Deadly Expectations (13 page)

I glanced at Ray a few feet away and stepped closer to Paul.

“You dumped me so I wouldn’t be that woman,” I whispered trying to speak as privately as I could.
 
“Now you’re fucking over someone else’s wife.
 
Nice work garbage man.
 
You’re being an asshole.”

I staggered off shivering in my wet jeans and shaking with nausea making it half way down the alley before lunch landed in the snow.
 
A hand rested on my back and I recognized Ray’s legs.
 
When I finally stood I held my head high and walked away back to the house.
 
Paul hadn’t turned up by the time I’d warmed in the shower and pulled on one of his tees.
 
His room was cold so I added his robe and after considering getting in bed and pulling the blankets over my head I pulled the big comforter into the closet with me putting it over my head as I broke down.
 
The mean bitch had lured me into finding a body.

I was still sniffling in my cocoon when Paul finally came in.
 
The door opened and he took a few steps and I heard him sigh.
 
His boots got louder as he approached the closet then the door folded open a little more and I heard him climb in.
 
My feet cooled a bit as he lifted the blanket.

“Sugar?” he said softly.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I answered as his hand took my ankle and moved up my calf.

“You sure made short work of calling me out.”

I pulled my foot back.
 
“Thank you.”

“He’s former military … a traitor and deserter.
 
He’s wanted,” Paul explained.
 
“My CO ran his ID.
 
Married.

“He’ll take care of him no questions asked.”

I nodded, letting my feet creep closer to Paul and lifted the blanket offering him room underneath.

“Thank you Paul.
 
It would kill me to be her if you were in the box.”

Paul dug in head first under the blanket and pushed me down on top of his pile of shoes.
 
“I’m sorry for making you cry.”

I shrugged.
 
“You’re not an asshole.”

“I was,” he chuckled.
 
“I hope I’m not now.”

Paul’s head found mine in spite of the enormous blanket and the bottoms of his clothes weighing down on it.
 
He untied the robe and reached around to grab my butt and turn me to face him.

“Are we sleeping in here?”

“Yes,” I answered.
 
Even so angry with him I could put my size eight right up his ass his arms were the first place I wanted to be when I was upset.
 
“Alina and I used to do it all the time.”

“Sleep in my closet?”

“Yes,” I laughed feeling forgiveness as my nose felt his Adam’s apple.
 
Paul’s free hand felt my little tummy.
 
I had to admit it was getting firm already.
 
Then he started to make his way up my shirt.
 
“Going for second in the closet Captain?”

“Something
like
that Commander.”

“
Lef
-tenant Commander,” I corrected as his broad hand perfectly covered what he found.

“There’s no
effin
Lieutenant,” he replied.
 
“Mm,” he added as I softly got my teeth around a chunk of his neck and dragged them along.

“You will be if you keep that up.”
 
She’d sent me to look, I found, then I slipped right back under his spell.

Chapter 12

A soft kiss on my forehead lightened my sleep then a hand rested at the side of my face.

“Paul?” I mumbled.
 
“Look after yourself.”

I waited to hear him tell me he loved me but he was completely still.
 
My lids fluttered open and blue light from his alarm clock explained I was alone.
 
I must have nodded off before he was even out the door.

I was also damp with cozy warm sweat.
 
The cold spell had eased and now there were too many blankets on the bed.
 
As I pushed off the bedding and sat I heard voices downstairs.
 
Paul’s for sure.
 
He didn’t sound happy about something although I couldn’t hear precisely what.

My glass yielded a scant mouthful as I tipped it back.
 
I groaned.
 
That meant I had to go downstairs for a drink.
 
Nothing taller than a coffee mug would fit in the bathroom sink.
 
I preferred kitchen water anyway even though it came from the same place.

Paul’s robe was still mashed on top of his shoes so I hastily turned it right side out and opened the door.
 
Light came up the stairs at the far end of the hall and showed me the way was clear.

Part way down I was able to make Paul out.
 
“We all just got back.
 
Don’t you have a team who’s a little fresher?”
 
He sounded aggravated.
 
I needed to get past the common room and quickly.

“Captain,” Joshua’s calmer and much like Paul’s voice said.
 
“We haven’t even unpacked … and it’s an easy job.”

“Gentlemen,” an unfamiliar voice spoke sharply.
 
“I don’t recall assignments being a negotiation.”

Didn’t like the sound of any of them shipping out, especially Paul.
 
A chill started to fill my cheeks and work its way down making me shiver by the time I got to the bottom of the stairs.
 
