“After dinner,” Neil muttered. “I’m starving here, ladies.”
Anna’s eyes met Claire’s and they both laughed.
Neil grinned. “Hey. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard Claire laugh.”
Claire nodded her agreement. “You know, I can’t remember the last time I actually did. I think it was at Sarah’s going away party back in January. Ever since she left Heyward, my life’s been going out of whack again because Will showed up afterwards.”
As Anna walked into the kitchen and headed toward the fridge, she asked, “So who is this husband of yours? What does he do for a living, that always seems to allow him the free time to follow you around?”
“Will’s parents own one of the biggest real estate offices in Milwaukee, so Will just naturally began working there after he got his business degree at Wisconsin.” Claire grimaced. “His father is also running for the state senate.”
Neil frowned. “I don’t know much about Wisconsin politics. Has Sarah done the research?”
Anna began pulling the food she’d bought earlier from the fridge, glancing at Neil and Claire. “Want to try some chicken?”
“I thought you said you only bought deli?” Neil asked. “That looks good.”
“The offerings were more like a buffet. I guess there aren’t too many carry out places in town, so they also do some local catering,” Anna answered. “I’ll heat the chicken in the microwave.”
Once they were sitting around the kitchen table eating, Claire answered Neil’s question. “As far as Will’s family? I doubt if Sarah’s looked into him. The last time she and I talked everything was fine. Will seemed to have finally quit stalking me.”
“What’s his full name?” Neil asked, reaching for a pad of paper Anna had left laying on the counter near a phone book.
“William Abernathy. His father is Wesley. And as far as I know, their family is native to Milwaukee,” Claire answered.
“I know someone who can check into him,” Neil said, before spooning some potato salad into his mouth.
Anna was curious. “Is it anyone I know?”
Neil gave her a half smile. “Sure, you do. None other than Colonel Jason Matthews.”
Anna nodded her approval. “That’s right. I forgot Jason has some serious skills and connections, which is always good.”
“Who’s Jason Matthews?” Claire asked.
Neil answered, “He’s the military liaison for the wounded warrior home here in Crystal Rock. He rotates his time between several other facilities, but from what I’ve heard, he’s decided to make this town his permanent home. He lived here when he was a kid. He’s engaged now too, and I guess he and his fiancé are supposed to be back in town for a friend’s wedding.”
“Sounds like nearly everyone who was in Iraq during Jason’s final mission is going to be around the next few weekends,” Anna said.
“Yeah, it’s kind of funny how so many of us are ending up here in Crystal Rock,” Neil answered. “I think that sometimes tragedy creates a bond for those who live through it.”
Claire looked at Neil and then at Anna. “I take it something awful happened with your mission?”
Anna sighed. “The mission was successful, but afterwards the base was attacked unexpectedly.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Claire answered, closing her eyes. “You’re talking about when Alex Benton was killed. Aren’t you?”
“I completely forgot you’re from the same town as Sarah and her brother. We called him Hawk,” Anna said softly.
Claire opened her eyes, looking forlorn. “Alex and I dated a little in high school.”
Anna’s eyes went wide. “You did?
Claire smiled wryly. “We didn’t have much in common. He loved heavy metal.”
Anna blinked, looking at Neil. “I’m glad he didn’t play it around us.”
“Hey, I never knew either. And we were pretty close,” Neil answered.
The three of them laughed.
“Well enough of the wartime talk,” Neil said. “You’ve got enough on your plate Claire, without having to listen to our mostly grim recollections.”
Anna gave Claire a smile. “Besides, I’m sure Neil and I will be doing a lot of catching up about the past when we see everyone at the wedding.”
Once he’d finished dinner, Neil stood up with his paper plate and threw it into the garbage. “I’m going to go pick up a change of clothes for tomorrow and take a look around. That’s one good thing about this area being isolated from the main road leading onto the property. The only place close enough to park, besides along the narrow blacktop connecting our cabins, is the wounded warrior home.” He looked at Claire. “What kind of car does your ex drive?”
