Monroe
“He’s already been bathed, and he’s in bed. Probably not asleep yet if you want to talk to him.”
“Thank you, Sharon.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” She gives me a hug, grabs her purse, and slips out the door.
I tiptoe down the hall, trying to be quiet in case Dad is already asleep, but when I pass by his room, he calls to me.
Closing my eyes, I stop outside his door. Part of me wants to keep walking, get into the shower, and act like I didn’t hear him. But that’s not fair to either of us.
We haven’t talked much since the other night at the Allens’ when he told me I was hovering. We’ve been living around each other, neither one of us ready to break the ice. I’m not sure I’m ready now, but I might as well get it over with.
“Hey, Daddy.” I push his door open. “Everything okay?”
He taps the side of his bed with his fingers. The floor squeaks beneath my feet as I move across the room. Lowering the bedrail, I place my hands under his arms, stuff a pillow behind his back and sit down.
“You w-worked late t-tonight.”
“I had a horse come in today. Palomino. She’s real pretty.”
“W-w-was she spooked?”
“A little. I stayed until she was settled. Sorry I wasn’t home for dinner.”
“That’s o-okay.” He places his hand over mine. “I’m s-sorry about the other d-day—” Dad’s words turn into a cough. I grab the glass of water from his nightstand. Tilting it to his lips, I help him take a sip.
“Better?”
He nods.
“You don’t have to apologize, Dad. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“I know y-you didn’t. I sh-shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Yes, you should. I do too much for you. I need to let you be more independent.” Swallowing, I look at our joined hands.
“T-talk to me, M-mo.”
“It’s all just so overwhelming sometimes,” I admit, tears blurring my eyes. “I get up at the ass crack of dawn, work all day, come home and take care of you, and sometimes it’s easier to do things for you than wait for you to do them on your own, because all I can think about is taking a hot shower and crawling into bed.”
I hate the words coming from my mouth. They make me feel weak and like a horrible daughter, but they’re the truth. “I’m so sorry, Daddy.”
He tugs my hand. A wave of heat washes over me as I lower myself onto the bed. I curl up next to my dad like I did as a young girl. He tries to quiet me, running his good hand over the top of my head, but it’s useless. Pressing my face into his shirt, I cry. My shoulders heave and sobs burst from my throat. Only when my tears begin to dry does he speak.
“We need t-to talk about Animal H-Haven.”
“What about it?” I sit up and wipe the tears from my face.
“It’s t-t-time.”
“I don’t understand. Time for what?”
“To c-close it.”
“What? No!” I gasp, scooting back on the bed. “No way. Why would you want to do that?”
“You can g-go back to school, and I can go t-t-to go to a nice h—”
“Don’t say it,” I hiss. “Don’t you dare say it. There’s no way I’m putting you in some shady nursing home.”
“It’s not your ch-choice, M-mo. It’s m-mine. It’s also m-my choice whether or n-not to c-c-close Animal H-Haven.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this. Jesus Christ, Dad. I can’t get back into the vet program. It’s too late. They’ll never accept me, and I’m not sure I’d even want to go back. Animal Haven is my life. If you take it away, what will I have left?”
“It isn’t your l-life. It stole your l-life. I only w-want you to be h-happy.”
Emotion clogs my throat. “I am happy,” I whisper, a fresh wave of tears falling down my face. “I’m happy,” I repeat, unsure who I’m trying to convince.
Even I can hear the uncertainty in my voice, and if I can’t convince myself, there’s no way I’ll convince him. “Let me think about it. Promise you won’t do anything until we have more time to talk.”
Pinching his lips together, he nods.
My emotions are running high, and I need to get out of here. “I’m going to take a shower.” I pull the pillow from behind him, help him lie down, and kiss his forehead. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Emotionally and physically spent, I walk down the hall, stripping out of my clothes along the way. In the shower, steaming hot water flows over my body, easing my aching muscles. I stand under the spray for far longer than normal, taking my time as I wash my hair and scrub my body—and only because I’m hopeful Rhett will come over, I shave my legs.
My body is refreshed, but my heart is still bruised as I climb out. The soft cotton of the towel feels good when I wrap it around my body. I stand in front of the mirror until the fog clears, and then I stare at my reflection.
