They spoke simultaneously.
“Oh, Deacon! I’ve been such a bloody fool! Can you forgive me?”
“Kacy, I’m an ass, I’m sorry! Can you forgive me?”
Falling into someone’s arms was an expression he had only heard, but never experienced until now. She flung herself at him, forgetting about his sore leg. She unbalanced them both and they fell in a heap on the floor. Deacon managed to land without taking too much of the fall, or her weight, on his damaged leg. He let out a gasp of pain beyond his control.
“Oh, bollocks! I’ve hurt you again!” She blurted out, trying to rise. Sitting astride him, she could feel his body responding to the touch of her flesh against his.
“I’m fine, really.”
She struggled once more to stand, but he held her to him, not letting her go.
“You stay right there, don’t move, not ever. I don’t want you to go away again. I promise I won’t say anything, or do anything purposely to hurt you ever, ever again. I swear.”
His voice was deep with emotion, and he felt his pain ebbing away, as his hands explored her body. She responded to his touch and they made love on the floor of his room. It wasn’t too uncomfortable, Deacon thought absently, Dino had spared no expense on the carpet padding.
When he woke the next morning, Deacon found himself in bed, the cover pulled up over his body. He smelled coffee, bacon, and other delicious aromas, coming from the kitchen. His cane was beside the bed and a pair of jeans draped over the chair within arm’s reach. Damn, she thought of everything.
“I could get used to this,” he thought happily.
He rose carefully, able to put more weight on his leg than he had the day before. It was stiff, but not as sore. The bruise was substantially smaller and had faded a little.
Kacy was humming happily in the kitchen as she moved briskly around, all her movements clipped and staccato. The only time she didn’t move like that was in bed. Everything else she did was with military precision. He grinned, leaning on his cane, staring at her, waiting to see how long it would take for her to notice him.
“If you think I don’t see you,” she called to him, “then you are most mistaken. Perfect timing. I was about to call you.”
Her cheeks were flushed with the heat of the oven and, he thought, happiness. A sparkle was in her eye he had never seen.
“I’m not as much of a gimp today,” he grinned as he showed her how much weight he could put on his leg.
“You weren’t a gimp at all, last night.” She winked at him.
Deacon chuckled, walking into the kitchen behind her, he grabbed her playfully around the waist. He drew her to him, kissing her on the neck as his hands found soft, cuddly places to hold on to.
“There now, your eggs will get cold!” She pretended to wiggle to get free, but found some way to stay exactly where she was. “Time to eat! You must be starving!”
“Oh, I am.” The caught himself before he made another crass remark, she might not appreciate. “I’d like some breakfast, too”
She didn’t seem to mind the implication, so he allowed himself another kiss on her neck, a nibble on her ear and a final squeeze before he sat on the stool she brought to him.
“Looks tasty,” he grinned. “So do you.”
He waited to judge her reaction, she didn’t bridle, nor did she seem affronted, so he continued to feel out the flirtatious waters.
“You know, Kacy, if I ever do or say anything that makes you uncomfortable, all you have to do is tell me.”
She wouldn’t look at him right away, but he saw the color rising in her cheeks, her eyes averted.
“It was a silly way for me to behave. It’s just, well, when Pete was first in hospital, there was this man who worked with him. The one who set the bomb off too early.”
Kacy struggled with her emotions. Deacon wanted to ease her discomfiture, but didn’t know how.
“He came to see Pete, and we got talking. He told me how badly he felt, that Pete was a great guy, he hoped he got better really soon. He was so nice, so comforting, I started to cry on his shoulder. Then he got a little too familiar, if you know what I mean. He said just horrid things, about how hot I was, how much he envied Pete having such a tasty piece of ass. That’s what he called me! I think he’d have raped me right there, but Pete’s mum and dad came in. He left in a hurry.”
Deacon shifted uncomfortably on his stool. “Kacy, I’m so sorry. What a bastard.”
“I wondered from then on if he’d done it on purpose. Blowing Pete up, I mean. Pete’s parents pursued criminal charges against him, but it didn’t get too far. He skipped town, I think there is still a warrant out for his arrest.”
“No wonder you got so angry. God, I feel like such an ass.”
She touched his hand softly, bringing it up to her cheek. Her eyes were soft, her smile warm and just for him.
“I’m sorry too, I should know by now you didn’t mean it like that. It was just so close to what he said, I guess it struck a raw nerve. I have way too many of those, I’m afraid.”
“I’ll do my best to soothe those frazzled nerves, Kacy. I meant what I said, I’ll never do anything to hurt you on purpose. The occasional brain fart, I can’t be held responsible for those.”
©2021 Dellani Oakes
Dellani Oakes 