Captive Hearts

by Gina Leuci

  I bit my tongue as I wanted to scream and shout at the horrid man, but Caleb’s tone remained calm and friendly. “Gentlemen, you are reading far too much into this. I am supposed to be on my honeymoon but have spent the entire night at the station, dealing with—” He offered Roger a pointed look “—wayward children. When I was done, the first thing I wanted to do was be with my bride. I wasn’t on a rescue mission at all.”

  The town’s top councilman took yet another step closer, and I saw Caleb’s shoulders tighten slightly, the only sign of his growing temper. “There is a reason I have a tight security on the two of you,” he said in a snide reminder. “She—,” he pointed at me, moving in my direction, “—is trouble and I don’t trust you to follow through on your responsibilities.”

  Caleb stepped in front of me, blocking me from Roger and his waving finger. “Watch yourself.” His voice went stone cold. “Do not go near my wife.”

  Every time he said that word, wife, something tugged inside, something I can’t explain. Something I had to push to the back of my brain as I continued to watch the drama unfold or at least what I could see, since his stance shielded me from view. When I stepped to the right, trying to see around the stone wall of a man, it was like he sensed my movement and moved with me.

  I stepped closer and grabbed the back of his shirt. This way, he knew where I was and I could stand in place and lean my head to peek around his massive back to see Roger’s eyes narrow at the veiled threat. Harry pulled at his collar, and Scott’s eyes went back and forth, waiting for an altercation to begin.

  Roger stepped closer again, his nose pointed up as he attempted to stare down the imposing police chief. “Are you threatening me?” the older man sputtered.

  “I am making a promise, Roger,” Caleb stressed his name. “If you put so much as a single finger on Grace, I will snap it in half.”

  The councilman went white. I wanted to giggle as a mean thought crossed my mind. While Roger wasn’t a short man by no means; however, next to Caleb, he could have been Lord Fardquaad next to the Ogre from that children’s movie. For all his bravado, he knew when he’d pushed things too far. Roger wasn’t one to not have the last word, though. He raised an eyebrow at me, almost mocking at the way I still peeked from behind my protector.

  “I’m watching you both. I told you what will happen if you help her leave these gates.” He motioned for his minions, and they loaded into the old Lincoln Continental. It wasn’t until the car was down the block before I exploded.

  “Holy Mary, Mother of God, you were amazing. You should have broken his finger, though. He freaking deserved it, the pompous ass.” I nearly jumped in place as the adrenaline continued to pump through my body.

  Caleb rolled his eyes, and I noticed his shoulder muscles relax.

  “How do you maintain control? I had everything I could do to not talk. And thank you for protecting me. That was, well, great.” I stood on my toes and planted a kiss on his lips.

  I wasn’t thinking when I did. It was not planned. But once they were there, I didn’t pull back. At first his lips were tight, not expecting anything, but when they softened, I pressed in until I felt him comply.

  Then it was his lips leading. He didn’t touch me anywhere else. Only his mouth. Answering. Seeking. Calming me and exciting me at the same time.

  When he slowly pulled away, I didn’t want it to end. And if the storm in his blue eyes were any indication, neither did he. He licked his lips and stood straight, still not touching me.

  A couple hours ago we’d agreed to take things slow, but the heat between us was going to make things difficult. But leave it to Caleb to keep his word. “Shall we go in?”

  And I knew with a single tone, that amaze-balls kiss was all I would get tonight.

  ****

  It was like we started over. The only intimate gestures were while we were out in public. We mostly spent time with his children, ensuring no extended periods of alone time. Except at night.

  I always went to bed before he did, pretending to be asleep when he came later, much later, staying well on his side. We were roommates and nothing more.

  It was for the best.

  Friday, I woke extra tired, extra cranky, and with the familiar signs Mother Nature was due for her monthly visit. I checked the closet, and because they are stingy about how much they hand out, I knew I had to make a visit to the pharmacy to get tampons. That prospect made my mood even more sour.

