I stepped inside, sliding my hand around her waist and pulling her close. “You forgettin’ something?”
“What?”
I leaned in and kissed her, smiling against her lips as she sank into me and kissed me back.
“Oh, yes, I did forget that,” she breathed out, stroking my cheek.
I chuckled. “Worth the wait, beautiful.”
She blushed. “Yes, yes it was.”
“Did you find out who sent you the flowers?”
“Oh, yes, I did. It was an old client. The flower shop said the card fell between the seats in the van,” Navy said as she walked into her bedroom. “They offered to swing by with it, can you believe that? It’s just a small piece of paper, it’s not like they forgot the roses.”
I smiled, picking up the dog who was demanding my attention. “Yes, I can believe that, actually. If they’ve got any kind of integrity, they should fix their mistake. Driving their asses over here to bring you the card’s the very least they can do.”
She rolled her eyes. “So brutal, big man.”
I chuckled as I felt the tension leave my body.
“I told them not to worry about it,” she said, dropping her phone into her purse. “I reached out to my client and thanked her, so it was all good.”
I dropped Pickles onto the bed and crossed my arms as she stepped into her closet... for the third time. “Baby, what are you looking for?”
She held up a red high heel. “The mate to this.”
“Shit, you’re wearing those?”
She frowned. “You don’t like them?”
“Oh, I like them just fine. The problem is that now I’m imagining them on your feet while your ankles are around my neck while I fuck you.”
Her cheeks pinked as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Lumpy. You’re impossible.”
“Just sharing my pain, beautiful.”
“Well, thanks,” she grumbled, as she got down on her knees and glanced under the bed. “Bloody fucking hell.”
“Found it?” I deduced as she reached under the bed, pulling out the remnants of her red shoe.
“Pickles,” Navy admonished, waving the heel toward the dog. “You are not allowed Mummy’s shoes.” Navy turned to me. “I don’t even know how she got in here. She’s been in her little gated area all day. These cost me two-hundred bucks. They’re my favorite shoes.”
“Sorry, baby.” I tried not to laugh as I picked up the dog again. “Give me those and I’ll take them to my guy and see if he can fix ’em.”
“You have a guy?”
“Yeah. Sal Lombardi. Got a couple pairs of work boots I get repaired on the regular. Just find another pair you like for tonight. You’ll look beautiful whatever you wear.”
She let out a frustrated groan and nodded, heading back into her closet. In the end, she wore a pair of silver, glittery heels that were cute, but not nearly as sexy as the red and I made a mental note to replace the red ones if Sal couldn’t fix them.
