Their Troubled Heroine Read online

  “They call me Mayberry because I remind them of the Andy Griffith Show. My real name is Roger May.”

  “I guess that I can see that now that you explained. You’re down to earth and really very nice.” Libby reached over and squeezed his arm.

  She froze.

  Had she really just reached over and done that? She looked up to see Dobbs grinning so wide she was afraid he’d hurt something. He didn’t say anything, just nodded at her.

  Libby looked over to see Mayberry’s smile just as wide. He’d felt her hand and knew she’d reached out to him without thinking. It was another step on her road to recovery, and the guys were part of it once again.

  There’s no doubt in my mind now. I know I love them, or I wouldn’t be able to handle all of this. For them, I can do anything if I try.

  I love them.

  She honestly did. Where did that leave her, and where did they go from there?

  Chapter Seven

  Libby was fine until they had to walk through the dining room to get to the door leading outside. She balked, nearly pulling poor Mayberry down when she tried to take a step forward. Her stomach pinched as if tiny crabs were crawling and snapping around in her stomach while her chest grew tight, cutting off her airway.

  “Libby? What’s wrong?” Dobbs walked up next to her.

  “So many people.”

  “They’re all sitting down eating, sweetheart. They aren’t standing up and pushing at you. Take a deep breath,” Dobbs said.

  “I’m here with you, baby.” Mayberry squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you stand on the other side of Colby and help me hold his handle to walk out. Look straight ahead with me.”

  “Won’t that mess up Colby’s training? I don’t want to do that.”

  “No. It will be fine. When I was first learning how to walk with him, the handler did that with me. You can do it. Just take hold of the handle, and we’ll walk out together. Look straight ahead.” Mayberry squeezed her hand then drew it down to where Colby’s handle connected to his harness.

  Libby took it, feeling Mayberry’s hand next to hers. Just that warm touch of their hands next to each other seemed to thaw some of the piercing icicles in her lungs so she could breathe once again. They took one step then another. Soon she was walking without each step causing her heart to leap up her throat. When they reached the door, she let go of the harness handle and threw her arms around Mayberry’s neck to give him a huge hug. His light chuckle made her smile.

  “I liked that. Feel free to do that anytime, baby,” he said.

  “Thank you for letting me use you. That was so lame, but I really needed it.” Libby turned and hugged Dobbs before she could think it through.

  She didn’t want to leave him out, so she hugged him tight and smiled up at him before breaking away and wrapping her arms around herself. She’d gone out to a restaurant, eaten great food with two amazing men, then walked out without going crazy. She’d done it with the help of her friends.

  The men she knew for certain she loved.

  “Ready to head out?” Dobbs asked.

  “Ready.” She walked between the two men without blinking an eye when they both held her hand.

  The drive back to her place was made in silence. She and Mayberry held hands, but Dobbs was busy driving, and with only the one leg, he felt as if he had to concentrate more. Once they reached her apartment building they both got out with Dobbs helping her down while Mayberry waited.

  “You don’t have to come up with me. I know it’s hard to climb the stairs,” she told them.

  “Bull on that. We’re walking you to your door,” Dobbs said.

  “If you’re going to come all the way upstairs, then you should come in for a few minutes. I have coffee if you’d like some.”

  “That sounds great,” Mayberry said. “Maybe a bowl of water for Colby.”

  “I can handle that.”

  She hated seeing how Dobbs struggled with the stairs. She’d been so worried about going out to eat she hadn’t noticed it when they’d descended the stairs earlier. She needed a ground apartment if she was going to date them.

  Well, crap. She was dating them already.

  Once inside her apartment, she had them sit in the living room while she brewed coffee and put down a bowl of water for Colby. The dog lapped it up then circled once and lay down next to Mayberry’s feet. She resisted the urge to rustle the dog’s hair and concentrated on serving the coffee instead.

  They chatted about much of nothing, and then Dobbs stood with a stretch.