Somewhere along the way, I lost myself. I lost Mo Gallagher, and as much as I want to find her again, I don’t know where to start. If Dad decides to shut down Animal Haven, I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t imagine an existence that doesn’t involve those animals day in and day out.
Visions of a bitchy cat pop into my head just as a knock sounds at the front door. It could really only be one person, so I don’t bother putting on my clothes. With water dripping from my hair and a white towel knotted between my breasts, I pad down the hall. I peek through the blinds to make sure it’s Rhett before opening the door.
“Hey.”
“Jesus Christ, Mo. You can’t answer the door like this.” He pushes his way into the house and shuts the door. “Please tell me this isn’t a thing for you.”
“Gotta be honest, Rhett, I didn’t expect you to be so upset about it.”
“Trust me,” he breathes, pulling me into his arms. “I’m anything but upset. Intrigued? Yes. Horny as fuck? Hell yes. Upset? Not one bit.”
“Shhhh,” I laugh, covering his mouth with my own. “My dad is sleeping in the other room.”
“Sorry,” he whispers, pulling me in for another kiss. “Guess that means I can’t have my way with you.”
“Is that what you were hoping for? A quickie?” Not that that sounds bad—I’m just not sure it’s something I can do with my dad in the other room.
Wrapping his hand around the wet strands of my hair, he tugs, forcing me to look up at him. “You and I will never be a quick fuck. Understood?”
I push up on my toes, sealing my lips over his. “Understood.”
“I feel like a teenager sneaking into his girlfriend’s house while her parents are gone.” He makes a face. “Only your dad is home. I’m thinking we should sit at least three feet apart on the couch, and you better not touch me, Mo Gallagher.” He pushes me away from him.
I laugh, reaching for him. “This is exactly what I needed. You are what I needed tonight.”
“Bad night?”
I shrug, not wanting to rehash everything. I just want to cuddle up with Rhett and enjoy being in his arms. “Long day.”
“What can I do to make it better?” He rubs his hands up and down my arms. “You know what? I’ve got an idea. Follow me.” He kicks off his shoes and leads me down the hall. “Is your room still on the right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“You’ll see.”
He pulls me into my room and locks the door behind us.
“You do realize my dad can’t get out of bed on his own.”
“Right.” He furrows his brow but leaves the door locked as he drags me to the edge of my bed. “You are way overdressed, Ms. Gallagher.” Dipping a finger in the top of my towel, he tugs it down until the knot loosens and it falls around my hips.
Goosebumps scatter across my body as his eyes sweep over me.
“You’re so beautiful, baby.” Snaking his arm around my waist, he hauls me in close. He cradles my jaw while his eyes search mine. “I would kill to make love to you right now.”
“No need to commit a felony.” Wrapping my fingers around his, I guide his hand away from my face and press it between my legs.
“Mo,” he hisses, sliding two fingers along my slit. He pushes them inside, and I buck my hips against his hand. “This isn’t why I brought you in here.” His voice is thick—strained—and the gritty sound settles between my legs, creating a rush of moisture.
“Maybe this is what I want.”
“Not tonight, baby. Tonight, I’ve got other plans.” He drags his fingers out of my pussy, circles them along my clit, and pushes back in.
His touch lights my body on fire. I moan, rotating my hips, a silent plea to keep going. “Please, don’t stop,” I pant.
Rhett’s mouth captures mine in a heated kiss. His teeth bite lightly on my lower lip before sucking it into his mouth, making me shudder. I grasp his wrist, encouraging him to push harder, faster.
“You like that?” His lips move down my neck. He sucks at the soft spot behind my ear as he curls both fingers deep inside me.
My stomach clenches tight as waves of electricity shoot through my body.
“That’s it, baby, let go for me,” he coaxes, and like the good girl I am, my body follows his command.
Rhett slows his hand to an aching pace, riding out the remainder of my orgasm, but when I reach for his cock, he shakes his head.
“Nope. Tonight is about you, and I’ve got plans. Follow me.”
