Chapter 5
RAELYNN
Raelynn was so warm and comfortable. Something she hadn’t felt in years. Groaning, she moved her head, but a hand was keeping it in place.
She opened her eyes and looked up to see Butch staring down at her. That’s when she realized she was still in his lap.
Rae didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep; it had just happened as he rocked her back and forth. She couldn’t remember the last time she had fallen asleep like that with no worries and feeling safe.
Raelynn let go of his shirt and pushed against his hand. He finally let the back of her head go, and she looked up at him better, straining her neck.
“How long was I out for?” she asked and looked around the room, trying to see if anyone else was there.
No one. Rae’s shoulders dropped ever so slightly as she looked back at Butch. He was holding up the whiteboard.
Four hours.
Her eyes grew wide as she stared at those words. She was asleep on his lap for four hours.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep on your lap. You should have put me on the bed. Your legs must be numb,” Rae said as she tried to get off his lap.
But he wasn’t having any of it. His hands landed on her hips, holding her in place.
“Please come and let me go. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep on your lap. I’m sorry,” she muttered once again.
Butch shook his head and held up his finger, telling her to wait as he wrote on the whiteboard.
My legs aren’t numb, and you don’t have to apologize for falling asleep. It was my honor to hold you while you slept so soundly. It is something you desperately needed.
That was an understatement. It had been eight years of getting less than five hours of sleep a night. Eight years of not eating nearly enough. Eight years of trying to defend herself, but not having the strength or ability to.
Any time you want to sleep in my arms, just let me know, and I’ll make it happen. I don’t care what I’m doing or who I’m with. You want to take a nap or fall asleep tonight? I’ll be right there to keep you safe and hold you for as long as you need.
Rae sniffled as she felt her tear ducts opening once again.
She had cried more in the past day than she had in the last eight years.
Crying never did anything, so she held on to a lot of tears when she was with Edmund.
But there was something about Butch that made him get through all her defenses and actually make her cry.
“I don’t want to bother you. I don’t want to rely on you when I know I’m going to have to leave,” she whispered.
You aren’t going to leave, and you aren’t a bother. It would make me so happy and proud if you came to me when you needed something, anything extravagant or something very simple.
“I have to leave. You can’t get hurt because of me,” she said.
And I’m telling you that you aren’t going to leave. I lost you eight years ago, and I’m not going to lose you again.
“You didn’t come back for me,” she pointed out.
Yes, I did.
Rae shook her head and scoffed. “No, you didn’t. I waited and waited and waited for you to come back to me, and you never did. You never showed up.”
Butch started writing when his head whirled toward the door. She looked over to see the doctor walking in once again. He smiled at her, and she stared at him, not knowing what to do or how to react.
She was wary of any doctor after Edmund’s friend visited so much. Were all doctors like him, or were there still good ones out there?
The doctor held a whiteboard. Were they not exhausted from this yet? Edmund would have never done anything like that with her. He wanted to torture her as much as he could. He wanted her to suffer.
How are you feeling?
She shrugged.
It’s important that you really think about it and let me know. You were severely bruised when I briefly looked over you. You had an infection, and we’ve been giving you fluids and an antibiotic. But I need to know your symptoms.
“Why do you care? He never cared. His friend never cared,” she found herself saying.
Butch ran his hand up and down her back as she looked between them both.
Because you are Butch’s woman. You are now part of the Springfield Sinners, and we take care of our own.
Her eyes re-read those sentences over and over again. When had she become Butch’s woman?
Now, can you tell me how you’re really feeling? Is anything aching? Are you feeling feverish?
“I feel exhausted and a little thirsty, but nothing aches. Though my ear hasn’t gotten any better,” she replied.
Your ear? The one you still have a little hearing in? What’s different about it?
She tried to think about how it was different. “When I first woke up, when you guys were talking, I could only hear every few words or none at all. Normally, I can make out a little more so that I don’t get into as much trouble, but I’ve been having difficulties.”
