To Claim Her (11 page)

Eddie nodded.  “He says he’s going to teach me to play ball today.”

She sat the glass of milk on the table before gesturing a coffee cup at Mark in offering.  

“Black.”

“I told him I already know how to play from watching on TV.”

Mark nodded.  “That can teach you a lot.  It may feel a little different when you do it yourself.”

Eddie eyed him suspiciously.  “Have you ever played?”

Mark’s smile was wry.  “About a hundred years ago.”

“Really?”  He drank his milk and listened. 

“Well, maybe not that long.  I played in high school and here and there in the military.  Second base.”

Gretchen had watched him in his mouth-watering uniform when they dated.  He was fit and gorgeous, and she had hated knowing she wasn’t the only one on the sideline watching with more than just team spirit.

Gretchen fixed toast and eggs as Sebastian quizzed Eddie on the zoo animals he had seen and prompted big fish stories.  When they finished up, Mark told Eddie to get dressed so they could play a little pitch and catch. He scooted off to get dressed for the day.

Mark leaned against the counter looking mouthwatering as she finished drying her hands.  He smirked again.  He was so ruthless with reading her mind at times like these. It was an uncomfortable habit.  “I thought I’d take him to the ball fields.  Let him get time out there to see how far apart the bases are.”

“Time on the field?  That seems excessive.  It’s just T-ball.”

“How is that excessive?  Won’t they be playing on the field next week?” 

She stilled her hands on the towel and folded it, matching the corners and sides perfectly before placing it on the counter.  “I just don’t understand why you can’t play in the yard.”  She gestured through the window to the grass growing in thick and green.  “Here.”

He swallowed and seemed to consider his words carefully.  “You planning on keeping me in sight when I spend time with my son, Gretchen?”

She swallowed and laughed uneasily.  “No.  Of course not.”

“Then what’s the problem?”  If his words came out a little louder than usual, he didn’t seem to notice.

Her voice was hurried and hushed.  She didn’t want Eddie to return and get the impression they were arguing.  “I just haven’t seen him in almost a week.  I thought I’d watch.”

“Is there some reason you can’t ride into town with us?”  His brow cleared.  “Is that what this is about?  You’re worried about going into town?”

She rolled her neck and looked everywhere but his face.  “I’m not.  Not when it’s necessary at least.  I just don’t want to chance things if we don’t have to.  Why not let the police finish up their investigation before making ourselves a target?”

He stepped closer and slid his hands around her waist, anchoring her in place.  “I’d hardly call spending a little time at the field putting a target on your back.  Besides Eddie wasn’t ever in danger.”  His face was inches from hers, and she could smell his skin, the scent of the sheets.  She closed her eyes to remember.  “You know safety won’t be an issue with me there.”

She nodded.  “I know it should be fine, but it just seems unnecessary.  Why take chances?” 

He stepped back and dropped his hand.  “I’m going to clean up.  When I get back, be ready. We can’t cower in fear and that isn’t something I’d teach my son to do even if he had been the target.”

“Easy for you to say.”  She cut her words off, but it was too late. 

Mark’s expression cleared to a serious one that set alarms going off in her head.  “Is that so?”

She shook her head.  “I just mean your training will help keep you safe.”

“Not that he’s not important to me?  Because I can tell you that he’s a new development for me, but that doesn’t make him any less important.”

Her voice was tenuous when she responded.  “I’m glad to hear it, but that’s not what I meant.” 

He jerked a nod.  “Be ready if you’re coming with us.”  He turned to leave the kitchen without another word.

Gretchen didn’t go with them.  She stood at the doorway, watching them move toward the truck.  Eddie bounced around as if he’d just won the grand prize at a carnival.  When Mark got in, he glanced back her way and raised an eyebrow.  His look seemed to ask, aren’t you coming?  But she didn’t.  She shook her head slightly and held up a hand in greeting as they pulled away.  She had his word that he wouldn’t let Eddie out of his sight, and she did trust him.  She did.  But someone had tried to kill her, and she just couldn’t seem to muster the backbone to leave the safety of the house.  Especially not if it might be others in danger, too.

