Tiger's Lily (5 page)

"Nope. Right now I'm happy. Content. I enjoy my job and truly feel almost peaceful where I'm at. Who could ask for anything more?"

Who could? Almost every other woman that he knew. They would be pushing to find a man, tie him down, and live off the income from his backbreaking work, only to buy frivolous trinkets, worry about their social standing, and leave the man the moment he's down.

"How about you? Got a man in your life?"

The phrasing caught him off guard, breaking his normally graceful stride to a near stumble. It took a second for him to realize her brand of bantering. He snorted loudly. "As if."

"Okay. What about a woman in your life?"

Even though he realized the natural progression of the conversation would lead to that very inquiry, he flinched hearing it voiced. Jaw clenching, he clammed up, not willing to discuss such a hurtful period of his life.

* * * *

Lily slapped her mouth shut, seeing the heart wrenching pain appear on Cale's face in response to her question. He seemed to be relaxing and possibly even enjoying their walk and discussion until she had to ask about his prior relationships. Sure, most people had them and wore a few badges of courage to show for their efforts, but not often did she see such torment on a person's face with a simple mention of the opposite sex. Guilt rose up inside, sending her gaze to the ground.
What horrors must he have suffered to react so negatively?
Quickly, she kicked her mind into motion, seeking something else to say, anything to put back the handsome smile he flashed earlier. "You said you have parents?"

He only nodded in response.

Charging ahead, she tossed out the first response that came to mind. "Good to know. Here I was ready to strip you and Dillon down to check for belly buttons. I feared there would be none and then what would I do? Who do you call when you find a belly button-less person? And if there is no belly button, where does all that lint go to hide?" Holding her breath, she waited a tick, watching intently, hoping she cracked his stony façade once more.

Cale's bottom lip quivered in the slightest motion.

Taking that as positive, she rambled on. "I can just hear the phone call now. Bureau of Alien Life, how can I help you? Yes, ma'am, I need to report two men without belly buttons. What do they look like? Well, tall, dark, and handsome, minus belly buttons. What do you mean that isn't your department? Whose department is it? Oh, then can you transfer me? Hello? Department of the Interior, I need to report men without a navel. Huh? What navy? No. No. Without a navel. You know. Belly button. What? I've already talked to the Bureau of Alien Life, they sent me to you. Wait. I don't think that's the correct department that I need. Well, drat. Hello, is this the Department of the Mentally Deranged? Well, you see. I need to report navel-less men. Yes. As in no belly buttons. What do you mean do I hallucinate often?"

Cale burst out laughing. It took a minute before he could gasp out in between bouts of chuckling. "You are right about the government."

Lily smiled with satisfaction and pride.
He needed to laugh more.
If it took silliness to get this present day warrior to laugh, then so be it. She was up to the task.

Not that she had much experience with men, but this one captivated her. She knew basically nothing about him or his brother, yet had invited pure strangers into her home. Now, she dedicated herself to helping this way too serious guy to find humor again in his life. Maybe she should be talking to the Department of the Mentally Deranged after all.

One look at Cale and her heart fluttered. He stood a head taller, muscular and toned, strong and sound. He probably could have been a male model if he so desired. No. That didn't seem to quite fit. His features were stark and sharp, handsome in a rough, primitive way. A man of strength born of self confidence and hard work rather than hours at a gym and lying on the beach to tan. Those light blue eyes reflected an inner demon, but flashed with mischief now and again, hinting at a deeply buried sense of humor. Something she desperately wanted to stoke.

The man is out of your league.
Her inner voice cautioned, reminding her that she didn't stand a chance with the soldier. He would move on in a few days, never once looking back or thinking about her. With his bold looks and strong nature, he would have the choice of the henhouse. She, on the other hand, would be outside in the trees, roosting with the less desirable females. Mentally, she shrugged. She liked him, and perhaps, with time and fate, it could progress into something more than a simple houseguest and nurse, but she dared not buy into those dreams. Even if he noticed her, he would kiss her, then dash away to save the world.
Was it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?
It wouldn't be love on his part anyway. From what she could faintly see from his demeanor, he didn't believe in love. She would be a physical release, nothing more.

Forcefully, she pushed that sobering thought aside. There she went again putting the cart before the horse. One day at a time. One smile at a time. This she would do.
For him.

