by E. R. Paskey
“I’ll go with you.”
Instead of looking relieved, like she’d expected, Colin remained slightly tense. “Your brother — ”
“ — will figure out where I am. Come on.” She looped her arm through his and tugged slightly. “We’ve got a story to tell.”
All at once, something in Colin seemed to relax. He offered her that devastating smile of his and they proceeded to cross the deck to the docking tube connected to the Galaxy’s Way.
Tatiana and Mondego both were practically bristling with questions, but they managed to hold everything in until they were safely aboard the freighter again.
“Deek!” Tatiana hollered down the corridor. “They’re back!”
Silence greeted this statement, and then they heard footsteps thudding toward them. Deek skidded around the corner and stopped short. He stared at Colin and Anna both, before shaking his head and striding forward to shake his captain’s hand. “It’s about time ya got back.”
Colin pulled him into a back-slapping hug. “Have we got a story to tell you!”
“Tea,” Mondego said firmly. “And I want a cookie.” He flapped his hands at them, shooing them toward the galley. Tatiana gave him an indulgent smile.
Anna perked up at the mention of cookies. “Really? What kind?”
Tatiana rolled her eyes heavenward. “All kinds. Brace yourself.”
~oOo~
Colin’s assessment that Mondego had probably gone a little wild in the galley in their absence was not far off the mark. The cook had apparently been on a baking spree—and had somehow obtained a few ingredients Colin assured Anna in a dry whisper that had not previous been among the Galaxy’s Way’s stores—and had four or five dozen different kinds of cookies to show for it, as well as three kinds of bread. He had also made two soups.
“Who did you think was going to eat all of this?” Anna asked in amazement.
Mondego shrugged. “I can’t help it. I cook when I’m stressed.” He shot Colin a flat look. “And nobody would tell us anything, other than you and Anna had gone off as the first part of ‘The Plan’.” He made air quotes with his fingers.
“The Plan?” Colin exchanged a look with Anna before addressing his first mate. “They didn’t tell you anything?”
Deek folded his arms across his chest, looking sour. “Nope. Just said you’d taken off with her,” he nodded to Anna, “and you were in pursuit of Lobai.”
Anna and Colin exchanged glances a second time. Anna felt a little guilty; she would have thought Viktor and the others would have at least had the decency to tell Colin’s crew what had happened to them.
“It has an element of truth to it, I’ll give them that much.” Colin rubbed the back of his neck. “The whole story is a bit more tangled.”
Mondego slid mugs of tea across the table. “Well, don’t leave us hanging, Captain.”
Together, Colin and Anna wove the story for the other three, going back and forth to fill in gaps. Having been locked up in one of the Hand of Fate’s cabins, Colin had not heard most of Anna’s story. She kept one eye on him as she related that section, interested in his reaction. It was hard to get the words out when it came to explaining why and how she’d drugged him, but she managed.
At the end, Deek blew out a heavy breath, leaning back in his chair and looking shaken. “So this guy, Thabati, is dead?”
“I’m pretty sure.” Anna swallowed; her throat had gone dry at the memory. “Lobai sounded very confident that their employer would not let them live.”
Tatiana visibly shuddered. “That’s awful.” She cut her hand through the air. “All of it.”
Colin raised his mug in a salute. “But we lived.”
Anna clinked her mug against his. “We did.” She felt Tatiana’s gaze on her and glanced at the other woman, raising her eyebrows in a silent question.
The mechanic hesitated only a second before boldly asking, “What are you going to do now?”
Colin thought she was addressing him. “We’re going to go back to the Raveena Space Station and clear my name.”
Tatiana huffed impatiently. “I know that, Captain. I was asking Anna.”
All eyes turned to her. Anna’s pulse increased, but she maintained a nonchalant expression. “We’re working on that.” She looked at Colin, unable to hide the hope—and amusement—lurking there.
His eyes began dancing at her in response. “Aye,” he said calmly. “We’re working on it. I believe the next order of business is for me to sit down with your brother tomorrow.”
