Military Daddy (12 page)

“It looks like you're in your nineteenth week of pregnancy, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“All right then, let's get started.”

The exam itself didn't take long. After answering a bar rage of questions, most of which she had already answered on paper, Annie was allowed to dress and waited as the doctor finished writing on the chart. She waited nervously for him to speak. Finally she asked, “Is everything okay?”

“As far as I can tell, it is, but I'd still like to get that sonogram just to make sure. Be sure to make that appointment next week and come in for a follow-up.”

A stab of anxiety shot through Annie. “But I thought I wouldn't need to see you again for another month.”

“I'd like to get the baseline sonogram and do some more lab work. Swelling in your feet this early concerns me a little, but your blood pressure is normal, so I'm not going to get excited about it. Limit your salt intake and put your feet up whenever you get the chance. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. I'll see you in two weeks.”

The doctor left the room and Annie stepped down from her seat on the exam table. Pressing a hand to her tummy, she tried to calm her apprehension. Dr. Merrick was taking precautions—that was all. The baby was fine. The sonogram would only confirm that.

She wished Shane were beside her instead of in the other room. She needed his arms around her and his voice telling her everything would be okay. In the next second, she decided not to tell him. She could worry enough for both of them.

Closing her eyes, Annie breathed a heartfelt prayer.
Please, Lord, don't let anything be wrong with my baby.

T
hirty miles outside of Maddox, Kansas, Shane gazed forward between his mount's ears down the empty two-lane highway stretching away in the distance. The late-morning sun beat down on his shoulders, but he barely noticed. His mind was miles away—with Annie. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

It had only been two days, but it felt like weeks. If he missed her smile and her tart tongue this much after only forty-eight hours, what would it be like to be away from her for two years? The thought was depressing.

The creak of saddle leather, the sighing of the wind past his ears and the
clip-clop
of the horses' hooves were the only sounds. Until Avery opened his mouth again.

“I can't believe it. I can't believe you loaned your car to a woman. Are you nuts? What if she wrecks it? I don't know why you won't sell it to me. I've offered you more than it's worth several times.”

Glancing over at his buddy riding beside him, Shane said, “Can we talk about something else?”

“Like what? The weather? It's hot.” Avery pushed his cap back on his head. “It was hot an hour ago and it's still hot.” Raising a hand to shade his eyes, Avery scanned the countryside. “Maybe you want to talk about the scenery. I see flat. It was flat an hour ago and it's still flat. If you look to your right, you will see miles of grass, but if you look quickly to your left, you will see—yes, that's right—miles of grass. How long is this ride going to be again?”

“One hundred miles.”

“I was hoping I dreamed that part. One hundred miles divided by twenty-five miles a day. Are we really going to spend four days in the saddle?”

“It's not like we haven't been preparing for this.” In fact, during the past month the unit had been riding all over the post and surrounding areas for up to six hours each day, conditioning both the men and the horses for this Memorial Day weekend event.

Eight men and their mounts moved along the verge of the road under a cloudless blue sky. Orange reflective vests worn for safety and the support vehicle following behind them were the only concessions the unit made to modern times. All the rest of the equipment was what any cavalry detachment in the 1860s would have carried.

Hoping to distract Avery from his sour mood, Shane asked, “Are you going to Lindsey and Brian's wedding next weekend?”

“I guess. What about you?”

“Yup, I told her I'd be there.”

“Are you taking anyone?”

Frowning, Shane said, “I hadn't thought about it. Are you?”

“Certainly.”

“Who?”

“There is a long line of women who would be delighted to spend the day with me. I just have to pick one.”

Shaking his head, Shane said, “I don't think I've ever met someone who is so conceited with so little reason to be that way.”

“Are you kidding? I'm a matrimonial prize of the first magnitude. All I have to do is mention that my grandfather is worth a fortune and women flock to me. They just don't need to know that I'm opposed to wedlock on a very visceral level.”

The same wasn't true for Shane. Not since he'd met Annie. She had changed everything. The idea of spending his life with her had a deep appeal that settled into his chest and wouldn't be dislodged.

