Smooth talking stranger

by Lorraine Heath

  “This is it,” Riker said.

  “It’s great,” Hunter said. More than great. It was a kid’s paradise. The wooden structure stood on stilts and straddled the neighbor’s fence, so the boy next door could easily play in it. Hunter didn’t have to ask who had built it. He knew it was the same guy who had built the backyard deck. Jack Morgan.

  Neighbor. Friend. Idiot if he’d never put a move on Serena. How could he have not been attracted to her? Made no sense. No sense at all.

  “Want to come inside?” Riker asked.

  Hunter nodded. “Sure.”

  He followed Riker up the ladder and ducked in through the narrow doorway. He was impressed. There was a small table and two chairs. Drawings on the walls. Maps. Diagrams. Obviously these boys played some sort of war games.

  “Very nice,” he said, figuring that’s what Riker needed to hear.

  “I’m almost too old to be playing in forts,” Riker said.

  Hunter shrugged. “Sometimes a guy needs his own space.”

  “Yeah, especially during that time of the month.”

  Hunter narrowed his eyes in speculation, wondering if Riker meant what Hunter thought he meant. “What time of the month?”

  “When Mom is grumpy. Uncle Jack says, ‘it’s just that time of the month.’ It’s kinda like werewolves and a full moon, I guess. Doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you’d better watch out.”

  Hunter fought not to laugh. He had a few months before he’d have to deal with PMS. “Seems like Uncle Jack tells you a lot of things.”

  Riker nodded quickly. “He’s the greatest. But he’s not really my uncle. Uncle Kevin is my uncle. He’s not as much fun, though.” His eyes widened. “But he’s rich. He always sends me a hundred dollars for Christmas and my birthday.”

  “Sounds like a good guy.” But Riker was right. Not nearly as good as a guy who builds you a fort.

  A loud knock caught his attention. “Hey, are y’all going to spend the night in there?” Serena called out.

  Hunter stuck his head through the door. “No, I was just getting the grand tour.”

  “I don’t have anything to fix for supper. I need to go to the grocery store. If you want to give me a list of some things you like to eat—”

  “Why don’t we all go?” Hunter suggested.

  “Grocery shopping?”

  “Sure. Give me a better feel for the town. Then I can just pick up what I want.”

  He didn’t know why she looked uncomfortable with that idea. And talking to her through the opening of the fort had him at a disadvantage. He climbed out and down the ladder and faced her. “You don’t want me going to the grocery store. Am I going to discover you were more than friends with the butcher?”

  Laughing lightly, she rubbed her hand up and down his arm. “No, it’s just that I’ve discovered if I don’t take a list to the store then I tend to go over my budget. My business brings in some money, but not a lot. I’ve always felt that spending time with Riker was more important than spending money on him, so I have to carefully watch my budget.”

  “Not anymore.”

  She shook her head, nodded, shook her head. “We need to talk about finances and how we’re going to divide expenditures.”

  “It’s pretty simple. You buy it. I pay for it. Whatever money you make from your business is yours to spend however you want.”

  “Mom, we could get a pool then.” Riker was sitting in the doorway of his fort, obviously listening.

  Serena shook her head. “Riker, this is between Hunter and me.”

  “But we’re a family. We’re supposed to make decisions together.”

  “Some decisions. Not all decisions.”

  Hunter slipped his arm around Serena, drew her up against his side. “Look, we obviously have some adjusting to do all the way around. For tonight, why don’t we just get the groceries, and we’ll address the other issues later.”

  “All right. But we will address them.”

  “Sure.” Hunter looked over his shoulder and winked at Riker. If the kid wanted a pool, he was going to get a pool.

  Serena’s house suddenly seemed much smaller with Hunter prowling through it. And prowling was the best word to describe the way he moved. Serena had always thought that Hunter possessed a predator-like stillness but tonight he seemed antsy.

  They’d gone out to get pizza for supper, and then at Riker’s request, they’d stopped by the video store and picked up Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Riker was lost in the story—even though he’d seen it twice before. Every time she got absorbed in the movie, Hunter would shift his body, distracting her.

  He moved from the couch to the chair, to the kitchen for a drink, back to the chair, to the couch, petted Lucky, sighed, then leaned toward her and whispered, “I’m stepping out back for a minute.”

  She watched him head back to the kitchen where he’d have access to the back deck, the beagle trailing along after him. Riker paused the DVD and looked at her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Why’d he leave?”

  “I think he’s already seen this movie.”

  Riker shook his head. “He didn’t even know who Frodo was, Mom. And he asked me about my friend, Yoda. There’s a lot of stuff he doesn’t know.”

  She hugged him. “He’ll learn. You keep watching your show. I’m going to go talk to him.”

  She found Hunter on the top step of the deck, Lucky on one side of him, his head on Hunter’s lap, Hunter scratching behind his ear. She sat on the other side, slipped her arm around Hunter’s and leaned her head against his shoulder. She’d been afraid that the only thing they’d really have together was sex.

  “Married life not to your liking?” she asked softly.

