Chapter 32
”Holly, are you sure?” Becca asked her friend. ”Aren”t I a little old for a braless sundress?”
”Darlin”,” Holly drawled in a perfect cowboy twang. ”There is no such thing as too old when a man tells you he”s in it for the tits, legs, and ass. Flaunt what you got, lady!”
They stood side-by-side, studying Becca”s reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of the bedroom door.
”Today”s high was one hundred and thirteen. Davis calls it the Bendover Sizzle,”her friend continued. ”A flirty polka-dot mini dress with spaghetti straps and an open back is exactly what a day like today calls for.”
”Boho Chic. That”s what Kori called it.”
”Let”s show off your bare back by putting your hair in a high ponytail.”Holly hurried across the room to grab a hairbrush.
With her hair styled and lip gloss applied, Becca gave her reflection a last look. ”It”s too short,”she muttered.
”Then be careful when you bend over.”Holly paused a second and then screeched, bend over—get it? Tee-he-he. I love this place.”
In the living room, she posed and pirouetted for Kori and Pheebs while they applauded, whistled, and cheered her on.
That”s right—her life included the input of some twelve-year-olds, and she was honestly glad for it. Without Kori”s buy-in, there”s no way she”d be going anywhere with Jamie Hunter. Her daughter”s enthusiastic approval made things a hell of a lot easier.
Spritzing perfume into the air, Becca twirled in the scent cloud.
Her phone buzzed—Jamie promised to ding her when he reached the stop sign at the end of the long street.
”Where”s my purse?”she asked as Kori pressed the small bag into her hands.
”Relax, Mom. You look great.”Kori kissed her cheek and whispered, ”Have all the fun.”
Holly slung her arms around Phoebe”s shoulders as the mother-daughter duo hung back and watched with smiling faces.
She heard Jamie”s big truck in the driveway, and a minute later, he was at the door.
”Let me,”Kori chirped happily, quickly reacting to Jamie”s door knock.
”Hey, kid,”he exclaimed when he was face-to-face with her daughter. ”Is your mom ready?”
Swinging the screen door wide, Kori waved him inside. ”Hurry up, or you”ll let all the air conditioning out.”
When he was inside, Becca sucked in a deep lungful of air. Her house was small, and he was so damn big.
”This is for you,”he told Kori when he handed her a small bakery box. ”Blonde brownies to thank you for tonight.”
”Wow. Yummy! Thanks, Jamie. Hey, let me introduce my friend Phoebe Marshall and her mom, Holly.”
Becca filled with pride as her daughter made the introductions. Jamie played his part beautifully.
”What do you ladies have planned for tonight?”he asked politely.
Phoebe smiled. ”We”re making cupcakes at my house for the community center”s weekend bake sale.”
”Sounds like a worthy endeavor,”he said approvingly. ”I”ll be sure to drop in and buy a couple.”
Becca cleared her throat. ”Hello?”
Jamie looked at her—first with a grin and then a leer after a leisurely head-to-toe inspection.
”Hello, Rebecca. You look amazing.”
She admired his muscles, visible beneath a white cotton shirt, and noted how well he filled out his jeans.
”You”re not so bad yourself, Dr. Hunter.”
”Ladies,”he said to Kori, Pheebs, and Holly. ”Enjoy your evening.”
With a sweeping gesture, he waved her toward the door. ”Your chariot awaits.”
He walked her to the truck, swung the passenger door open, and then positioned his big body to block onlookers as he reached under her dress to fondle her ass.
She gasped.
”Just checking,”he laughed.
The drive to Domineau and Rafe”s place didn”t take long. In their driveway, Jamie handed her another bakery box.
”To smooth over our unexpected appearance.”
”Ah, got it. Good move.””
Rafe pulled the front door wide before they could ring the doorbell. ”Are you two lost?”he cackled gleefully.
”I come bearing news about that thing you asked me to look into.”
Becca watched the two big men exchange looks. She had a front-row seat as Jamie emerged from his hermit-like existence and took his place in Justice”s world.
