“I am. Thank you, Hank. I’m so glad I’m a part of your world.”
He smiled and hugged her to him, kissing her temple. “Me, too, Nika. Me, too.”
* * * *
Hank thanked Cassie Resendez as she arrived at their table with a bright smile and their coffees, along with a pretty cupcake for Veronica and a kolache for him. “I hope you’re enjoying your stay in Divine, Miss Benedict. Word’s been getting around about you being in town.”
Cassie glanced at Hank and he caught her wink and knew that word was evidently also getting around that she was with Hank and Travis, and he was okay with that. He’d made his choice and he was well satisfied with it.
“Thank you, Cassie,” Veronica said, smiling up at her as she adjusted her eyeglasses. “I’ve grown to love Divine in a very short time.”
It was obvious in the light in her eyes that Veronica meant it as she spoke the words. Hearing that brought him great pleasure. The revelation that she was loved and cared for by him and Travis, and that she was precious to other people in Divine as well, had been monumental for her, and it showed in her demeanor. Gone was the nervous, flustered young woman. She’d been replaced by someone who was truly embracing her uniqueness and accepting the love of others. Helping her to find the acceptance she needed was gratifying to the Dom in him. Whatever she needed, he wanted to give to her.
He’d escorted her through every shop in the downtown district, enjoying each new discovery and seeing it through her eyes, especially at Violet’s Emporium.
She’d gasped as they’d entered through the door on the side street. Violet had been a busy lady, decorating for Christmas, judging by the festooned interior. Veronica had turned in a circle as she took in the sheer volume of the books, new and used, stocked on shelves, stacked on tables, accessed on high shelves against the walls by ladders, on rolling racks, and in bins. There were also locking cabinets containing collector’s editions and first editions.
“Heaven has book stacks like these. I’m sure of it,” Veronica had whispered in awe. She’d even looked a little teary.
Violet had winked at him from behind her curving library-style counter as she exited her office.
“Hello, Hank. Who is your beautiful friend?”
Veronica turned at Violet’s voice and rushed up to the counter. “Is this store yours? It’s like something from a fantasy. I could spend a year in here and never get tired of looking.”
Violet giggled as she rested her forearms on the counter and nodded, her golden ringlets bobbing around her shoulders. “Yes, I inherited the old True Value Hardware building from my Uncle Robert when he passed a couple of years ago. I’m so sorry. I’m forgetting my manners.” She held out her hand to shake. “I’m Violet. And you look very familiar…”
Veronica took her hand and shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Violet. I’m Veronica Benedict.”
Violet’s gaze slid off to the side and Hank smiled the instant her eyes grew big and she squealed with excitement. She came out from behind the counter and led Veronica at a trot over to the extensive romance novel section of the bookstore and pointed at a whole section of her books resting on the shelves. “Would you do a signing?” Violet blurted, making Veronica giggle.
“I would love to.”
They spoke to each other at a mile a minute, talking over each other, answering each other’s questions at the same time, laughing and nodding, and Veronica promised to do a holiday signing, since she now planned to stay indefinitely in Divine. When Veronica said as much, Hank’s chest had swelled with happiness.
They’d stopped in at Cheaver’s and he’d purchased a cowgirl hat from Rosemary Garner for Veronica, a pearl-gray ladies’ Stetson, to match his at her request, and she looked good wearing it, too. Everywhere she’d gone, she’d found acceptance, and Hank had been proud of his town and profoundly grateful that Tabitha Lester had been absent.
Watching her chat with Violet and Rosemary, and with Cassie now in the coffee shop, Hank could see her fitting in there in Divine, as she made another friend.
“We even had a man asking if anyone had met you, and if they knew where you were staying while you were here.” Cassie said with a concerned glance at Hank.
That news got Hank’s attention. “What did you tell him?”
Cassie said, “I was behind the counter and heard him asking but I was busy so I’m not sure what they said. You know how noisy and crazy it gets in here in the morning.”
