Monday's Child (17 page)

“Sara, my name is Luke.”

Sara winked. “OK…It’s time to go, Leftenant Luke.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Guess I asked for that one.”

Her heart leapt within her. He still wanted her to call him Luke, and now she was free, she could do so. “Yeah, you did, Luke.”

Luke’s smile made her heart leap even more. “I’ll get your coat.”

Sara smiled. “Thank you.” She paused and tried his name out again. “Luke.”

She followed him into the hall, put on her jacket, and grabbed her bag. She let him lead her to the car, and she got in and did up her belt, rolling her eyes as Luke’s phone rang. She was anxious not to be late, but wanted to know if it was about her. “Don’t be long.”

Luke put the keys in the ignition and started to shut the door. He shook his head and pulled the phone out of his pocket. “I’ll talk and drive at the same time.”

“Luke, you can’t. That’s illegal in this country.”

“All right, I’m still taking it.”

“Fine, take it.” Sara pulled her hat down further and tightened her scarf. “If we’re late, and I miss the appointment, I’ll have to remake it. I won’t get one until after Christmas.”

****

Luke answered the call. “Nemec.”

“Good morning, Lieutenant, it’s DCI Shepherds. I thought I’d let ye know the officer responsible for the leak in Norfolk has been traced and brought in. He’s no’ talking, but if he does, we’ll let ye know.”

“Thank you.”

“It sounds as if yer outside.”

“We’re about to leave for the hospital. Sara can’t miss this appointment.”

“Extra back up will be waiting there for ye. What time is she seeing the doctor?”

“Ten-forty-five. We’re cutting it close as it is.”

“Take a different route there and back.”

“Yes, sir.” He raised a hand in greeting as Antonia, bundled up against the cold, came over, and started chatting to Sara. He’d never known a neighbor who liked talking so much. She had called around almost every other day to see if Sara wanted coffee or a chat or both. Antonia could be just being neighborly, but he couldn’t take the chance. He was fast running out of excuses. Dark gray clouds hung overhead. Finishing the call, Luke put the phone away. “Good morning, Antonia.”

She looked at him for a second. “Morning, Luke.” She turned back to Sara. “It should be a really good evening. Last year’s party was a blast. Hopefully now yer better, ye’ll be able tae come.”

Sara smiled. “We’ll be there with bells on.”

Antonia laughed. “Christmas bells, I hope.”

Sara laughed. “Of course.”

“Good. Right, I’d best get on before the storm hits. Ye take care now. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Luke started the engine.

Sara pushed back into the seat. “Who was on the phone?”

Luke pulled off the drive. “DCI Shepherds. They plugged the leak in Winterton.”

“Not before time.”

“Yeah. What did Antonia want?”

“She asked if I was over the nasty bout of the flu. She’s invited us to her Christmas party. She’ll let us know the time later. I already said we’d go.”

“A party?” Luke rolled his eyes and concentrated on the driving.

“No, a
Christmas
party. It’s different.”

“How so?”

“The music for one thing. Ugh, look at the traffic.” She flipped down the mirror. “We’re being followed.”

Luke checked his mirror. “That car sits in front of the house and has been there since we moved in. It follows us everywhere.” He glanced at her. “You didn’t notice it before?”

Sara shook her head. “But then I’m not paid to notice things. You are.”

Luke grinned and pulled into a parking space near the hospital entrance. “Paid to notice things and be cried all over, huh?”

Sara laughed. “Yep, got it in one.”

He turned off the engine. He liked this Sara, much more than the sulky one of the first week or two. He got out, checking the area before opening Sara’s door for her. She got out of the car, smiling. “Thank you, Luke.”

Luke’s heart leapt at her smile and the way his name sounded falling from her lips. He shut and locked the car and checked the area once more. He noted the two people by the entrance, knowing they were undercover officers, without recognizing them.

As he surveyed the parking lot, Luke saw Dave’s car pull in and park. He led Sara over. “Hey, Dave.”

“Hey, Luke, Sara.”

Sara smiled at him. “Are you coming back to our place?”

Dave shook his head. “No’ this morning. I’ve got a bunch of paperwork with my name on it and a meeting at twelve.”

“Oh, fun. Dinner tonight, then?”

