Keeping my back to them, I raise my hand.I couldn’t give two fucks who Jaxie’s friend is.I gave a promise to my former boss to protect his daughter and no one else.Dead or not, I’m going to uphold it.
Opening the door, I throw the parting words, “Don’t linger too long, Jaxie.You’re under my protection now,” over my shoulder, and kick the door shut behind me.
A handful of minutes later I hear Elodie fire up her truck, along with the tires crunching the gravel as she leaves.The dogs are still playing in the main room when Jaxie steps inside.
She takes out her phone, lets her fingers tap the screen, and holds it up for me.
Instead of reading whatever message she typed, I keep my gaze locked with hers.“I heard you talk, Jaxie.No need to type shit out for me to read or use ASL.Fuck.I can’t believe Dax made me learn, which I suck at doing on my own I might add.So, whatever you want to say...use your mouth and give me the damn words by using your voice.”
She narrows her eyes and slowly turns red.I’m aware it’s a dick move.To be honest, I’m not a man who pussyfoots around shit, or does things differently if it concerns a woman.
Her lips stay sealed and I now notice Benny who has stopped playing and is leaning against her leg.The dog was born in my mother’s cabin on this very mountain and as a pup the little guy flawlessly sensed emotions of humans.It’s why I told Dax we had a dog for his daughter when he explained her situation years ago.
Benny was my fucking dog, who is now comforting her because I’m being a dick.
Releasing a sigh, I hold up my cane.“My doctors said I’d be wheelchair bound for a long fucking time to recover from my complex femur fraction.You don’t see one now, do you?”
My leg hurts like a motherfucker the more I put my weight on it, but there’s no damn way I’ll tell anyone.
“F-f-forest,” Jaxie grits.
A snort rips from me.“Yeah, it would be impossible to go through the forest in a wheelchair.Hell, it’s a rough hike from my ma’s place to yours.”
“W-why d-do...w-why...”She swallows hard and fists her hands, clenching so damn hard her knuckles turn white.
Getting annoyed, I throw a wild guess to finish her sentence.“Like I said, I heard you talk to your friend.I can’t seem to learn how to sign by myself fast enough to have a decent conversation with you.I tried to follow what you were saying when you signed to Elodie, but you wave your hands too damn fast.”
“N-no.W-why are y-you here?”Jaxie grits.
Shit.Clearly, I guessed wrong.
Not wanting to answer the question, I ask her one of my own.“Why didn’t Dax mention your speech therapy worked?It would have been damn useful instead of asking me to learn ASL.”
“W-when did h-he ask y-you?”
I lean down and scoop up my dog.Macy is a tiny thing and while she follows orders without a fuss, she’s also spoiled.All because my ma’s older dog jumped from the couch and landed on her when she was a pup.She broke her leg, and it took me a lot of time to get her fully healed after the orthopedic surgeon put a few pins in it.
Macy leans against my chest when I tell Jaxie the truth, “Dax showed up at my mother’s cabin two weeks ago.He gave me an assignment, paid, and left.”
She frowns.“A-a-assignment?”
“You.Keep you safe.Oh, and learn ASL.Which is impossible to learn, and I’ve been trying for two weeks now.Thank fuck you can talk.”
“L-like you c-can w-walk?”she tries to sneer, but her stutter gives it less impact.
I throw her a smirk.“Things can break from impact, glue it back together, and some of the cracks stay painfully obvious.We’re both damaged goods.It’s not a weakness because we found a way to use our strength to keep fuckin’ going the way we feel comfortable.Even if it might cause complications for others.”
By this I’m hinting at staying mute and using ASL while it limits her daily interactions with others who don’t know ASL.
She flips me off, grabs one of her suitcases, and snaps, “Leave,” as she stomps past me.