  “We’d better be going. It’s getting late, and I know you’re probably tired.”

  “I am a little, but I had such a good time. I almost hate for you to leave,” she told them.

  “We did, too. We’ll try something different next weekend if you’re game,” Mayberry said.

  “I’d like that.” She walked them to the door.

  Dobbs took her by the shoulders and slowly lowered his head to kiss her. She didn’t feel the least bit crowded, even when Mayberry pressed against her back and pulled her hair back to kiss her neck.

  While Dobbs slowly explored her mouth, teasing her with his tongue, Mayberry left kisses up and down her neck, paying close attention to the spot where her shoulder met her neck. Libby’s head was spinning with desire by the time Dobbs pulled back. He turned her to face Mayberry.

  Libby decided she needed to initiate the kiss so that Mayberry wouldn’t feel awkward. She touched his chin with the fingers of one hand and went up on tiptoe to press her lips against his. He moaned into her mouth as he licked at the seam of her lips for her to open to him. One hand came up to trace her face with his fingers as he did the same, mapping her mouth with his tongue.

  Fingertips touched every part of her face as he deepened the kiss so that she felt like it was just the two of them. When Dobbs began to suck on her earlobe, it became the three of them, and Libby didn’t want it to end, but she had to.

  She wasn’t ready for more yet.

  “That was nice,” she said with a breathy voice.

  “Fucking awesome,” Dobbs said.

  “Amazing.” Mayberry wasn’t going to be left out.

  “We’d better leave while we can,” Dobbs said. “We’ll call you tomorrow, sweetheart.”

  “Goodnight. Be careful.”

  “Lock up behind us, baby.”

  She watched as they walked off down the hall then closed the door and locked it like they’d told her. She leaned back against the door and traced her fingers over her kiss-swollen lips. It had been more than nice. It had been amazing like Mayberry had said. Her pussy wept with the need for more, but Libby knew she hadn’t been ready for more. Maybe next time or the time after.

  I can’t believe how far I’ve come in only a month. It wasn’t long ago that I barely got in the grocery store and bought groceries. Maybe I’m getting better at last.

  She floated to her bedroom, where she undressed and took a quick shower. When she’d finally lay down to go to sleep, she was sure she’d dream about her men. They were her men. She knew that now if she didn’t know anything else.

  And she was right, she dreamed about them.

  In her dream, they both danced with her in a crowded ballroom, but no one was paying them any attention, and they had the dance floor to themselves. One would twirl her around, and then the other would take her and do the same. When they’d danced for what felt like hours, they walked from the huge crowded room directly to her bedroom, where they slowly undressed her, telling her how beautiful she was and how much they wanted to love her.

  In her dream her PTSD didn’t bother her at all. She felt comfortable between them when they kissed her from her mouth down her body until they both sucked in a nipple to torture with their tongues and teeth. She threw back her head and moaned. The twin sensations traveled a straight line down to her pussy. She had no doubt she was wet for them.

  Mayberry knelt in front of her, running his hands down her body as he kissed
her belly. The edge of the bed was just behind her, and Dobbs helped her to lie back. While Mayberry explored her pussy with his mouth and tongue, Dobbs continued playing with her breasts. He pulled and twisted one while he sucked and nipped at the other. Between the two men, she knew she’d climax if they kept it up.

  Mayberry entered her with two fingers, pumping her pussy as he tongued her clit. Little sparks of electricity flowed from her breasts to her cunt until she cried out between them as they drove her orgasm.

  Before she’d had time to recover, they switched places, but this time they were both naked and Dobbs was standing between her legs slowly pumping his dick as he looked down at her wet folds.

  “I can’t wait to get inside of you, sweetheart.” He slowly spread her legs and, grasping his cock, slipped inside of her one delicious inch at a time.

  Once he was balls deep, he sighed with his eyes closed. Then he began to slowly pump in and out of her. Each slide of his thick cock over her sensitive tissues had her groaning with a building need.