Rafe lowered his voice, ”Let”s talk.”He looked at her with a measure of surprise and smiled. ”Becca,”he greeted her enthusiastically. ”Is this a hostage situation? Blink twice if you need help.”
Jamie laughed.
”Paid escort,”she drawled. She held up the bakery box. ”I come with treats. Is Domineau available?”
”She”sin the kitchen,”Rafe waved them inside.”The kid tribe is upstairs watching Disney. Pywakett is around here someplace—I”m sure she”ll appear to say hello.”
Jamie reached into a pocket and handed Rafe a small bag. ”Cat treats for Py.”He wagged his finger. ”But no more than two at a time. Your cat is chonking up.”
”Is chonk the new chubby?”Rafe asked.
”Don”tknow if it”s an official Scrabble word, but I checked, and it”s considered an urban expression—so I”m using it,”Jamie explained.
”For god”s sake, don”t tell Domineau her cat is fat,”Rafe mumbled. ”She”s starting to crack under the weight of planning our wedding. Don”t rile her up, okay?”
Domineau was cracking? Well, Becca couldn”t have that. ”I”ll leave you boys to it.”She smiled at Rafe, smirked at Jamie, and sashayed toward the kitchen, confident that both men watched her exit.
”Incoming,”she called out two steps before turning the corner into the kitchen.
Domineau was in domestic mode, wearing a full apron delightfully decorated with hula girls, flamingos, and pineapples. All around her was evidence of a family dinner. The sink was full of suds, and the dishwasher was open. Serving bowls and dinner plates were stacked and ready for washing.
The kitchen air was heavy with the aroma of popcorn. Music from a Bluetooth speaker on the windowsill played classic rock.
”Becca! What a surprise,”Domineau exclaimed as her eyes slid from Becca”s head to the sandals on her feet. ”What the hell are you wearing? Are you shopping at Forever 21 again?”
The snarky comment—deserved, in Becca”s opinion—got a laugh.
”Go ahead, say it. I”m way too old for something so short.”
Domineau held up her middle finger. ”That”s what I have to say about age. We”re never too old. Yes, the dress is short, but my surprise comes from the fact that this get-up is not something you would normally wear. Can I assume a certain adorkable veterinarian is the reason for the wardrobe upgrade?”
She placed the bakery box on the kitchen island and looked at her friend. ”Holly Marshall lent me the dress. You”ve met her. Anyway, well,”she muttered. ”I guess there”s only one way to say this, so here goes. Um, Jamie and I are dating. It”s official, and he mentioned that he”s a tits, legs, and ass man, so…”she motioned to the flirty sundress, ”Voila.”
It took a few seconds for this announcement to sink in before Domineau smiled broadly.
”Hot diggity! You and the dorky doc. I”m here for it! Way to go, gurl!”
They fist-bumped, high-fived, did the shimmy, and then Domineau went for the gold. ”Have you slept with him yet?”
”Domineau! Good grief. No. We”re dating and, um, getting to know each other. That”s all.”
Thinking over the intensely personal things she”d learned about Jamie made her blush—something that did not go unnoticed.
”What?”Domineau asked.
She tried to shrug off the question. ”Nothing.”
”Oh, hell no.”Domineau”s expression grew stern. ”Tell me.”
”Idon”t think now is the time. And besides,”she replied in a comically stealthy tone, ”We”re here on a mission.”
Domineau smirked. ”Jesus. Do I even want to know?” she asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel. ”Who”s in the bull”s eye? Is it me or Rafael?”
Becca grinned. ”I believe the word mission is a clue.”
”Oh, shit.”Domineau”s gaze darted to the kitchen door.”So, does this mean the dorky doc got roped into some sort of recon situation? Who is it? Tell me so I can fuck them up, but good.”
”I”m half surprised you have to ask. Isn”t it obvious? I mean, you guys are soon-to-be married—fuckery of the Justice kind is bound to happen, no?”
”If any of those shitheads mess up my wedding, heads will roll.”
Recalling Rafe saying the wedding was taking a toll on his fiancée, Becca cautiously broached the subject.
