The Rescuer (15 page)

Her face softened. "I'm pregnant."

He brushed her hair back, studying the changes in her face. "How do you feel about that?"

Her smile about burst from her face. "Thril ed. Terrified.

Dave is doing some major hand-holding. I'm sicker than a dog most of the day, but it's fine. I can do this.

I'm going to be an awesome mom, Stephen."

"What's your due date?"

"July 10."

"You'l be early," he predicted. Her pregnancy was good news, but also news with so many implications. "I heard you made some major changes at work. I'm sorry it was such an abrupt transition."

"I'm now a detective in robbery, fraud, and white-col ar crimes. The first rule of parenting is to watch out for your kids, and I guess it starts now with a safer job. You know how much is stolen every year in this city? There is more stolen jewelry and equipment floating around this city than you could pick up in a lifetime."

"And I bet you try to find it al . I heard you eventual y want homicide."

"A dead body at least gives you a case with boundaries. Most robberies are nothing but paperwork, and the goods are easy to disperse."

"Homicide won't help the nausea any."

"A hurdle I'l cross when I get to it." She studied his face. "You look different, older. Was the trip okay?"

Stephen wasn't sure how to answer her. Every answer he gave to that question just suggested another.

"Useful, but not everything I had hoped. Not having to wear a watch helped. The solitude made me realize how much I missed everyone." He

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smiled at her, not wanting to get into a deep discussion. "I came back as promised."

"Are you going to stay in Chicago now?"

He ran a knuckle along her chin. "A decision left for another

day."

Jack tapped on the door. "If this family meeting is over, you

?* might want to give her this thing."

"What in the world?" Kate said.

Stephen got up to take the huge rabbit. "I saw it and thought of you, Kate."

"You got that for me?"

Stephen laughed. "For my new niece or nephew. When are you going to know which it is, by the way?"

"I'm not tel ing. And I can't believe you bought that."

Stephen set it in her lap and it dwarfed his sister. "It's perfect."

"Come cut your cake, buddy," Jack said. "Oh, and priorities, man. We're playing basketbal tonight.

Anyone tel you that yet?"

Stephen looked around the rabbit to see Kate. "Are you providing the bleacher commentary?"

"Absolutely."

Stephen turned to Jack. "Can I plead out of practice now before the evidence becomes obvious?"

"As a homecoming gift I'l carry you this game," Jack offered. "Late night basketbal wil get you back in the swing of things fast."

The gym was hot and smel ed of sweat and floor wax.

Stephen couldn't get enough oxygen to his muscles to walk, let alone make a decent attempt at a jump shot.

His legs, arms, and back muscles were quivering. It was a basketbal game O'Mal ey style. The intensity over every point made it feel like a smal war, nobly 133

fought. The elbows and fouls were being tempered, but the pushing and shoving had an art to it.

He wasn't going to let Jack down. He wasn't going to...

Stephen took the basketbal in a snap throw and forced his feet to move again.

"You're a bit rusty," Marcus said, sweat dripping off his face as he checked Stephen's forward progress with an outstretched hand and backed toward the basket.

Marcus had flown back just to say welcome home and to join the game. Only he would think that a good use of time and money.

It would take breath to be able to answer. Stephen replied by faking out Marcus and going around him.

Dave blocked him and Stephen passed off to Jack, relieved to have the bal out of his hands. Jack slammed it down in a dunk.

"When did he learn to do that?" Stephen tried not to trip over his feet as he moved backward.

"He's been floating on air ever since he and Cassie got engaged."

"Good shot." Stephen slapped Jack on the back as he went past. They'd been the dynamic duo since their teens, one heading into a skirmish and the other backing him up. He had missed this.

Jack stole the bal and raced down the court. Stephenf grabbed a breath and ran too. He was going to kil his brother for being gung ho at midnight.

"You're limping."

"Be quiet, Kate." Stephen crossed the spacious kitchen in her home and pul ed an ice pack from the freezer. Dawn light was coming in the window; just looking in that direction gave him a headache. They'd landed at Dave and Kates after the basketbal game, and somehow the night had never ended.

