One Cup of Daddy and a Dash of Love - Victoria Sue Page 0,2

currently taking abuse from his teeth. Without thinking twice, Jensen reached out again, but Dashael—if it was him—reacted like he’d pointed a gun at him and jerked back. If it was physically possible for him to crawl into the woodwork, Jensen was sure he would have done.

He tried again. “Dashael? I’m not going to hurt you.” He glanced around the bottom of the cabinet. It looked like a nest for want of a better word. An apple and a bottle of water were neatly stacked in the corner, along with a plastic bag that looked like it had a few clothes in, but his attention was caught by a rather dog-eared teddy bear peeking out from Dash’s arms, and his heart melted. He was terrified. Miss O’Hare had said he was nineteen, but if he’d had to guess, Jensen would have said at least two, maybe three years younger.

“I used to have a teddy bear like that,” Jensen mused. “He was called Mr. Bear.” And he’d adored that stupid bear until they had to leave to pursue the next wild scheme their parents were interested in, and somehow he’d gotten lost along with a box of his clothes.

While Jensen had been tripping down memory lane, Dash had been brave enough to raise his head a little more to look at him. Maybe it had been the teddy bear comment. “You don’t look at all comfy in there, and it’s going to be dark soon.” He knew there was no electricity on. Worry flooded his blue eyes again, and everything the Realtor told Eric clicked into place. They had no money. She had closed on his gran’s cottage yesterday. He would bet the cost of the property Dash was here because he had nowhere to go. Tonight would drop to nearly freezing. The normal mild October weather had been the most brutal he could remember for years.

Jensen slowly reached out his hand again. “You can’t stay in there. It’s going to get way too cold, and it will be dark soon.” Dash looked down at his hand as if it was going to bite, but Jensen kept his arm steady and a smile on his face until Dash’s fingers slid into his.

He’s freezing. Jensen helped him crawl out of the cabinet and put a hand under his arm so he could stand which he did in such an uncoordinated rush of limbs he stumbled. Jensen grabbed hold, and he jerked upright as if he’d scared him again and took a step back. “Steady, sweetheart. Now, we need to work out where you can stay,” Jensen said, the wheels turning in his head. The endearment slipped out before he could stop it.

When Jensen didn’t get an immediate reply, he focused on him just in time to see his pale face turn even whiter. Jensen reached out automatically, and the small terrified whimper from Dash would have melted an iceberg. “Hush, you’re okay.” Dash wobbled on legs that didn’t seem to be steady, and Jensen simply bent and picked him up before he fell.

He didn’t know which one of them was more surprised. Jensen stood there with his arms full. He’d never picked up another person in his entire life and had no idea what to say or what had possessed him.

Then he focused on Dash’s eyes. Exhaustion and pain radiated in equal amounts, and he simply held him, trying to work out his next move. Then Dash went limp, and his eyes fell closed. Jensen’s first thought was the boy was too thin, and Jensen carried him way too easily.

His second was an inexplicable urge never to put him down.

Two

“Mr. Carmichael?”

Jensen rose to his feet and extended his hand to shake the doctor’s. “How is he?”

It had been a long three hours. He’d quickly called Eric, who hadn’t yet gotten a cab, and instructed him to call an ambulance. Dashael wasn’t unconscious, but his face had a gray pallor Jensen knew needed checking out. Miss O’Hare was no use at all. Dashael Simmonds had no next of kin apart from the no-good father who no one seemed to have any details for including Dashael himself. As soon as he had gotten to Fairview ER, Jensen had sent Eric to the board meeting by cab. The ER had been an exercise in frustration. Jenson wasn’t even a friend, never mind a significant other, and they’d just suggested he leave. After charming a receptionist called Roger, who promised he would get one of the