  He kissed the top of her head. “I’m liking it just fine. I’m just not much into watching TV. And that guy on that show that’s supposed to be an elf?” He shook his head. “I always thought elves were little, flying around flowers and stuff.”

  Smiling, she squeezed his arm. “It’s all fantasy. Elves can be whatever you want them to be.”

  “You don’t have to sit out here with me,” he said quietly.

  “I know, but I want to.”

  He looked up at the sky. “With the lights from the town you can’t see the stars very well.”

  “You like looking at the stars.”

  “I like being outside. I get claustrophobic when I’m inside and don’t have to be. Which is odd because a lot of my job involves being in tight places, being absolutely still, not scratching an itch, just listening and waiting. I can be cold, wet…scared. But I wait until I can do what I’ve been sent to do.”

  “What are you sent to do?”

  He shifted his attention to her, and in the pale light spilling out through the kitchen window, she could see his somber smile. “Is this one of your twenty questions?”

  She wondered if she really wanted an answer. “We’re married, Hunter. I should be able to ask all the questions I want. Personal or otherwise.”

  “For better or worse?”

  Swallowing hard, she nodded. “For better or worse. I want to know who my husband is.”

  “I neutralize threats.”

  Her heart thudded against her chest. Her imagination shifted into overdrive. She could interpret his words several different ways, and she suspected that he was trying to soften the truth, to protect her from gaining the knowledge of what he truly did. “Do you do that by killing them?”

  He released a deep sigh, but held her gaze. “Sometimes. You’re trying to make it personal, and it’s not. Sometimes I’m simply sent to gather information. That’s not always a pretty process. I don’t deal with the good guys, Serena. Sometimes I’m not even sure that I’m a good guy.”

  “You are.”

  “I want to be. For you, your son, the baby. I’m usually able to blend in—wherever I’m sent. But I don’t know how to blend in with yellow curtains.”
/>   “I can always change the curtains.”

  Reaching out, he cradled her cheek with the most tender touch she thought she’d ever received. “I don’t want you to change anything. There have never been yellow curtains in my life, Serena.”

  He kissed her, and she wanted to hold him close and never let go. Keep him with her, not let him go away on a mission that might turn ugly. She wanted more windows in the house, more yellow curtains, wanted to fill his life with bright colors and sunshine.

  He ended the kiss and said in a low voice, “I think we should get a pool.”

  She drew back. “What?”

  “Riker wants a pool. I think we should get one.”

  “They’re expensive.”

  “Yeah, he told me. About a million dollars.”

  She laughed lightly. “Not quite that much, but you don’t have to buy him a pool.”

  “I want to. I want to be the best dad that I can be.”

  Her heart aching, she ran her hand along the side of his face. “Then give him your time.”

  Hunter felt like a visitor in a strange world. He’d lived in foster homes where meals were eaten together, chores dished out, kindness offered. But he’d never thought of himself as being part of a family—and that’s what he had now, what he wanted to hold onto.

  He really thought Riker would prefer to have a pool, but he figured Serena knew her son better than he did, so he’d work on figuring out how to give the boy his time. He and Serena returned to the living room about the time some major battle was going on. Riker’s gaze was glued to the TV, and every now and then, he’d give a little bounce as though he was imagining himself in the thick of things. Watching the kid was more interesting than watching the movie.

  He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d ever had that much enthusiasm about anything. This boy lived in a safe environment where he didn’t have to worry about being hit or hurt or screamed at for having his feet in the chair and not being still. And that was good, because that’s what he wanted for his own child.

  He wanted his kid to grow up in this home with this woman and this boy.

  Serena sat on the couch and rubbed her hand over the empty spot beside her. He joined her, rested his arm along the back, and began toying with her hair. She snuggled up against his side. He loved that aspect of her—that she was quick to offer comfort, even if it wasn’t asked for.

  When the movie was finally over, Serena picked up the remote and turned off the TV. Riker twisted around in his chair to face them, his brow furrowed.

  “Do I have to go to bed already?”

  “In a little bit. Right now we want to share some good news with you.”

  “We’re getting a pool?”

  Hunter tugged on her hair. She rolled her eyes at him, before looking back at Riker. “We’re still discussing that. What we wanted to tell you was that…we’re going to have a baby. You’re going to be a big brother.”

  “Okay.”

  She looked at Hunter and he wondered if she was expecting him to say something profound. What the hell could he add? He shifted his gaze to Riker, who also looked as though he was waiting to hear more.

  “We’ll be a family.”

  Riker nodded. “Can I call you Dad?”

  Hunter’s stomach clenched and his heart kicked an extra beat. “Sure, I’d like that.”

  The words sounded strangled, but Riker didn’t seem to notice. “Great.”

  “Do you have any other questions?” Serena asked.

  Riker shook his head.

  Serena smiled. “All right then. Go get ready for bed, and we’ll be up in a minute.”

  “Can’t I stay up longer?”

  “Not tonight,” Serena said.

  “But I don’t have school tomorrow.”

  “I’m tired, Riker. We’re going to bed.”

  “I could stay up with him.” He pointed at Hunter.

  “Not tonight.”