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She laughed, pushed him toward a chair, and brought him aspirin. She kissed his forehead. "I'm glad you're home."

"Did we have to make the welcome home celebration into a twelve-hour event?"

"You're the one who said yes when Jack mentioned there was an al -night one-hour photo place down the street from the gym."

"I didn't think he meant right then and that we'd develop every picture I had taken on the trip. It cost me a fortune. I noticed you bailed at 2 a m."

"I gave up my overnight tendencies when I got out of hostage rescue."

He flicked water from his glass at her. "I was practical y waving a white flag and you were ignoring the signals."

"You could have just told Jack you were going home."

"Not in this lifetime. He would have shown up at my place at six o'clock to wake me up." Stephen ran his hand through his hair then rested his chin on his palm.

He laughed. "It was fun. He won't be able to play an al -

nighter once he's married."

"Marriage does change things a bit. Speaking of which, where is my husband?"

"Crashed in the living room, I think. I stumbled over him somewhere. I vaguely remember him saying something about the sun coming up, then the next thing I knew some fat orange cat was landing on my bel y and digging in claws. I can't believe you stil have that beast."

"I normal y don't let Marvel inside. Dave is the soft touch."

Stephen debated the merits of fal ing asleep at his sister's kitchen table. "Thanks for being kind about the welcome home."

"Dave said I moped without you around."

He grinned. "Did you?"

"You don't have to look so pleased at the idea."

Stephen laughed and twirled his glass. "I'l tel you a secret,

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K. I'm going to spoil my niece or nephew something crazy."

"Niece. I'm real y hoping for a little girl."

He blinked moisture out of his eyes as he lifted his glass. "A little girl. It wil be great." And he was going to be blubbenng on her soon. "You'l find a good obstetrician and pediatrician?"

"Dave has already made sure of it."

"And fol ow their advice."

She kicked him under the table and he smiled back at her.

"Was your tnp worth it, Stephen?"

His smile slowly faded. He was tired enough to be honest. "At least while I traveled I didn't have to face the sharpness of walking into places we had shared with Jennifer and dealing with the fact that she wasn't there anymore. Those first few weeks-my heart was bleeding. I'd sleep and see her face; I'd walk into a crowd of tourists and think I saw her. The ache of that doesn't go away, but at least it's not as sharp."

She rested her chin on her hand. "It was a double whammy for me. Jennifer was the one I'd cal when I needed to know things were right with the world; she was always the optimist, while the rest of us are more realists. And then when you were gone too-I got used to your looking out for me and being there when I turned around. I missed you, Stephen. My days just weren't the same."

"I missed you too, more than I can put into words. It was part of my daily routine too, that ritual of listening to the scanner so I could find out if you had gotten yourself into a jam somewhere. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How much is it going to bother you and the rest of the family if I don't end up here in Chicago?"

"I don't know about the others, but if you decide to settle in Arizona, you'l have problems with me."

Stephen smiled. He flexed his sore wrist. "It'l probably be

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around here somewhere. I want to swing a hammer for a bit this summer, and I'd prefer doing it where there isn't a traffic jam outside my window at 2 a.m. I did find out during my travels that I like the slower pace of smal -town living."

"You'l make a good carpenter." Kate got up, reached over,

and caught his hand. "Come on. I want to show you what I'm

#* thinking for the nursery."

"You've got months yet, and it's bad luck to start planning a nursery this early."

"I'm doing this my own way. Besides, you need time to make the furniture."

His eyes narrowed at her pleased expression. "Just how much furniture are we talking about?"

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SILVERTON

JoAnne and Ken had a nice place outside of Silverton.

Stephen slowed to look at an old windmil as he drove past. It had been restored and appeared to be in perfect condition-freshly painted and built ages before to feed power to the wel below. Two birds were swooping between the turning blades. There must be an awesome view of land al the way to the Mississippi River from up there. In the two weeks since his last drive into town, a promise of spring had come to the landscape. This was pretty country. He reached for the car phone and cal ed Dr. Delhart's office. "Meghan Delhart please."

His cal was transferred.

"This is Meghan. May I help you?"