She rolled her eyes upward and snorted. “A Lexus, of course.”
Neil laughed, winking at Anna. “Of course.”
Anna grinned, watching Neil walk outside through the doorway.
Standing up and locking the back door, Anna threw away her own paper plate and made a small pot of coffee, waiting for Claire to finish eating. “I’m going to pull out some of those boxes I’ve stashed in the closet.”
Claire answered, “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I’ve washed up.”
Anna opened the door of the hall closet, dragging out some boxes. It was hard to believe she’d only shoved them into the closet yesterday.
“Can I help?” Claire asked, looking at Anna’s arm.
Anna grinned. “You’d be surprised how well I can manipulate this prosthetic.”
When Claire smiled, a dimple stood out near the corner of her mouth. “Probably not, if you’re the weapons specialist.”
Anna chuckled. “I know I’m bound to be seriously underestimated when I begin as an instructor.”
“Sarah told me that she hand-selected you out of the group who’d applied, not knowing that Brand had asked you to.”
Anna stilled. “She did? I didn’t realize that. I have a feeling that Sarah and I are going to end up being very good friends.”
Claire smiled again. “Me too, and I’m glad. Sarah doesn’t make friends easily. She appears to be a lot more distant than she actually is.”
“I can understand that perfectly.” Anna nodded her agreement distractedly as she dragged one of the boxes into her bedroom and began pulling out clothes, laying them on the bed.
After following her inside, Claire laughed loudly as Anna began sifting through items and grouping them according to color.
Anna scrunched her nose. “I guess you can understand why I wasn’t too keen on wearing this stuff?”
“You don’t like the color pink?” Claire answered.
“Or neon green or purple.” She grimaced. “I feel bad because many of these things were gifts from my dad’s girlfriend, who didn’t really understand me at all. But I think you know where I’m going with this?”
“You want me to hide in plain sight?”
“Yep, that’s it. I noticed you usually have your hair up. Have you always worn it like that?”
“I have,” Claire answered. “But I kept it long because Will liked it that way, I used to even have it bleached because he liked it blonde.”
“Oh, geez. You covered up that beautiful black hair?”
“I went back to the original color when we divorced and had it cut short.”
Pulling the barrette from Claire’s hair, Anna studied her thoughtfully. “Don’t get it cut again but leave it loose.”
Walking up to the dresser and opening the top drawer, Anna pulled out a box of hair accessories, and began sifting through items and piling them on top of the dresser. Next, she strolled over to the closet, unhooking a long organizer attached to a hanger inside.
Claire’s eyes went wide. “How many pairs of sunglasses do you have?”
Anna chuckled. “I lost count a long time ago. I have this freaky obsession about collecting sunglasses, socks and scarves. But I think it all began when I lost my mom to cancer. Some of what I have in my collect
ion was hers and wearing what belonged to her keeps her close to my heart.”
“That’s beautiful,” Claire answered, looking somewhat sad. “My mom has been acting strange with me ever since Will and I got divorced. My dad was behind me one-hundred percent, but I think my mom really expected me to stay married, even after I told her everything that had been happening.”
“Give it time,” Anna answered. “Something in her own past might have contributed with her not supporting and respecting your decision. Truthfully? It was the same for me and my dad. I have four brothers, all serving in various branches of the military, but when I talked about wanting to enter the academy, my father ignored my wishes.”
Claire was definitely curious. “What happened?”
Anna shrugged. “I enlisted. We’ve still never really talked about why he wouldn’t discuss the plans I had for my future. I keep hoping that someday…”
Claire answered, “I hope you get it worked out too.”
Anna sighed heavily, squaring off her shoulders. “Okay. Let’s have you try on some of this stuff.”
“Alright. Where shall I start?”
