The Doctor and the War Widow (14 page)

“I do know how to pick ‘em, don’t I?” Harley waved at them before she locked the door, but a disturbing eeriness had settled over her heart. She shivered as she turned her double-bolt and then hooked the chain to the latch.

Chapter 12

“I didn’t want to tell you all of this.” Harley sat with Abisi in Reginelli’s, sharing beer and vegetarian pizza.

Abisi frowned so deeply that his eyebrows formed one line. “No, you were right to tell me.” He took a deep breath. “So, this police officer checked her plates.”

“Yes, the car’s registered to a man.” Harley watched his reaction as she bit into a slice of pizza.

“She said something about being divorced.” Abisi’s face was like a dark cloud. “I’m so sorry this is happening to you, my darling.”

“Nothing’s happened yet.” Harley swallowed a sip of beer to bury the sourness rising to her mouth.

“Well, I don’t like that she’s planted herself in your neighborhood and intruded upon your privacy.” Abisi studied Harley. He seemed genuinely worried. “I’m going to talk to her.”

“No, I don’t want it appearing like you’re threatening her in any way.” Harley placed a hand on his. “She’ll tell the police you’ve harassed her. Or—” She visibly shuddered. “She could come after you.” An image of him trapped in a burning building she couldn’t identify sent waves of cold ice throughout Harley’s body.

“I’ve already called the police about her.” He evaded her gaze.

Harley sucked in a breath. Her whole body tensed. “Why?”

“Harassing phone calls. Look, don’t worry about me.” He took a bite of pizza and then tipped his beer bottle to hers. “To us.”

Harley smiled, but she suspected he wasn’t telling her everything. What had the witch said to him? Well, she wouldn’t let a vengeful woman ruin her night. They talked for hours about current events, politics, global changes, and language as a social construct. They both agreed that language and understanding were cultural phenomena. He’d also expressed genuine concern when he learned of her firing and plied her with offers of money. She graciously but firmly refused.

“We’ve missed the first showing of the movie.” Abisi glanced at his watch.

“Well, we’ll have to order dessert.” She smiled, slipping her hand into his.

Abisi and Harley stayed out until two that morning. He walked Harley to her door and planted a brotherly kiss on her cheek. When she clung to him, Abisi gave up any pretense at brotherly affection. He let his lips linger long and intimately against hers.

“I’d better go before I do something you will regret.” He kissed her forehead.

Harley’s eyes were closed. Her voice was choked with passion. “What makes you think I’ll regret it?”

“I won’t do anything you could feel bad about later. I want you, Harley, but without reservation or hesitation.” He took her keys and opened her door, waiting until he heard the latch click behind her before leaving. As Abisi walked to the driveway, a car sped up the street. It was traveling too fast for him to see the plates. Who would drive so fast at night in a peaceful neighborhood? Abisi thought he knew and shivered.

Early October

Harley typed the last sentences of her manuscript of Grace O’Malley. The whole project had been a labor of love. Grace was a woman who knew how to be a criminal in order to save her people. She also knew how to compromise when she needed to. As a result, Grace and her family were legends in their time. The woman’s name was synonymous with survival. Harley hoped she was that much of a survivor.

Harley rubbed Nico’s ears. “Now for the query and synopsis. I hate that. The writing part is fun. It’s this other crap that’s a royal pain.” The dog thumped his tail on the floor in seeming agreement.

“How about a walk before I start the hard part?” Harley caressed Nico’s face and gave him a nose kiss. His face spread into what looked like a smile. “Go find your leash.”

Nico set off at breakneck speed, returning with the leash gripped firmly between his teeth.

“You’re my true love,” she said as she hooked his leash to his collar.

Less than half an hour later, Harley was unlocking her front door. The phone rang shrilly as she bent to release Nico from his leash. “Damn!” She ran to the wall and put the phone to her ear. “Hello!”

For a few seconds, no one said a thing.
Must be a wrong number
. Irritated, Harley was about to hang up when a muted voice said, “Ask him about his precious son. See what he tells you. His son was a murderer. Your husband was killed by those animals.”

