Page 7 of Pax

Grateful every day for this peaceful oasis that Faith had allowed her to enjoy, she tried to pull herself out of the funk she was in. The home was enormous, too big for one person, but it was immaculately kept, expertly decorated, and perfectly situated on the ocean.

In the mornings, she would rise early, take a walk on the beach with her hood up, her face mostly covered, and then return to have her coffee on the front porch. Occasionally, someone would walk by and wave, wishing her a good morning. But for the most part, they were staying to themselves, and she liked it that way.

Faith had called a few times to be sure she was alright. When the phone rang the first time, Deanna jumped a mile. Who had a house phone any longer? Obviously, the team at Belle Fleur still believed in some kinds of old-fashioned technology. She knew that they were probably worried about her and wanted to be sure she didn’t need anything.

“You could come back here,” said Faith. “We can help you, honey. You know we can. Our entire team can get you back to normal faster than you think.”

“I’ll think about it, Faith. I just need a little more time.” That was four days ago, and she hadn’t heard from her since.

Hearing the knock on the door, she figured it was some kid selling candy or magazines or something. She pulled the hat low over her face and opened the door to see four bags of groceries sitting at her feet.

“What in the world,” she whispered.

“I figured you’d be hungry,” said Pax. “I know I am.”

“Pax,” she gasped. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“You left without saying goodbye. You didn’t tell me where you were going. You didn’t call to tell me you were alright. And you damn sure didn’t give me the chance to ask you to stay or to go on that date we never had.”

“A-ask…”

“Look, I get that you want to be alone right now, and that’s okay. I’ll sleep in the porch swing or on the damn grass if I have to. It’s not a big deal. But I am not leaving here without you, Deanna. You can’t make me.”

She stared at him, unable to comprehend why he would be there, why he would be acting this way.

“You should get those groceries inside. There’s ice cream in one and fish in the other. I like a good piece of fish.”

“I’m not a very good cook,” she said softly.

“I am. Will you let me come in, Deanna?” He walked slowly toward her, reaching for the bags in her hands, then grasping the other two with little effort. He leaned closer to her face, turning his head to see beneath the ball cap.

“Please, Deanna. Will you let me come in and fix you dinner?”

Deanna was stunned by his appearance and even more so by his behavior. This was a Pax like she’d never seen before. Seductive, caring, overpowering, overbearing, over everything!

“Deanna? May I come in?” he asked again politely.

“Uh. Yes. Yes, of course. The house belongs to all of you,” she said, shaking her head. Pax shook his own head back and forth.

“No. No, that’s not how this works. The house technically belongs to Faith and Ian. I’m here for you. Not the house. May I come in, Deanna?” She couldn’t say anything at first, then stepped back and nodded.

“Yes.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Pax set the plate in front of Deanna, the halibut cooked perfectly with a side of asparagus and thinly sliced scalloped potatoes. She smiled at him and took a bite.

“It’s delicious. Where did you learn to cook like this?” she asked.

“Well, when you’re in the military, you eat a lot of shitty meals. You get good ones as well, but one of the things I always looked forward to was coming home to Mom’s cooking or the cafeteria or café. Brax and I made a pact early on that even though we had our own apartments, we would cook dinner and eat like a family once a week. Mav and Saint, too.”

“Saint? Oh, Patrick. Why do you call him Saint?” she asked.

“That’s for him to say,” smirked Pax. He watched as she picked at the food and noticed she was having trouble chewing. “You’re hurting.”

“A little,” she said, blushing. “They said it would take a while to heal. Cruz wanted me to go to a pond for a warm spring swim, but I never got around to it.”

“We should get you back there to do it,” he said. “It makes a helluva difference.”

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