do you do?”
Adam thought about it for a second. “Dunno. Good question.”
“I couldn’t let her go. Couldn’t let her leave knowing she’d probably end up back with her husband. Had to protect her, you know.”
“Yeah. I hear you. What if you meet another woman who could be your match? What then?”
He shrugged. “Another good question. Maybe it’s Jill. Who knows?”
“Do you feel anything for her? Are you attracted to her?”
Now it was his turn to think for a minute. “Maybe? Hated the way she looked at my arm when we first met, right? But now? There could be a connection. We’re sharing a room, but I’m not going crazy. It’s fine having her there.”
“That’s a start, but I mean sexually. With Loren, I couldn’t be in a room without wanting to get her naked. Year later and I still want that. Always will.”
Rowan chewed that over. “Maybe someday. Right now Jill’s like a wounded animal. Not ready for sex or a relationship. Maybe when she’s ready, the match thing will kick in. On paper we’re a match.”
“Could be. Hope so for your sake.”
* * * * * *
“Stop squirming. I’m almost done.” Emma’s hand on her shoulder held her in place when she would’ve tried to swivel to see herself in the mirror.
“Relax,” Loren advised from the corner. “Emma knows what she’s doing, and you’re looking great.”
A small smile formed on Jill’s lips as the women fussed over her. She’d never had this before. In high school she’d had girlfriends, but she’d been so enamored with being one half of uber–couple, Jack and Jill, she hadn’t fully appreciated them. She’d never make that mistake again. Rowan had dropped her into Emma’s care only two hours ago, but if felt as if they’d known each other forever.
The British blonde woman was close to her in age, and something in her eyes said she’d been through her own hardships and had now found her happy place. One big reason for Emma’s happy place was sprawled in the corner silent and deadly. Emma’s match, Xander, had frightened Jill when they’d been introduced, but once she’d seen how gentle and loving he was to both Emma and his mother, she relaxed. He now hovered in the corner of the room–slash– makeshift salon not speaking. Jill gathered that he was very protective of Emma, and since she was a stranger, he wasn’t leaving anything to chance. It was laughable that someone thought of her as a potential threat. She only wished she were actually a threat. Maybe it would’ve stopped some of Jack’s beatings.
Jill let her gaze circle around to the three women in the room helping her with this makeover. Loren, Emma, and Judy, who was Xander’s mother. All three seemed genuinely kind and concerned. “This is so nice of you to spend the afternoon with me,” she said for what was maybe the seventh time.
“Stop saying that,” Judy said in a motherly tone. “All of us needed support at one time or another. This is what we’re here for.”
She blinked and averted her gaze. It was too harsh a reminder that she’d needed support and the people who could’ve given it to her had been unable to help. “Okay, but I appreciate it. I can’t say how much.”
Emma laughed. “I love that you’re letting me play Barbie Doll on you.”
“Please tell me all your Barbies didn’t end up bald with marker scribbled on their bodies like mine did.”
Emma smiled and held up a large hand mirror. “You tell me. Fabulous, right?”
Jill stared at the unfamiliar face in the mirror. Her long lank brown hair now brushed her shoulders. Golden reddish highlights streaked out from her scalp, lighting up her face, a face that had its first taste of makeup in five years.
Her silence extended for another minute. “Jill?” Emma asked, worried. “Jill, you still with us?”
She nodded mutely.
“Xander, tell Jill she looks beautiful.”
All the female eyes in the room moved to watch the tall handsome soldier shift
Adam thought about it for a second. “Dunno. Good question.”
“I couldn’t let her go. Couldn’t let her leave knowing she’d probably end up back with her husband. Had to protect her, you know.”
“Yeah. I hear you. What if you meet another woman who could be your match? What then?”
He shrugged. “Another good question. Maybe it’s Jill. Who knows?”
“Do you feel anything for her? Are you attracted to her?”
Now it was his turn to think for a minute. “Maybe? Hated the way she looked at my arm when we first met, right? But now? There could be a connection. We’re sharing a room, but I’m not going crazy. It’s fine having her there.”
“That’s a start, but I mean sexually. With Loren, I couldn’t be in a room without wanting to get her naked. Year later and I still want that. Always will.”
Rowan chewed that over. “Maybe someday. Right now Jill’s like a wounded animal. Not ready for sex or a relationship. Maybe when she’s ready, the match thing will kick in. On paper we’re a match.”
“Could be. Hope so for your sake.”
* * * * * *
“Stop squirming. I’m almost done.” Emma’s hand on her shoulder held her in place when she would’ve tried to swivel to see herself in the mirror.
“Relax,” Loren advised from the corner. “Emma knows what she’s doing, and you’re looking great.”
A small smile formed on Jill’s lips as the women fussed over her. She’d never had this before. In high school she’d had girlfriends, but she’d been so enamored with being one half of uber–couple, Jack and Jill, she hadn’t fully appreciated them. She’d never make that mistake again. Rowan had dropped her into Emma’s care only two hours ago, but if felt as if they’d known each other forever.
The British blonde woman was close to her in age, and something in her eyes said she’d been through her own hardships and had now found her happy place. One big reason for Emma’s happy place was sprawled in the corner silent and deadly. Emma’s match, Xander, had frightened Jill when they’d been introduced, but once she’d seen how gentle and loving he was to both Emma and his mother, she relaxed. He now hovered in the corner of the room–slash– makeshift salon not speaking. Jill gathered that he was very protective of Emma, and since she was a stranger, he wasn’t leaving anything to chance. It was laughable that someone thought of her as a potential threat. She only wished she were actually a threat. Maybe it would’ve stopped some of Jack’s beatings.
Jill let her gaze circle around to the three women in the room helping her with this makeover. Loren, Emma, and Judy, who was Xander’s mother. All three seemed genuinely kind and concerned. “This is so nice of you to spend the afternoon with me,” she said for what was maybe the seventh time.
“Stop saying that,” Judy said in a motherly tone. “All of us needed support at one time or another. This is what we’re here for.”
She blinked and averted her gaze. It was too harsh a reminder that she’d needed support and the people who could’ve given it to her had been unable to help. “Okay, but I appreciate it. I can’t say how much.”
Emma laughed. “I love that you’re letting me play Barbie Doll on you.”
“Please tell me all your Barbies didn’t end up bald with marker scribbled on their bodies like mine did.”
Emma smiled and held up a large hand mirror. “You tell me. Fabulous, right?”
Jill stared at the unfamiliar face in the mirror. Her long lank brown hair now brushed her shoulders. Golden reddish highlights streaked out from her scalp, lighting up her face, a face that had its first taste of makeup in five years.
Her silence extended for another minute. “Jill?” Emma asked, worried. “Jill, you still with us?”
She nodded mutely.
“Xander, tell Jill she looks beautiful.”
All the female eyes in the room moved to watch the tall handsome soldier shift
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