To Claim Her (9 page)

“I requested that I be allowed to tell you when you returned.   In person.” 

Mark’s lips thinned as he stared at her.  “Only I never came back.” 

She shook her head and gathered up ingredients to put them away.  “Your dad usually went to see you in whichever city you were stationed or vacationing in at first.  Then he got sick, and you were deployed.  Then it was just a matter of months until you were returning.”   

She had often wondered if he avoided Shreveport because she was there.  It made her feel guilty that Sebastian was missing his son.  Giving him access to his grandchild seemed the right thing to do. 

She swiped at the counter paying particular attention to a contrary drop of pancake batter because his stern expression made her want to squirm like a bad school girl.  If only she had made time to tell him before he saw Eddie’s picture, maybe he wouldn’t see her as such an enemy.   “I was going to tell you soon.”

“Soon?  I’m supposed to believe that after this long?”  He stood and braced his hands, clenched and white, on the table and leaned toward her.  “I don’t know if that’s true or not, Gretchen, but it doesn’t matter now.  I’m back.  I’m going to have my son, and he’s going to know the absence was all you.”   He stabbed the air in front of her with an angry finger.

Surely he couldn’t mean that.  Have his son, as in take him away from her?  Gretchen swiped her tongue across dry lips feeling on the verge of tears.  She hated being the target of his anger, but she also understood it.  She couldn’t imagine her life without Eddie.  He wasn’t a prize to be won, though.  “Eddie knows that his dad was away in the military and would have seen him if he could.” 

He blinked a few times before looking at his father.  “I don’t understand your part in this.”

Sebastian rose from his chair and adjusted his cane.  “I wanted to spend time with my grandson and make a relationship as soon as I knew about him.  I agreed to wait until you could be told in person because I thought you would be coming home soon.  Time got away from me, and you have to believe me when I tell you it makes me sorry for the time you didn’t know about him.  Either way though, the time you would have spent with him wasn’t changed either way.”  He studied his son for a moment.  “I didn’t want to give you anything here to worry about when you were deployed.”  

Gretchen knew it was one of Sebastian’s greatest fears when Mark was told about the stroke – that Mark would be worried about his dad rather than focused on staying alive. 

“You were looking out for me.”  It wasn’t a question.  He seemed to be processing what his father said.

“You and Eddie.  If you didn’t come back, it would have only made it that much harder on the boy.”

Gretchen rolled her neck and waited for Mark to direct his anger her way once again. 

Instead, he looked through the kitchen window toward the tire swing hanging from a tree.   He seemed to study it closely, and Gretchen wondered if he had noticed it before.   It was one of Eddie’s favorite places to play.

She wanted to move closer, soothe him with a touch, but she hesitated.  She had a feeling the war had begun.  She needed to protect her son from heartbreak.  If she knew anything after five years, it was that Mark didn’t sit for long, and Shreveport hadn’t been enough to hold him in the past.  

Gretchen caught him as he moved for the back door, grabbing his keys from the hook.  “I won’t be long at the office, Mark.  Maybe twenty minutes to set up my computer.  I can work from home once I set up the connection.  That will keep you from making multiple trips while I am without my car.”

He paused but didn’t turn.  “I’ll wait outside.” 

The door closed with a quiet click. 

“It’s going to take some time, cher.  You have to respect that.  He’ll come around, especially when he sees Edward.  No way around it, he just has to go through it.”

She blew out a breath.  “I know.  I just hope he doesn’t hurt him.”

Chapter Six

The ride to the clinic was tense and Gretchen knew she should break the silence.  The longer it went, the worse it would get.  She should be an expert after the years of watching and trying to referee her parents’ arguments. 

              “Laura will bring Eddie out tonight when they get back to town.  I’d like you to let me talk to him first.”

              “No.”  His loud retort made her jump.  He glared at her for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road.  “You’ve had four years with him to tell him whatever you wanted.  That’s over.”

              She gritted her teeth.  “Don’t be unreasonable.  It will go more smoothly if you let me talk to him first.”

