Page 22 of Healing Home

Chapter 6

Lincoln didn’t like thinkingabout his mom and dad and their fucked up relationship. Over the years he’d kind of just pushed it to the back of his mind. He attributed at least part of his relationship issues to them. In all the years they’d been together, he’d never seen them actually work out a problem by talking. There had always been ultimatums and threats, and storming through the house. They had been the perfect example of what not to do during an argument. More often than not his dad would walk out the door, even in negative temperatures, to get away from his anxiety-ridden mother. His dad had been a quiet, stalwart kind of guy, willing to hike into dangerous temperatures to save stranded hikers, but personal confrontation always put him off. Link remembered him going out the door with his big brown pack and broad-rimmed hat several times. Only later did he realize that his dad would rather camp in the cold than stay in the house with their mother.

It had seemed like a natural step to join the military when he got out of high school. There was nothing else to do in their small town and Lincoln was desperately anxious to get the fuck away from his mother’s irrational ramblings. College didn’t appeal to him. By that time his dad was gone and Nate was entering high school. Lincoln assumed he felt bad when he left Nate behind, but at the time he was too high on his own dreams to give him much thought.

Getting through BUDS and establishing himself in a team took all of his attention for a long time. He and Nate talked, but they hadn’t been close. His teammates became more like brothers to him than his own blood relation. And through them he’d learned more about relationships than from anyone else. Justin Black, his lieutenant, had been with his current wife for more than twenty years, longer than Link could even imagine being with one person. Through all the deployments, Mary Black had stayed strong, raising three kids alone for the most part.

That reminded him; he needed to call and check in on his buddy. With BB here he’d been a little distracted.

Looking through the garage window, he watched her sit on his back porch with her dog. Frankie lapped up the attention, almost literally, and looked up at her mistress adoringly.

Did he look at her like that? If his buddies were here, or, God-forbid, some of the wives, they would absolutely tell him he was mooning over the woman. And he had no defense.

Lincoln looked at the truck he’d inherited. There was a lot of bad juju around it, but maybe if he thought about only the good parts…well, that would take a while to sort out.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

Where the fuck are you?

Snorting, he shook his head as he typed in a response to Black. Home. Where are you?

Mary just sprung me from Balboa and I’m heading home. She can baby me better than they can. Why don’t you come over. Cook meat.

Normally, he would have jumped at the offer but… BB is still here.

I know that brainiac. Bring her over!I want to meet her.

She’s not staying, LT.

Doesn’t matter. We can show her hospitality while she’s here. Get your ass over here.

Link sighed. There was no detouring him when he got like this. Why aren’t you fucked up on pain meds or something?

I’m good to go. See you in an hour.

Laughing, Link shook his head. Maybe.

Did he really want to take BB over there to be confronted by all his crazy friends? BB seemed surprised when he asked her later, but totally willing. “Of course! Do I have time to make something?”

Link looked at the watch on his wrist. “Not really. If you want we can stop at the store on the way over.”

“Definitely,” she breathed. “Let me get changed.”

“It’s casual,” he told her as she disappeared down the hallway.

Link wanted to follow along and watch her change. Technically, he probably needed to change clothes himself. With that excuse in mind he walked into the bedroom, just in time for her to bend over in front of him. In her panties. Thong panties.

Link’s brain shorted out as all the blood rushed to his cock. Hoping she didn’t slap him or anything, he walked forward and gripped her hips in his hands, pulling her tight against his erection. BB gasped and looked at him over her shoulder, her curly hair swinging. Rather that cuss at him, though, she gave him a grin. “Oh, really? What time did we need to be over there?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he growled, running a finger under her to stroke her folds through the fabric.

BB gasped, bracing her hands on the edge of the mattress, but she arched her back so that he could reach her easier. “You’re incorrigible,” she gasped.

“Not normally,” he told her truthfully, “but something about you…”

He stroked her with his finger, fascinated as she shifted her hips, almost guiding his finger where she wanted it. Using two fingers he tapped against her, exploring as the fabric grew wet. Every time he’d entered her she’d been wet and ready and he loved that she reacted to him that way. Fucking Alicia had been like fucking sandpaper.

Immediately he felt guilty thinking the other woman’s name right this second. The bitch had no business even taking up space in his brain. Focusing back on BB, he realized she was saying something. He leaned over her back. “What baby?”