Heidi and the Alien Cop

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  The cop grinned and led Heidi and Shane into the back.

  “Raylic, you should wait out here with the boy,” Xonos said. “I need her to strip down and put on a gown for the examination. If I’m going to do this, I may as well be thorough.”

  Raylic leaned against the opposite hallway wall and held Shane’s hand as the door shut, blocking them from her view. Xonos pulled out a cloth hospital gown and set it on the padded table; then he ducked out of the room to give her some privacy. Heidi changed, but she moved slowly, her stomach aching from the hit she’d taken. She wasn’t surprised when she noticed a bruise shaped like a fist already forming, and she wondered just how bad her face looked this time.

  Once she was dressed, she called out that she was ready, and Xonos re-entered the room. He walked over to the counter and picked up several instruments and a syringe before coming over to her. She eyed the needle with trepidation and wondered if it was necessary.

  “I’m going to take a blood sample just to make sure you’re in good health, and I’m going to do some scans of your body to make sure nothing is broken. Then we’ll take a look at that baby and make sure everything is okay.” Xonos smiled. “I promise I’ll be quick, and make it as painless as possible.”

  During the exam, she watched his facial expressions and didn’t like all the frowns and the bit of growling that he did. Was there something seriously wrong with her? Was she going to die and leave her son without either of his parents? When Xonos was finished, he tucked his hands into his lab coat pockets.

  “I can see the damage your boyfriend did over the time you were with him. Some of the injuries didn’t heal quite right. You don’t have any freshly broken bones though, and the baby seems to be fine. Watch for spotting and have Raylic bring you back if that should happen.”

  “So, I’m okay to get dressed and go?” she asked.

  “Yes, but I’m going to give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. I don’t know much about your history, but if you’re going to the free clinic, I’m going to assume you aren’t taking any.”

  She shook her head.

  “You really need to find a doctor you can see on a regular basis for check-ups during your pregnancy.”

  “I didn’t have one when I had Shane. I’ll be fine, but thank you for your concern.”

  Xonos muttered something again as he stepped out of the room. Heidi changed back into her clothes and then opened the door when she was finished. Raylic didn’t look pleased as he waited for her and she wondered if she’d taken too long. He held a piece of paper in his hand.

  “We’re stopping by the pharmacy on the way out to get this filled,” he said, holding up the prescription. “And then I’m taking you to the hotel to get you settled in for the night.”

  “My daddy won’t be able to find us there, will he?” Shane asked.

  Raylic softened toward her son, and he knelt down. “No, your daddy won’t be able to find you. He went to jail tonight, and he’s not going to get out anytime soon.”

  “I’ll have to testify, won’t I?” Heidi asked, a sour feeling in her stomach. “Do I need to file an official report about what happened tonight?”

  “I’ll pick you up in the morning and take you to the station,” he said. “For now, I think you need to rest.”

  “You’ve been so nice to us. Thank you. I’m Heidi,” she said. “And this is Shane.”

  “It’s nice to meet you both. My name is Raylic.”

  As she followed him out of the clinic, Heidi had to wonder just how much of the officer she would see over the next few days. Would he disappear after she filed her report? Or would he stick around to see how they were doing? There was something about him that made her feel safe, and it wasn’t just his badge. His sheer size should have terrified her after what she’d been through, but something told her he’d never raised a hand in anger to a woman before, and never would. From what little she knew of his kind, they revered women.

  While he might not have a mate right now, she knew he’d take one someday. And she’d be the luckiest woman on Earth.

  Shane tipped his face up to look at her, a smile playing along his lips. “I like him,” he said in a mock whisper.

  The alien chuckled but didn’t say anything.

  “I like him too,” she whispered back, just as loud.

  Raylic looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a wink. Her cheeks flushed as she hurried to keep up with him.

  You get the attention of a nice, decent guy and turn into a hussy, she reprimanded herself. Just because he’d offered to consider her as a potential mate for healthcare purposes, didn’t mean he’d actually meant it.