“That would be good,” Anna agreed.
“Wait … ” Deek glanced back and forth between them, his expression downright suspicious. “You’re talkin’ to her brother? What for?”
Colin ignored him. “After that, we’re heading back to Plimus to file some paperwork.” He grinned. “Which shouldn’t be a problem, since my name should be cleared by then, and Anna is once again a fine, upstanding Federation citizen.”
Tatiana’s eyes widened.
“Ooh.” Mondego started rubbing his hands together.
Deek’s jaw dropped. “Cap’n, you’re not serious.” Before anyone could speak, he plowed ahead. “After all the trouble you’ve been through over her, you’re still goin’ to get an annulment? Are you crazy?”
Anna was hard-pressed to keep her own jaw from dropping. She stared at Deek in amazement. That…was not at all what I expected him to say.
From the gobsmacked looks on everyone else’s faces, she knew they had all expected Deek to at least put up a cursory objection to Anna remaining aboard the Galaxy’s Way.
“Deek?” Colin looked like he couldn’t quite believe his ears. “Are you actually saying — ”
“That maybe you should just stay married to her?” Deek folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah. That’s what I’m sayin’.” His expression dared them to comment.
Tatiana abruptly squealed, startling all of them, and leaned past her husband to throw her arms around Deek. “Aww! That is so sweet!”
Anna’s cheeks flushed; warmth spread in her chest. Deek actually wants me to stay? Colin glanced sideways at her, a proud, full-blown grin suffusing his face. The warmth in his blue eyes deepened her blush and made her toes curl in her boots.
The rest of the galley disappeared; despite the fact that her cheeks were on fire, for a moment she and Colin were the only people at the table. She knew Colin wanted her to stay, but to have the support of his entire crew as well? The realization washed over her, leaving a kind of peace in its wake. I’m staying.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that she would meet the love of her life after being betrayed by a dear friend and tossed off a cliff into a black cave lake, but it had happened.
A gruff growl from Deek snapped them both back to reality. “All right, all right, enough with the makin’ eyes at each other already. Don’t make me eat my words.” There was no real bite to his tone, however.
“Well … ” Colin pushed his chair back from the table. “We need to get back to the others.” He looked around the table. “You’re welcome to join the party, so long as the Galaxy’s Way is locked up so none of these reprobates acquires any fancy ideas.” He cast a fond look at Anna as he said this.
She batted her eyelashes at him in fake confusion. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
Colin just laughed. He seemed lighter—and younger—than he had been before they traded the Hand of Fate for the Federation space station. Happiness lent him an almost boyish air—and Anna decided she liked it.
Departing the galley, they headed down the corridor to the docking tube, walking close enough to each other that their arms brushed with every other step. As they strode across the tube, Colin tangled their fingers together. He smiled down at her, the look in his blue eyes tender and contented.
Anna allowed herself to smile back—she couldn’t help herself, really—and the look in his eyes shifted to somethin
g that sent butterflies swooping through her stomach.
Instead of heading across the docking bay to the wide double corridor that would take them to the cantina and the ongoing celebration, Colin tugged her off to one side, out of the line of sight of the docking tube.
The butterflies in Anna’s stomach promptly started performing excited barrel rolls. Her breath caught in her throat as Colin stopped and shifted to face her, before enveloping her in a tight hug and burying his face in the side of her neck. She let out a slow breath and relaxed into him, her arms coming up to encircle him. She felt his heart pound against her chest.
They stood like that for a long moment, locked in each other’s embrace. The rest of the Polygon faded around them; the celebration could have spilled into the docking bay and neither of them would have noticed. Anna briefly shut her eyes, reveling in being held. This felt right.
Colin pressed a soft kiss to the side of her throat before raising his head to look her in the eye. “I love you,” he said softly. Then he tilted his head and leaned in to capture her lips.