Following Anna’s suggestions, Claire tried on multiple combinations, and by the time she was wearing her final look, Anna was nodding her head in approval. Brushing and gathering Claire’s hair away from her face with a headband, Anna shoved some oversized pink sunglasses over Claire’s eyes.
There was a knock at the back door, and Anna checked her watch. “That should be Neil, but stay here, just in case. Anna picked up the rifle she’d left propped in the corner and went to answer the door.
Peeking through the kitchen window to the well-lit back porch, she called out to reassure Claire. “The coast is clear. It’s Neil.”
When Neil walked inside through the doorway, his mouth gaped open as Claire walked into the kitchen wearing one of her new teenage get-ups.
Anna grinned, seeing the look on his face. “She looks just like a self-absorbed teenager. Doesn’t she?” Wearing a clingy pair of gray tights, she had on a matching gray sports bra with pink stripes along the side, with an unzipped gray and pink sweatshirt completing the look.
“Geez. I would’ve never recognized you, Claire.” Neil’s look was thoughtful. “How about an mp3 player too?” He began digging through the bag he was carrying over his shoulder. And pulling a small device from one of the pockets, he handed it over to Claire. “I have like three of them from when I run and work out. I’m always dropping them or forgetting to take them out of my pockets when I do laundry.”
“Hold on a second,” Anna said, rushing back to the closet where the rest of her boxes were stashed. When she found what she was looking for, she walked back into the kitchen.
Claire laughed. “More pink, huh?” But after strapping the pink bag crosswise over her shoulders, Claire slipped the mp3 player into the pocket and stuck its earphones into her ears before putting on the pink sunglasses again.
Neil laughed. “I can’t get over it. You look like you’re a high school student.”
“And another good thing?” Anna said. “These kinds of items are so compact, you can carry a week’s worth of clothing in that bag, along with a wallet and purse, if you have to pick up and go.”
The words seemed to sober Claire up, and recognizing the look, Anna patted Claire on the back before giving her a quick hug. “It’s going to be alright. You have a lot of people on your side.”
“Anna, you really don’t know how much it’s meant to me, having your help,” Claire answered.
“Yes, I do,” Anna said, stepping back and staring reassuringly into Claire’s eyes.
.
Chapter Twelve
Since there were two bathrooms at his cabin as opposed to the one at Anna’s, Neil had taken a quick shower before returning.
They were all pretty worn out tonight, so soon after Anna got Claire’s clothing situated and packed for the next day, since they’d be dropping her at school without returning to the cabin, they all settled in for sleep around ten p.m.
But something woke Neil up about an hour later, and he sat up quickly on the couch, attaching his prosthetic and pulling his sweats back on over his shorts. There was a knock at the kitchen door, and Neil rushed to Anna’s room where she was already sitting up in the bed and pulling on the harness for her own prosthetic.
Dressed in the sweats and t-shirt she’d been sleeping in, Claire walked through the doorway of her room, standing beside Neil.
“Claire—go hide in the attic,” Anna said softly. “The staircase pulls down with that rope in your bedroom closet.”
“Claire, I know you’re in there,” a voice shouted from outside.
“Damn it,” Claire swore. “I really thought he wouldn’t mess with me since I’m obviously not here alone.”
Will Abernathy pounded harder at the door.
“That’s alright, Claire,” Neil muttered. “Like Anna said, go up into the attic. We can handle this. Just keep yourself safe.”
Neil glanced at Anna, who was grabbing her rifle.
Anna’s look was grim. “I’m assuming you brought along your Beretta?”
Neil pulled it out from his back waistband. “I won’t show it unless I have to.”
“Good. You answer the door, and I’ll go out through the patio and circle around to make sure you stay safe.”
Frowning, Neil said, “Be careful.”
“You too.”
Anna moved toward the front patio, waiting for Neil to answer the back door so Will Abernathy would be distracted.
Just as Neil suspected, Claire’s ex hadn’t expected a man to answer.
“Who in the hell are you?” he demanded, obviously worked up into a rage.