  When Caleb came out of the shower, I was stomping around the kitchen, slamming pans and muttering to myself. Most men I know would have stayed far away from me, but not him. He strolled over, grabbed a bacon slice, and leaned against the counter.

  I pointed my spatula at him. “Did I say you could have bacon? No, I didn’t. Don’t think you can have more than your share when we sit down.

  He continued to eat, obviously not threatened in the least. “What’s got you worked up today?”

  I moved back to my work at the stove. “I woke in a mood. Can’t I have a bad day once in a while?”

  Toast popped in the toaster, and he grabbed it. “Do you want butter or jam?”

  Damn, I had zero patience today. “What do you think? What do I usually have?”

  Caleb didn’t engage. Instead, he spread jam and moved to put the kettle on for his morning cup of tea. He’d been introducing new teas to me each morning, but I was in no mood to discuss the benefits of whatever choice he made today.

  I folded his pepper and onion omelet, removed the home fries from the oven where I’d kept them warm, added a couple more slices of bacon to his plate, and shoved it at him. “Here.”

  He grinned. “Thank you, Grace. It looks delicious.”

  Then he leaned down and kissed me, freezing me in my spot, with a spatula in hand. My body reacted instantly as anger disappeared and something much hotter consumed me. Before I could react, he stepped away and headed to the table as though he hadn’t changed the entire dynamics of the week.

  “Why?” I licked my lips. He hadn’t touched me in four days. “What was that for?”

  He plopped a forkful of food in his mouth and took his time before answering. “Wanted to say thank you.”

  I slowly turned back to the stove and poured my eggs into the hot pan and prepared my omelet on auto pilot. When I finally came to the table, Caleb was finishing his meal. He brought his plate to the sink then returned with two cups of tea and sat across from me as casual as any other day.

  I was halfway through my meal before I realized he had shifted my mood. Sneaky bastard. “Are we heading to your mom’s again today?” I muttered,

  “We could. It’s supposed to rain later. How would you feel about taking the brood to the movies?”

  I’d been here nine weeks and hadn’t gone to their theater, and it’s not like they had a huge selection of places to go in the tiny town. “Sure.” I took a sip of tea. “What’s in this?”

  Caleb finished his last bite of bacon and pushed his plate away. “Hmm, I believe that particular blend has lavender.”

  Even novice that I am, I knew he’d chosen it for its calming effect. It wasn’t going to work today. I changed the subject. “I, ah, need to go over to the pharmacy first.”

  Caleb raised his cup but not before I saw the slight lift of his lips. Damn him, he’d suspected. Of course, he’d grown up with sisters and had been married before. “Not a problem. We can go together.”

  “You don’t have to,” I muttered. “I am capable.”

  He didn’t hesitate. “Am I going to get a call because you threatened bodily harm to Sean?”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “Depends on if that little nerd gives me a third-degree, but I’m not making any promises.”

  “We’ll go together.” While his tone was decisive, the sparkle in his eye made me think he was more than a little amused at my expense.

  It was time to change the subject before my morning moodiness turned back to testy again. “I want to go to the sto
re, as well. I told your mom I would cook dinner. No need for her to cook every night when we’re always there.”

  We cleaned the kitchen together, like we had every morning, then I took my turn in the shower. It was like the mood-changing kiss never happened. Except it did. Sure, I’d figured out his motives for the kiss, and it had worked, but it didn’t change the fact it had ignited the flame I’d stifled for the past week.

  Not that I hadn’t been physically aware of him every moment of every day, because I had. Every time he’d put his hand on my back, or held my hand, or even brushed by me in the tiny confines of the kitchen, my every nerve ending had strummed a happy song.

  I was especially aware of him when he climbed into bed at night. Yes, I was excruciatingly aware he wore only his briefs—and I suspected he did so only for my benefit. Every night I concentrated on keeping my breathing slow and even, while inside I noticed how long his legs were next to mine, how broad his shoulders are, and how much room he takes up in the king-size bed. I was learning his breathing patterns, and that he doesn’t snore. I’d lay on my side, my back to him, forcing myself not to roll over and curl into his warmth.