              “Gretchen.”  His bark echoed across the cab of the truck.  “Stop trying to control things.  There’s something you need to understand.   We are not doing things your way.  I’m going to handle this and you can deal with it.  I came back for you.  Now I am back for you and my son.  Things will work out.  Eventually.”

              His words sent a shiver up her spine.  Gretchen knew he was angry and had a feeling she would pay handsomely for her silence before he was back to normal.

              When they pulled into the parking lot, she pointed toward the building.  “You can drop me off anywhere up there.”

              He ignored her, pulling into a parking spot and sliding the gear shift into park.  He turned in his seat to stare at her. 
              “Why are you planning to work from home?”

              “I told you.  It will be more convenient since I don’t have my car.”

              He pressed his lips together before nodding.  “The mechanic called this morning and said it would be a few days for repairs.”

              Gretchen swallowed down her anxiety.  “Is it an expensive issue?”

              “Not really.  Just a part he doesn’t have.”

              Her eyebrow popped skyward.  “In all of Shreveport?”  Was he kidding?”

              He squinted and dipped his head.  “Crazy isn’t it?”

              She laughed uneasily.  “Incredibly.”

              “You can work here.  No need to cut off yourself              off from everyone.  I’ll chauffeur.  It’ll give me a chance to learn the ropes with Eddie.”
              She glanced at him quickly before looking away.  “I think I’d be better off just setting up the connection and working from upstairs at Sebastian’s house.  It’s all computerized, and I can do it as easily from there as at my desk there in the office.  For a while anyway.”

He studied her face for a moment, and her eyes skittered away. 

“It’s no big deal.  I’ve done it several times when I needed to catch up after busy weeks.”

“There are some things I want to do in town.  Check in with a few friends, run errands.”

She smiled back at him, but she knew it wasn’t all that convincing.   His cold shoulder had been glaringly obvious today and felt like a slap after their hot night together.  She wondered if he was checking in with old girlfriends and felt angry with herself for caring as she opened the door and slipped out.  “I won’t be any trouble.” Unless he was visiting women.  Then she was going to be as much trouble as she could muster. 

“I think this is a hasty decision.  Just for today?”  Nora loomed over her in the small exam room. 

Gretchen unbuttoned her shirt and slid it backwards to drape off her back while clutching it to her chest.  “I’ve done it before.  It’s not breaking any laws.”   Client privacy was of utmost importance to the clinic.

The usually kind nurse practitioner removed the first bandage, tugging a little harder than necessary.  Gretchen winced.  “Of course not.  The connection is secure.  I just don’t understand why you need to.”

“It will be easier on Mark if he doesn’t have to bring me back and forth multiple times a day.”  She sucked in a breath as Nora dabbed antiseptic over the gouges. 

“I want to make sure you’re not trying to withdraw.  You certainly don’t need to start depending on Mark.  He’s completely…”

Gretchen sucked in a breath and flinched from Nora’s dabbing. 

“He just isn’t right for you.”  She taped gauze in place.  “You know you’re welcome to come to my house.”

“I know but I need to be on hand for Sebastian.  This is the most logical solution.  It’s just for a few days.  Just until my car is fixed.” 

Nora nodded as Gretchen pulled her shirt back in place.  “I’ll probably check in on you.  Make sure things are still okay.”

“Sure.”  She headed for her computer to turn on the remote client and lock the workstation so no one could interfere with the filing process.  She would use Sebastian’s internet connection and remote in to the software to complete the necessary steps, filing with insurance companies.  She glanced around the office, and her attention snagged on a woodsy looking man in the waiting room who watched her work.   Her fingers stilled on the keyboard. 

He glanced away when she caught his eye.  A tiny shiver went up her spine.  Something was familiar although she was sure she’d never seen him before.  There was something about him that made her heart race and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.  She finished tapping away the commands and turned off her monitor. 

Her phone buzzed. 

Mark:
 
I’m out back.  No hurry.

Mark had said he’d be returning in about twenty minutes.  He’d beat that.  She was glad to pick up the documents she needed and slip quietly out the door. 