Neil studied Will carefully. His eyes were glassy; either he was drunk or on something. “I’ve got a better question—who in the hell are you?”
Will screamed, “Where’s my wife?”
Shoving Will Abernathy backwards, Neil moved outside through the doorway, but he was careful while he did it. The man was wearing a zipped-up, hooded sweatshirt, and there was no telling whether he was carrying a weapon or not. “I didn’t hear a vehicle. How in the hell did you arrive here?”
“That’s none of your fuckin’ business,” he answered, acting like he was ready to grab something from underneath his sweatshirt.
“Hold it right there,” Anna called out from behind a line of trees.
Geez, she was good. Neil couldn’t even make her out.
Apparently, neither could Will Abernathy, and he began to laugh. “What? You got a woman defending you?”
“If you’re carrying, I want you to drop your weapon right now,” Neil ordered commandingly.
“Yeah, right,” Will answered, and he actually began to laugh.
Suddenly, a shot rang out, and whizzing by, the bullet nearly grazed Will’s ear.
“What the fuck?” Will swore, holding his hand over his ear.
“Drop it,” Anna ordered. “Or this time I won’t miss.”
Neil grinned. Geez, what a woman. Anna sounded deadly. “Yep. I’d let that woman have my six any day. Now drop it.”
Will pulled out the pistol that was tucked into his jeans and dropped it onto the ground.
“Now get the hell out of here the same way you came. Right now, consider this weapon confiscated, because as soon as you’re out of here, I’m calling the cops.”
“Hah,” Will muttered. “You got no proof of intent.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Anna called out.
It was obvious Will knew nothing about the surveillance system, which is why Neil had been sure to place him in full view of one of the cameras he’d noticed earlier, when he’d been scoping out the area.
Neil muttered agreeably, “You can stay here and wait for the police if you’d like?”
“You tell that bitch that she can’t hide from me forever.”
Neil couldn’t help it when he punched Will Abernathy in the face, drop
ping him flat onto the ground.
When Anna began to laugh, Neil grinned.
Neil’s tone was fierce when he finally spoke to Will. “That’s for every time you thought it was alright to abuse a woman you promised to love and cherish. God, do I hate deadbeats like you.”
Standing up quickly, Will rushed toward the lakefront, and moments later, Neil could hear his footfalls as he ran down the staircase to the pier.
Anna and Neil walked over to the bank and watched as Will revved up the motor for a speedboat, steering away from the cabins, probably heading toward wherever he’d rented the boat.
“We’ll have to look into where he was able to get that boat. It’s just more proof against him if we have him on paper too,” Anna said, echoing Neil’s thoughts.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Neil muttered. “Geez, Ace. You’re quite a woman.”
She grinned. “For a Handler, you’re not half bad yourself.”
Neil snorted.
Chapter Thirteen
Thirty minutes later, Anna was on the phone with Sarah, who’d picked up right away.
Sarah said, “I just had a bad feeling something was going to happen, so Brand and I already made arrangements to have Claire brought here to Virginia. She can stay in Brand’s apartment indefinitely, and I think she’s safe for now even out in the open since you’ve replaced all her things.”
“Neil and I got her a disposable phone,” Anna said, giving Sarah the number. “We already mentioned she shouldn’t call any personal numbers that might be monitored, like her family’s home phone.”
“I’m so grateful we had you and Neil to turn to. So you took control of Will’s weapon, right? When Brand and I get back, we’ll see about getting some copies of the surveillance near your cabin. What I’d like for you to do now is call the Crystal Rock Police Department and tell them to patrol the area so you can all get some sleep tonight. I’ll call Josh in the morning and tell him you’ll be in tomorrow afternoon, because what I’m going to have you do is take Claire over to the Crystal Rock Airport. Luke’s going to fly Claire to Virginia, and we’ll stick around an extra day and get her settled before we come back on Thursday with Luke.”
Two Hearts In Accord (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 7) Page 10