Maybe they really could make a future together. It wouldn’t be as fast and easy as dinner, but it was sort of the same thing, she hoped.
Anyway, she had to get moving. If Danny stuck to the same schedule he had all week, he’d be ringing her doorbell before long.
JAKE STEPPED into Danny’s room via the shared bathroom. “Yo, Murphey. Wanna catch a flick? The last Star Wars is on at the base theater. Tonight only.”
Danny looked up from the desk where he’d been attempting to catch up with the material they’d covered in the last week of classes. He’d neglected it by spending so much time with Ally, though he’d managed to cram enough yesterday afternoon to pass Haddad’s test today.
He closed his notebook. He wasn’t making any progress here, because his mind kept wandering to a certain instructor of Tamahlyan heritage and what had happened between them yesterday morning.
“Sure,” he said. “I’m not getting much done here.”
Jake rubbed his jaw, which was a slight purple where Danny’s fist had landed. “I get it now, so I’ll keep my trap shut.”
“Glad you get it, Magnussen. I’m still not sure I do.”
Chapter Eleven
ALLY ARRIVED AT WORK Tuesday morning, more tired and achy than if she’d spent the entire night with Danny, engaged in hot sex. Though she’d been disappointed that Danny hadn’t appeared at her doorstep the previous night, she’d also been relieved.
At first she’d been happy that she hadn’t been forced to “entertain” him, if you could call watching Danny work “entertaining.” Of course she could, she realized. Seeing the way his muscles work was like watching a masculine and very arousing ballet. Once she’d gotten used to the idea of a brief sabbatical from Danny, she’d welcomed the opportunity to go to bed early.
However, sleep had been slow to come, and when it finally had, she’d slept only fitfully. All she could do was toss and turn and wonder exactly why Danny had stayed away.
“Good morning, pretty lady.”
Happy to hear Danny’s voice, Ally whirled to face him. “Hi,” she said, maybe a little too brightly, in light of her bleary eyes. “I missed—” She stopped short. There was probably a good reason not to tell Danny exactly how she’d felt about his not being at her place last night.
Though for the life of her, she wasn’t sure what it was at the moment.
Danny stood across the corridor from her, looking more like an awkward teenager on his first date than the confident lady-killer she’d always thought him to be.
“Are you feeling all right?” he finally said. “Is the baby okay?”
Ally touched her puffy eyes and grimaced. “Didn’t sleep well last night,” she said. “Sometimes I get to worrying about the baby…” She let her voice trail off. While that was not a lie, mostly she had worried about Danny’s standing her up.
Not that they’d actually had a date…
“Yeah, I guess you might,” Danny said.
“Yeah.” Lord, it was hard making conversation in the hall and not really saying what she wanted to say. What had to be said. “I guess it goes with the territory.”
Danny glanced at his watch, then made an apologetic face. “Gotta go. Mr. Saloam isn’t as forgiving as you are about tardiness.”
“Sure, go on,” she said, though she wanted so much to grill Danny about what he’d done last night. Truth be told she wished she could shout at him for being so inconsiderate, not to mention causing her a hard night’s sleep. But Ally wasn’t sure she had the right.
She watched him go. Ally supposed she could play the baby card and the guilt factor, but she didn’t want Danny to think that she needed him to take care of her.
Yes, she wanted him—to love her. But she didn’t want to tell Danny until she was positive exactly how he felt about her. If only he would say those few words that would tell her for sure.
DANNY STRUGGLED AGAINST the urge to watch Ally as she hurried to her office. He could feast on her image the way hungry relatives did a Thanksgiving turkey. Even drawn and tired as she was, Ally was beautiful, and he couldn’t bear the thought of not having her in his life.
But, he reminded himself as he slid into his seat, he’d better get used to it. Tamahlyastan was a hell of a long way from North Carolina.
“I was beginning to think you’d have to get a note from the other teacher for being late,” Jake said under his breath as Danny slid into the seat beside him at the same time that Mr. Saloam came in.