Chapter 6

Dillon automatically tensed when the door creaked, announcing someone's arrival into the house. Before he could place his hand on the handgun stashed under his pillow, Cale's familiar voice carried to him. Relaxing back into the soft mattress, he resumed lightly stroking the soft fur on the cats.

He awoke a few minutes ago with both kittens curled against his side. Hope climbed to settle in the middle of his chest, turning circles until she found a comfortable position to plop down. A bit concerned that their presence didn't pull him from sleep, he waved it off when all three began to purr, responding to his petting.

Cale stuck his head in the bedroom door, taking in the sight, a slow grin forming on his face.

"What?"

Leaning against the door jamb with arms crossed over his chest, Cale shook his head. "Found some new bedmates?"

Dillon snorted. "At least they don't hog the covers and snore like a chainsaw trying to cut through granite like you do."

"Uh, huh."

Lily popped her head around Cale, smiling immediately at the sight. "Oh, they like you."

Barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Dillon nodded. "I guess so. But I really think they just want to be scratched and have a warm body to snuggle against."

"Nah. They wouldn't be all over you unless they liked you."

Dillon shot his brother a mischievous grin. "Well, I always did have a way with the ladies."

Cale's mouth dropped open, but Lily talked over him. "Carson wanted you to sit in the bathtub for a while each day. It will help clean out that wound and prevent infection from building." Lily rattled the recommendations to Dillon while she lifted the girls, cradling them against her chest. They made for an overloaded armful.

"Okay. I think I can do that." He grinned at her, unable to pass up the opportunity to tease. "You can wash my back… and whatever else you like." Purposely, he dropped to a sensual tone, not so subtly covering the innuendo.

Cale scowled at him from behind her back, but Dillon ignored him, too thrilled to get his older brother's goat for once.

Her face flushed crimson, amusing him all the more before she shook her head. "Sorry. I can't take the chance. See, if I discover you really don't have a belly button… well, let's just say it's easier if I didn't know." She shot him a quick wink and grin before striding out of the room with a hasty excuse that it was feeding time for the felines.

Dillon watched her go in abject confusion.
Belly button?
"What in the hell did that mean?"

Cale grinned widely, slapping Dillon on the shoulder. "You really don't want to know."

Lily's voice carried to them from the kitchen. "Are you cajoling?"

Even more confused then ever, Dillon looked to Cale for answers. "Cajoling?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to 'cajole' you into taking a bath."

His mouth dropped open. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected to hear those words leave Cale's mouth.

"Don't worry. I assured her I would simply drop you on your ass in the tub."

"Thank God. For a second there I wondered if you lost your ever-loving mind."

The sound of Cale's laughter rang through the room. Dillon joined in, his heart lifting with the sudden reappearance of Cale's sense of humor and simple ability to laugh. Not too long ago, he believed the feat to be impossible. This was his brother of old. The one he loved and longed to reacquaint himself with.

Lily reminded him of Della. Her attitude towards life, the old soul he could see in her eyes, and the deep down kindness so rare to find these days. Cale could do a lot worse. He had already done so, in Dillon's opinion.

His thoughts returned to Rachel, Cale's ex-wife. Never would she have taken in an injured and ill cat, nursed it back to health, and adamantly refused to give up the resulting kittens. No way would Rachel spend her little excess money on expensive cat food, give them the run of the house, and allow them to sleep curled up next to her at night. On the contrary, Cale's ex disliked all animals with a passion. Her few run-ins resulted in multiple complaints about the animals slobbering, getting hair on her expensive designer clothes, and the horrible stench she believed they carried. The couple of times Cale brought her home to the ranch, she sulked and bemoaned, demanding to leave as soon as possible, more than ready to return to her high class apartment in the city. Their parents severely frowned upon the woman, as did Dillon. Yet no one could make Cale see her multiple faults and using ways. Not until he finally woke up one day, when reality slapped him in the face. Hard.

Dillon had been with him that day, returning home after finishing their mission quickly, efficiently, and much sooner than expected. Excited to get home to Rachel, Cale drove straight for the apartment, full of plans to take her out on the town, and romance her mightily to make up for the days he had been away.

