Their Troubled Heroine Read online

  “It’s just so hard. I miss them so much, and when they call, it just hurts all over again like it just happened,” she told Ellie.

  “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. They are such assholes. I promise they still care about you and are working through their issues.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Great! How about lunch tomorrow and we’ll trash them while we eat sandwiches followed by decadent sweets.”

  “Let me take a rain check. I’ve got to catch up with work. I’ve let it slide lately and need to finish some billing before I get fired.”

  “Okay, but I’m holding you to it.”

  “Thanks, Ellie. I really needed to vent.”

  “I know, honey. Call anytime.”

  Libby hit End and set her cell on the coffee table. She was going to give them a week, and then she would move on. She couldn’t handle the waiting and not knowing what to expect any longer. Her heart was tearing into pieces, and every time they called it just got worse.

  The idea of telling them not to call her anymore hurt almost as much as not hearing from them would feel, but she couldn’t continue in limbo. Something had to give.

  * * * *

  Mayberry sighed and read over the passage one more time. His fingers were sore from so much reading, but he had to finish if he was going to be able to teach his class. Part of his problem was, instead of concentrating on the book, he was worrying over Libby.

  He wanted to go see her, but Dobbs insisted that they needed to wait until his job came through. He wasn’t going to go to her without a way to earn his way. Mayberry said the fact that he had a job teaching adults history should be enough, but Dobbs was too proud to see how much it was hurting all three of them.

  “You’ve been on that same page for twenty minutes. Are you having trouble reading it?” Dobbs asked him.

  “Fuck you. I’m worried about Libby. She sounded really down on the phone. I don’t like not seeing her.”

  “Neither do I, but I should know something tomorrow when we go see Ellie. If I have the job, we can go see her and tell her we love her then.”

  “What happens if she’s gotten tired of waiting on us? What then?”

  “She hasn’t. She’s still talking with us on the phone,” Dobbs said.

  “That doesn’t mean anything. Even if she was spitting mad at us, she’d still talk to us. That’s the kind of person she is. She’s kind and sweet, and we’re hurting her.” Mayberry wanted to knock some sense into his friend, but short of telling him to stand there and take it, he couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn if someone stood him in front of it.

  “She’ll be fine when we tell her we love her. I’m not going to her without a job. If I don’t get this one, then you can go and see her. I’ll even drive you, but I can’t look her in the eyes and tell her I love her but I can’t support her.”

  “You’re so full of shit.”

  “Yeah, maybe, but it is what it is,” Dobbs said.

  “Sometimes I could punch you in the face if I could find the damn thing.”

  “I could punch me, too. I’m sorry, but it’s humiliating enough that I couldn’t stop her from rushing that robber. Not having a job is just adding insult to injury. I’ll get one, and then we can ask her to marry us.”

  “Do you think she will?”

  “I sure as hell hope so ’cause I don’t know what I’ll do if she says no.”

  “We need to clear out all the junk out of that third bedroom to make her an office. She’ll need it if she’s going to keep working. I don’t want her to, but she may want to. That’s up to her, and I won’t hear you making any demands that she quit,” Mayberry told him.

  “I won’t. I’m sure she feels the same way about having a job as I do. I’ll work on the room today. We need to move all of your stuff into the master bedroom and move your chest in there so there will be enough room for all of our clothes. She gets the second closet.”

  “I don’t have that many, so they should fit with yours. I’ll clear out the top two drawers of my chest for her, and we’ll clear out part of the dresser for her, as well.” Mayberry rubbed Colby’s neck. “Maybe we should look at getting all new furniture for the bedroom. I’m betting you don’t have the most comfortable mattress in the world.”

  Dobbs sighed. “You’re probably right. Okay, let’s plan to take her shopping so she can help pick it out. Women like to do that kind of stuff. We’d pick out something she couldn’t stand and be stuck with it.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Mayberry liked that idea.