  I dried my hair and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had grown this summer, but that wasn’t the only difference. I looked older. Or maybe I felt older. It was my eyes. The brown seemed darker than I remembered. More serious. More reflective.

  I was twenty. For another few weeks. Yikes. But this summer had changed me more than I had ever planned. It should have been full of fun and excitement, being away from home. Instead, I’d been handed the weight of the world. I was trapped in a town and didn’t know how I was going to leave. And, I was married—sort of—to a man I was attracted to and could easily fall for if we didn’t keep our distance.

  “Ready, Grace?”

  I closed my eyes against my reflection and breathed deep. Another day in paradise. I could do this.

  When I went back into the bedroom, I saw everything back in its place. One thing I’d discovered about Caleb is that he’s a neat freak. When I am in the shower, he goes into the bedroom and makes the bed, with perfect hospital corners, and folds or hangs any of my clothes I’d left on the floor. After the towel incident with Jake, I promised myself I’d get better at picking up, but mornings are not my time to think clearly. I blame it on the lack of coffee.

  I slipped on my flip-flops and my sunglasses. Despite my nasty mood today, we still had a role to play in public. It seemed Caleb didn’t have any issues being the doting husband, so I needed to change my focus a bit. It shouldn’t be too difficult. All I needed to get into character was to remember the kiss from this morning.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The pharmacy was busy with two people in line ahead of me. Before long, there were three people behind me, including my former boss, the sour-faced Jackie. If this was like a normal pharmacy, people could roam the aisles, choosing their own products, but Nooo. The control freaks in this town had to question every person about every selection.

  My foot was tapping in agitation by the time it was my turn, and I saw the pharmacist’s eyes widen when he saw me. Asking Caleb to wait outside may have been a mistake.

  “Morning, Sean. I need tampons.” Short. To the point.

  The string bean of a man motioned for me to scan my bracelet, which I did, and all my information popped up on his screen. And then the inquisition began. He stared straight at the screen, avoiding me as he spoke. “It says you are now married. Do you have your menstrual cycle tracking book with you?”

  “The what?” It took me a second before I grasped what he meant. “You mean the calendar Dr. Todd gave me?”

  Oh, hell, this was going to go downhill faster than an Olympics Luge run. When Caleb stepped up beside me, I knew he must have been watching through the doors waiting for my turn. He wasn’t going to let me do this alone, God bless the man.

  The pharmacist gulped as he continued with what must be a script he was forced to read. “The book Dr. Todd provided helps you determine when your most fertile days are and…”

  I gave a pleading look to the large, controlled man beside me and allowed him to take over. “Sean, haven’t you learned anything the past two months with Grace? She is not going to discuss her sex life with you, or the several patrons in line behind us. She is requesting a specific item which implies an answer to the unasked question.”

  Sean’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked from Caleb, back to his screen, and then to me. “But I have to fill in the screen before I can requisition the item.”

  “I see.” Caleb maintained civility while I nearly shook. “What exactly do you need to know?”

  “Um, well, I’m supposed to use the book to fill in which days and how often you logged your, um…” String Bean couldn’t continue his sentence so he rushed forward. “I’m supposed to remind you as a married couple, it is your duty to preserve the future of this town by…” He slowed, barely said each word. When I looked up at Caleb’s cold, dark expression, I could see why. “…providing children for the next generation. And, uh, if you are having trouble conceiving, Dr. Todd can run some tests.”

  The people behind us stepped back as the man beside me straightened to his full height. Now he knew how I felt when I walked into this place.

  “Let’s break this down so you can put in your notes. One: have you seen my wife? She is sexy as hell. So, no problems in that department.”

  There was no denying the thrill his words sent through me. Part of me knew it was all talk, but I couldn’t help the satisfied smug. I rocked back on my heels as he continued. “Two: I already have three children, so I think we’ve answered the fertility question. Three: We have only been married twelve days so let's not expect miracles. Do you think you can fill in your boxes and get Grace what she asked for?”