Her voice was so businesslike and crisp; he grinned and made the turn into town. "Hey, beautiful. Can 1

take you to lunch?"

"Stephen! Sure, where are you?"

"Cruising up Main Street on the way to your office."

She laughed. "Stop at the restaurant and get a table. I'l finish up what I'm doing and be right down."

"I'm celebrating, so bring your appetite."

"Oh, real y?"

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"I'l tel you al about it over lunch."

Stephen found a place by the bank to park his truck.

He locked the doors.

Main Street could be walked in its entirety in two minutes. He didn't hurry as he walked. It was a beautiful town with a budget that al owed the curbs to be kept in good repair, the public buildings painted, and the streets swept of clutterBenches were set out and trees planted along Main Street, and numerous neatly painted signs marked parking and tourist stops. No wonder Meghan thought of it as a town with a good heart.

Stephen opened the door to Coffer's jewelry store.

He'd met the owner twice during his walks with Meghan. She considered Neil a friend. The man was cleaning a glass display case. "There's a piece in the window, a bracelet," Stephen commented.

"I know the piece." Taking his time, Neil moved toward the front window and retrieved the piece. He set the velvet and the piece on the glass countertop.

Stephen picked it up. "It's beautiful." Each link was engraved with either a vine or a rose with starbursts holding the links together.

"I made it for my wife, but she passed away before I could finish it."

"Can you bear to part with it?"

"It's in the window, isn't it?"

There was no price on it. Stephen set the piece down on the velvet and ran his finger along the gold links. To have finished it after she had passed away... He could just imagine the memories. It might be in the window, but he bet Neil wasn't ready to let it go yet. "Thank you for showing it to me."

The man studied him, gave a curt nod, then carried it back to the window.

Stephen looked over the display cases. Numerous packing boxes were stacked by the door leading into the back of the store.

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"Are you moving?" Stephen asked, making conversation, liking the man even though he suspected it would take years to get a smile from him. The stroke had left Neil's left side weak and his walk a bit unsteady, but the man's thoughts were stil sharp.

"Keeping the house now that my wife is gone and that I'm limited in my movements isn't worth it. I figured I'd move permanently into the second-floor apartment here and sel the farm."

"Meghan mentioned your place during my last visit."

"It adjoins her parents' place. They're nice neighbors, the Delharts."

Stephen laid out the sketch of a bracelet he'd made on a napkin at dinner last night. "Could you make me something like this? Meghan's partial to silver."

Neil picked up the napkin. "It wil take a few days. And I'm not so steady on the detail work any longer. I don't do much of this kind of work anymore."

"Your best effort. She'l love the fact that you made it."

Stephen dug out a pen and jotted his cel phone number down. "I'l swing back to town when it's ready.

And-" Stephen pointed to another bracelet in the case with a fine gold braided chain and a line of four linked hearts-"wrap that for me?"

Neil gave a rough bark of laughter. "You're either apologizing or courtin'."

"Celebrating." He pul ed out his wal et.

"Same thing."

Neil wrapped the gift, added a bow to the box, and handed it over. "Come back anytime. I'l help you lighten more of that wal et."

Stephen laughed and nodded his thanks. He walked to the restaurant, the box in his hand, his finger curling the bow. Maybe it was a little much, but Meghan would like it and celebrations needed gifts.

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Meghan was coming toward him, Blackie leading the way. Stephen slowed, enjoying the sight. She couldn't see, but she walked with a smile, head tilted up to enjoy the sun, her pace fast beside Blackie. He'd pretty much given up on lasting happiness -he'd seen too many people he loved get ripped away-but he wouldn't mind sharing Meghan's happiness on this day. She had a smile a man could get lost in. "I'm watchin^fthis real y nice- looking lady out strol ing without a jacket in February when it's only a few degrees above freezing out here."

She slowed as she heard his voice and then picked up her pace. She looked directly at him. It was a punch in the gut to have that gaze focused on him. For a moment it was as if she could see him. "I can feel spring in the air; whereas you've been traveling in al those warm places and forgotten this perfect moment that comes once a year."