Wounded (In My Dreams) (13 page)

“I thought you said there was a problem with these stairs, Lily?” my dad asked, stepping down and shifting his weight. “They look fine to me.”

“Jasper replaced them all and put them in the right way.”

“How much time before dinner?” Jasper asked me as the conversation went quiet.

“About an hour,” I hedged, wondering what he was up to.

“Perfect. I have to run out because the owner didn’t get everything we’ll need for the bathroom.” He glanced at my dad. “Would you like to join me, Mr. Slone? Lily says you’re the ultimate Mr. Fix-It and I’m always open to qualified advice. We can take your SUV if you want.”

Good call because there was
no way
my dad would let Jasper drive.

“Let me see what you’re working on first,” my dad muttered and walked back inside. Mom and I sat on my bed as they talked shop, most if it going right over my head.

“That’s a great idea,” Jasper said, agreeing with something my dad suggested as they walked out of the master bathroom. “Better quality and will last longer that way.”

“You seem to have a firm grasp on what you’re doing but you pick up tricks every project you do and I’ve torn out and redone several bathrooms.”

“Let me grab a shirt and we can go.” Jasper smiled at him and walked into our closet.

“Bring him back,” I hissed to my dad while he was in there. “Don’t leave him there no matter what he says, or ditch him. I love him so he better be with you when you get back here.”

“He’s not going to ditch me, Lily,” Jasper chuckled as he pulled on a shirt, rejoining us. “We’ll be fine. I’m a big boy.”

“I know,” I sighed, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss. “I can’t have you wandering around out there alone though. You take out the garbage.”

“Sweet talker,” he murmured and stole another peck. “I didn’t know until yesterday Lily didn’t tell you both about me. I don’t know if she mentioned this, but I was a Marine for six years. I hear your father was too, Mr. Slone. Okinawa, I think she said?”

“Yes, he was and he was there. Did you she tell you that he stormed the beaches without a rifle?” my dad asked as we followed them out of our room. “Lost it stabbing a shark. Killed the damn thing but their skin is so thick he couldn’t get his bayonet out before it sank in the ocean.”

“No kidding? Wow, I can’t imagine how scary it would be to not have a weapon for that big of a battle.”

“Why did you get out?” my mom asked, trying to be subtle in pumping him for information and failing miserably.

“I was honorably discharged after they diagnosed me with pretty bad PTSD,” Jasper admitted easily, obviously prepared to be grilled. “Lily’s been very supportive. She found me a great VA counselor and I go twice a week.”

“No problems now?” my dad asked calmly, but I knew him well enough that the subject would worry him.

“Haven’t had a night terror or issue in months. I still want to keep going for a while though. I know a lot of guys who started to feel better and stopped counseling only to have it come back and worse.”

“I’ve known cops like that,” my dad agreed, nodding. “It’s better to handle it upfront and put yourself back together before your life goes to hell.”

“I’ve already been there, but now life is great.”

I cleared my throat and held out my hand. “Jasper.”

“Really?” he sighed as he reached out and rubbed my arm. “You’ll only have one left.”

“I know. Gimmie.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out my pack of smokes. Then he took one and put it in my hand. “Thank you.”

“Care to explain?” my mom asked, glancing between us.

“Jasper’s helping me quit. I’m down to five a day and he hangs onto them so I don’t sneak any extra.”

“She tends to ‘forget’ if there’s additional,” Jasper teased me, using air quotes.

“I never thought Lily would quit. I guess miracles do happen,” my father chuckled, shaking his head.

I rolled my eyes and shooed them away. “Ha, ha. Hurry up or we’ll eat all your ribs.”

“We’ll be back,” Jasper blurted and jogged down the stairs. “Have you had her ribs, Mr. Slone? Best I’ve ever had.”

They kept talking as they headed out and my mom glanced at me. I knew what was coming. I walked through the kitchen and out onto the deck.

“What did he mean about being in hell?”

I sighed and decided to just bite the bullet. I told her the truth as I smoked—how we’d met, that he’d saved me, the condition he was in at the time, and how I invited him to stay with me.

“You took a really big risk, Lily.” She glanced at me as we walked back into the kitchen and I started wrapping the potatoes.

“I know, but Jasper was special,” I assured her. “It turns out his parents didn’t approve of him joining the military after college and trashed his life while he was overseas. Being discharged with PTSD, he couldn’t get a job, no place to live, and they stole his VA checks. He couldn’t bring himself to call the police on them, so he ended up on the streets. He saved my life, Mom. Not, I could have gotten hurt and I’m making a bigger deal about it than it really was. I mean, tackled the guy who was aiming a gun at me and about to shoot me.”

“Jesus,” she hissed as she stabbed the potatoes. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.”

“I don’t think it really sunk in at first that it had happened. It was more like a nightmare I wanted to forget, and with Jasper here, I never really focused on it. He was so busy putting both our lives back together I had so much happiness to focus on.”

“I’m glad you’re happy and things worked out, but we should have known you took him in.”

“Would you have understood?” I asked, glancing at her. “I mean, really understood if you hadn’t met him?”

“No,” she sighed, getting my point. “But he doesn’t work, Lily. You have to see why that would concern us that he’s using you.”

“I get that, but Jasper would never do that.” I turned on the oven for the garlic bread and faced her. “He runs my websites, has for months. I don’t have a contract guy anymore. Jasper was
pissed
I wanted to pay him, said I buy all the food and he wouldn’t use me like that. He started designing my covers last month, won’t let me pay him for that either. He gets his VA benefits now after I talked him into changing the address they’re sent to. All his family did to him and he still didn’t want to take that money away from
them
.”

“He’s too nice for his own good. You have that in common.”