“It was this morning?”
Cassie nodded. “Yes, sir. He sat at a booth for a while and then the next time I looked he was gone.”
“Could you describe him?” After she did, he looked at Veronica for her reaction. The most gratifying part of the moment was her marked lack of agitation as she nodded. “Sounds like I may get to meet Brent after all.”
Veronica replied, “I can’t imagine how he got the money and the time off from work to come down here, whether he flew or drove.”
“We’ll deal with him if he shows up.” Dealing with the online stalker had strengthened Veronica’s belief that they could stand up to bullies together.
“Mmm,” Veronica said as she sipped her coffee and then peeled the paper off of her cupcake. “Cassie, how am I supposed to eat this gorgeous creation?”
Cassie giggled and said, “Just take a giant bite while it’s still fresh. Enjoy, folks,” she added as she went behind the counter to tend to another customer.
“Nika, how would you like to spend Thanksgiving at Grace’s? She’s invited the three of us to come over. Your Grandma Kate will be there, too, so I’m told.”
Veronica licked at the icing on her cupcake, distracting him with her slick, pink tongue, and then said, “I’d like that. I think I actually feel the holiday spirit coming on. That hasn’t happened since I can’t remember when. Do you have any Christmas decorations at home?”
Hank nodded. “Yes. There’s a bunch of decorations in boxes at home. If you’d like, you can go through all of it and see if you’d like to put any out on display. My mother’s Christmas village is also stored in the second bedroom.”
“Your mom?”
Hank nodded. “Yeah, she passed away about ten years ago, right after my dad.”
Veronica frowned and said, “Any other family?”
Hank shrugged. “Cousins here and there around the country but no one who’s really stayed in touch. You and Travis are my family now…and Divine, of course.”
Veronica blushed as she pulled the cupcake apart and gave him a bite and said, “I would love to decorate your house for Christmas.”
“Nika, you decorate my house any time you’re in it.”
Veronica giggled and nudged his shoulder with hers. “Stop.”
He kissed her temple, and after they’d finished their snacks, they headed to Batson’s Grocery Store for steaks and shrimp to put on the grill for supper that night. Travis was expected home within the next couple of hours and they planned to celebrate erasing her cyber stalker and bully from her life.
Chapter Seventeen
From her spot in front of the fireplace in the den, Travis heard Veronica giggle as she unwrapped another baby Jesus. “I think there must be five different nativity scenes in this box, Hank.” She looked beautiful with the firelight flickering on her naked form as she perched on the towel he’d folded for her to sit on. Her little feet were crossed behind her and he had a delectable view of her bare, shapely backside. He was glad she’d become comfortable remaining nude while in the house.
Hank chuckled from the kitchen, where he was rinsing the dinner dishes while Travis wiped down the kitchen island and the counters. They’d cooked supper for her and cleaned up afterward, sending her into the den to investigate the contents of the numerous boxes that Hank had brought out of storage. He’d told her she could put out as much or as little as she wanted of the Christmas ornaments and offered to go shopping for a fresh Christmas tree after Thanksgiving, if she wanted to decorate it, too. Travis had been moved by the blush in her cheeks and the mistiness in her eyes as she smiled and nodded at him. They’d make this the best damned Christmas ever for her, to make up for all the ones she’d missed.
In answer to her earlier declaration, Hank said, “Mom collected nativity scenes, too. There’s even one in there that I made for her when I was in sixth grade.”
“I found it. She wrote your name and the year on the bottom of each piece. It’s my favorite,” she replied softly as she kept working.
A thumping noise sounded outside and a fist connected with the front door and began pounding. “Veronica! Open up! Open up now! I know you’re there. Open the fucking door!”
Veronica’s jaw dropped as she made eye contact with Travis and then she looked down at her nudity. She scampered down the hall and reappeared a moment later in her robe. Travis muttered, “Two guesses who’s at the door.”