She found him leaning against the brick, arms crossed over his big chest, watching the passersby on the warm afternoon. 

“All ready?”

She nodded. 

“Something happen?”  He dropped his arms and stepped closer.  Possessive.  Dominant.

“Just a funny feeling.  Familiar.”  She glanced around the exterior.  People came and went but no one seemed to pay particular attention to them. 

“See someone?”

She shook her head.  “No one unusual.  I don’t remember a face, so how would I even know.”  She shrugged, and he nodded. 

“Let’s get you home.”

Gretchen tried to ward off the feeling of overwhelming relief when Mark opened the door and she followed him into the Broussard home.  She should be fighting to stand on her own two feet, but after fighting shadows and the darkness of the kidnapping, she was more than content to settle into their kitchen and work while Sebastian napped in the living room.  Mark piddled in the shop and returned by midafternoon.

She worked on her plan for dinner.  She always had a plan, after all, because life was complicated enough without one.   Mark certainly hadn’t been in her plans though.  She hadn’t planned on the interruption, unexpected and so charming when she was a teenager.  She also hadn’t ever expected him to return.  Once he’d made his way into the world, his returning to Louisiana seemed one in a million.  Of course his dad was here.  But even Sebastian had expected that he’d stay away.  She hadn’t counted on having to exist in the same plane with him again.  No one knew her so intimately, knew her weaknesses like he did.  She’d made herself over since Mark left, tried to be stronger, but he knew what a softie she was.

She laid thick cut pork chops on a platter and added spices.  She washed several baking potatoes and prepped the vegetables for a salad. 

“Grilling these?”

Mark had returned to the kitchen looking damp and sexy in a pair of comfortable jeans and a white button down shirt, hanging untucked and open.  His hand hovered over the platter of chops.

Gretchen licked her dry lips and blinked at the image.  Her thoughts skittered from the memories of the past to his appetizing appearance.  His skin was smooth, tan, and sexy, stretched across broad shoulders and muscular abs, she was suddenly filled with wanting.

Her expression must have shown her train of thought because his questioning gaze turned to pure male satisfaction.  He slid his hand around her waist and pulled her close.  His lips smoothed up her neck, and she felt heat flash across her skin as his breath trailed along the sensitive flesh.

“What was it?”

She bumped at his back with her wrist holding her hands at awkward angles so she didn’t get food on his shirt.  “I don’t understand.” 

“What’s wrong?”
              “I don’t know what you’re doing.  And I have sauce on my hands.”

“Mmmm.”  He growled against her neck before dropping both hands onto her ass. 

She felt his tongue tease her throat and tried to wiggle free.  He was sexy and heavy and hard.  She wanted to sink into his grasp.  She needed to break free.  “Stop now, Mark.”

“Not til you tell me what did it.”
              She gave an aggravated cry.  “Did what?”

He squeezed her backside and tucked her close to his hips where she felt his erection waiting.  “Got you hot.  Something put a spark in your eye.  I need to know what it is.  Might want to do it again later.”  She felt his smile against the skin of her neck.

She swallowed.  “I don’t know.”

“Wasn’t the cooking or the food. Must have been me.  You still want me.” 

She might want him, but she didn’t like the cocky way he said it.  “Hate you.”

He sighed.  “Don’t believe you.  But I’ll let you go for now.  Know why?”

He backed away, releasing her as quickly as he had started the shenanigans.  “No.”  Her response was a bit of a whisper.

“Because I’m starving.”  He grabbed the platter and went for the back door.  He gave her a grin as he stepped through the patio doors. 

If she had more experience, she might know what to do in response.  Some way to wipe that smirk off his face.  It was just him, nothing special he’d done.  But he didn’t need to know that.  She wiped her hands on a towel and took a drink of her wine.   She needed to take the edge off the whiplash she was getting from his mixed signals.

“I think I’ll have some of that.”  Sebastian shuffled in and nodded to her glass.  She didn’t usually imbibe but since she was staying overnight, she wouldn’t have to drive.  She could drink a glass or two with her dinner without worry about interfering with driving home.  A glass wouldn’t hurt Sebastian either.