She worked anxiously, mentally calculating where they were and how much longer they might stay away until her phone rang.  Mark reported in to tell her they had finished practicing for the day, and Eddie had asked to go to a new animated flick at the theater.  She declined the invitation and breathed deeply as she sat back at the table.  At least there would be a crowd in the shopping center.   Safety in numbers.

She continued working.  She felt a calmness that hadn’t been present when she was forced to rush from place to place, constantly looking over her shoulder.    When they returned a couple of hours later, she felt herself relax a fraction more.  

Eddie settled in to play with an animal set he loved as she continued working. 

She was becoming accustomed to Mark’s presence in the house.  She was still conscious of him, in a fundamental way that she was always alert to where he was, but it became the new normal for him to wander through as he checked on his dad or took him out to work in the shop or around the yard. 

Sebastian also seemed at ease with his son being home and more at ease leaving his routine with the extra set of hands there to help him get around.  

As she sat in the kitchen working at her laptop, transferring information and filling out spreadsheets for the insurance filing, Mark approached and ran his hands around her shoulders.  “Getting it taken care of?”

“Mmm hmm.” He pressed his thumbs into her shoulders, and she felt her muscles loosen.  Rather than sinking into the comfort, she sat up straighter.  “Dinner will be in about an hour.”

“How would you like to leave the house for a meal out?”

“Out?”  She glanced up to see him more clearly.

“Derek called earlier.  We have some catching up to do.  I’d like you to get to know a few friends a little better.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.  You go ahead.”

“It will be good for you.  I get the impression you’re all work and no play.  Time for that to change.”  He chucked her under the chin.

She shook her head.  “Really.  Go ahead.  There’s no…”  She didn’t finish the thought.  There was no reason for her to get to know any of them, she wanted to say.  They were Mark’s friends not hers.

He narrowed his eyes at her.  “Fortunate they didn’t feel that way when a tree fell through your house, huh?” 

Her breath caught in her chest and before she could respond, Mark moved closer, tucking his warm hands in her hair.  She felt her heart thunder in her chest.  From fear of the killer or closeness to Mark, she wasn’t sure.

“This will be the first time I can talk to my closest friends about my son.  Sure you don’t want to be there?”

She frowned and swallowed down her the sharp retort that sprang to her lips.  He had a right to be upset with her.  It felt an awful lot like a threat though.  What would he do?  Organize a military attack on her house?  They were about two days too late.

“These guys are important to me. Whether you want to be with me or not, you owe me.  Eddie can stay here.”

It was true that she wanted to get to know the people that her son would be spending time around.  “Are you sure he’ll be okay?”

“With Dad and Blane?  Of course.”

“But what about your dad’s dinner.”

“You’re off the hook.  Blane is stopping by to watch the game and bringing barbecue.   Dad already agreed that Eddie could make popcorn.”

She nodded.  “All right.”  Time to pay the piper.  She was going to meet the gang.  Hopefully she wouldn’t endure too much torture for her secrets.

The lighting was low in the restaurant.  For some reason, that made Gretchen feel better.  Mark ushered her in with a hand on her lower back.  She wanted to take comfort in the move but he wasn’t purely an ally right now.  He pulled out a chair for her at the table where Derek waited.  He gave her a stern nod as she slid into her seat.   The words
school girl
flitted through a mind again, and she shook off the thought. 

“Good evening.”

The waitress took their drink order, and Mark ordered a round of whisky to start.  Gretchen opted for a glass of wine to follow.  She really needed to take the edge off.  She still felt like the lamb led to the slaughter.  She sighed when the drinks arrived and downed her drink.  Coughing and sputtering followed.  Mark patted her on the back.  “Easy there.” 

“Hey there, Gretchen.”  Jack arrived and sat beside Gretchen.  He motioned for the waitress.  “Can I have a beer, sweetheart?”  He glanced around the restaurant.   “Looks like all of Shreveport came out for dinner and drinks.”

He was dressed to the nines.  She looked around at the table.  She sat with three men who were all dark and dangerous and dressed to impress.  She sighed.  Too bad they were about to chew her up and spit her out. 

“So what’s the news?”  Derek leaned closer and dragged his gaze back and forth between Gretchen and Mark.

Her head snapped in Mark’s direction.  He was going to tell them now?  Oh, she really
was
going to be eaten alive. 

