Eden (24 page)

“
Glad this is fun for
you,” I said.

Ryan’s eyes immediately fell to my
stomach. “Whoa, Nigh, how long were you gone? You look ready to
pop.”

I rolled my eyes, and then my eyes
drifted behind Ryan, to the Jeep approaching slowly. The Jeep
parked, and then Bex stepped out, frowning at Claire. “Did you
scratch it?”

Claire shrugged. “It’ll buff
out.”

The scene behind them looked like the
aftermath of war.

“
Should we call an
ambulance?” I asked.

“
I already did,” Ryan
said, crossing his arms across his chest.

Claire fiddled with her hair, knotting
it into a bun. “They won’t remember anything, so we should move out
before any of them come to.” She handed Jared a set of keys. “The
Escalade is good to go. You can pick it up at Mom’s.”

Jared wrapped his arm around Claire’s
head, trapping her in the crook of his arm, and then gave her a
quick kiss on the head. “Thanks, kid.”

Claire pulled away with a smile,
waving him away dismissively. “We were bored, anyway.”

Jared punched Bex in the arm. “Nice
moves, little brother.”

Bex lifted his chin and smiled. “I’m a
beast. Wait ‘til we get to Jerusalem.”

Jared and I returned to the Tundra,
with him back in the driver’s seat. In a caravan of our own, we
returned to Providence. The Exige behind us, the Ducati in front,
we raced home. Sandwiched between my brother and sister, I felt at
ease, completely different from an hour before. I leaned back and
took a deep, relaxing breath. Jared smiled and reached his hand
across the console. We intertwined our fingers, and I watched the
different terrain pass by my window, unfazed by what might be
ahead. I knew I was safe, and in that moment, that meant
everything.

Just after sunset, we pulled into
Lillian’s drive. Bex pulled into the yard, and held the door open
for me. Claire was next, and she and Ryan walked together up the
sidewalk. They were elbowing each other and smiling, still happy
and excited. Ryan didn’t seem affected in the least, and it was at
that moment that I knew they were truly meant for each
other.

Jared patted Bex on the shoulder as he
walked by, and then took my hand, guiding me into the dining room.
Lillian was expecting us, and the table was already set. She
brought out a large plate of brisket, and placed it in the middle
of the table. Claire disappeared into the kitchen, and Bex
followed.

Lillian pulled the oven mitts from her
hands, and then wrapped her arms around my neck. “Look at you!
Darling, you look wonderful! How do you feel?”

“
Big,” I said, only
half-kidding.

“
It doesn’t take long,”
she said. Her smile was as warm and bright as the sun.

Lillian had always made me feel so
loved and welcome. I was sad that she wouldn’t be there for Bean’s
birth.

“
Oh,” she said, touching
my cheek. “What is it?”

“
We’re leaving
soon.”

She offered a comforting smile. “I
know. But the next time I see you, you won’t just be my favorite
daughter-in-law, anymore. You’ll be the mother of my
grandbaby.”

I leaned into the crook of her
shoulder, and she hugged me tighter. “You probably haven’t had a
home-cooked meal in a few days. Let’s eat.”

At the table, Claire and Bex were
chattering excitedly about the encounter with the Army trucks, and
Ryan was busy stuffing food in his mouth. Lillian cut her food into
small, bite-size pieces, smiling as she listened to her children
talk about their day.

Jared smiled, amused at how Claire and
Bex took turns with each sentence of the story. He held a fork in
one hand, and touched my knee with the other. I noticed the end of
the table had an extra, empty place setting.

I leaned into Jared’s ear. “Is Lillian
expecting someone else?”

Jared looked down to the plate, and
then shrugged. “Er...Mom? Is someone else coming to
dinner?”

Lillian’s eyes brightened. “Yes. I
didn’t have much notice, so I extended the invitation a bit
late.”

The doorbell rang, and everyone at the
table traded glances. Lillian patted her mouth quickly with the
napkin and then pushed her chair away from the table.

The familiar sound of clicking heels
echoed through the entry, down the hall, and into the dining
room.

“
Oh, Nina, dear!” Cynthia
said, her arms outstretched.

I stood, a bit startled when she took
me into her arms. “Hello, Mother.”

Cynthia relaxed her grip and held me
at arm’s length. “I heard what happened. I trust you’re all right?”
I nodded and she continued, “And the baby?” I nodded again, and she
pulled me against her once more. “That’s very good news. Good news,
indeed.”

It felt a bit strange to have her at
our dinner table, listening to the chaos and wreckage Claire and
Bex described. She didn’t seem affected, however.

After Bex served dessert, I realized
it would be our last time for several months to see Lillian, and
Cynthia, and that we were all trying very hard to pretend it
wasn’t. The Ryels were a practiced family at this sort of thing,
but I struggled to keep the sadness away. I caught Cynthia more
than once glancing in my direction. I wasn’t sure if it was my
belly that held her curiosity or the fact that she wanted to
memorize my face in case we never saw each other again.

After a proper amount of post-dinner
socializing, Cynthia excused herself, citing a previous engagement.
I walked her outside, and watched with a smile as Robert got out of
the car and opened the back door for Cynthia.

Cynthia looked down at her expensive
shoes, and then laughed once. “I could’ve been a better mother,
Nina, dear.”

Her words caught me off guard. I
wasn’t sure how to reply, but even if I had been, she didn’t give
me the chance.

“
It’s always been hard for
me. I was never what one might call a natural-born mother. These
instincts that people talk about...well, I never had them. Your
father was always so good at hugs and kisses. I suppose I envied
him for that.” She dabbed her nose with a tissue, and then looked
up at me. “I do love you. If you’ve ever questioned that, please
accept my sincerest apology.”