“What?” Avery demanded.

Drawn back to the conversation at hand, Shane said, “It doesn't seem right to string them along that way.”

“I'm as sincere in my affection as they are—which is to say, only as deep as their pocketbooks.”

Shane shook his head in disbelief at his friend's attitude. “You take the cake.”

“Speaking of cake, I'm hungry.”

“You'll get fed at the next town.”

Rising in his stirrups, Avery shaded his eyes to look down the road. “There's nothing in sight yet.”

“It gives a guy pause, doesn't it? Knowing that men like us rode this route as much as twice a week, escorting settlers westward, only a hundred and fifty years ago.”

“The amazing part is that anyone stopped to settle in this place. They must have had a tree phobia.”

A hundred yards ahead a white pickup rolled up to the highway and stopped beside a lone mailbox decorated with red, white and blue steamers. An elderly woman in a light blue skirt and a blue-and-white-flowered blouse got out of the truck and walked to the edge of the road. A man in a tan cowboy hat, red Western shirt and faded jeans joined her. She handed him a small American flag, then raised the one she held and waved it in the air.

Avery pulled his cap into place. Shane sat forward. All along the column riders straightened in their saddles. Even the horses lifted their heads and stepped higher.

“God bless you boys,” she called out. “You make us proud.”

At the front of the line Captain Watson turned aside and reined in. He touched the brim of his hat. “Thank you, ma'am.”

Grinning, she stepped closer. “Our grandson is serving in the Middle East. He was so excited when I told him you'd be riding past our place. Would you mind if I took a picture?”

“I'd be delighted.” Looking over his shoulder, he gave the order to halt. She pulled a camera from her white handbag and quickly snapped a half dozen shots.

Walking up, her husband took her arm. “That's enough, Lucy. They've got a long way to go.”

She gave him an embarrassed smile. “Of course. Thank you for indulging a silly old woman, Captain.”

“It was my honor.”

“My husband's grandfather came west with the cavalry in 1857 and settled here afterward. I think it's so special that the Army is recreating this part of our history after a century and a half.”

Her husband nodded in agreement. “It's been the talk of the town for weeks now. Even some of the high school kids have been asking questions about what it was like in the old days.”

“He's been telling and retelling his granddad's yarns to anyone who will listen.”

“They're true stories, woman. Folks enjoy 'em.”

“Almost as much as you enjoy yammering on. Captain, you and your men hurry along into Windom,” Lucy said. “The ladies from our church are fixing lunch for all of you. You'll find fried chicken and homemade peach, cherry and pecan pies.”

As the column began moving again, Avery leaned toward Shane. “This ride may have some highlights after all.”

“Yeah, talking to people like that makes me proud of what we're doing.” Would Annie be proud of him if she could see him now?

“I was thinking more about the food. I love pecan pie. And speaking of nuts—I can't believe you loaned your car to some woman. You must be in love.”

 

Annie pulled the living room curtain aside and checked the street for the umpteenth time. Shane was due back today. It was ridiculous the way excitement zipped through her veins at the thought.

“This is silly.” Dropping the folds of fabric, she crossed the room and picked up the remote. Aiming it at the television, she turned the set on. Forty channels later, she snapped it off again. Nothing held her interest. She glanced at the window and willed herself not to walk back there.

He had only been gone four days, but it seemed so much longer. Surely he would come by this evening to collect his car. Laying the remote down, she walked to the front door but stopped with one hand on the knob.

“This is absurd. Why am I a basket case?”

“Beats me,” Crystal said, coming up behind her.

Feeling sheepish at being discovered talking to herself, Annie moved aside as Crystal pulled open the door. A tan sedan with gray primer on the right front fender pulled up to the curb behind Annie's blue hatchback. Shane's Mustang still sat in the driveway. Willie, dressed in a grimy white T-shirt with the sleeves cut out and baggy black pants, got out of the passenger side but stood at the curb without approaching the house.

Annie looked at Crystal in concern. “Are you going out again?”

“For a little while. Are you my mother now?”