This kiss held none of the urgency of any of the previous kisses they had shared. His mouth moved over hers slowly and sweetly, with a tenderness that almost brought tears to her eyes. His tongue swept across her bottom lip in a wordless question, and Anna opened her mouth to his.
Colin kissed her thoroughly and unhurriedly. One hand cupped her face, his fingers sliding into her hair, while the other roamed up and down her back, up and down the length of her arm, before finally skimming down her side to her hip and tugging her closer.
Anna responded in kind, letting her own hands roam while she kissed him back. She ended with one hand tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck.
When he finally broke the kiss, murmuring another, “I love you,” against her lips before he pulled away, Anna smiled at him. Her eyes were dark and heavy-lidded. “I love you too.”
Colin brushed a kiss against each cheek and then pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m glad to hear it. Truly.”
When he smiled at her again, Anna kissed the dimple in his cheek, because she could. Beaming, she pulled back, and her expression must have been so full of satisfaction that Colin chuckled and bent to kiss her again.
This carried on for several more moments. Finally, Colin pulled back, smiling ruefully. “We’d better go join the others.” His hand squeezed her hip. “I have the distinct impression your brother will shoot me out an airlock if we continue any further before he and I have talked.”
Anna wanted to be bold and point out a few things—namely that technically, according to Plimus customs, at any rate, they were married and she thought she’d very much like for Colin to take her to bed right now—but understanding pierced the haze clouding her thoughts. “Vik wouldn’t shoot you out an airlock.” Reluctantly, she disengaged from him. “I wouldn’t let him.”
“That’s comforting.” Colin grinned when she stepped away from him and her knees wobbled alarmingly. “Careful, darling.”
She narrowed her eyes at him in mock-annoyance, her cheeks adorably flushed. “It’s your fault.”
His grin widened, taking on a proud, satisfied note. “I’ll happily accept full responsibility.” He slung an arm around her, tucking her comfortably into his side, as though he couldn’t quite bear to lose all contact.
On that front, Anna thought they were in full agreement.
Chapter 43
THE PARTY WAS IN FULL swing by the time Colin and Anna sauntered into the cantina. Spotting Viktor, Indinara, Jou, and the others at a large corner table, they wove their way through full tables in that direction. As soon as Viktor caught sight of them, he waved an arm in the air and indicated two empty chairs beside him.
“Thanks, Vik,” Anna said with a warm smile, allowing Colin to help her into her chair. She wasn’t used to that kind of attention—and part of her still found it a little odd—but at the same time his old-fashioned courtesy gave her a delicious little thrill. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught several people watching them, her brother included.
Once Colin had seated himself on Anna’s other side, Viktor leaned toward them. His dark eyes, so like Anna’s, were serious. “You’re coming home tonight, right?” His gaze flicked to from Anna to Colin and back. “We’ll sit down and talk tomorrow, but — ”
He didn’t have to finish; Anna was already nodding. After so long of being away from their ship and crew, she wanted a chance to say goodbye to everyone and gather her things before she departed. She exhaled slowly, a sense of finality settling over her like a comforting, well-worn leather jacket slung over her shoulders.
She chanced a sideways glance at Colin. Two months ago, I’d have never dreamed of things turning out this way, but now…?
Now she couldn’t imagine them turning out any differently.
They ordered, and then Colin draped his arm over the back of her chair, curling his fingers around her shoulder. She shot him a smile, before leaning forward to catch Jou’s attention.
Lobai and his wife were here too, though people still gave them something of an uneasy wide berth. This seemed to suit Lobai fine; in fact, Anna wondered if he even noticed. She chided herself laughingly for that thought; however wrapped up in his wife the old man might be, odds were good he was aware of everything going on around him.
As if to prove the point, he glanced up and met her eyes. Lobai raised his glass in a slight toast, his chin dipping in a regal nod. Anna returned the gesture. Not sure I’d ever take a job for you again, but this at least turned out all right, she told him silently.