  As much as he understood where Dobbs was coming from, he was worried they’d waited too late already. She’d sounded so sad on the phone. Couldn’t Dobbs hear it? Maybe it was just that he could hear so much better than Dobbs now. Maybe it was all in his imagination.

  “What?” Dobbs asked.

  “I don’t know. I just think she’s moving on without us. Didn’t you hear it in her voice?”

  “You’re imagining things. She sounded fine on the phone earlier.”

  “I think that’s just your way of making it all okay. I think she feels like we’ve abandoned her.”

  “That’s bullshit. She knows we care about her. All we have to do now is tell her we love her and ask her to marry us. And we will just as soon as I have this job.” Dobbs slammed his beer down on the counter. “You’re reading problems into places where there aren’t any.”

  Mayberry didn’t think that was the case, but he’d go along with his friend and pray that he was wrong and their woman wasn’t moving on without them.

  Chapter Ten

  “You’re sure,” Dobbs said.

  “I’m positive. As soon as you fill out the paperwork and go through the computer training, you’ll be an official officer at the police department in charge of IS, Information Systems. Your background in the army helped get you the job. Now all you have to do is study and take the computer test to work there.”

  “Afuckingawsome!” Dobbs slapped Mayberry on the back. “Now we’ll both have jobs and can court Libby like she deserves.”

  “Have you talked to her since she’s been home?” Ellie asked.

  “Yeah. We call and talk to her on the phone,” Dobbs said.

  “But you haven’t been to see her.” Ellie narrowed her eyes at them. “You know you’re hurting her, don’t you? She thinks you’re having second thoughts about her since you haven’t come over or invited her out.” Ellie shook her head at them.

  “We needed to be able to support her before we could go any further with the relationship,” Dobbs tried to explain.

  “You didn’t put the relationship on hold. You stopped it altogether. You were already dating her, and suddenly, after the bank incident, you stopped doing that. What do you think she feels like?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I thought she’d understand that we’re trying to get a job,” Mayberry said.

  “Well, you’re wrong. She believes you’ve lost interest in her. You’ve hurt her, guys. I don’t know what you’re going to do to get back in her good graces, but if you don’t do it fast, you’re going to lose her for good. She isn’t going to wait around for you two idiots to decide that you’re ready to claim her,” Ellie said.

  “We didn’t mean to hurt her. We only wanted to be worthy of her.”

  “Aw, guys, you don’t have to prove yourselves or offer her anything. You just have to be you.” Ellie stood. “Get out of here and go talk to Libby before she gives up on you bozos.”

  Dobbs really hadn’t thought that she’d think they weren’t interested in her anymore. They talked to her on the phone. She’d seemed normal to him. Had he really screwed up that badly? Mayberry hadn’t liked the idea but understood why he’d felt they needed jobs first.

  “See. Now she thinks we don’t care about her like we did. She told us she loved us back in the hospital, and we said nothing. I’m not going another hour without telling her how I feel. You can do what you want. I’ll get a cab to her place if I h
ave to.” Mayberry’s growl would have been more effective if he hadn’t been facing away from him.

  “I’m over here, you fucking bastard. You’re not getting a damn cab. I’ll take us both over there. I guess I fucked up.” Dobbs sighed.

  If they lost her because of him, Mayberry would never forgive him. Hell, he wouldn’t forgive himself.

  Colby led them both up the stairs to Libby’s apartment. He hesitated outside her door. What were they going to say?

  “Knock already or I’ll knock on whatever I find to knock on.”

  “Okay. Okay.” He rang the doorbell and grinned over at his friend.

  “You rang the doorbell. You think I can’t hear, too?”

  “I didn’t hear it. How did you?” Dobbs frowned.

  “My hearing is better now that I can’t see. Ha fucking ha.”

  “Asshole.”

  “What is going on out here?” Libby opened the door with a frown on her face. “I can hear the two of you through the door. I bet my neighbors can, too.”

  “Sorry. Can we come in?”