Instead of a doting wife, missing her husband, and joyous at his return, Cale found Rachel sharing their bed with another man, naked, and in mid-coitus. The man grabbed his clothes after taking one look at Cale's face, scurrying away as quickly as possible.

Rachel caught the brunt of Cale's fury, but instead of being apologetic, flung it back in his face, citing her reasons which placed the blame fully on Cale. He wasn't home enough. He didn't have enough money. He didn't please her. On and on she went.

Dillon had never seen his brother so angry and so devastated. Without uttering another word, he turned around and left, filing for divorce the very next morning. A difficult way to have your eyes opened about the true bitch you married. Effective but painful.

Yet a day with Lily, and Cale's sense of humor returned, as his chuckles, teasing manner, and smile indicated. Still too brief in Dillon's opinion, but they were there. A sure sign of hope. Lily did that. He would be forever beholden to her for bringing a bit of life back into the robotic, emotionless brother he saw for the past two years.

Chapter 7

Lily thunked the solidly frozen turkey into the kitchen sink, breathing deeply with the effort to lug the heavy bird in from the garage freezer. "Now, where is that label that tells me how to cook this thing?" She muttered to herself, twirling it around until she spied a white plastic label.

"Why go to the trouble to bake a whole turkey?" Cale asked from his seat at the table while he and Dillon finished their lunch. "That's too much work. Besides, we'll be gone soon anyway."

Her heart sank, hearing those words reminding her that only too soon her roommates would be running off, back to the line of fire, not knowing if they will live one day to the next. The wonderful plans for Thanksgiving she concocted now looked to be frivolous and foolish. She could kick herself for not mentioning her idea sooner. Perhaps they might have been more receptive then.
Too late now.
Words tumbled quietly from her mouth as she turned to face them, gaze focusing on the table instead of their faces. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think to ask. I just thought… Well, Thanksgiving is two days away, and… I thought we might celebrate it together." The final words blurted out in a rush.

Glancing up, she noted the scowl on Dillon's face aimed at Cale. His mouth pinched and eye brows furrowed in displeasure.

In response, Cale shook his head, but finally released a deep sigh, seeming to give in to the silent pressure. He stood. Using one long index finger to her chin, he gently lifted until she met his eyes. "If you are sure, we would like to share the holiday with you."

A small grin appeared on Lily's face, a mixture of happiness and relief.

Cale's finger turned into a small caress across her jaw until he lightly tapped her nose. "But you have to let us help."

Eagerly she agreed. "Deal." With a heavy weight lifted off her shoulders, she mouthed a quick 'thanks' to Dillon, before regarding Cale again.

He stroked across her cheek once more, cradling it for a split second before letting his hand fall back to his side. Light blue eyes smiled back. "Dillon is great at washing dishes."

"Hey!" Dillon hollered from the table, reaching for his crutches, not for stability in standing, but to hold at a threatening angle, as if to smack Cale over the head.

"You don't know how much this means to me." Lily confessed, her voice wobbling a hair with emotion.

"I think we do." Dillon's voice carried across the room, solid and reassuring.

Her confidant in battle. The battle for Cale's humanity.

She looked at Dillon, belatedly noticing the drastic improvement food, rest, and basic medical care made in him, both mentally and physically.

After an early morning phone call for a status update, Carson had her stop the IV fluids since he didn't think Dillon needed them as his appetite picked up right where it left off. He would be able to care for his own hydration needs without assistance. The IV itself remained, giving her access for the antibiotics he still required. But the extra freedom proved beneficiary to Dillon's mobility and mood. While still slow, he maneuvered much better with the crutches, more confident and secure. Cale didn't have to step in at all since that first time up. Give Dillon another day or so and he might out run them both.

Tears sprung up in her eyes, but she dashed them away. Never would she have dreamed how much she wanted and needed them to be with her. This was the first major holiday since her mother passed, and as much as she told herself it was just another day, it simply wasn't. If they weren't there, she would have buried herself in work, anything to avoid thinking and remembering for fear of spending hours crying once more for her loss. Her closets might shine from cleaning and organizing along with freshly waxed floors, but she would be hard pressed to not recall happier times and feel the heart-wrenching pain all over again. "Thank you. Really." With a sniff, she beamed at Cale.

His eyes shadowed for a second before rubbing her upper arm. "Don't thank us yet."