Danny shrugged. “What’s he gonna do to me—make me stay after school?” Danny had to laugh.
Jake snapped to attention as the instructor gave them a hard look. “Lunch at O’Malley’s,” he muttered. “Ran into a couple of the guys from headquarters who wanted to get together. You coming?”
“Yeah. I heard from Chief Mullins this morning. They’re putting together a memorial for Nate and wanted some input,” Danny said, noting the narrowing of Mr. Saloam’s eyes. “Heads up.”
“Got that in one. Will it be square with your lady if you stand her up for lunch?”
Danny eyed him quizzically. “Why would she mind? I don’t have to answer to her. She’s not my lady,” he lied.
“Yeah right, man. And I’m not a tech sergeant in the United States Air Force.”
The instructor slammed a book down on the desk, and Danny figured it would be best to give the man his full attention.
Even if Ally Carter was the only instructor at this specialty school he really wanted to focus on.
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES of having an office adjoining the classroom Danny was in was that Ally could see through the rippled-glass window in her door and knew exactly when Danny’s class adjourned. She had packed some leftover stew from supper last night. She could heat it in the office microwave if her plan didn’t work out; however, she had every intention of waylaying Sergeant Danny Murphey and finding out what was on his mind. If she had to buy him lunch, she could certainly afford it.
She had managed to accomplish a good bit of planning this morning in spite of her less-than-satisfactory night’s sleep. Of course, she hadn’t gotten much done on her lesson plans.
She had figured out a script for what she would say when she next saw Danny Murphey. And if that didn’t work out, she knew what else she had to do. Ally smiled as she thought about step two.
She saw Mr. Saloam dismiss the class through the window in the door. Good. Mr. Saloam was nothing if not scheduled. Ally put down the pencil she hadn’t really been using and grabbed for her purse. All she had to do was be in the hallway as Danny and the rest of the class walked out.
Smiling, Ally stepped into the hall. To be in charge for a change felt good. She was so focused on congratulating herself that she almost collided with the object of her campaign.
“Oh, Danny. I didn’t see you there.” It was the truth. Even if she had planned to run into him in the hall, she hadn’t intended to do it physically.
“Sorry, Ms. Carter.” Danny was always conscientious about protocol when they were in public. “I was in a hurry to meet some buddies from HQ, so I wasn’t looking.”
“You have plans?” Ally tried not to let him know how disappointed she was. “Thought I might talk you into joining me at the snack bar,” she added. “Colonel Palmore is tied up with a planning conference for the rest of this week, and I hate to eat alone.”
“Actually,” Jake Magnussen said, “we’re meeting to plan a memorial for Nate Hughes.”
“I was so sorry to hear about him. I remember him from Hurlburt, though I never met his wife.”
“Yeah, it’s always tough on the family,” Danny interjected gruffly. “Hey, we gotta make tracks or we won’t get back in time.”
“I sure hope Lisa has some job experience to help her get by,” Ally said quietly, trying not-so-subtly to make a point while she could.
Danny and Jake hurried down the corridor, and Ally enjoyed the view of their hasty retreat. Of course, baggy, multipocketed battle-dress uniforms we
ren’t as revealing as skintight jeans, but there was something about the confident way the two men walked that had her attention.
When the exterior door closed behind them, Ally turned back toward her office to eat her meal alone.
Even though lunch hadn’t gone exactly as she’d planned, she still had that other idea she could put into action. It might not exactly be on the up-and-up, but Ally liked it.
“Yesss!” she cheered as she reached into her desk drawer for the backup lunch she’d packed. Tonight’s campaign was going to work.
It had to.
DANNY’S MIND wasn’t really on the conversation over steaks and beer at the off-base steakhouse. Something about Ally’s parting shot nagged at him. He wondered what she meant with that remark about jobs to fall back on. Then after a moment he understood.