  “Well, sure. Come on in. What brings you guys here?” she asked as if she really didn’t expect to ever see them again.

  “You. We came to apologize for ignoring you like we have. Mostly it was my fault,” Dobbs said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “After the bank robbery, I felt worthless to you. I couldn’t help myself, much less you, and you threw yourself in front of Mayberry and Colby like the heroine you are. I needed to feel like I could offer you something besides a bum stump and nothing else,” he explained.

  “You don’t have to offer me anything but yourselves, guys. I had everything I ever wanted when I had you.” Libby shook her head.

  “Had?” Mayberry said.

  “Well, I don’t really have you anymore. You left me. Yeah, you still call and we talk, but I haven’t seen you in weeks. I missed you,” she said.

  “Do you still miss us?” Dobbs asked.

  She hesitated, and Dobbs felt his heart sink. He’d waited too late.

  “Yes. I still miss you. Love doesn’t go away. It just grows sad.”

  “Aw, baby. We’re so sorry. Will you let us show you that we won’t ever leave you alone again? We want to marry you and have babies with you.”

  “Whoa on the babies, superman,” Dobbs said with a laugh.

  “Well, once we’ve settled in,” Mayberry said.

  Libby’s mouth opened then closed again. She blinked a few times as if blinking away tears. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “We love you, Libby. Say yes.”

  She did the guppy thing again, and then tears did fall as she nodded her head with a wide smile.

  “Then yes.”

  “Whoohoo!” Dobbs yelled.

  “Shh, I have neighbors.”

  “Not anymore. You’re moving in with us now, today,” Mayberry said.

  “Whoa. Back up a step. I need to make arrangements. I can’t just pick up my stuff and go. I have to give notice and make sure my work stuff gets transferred to your place and move my office first.” Libby named off a few more things that she felt had to be taken care of first.

  “You can take all the time you need, but you’re coming home with us today.”

  “Today?” she squealed.

  “Yes. Today,” Dobbs told her with a wide grin. He couldn’t help himself. He was fucking happy for the first time in a long, long time.

  * * * *

  “Wow! Both of you? That’s amazing.” Libby was so proud of the two men in her life. Both now had jobs and were moving on. The best part of all was that they were including her in it.

  She packed a bag and grabbed her toiletries before joining the guys in the living room.

  “Okay, I’m ready.” God, those words sounded so ominous.

  “Let’s go, babe.” Mayberry held out his hand for her.

  Libby took it and allowed him to help her, with Colby’s guidance, down the stairs. She carried her bag since Dobbs had to use the handrails to get down. She made it a point of not thinking about it so he wouldn’t, but she knew he didn’t like it.

  That was okay because it would be the last time he’d have to climb those stairs again. She’d hire a moving company to move the few things she had if need be. The only furniture she had that she wanted to keep was her desk and a chest that had been in her family for years. It held all of her cherished memories of when she’d been a child and a teenager, as well as photos of her family. The rest of what there was to move were books and clothes.

  Once they were back at the guys’ house, Libby began to feel nervous. Was she making the right decision to move in with them like this?

  Stop with the overthinking. They said they love me, and I love them, so there’s nothing more to think about.

  Then there was, where would she sleep? With them? They hadn’t progressed to that stage yet. She’d had a healthy sex life before the bombing incident but hadn’t had sex since then. That had been nearly two years ago. Her boyfriend of five years had walked out on her when she couldn’t leave her house anymore. He hadn’t had the patience to help her through it. Not like Dobbs and Mayberry.

  She grinned. They were hers now. All hers.

  “What are you smiling about, sweetheart?” Dobbs asked.

  “Just thinking that you two belong to me now.”

  “You bet we do. You belong to us, as well.”

  “What about Colby?” Mayberry asked with a grin.

  “Mayberry belongs to you. We just share him when he’s off his working detail,” Dobbs said.

  “So who does this belong to?” Dobbs picked up a cardboard box and sat it on the coffee table.

