Galaxy's Way

by E. R. Paskey

  Eyes dancing, Colin waved to a couple of rather comfortable-looking chairs. “Would you like to sit down?”

  Anna shifted from one foot to the other while she thought about it, before nodding. She sat down on the edge of the cushion, her back ramrod straight and her hands folded in her lap.

  Colin, meanwhile, made himself comfortable. He sprawled out in the other chair opposite her, one corner of his mouth still curved in a smug, satisfied smile.

  That he was obviously so pleased by her discomfiture would have irritated Anna more if the gravity of the situation hadn’t come rushing back to her. In a calm voice that belied the way her heart had started to pound in her ears, she said, “Bear told me something else, something he wanted me to swear I wouldn’t tell you.”

  Colin’s amused expression did not change. “And what would that be?”

  “He’s Federation.”

  Colin blinked. “Come again? I don’t think I heard that correctly.”

  As calmly and precisely as she could, Anna explained. With every word she spoke, the levity faded from Colin’s blue eyes.

  When she finished, he dropped his head back against the chair to stare up at the overhead. “Well.” His voice was flat, monotone. “Wasn’t expecting that out of him.”

  “Viktor’s going to blow a gasket when he hears,” Anna agreed, twisting her fingers together in her lap.

  Silence fell over the compartment for a few minutes. Anna kept her eyes on her lap, but she snuck glances at him every so often in increasing concern. His chest rose and fell with steady breaths, but it was a full three minutes before he lifted his head to look at her. “Why did you tell me? To get back at him?”

  It felt like his eyes were drilling into hers, but Anna held her head high. “I think you deserve to know.” She paused. “Especially since you’re facing murder charges.”

  “Ah, yes. That.”

  Anna shrugged. “The way I see it, if we find Lobai first, we have leverage to get those charges dropped in addition to getting a pardon for Viktor, me, and the rest of our crew. Besides,” she added, going for a lighter note, “technically you are my husband, and I suspect it may be a little difficult to get an annulment with you in jail.”

  This startled a laugh out of Colin. He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I suppose that’s one way to put it.” They shared a grin, and then he asked, “Are you worried about Berenger figuring out you’ve told me?”

  Anna glanced up at him through her eyelashes. “Well, he won’t hear it from me. As long as you keep quiet … ”

  Laughing softly, Colin settled a little deeper in his chair. “Now that’s the perfect setup for some sort of pirate comeback if I’ve ever heard one.”

  Anna lifted both eyebrows in surprise. “You’re not going for it?”

  Still grinning, he shook his head and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. “Not tonight.”

  Warmth flickered in Anna’s chest; she couldn’t restrain an answering grin. She finally allowed herself to relax into the chair, her mouth opening in a soundless ‘O’ of surprise as she realized just how comfortable these chairs actually were. Ah, bliss. “Where did you find these chairs?”

  “Comfortable, aren’t they? Mina bought them on Lambda IV, in this rickety little warehouse off the shopping district.”

  Anna glanced at him sharply at this, surprise washing over her. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say her name. She opened her mouth to ask, hesitated, and then boldly plunged ahead. “Mina was your wife, right?”

  For a second, she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then Colin’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed. “Yes.”

  Go for it, Anna urged herself. In for a gasket, in for a freighter. “What happened to her?”

  A longer pause this time.

  “She died.”

  Anna rolled her eyes. Men. “Yes, I’m aware of that.” A tart edge slid into her voice. “What I meant was, how did it happen?”

  When Colin lifted his head enough for her to see that his eyes were open to slits, his expression suddenly guarded, she held up her prosthetic hand. “Fair’s fair. You already know about this‌—‌and I don’t tell people unless I have a choice.”

  They stared at each other for a long moment, brown clashing with blue in a battle of wills. Finally, Colin tilted his head ever so slightly, conceding defeat. His jaw worked for a second, and then he pronounced one word in a flat monotone. “Aneurism.”

  Anna rocked back in her seat. An aneurism. A wave of empathy swelled up in her as she imagined how quickly the man across from her had lost the woman he loved. “So it was very sudden.”