“Go to hell!” Harley slammed the phone down and shivered. Cold shards of ice pricked her spine. No doubt it was Kimberly the bitch. What did she mean? Abisi’s son a murderer? No, how could a man of such sophistication have raised a son who was a cold-blooded killer? The caller had implied that he’d killed soldiers, but Abisi was no fanatic. Surely his son wasn’t one of these crazed misguided youths setting bombs aimed at soldiers or unsuspecting villagers. Besides, Harley couldn’t think about that now. She had to write a query letter and a synopsis.

Three hours later, Harley punched in the last letters of her synopsis. She submitted the contents electronically to her publisher and then thought about the disturbing phone call. Why was this woman torturing her? Could she have really thought the man loved her? Did Abisi lead Kimberly on, thereby inviting the kind of harassment she was now inflicting on him? No, Harley shook her head. No one should be harassed. She’d learned long ago that people couldn’t be forced to love. The only thing a person could do was walk away with dignity. Kimberly certainly hadn’t done that.

Harley bit her lower lip as she sat staring vacantly at the computer. Images of John flashed across her subconscious. She still felt his strong arms locking around her. The memory of his smile seared her heart. No matter what Harley felt for another man, she would still love him. Always. What was it she felt for this new man in her life? If Abisi’s son had killed innocent people and hapless soldiers, how could she lie in his arms? She was expecting him later that evening, and she no longer could ignore Jordan. The dead man lay like a specter between them. Harley had always suspected his death was somehow shameful, but she’d been reluctant to bring up a painful subject. His unspoken presence had to be explained because she was becoming deeply involved with Jordan’s father, growing to love him even. Oh, he would never replace John, but he was filling a long-dormant need within her being.

Harley heard his car settle in her driveway. She was in her bedroom, lying prone on the bed. Heavy tears cascaded down her cheeks. Harley didn’t want to lose him, but she couldn’t countenance the half-truths or the constant intrusion of his bitter ex-lover in their lives. They were supposed to eat a quick meal and then see a movie, but Harley was in no mood for a date night. She had to tell him about the phone call, and God alone knew Abisi’s response. Her heart pounded as loudly as his knock upon the door. Harley raised herself from the bed, made her way into the bathroom, wiped her face, and checked her makeup in the mirror. In the past weeks since they had renewed their friendship, Harley had come dangerously close to following the primal calling of her body, but she couldn’t do that without knowing the truth about the man’s past. To do so would be to betray John and the youthful love she’d shared with him.

Nico was barking and wagging his tail when Harley made her way to the front door. She flung open the door and stood aside to let Abisi pass. He kissed her lightly as he crossed the threshold and stroked the dog. She took a deep breath. “Kimberly called here today.”

“Oh, God, I’m sorry. What did she say?” He turned a panicked gaze on her. “Was it very upsetting?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

Abisi drew close to her and cupped her face in his hands. “You’ve been crying. What did she say to you? Are you all right?”

Harley drew away from him. “Tell me about Jordan.”

He winced as if she’d struck him, stepping back and staring as if he didn’t know her. His voice cracked. “Jor—Jordan’s death was very difficult for me.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Harley hardened herself to his obvious distress. “I need to know the truth. My husband died overseas, and that bitch implied your son was a terrorist.”

“And you automatically believed her?” His voice was hoarse as he turned from her.

“You believed what she told you about me with Pete.” Harley swallowed hard, approached him, and placed a light hand on his back. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you’ve been very secretive about how your son died. Through all of this, I’ve never lied to you. I’ve tried to be honest. Show me the same respect.”

“That woman has tried to poison you against me since she learned we’ve been together.” Abisi turned to her. She’d never seen a human face contain so much anguish. He’d gone white. His pain was palpable, even though he’d shed no tears. “How could you believe her?”

Harley gestured wildly. She’d never seen him that emotional, not even when she’d broken off their love affair. “I don’t know what I believed, but I wanted to know why you’d never spoken about someone so important in your life. Why, Abisi, why can’t you be honest with me?”

“My son’s name has been vilified in your country and in Britain. Oh, eventually, he was cleared, but not before unbelievable things were said in the press and by the military.”