Hurt by Crystal's sarcasm, Annie said, “I didn't mean to sound disapproving.”

“You're just mad because Willie kept your car two days longer than he said he would. He explained that—he had to stay an extra day for a second job interview.”

“He could have called to let us know. He's lucky I didn't report the car as stolen.”

“Whatever. I'll see you later.”

Annie reached out and took hold of her friend's arm, stopping her from leaving. “Crystal, I'm worried about you. You've been going out every night. You missed the last two AA meetings.”

“So what? Do you think I'm drinking again? I'm not, so take a chill pill.”

“I only want to help,” Annie said softly.

Crystal's defiant attitude deflated. “I know. Don't worry. Willie is taking good care of me. He loves me. He's just going through a rough patch right now. His friend is driving us out to the lake for a couple of hours. Where's the harm in that? Trust me, okay?”

“I do. I just know how easy it is to get into a bad situation. Look at me. I'm the poster child for mistakes.”

At the street, a military jeep pulled in behind the sedan. Shane stepped out of the passenger side. Bending down, he gave a brief wave to the driver. As the jeep pulled away, he straightened and began walking toward the house. Wearing jeans and the CGMCG's regulation red T-shirt that emphasized his muscular chest and flat abdomen, he looked wonderfully handsome. Annie's heart bounded into double-time.

As Shane walked past Willie, it was hard not to compare the two men. Shane's clean-cut, all-American physique contrasted sharply with Willie's slovenly dress and attitude.

Crystal's chin came up. “Your problem, Annie, is you can't stand to see people happy. You don't believe in love so you don't think anyone else should. Open your eyes. Grab a little joy before life passes you by. Happiness takes courage, too, you know.”

Jerking her arm away, Crystal dashed down the walk and into Willie's embrace. After kissing him, she glanced back at Annie, then got in the car.

Pressing a hand to her throat, Annie watched them drive off. Something wasn't right with Crystal. As Shane came up to the bottom of the steps, his warm smile chased her worry about her friend from her mind. She said, “Welcome back.”

“Thanks. Did you miss me?”

Oh, she had, but she wasn't about to admit it. “I certainly didn't miss the sound of your hammer on the roof.”

“Will you miss the rain dripping in?”

“No, I won't miss that.”

“Did you have any trouble with my car?”

“No. After Marge's quick refresher course on driving a manual transmission, I was able to manage.”

“I'm glad.”

“Thanks for letting me borrow your pride and joy. I know it must have been hard to leave it with me.”

“You needed it more than I did.”

She gestured toward the house. “Do you have time to come in? I just made a pitcher of lemonade, and Marge made some sugar cookies yesterday.”

“That sounds great.” The eagerness of his acceptance made her smile.

Happiness had been a rare thing in her life. She almost didn't recognize the emotion as it welled up inside her. Crystal was wrong. Annie wanted others to be happy—only she didn't expect it for herself. She hadn't done anything to deserve it. Feeling it now scared her witless.

Take a deep breath. Get a grip.
It was good advice but hard to put into practice with Shane standing so close beside her. She took a step back. “How was your trip?”

“It was good. We met some wonderful people and I think we did some good PR for the Army.”

He followed her into the house and into the kitchen. He took a seat at the table, still talking about the reception the unit had received at various towns along their route. Annie pulled the lemonade pitcher from the refrigerator and filled two tall tumblers, glad of the chance it gave her to compose herself. By the time she placed one glass in front of Shane and set the platter of golden cookies sprinkled with red, white and blue sugar crystals on the table, she had herself well in hand.

“How have you been feeling?” Shane asked, then took a sip of his drink.

“A little tired and fat but otherwise good.”

“You don't look fat at all. In fact, you look glowing.”

“Thank you. Nice comeback. Who's been instructing you on how to talk to a pregnant woman?”

He managed to look sheepish and sweet at the same time. “I've been doing some reading.”

Pleased beyond words that he cared enough to learn about the changes she was going through, Annie grinned and let the happiness seep back into her heart. He was a good man. She was doing the right thing by allowing him to be involved with the baby.