  Guys like Raylic didn’t marry women like her.

  Chapter Two

  Raylic wasn’t sure what to make of the female and young boy he’d rescued. Despite the fact he’d found her cowering in front of her male, she didn’t seem to have any trouble standing up to him, and had certainly enjoyed kicking her boyfriend when she had the chance. It made him smile to see that spark in her eyes when she’d tried to get her way at the clinic too. It was nice to know the asshole hadn’t completely broken her, even if he had left her in dire straits and all bruised up. The few kicks the bastard had received hadn’t been nearly enough.

  He handed her prescription to the pharmacist and waited as the male scanned it into the system.

  “It’s going to take about a half hour to get this filled. I’m all out of stock and will have to request some from another local pharmacy.” Norco smiled. “I’m glad to see you’ve found a female.”

  He couldn’t deny the claim on her, or Xonos would be in a world of trouble for treating her. “I’ll take them to get something to eat and come back for the pills. If it’s going to take longer, just have reception text me.”

  Norco nodded and turned, presumably to call for the medication.

  Raylic reached for the boy’s hand and the mother’s. Her fingers felt small and delicate in his, and something shifted in his chest. “It’s going to take a little while to get it filled, so we’re going to go grab a bite to eat. Or if you aren’t hungry, we can just get a snack.”

  The boy’s stomach rumbled. “We only had some macaroni for dinner.”

  Heidi’s cheeks flushed. “I was supposed to go shopping today, but Brent drank away our grocery money. And probably the rent too.”

  He wanted to ask why she’d stayed with such an undeserving male but refrained in front of Shane. The boy might know his father was scum, but there was no point in making the male seem even more inadequate in his son’s eyes. As they neared the food court, he tried to remember what small humans liked to eat. Probably not anything nourishing enough for Heidi, since she was expecting, but he supposed any food was better than none.

  “You can pick anything you want,” he told them. “It’s on me.”

  “You’ve already done so much for us,” Heidi protested.

  He arched a brow. “And did you bring money with you?”

  She slowly shook her head.

  “I’m not going to let the boy, or you, starve. You can pick anything you want here, and get as much of it as you want. Macaroni isn’t enough for a pregnant female, or a small boy, to have for dinner.”

  “Mama likes Italian food,” Shane said.

  “That’s pasta and pizza, right?” Raylic asked.

  Shane nodded. “I like it too.”

  He guided them over to the Italian eatery and let them look over the choices. Shane eyed a slice of pizza nearly the size of his head while Heidi drooled over the lasagna. He could tell neither was going to ask for what they wanted and it made him want to kick someone’s ass. They should have never been made to feel that they didn’t deserve the things they wanted most.

  Raylic ordered for them, adding a salad and garlic bread for Heidi, then he selected something for himself. He hadn’t technically been on the clock tonight when he’d gotten the call about the bust at the bar, but knowing they were shorthanded he’d gone anyw
ay, and missed his dinner. The Chinese takeout sitting on his counter would hold for another day, or he’d toss it. A little ruined food was a small price to pay for being in the right place at the right time though. If he hadn’t answered that call, Shane wouldn’t have found him.

  After their order was ready, he let Shane select a place to sit.

  The boy took a huge bite of his pizza and his eyes closed as he savored it.

  “Is it good?” Raylic asked.

  “The best. The only pizza we get are those frozen ones.”

  Raylic had tasted some frozen pizza, and it hadn’t been half bad, but judging by their current circumstances he guessed the boy meant the ones that were only one dollar and probably didn’t have as much flavor, and definitely weren’t big enough for a family. He studied Heidi as she ate her food and wondered how old she was. She didn’t look old enough to have a son Shane’s age, but then he’d met a sixty-year-old woman the other day who didn’t look a day over forty.

  “Thank you for dinner,” Heidi said.

