Sea of Dreams (The American Heroes Series Book 2) (26 page)

“I don’t even know what to say,” he said, looking at her with shock. “I feel like this is a dream. Am I going to wake up from this?”

She smiled timidly. “No,” she said softly. “I love you, Beck. I’m just so happy we found each other. Maybe I went overboard, but I just wanted to show you how happy I was and maybe when you drive the truck, you’ll think of me just a little.  Do you think it’s creepy for me to give you all of this?”

He had to laugh. “Creepy? Why?”

She shrugged, smiling because he was. “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe because it looks like I’m trying to buy you or something.   I really wasn’t trying to, you know.  I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you.”

He frowned and smiled at the same time, as if she was saying funny, crazy things. He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead, gazing out at the truck and shaking his head again.  He was in shock.

“I just can’t believe it,” he said. “No one has ever cared about me enough to do such nice things for me.”

“So you like the truck?”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe you even asked that,” he said, “I love it. It’s the most amazing truck I’ve ever seen. I can’t thank you enough.”

She grinned happily. “I’ll turn the title over to you today,” she said. “I didn’t have any of your vital information so I had to purchase it in my name.”

He just hugged her, feeling humbled and stunned by the whole thing. “Baby, you spent so much money on that truck,” he muttered. “I already know you love me. You didn’t have to be me a forty thousand dollar truck to prove it.”

“I know,” she insisted softly.  “But I wanted to.  Now, go get dressed so you can take us all for a ride.”

He laughed softly, kissed and hugged her again, his gaze lingering on the truck.  The dog, resting next to the truck, suddenly stood up and shook itself before trotting to the corner of the yard where a child-size pool was sitting with a hose dripping in to it.  He pointed to the dog.

“Where’d you get him?” he asked. “That’s a fine looking animal.”

She grinned, watching the nearly all-black Shepherd splash in the pool. “That’s Alfie,” she said. “He’s three years old. We got him from the San Diego dog rescue a couple of days ago.  He seems to be a great watch dog and he’s really good with the girls. They love him.”

“He’s really big.”

“Really big and really sweet. He’ll lick you to death.  Besides, I thought he’d look great in your truck, like a mascot.”

He just shook his head again, for the tenth time that morning, amazed at everything he had come home to. “You really did all this?”

“I did.”

“Is there nothing you didn’t think of?”

“I don’t think so. But if you think of something, you let me know. “

He laughed softly, watching the big dog splash around for a moment before heading back over to the bed and dropping the towel. He pulled on the boxer briefs she had bought for him, looking around the room and shaking his head at the expensive flat screen television again as he pulled on the jeans.  They fit him extremely well.  Blakesley picked up the towel he had dropped, watching him get dressed.  She cocked an approving eyebrow.

“Those jeans make your ass look great,” she told him.

He grinned, winking at her as he held up one of the shirts lying on the bed.  It was a button-down long sleeved white shirt with crinkly material and a black design on it, making it kind of hip and cool.  It wasn’t something he normally wore, being rather conservative, but he hesitated to say anything. 

“Lizzie picked the shirt out,” Blakesley said helpfully. “If you’d rather just wear a tee shirt, there are some clean white ones in the drawer over there.”

He shook his head and pulled the shirt on, buttoning it over his broad chest. “If my girls picked it out for me, I’m going to wear it,” he told her firmly. Then he glanced at the clock, noting it was after ten in the morning.  He sobered. “I told Gina I would go with her to claim Butch’s body over at the base. I’d like it if you’d come with me.”

Blakesley immediately sobered. “She hasn’t gone already?”

He shook his head. “The team came back yesterday but the casualties didn’t come back until early this morning,” he replied. “They have to be prepared and all that.  The soonest she can get him is noon.  Will you come?”

“Sure,” she said softly. “If you don’t think I’ll be in the way.”

“I don’t,” he replied. “Besides, I need you there.”

“Why?”

“Because I do.”

She could sense that he needed her support and she stopped asking questions.  Putting the towel back in the bathroom on the rack, she opened up the bedroom door to find four girls standing outside.  They had a big plate of cinnamon rolls and Lizzie had a mug of coffee.  As soon as the door opened, Blakesley slipped out and they all slipped in.  They swarmed around Beck.