  “She keeled over right as we were landing.” He lifted one hand slightly. “Delivering a cargo hold of old books to a collector on Redalia. She was gone before I set the ship down.”

  Anna’s throat clogged. “I’m so sorry.”

  Colin waved his hand again. “Nothing you can do, lass.”

  They sat in heavy silence for a moment or two longer, until she felt words rise in her throat again. “How long has it been?”

  “Four years.” Colin passed a hand over his face. “Sometimes I still expect to round a corridor and find her waiting for me.”

  Anna nodded slowly, a lump forming in her throat again for a completely different reason. He’s still in love with her.

  Not that she blamed him‌—‌they’d been married, after all. But it left a queer little hollow in her chest, one she couldn’t bring herself to examine too closely. She forced herself to speak again; she wanted to know everything. “How long were you married?”

  She could have sworn Colin directed a sharp look at her before his face took on a faraway cast. “Two years.” Slowly, haltingly, he told her the story of how he had met Mina, how they had fallen in love, and a little of their life together before she collapsed.

  Anna soaked it all in, taking the bits of himself he gave her and piecing them into a large whole to form the measure of Captain Colin Dupree.

  He was a good man, she decided. Occasionally stubborn and pigheaded, but honorable and possessed of a sharp mind. Not bad looking, either, a corner of her mind noted dryly. His features were pleasant, and they grew more pleasant the better she came to know him. His smile, in particular, lent him a rather devastating air.

  It’s almost a shame we’ll have to part ways when this is over. Wistfulness settled over Anna like a lace shawl draped over her shoulders. He‌—‌

  ‌…‌had stopped talking and was staring right at her, one eyebrow raised. She jumped a little in surprise.

  “Am I boring you, lass?”

  “No! I mean‌—‌I‌—‌uh‌—‌I was listening and I was thinking.” Anna waved a hand, trying to dispel the flush burning her cheeks again. “I heard what you were saying, I just … ” She trailed off in embarrassment and just shrugged her shoulders. If there had been a pillow close enough to reach, she might have hidden her face in it, but, alas, her luck wasn’t that good.

  “Dare I ask what you were thinking about?” he asked lazily.

  Anna darted a glance at him and her cheeks burned a deeper shade of red. He’s smirking again. “I was thinking how happy you must have been, before everything.”

  “Aye.” His smirk faded, to be replaced by a mischievous grin. “But just when I thought things would never be that interesting again, you came along.”

  She couldn’t help herself; she snorted at that. “Right. Piling it on a bit thick, aren’t you?”

  They both laughed, and then Colin slouched a little further down in his chair and regarded her through half-lidded eyes. “What about you, lass? Anybody else other than your brother I’ll need to watch out for when we meet up?”

  That took the wind right out of Anna’s sails. Sobering, she dropped her eyes and shook her head. “No. Not really.” Her stomach knotted; she suddenly felt very young and inexperienced. “There aren’t many single men my age on our crew and we don’t stop places long enough to meet people.” />
  “And I would imagine your brother scares most of the unworthy away.”

  “That is the understatement of the century.” Annoyance replaced self-consciousness; Anna flopped back in her chair again and waved her hands expansively. “Don’t get me wrong‌—‌I’m grateful he keeps an eye out for me. There have been a few times things could have been bad. But when it comes to men, he treats me like I’m a little kid.”

  Colin was nodding, as though he’d expected to hear as much. “I’d sympathize,” he said lightly, “but I’m afraid I’d quite agree with your brother, if I had a sister of my own to look after.”

  Guilt bled through the edges of her annoyance. Yes, Viktor was overprotective, but some of it had been her own fault. “It’s not just that,” she said grudgingly. “It’s — ” the words stuck in her throat; she had a brief flash of panic that encompassed her from head to toe. She didn’t talk about this stuff.

  “It’s what, lass?” Colin prompted gently.

  In answer, Anna raised her prosthetic arm and extended her hand palm up. “I was self-conscious about this for a long time. We had a couple of crewmembers who used to joke about me behind my back.” Her mouth twisted. “One of them pretended he liked me.”