“Honestly, I lucked out the day I met him. He seriously does
everything
around here. I still have the cleaning lady every couple of weeks because he’s not my live-in servant, but other than that, all I do is laundry and cook. He does the rest. He sells wood he chops for some extra money and spends it on me.” I chuckled and she raised an eyebrow. I told her about the flowers and the massive romantic gesture.

“So it’s serious.”

“I think he’s the one, Mom. I’ve never been so happy. He loves me, treasures me even, no matter how cheesy it sounds. We saved each other.”

“And it doesn’t hurt that he’s a hotter version of that guy from
Grimm
.”

“No, no, it doesn’t,” I snickered, shooting her a smirk. “He’s totally gorgeous, right?”

We shared a laugh like high school girls and set the table. By the time my dad and Jasper returned, I was taking the ribs off the grill, always cooking the last ten minutes on there for that extra flavor. My mom brought the potatoes in as well, and we set it all on the table.

I froze, blinking at her when I heard my dad’s laugh echo through the foyer.

“I guess they’re getting along,” she snickered, biting back a smile.

“That’s almost scary. Dad doesn’t like anyone his kids date.”

“He’s mellowing out in his old age.”

No one mellows
that
much
. But I let it go. Hey, if he liked Jasper, all the better for me.

We had a nice dinner, everyone getting along great. Sure my parents pumped Jasper for more information but they didn’t go overboard and seemed to really like his answers. After we were done, everyone pitched in to clean up and I could see how tired they were from the trip.

“Jasper and I can take Bailey out if you guys want to turn in,” I offered when I saw my dad yawn.

“That would be so great,” my mom replied.

“Yes, thank you.” My dad cleared his throat as we walked down the half flight before they continued down to the lower level. “I’m glad you have someone here to help keep you safe and watch after you. We were worried about you living in this big house alone, out in the middle of nowhere, after you had to put down your dog. No one would have messed around with you while he was around.”

“Yeah, he was a good pup,” I agreed. “Jasper takes good care of me like he did.”

“Good. See you both tomorrow,” my mom said as she gave me a hug—then hugged Jasper. My dad didn’t go that far, patting Jasper on the shoulder before they retired for the night.

We called Bailey and I put her leash on. We went out through the garage as my mind raced. I waited until we were a couple of plots away before I glanced at him. “They really like you.”

“I’m a likable guy,” he joked, sliding his arm around my waist. “Part of it is what I am. People tend to like us, animal magnetism or whatever.”

“Is
that
why I put up with you?” I teased, bumping his hip.

“No, you’re immune,” he muttered, shaking his head when I opened my mouth. “A conversation for another day. I just don’t want to keep things from you anymore, but I’m not ready to talk about that yet.”

“Okay, strangely ominous, but I’m glad you feel like you can be open with me.”

“It’s one of the reasons I love you,” he admitted. I smiled at him, thinking that was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said about me.

When we got back, we let Bailey off the leash and she immediately headed down to my parents. Jasper and I stayed up a little longer, talking quietly in our room. It was too weird to do anything more with my parents downstairs and I was glad he understood that.

He really was the perfect guy.

The next morning we woke before my parents and crept into the family room to work out. We kept the volume down low and right before we finished my dad walked out of the guest room and blinked at us before walking into the bathroom.

“Busted,” Jasper snickered.

“We weren’t doing anything wrong,” I panted when the DVD was done. I grabbed us each a bottle of water from the laundry room and tossed Jasper one just as the bathroom door opened.

“So you really work out every morning,” he commented.

I shrugged, not really sure what to say. “Jasper’s a good influence on me. He helped me lose all this weight.”

“I’m glad. We want you to be healthy.”

“We have fun and he still lets me have ice cream some nights.” My dad shook his head at me and we all quietly went upstairs. He took Bailey out as we kept going up to the kitchen.

“Go check your emails. I’ll handle breakfast,” Jasper offered.

“Wait until Mom wakes up and then she’ll make us something awesome,” I suggested as I turned towards my office. Jasper’s laugh followed me and I couldn’t help but smile as I booted up my computer.

My life really was perfect.

When my dad got back, I heard the two of them talking quietly in the kitchen, but I stopped working when my mom poked her head over the ledge of the stairs.

My diabolical plan worked because she did make breakfast while I pulled everything out, even did all the dishes while I put everything back away. Dad brought work clothes so he changed and went to help Jasper, my man looking genuinely happy to have the help. I’d found out why at breakfast though.

“We really don’t mean to push on this Jasper, but there seems to be bad blood between you and your family and we don’t want Lily in the line of fire of that,” my mom hedged, glancing at my dad.

“I need more coffee for this,” I grumbled, standing. I didn’t know what else to do. They weren’t going to let it go, and if Jasper didn’t answer, my dad might start running background checks with his friends he had who were still cops and start trouble.

“Lily, they’re being more than fair and accepting,” Jasper quipped.

“I’m not saying they’re not. I get where they’re coming from. I’ve been dying to know the answers too. I don’t like you feeling cornered though. You’ve been doing really well, no night terrors, no lashing out or freaking—” I shut my mouth so fast I bit my tongue as I spun around.

“We’re not judging,” Dad assured us, realizing something big was going on. “We need to know the full scope of things so we don’t walk into a trigger.”

“It was once right after Jasper got here,” I sighed, popping in another K-cup. “I was by him when he was having a night terror. He swung his arm out and made contact. He wasn’t even awake. It was an accident. He hasn’t had one in months though. It was an
accident.
”

“Oh please, your father’s cracked me in his sleep more times than I can count,” my mom drawled, waving it off and shooting me a wink. I felt the tension slip out of my shoulders as I fixed my coffee the way I liked. “You used to scream like a banshee and throw things when you were still sleeping if someone tried to wake you. People are pains in the ass. It happens.”