“Sure. I’ll bring Carole and takeout.”

Luke smiled. “That sounds good.”

Sara snorted.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“That had better be the takeout and not Carole you’re referring to.”

“Not jealous, are you?” he teased.

“Pleads the fifth...oh no, wait, I can’t. We don’t have a constitution.”

Luke grinned at her. “Come on, we don’t want to be late, do we?”

****

Despite being on time, they had to wait for over an hour. Sara grinned at Luke. “Should’ve taken bets on this, too. I could have got out of cooking for another three weeks.”

Luke winked, despite his obvious anxiety about hanging around for too long. “Good thing you like my cooking.”

“At least I’m out of the house. I hate being cooped up all the time. I can’t settle for a piece of sky. I want to see something different. Like the beach. Please, can we go home that way? Vary the route, that’s what the cops on TV do.”

“What is it with you and beaches? Was beach your first word by any chance?”

“You know, I think it might have been.”

“Mrs. Nemec.”

Sara got up and followed the nurse, Luke walking with her into the doctor’s office. Sara was terrified and hoped it didn’t show. She set her hands in her lap, twisting Luke’s ring on her finger.

Luke slipped his hand over hers and squeezed it. Sara glanced up at him.
He knows how scared I am. The question is, is he just acting or is that really a hint of concern I see in his eyes?

She turned her attention to Dr. Anderson as he smiled at her. “It’s good news, Mrs. Nemec. Yer leg has healed completely.”

“Completely? So I can lose the splint?”

“Aye, ye can lose the splint.”

Sara’s smile turned into a grin. “Good.”

Luke hugged her tightly. “That’s great, hon.”

Sara hugged him back. “It means you no longer have to carry me up and down the stairs.”

“Unless you want me to.” He winked at her.

Sara turned back to the doctor as he spoke again. “Ye’ll need tae take it easy for a few days. No marathons or dancing at parties.”

“Don’t worry about that, Doc,” Luke said.

Sara shot him a quick glance. “No, there’s no chance of that because my husband won’t let me.”

****

Back in the car, Sara stretched out her leg, taking delight in extending her toes and wriggling them. A waft of aftershave filled the car as Luke sat in the driver’s seat. Her stomach flipped at his nearness.

She peeked at the figure next to her, his strong profile outlined against the winter sunlight. “Luke, please can we go and see the beach? I promise I will stay in the car. We’ve been here weeks, and I haven’t seen it properly yet. And it is a different way back. Pretty please with sugar and cherries on the top.”

Luke sighed. “You don’t give up, do you? You’re like a dog with a bone.”

“Woof.” Sara panted slightly and made puppy-dog-eyes at him.

Laughing, he shook his head at her. “Down, girl. All right, varying the route.”

He started the car and drove out of the hospital parking lot, the journey made difficult by the low sunlight which was bright against the dark black clouds.

As they parked at Tannoch Point Beach, the heavens opened, and the rain poured down. Sara opened her bag and pulled out her camera. She opened the car door only to find a hand close over her arm.

“Where do you think you are going, Sara?”

“Take some photos.”

“Oh, no, you don’t. You’ll get soaked.”

“But look at it.”

“Rain, lots of rain.”

“No, silly. Over there.” She pointed.

Luke peered out of the windscreen. “It’s a rainbow.”

“No, it’s a
rainbow
. It’s beautiful, with the white horses on the waves, the black clouds and the lighthouse. I have to shoot it now; it’ll make a fantastic oil painting.”

“Stay in the car. You promised. Give me the camera.”

Sara pointed to the silver button on the top. “Just point and press. Take several.”

Luke raised his eyes at the downpour and grimaced. “The things I do.”

He pulled his collar up.

Sara pulled off her woolly hat and offered it to him. “Here.”

“I’m not wearing that.”

She smiled at his indignant response, thrusting the hat into his hands. “Pink suits you. Besides, no one will see it, and it’ll keep the worst of the rain off. Go on. Quick, before it fades.”

Luke tugged the hat on and got out of the car. Sara watched as he stood in the rain and took photo after photo of the rainbow, the sky and the beach.

He turned slowly, taking pictures of the shoreline, including the lighthouse and the fishermen’s cottages. He took one last photo before getting back in the car, absolutely soaked.