I grabbed her hand and offered a
smile. I could feel my eyes threatening to tear. “I love you, too.
I’ll see you soon.”

Cynthia took me in her arms, and
beyond her thin shoulder and the porch light, I saw Robert’s
shocked expression. She let me go, and without looking back, she
left, her heels clicking against the pavement until she disappeared
into the car.

I wasn’t ready to meet the curious
stares of the others. I walked around to the back of the house, and
leaned against a beam of the back porch. Murmuring caught my
attention, and I saw Ryan and Claire sitting on the porch swing,
looking up at the sky.

She was giggling, and he nonchalantly
rested his arm on the back of the swing behind her. She didn’t lean
away, and I smiled at the scene.

“
I had fun today,” Ryan
said, watching for Claire’s reaction.

“
I couldn’t tell.” She
rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide her smile.

“
My favorite part was when
we traded places in the car.”

“
I bet it was.”

They exchanged stories about the
battle with the shells, and laughed as they teased each other.
Every time Claire was in Ryan’s line of sight, his eyes lit up, and
his grin was so innocent and animated, it was
infectious.

Ryan pushed back against the swing,
and again they sat quietly, with just a few residual giggles
interrupting the still night. Claire held her feet out in front,
her tan legs a perfect accessory to her cut off jean shorts and
casual pink tank top. The black combat boots just made her outfit
more ‘Claire’.

Ryan rubbed the back of his head,
trying to seem casual. “I gotta tell ya. I’m a little nervous about
the trip.”

Claire turned to him, squaring her
shoulders. “Are you scared, little girl?”

Ryan huffed, playing off her taunt.
“Scared. Psh. I can handle it. I’m nervous about how it’s going to
turn out. What if something bad happens?”

Claire’s playful smile melted, and she
faced forward. “It won’t.”

“
But, what if it
does?”

“
Then I’ll fix it. I
always do.”

“
What if something happens
and you can’t fix it?”

“
I don’t know,” she said.
“That’s only happened once.”

Ryan squared his shoulders, facing her
completely. “You mean your dad?”

She only nodded.

“
Have you ever been up
against something like this?”

Claire paused for a long time. I
wished that I could see her expression. I wasn’t sure if she was
annoyed at his line of questioning, or she was afraid of the
answer.

“
Hey,” Ryan said. When
Claire ignored him, he tapped her shoulder. “Hey.” She looked at
him, then. “I’ll be right behind you. And I don’t mean that you
can’t take care of yourself, because we all know you can. I just
mean if something happens, I’m not going anywhere. Whatever you
need.”

Claire took a breath. “I just assumed
you already knew, but now I realize you don’t. Jared is the last
line of defense, so if we lose them, we won’t know it. Do you
understand?”

After a pause, Ryan nodded.

Claire continued, “The baby she is
carrying is the most important thing. We have to protect it until
we can’t.”

“
The baby is important,”
Ryan agreed. “But you are the most important thing to
me.”

Claire watched him, and then her eyes
fell to his lips. Ryan’s eyes turned soft, and then he leaned
in.

Watching them suddenly felt wrong. I
turned, trying to find the best way to escape. The way I came
seemed to be the best exit, and I took a step back.

Claire smiled. “You’ve watched this
long, you might as well stay and watch it play out.”

“
I’m...I’m sorry,” I said.
My face instantly flushed.

Jared appeared at the back door,
holding it wide open. “Everything okay?”

Ryan laughed and shook his head. “It
was.”

“
Oh,” Jared said with an
awkward look. He and I traded glances, and then he retreated into
the house.

Claire giggled, and then punched Ryan
in the thigh.

“
Ow!”

“
Wait up!” she said,
following me to the front yard. She was at my side in less than a
second, and hooked her elbow around mine. “I meant what I said you
know.”

“
Which part?”

Claire stopped, her face
fell, and she lowered her chin so I could see directly into her
eyes. “I don’t know how all this will play out. Knowing Jared, he
has a plan B, C,
and
D, but if something goes wrong, we’ll just figure something
else out. The only other option isn’t an option.” I shook my head,
and Claire pulled me into her chest with a tight squeeze. “Piece of
cake.”

Jared stood at the Escalade with keys
in hand. “We should get going. We still have to stop by the
warehouse.”

I nodded, and then waved to Claire.
Ryan walked up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. It
was so natural to see them standing next to each other, I couldn’t
remember what it was like when Ryan didn’t know the Ryel secret,
and he and Claire didn’t spend every waking moment
together.

“
See you on the plane,”
Ryan said with a contrived smile.

I paused. “I’d understand if you
didn’t want to go.”

Ryan shook his head. “I’m a marine,
Nigh. I live for this shit.”

Jared tugged on my hand. When we
reached the Escalade, he sighed.

“
You’re worried for
them.”

“
No,” he said, starting
the engine. “I’m worried for us, and what we’ll have to put up with
when they don’t have an impending war to keep them
entertained.”

Chapter
Fifteen

Questioned

Jared drove across town, and then took
the highway that would lead us to the warehouse. Once we exited the
highway and hit a dirt road, I knew we were close. The night sky
was clear, and every star in the universe seemed to be present to
watch over us. No wind, not even the sound of crickets or cicadas
played for us as we parked and walked down the gravel drive. Jared
unlocked the large, rusted lock of the gate, and then I followed
him to the side door. Jared pushed the button, and then
waited.

Accustomed to waiting ten or twenty
minutes, I settled in, but the door immediately clicked, and Jared
pulled me inside.

“
Now, that’s service,” I
said, smiling.

Jared smiled back. “He’s expecting
us.”

“
Isn’t he
always?”

The full moon let in the only light,
casting large shadows across the vast cement floor. My sandals
scraped against the dirt, and echoed throughout the building. Jared
walked across the room, stopping in the middle.