“What happened? Tell me.” Harley put a gentle hand on his arm and led him to the couch. His pain was rending her heart in two. Harley pushed back tears. She’d confronted him, expecting his righteous anger. Instead, she’d shattered him. Pressing back her own tears, she closed her eyes and sat beside him.

“My son was a doctor with a British garrison in Iraq.” The man’s attempt at control suddenly broke. His whole body was racked with sobs, and his breathing was labored.

Harley dashed into the kitchen, reached into a cabinet for a bottle of whiskey and tumbler, and quickly poured a liberal dose. She was at his side in a second, pressing the drink to his lips. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Her voice grew soft. “This can wait.” She cursed her own insensitivity and realized how much his grief pained her.

“No, no, you’re right. You should have known the truth a long time ago.” Abisi wiped his face with the palms of both hands and downed the whiskey. “My son’s unit was stationed near a village rumored to contain a lot of insurgents. Jordan went into the villages to treat people. When his own men didn’t need him, he wanted to help others. God knows I instilled that in him.” He stared ahead and drifted. “I was so proud of him when he went to medical school in Edinburgh. Maureen was so proud, too.”

Harley nodded. She made her way into the kitchen and returned with another whiskey. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I loved my children. Even when Maureen and I were obviously doomed, I loved Jordan and Jessica with all my heart. I remember when Jordan was born. Our firstborn, a son. It had been a difficult birth, and I was afraid that Maureen or the baby would die. He was very small and helpless. The doctors in London told us he might not make it. I’m not a praying man, but I prayed that night.” He sipped the whiskey slowly. “Jordan was tough. He did make it, and when he went to medical school, I was thrilled. He said there was nothing more he wanted than to be like me.” Abisi smiled ruefully.

“You don’t have to go on.” Harley realized that no matter how much she might want to know the full story behind Jordan’s death, she couldn’t see Abisi hurting. She blinked away the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“Yes, yes, I do.” He looked at his hands and then at her. “I’ve never really spoken about this to anyone. Maybe that’s what happened to finally doom Maureen and me. The silence of her condemnation was deafening. Neither of us could talk about how we felt.” Abisi reached for Harley’s hand, and she didn’t pull away. “He volunteered to join the military. He really believed what the Allied troops were doing over there. I didn’t. I tried to dissuade him, but he said he could make a difference. He was a surgeon, a damned good one. Of course, his British grandfather railed against the idea. After all, he could get him into the best hospitals in the UK. I agreed, but my pleas and Maureen’s fell on deaf ears. Maureen and I barely communicated, except about the children. She thought I didn’t try hard enough to keep him out of uniform.”

“Your son was a grown man, not a child. You couldn’t run his life.” Harley gently massaged his arm.

“I wish to hell I had.” His voice was hard, bitter. “Maybe if I’d been more autocratic my child would still be alive.”

Harley nodded and fell silent. She hadn’t wanted John to join the military, either, but he’d insisted that he would be able to pay for his second degree that way. He didn’t want her working second jobs so that he could attend graduate school. Harley understood Abisi’s pain and guilt. She’d often cursed herself for not insisting she put John through school.

Abisi swallowed. “While Jordan was helping people in a village, there was an Allied air strike of the village. My son died while he was helping others. He didn’t ask who was or was not an insurgent. Many of the people needed help. Many women and children, civilians. He never asked their creed.” Tears streamed down his face. “He was killed in the bombing, but he came under suspicion by the Allied Command. Some officials tried to say he was helping insurgents and that he was a sympathizer.”

Harley stared ahead but squeezed his hand hard.

“My son was no terrorist, Harley. He was an honorable man who wanted to help other people, but he had an Egyptian last name. The Americans were the first to point fingers. They brought their suspicions to the British. My son was cleared in an inquiry, but not before our family was wracked by the scandal. It tore Maureen apart. Jessica was mourning her brother and had to endure scandal at Oxford. My children were looked at like Muslim extremists.” He laughed bitterly. “Hell, they’d been baptized Anglicans. They weren’t even Muslims.” He drew in a breath. “What little was left in my marriage died with Jordan. That’s when I decided to settle permanently here.”