Sara took the camera and put it away. “Ta. You look like a drowned rat.”

“I feel like a drowned rat.”

“Did you see the bloke walking the dog?”

“No, I was too busy getting rained on.” Luke pulled off the hat and ran his fingers through his wet hair. “I wasn’t the only idiot out there, then.”

“You’re not an idiot. He was kind of familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Hard to tell with the way his hood hid his face.”

“All you Brits look alike,” Luke joked.

“So do you Yanks.”

“Can we go now?”

She smiled at him. “Yes. Thank you.”

He smiled back at her. “You’re welcome. Oh look, it’s finally stopped raining.”

Sara laughed. “Always the way.”

17

Sara hung her coat up and turned to Luke. “Go shower. Then put your wet stuff in the machine and set it going.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave a mock salute and headed up the stairs.

Sara walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Then, for no reason other than because she could, she ran into the dining room and switched on the computer. She downloaded her photos and started going through them. In one photo the lighthouse proved a fabulous background where a rainbow hung bright and clear against the black sky.

These are good. Far better than anything I’ve ever taken.

The washing machine started, and Sara smiled as Luke came in and sat next to her. “They’re lovely. You have a talent for this.”

“Thank you. It’s something I enjoy doing, except in the rain.” A hint of a smile crossed his face.

Sara reached the ones Luke had taken of the shoreline, huts and ramshackle cottages.

He shrugged. “I got snap happy.”

“I imagine they have a history. Pirates, maybe. Or bank robbers, car thieves, arsonists, and bent coppers.”

Luke shook his head at her. “Actually, I thought they could be smugglers’ cottages. This is England, remember. Full of smugglers.”

Sara laughed. “This is Scotland. On the south coast of England, perhaps that stuff happened and maybe still does, but I doubt they’d come this far north.”

“Cynic. Where’s the romance in that? Imagine the fog rolling in, and the false light on the cliffs to guide the ship onto the rocks, and...”

“That’s wreckers, not smugglers.”

“Let me finish. The false light on the cliffs to guide the ship onto the rocks, and then the smugglers grab the loot and hide it in the cottage. Of course, they’d kill anyone who got in their way, or who didn’t pay them enough.”

Sara laughed. “Lovely. Just the sort of people you’re protecting me from.”

“Of course. It’s my job to protect and serve. Speaking of serving, shall I do lunch?”

“I thought for a minute you were going to suggest tennis.” She glanced at the clock. “It’s gone past lunchtime, and it’s almost two. Too late for lunch and too early for tea.”

Luke grinned at her. “So?”

“Just coffee, please, I’m not hungry.”

“You’re eating for three.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “All right, you better go make lunch for four.”

While they were talking, she had narrowed the photos down to two. Making her final choice, she hit print and wandered out to the kitchen. She sat down as the doorbell rang.

Luke headed across the room. “I’ll get it. Stay here.” He vanished, shutting the door behind him.

Sara could hear voices in the hall and footsteps going into the lounge. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the kitchen door.

Luke closed it quickly, his voice leaving no room for debate. “No peeking.”

“All right, I’ll finish doing lunch.” She made a plate of cheese and tomato sandwiches and cut two pieces of fruitcake.

The front door closed, and Luke came back into the kitchen.

“What’s going on out there, Luke?”

Luke grinned as he sat down. “Have a little patience, woman. Eat first.”

“Woman?” Sara asked in mock horror as she put the mugs of coffee on the table. “
Woman?
”

Luke laughed. “Woman was a term of endearment in our house. Dad used to call Mom ‘woman’ all the time.”

“All right, man.” She paused. “Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it?”

“No, not really. Nice sandwiches.”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome. Well, it was your turn to cook.”

“I’d hardly call this cooking.” She rubbed her stomach.

“You all right?” Luke asked.

“Yeah.” She reached for the last sandwich the instant before Luke did.

“For someone who isn’t hungry...” he began.

Sara laughed. “Want to go halves?”

He grinned. “If you’re sure you can spare it. I don’t want to deprive you or the babies.”

“I think I can spare a tiny piece.” She cut the sandwich in half and offered it to him.