  Hunter thought about saying he’d stay up with the kid, but he didn’t want to spoil any routines, wasn’t exactly sure what his role should be. So he kept quiet and watched as the kid slowly made his way up the stairs, holding onto the banister as though he was scaling the summit of Mount Everest.

  Serena got up, went to the TV, and popped out the DVD. She turned to him and smiled. “That went easier than I expected. He usually has more excuses for staying up.”

  “I don’t mind staying up with him,” Hunter offered. Okay, he minded a little. He and Serena still had unfinished business from this afternoon.

  “He needs to keep his routine.”

  Hunter nodded. He figured that. “How did you learn all this parenting stuff?”

  “Mostly I called and asked my mother. I’m really going to miss her when this baby is born. She stayed with me after Riker was born. I was so afraid I’d do something wrong.”

  He was worried he’d do something wrong now. “Look, if I do something that’s not what I need to do for these kids, you let me know.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think you’ll be a good father.”

  “Mom, I’m ready!”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Definitely too cooperative. He might be trying to impress you.”

  Hunter stood. “He impressed me the first time I met him. Just like his mom.”

  Smiling softly, she lifted up on her toes and kissed him. Briefly, but with a hint that there was more to come.

  “I’m going to tuck him in,” she said.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  It seemed the right thing to say, the right thing to do. And it was certainly something that he wanted to be part of. He wanted them to be a family. The fact that he only had a vague idea of what that entailed wasn’t going to deter him. He figured Serena was a model to follow—and he intended to do just that. Follow her up the stairs and see where things led.

  In Riker’s room, he was surprised to see the boy already beneath the sheet, reading a book, the dog nestled at the foot of the bed. Serena took the book from him and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. Riker scooted down onto his back. Standing beside the bed, Serena combed her fingers gently through his hair.

  “Sweet dreams.”

  She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

  Hunter wondered how many times they might have exchanged those words, those actions. She returned to his side and turned off the light.

  “Good night, sweetie.”

  “ ’Night, Mom…’night…Dad.”

  Hunter felt as though he’d been ambushed and taken a devastating blow to his heart. A fierce protectiveness he’d never before experienced welled up inside him. He’d been completely unprepared for the impact of that one word, delivered to him with a young boy’s voice and doubts.

  He was crossing the room before he even realized he’d made the decision to do so. He reached Riker’s side, folded his hand around the boy’s skinny shoulder, and squeezed. “Good night, Son.”

  He took another blow to the heart as the boy’s face—limned by the light from the hallway—split into a wide grin. He thought he could stand here all night saying those three little words and watching the boy’s reaction to them.

  “ ’Night, Dad,” Riker said again, with more confidence and sureness echoing in his voice.

  Hunter grinned. “ ’Night.”

  He walked back to the doorway where Serena was waiting, smiling, her eyes glistening. And he suddenly felt as though he’d found what he’d been searching for his entire life. He couldn’t name it, describe it, or pinpoint it. He only knew that he’d found it.

  Chapter 23

  Having a husband in the house wasn’t like having a guest in the house. Her completely feminine pale pink bathroom now had male accoutrements in it: an additional toothbrush, shaving gel, razor. And she’d hung out another towel, so Hunter wouldn’t have to go scrounging through the linen closet for it.

  She’d thought of this house as hers and Riker’s. She’d never had another
man other than her father sleep in the house. Yet even now she was aware of Hunter prowling through the rooms, checking the doors, windows, and locks. The house simply had a different feel to it, and part of her wondered if they should start over. Buy a new house. Turn it into theirs, rather than slowly converting this one.

  As she removed her clothes and slipped on her silken robe, she realized that her life was filled with rituals that were slowly changing, evolving. Riker now had two parents to tuck him in. Her heart had expanded as she’d watched the initial shock on Hunter’s face give way to wonder after Riker had called him Dad. She didn’t think it was so much that he was surprised that her son had called him Dad. After all, Riker had asked right off the bat if he could have that privilege.

  No. She suspected that Hunter had been unprepared for all he would experience when that powerful word was applied to him.

  Unlike her, he wasn’t easy to read, but she was beginning to recognize the moments when he was disarmed. The evidence was subtle, a vulnerability expressed only with his eyes.

  She imagined that his occupation required that he keep all signs of weakness hidden. He had to always appear strong, in control, powerful. The elements that had first attracted her to him.

  But it was the small kindnesses, the strangled rasp of his voice as he’d said good night to Riker, his desire to do right by them, to be a good father and husband, that would keep him with her.

  She tightened the sash of her silky robe, walked into the bedroom, and turned down the covers to her bed.

  Her bed?

  Their bed.

  It didn’t quite seem like theirs yet. He hadn’t brought a lot of items with him. Only a couple of bags. She’d cleaned out a drawer for him and made room in the closet. She supposed once he returned from this mission, he might move other things to her—their—house.

  She would redecorate while he was gone. The nursery, but also this room. Add a masculine touch.

  She’d expected him to return by now. Where was he?

  She stepped into the shadowy hallway.

  He was standing in the doorway to Riker’s room. Still. Unmoving.