With my hand in his, Rhett leads me to the en-suite bathroom. After my mom left, and I hit puberty, Dad switched rooms with me so I could have my own attached bathroom. And on a night like tonight, I’m so grateful. I try not to be self-conscious about the state of my house, but it’s difficult when I’m here with Rhett. He probably has one of those big fancy tubs with a walk-in shower, and all I’ve got is a stained vinyl tub, accented by eighties floral wall paper.
But he doesn’t seem to mind. He leans into the tub, twists the stopper, and turns the knob. He keeps his hand under the water as he adjusts the temperature, and when he gets it just right, he turns to me.
“Where’s your girly shit?”
“What makes you think I have girly shit?”
“Every girl has some sort of girly shit.”
“Under the sink.”
He leans down and starts pulling things out, setting them on the counter one by one. Lavender oil. Bubble bath. Three peony-scented candles. Taking the bottle of bubble bath, he dumps a solid stream into the water and adds a few drops of lavender. I almost ask how he got so good at drawing bubble baths, but then I remember it probably involves another woman and I’d rather not know.
“Lighter?”
I disappear from the bathroom, coming back a few seconds later with the lighter. By the time he lights the candles and places them around the room, the tub is almost full.
He turns off the water. “Your bubble bath awaits,” he says, motioning toward the bathtub. It’s overflowing with bubbles, and when he flicks off the bathroom light, we’re surrounded by the smell of lavender and the faint glow of the candles.
“But I already took a shower,” I say, flicking the ends of my still-wet hair.
“Fine, suit yourself.” Rhett tugs off his shirt, followed by his jeans, boxers, and socks. “I’ll get in.”
“Not without me you won’t.” I scurry across the tiny space.
Rhett climbs in first. He stretches his legs out as far as they’ll go, but they’re still bent, and he can’t be at all comfortable.
“Come here.” He holds out a hand, helping me into the tub.
Bubbles encase my body as I slip into the warm, sudsy water. Gripping my waist, Rhett situates me between his legs. Pooling water in his hands, he lets it fall over my shoulders and down my back, and then those amazing hands follow the same path.
His fingers work their way over my muscles at a slow, methodic pace.
“Oh, God,” I moan, dropping my chin to my chest. “That feels so good.”
Sliding the palms of his hands up my spine, he curls his fingers over my shoulders, kneading them over and over, working out all the knots before moving his way down my back.
“I feel like I should be massaging your shoulder, not the other way around.”
“My shoulder is good, Mo, getting better every day. Let me take care of you right now.”
How can I say no to that?
“We need to talk about Animal Haven,” he says after a moment.
“What about it?” I ask, wincing as he works his hands along my lower back.
“Does that hurt?”
“Just a little.” I wince again, and he stops.
“What happened?”
“I had to haul bags of shavings to the barn for that horse I got in today. Think maybe I pulled something.”
“Why didn’t you have me do it?”
“You weren’t there yet, and it needed to be done. Plus, I won’t chance you reinjuring your shoulder. It’s not a big deal.”
He sighs. “It is a big deal. Who helps you out when you have big loads like that?”
“Usually it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“And if it is?”
“I call Coop or Sean.”
“Not anymore. Now you call me. Got it?”
“I’ll do whatever you say as long you promise to keep massaging.” I roll my head to the side. Rhett moves his hands to knead the area I just opened up.
“Mo, you really need to get some extra help at Animal Haven. I don’t know how you’ve managed all these years by yourself—”
“I haven’t been completely by myself. I have volunteers.”
“No,” he corrects. “You have Claire and Tess.”
“I have a couple more, but they’ve been busy lately and haven’t been able to help out as much.”
“That’s a start, Mo, but you need someone more regularly. I hate to think about you out there doing all that shit on your own when I go back to Houston.”
My heart stops, along with my breathing. It’s the first time either one us of has mentioned Houston. What’s going to happen to us when he leaves? What happens to me?
Swallowing, I blink back tears, grateful I’m facing away from him. “I, uh…I can’t afford to hire anyone. All the money we make from donations and adoptions goes straight back into the business. I don’t keep a dime for myself.”
His hands pause for a second on my shoulders, then pick back up again. “How do you pay the bills?”