In a tight voice, Hank said, “This is our day for dealing with assholes, I suppose.”
Veronica started to walk around them to answer the door but they stopped her and Hank said, “Let us handle this, Nika. I’m not allowing him within striking distance of you again.”
Travis slid his hand into hers and held on to her as Hank went to the door but didn’t stop her as she trailed behind.
More pounding vibrated the door in its frame. “Let me in, Chubbs! I’m about to blow that doorknob off if you don’t let me in!”
“Shit!” Travis acted so fast it tore a gasp from Veronica, as he pivoted and placed his body between her and the door and maneuvered her into the hallway.
Travis growled, realizing that neither of them was armed. She shrugged when he quietly asked her if Brent owned a gun. He quickly joined Hank, stationing himself on the opposite side of the front door. The pounding continued. If this son of a bitch was telling the truth—
Veronica peeked around the corner and called out, “Hang on! I’m opening the door!”
Hank gestured for her to back farther into the hallway and reached out to throw the bolt and unlock the doorknob. Before he could manage either, a tremendous weight landed against the door, cracking the frame. The door exploded open on the second impact, startling a scream from Veronica. A big, stocky bastard charged through the door and pivoted his head on his thick neck one way and then the other before he made eye contact with Travis beside the door.
Dressed in a dirty denim jacket, jeans, and muddy work boots, aggression burned in his eyes as his fists bunched angrily. This was what Veronica had been dealing with? He was flexing those fists for Veronica?
Not anymore.
“Brent, I presume?” Travis said, and then nailed the big son of a bitch with an uppercut that didn’t even rock him, much less fell him.
The guy shook his head and looked at Travis. “Who in the fuck are you?” He scowled and reached for Travis’s shirtfront. Pain exploded in Travis’s head as Brent nailed him in the jaw with a rock-like fist and he hit the floor.
Hank sprang at the bastard. Travis shook his head, trying to make the stars dissipate and saw Veronica as she backed into the kitchen from the hallway. Good girl. It might take two of them to take this behemoth down but he needed to know she was safe.
Brent toppled under Hank’s weight and broke the coffee table as he landed on it, fighting Hank, his eyes wild with fury. Hank had been a wrestling team champion and was using his skills to pin the slightly larger man to the floor. He held him steady and reached behind him for cuffs that weren’t there and then grinned at Travis. The lawman was deeply ingrained in Hank. He instead patted down the asshole’s pockets and waistband, looking for weapons and then shook his head negatively at Travis.
The intruder flopped and huffed, blowing air through his nostrils like an angry bull but finally stilled.
Rubbing his jaw, Travis squatted down into Brent’s line of sight. “You done, dickhead?”
Brent struggled some more, anger and exertion turning his face red. “Sons of bitches. What the fuck are you doing here?”
Hank growled in Brent’s ear. “Not that it’s any of your business, dickhead, but let me make some introductions so you know who you’re dealing with. You just struck a game warden and you’ve been subdued by the sheriff of Divine County, whose house you’ve broken into.”
“He hit me first!”
“After you threatened to do harm with a loaded firearm and broke through a locked door.”
The fight went out of the behemoth and he went limp. “Shit.”
Hank finally released him after making certain Veronica was safe. The bastard proved he had a brain as he stayed where he’d been put, facedown on the floor.
Veronica returned to the living room dressed head to foot, Hank’s work belt in her trembling hands. “What are you doing here, Brent?” Veronica asked in a confrontational tone as she surveyed the damage. Travis had to smile. The girl he’d reconnected with at the wedding would’ve stayed back and let them do the talking. “Should I call 911, Hank?”
Hank removed his handcuffs from his belt and said, “I’ll call it in, in a minute, Nika. Right now, I think we need to have a little chat with…Brent Haygard, I presume?”
Brent turned flinty eyes on Hank but spoke in a subdued voice. “I came to talk to Veronica.”
Travis said, “You came to talk? Who the hell do you think you are, busting into her home?”