“Seems Gretchen’s been keeping a secret.”  He glanced at her with cold eyes.  “For five years.”

Suddenly she wished she had exchanged the cardigan over her sundress for body armor.  She took a another giant drink of her wine and tried to ignore the warm feeling surging through her veins.

Jack patted her hand as she lowered it to the table.  His hand dwarfed hers.  “So what’s the big news that has her slamming the wine?”

Mark smiled at the quip.  “It seems Gretchen is a mother.”

Silence.

Derek frowned.  “Mother…“  Derek drew out the word and waited for more.

Mark nodded. 

“Mother?”  Jack questioned.

Mark nodded.  “Mother.  Mother.  What’s wrong with you guys?  Didn’t you have a mother?”

If she weren’t so nervous and slightly sweaty, Gretchen would have laughed.  “I have a son.  I was pregnant when Mark went into the military, and he didn’t know it.” She glanced at Mark’s stunned expression.  “I’m sure he would have called a halt to all the wars, dropped out of the military, and come home since he’s such an upstanding guy, but I didn’t tell him.  My fault.  I’m the bitch with a secret.”  Her hand shot up in the air as she called out loudly.  “More wine, please.” 

The crowd at a neighboring table laughed.

Jack bit his lip and seemed to be holding back a laugh. 

Derek coughed through one. 

Mark leaned back in his seat and shook his head.  “Damn, Gretchen.”

“Best to get it over with quickly.  Like ripping off a bandaid.”  She knocked back another slug of wine.  The waitress put another glass full on the table as she finished it.

“So you have a son.”  Derek nodded and tipped his beer bottle toward Mark.  “Congratulations.”

“Here, here.”  Jack tapped his bottle to the others.  “To a long and happy relationship.”

Mark dragged his gaze back to Gretchen.  “Like ripping a band aid off?   What kind of band aids are you using that last five years?”

She huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling before taking another drink.  Suddenly the air was stifling.  She slid her cardigan off and draped it over the side of her chair.  All three sets of eyes dropped to her cleavage, put on display by the tight fabric of her white sundress.  Motherhood had done wonderful things to her cleavage. 

Mark cleared his throat and dragged her chair closer to his.  He kept his hand on her back.  She gave him a frown and reached for her dwindling wine glass again. 

“Well, go ahead.  Let me have it.  I know you have something to say.”  She leaned back in her chair and waited.

Jack nodded.  Derek smirked.  Mark seemed to be trying to figure out how to get her cardigan back on her.  

“I for one am happy for you.  It’s a little late in the game, but I’d happily take a five year old over no child at all.”

“Four.  He’s four.”  Gretchen lifted one of the potato skins from the appetizer plate that the waitress placed on the table. 

“Four year old then.”  He cleared his throat.  “My wife died when she was pregnant with our first child.  Tough to get over.”

Gretchen’s attention wavered from the bacon bit she was trying to trap and flew to Derek’s gaze.  “I’m so sorry to hear that.”  She really was sorry. 

Her eyes drifted to Jack’s.  “What about you?  Surely you have something to add?”

He nodded.  “Hell of a thing to do, keeping a secret like that.”

“Yep.  He’s plenty pissed.  Said so himself.  He’s trying to be easy going about it because you two are here.”  She gestured toward Mark with her hand.  “But he thinks I’m the
lowest
kind of woman.”  She chugged more wine.  “Insensitive, bratty, irresponsible.  What kind of woman has a baby without telling the father?  One who’s broken hearted over the Dad losing interest.  That’s who.”  She dug into another potato skin.

Jack tucked his lips inside his teeth and narrowed his eyes at Mark.  “Seems you’ve got yourself a cheap date here, Mark.”

“Huh.  Who knew?  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her drink before.  I have a feeling she hasn’t imbibed much during the time I was gone.”  He massaged the back of her neck as he spoke.

Gretchen hiccupped, giggled, and sighed before taking another drink of wine. 

A set of tan hands with ruby red nails slid around Mark’s face to cover his eyes.

“Guess who?”  The woman with the painted mouth leaned in beside him and whispered. 

Gretchen narrowed her eyes at the move.  Mark slid his hands to the woman’s wrists and Gretchen watched in horror as she kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.