For the first time in his life, he was beginning to see the other side. His father may have worked two, sometimes three jobs to keep his mother from having to seek employment, but he’d never really had the time to enjoy the life and family he’d built. When he’d died suddenly and much too young, Danny’s mother had been totally unprepared to support the two kids still at home. In fact, that was when Danny had abandoned his college plans and joined the Air Force, to keep her from having his mouth to feed, as well, even though he hadn’t expected her to pay his tuition.
“Talk about a guy being in the middle of things. Three big skirmishes and still not a mark on him.”
Danny shook his head. “Who’s this? I thought we were supposed to be planning a memorial service.”
“Beam me up, Scotty. There’s no intelligent life here.” Chief Mullins took another swig of his beer and then he grinned. “Nah, that’s already taken care of. We just wanted to figure out a way to be sure you’d be here.”
Okay, maybe he had been thinking about Ally, but usually he wasn’t that slow on the uptake. “What for?”
“Do we need a reason?” Senior Master Sergeant Jones asked.
“Just wanted to get away from all those suit-and-tie guys and back with some real men,” Chief Mullins said, tugging at his dark blue uniform tie. The chief had been promoted to headquarters, but he made no secret that he preferred the action of the trenches.
“Got that in one,” Jake said.
Danny raised his hands in a confused gesture. “Okay, I admit I was zoned out, but who the hell are you talking about?”
“Vic Valentino,” Jones supplied.
“Don’t know the man,” Danny said. “What about him?”
“He’s up for his third bronze star. Been in three major skirmishes in two assignments and got out without a single scratch. He was there when Nate bought it. Was the one to field-dress Shoemaker’s injury. Probably saved his life.”
Chief Mullins filled him in some more. “Yeah, he’s at the end of his tour and he’s slated for Hurby. You’ll probably run into him before you head off for Tamahlyastan. Do you some good to talk to him before you go.”
“Yeah,” SMSGT Jones agreed. “You’ll damn sure get more useful information from him than you ever will from two weeks in class here.”
“Heard that,” Jake said, lifting his long-neck.
“Got it,” Danny said. Maybe he would look Valentino up when he got back to Hurlburt. He wanted all the advice he could get to make sure he returned all in one piece.
After all, he did have someone—make that two people—to come back for.
Too bad Valentino couldn’t tell him how to deal with Allison Raneea Carter, Danny couldn’t help thinking as he raised his own bottle in an unspoken toast.
CAPTAIN HADDAD had mentioned that his Dachshund had just had a litter. Ally rubbed her hands together with delight. How could Danny possibly resist her request? After all, he’d been the one to bring up getting a dog.
This time Ally posted herself in the hall. She didn’t have to pretend that she was running in to Danny. She was going to make a direct request, so if she looked as though she was waiting for him, no big deal.
It seemed to take forever for the class to end, but finally she heard the scuffle of chairs and the chatter of voices, signaling the end of the day. Ally positioned herself just outside the classroom door, not in the way, but near enough to grab Danny as he went by.
The door opened and students hurried out, but Danny wasn’t among them. Wouldn’t you know that he’d be the one to linger after class.
She could almost believe that Danny was trying to avoid her.
Then he stepped out, deep in conversation with Captain Haddad, who still taught the afternoon session. It couldn’t have worked out better if she’d planned it that way. “Oh! Hi, Danny. Could I have a word with you for a moment?”
Danny looked up, startled. Since she was no longer his teacher, he probably thought he’d have to explain their relationship to the captain.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“You can drop the act, Danny. The secret will be out after tonight anyway.”
Captain Haddad looked as though he wanted to run away, and Danny looked downright panicky. “What secret?”
“Why the puppy, of course.” She batted her eyelashes at the captain in a thoroughly un-Ally-like manner. Then she turned to Danny. “Captain Haddad has a litter of Dachshund puppies he’s selling. Since you suggested I get a dog the other night, I thought I’d get your advice when I pick one out.”
The look on Danny’s face was priceless. Clearly, he didn’t know whether to deny any knowledge of what she was talking about or to simply smile and nod accordingly.
