“You’re mine,” he told me, I held my breath as I absorbed his words and they slid through me, soothing across edges that had come up jagged through the last hour, as he concluded, “and my Duchess doesn’t f**kin’ clean.”
His thumb slid along my cheek then his hand dropped, he turned away and went to the hall closet.
Before I could allow myself any reaction, which could consist of bursting into tears; loudly declaring he was the love of my life; or running upstairs, pulling Mindy in my arms and promising one day she’ll find happiness, I hurried to the kitchen and baked a cake.
* * * * *
It was after Mom and I had made everyone sandwiches and heated Mindy some canned soup but served it with fresh baked bread Mom found in town and after the drier expelled clean, fresh clothes.
Mindy was dressed in her dry clothes, Brody had the pile of his folded and in his arm, Mom, Steve and Cotton were in the kitchen putting away the rest of what looked to be a year’s worth of groceries and Max and I were standing on the porch with Mindy and Brody.
Barb and Darren, who had been introduced to me, were in their car, idling. Becca was already backing carefully out. Jeff was long gone.
I’d put on my woolly socks and Mindy was wearing Max’s, Barb had taken her wet boots to her car.
“You’re staying with your Mom?” I asked Mindy and she nodded. “That’s good, sweetheart,” I finished quietly, she nodded again and looked away from me.
This hurt but I also understood it or at least I told myself I did.
I looked to Brody when he spoke. “You’ll come down tomorrow?”
It was my turn to nod and I did so to Brody. He nodded back.
“Neens?” Mindy whispered and my eyes quickly went back to her.
“Yes, my lovely?” I prompted when she didn’t say any more.
She pressed her lips together, her eyes still turned away.
“I never thought –” she started.
“Tomorrow,” I said swiftly and firmly, now really understanding and her eyes skittered to me, then away.
“But, I –”
“Tomorrow, darling,” I repeated and her gaze came again to me but this time it stayed there.
“I didn’t think you’d ever, not ever… not you… I wouldn’t ever do that to you.” She paused and then whispered, “I guess I just didn’t think.”
“Stop it, Mindy,” I whispered back. “This isn’t about me, sweetheart. This is about getting you back to where you need to be.”
I watched the tears pool in her eyes and she was still whispering when she said, “Thank you, Neenee Bean.”
I swallowed back a little sob, Max’s arm slid around my shoulders and he curled my front into his side.
When I had control of my emotions, I said, “Tomorrow we’ll talk, all right, my lovely?”
She nodded, now biting at her lips, Max gave me a squeeze, I looked at him and he gave Brody a nod.
Brody moved but Max suddenly said, “No, hang on.”
Then his arm around me was gone and both of them were wrapped tight around Mindy. My hand went to my mouth and my eyes went to Brody.
“You’re loved, Mins,” I heard Max’s gravelly voice say and I watched Mindy’s fingers curl into his thermal at the back. “Maybe you don’t get how much.”
“Max,” she choked back her own sob and I closed my eyes but felt Brody’s arm replace Max’s around my shoulders. I let my weight settle against his long body and he took it like Max did, without effort.
“You forget that again, you call me, I’ll remind you,” Max said to Mindy then demanded, “Promise me that, babe.”