  Colin nodded again, sympathy blooming in his blue eyes. “And one day you overheard him.”

  “Yep.” Anna dropped her arm. “I didn’t tell Viktor, but he found out about it anyway.” She shrugged. “Dropped the guy and his friends off the next time we made port and told them they’d gotten off lucky. Never saw them again.”

  “Probably for the best.” Colin’s expression did not change. “What about Bear?”

  Bear. Anna sucked air in though her teeth. That particular wound was still raw and weeping. “What about him?”

  “You liked him.”

  She scoffed. “Of course I liked him. He was family.”

  Silence descended on them for a few moments, and then Colin grinned lazily. “So what you’re really telling me, lass, is that our accidental marriage is the closest thing you’ve ever had to a committed relationship. Because you’re a pirate.”

  For a second, Anna gaped at him, and then she rolled her eyes. “I can’t help it if I’ve been out in deepspace too long. I have standards, you know.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, I’m sure you do.”

  Companionable silence fell over the compartment. In the comfortable stillness, Anna finally realized just how tired she was. She relaxed further into her chair, fatigue weighing heavily on her muscles, and felt her eyelids began to droop. I need to go to bed, before I fall asleep here.

  “Tired, lass?” Colin’s voice was a low, soothing rumble.

  Anna nodded and struggled to sit up. “Just hit me all of a sudden.” She ran her flesh-and-blood hand over her face. “It’s been a long day.”

  Across from her, Colin extracted himself from his chair and climbed to his feet. He then extended her a hand.

  She took it, grateful for the help, and he hauled her to her feet. “I don’t think your chair wants to let me go.”

  He smiled. “So it would seem.”

  Anna looked up at him; he was still holding her hand. A warm, pleasant tingle seemed to be emanating from the points where his skin touched hers. “Thanks for telling me all of that.” She swallowed. “I know it can’t have been an easy subject.”

  Colin shrugged and looked away before finding her eyes again. “We all have painful moments in our past.”

  It was her turn to look away. “Isn’t that the truth?” Gently disengaging her hand from his, she stepped back. “I’d better go to bed before I fall asleep here.” She tried for a conspiratorial smile, but Colin’s expression did not change.

  “Wait.”

  Her heart skipped a beat and then resumed beating double-time. “What?”

  “Come here.” Colin opened his arms to her, his expression kind. “You look like you could use a hug.”

  Anna just stared at him, torn. Part of her wanted to close the gap between them and fold herself into his embrace‌…‌and the other part of her was afraid that if she did, she’d never want to leave again.

  A wry smile tugged at Colin’s lips. “Or if you don’t need one, I certainly could use a hug.”

  When she still hesitated, he said, “Anna. Please.”

  That did it. Her feet took her toward him before she’d quite made up her mind. She’d intended to give him a brief side hug, but his arms settled firmly around her and she found her own arms slipping around his waist. Her cheek found his chest and she heard the rapid thump of his heart through his shirt.

  He was a warm presence enveloping her; she hadn’t realized how chilled she had gotten until then. For a second, she held herself stiffly, not wanting to give into the strong urge to sag against him and just let him hold her, but then he rested his chin on the top of her head and gave a little sigh.

  The resistance drained out of Anna; she closed her eyes and relaxed into the hug. His arms were warm and tight around her; comforting in their solidarity. She hadn’t felt this safe in a long time. He was right‌—‌I did need a hug. From how tightly he held her, she suspected he did too.

  She had no idea how long they stood locked together like that, her face buried in the crook of his neck and his face buried in her hair. One of his hands smoothed up and down her back, tracing the curvature of her spine.

  Eventually, Colin spoke, his chest rumbling with every word. “You’d better get to bed before you fall asleep standing up.”

  Anna nodded without opening her eyes, but did not otherwise move. She was too comfortable.

  His chest shook with laughter. “I’d offer to let you sleep here, but I’m afraid you’d be angry in the morning.”