Ally figured she’d best give Danny an out to allow him to save face. “Danny and I are old friends from Hurlburt Field,” she explained. “He suggested that I ought to have a dog,” she added, without clarifying how the subject had come up.
“Don’t you want something a little bigger than a Dachshund for protection?” the captain asked.
“No, I’m a small woman, and I don’t want a killer guard dog around my baby,” she said, placing her hand protectively over her stomach. “Besides, I don’t want a dog for protection. Just company.” She paused. “What do you say, Danny?”
Damn, Danny thought. How did she do that? He’d just been talking to Haddad about the puppies. She might have ruined the surprise, but at least, he could go along with her request. “Sure, I’ll help you pick one out.”
Besides, if they were at Captain Haddad’s place, they wouldn’t be tempted to do something it really wasn’t a good idea to do. Not until they’d sorted out the technicalities.
Captain Haddad looked back and forth between them, seemingly trying to figure out exactly what was going on. He might know that they were “friends” from Hurlburt, but he didn’t know about their other connection. “Do you want to come by tonight after dinner?”
Danny glanced at Ally—not a difficult task any time. “That okay with you?”
Ally nodded, as smug as a fat cat with feathers on her lips. “Perfect. And I’ll be happy to fix supper for you to thank you for your help,” she said.
“You don’t have to,” Danny protested. “Let me take you out. It’ll be easier for both of us.”
Boy, he was smooth. He’d just asked Ally for a date, in front of a witness, no less, and she hadn’t been able to refuse. On top of that, because she’d been the one to ask him to see a puppy that Haddad had for sale, Ally had a reason for being seen in public with him.
Pretty cool, if he hadn’t really thought of the idea himself.
“Then, I’ll pay,” Ally insisted. “After all, you’re doing a favor for me.”
Did she always have to insist on paying? Danny smiled grimly. “Sure, Ally. I’ll pick you up.”
Ally clapped her hands with delight. “Wonderful.” She looked at the captain. “What time would be convenient for you?”
The captain suggested a time.
“Great. We’ll see you there.” Then Ally looped her arm through Danny’s and steered him in the opposite direction.
“What the hell was that all abo
ut?” Danny demanded as soon as he was sure they were out of earshot.
Ally stopped, her gray eyes wide with…innocence? “What was what? You suggested that I needed a dog, so I’m getting one.”
“Cut it out, Ally. You have never been a dog person. What’s the deal?”
“No deal. I thought our daughter might like to have a puppy. I want a puppy.” She chuckled. “It’s getting harder and harder to bring myself to pull out the vacuum cleaner in the evenings after a hard day’s work.”
Danny had to smile. “Yeah, right.”
Plainly, Ally had made an excuse to spend time with him.
Subterfuge or not, Danny didn’t mind at all.
WHILE ALLY WAITED for Danny to arrive, she took a few minutes to freshen up. She smiled into the bathroom mirror.
“Perfect,” she told her reflection. The baby seemed to agree, giving her a swift kick. “Yes, sweetie. I know you’re hungry. We’ll get us something good to eat in just a few minutes. Just as soon as your daddy gets here.”
Of course Danny had insisted upon driving, though he had never been to Roger Haddad’s house. That was her man-of-the-house Danny, all right. Many times she loved his confident attitude. Of course, there had been other times when she wasn’t quite as thrilled.
She really needed his undivided attention. They’d be alone in the car and at the restaurant, but they wouldn’t be able to talk. They ought to be completely alone, away from listening ears. That would be harder to arrange.
Or would it?
She would require his help getting the puppy settled in. She smiled again. This was just getting better and better.
The doorbell rang, and Ally quickly finished her primping, even spritzing herself with a generous amount of the expensive, jasmine-scented perfume she saved for special occasions. Seducing Danny Murphey certainly counted as one of those.
She couldn’t wait to get on with step two of her master plan.
Taking one last check in the full-length mirror in the hall, Ally had to admit she looked great. Even for a short pregnant lady, she looked pretty good. Then she thought of one last, perfect touch.
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