I checked to make sure the robe was properly shut and tried to get by the door with a hand covering my eyes so whatever was going on could happen in privacy but they fell silent.

“Anna?
 
Everything okay?”

I dropped my hand and stopped, holding up the glass.
 
“I’m so sorry to interrupt.
 
It won’t fit in the sink.”
 
There was an older man I didn’t know beside Paul.
 
Old school brush cut and his clothes were so unwrinkled and tidy he was most likely military.

“Sorry,” I repeated.
 
“I’ll just be a sec.”

“Who’s the new recruit?”
 
The older man asked.

Paul sighed and held out his hand to me so I approached a step or two but the man was already headed for me with Paul right behind him.
 
I could imagine the tangle my hair was in from crawling around with it wet under the blanket earlier.

“Colonel Iverson, this is my girl … Anna Creed.
 
Sig is my Commanding Officer.”

I held out my hand to the Colonel as he glanced at my stomach.
 
I felt like he noticed the baby even though there was no way he could in the big robe.

“Miss Creed, please call me Sig.”
 
He kissed my knuckles and took another step closer to kiss my cheek.
 
My nose tickled terribly and I nearly knocked him in the chin stifling a pair of sneezes inside my elbow.

“Bless you,” he said generously.

“No, wow, excuse me, those came out of nowhere.”

“
Lef
-tenant Commander Creed,” Joshua whispered from his chair and from the corner of my eye I could see him grab Denis in a brotherly headlock, silencing a laugh.

“
Lef
-tenant Commander?” the Colonel asked.

I looked pleadingly at Paul who had his hand over his face.

“
Restigouche
,” Denis blurted out when he got his mouth free of Joshua’s armpit.
 
Ray booted him in the thigh.

“HMCS Restigouche
was decommissioned nearly two decades ago Lieutenant Martin,” Sig said.

“Just Anna, please.”

The Colonel nodded, apparently resisting the urge to turn and look at the quiet scuffle behind him.

“How long are you staying?” he asked me.

My lips turned in to an O and I looked at Paul.
 

“As long as she wants,” Paul got an arm around me and started to steer me to the kitchen.
 
“Excuse us Sir.”

“I have a bit of business Sugar,” he whispered.
 
“Then I’ll be up.”

Paul took my glass and ran the water for a minute.
 
“I don’t think I can get out of this,” he said quietly.
 
“It’s a quick and relatively safe job … maybe two weeks.”

I looked down feeling my lips try to curl and trigger tears.
 
Paul got his arms around me.
 
“Sshhh,” he whispered as he held my head to his shoulder.
 
“Easy, easy.
 
I don’t want you going home alone.
 
Will you stay here?
 
Denis is on my team.
 
Josh and Ray will be here.
 
They’ll look after you.”

If I wanted Paul this was what I got for free.
 
Part of the package.
 
“Or maybe you want to go stay with Alina?”

“Here,” I mumbled.

“Okay,” he nodded.
 
“I think I’d like to come home to you.”

I turned my head up to him and moistened my lips and was rewarded with the kiss I was inviting.

“Really?”

“Absolutely really,” he answered as Joshua barged in right up behind Paul bumping him into me.

“I win big brother,” Joshua said.
 
“My boys are up.”

“Josh …,” Paul started to complain.

“Colonel seems to think you’re needed more here right now.
 
Hey, can I borrow your babysitting job magazines?
 
It’s gonna get lonely …”

Paul rolled his eyes.

“That’s unsanitary Josh,” I whispered as I wiped my eyes on a big sleeve.
 
“Get your own.”

Chapter 13

After another week of shivering over engines and bikes in the workshop I found myself falling asleep on Paul’s shoulder.
 
He shooed me upstairs and I slipped under the cold blankets, barely remembering pulling them over me.
 
I dreamed of Catherine again, at home with her father before she moved to the cabin where she died.
 
The year was 1777.

I woke outside my sister’s apartment.
 
At least I felt awake even though I knew there was no way I could be there.

I recognized the door; cream with gold numbers.
 
1502.
 
I could still make out the little nick in the paint by the knob where Alina had missed with her key.
 
We had taken a taxi back to her apartment completely smashed when I visited a year earlier.
 
No idea why I was here … or needed to be here.
 
No idea of the time either.

I took a chance and knocked.
 
As I decided she wasn’t home the peep hole lit up then darkened as she looked out.
 
She fussed with the deadbolt then opened up as fast as she could.