“Wow,” he said as Crosby shoved a plate of freshly made cinnamon rolls at him. “Those look really good. Did you make them yourself?”

Crosby and Charlotte nodded as Lizzie handed her dad his coffee. “Blakesley put them in the oven but they frosted them,” she said, catching sight of the truck outside in the yard. “So how do you like your new truck?”

Beck looked at it, still shaking his head with wonder. “I love it,” he said sincerely. “I’m really shocked.”

Lizzie watched her dad as he sipped his coffee, staring at the truck. “It’s about time you found someone to be nice to you,” she said softly.

He looked at her, surprised. “Why do you say that?”

Lizzie shrugged and looked away. “Because Mom sure wasn’t,” she said frankly. “She still isn’t. She’s just a big fat bitch.”

Beck had never heard Lizzie talk the way. The little girls were still clamoring at his feet and he took a roll just to make them happy, catching Blakesley’s attention when she came back in the bedroom.  He silently begged her to take the little girls out and she caught his subtle gestures.  She could also see the expression on Lizzie’s face and knew the subject of her appearance had been broached.  She turned for the chest of drawers and picked up the truck keys from the surface. 

“Hey,” she tossed the keys at Beck. “I…I ,uh, need some milk. Will you and Lizzie go to the store and get some?”

Beck deftly caught the keys. “Sure, baby,” he said, already moving for the door. “Where did I put my shoes?”

“Here,” Blakesley collected his work boots from a spot over by the television. Beck took them from her.

“Thank you,” he set the coffee down and sat on the bed as Crosby got in his face.

“Do you like my rolls?” she wanted to know.

He was busy pulling on his boots. “I love them, baby girl,” he told her. “Save them for me. Lizzie and I are going to go to the store and get some milk. We’ll be right back.”

Crosby started whining about wanting to go with him, which set off Charlotte, but Blakesley herded them out of the bedroom and back up the stairs.  Cadee was already upstairs getting dressed while Nikki was down in the kitchen cleaning up.  Blakesley and the two youngest girls were half way up the stairs as Beck popped in from the living room.

“Lizzie and I will be right back,” he told her. “Will you be ready to leave by eleven?”

Blakesley was pulling Charlotte up the stairs. “I’ll be ready,” she said. “You and Lizzie take your time.”

He winked at her. “Thank  you,” he said with soft sincerity. “Love you. We’ll be right back.”

Blakesley waved him on, taking the girls up to the bathroom for a quick bath. But before she turned the water on, she heard Beck fire up the new truck, gunning the engine.  She grinned as he revved it and peeled off down the alley next to the house.

It was good to have him home.

Chapter Thirteen

“So why did you call your mom a bitch?” Beck asked as he took Market Street back over to the 5 Freeway.

Lizzie was watching the scenery go by. “Did Blakesley tell you what happened?

“I want to hear it from you.”

Lizzie shrugged as she thought on her father’s question. “Dan’s been getting really weird with me,” she said. “Especially when my friends come over. I’ve caught him spying on us.”

Beck shrugged. “That’s not a crime.”

Lizzie looked at him, indignant.  “No, it’s not, but when he stands in the hallway outside of my door and masturbates, that’s just sick.”

Beck looked at her, feeling his control slip and struggling against it. “How do you know?”

Lizzie threw up her hands.  “Because I’ve caught him,” she exclaimed softly. “It started about six months ago. I told Mom but she didn’t believe me.  When Dan came into my room three weeks ago when I was reading in bed and tried to touch me, she still didn’t believe me. So I left.”

Beck could feel his body tensing as he tried to control his rising anger. “Where did he try to touch you?”

She sighed, looking out the window. “At first he told me how beautiful I was getting and tried to touch my hair,” she said, feeling dirty like she had the first time she had told the story. “I pushed his hand away and he laughed.  Then he tried to touch my arm but I swear he was going for my boob.  It was just gross, Dad. I’m never going back there ever again.”

He took a deep, thoughtful breath. “You won’t have to when I call my lawyer and tell him what you told me,” he said. “If your mom fights me on it, I’ll press charges against Dan for sexual battery and lewd acts on a minor.  In fact, I’m going to do it anyway.  That sick bastard isn’t going to get away with this.”