  Mayberry touched her cheek with two fingers. She turned and looked up at his engorged dick and opened her mouth. She could take him inside of her at the same time if she wanted.

  Libby wanted.

  She grabbed hold of his shaft and pulled him closer until she could suck his cockhead inside. He groaned as she slid her tongue all around the stalk then sucked him deeper. Libby tightened her grip around his penis and pulled him deeper until she couldn’t do anything but swallow around him then back off when she started to gag. He dug his fingers into her hair at the scalp as she moved up and down on his thick cock.

  “Fuck, yeah, babe. You’re killing me with your mouth.”

  “You should feel how she’s strangling me with her hot, wet cunt. I’m not going to last long.”

  Libby moaned around Mayberry’s dick, allowing the vibrations to seep over his skin. He cursed and pulled back an inch.

  “Babe, if you keep doing that, I’m going to come, and I want to come inside that pussy.” Mayberry grasped his cock in one hand and slowly moved it up and down. She whimpered, opening her mouth, but closed it again when Dobbs began shafting in and out of her hard and fast.

  “Fuck, I’m coming, Libby. Hell yeah.” Dobbs’s voice sounded strained as he squeezed his eyes closed and his lips tightened in a grimace that looked almost painful.

  When he’d finished, Dobbs nearly fell over on her as he gasped and panted to catch his breath. When he’d managed to take one good breath, he leaned over and kissed her before slowly pulling out and rolling to one side.

  Mayberry felt his way around and off the bed to stand between her limp legs. He felt his way around her thighs with one hand as he held his dick with the other. Once he was able to enter her, he positioned one of her legs over his arm and began thrusting in and out of her at an angle that had Libby soaring once again. She couldn’t believe she was that close to another orgasm. With Dobbs working her up, it looked like Mayberry was going to shove her over.

  He pummeled her with his dick, driving her higher as he pumped his cock into her cunt. Her pussy felt overly wet and slippery as he began to lose his rhythm just as her climax caught her off guard so that she couldn’t even scream. All she did was open her mouth and clamp down on Mayberry’s shaft so hard he lost it and came with her.

  “Holy hell, that was fucking amazing,” he said. “I’m done for.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled out and collapsed on the other side of her. It would be a long time before she’d be able to say anything. Her breathing had yet to calm down.

  She leaned over and kissed each man before snuggling up so that she was spooning Mayberry with Dobbs at her back. She started to tell them that she loved them, but before the words came out, she woke to a bright sunshiny morning.

  But do they love me?

  * * * *

  Dobbs sighed. It was fucking hard to do without his prosthesis for any part of the day, but he’d learned the hard way that he couldn’t wear it twenty-four-seven like he wanted to. There was nothing worse than getting up in the middle of the night and falling when he forgot he didn’t have two legs anymore.

  Fuck it all!

  Now he sat on the recliner, letting poor Mayberry bring him a beer as they watched TV so he wouldn’t have to get up and use the crutches to get one. It sucked big brown turds to be a crip.

  “Stop pouting.”

  “I’m not pouting,” Dobbs said.

  “Yes you are. I can feel it all the way over here.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Let’s save that for Libby.”

  “She’s amazing, you know.” Dobbs popped the top on the beer.

  “Yeah. I know. Do you think she cares about us as much as we do her?”

  “I think so, but she deserves someone who can take care of her instead of us. We’re barely a whole man between the two of us.”

  “I know she does, but I don’t care. I think I’m falling in love with her. She’s perfect, and I want her with me.” Mayberry looked thoughtful.

  Dobbs sighed. “Yeah, me, too. She’s perfect. I just don’t feel like I deserve her. How are we going to support her if we claim her?”

  He’d been thinking about her and maybe being a family for days now. They’d been out two more times, once to a local BBQ place and once to the park where they’d sat and talked, and his feelings for her had grown to the point he wasn’t sure he could do without her in his life. But where did they go from there?

  “I’m thinking about teaching. I can do that. I have my education degree. Surely there’s somewhere I can teach that won’t care that I’m blind.”