“I just told you; all the money goes back into the business.”
“I mean at home. How do you pay the bills at home?”
“The house is paid off; so is my truck. Dad gets Social Security, and we have the money he made from selling Ruff Times, along with what he draws from his retirement. I also make a decent amount in tips on the weekends. Why all the questions?”
“I just worry about you, that’s all.”
I rest my head against his shoulder, melting into him as he wraps his arms around me. We sit like this until the suds start to fade and the water cools. I’m not ready to leave our little cocoon, so I pull the plug, drain some of the cool water, and refill the tub with hot so I can relax back into Rhett’s arms.
“Have you ever thought about going back to school?” he asks, his voice echoing off the walls.
That’s a tough question to answer. “I gave up on that a long time ago. The money isn’t there, and I’ve grown to love Animal Haven.”
“What if the money was there? Would you go back?”
“They probably wouldn’t let me into the program since I gave up my seat.”
“Christ, Mo, this is a what-if situation. Play along, would ya?”
“Fine. Yes, if I didn’t have Animal Haven and the money was there, I would go back to school. Happy?”
“Yes.” He kisses the side of my head. “Sorry for pushing you; I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, Rhett,” I say, turning in his arms. I feel like I’m having the same conversation I just had with my dad, only with Rhett I can be brutally honest. “I haven’t always been, but I’m getting there, and you play a big part in that. Before you, I had nothing to live for. I worked, took care of my father, ate and slept, and on rare occasions, I’d hang out with Claire. I was depressed and lonely. Now I have moments like this to look forward to. Quiet bubble baths, family dinners, someone to share my day with—it’s the small things like that I didn’t realize I was missing.”
Rhett kisses me softly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “We need to talk about what we’re going to do when I go back to work.”
“Have you been cleared?”
“Not yet, but it won’t be long. I have an appointment with my orthopedic doctor next Friday. I want you to come with me.”
“Back to Houston? Rhett—”
“I already know what you’re thinking, and I’ve got it figured out. My appointment isn’t until the afternoon. It’s an hour and a half drive. We’ll get up early and take care of the animals, drive to Houston, and go to the appointment. We’ll be able to make it back to Heaven in time for evening chores. And if we have a few minutes to spare, I’d love to show you my house.”
I open my mouth, and Rhett takes it as an invitation to kiss me. “Just think about it,” he whispers against my lips. “Don’t say no; just think about it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah.” I’ll figure it out this time; I’ll find a way to make it work—possibly even make it an overnight trip—but it’s going to be difficult to do anything like this on a regular basis, and I wonder if that’s something Rhett will be willing to put up with.
“It’s always going to be like this,” I whisper. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
He cups my jaw. “What are you talking about?”
“If I am who you want, you need to understand that you aren’t just choosing me; you’re choosing my father too. We’re a package deal. I will take care of him as long as I’m able, and that’s going to make it difficult to have a normal relationship. I can’t just pick up and go when you travel, or even come see you at home. I need you to think about this before—”
“I don’t need to think about it, Mo. I want this to work.”
He rests his forehead against mine.
“And I know that means you and your father and Animal Haven and Ruby and that damn cat—”
“Pickles.”
He smiles. “That’s the one. But what about you, Mo? What happens when I go back on tour and I’m gone for weeks at a time? Are you going to be okay with that? What if it’s too much and you change your mind about us—about me?”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes before I look up. “That’s not going to happen. I let you get away once, and I won’t make that mistake again. You’ll see.”
He stares at me for a long moment, seeming to absorb my words, and I can’t decide if he’s trying to convince himself I’m telling the truth or trying to stop himself from telling me how he feels.
“Can we make love now?” My hand dips under the water as I run it down his stomach. I curl my fingers around his cock, swirl my thumb around the head, and revel in the way his eyelids droop. “I really want that.”
“You think you can be quiet?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
With an arm around my back and another beneath my legs, he lifts us both out of the tub. I don’t even care that we leave a trail of water as he moves out of the bathroom and drops me on the bed, because all I can think about is how he looks crawling toward me and how his big, strong body feels pressing me into the mattress.
“I love you,” I whisper.