Lizzie looked at him. “So you believe me?”

“Are you lying?”

“No.”

“Then I believe you.”

She sighed heavily. “Thank you,” she said. “Mom didn’t.  She told me I must have been mistaken because Dan wouldn’t do something like that. He’s a teacher,  you know. I think she’s just afraid he could lose his job.”

Beck grunted. “He’s not only going to lose his job but his teeth when I get finished with him,” he grumbled. “The guy makes a pass at his stepdaughter whose father happens to be a trained killer? What an idiot. Dan’s living on borrowed time.”

Lizzie was watching him, silently.  When he turned to glance at her as they sat at a red stoplight, he could see her eyes full of tears.  Beck reached out and put a comforting hand to her cheek.

“No worries, baby girl,” he said softly. “I’ll take care of it.  I don’t want you to worry.”

She burst into tears. “But there’s more, Dad,” she sobbed.

He looked at her with concern. “What?”

She wiped at her eyes. “My friend, Meggyn, thought Dan was hot.  She told me to tell him but I wouldn’t.  One night, she was spending the night and I woke up really late to go to the bathroom and saw she wasn’t in my room.  Dad, she was with Dan.”

The light turned green but Beck was hanging on every horrified word. “What do you mean she was with him?”

Lizzie wept. “I mean she was with him,” she whispered.  “They were in the living room on the floor. He was on top of her.”

“They were having sex?”

She nodded, turning away and sobbing softly. Beck was through the intersection but pulled over.  He couldn’t drive and deal with this.  He was stricken.

“What did you do?”

Lizzie wiped at her eyes. “I told Mom,” she said. “She and Dan had a big fight but in the end, he told Mom it wasn’t true and I must have been dreaming.  She believed him, Dad. She believed him over me, so then Mom thought I was trying to break them up. She started being really hostile towards me and that’s when Dan started hanging around outside my bedroom and jacking off.”

Beck hissed. “Jesus Christ,” he struggled not to explode as he looked at his crying daughter. “I don’t want you to worry about this, okay? I need to take care of some things today, but tomorrow, I will resolve this. In fact, I’m calling my lawyer today and we’ll get the ball rolling. Dan is going down and you’re going to live with me from now on. All right?”

Lizzie nodded, sniffling. “Thanks, Dad.”

He put his arms around her, kissing the side of her head. “I’m so sorry you had to go through this, baby girl,” he murmured. “But I’ll take care of it, I promise.”

“Blakesley says she’s going to hire thugs to break his legs.”

Beck laughed softly. “She won’t have to hire anyone,” he said. “She’ll go break his legs herself.”

“I think she would, too.”

They shared a giggle and he kissed her cheek again before putting the car into gear and resuming their drive.

“I’m going to call your mom and talk to her about this,” he said, picking up  his cell phone. He had no idea how to work the Blue Tooth on the new car so he opted to just use his phone for now. “Just sit and listen. I want you to hear what I tell her.”

“Sure, Dad.”

Beck made the call as he and Lizzie continued on to the market. They returned to the house about forty minutes later with a gallon of milk and a box of ice cream bars.  Cadee, Crosby and Charlotte were in the small room off the entry that had been turned into a children’s play and television room, so they had a full view of Beck and Lizzie coming in the front door with treats.   Crosby went crazy, begging for ice cream at eleven in the morning, as Blakesley emerged from the master bedroom.

She was dressed in a black wrap-around dress that showed off her spectacular figure.  She wore five inch platform heels, something Beck had come to expect from her, but as he looked at her walking into the kitchen fixing an earring, all he could manage to feel was wild, unadulterated love and attraction.  She looked stunning.

“Wow,” he said softly as she walked past him. “You look amazing.”

She smiled as she finished with the earring and told Crosby she couldn’t have any ice cream until she ate lunch.  Someone had let Alfie in and the big dog came right up to Beck, wagging his tail and cocking his big head curiously.  Beck held out a hand, making friends with the dog, as Crosby put her arms around the dog’s neck and hugged him.

“Do you like Alfie?” she demanded.

Beck let the dog sniff him and get used to his scent before petting the animal on the head. He was rewarded with big licks.

“He’s very nice,” he told her.  “Do you like him?”