Not that it helped much when she had a little bit more hearing. Edmund knew how to talk and what pitch to use so she wouldn’t be able to understand the majority of what he was saying. He had a twisted mind in wanting her to always be in trouble so he could lay a hand on her.
Would you allow one of my friends, another doctor, to come by and check your ears to see what we can do?
Rae opened and closed her mouth several times.
She wasn’t particularly comfortable with someone else looking her over.
What if he knew Edmund and told him where she was?
Doctors knew a lot of other healthcare professionals, and she didn’t want to get anyone hurt when it came to her.
Especially not Butch. She wanted nothing to harm him.
We don’t know what happened to you before, but whenever we see someone in need of help, we do as much as we can. Butch wrote down on his whiteboard.
“Are you sure?” she asked as she looked over at Butch.
He nodded.
“I don’t want it to cost any money, and I don’t want him to tell me how bad it is when I can’t do anything. So, I think it would be better if he just didn’t come,” she managed to get out.
Do you want a hearing aid or a cochlear implant? Butch asked.
“I can’t have them, so it doesn’t matter what I want,” she replied.
Sure, Rae had always thought about getting something so she would be able to hear better, but she didn’t let herself dream about it too much. She didn’t have that kind of money, and before she ran away, she was stuck with a person who would never let her have it.
If you want something, I’ll pay for it. Butch wrote
“It costs too much money,” she mumbled. “He would never allow me to have one.”
He isn’t here any longer, so you don’t need to think about what he wants. Think about what you want. Money isn’t a problem. If you want one, I’ll pay for it. I’ve been saving up for years. I will gladly spend it on whatever you need.
“But what if he finds me and sees it?” she whispered.
Butch cupped her face and gently kissed her forehead before writing on the whiteboard again.
We are going to find him and make sure that he will never lay eyes on you again. If he sees you and you have a hearing aid or a cochlear implant, he won’t be able to do anything because I will be there with you. The Springfield Sinners will keep you safe
That was what she was worried about. Other people stepping in and getting hurt, people she didn’t know.
“I don’t know.”
Butch wrote on his whiteboard, then turned around and gently placed his free hand on top of hers.
You don’t have to know now, but if you want, Doc’s friend can come by and do an assessment so that we have all the information we need.
“Why would you do something like this for me? We haven’t seen each other in over eight years. I thought you didn’t want me anymore,” she said.
Rae heard a little noise to her right, and she looked over at Doc, who was grinning and shaking his head.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Doc is just being annoying. Why would I do this for you when we haven’t seen each other in over eight years? Because I still love you like I did in high school. I still want to be your Daddy. I never stopped wanting you.
Doc waved his hand, gaining her attention, and turned his whiteboard.
I promise you that he does not know the person who hurt you. Even if he did, he wouldn’t say anything, but he would tell us where the man is, so we can go deal with him. Just let me know if you want him to come and check on your ears.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt?” she said.
A smile broke out on the doc’s face, and he nodded before turning to Butch and saying something. Rae knew she shouldn’t get upset about him talking to Butch, but she wanted to know everything they were saying.
Doc is having some food delivered, and I’ll feed you.
It’s going to be something light but nutritious, so you can gain some weight and be healthy again.
From now on, you’ll eat three meals a day.
If you ever want snacks, all you need to do is tell me.
Butch wrote as the doctor walked out of the room.
Rae’s stomach grumbled at the thought of having consistent food from now on. When was the last time she had that? Rae couldn’t even remember. That was what her life had come to: not remembering the last time she had eaten anything nice.
Butch cupped her face, so they were looking into each other’s eyes.
She searched his face, wanting to know what had physically changed since the last time she had seen him.
But the more she looked, the more she realized he still looked absolutely the same.
He still had his short brown hair sticking up in the front, with his beard cut close to his face, but still showing.
Rae’s eyes looked down and realized he now had a tattoo on his right upper arm, something she couldn’t quite make out right now.
But he looked the same, but a little older.
Had she changed as much as he had?
Daddy wants to know everything that happened since I left. Can you tell me anything? Butch wrote, and tears pricked her eyes.