  With wide-eyes, the thin man typed quickly into the computer and disappeared behind the doors to the supply area. This time, when we left the pharmacy, it was my turn to calm Caleb.

  “Mother of God, why did I not see this before I left the first time?” he murmured. “Before I brought my children back here to live? One of these days my own daughters will feel forced to answer those same questions.”

  I pressed my lips together at his blasphemy and put a reassuring hand on his arm. “You held it together a lot better than I would have. Maybe we got everyone in there thinking. Maybe they’ll start to question things as well.” I could dream, right? “Well, except for Jackie. She actually looked smug at the inquisition, but she hasn’t liked me from day one.”

  He ran a frustrated hand over his chin. “Jackie’s harmless. Ever since her son died, she’s been on a crusade to have stricter regulations on prescription drugs.” He stopped to look back at the pharmacy entrance, and I finally got my chance to find out about my former boss and her unapproachable personality.

  “What happened to him?” For once Caleb wasn’t on track with me so I continued my prompt. “Jackie’s son. She told me he died outside the gates. How?”

  The distraction seemed to help as Caleb took my hand as we strolled away from the clinic. “He fell off a tractor and broke his back. The town sent him for physical therapy three times a week at a nearby town’s hospital facility. Joshua became addicted to the pain meds they provided. He stopped going to PT and instead used the co-pay we were sending him with to purchase stronger drugs. Until he overdosed. Jackie blames the ‘low-life druggies’ for his death. Then she became the biggest crusader for stricter prescription drug protocols. I guess, since then, the changes at the pharmacy have become as strict as the rest of the security in this town.”

  He looked down at me, his eyes full of sorrow. “I have been foolishly blind. I’m sorry, Grace. I followed orders to bring you all here without seeing the big picture.”

  “It’s not your fault.” It was different, me, reassuring this usually unflappable man. “I know you were still reeling from your wife’s death. I don’t blame you.” The shake of his head told me he b
lamed himself, and there was nothing I could say or do to change it.

  I looked up at the gray sky as I felt the moisture tap down on my head. “Come on. The rain is starting, and I still need to get groceries for supper. If you haven’t noticed, I am a pretty darn good cook and I like to bake, too. If you tell me what you want, I’ll make dessert for tonight.”

  The distraction worked up until we were heading toward the checkout when we were accosted by Frank. “Oh, good, you’re here. You saved me a phone call. Come with me.”

  It was the longest and also shortest walk to the jewelry department at the back of the store. My feet felt like lead as we followed the tiny man until he disappeared around the counter then popped up and excitedly presented two ring boxes. “Did you know the wedding band dates back almost five thousand years.” The jeweler explained, as he opened both boxes and placed them on the glass counter. “It’s believed to have originated with the Egyptians.”

  I tuned out the troll of a man as Caleb took the smaller band out of the box and lifted my finger, sliding the shiny gold band into place. I couldn’t look at him. I was thankful I’d left my hair down today, as the long strands hid my face as I stared at our joined fingers. Knowing what was expected, I fumbled with the other box, as I repeated the gesture while the jeweler continued to talk incessantly on my deaf ears about wedding rings

  We were both silent during the exchange, but I couldn’t hide the shake of my hands. This made it all real. Living with Caleb, well, I can pass it off as us being roommates. Like living in the dorms, having guy friends crash on the floor. Except here Caleb shared the same bed.

  Nothing about this unity was normal. We’d stood in front of the town in mud-soaked clothes, while the pastor proclaimed our marriage. No vows had been made. Now, we stood in a crowded warehouse of a store, exchanging rings while shoppers brushed by without a care in the world.

  Caleb watched me, and I knew I was supposed to say something, do something, to keep the appearance of our farce alive while Frank stood with an expectant grin. What were supposed to do? Did he expect us to say: With this ring, I thee wed?