”How are things going? Planning a wedding is stressful, but pulling off a destination wedding takes things to a whole new level. Do you have help?”
The question elicited a heavy sigh. Closing the dishwasher, Domineau removed her apron and waved a hand at the pile of dishes waiting by the sink.
”This has to wait.”She pulled the bakery box close and opened the lid. ”Ooh. Brownies.”
Becca peered into the box and pointed to a note. ”What”s that?”
Domineau unfolded the little square. Her eyes scanned the note. ”Ten points to Dr. Dork—the note says these brownies contain cleverly hidden vegetables. Zucchini and yam. The littles won”t know they”re healthy.”
”Ididn”t have antique collector or baker on my Jamie bingo card. Have you seen his kitchen? The man loves him some foodie gadgets.”
”You”ve been inside his house? That”s odd. He”s not one for socializing much.”
Becca shrugged. ”He caught me having a moment at work, and instead of being his usual dickish self, he switched gears and rescued me—from myself, of course. Since he lives right there, he rather graciously stepped in and took me to his place for an adult time out.”
”Interesting.”
”It wasn”t a big deal,”she hurried to explain. ”Even if it sounds like one. It turns out that Jamie has a good side. He saw I was about to blow a gasket and provided an out. That”s all.”
Domineau”s eyes narrowed. ”And?”
”Oh, he has a cat. Did you know? It”s a cute little thing. I believe she came from the barn. And she”s not very social, so they”re a good match.”
”Does this cat have a name?”
She chuckle snorted. ”Yeah. Cat. Cat Nebatar. Alex heard the name and cracked up.”
”Hmm. I may have heard something about a new cat, but my brain is full—some stuff falls away.”
”The cat is just part of it. Jamie is trying to be less standoffish, and his world changes with every inch he gives. Hence, the mission.”
”Oh, I get it.”Domineau nodded—her expression knowing. ”Jamie cracked open a door, and Justice rushed forward to reel him in. I”m right, aren”t I?”
Becca nodded with a half-smirk. She put a finger to her lips. ”Don”t tell anyone, but he”s playing with the other reindeer. Finally.”
”And what about you?”her friend shot back. ”Are you finally going to come out of your shell and make nice with the ladies of Justice?”
”Now, come on,”she snarled defensively. ”I”m always nice, and you, of all people, know how much I owe you guys for getting me back on my feet. Basic appreciation falls short. My debt to you is more personal, organic.”
Domineau nodded. ”Just like Jamie. You see that, right?”
Well, shit.
”Yeah. I do now.”
Tearing into a brownie, Domineau offered half the gooey treat. Before either of them took a bite, she paused to look at her and said, ”When you step back and look at the bigger picture, both you guys insisted on playing solitaire until Sophie”s wedding. Jamie always had an excuse, and your I-can-do-it-by-myself shield was impossible to get around.
Then her friend chuckled. ”Tip of the hat to the big man in the Villa. Saying no to Alex is never a viable option, and him making it manda-fucking-tory that we all suit up and show up for months of wedding celebrations did the trick for you two.”
Gossipy whispers around the water cooler claimed the Justice head honcho had unusually talented matchmaking powers. Stephanie and Calder were the prime examples in a slew of couples that were too long to list.
Stories about the legendary Major and the desert town he created from nothing were commonplace amongst veterans. His quiet mission to support all who serve became her beacon of hope when everything fell away. She”d come to Bendover a homeless veteran—a single parent on the brink of despair.
Alex”s energy drew her to take a leap of faith. She owed him. She owed Justice.
Jamie”s journey to Bendover was more direct. Alex wanted the aloof veterinarian and what the Major wanted, he got. Sending Stephanie to reel him in with her sweet, flirty southern belle shtick was genius.
Becca wondered what Alex was thinking when he left her and Jamie in charge of the Villa and ranch while the whole family went to New York a few months back. Did he secretly hope that by throwing them together, a connection would happen?
Well, just as Domineau had done, she tipped her hat to whatever had been his motivation because the shock of stumbling into each other while stark naked had most certainly created an unexpected connection!