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled. “How does it feel to be free?”

  “Terrifying,” she said. “I don’t know how to take care of myself, much less my son and this baby. I’ll need a job and a place to live. How am I supposed to feed us while I try to work everything out?”

  She cast a worried glance at Shane, but the boy was happily eating and ignoring them.

  For some reason, he didn’t like the idea of her choosing a random male, but it would be wrong not to make her aware of all her choices.

  “The bride program has recently opened a new section. Previously, all brides were sent to my world to find a potential mate, but with so many of us settling here, they’ve decided to give the brides the option to be paired with someone on Earth. It would work similar to your matchmaking services. Would you be open to something like that?”

  “Who would want a pregnant woman with a son in tow?” she asked. “Aren’t most of those women childless?”

  “Well, I haven’t heard of them pairing a single mother yet, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen.” He cleared his throat. “And there are those of us who wouldn’t mind that you’re carrying a child and have another, as long as you were willing to have more.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “What about you?”

  “Me?” His gaze scanned what he could see of her, lingering perhaps a little too long on her rather impressive breasts. “No, it wouldn’t bother me that you had kids with another male.”

  Shane finished his pizza and burped, making him laugh.

  “Shane, that’s impolite,” Heidi said. “Say excuse me.”

  “Excuse me,” the boy said.

  Heidi took her last bite and set her fork aside.

  “Quite all right.” Raylic smiled. “If everyone is finished, do you want to see if your prescription is ready, and then I can show you where you’ll be sleeping?”

  “Do I have to go to bed when we get there?” Shane asked. “I’m not tired.”

  He yawned widely, and Raylic hid a smile.

  “Bath and bed,” Heidi said. “It might be Christmas break, but that doesn’t mean you get to stay up all night.”

  “Will Santa come see me this year? Maybe he won’t be afraid of Daddy this time.”

  Raylic looked at the small boy then his mother. The child had never had a visit from Santa before? Having spent time with his friends’ kids, he knew Santa was a big deal. Had they just not had money for such things? Had the boy ever even received a Christmas present?

  “I don’t know, sweetheart.”

  Heidi looked miserable, and Raylic knew he would do whatever it took to make sure the family was taken care of this holiday season. While his kind didn’t celebrate Christmas, they’d learned to appreciate the human holidays. The mates he knew all celebrated Christmas and made a huge deal about putting a tree up in their homes and wrapping presents. The kids seemed to enjoy it, and it broke his heart that Shane might not have ever experienced the wonder of Christmas.

  Raylic threw their trash away and took Shane’s hand as he led the little family back to the pharmacy. Norco had the pills ready and said he’d set up an account for Raylic that he could pay off at the end of each month. It was rare for him to need medical treatment, but he appreciated the offer.

  He loaded everyone back into the SUV and drove to the hotel that was preferred for Terran use. There was a motel not too far away that also catered to Terrans, but it wasn’t as safe because the rooms opened to the outside. He didn’t want a single mom and her son staying there, even if the neighborhood wasn’t dangerous. At the hotel, he parked and gathered their bags before leading the way inside. The concierge at the desk smiled but looked a little uncomfortable.

  “I need a two-bedroom suite for an undetermined amount of time,” he told the man.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have any vacancies right now. There’s a large wedding party and a conference in town, so the last of our rooms were taken this morning. I should have something available by Monday night though.”

  It was Wednesday. Where the hell was he supposed to put them for that long? The motel was out of the question. As a cop, he’d had way too many calls at the other hotels in town to put them up there. Keeping them safe was his number one priority. There was always a suite at the Terran Station, if he could convince someone to let him use one, but then they’d have to share a bed. After everything they’d been through, they deserved to have their own rooms.

  The man cleared his throat. “I’m afraid you won’t find any hotel rooms in town. Not even the budget motels will have anything.”

  Heidi pulled on his arm. “Just take us to the shelter. We’ll be fine.”

