Page 27 of Healing Home
Chapter 7
Black’s birthdayparty was one of the most surreal days of his life. It was a pretend day, he decided. For a few hours they could all pretend that all was good in the team, that changes weren’t coming like a slow moving train. And for a few hours he could pretend that BB was there for him, not because she’d been hired to but because she wanted to be.
They all seemed to be having fun, but he worried that BB felt obligated. Right now she was sketching kids under the shade of the patio. Had she offered to do that? He hoped so.
“You know,” Swamp Man said, cradling his sleeping two-year old, Andrea. “She’s a good fit.”
Link glanced at his buddy. Over the past few months he’d gotten woolier and woolier, living up to his Swamp Man name, but Jodi, his wife, had already cleaned him up. Stephen’s crazy beard had been trimmed into submission, and his hair was back above his collar now. It reminded him that he needed a cut as well.
He glanced over at BB as he took the last swallow of beer from his bottle. “Yeah, I know she does.”
“Where’s she from? Is she local?”
Link shook his head. “North of Bakersfield somewhere.”
“Hell, that’s not that far away,” Stephen said, smoothing down little Andrea’s hair. The little girl slept like a rock against Stephen’s chest, just like every other child they’d had. Link had watched all four go through this phase. Before long little Andrea would be running around with the rest of the older kids.
Stephen was right. Maybe they could meet up for a few dates or something. He knew for a fact he’d brought her pleasure, so maybe that would be enough to bring her back into his arms.
Fuck, that sounded pathetic. Was he really that hard up that he would accept whatever crumbs she’d be willing to drop him? It wasn’t like she was a woman scrambling to find her way in life. No, she had her path and she was very successful at what she did. Men should be falling all over themselves to be with her. He wasn’t exactly sure why she’d even taken the contract.
He glanced across the pool at her again, and his blood chilled. One of the younger guys in the group, Logan Neal, aka, Rocket, had dared to cross into the woman’s territory to talk to BB. Leaning against the back of one of the chairs he grinned down at her, arms flexed in his too-tight t-shirt. Lincoln had seen the move, or one similar, many times before and he had to shake his head. It did show off the kid’s biceps pretty well.
“Was I that obvious when I first joined the team?” he asked Swamp Man.
“Nah,” the other man said, “you weren’t that good.”
They both laughed and watched as Neal very obviously hit on BB. Neal probably thought the smile on her pretty face was a come on, but Link could see the humor and derision in her expression. She thought being hit on by this kid was funny. It was obvious he was finagling for his own picture, so, once she was done with the little boy she was doing, she waved Logan into the chair in front of her.
Neal obviously took it as a win because something about his look changed. He got more smug. BB nodded as he continued to talk, her hand flying over the sketch pad in her hands. She seemed to get done with this one quicker, and as she handed the paper over, Neal’s face lost it’s enthusiasm. Then it completely shut down and Link could see anger creeping in.
“Uh, oh,” Swamp Man said. “Better get over there, Link.”
Lincoln was crossing the pool deck within seconds, his gaze connecting with BB. He stepped up behind Neal and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s see the masterpiece, Rocket.”
It took everything in Link not to burst out laughing. In just a few easy strokes BB had captured the overblown ego of the man in front of her. The little boy she’d depicted wore military gear many sizes too big for him, and he carried a long gun but couldn’t seem to get the muzzle up out of the dirt. He wore a helmet, but it was cocked over one eye like it wouldn’t stay centered. The best part was the flyaway rocket trying to drag the boy backwards. It was a mess, but it was beautiful at the same time.
“It looks just like you, Neal,” Link laughed. “How did she know you were the baby of the team?”
Neal looked a little startled, and maybe just a bit less offended. “Not sure. Thank you for the picture, ma’am.”
“You’re welcome, Rocket.”
The young SEAL stalked away and BB’s gaze connected with Link’s. He wanted to laugh out loud, but Rocket would take it as an insult and Link didn’t feel like fighting today. He was all about loving.
A couple of the kids crowded around him to show him their cartoons, and they were all fabulous. Link had no idea how she managed to catch the essence of every child, but she did. There was true talent in her soul.
He settled into the chair Rocket had occupied moments ago. One of the smaller boys asked to be held, so Link picked him up and began looking at the toy truck in the boy’s hand.
“Just hold him there, please,” BB murmured. “He’s been too flighty to settle down, but if you occupy him I can snatch his picture.”
Link talked to baby Ethan, responding to his gibberish like he understood completely. Link had a feeling she was doing his picture as well as the baby’s, but he was okay with that. So, he talked to Ethan like he always did. Man, the boy had grown in just the few months they’d been gone, though. Holy crap. The weight on his knee had changed by at least a few pounds and he was starting to look like a little boy rather than a toddler.
Eventually, BB nodded and turned the sketch pad to him. Ethan wasn’t interested, so he took off to find his mother. Link stared, though, his admiration for her growing. Rather than a cartoon, she’d done a quick portrait of the baby. With him holding him securely in his big hands. Lincoln wasn’t sure he was a good-looking as she portrayed, but she was the artist. She had license to do as she wanted.
He loved the picture, though. He’d been partial to Ethan as soon as the baby had been born and Hannah and Grant had made him godfather of the boy. Which was a huge deal to him.
The portrait that BB had done so quickly and beautifully would be framed.