Toward the end of the evening, Anna found herself looking around the cantina, taking in the sights and sounds. A peculiar feeling lodged behind her breastbone; she had the strangest sensation that this would be the last time she set foot on the Polygon. With their names and ship cleared and restored to good standing in the Federation’s eyes, Viktor and the Iliana would have no real need to stay in a place frequented by pirates and smugglers. And if I stay married to Colin, I won’t need to come here either.
Strange, strange thought.
Some of what she was thinking must have showed on her face, because Colin bent his head toward her. “All right there, lass?”
She nodded, and then flashed him a small smile to show she meant it. This was hardly the time or place to tell him her ruminations.
Colin’s blue eyes searched her face for a second, as though to make sure she was telling the truth, before he went back to his conversation with the spacer to his right about some Federation planet Anna had never heard of. Tatiana, Mondego, and Deek had all arrived and scrounged up chairs from somewhere to squeeze around the table.
On her other side, Viktor shot her a questioning look. I’ll tell you later, she mouthed.
He inclined his head in a sharp nod.
Not too long after that, Viktor detached himself from the table and Anna followed. Colin rose when she stood. Anna was conscious of everyone’s eyes on them, but after everything they’d been through so far, she found that she frankly couldn’t care less what they thought. She wrapped her arms around Colin in a tight hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” His lips curved in a smile before he bent to kiss her goodbye without thinking about it.
Anna met him halfway. It was entirely too brief for her liking, but they were in the middle of the cantina, standing next to her brother and an entire table full of gossipy spacers.
She waved to the table at large. “Good night, all.”
A cheerful chorus answered her, along with more than one raised glass.
Viktor did not speak until they were nearly to their docking tube. That was perfectly fine with Anna; her heart and mind were full. Just as they reached the Iliana, Viktor paused. “We’ll talk in the morning, if that’s okay.” He shook his head, one corner of his mouth kicking up in a rueful grin. “It’s been a really, really long day and I’m still reeling from the fact tha
t we’re not outlaws anymore.”
Anna returned his grin. “I know. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet.” She cast a glance over her shoulder. “Did Lobai say anything about his future plans?”
“I believe he was attempting to hire Indinara to take him and Naoko home.” Viktor made a face. “Wherever that is.” He nodded to Wallop, who was on guard duty, as they reached the top of the landing ramp.
“Anna,” Wallop greeted. “Glad to have you back with us in one piece.” He was a short, but compact young man with a round face and meaty fists. His real name was Pedro, but he packed a wallop in a fight and the name had stuck.
“Good to see you too.” She patted him on the shoulder. “It’s been an adventure.”
Wallop’s dark eyes flicked to Viktor. “So I’ve heard.” He dropped his voice. “I hear you’re planning on leaving us for that freighter captain.”
Part of Anna wanted to laugh; the other part wanted to groan. News sure travels fast. “I’m contemplating it.” She dropped him an exaggerated wink. “I did marry him, after all.”
Now Viktor groaned. “Oh, don’t remind me.”
Wallop looked like he didn’t know whether to smile or wince.
Once they were out of Wallop’s earshot, Anna tugged on Viktor’s sleeve. “Do I even want to know what you’ve been telling them?”
He snorted. “Wasn’t me. I swear, gossip travels faster here than the speed of light.”
Stifling a yawn, Anna nodded.
Viktor’s expression softened. “Get some sleep, sis. We’ll discuss everything in the morning.” He patted her shoulder.
Anna hugged him instead. “Thanks for coming to get us,” she said into his shoulder.
Her brother’s arms tightened around her. “Wasn’t about to let Lobai screw you over again if I could help it. Family’s gotta stick together.”
A lump lodged in Anna’s throat, but she forced herself to swallow it. We’re expanding our family, she told herself. Not breaking it. Aloud, she said, “Yes, we do.”
~oOo~
Her cabin was exactly the same as it had been the last time she saw it. Shutting the door behind her, Anna stood for a moment simply taking in the familiar surroundings. Her bunk, her desk, the various and sundry little things she had collected over the years to brighten the viewport-less bulkheads.