  He growled a little. “You’re not going to the shelter.”

  “Then where are we supposed to go?” she asked. “At least the shelter is better than being on the street.”

  “Do you honestly think I’m just going to abandon you?”

  Her look clearly said that’s exactly what she’d expected. He’d love to get his hands on all the men in her life and pound the shit out of them. Whatever it took to prove to her that not all males were assholes, he’d do it. It was past time that someone took care of Heidi, and he was a little surprised to find that he didn’t mind being that someone. From the moment he’d seen her, waiting to be hit again, something inside of him had wanted to protect her.

  “Come on,” he said, knowing exactly where he’d take them, even if she did balk once she figured out where they were going.

  After loading their bags back into the SUV and getting everyone buckled, Raylic headed for his house. His neighborhood was gated, and several of his friends had homes in the community. His home was large, but not as enormous as Syl’s. It also felt empty most nights when he came home from work. If he hadn’t held out the hope he’d find a mate soon, he never would have purchased something so big, but he’d always wanted a large family.

  “Where are we?” Shane asked. “Is that a museum?”

  Raylic chuckled. “No, it’s not a museum. But we could go see one if you’d like.”

  “Really?” Shane asked. “I’ve never been to one before. Or the zoo.”

  Poor kid. Raylic didn’t know how long Heidi would allow him to be part of their lives, but he planned to make the best of it. If Shane wanted to see a museum, or the zoo, then he’d make it happen. Although they might freeze their asses off at the zoo right now. December in Kentucky was still damn cold. At least snow wasn’t as common as it was a little further north.

  “Come on, let’s get the two of you inside and I can show you around.”

  “Raylic, where are we?” Heidi asked. “We can’t stay in this place.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “It’s too…”

  “Rich,” Shane said. “Rich people live here.”

  “I live here,” Raylic said. “There’s plenty of room for both of you.”

  Heidi made a sound like she was strangling. “There’s p
lenty of room in there for half the city.”

  “Now you’re just being dramatic,” Raylic said. “There are five bedrooms. One is obviously mine, but you can pick from the other four. You can each have your own room.”

  And maybe, while they were here, Raylic would do something with the empty playroom that had been gathering dust. Well, if his housekeeper ever allowed a speck of dust to enter her domain. There couldn’t be many toys or clothes in the tote Heidi had packed for Shane, and he wanted to make sure his guests were comfortable. He just wasn’t sure how to get Heidi to let him buy things for them.

  Raylic got their bags out of the back of the SUV and then unlocked the front door of his home. The alarm went off, and he silenced it. He set their bags down in the front entry and waited for them to step inside. Heidi looked like the house might bite her and Shane stared at everything with wide eyes. He supposed, after the place where he’d found them, they probably hadn’t seen anything this grand before. To him, it was just home.

  He reached out, tugged Heidi into the house and closed the door behind her, twisting the locks. She stared up at the small chandelier that hung over the tiled entry. The light fixture was a little much in his opinion, but he hadn’t had time to change it. He took Heidi’s and Shane’s hands before leading them through the house, pointing out each room. When they went upstairs, Shane stopped at the first bedroom.

  “Can I sleep here?” he asked.

  Raylic wasn’t surprised he’d chosen the blue room with the full-size bed. The furniture was oak and probably too masculine for a female. Raylic put Shane’s bag inside the room and handed him the remote to the TV sitting in the small entertainment center, along with the cable remote.

  “Why don’t you find something to watch while I show your mom the rest of the rooms?” Raylic suggested. “Do you know how to work those?”

  Shane’s brow furrowed. “Where’s the TV? And why are there two remotes?”

  Raylic smiled and opened the cabinet doors. “The skinny remote turns on the TV and changes the volume. The shorter, fatter one is for cable. There are some cartoon channels on there you might like. Push the button that says ‘guide’ and it will show you what’s on right now.”