"Yeah, well. Don't thank me yet either. I've never cooked a full turkey before, and I hear the first time is painful and unfulfilling. Too dry or some such matter."

Cale snorted. Dillon coughed.

It took her a moment to realize where their minds ventured with her phrasing, straight down to the gutter. Heat blasted across her face.

Bright white teeth flashed as Cale smiled at her. "It's all in the preparation." The low husky tone left her certain he wasn't talking about the turkey.

Good grief.
Kicking her hamster wheel of a brain into gear, Lily valiantly tried to find a new topic, anything besides the not so subtle reference to her virginity. Granted, the guys didn't know such intimate details about her and she preferred to keep it that way. But the direction of this conversation landed way too close for her comfort.

It wasn't that she didn't want a boyfriend or was one of those that swore to abstain from sex until marriage. Instead, it was something more practical. Life happened, sex didn't. The few dates she went on were okay, but she never felt at ease enough with the guy to do more than a few kisses and touches. None of them inspired her to get naked and do the horizontal mambo.

Not the way Cale did.

She immediately threw the idea away. As he said before, they would leave soon. Even if he took her to his bed… well, make that her bed… it would last for an impossibly short duration before he rode off into the sunset, leaving her lonely and broken hearted.

But he called to her. His moodiness, the troubled past she read in his eyes, his dangerous career and potentially shortened life. Everything about him pulled her closer, like a moth to a flame, as reckless and destined for failure as it might be. She wanted to soothe him, care for him, and share laughs and each day's small miracles with him. Here stood a man she could love, if only she let herself.
I've only known him for a day!
The chastisement meant nothing to her heart. Normally, she mocked the idea of love at first sight. Now, she couldn't be so sure. But so much rested on his shoulders. Certainly, she didn't stand in his league or status class. Average. The word described her adequately. He excelled in sheer masculinity and sex appeal while she resembled Plain Jane.
Why would he be interested in you? Even want to sleep with you? Pity? Or as a basic show of appreciation for what she did?

His rough hand rested against her cheek, pulling her away from such sobering thoughts. "Where did you go?" Cale asked, tilting his head in question.

Lily looked over to find Dillon had quietly left the kitchen under his own power, heading easily to the family room, leaving them in a semblance of privacy.

"Oh, nothing. It's… nothing." She stammered, refusing to lie, but determined to not voice her innermost feelings to him.

He stared at her a bit longer, gaze roaming her face before he slowly leaned in. Reflexively, she closed her eyes, reveling in the soft meshing of his lips with hers. No aggressiveness or demands existed, simply a sharing of affection between two people. He pulled back, adjusted his stance to wrap his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer as his lips once more took possession of hers.

"Ow!" Cale yanked back to growl downwards. Charity, claws extended, perched half-way up his pant legs on her way to higher ground, climbing him like she would a tree.

Lily blinked at the sudden interruption, reaching out to grab the kitten before she could draw more blood. "Bad Charity."

Cale shook his head, rubbing his thigh before looking at the small white and orange spotted fur ball in her arms. "Give a guy a warning next time." He spoiled the chastisement with a tender rubbing of Charity's head. Looking up, he met Lily's gaze.

She smiled shyly, holding and stroking the smaller of the two kittens. His kiss had been exceptional and way too short.

The expression on his face sent her belly to flopping, as it seemed to convey the same sentiment. He moved forward once more, brushing his mouth over hers for a mere fleeting second before speaking. "I think she's hungry." His sharp eyes scanned before drawing back to Charity. "You're the messenger, huh?"

The kitten meowed in a loud demand, her big blue eyes intent on his face.

Cale chuckled at her, petting her head, before sitting her down with the rest of the small family. "Yeah, yeah. We get it."

Lily looked down to see Hope and Faith sitting at the empty food platters, looking up at them pitifully. She couldn't help but grin. A few seconds later, she popped the top off a couple cans of food, filled the bowls, and returned to Cale's side.

They stood in silence, watching and listening to the cats gulp down their favorite food with relish and enjoyment. She leaned her smaller frame against his side, thrilled when he wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

Her heart lifted as she simply enjoyed another day's small miracle. Mother and babies that shouldn't have survived, all scarfing down food despite their already plump bellies. And a man who had lost the ability to feel happiness smiling openly at the scene before him.