  That was probably true, though she couldn’t think why at the moment. Anna nodded again, too tired to really understand what he was saying.

  Colin gently disengaged from the hug, though he kept his hands on her shoulders to prop her upright. She felt the loss of his solid warmth keenly. “Anna, unless you want me to carry you back to your bed, you’d best wake up.”

  She cracked her eyes open and focused blearily on him. “I’m awake.”

  He did not look convinced. Ducking his head slightly to peer into her eyes, he asked, “Are you sure?”

  She started to reply, but a jaw-cracking yawn interrupted her. One hand flew to cover her mouth. “Sorry.” She eyed his chest longingly‌—‌if she’d been fully awake, she would have been mortified. “You’re warm. Didn’t realize how cold it is in here.”

  Colin looked at her in bemusement, his thumbs absently brushing her shoulders. “And, you, lass, are about ready to keel over.”

  “Am a little tired,” she agreed. If he’d let go of her shoulders, she might try lying down on the deck. The carpet looked soft enough. “Not dying though.”

  His grip tightened minutely on her shoulders. “No. Not dying. I’m grateful for that.”

  A tiny voice began clamoring in her head‌—‌her sense of self-preservation kicking in at last. Blinking herself awake, Anna rubbed her eyes. “Okay. I’m going to bed now. Good night.”

  His hands dropped from her shoulders; she felt cold all over again. “Good night, lass. Sleep well.”

  Chapter 23

  HEAVY KNOCKING AND A VOICE speaking through the door intercom roused Anna the next morning. She groaned, still mostly asleep, and pulled her pillow over her head. “Go away. ‘m sleeping.”

  “Anna.” It was Mondego, his voice tense and strained. “Wake up. You’d better get out here. Fast.” He hesitated, and then finished in a rush, “It’s your friend Berenger and the captain.”

  No sooner had the words penetrated than Anna’s eyes flew open. “What?” Bolting upright, she threw off her blankets and staggered over to the door. She slapped the door release and the heavy metal door slid aside to reveal a worried Mondego. “What is going on?”

  The cook did not bat an eye at her disheveled appearance and ratty morning hair. “Our
guest got past Deek and ended up in the cockpit. Colin is not happy about it.”

  “I don’t blame him.” Anna turned back around long enough to snag her bra from the chair and a breath mint. She had no time brush her hair, but by the stars she could at least put on her bra. “Give me a minute.”

  Thirty seconds later, she and Mondego were hurrying back down the corridor. Anna rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes. “Where are they?”

  “Main living compartment.”

  Nodding, Anna hastily raked her fingers through her hair and twisted it into a rough braid. She flipped it over her shoulder just as they rounded the corridor and passed through the wide doorway into the living compartment.

  Loud voices would have told her where they were anyway.

  “ … going to ask again. What were you doing in my cockpit?”

  Colin did not shout; he didn’t need to. His voice was low and dangerous. He had a firm hold of Berenger’s collar and his expression was hard. Tatiana and Deek flanked him.

  “How many times do I have to tell you? I was just checking coordinates.”

  Colin’s eyes narrowed to slits, but before he could open his mouth, Anna spoke. “Coordinates? Since when are you a navigator?”

  Berenger shot her a betrayed look. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”

  Anna puffed out an unamused laugh. “You have to ask?” She strode closer to the two men and stabbed a finger in Berenger’s direction. “You are supposed to be locked in a cabin, recuperating. What in the galaxy are you doing poking around his cockpit?” She tipped her head toward Colin. “And how did you get past Deek?”

  “He didn’t actually get past me,” Deek interjected sourly. “I made sure the door was locked per Cap’n’s orders and went to bed.”

  Anna slapped a hand to her eyes. “So you just broke out. Way to build trust here, Bear.” She did not look at Colin, could not look at him. Don’t let on that you know he’s Federation, she pleaded silently.

  “I was checking coordinates,” Berenger said stubbornly, glaring at Colin, who still gripped his collar. “After I slept for a while, I woke up and started wracking my brains for a way in to Ydris.”