  “That’s a good idea. You’re a good teacher. You taught me how to cook a few dishes so that they’re edible. If you can teach me, you can teach anyone.” Dobbs thought it was a good idea for his friend.

  That still left him and what he could do with one leg. Not much of shit. It was depressing.

  What were you going to do once you got out of the army?” Mayberry asked.

  “Go into law enforcement. Can’t do that without a leg. I don’t have a clue what I can do now.”

  “Has to be something you can do in that same area. Maybe work as a 911 operator or do data entry. Like putting all the crime information into a computer program. I know they have to do that sort of thing.”

  “It will depend on funding for it. They might not be able to afford someone who can’t work the streets, too,” Dobbs said.

  “They get that stimulus thing for hiring veterans and disabled people. I bet they’d do it if you talked to the right people.”

  Dobbs thought about it and realized that actually it was a great idea. He’d talk to Ellie about it and see if she could help him with whom to talk to. She was great about things like that. Just the thought lifted his spirits.

  The doorbell rang, and both of them frowned. Dobbs wasn’t expecting anyone, and Mayberry looked as if he wasn’t either. He grabbed his crutches before Mayberry could get up and hobbled on them to the door. When he opened the door, it was to find Libby standing there, clasping her hands in a nervous gesture.

  “Hey. I know you didn’t invite me over, but I thought I’d come by just to see if I could do it.”

  “Well, you did, so come on it, sweetheart. You’re just the person we’d love to see.” Dobbs let her walk in then closed the door behind her, making sure it didn’t sound like an escape route being banged closed.

  “Thanks for letting me come in. How are you two doing?”

  “Doing good. Have a seat. Um, I was just letting my stump rest.”

  Now he hated that he didn’t have it covered and was wearing shorts.

  “That’s a good idea. I’d hate for you to get a sore on it. That would really hurt.”

  “He already learned that.” Mayberry sat next to her and reached over to hold her hand.

  Colby lay across his and Libby’s feet.

  “Looks like Colby wants you to stay for a while. Can we get you
anything to drink?” Dobbs asked, still standing with his crutches.

  “No thanks. I’m fine.” She still appeared to be fighting her nerves.

  “We sure are happy you came by. Dobbs is watching baseball, and I’m listening to him cuss at the players and the umpire.”

  “I’m not yelling at them.”

  “Oh, excuse me, talking loudly at them.” Mayberry’s face held a wide grin in her general direction.

  “You do know they can’t hear you, right?” Libby teased.

  “Funny.” He liked that she’d relaxed enough to quip at him.

  “Were you doing anything out or just decided to come see us?”

  “I wanted to visit for a while. I hope it’s not a bad time.”

  “Not at all,” Dobbs told her. “Like Mayberry said, we’re just hanging around here.”

  “I worked late yesterday, so I thought I’d take off early today and decided that I’d enjoy visiting.”

  “Why don’t we watch a movie?” Mayberry said.

  “But you can’t see it,” Libby said.

  “I can hear, and you can talk me through it. It’ll be fun.”

  “Only if it’s a comedy. I’m not talking you through some action movie where I don’t really know what’s going on.” Libby looked over at him. “What do you think?”

  “If he’s game I am. Let’s see what’s on Netflix.”

  Almost two hours and two bathroom breaks later, they were still laughing at the comedy they’d watched. Dobbs and she had kept Mayberry in stitches explaining the story as they went.

  “I haven’t had that much fun watching a movie in forever,” she told them. “Thanks, guys.”

  “I’ve got chicken salad in the fridge we made yesterday. Want to have a sandwich with us?” Mayberry asked.

  Dobbs prayed she’d say yes and stay a little longer.

  “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “Let me strap on my can opener and I’ll help with getting it all out. We can all make our own,” Dobbs said.

  “Come on, Colby. We need to visit the little doggy bathroom. Colby yipped once and led Mayberry out the back door.