* * * *

Cale strode out the back door, intending to make one more sweep of the area before dinner. He couldn't rule out tails from their latest mission, the one that left Dillon wounded but alive. The same wasn't true for two of the men they sought. If their information held true, three more survived simply because they weren't where they were supposed to be that night. It made for a dangerous and often shitty outcome. Half done got you killed. Lansing wasn't the kind of man to let bygones be bygones. Best he could figure, their hasty travel bought them time, perhaps a couple of days or more. But Lansing would come gunning for them, and soon. Before then, Dillon needed to recover more. He also had to find a way to protect Lily on the off chance someone linked her with them. Nothing stood in the way of what that bastard wanted.
Fodder.
Lansing considered them cannon fodder.

Shaking his head to push out those morbid thoughts, he surveyed the pastures. Cattle rested and chewed their cud, content as if they had not a worry in the world. Who knew what a cow thought, but these particular ones, probably didn't have many stressors. Food, water, shelter, and several lady friends for Hard Head. A simple life. For a cow.

After lunch, Cale hauled his brother into the bath for another soaking of that wound, while Lily cleaned the kitchen and set food out for the dinner she planned to fix later. Then she took a quick shower, finishing in plenty of time to redress Dillon's leg and attach another antibiotic to his IV. She barely ate any lunch, citing not being hungry, even as both of them cleaned their plates, appreciative for the fresh, hot meal. Her eyes kept darting to him as if she recounted what had occurred and now wasn't sure how she felt about their interaction.

His thoughts meandered back to Lily and the chaste kiss they shared earlier. Whatever possessed him to seal his lips over hers, to get a small taste of her essence? Truth be told, the shadowed, hollow sadness in her eyes twisted something deep in his gut, especially when his flippant words caused such pain. It moved him to offer comfort in a small gesture that felt right.
Boy, did it feel right.
He couldn't claim naivety, and over the years had kissed more women than he cared to recall. However, this one touched a part of him he thought dead and gone when he walked in and found his wife with another man. She made him want to care again, to laugh at her silliness, and to spend that all important Thanksgiving dinner with her for no other reason besides it would make them both happy.

She was different than other women he had been with. More pure. Fairly innocent, too, if he didn't miss his guess. In his world, that was as rare as a crystal clear blue diamond laying in the middle of a pasture free for the picking. But it was more than that.
Down to Earth and common as the day was long.
One of his father's favorite phrases popped into his head. Lily could fit the bill. Heck, his parents would adore her.

What in the hell was he thinking?
Introducing her to his parents? That meant a long term relationship. Something he vowed to never enter in again. Betrayal is an excellent teacher. She may be one of the few good women he had run across in his adult years, but that didn't mean he wanted her for more than a few days. Hell, if she was as innocent as he thought, he really should keep his hands to himself. No sense in leading her on, sleeping with her, then riding off to his next assignment, leaving her like the Pilgrims left their homeland on their voyage to the New World, not looking back and never seeing their loved ones again. Lily deserved better. A committed husband to stand beside her and together raise a family. To give her the simple farm life she longed for.

He couldn't be that man.
Wouldn't be that man.
His life revolved around the Wind Warriors, fighting the baddest of the bad behind the scenes and in the dark, with only a handful of people knowing their existence. Men he would give his life for, as they would for him. That was his career and sole focus now and would continue to be. Wives and children were a cherished novelty and rare as a flood in the Sahara Desert. The nomadic group never settled in a single spot for long, dashing off immediately with the ring of a phone, having no set work hours or schedules, just whatever it took to get the job done. Their work, though necessary, often claimed their lives and their sanity. Hardened veterans, they saw and lived through too many things for any of them to retire to polite society. A normal job would never do for any of them. Instead, they thrived on adrenalin and challenge, constant change and seclusion.

All former military, they could return to those ranks if they were desperate enough and decided to swallow their independence and abilities in order to be puppets to whichever commander they would be stuck under. Insubordination and individual actions weren't part of the military life. But in Wind Warriors they could excel, having the clearance to do what they thought best with no questions asked. A flexibility that most men craved, a paycheck to compensate for all the inconveniences and hazard pay, along with access to all the newest and greatest weapons produced across the world.