  Libby frowned at them and looked inside the box. Her squeal of delight startled the little ball of fur. She picked up the kitten and hugged it to her.

  “Where did you get it?” she asked.

  “The city pound. It’s had her first set of shots but still needs another set, and she’s been wormed. When she’s about four months old, she’ll need to be spayed, but she’s all yours,” Dobbs said.

  “How did you know I wanted a kitten? I couldn’t have one at the apartment.” She cuddled the little wiggling mass as it burrowed closer under her chin.

  “You mentioned it once on the phone. I’d forgotten about it until Mayberry brought it up. We figured it was the best homecoming gift we could get you because you are coming home to us.” Dobbs kissed her on the cheek.

  “So, what are you going to name her?” Mayberry asked.

  “Marmalade. I’ll call her Marmy. The name suits her orange body perfectly.

  “Marmy it is,” Dobbs said. “We got all the stuff she’ll need in the laundry room. That’s where we set up the litter box and her bed until she gets old enough to roam the house.”

  “She may be hungry and thirsty. You might want to take her in there to see,” Dobbs said.

  Libby carried her new charge into the laundry room and smiled at the mess they’d made. The litter box was set up on the other side of the dryer with her food and water dish under the sink and a mass of toys and a scratching post in the center of the room. The bed was next to where the water heater sat, but there was a metal grate there to keep it and the kitten out of danger.

  “Guys, you went overboard. I bet the kitten didn’t need all these toys.”

  “Wait until you see what we have in your office,” Mayberry said.

  “My office?”

  “Yep. Just waiting for your desk and things to be in working order.” Dobbs and Mayberry led the way down the hall from the kitchen to let her step into the room.

  A bookshelf stood on one wall with space next to it for a desk. Next to the window was a towering cat tree for the cat to play on when she was in the room with Libby.

  “Oh, guys, this is too much.” She waved her hands at her eyes as she teared up. “I’m going to cry.”

  “Don’t cry, baby. If it isn’t right, we can take it back and get what you
want.”

  “No. It’s too right. You guys have given me a kitten and an office. I don’t know what to say.”

  “How about, how soon can we get married, Dobbs?”

  She giggled and threw her arms around him then Mayberry.

  “I take it that was a good hug,” Mayberry said.

  “It was a you-guys-are-freaking-amazing hug,” she said.

  “How about us taking a nap? I’m exhausted from all this,” Dobbs said.

  Libby smiled. “I could use a nap. What about you, Mayberry?”

  “Huh? A nap?”

  “Say yes, Mayberry,” Dobbs said.

  “Uh, yes?”

  Libby chuckled. They were priceless. Living with them would never be boring.

  “Lead the way, Colby,” Dobbs said.

  Mayberry and Colby walked out of the office and down the hall to the last door on the left. Inside was a bed and two chests as well as a dresser. None of it matched. The bed, however, was a king and had been carefully made with a burnt orange and brown comforter.

  “We’ll take you shopping to pick out a new bedroom suit once we get you moved in. This one is old and doesn’t even go together,” Dobbs told her.

  “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the three of us are together.”

  “Wait until you try the mattress, Mayberry told her. “You’ll change your mind.”

  “Speaking of which, I’d like to undress you now. Will you let me, Libby?” Dobbs asked.

  “Yes.” It came out all breathy as his hands skimmed down her arms.

  Mayberry nuzzled the back of her neck when he pulled her hair to one side. She moaned as he kissed her there.

  “Mmm, you smell like peaches and cream,” Mayberry said.

  “My shampoo.” She stifled a groan when Dobbs kissed across her chest as he unbuttoned her blouse.

  “Your skin is so soft. I want to touch all of you,” Mayberry said. “I need to feel you all over so I know what you look like in my mind.”

  “You can touch me anywhere,” she finally got out.

  “Let’s get her clothes off, Dobbs.” Mayberry fumbled with her pants from behind her.