The Soldier And The Single Mom. Lee Tobin McClain

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СКАЧАТЬ but also keyed up to where he knew he wasn’t going to sleep. “Come on,” he said to the beautiful stranger.

      But she didn’t follow. “This isn’t going to work out. I’ll find something else.”

      “There’s no place else.” He picked up her bag and beckoned her inside, with Crater padding behind him. “Don’t worry, Lacey will be more hospitable in the morning.” Maybe. He knew what else had bothered Lacey, besides the fact that she’d rescued him one too many times from some late-night escapade: Gina’s little boy. Just last year, Lacey had miscarried the baby who was all she had left of her soldier husband. Seeing someone who apparently wasn’t taking good care of her own child had to infuriate her.

      He wasn’t sure his sister’s judgment was fair; Gina might be doing the best she could for her baby, might be on the run from some danger worse than whatever she’d be likely to face on an Ohio country road.

      He led her through the vinyl sheeting and raw boards that were the future breakfast room, up the stairs and into the hallway that housed the guest rooms. “Here’s the only other finished one, besides mine,” he said, stopping at the room called the Escher. He opened the door and let her enter before him, ordering Crater to lie down just inside the door.

      Gina looked around, laughing with apparent delight. “This is amazing!”

      The bed appeared to float and the walls held prints by a modern artist Buck had only recently learned about. The nightstand was made to look like it was on its side, and the rug created an optical illusion of a spiraling series of stair steps.

      “Lacey was an art history major in college,” he explained. “She’s hoping to coordinate with the new art museum to attract guests.”

      “That’s so cool!” Gina walked from picture to picture, joggling the baby so he wouldn’t fuss. “I love Escher.”

      He felt a reluctant flash of liking for this woman who could spare the energy for art appreciation at a time like this. He also noticed that she knew who Escher was, which was more than he had, until Lacey had educated him.

      His curiosity about Gina kicked up a notch. She appeared to be destitute and basically homeless, but she was obviously educated. He scanned her slim-fitting trousers and crisp shirt: definitely expensive. Those diamond studs in her ears looked real.

      So why’d she been walking along a country road at night?

      She put the baby down on the bed and pulled out a diaper pad. “Sorry, he needs a change.”

      “Sheets and towels here,” he said, tapping a cabinet. “There might even be soap. Gina already let one couple stay here for a honeymoon visit.”

      She turned to him, one hand on the baby’s chest. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

      “No problem.” Though it was. “I’ll be right next door if you need anything.”

      She swallowed visibly. “Okay.”

      Unwanted compassion hit him. She was alone and scared in a strange place. “Look, Lacey is a real light sleeper. She’ll wake up if there’s any disturbance. And... I can leave Crater here if you want a guard dog.”

      “Thank you. That would be wonderful.” She put a hand on his arm. “You’ve been amazing.”

      He didn’t need her touching him. He backed away so quickly he bumped against the open door. “Stay, boy,” he ordered Crater and then let himself out.

      And stood in the hallway, listening to her cooing to her baby while a battle waged inside him. He wanted a drink in the worst way.

      He reached down, but of course, Crater wasn’t there to calm him. He took one step toward the front door. Stopped. Tried to picture his recovery mentor.

      Wondered whether the bar out by the highway was still open.

      Ten minutes later, after a phone call to his mentor, he tossed restlessly in his bed. It was going to be a long night.

       Chapter Two

      A hoarse shout woke Gina out of a restless sleep.

      Instinctively, she reached for Bobby. She found him in the nest she’d made with rolled blankets and towels. Thankfully, he slept on through more shouted words she couldn’t distinguish in her sleepy state.

      Sweat broke out on her body as she lay completely still, just as she’d done so many nights when her husband had come home drunk or high. Hoping, praying he’d sleep downstairs rather than coming up in the mood for some kind of interaction, whether affection or a fight. None of it ever ended well when he’d been using. Sometimes, his rage took physical form.

      A knock on the door made her heart pound harder, but then she realized it came from the next room. She heard the clink of an old-fashioned key in a lock. A woman’s murmuring voice: “It’s okay, Buck. It’s okay. You had another nightmare.”

      It all came clear to her: the guesthouse. The unfriendly landlady. Buck’s haunted eyes.

      Sounded like he’d had a nightmare and his sister had come to wake him out of it.

      She drew in a breath and rubbed Bobby’s back, comforted by the steady sound of his breathing. She’d landed in a safe place for the moment. The edges of the sky were just starting to brighten through the window, but she didn’t have to deal with her day just yet. She could sleep again.

      There were more murmurs next door. A hall door opened and closed. A toilet flushed. Then silence again.

      Surprisingly enough, she did drop back to sleep.

      * * *

      “Good morning!” Gina walked into the kitchen the next morning with Bobby on her hip. He’d woken up hungry, and she’d nursed him and fed him her last jar of baby food. It was time to figure out her next step.

      “Hey.” Lacey’s voice sounded unenthusiastic. She wore scrubs and sat with a cup of coffee in front of her. Her eyes were puffy and underlined by dark shadows.

      No wonder, given last night’s drama.

      Lacey obviously wasn’t going to make conversation, so Gina soldiered on. “Thank you so much for giving me and Bobby a place to sleep last night.”

      “Sure.” Lacey glanced up from her newspaper and then went back to reading an article on the local news page.

      “You headed to work?” Gina asked. “What do you do?”

      The woman tried to smile, but it was obviously an effort. “I’m a CNA. Certified Nursing Assistant. And yeah, I leave in half an hour.” A large orange cat wove its way between her legs and then jumped into her lap, and she ran her hands over it as if for comfort.

      “You want me to fix you breakfast?”

      That made Lacey look up. “What?”

      “I’m a pretty good cook. If you’re going to work, you need more than coffee.”

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