Navy Baby

“You thirsty?” he asked, taking a beer out of the refrigerator.

Hannah’s gaze fell on the alcoholic beverage as she shook her head. She had the feeling he’d offered it to her for shock value. “No, thank you.”

Riley shrugged, twisted off the cap and guzzled down half the contents in a series of deep swallows. His Adam’s apple bobbed with the action. Hannah turned away from him, and looked back at the narrow waterway.

“We have a minor problem,” he said, joining her at the wrought-iron railing.

“Oh?” It was barely four, and already the sky was darkening.

“The apartment only has one bedroom.”

Hannah’s heart sank. “I see.”

“Lieutenant Commander Kyle assured me the place on the base would have two, but for now we’re here. What do you want to do about the sleeping arrangements?”

Hannah didn’t know. At least not right then. “I could rest on the sofa, I guess.”

Riley snickered at that and turned away from her, pausing at the sliding-glass door. “You’d better come in before you catch a chill.”

That wasn’t likely with her wearing her full-length wool coat, but she didn’t want to argue with him. He closed the door behind her, finished the beer and tossed the brown bottle into the garbage. It made a clanking sound as it hit against a glass object, probably another beer bottle. Hannah had never been around a man who regularly indulged in alcoholic beverages and she wondered if this would become a problem between her and her husband.

“You don’t approve of drinking, do you?”

That he could read her thoughts so clearly came as a shock. “Would it matter if I did?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought.” She hesitated, then couldn’t resist asking, “Do you do it often?”

“Often enough” was his cryptic reply. He moved past her to lift her two suitcases, which he’d set down just inside the front door, and carry them into the lone bedroom.

Curious to see the rest of the apartment, Hannah followed him down the narrow hallway. The bedroom was the only room on the left. The drapes were closed and the double bed was poorly made. Hannah guessed that he didn’t often bother to make it in the mornings.

He placed her suitcases on top of the bed, then sat on the end of the mattress. “You won’t get much sleep on that sofa. It’s old and lumpy. In case you didn’t notice, it’s also short.”

“I’ll manage.”

“I’m not a monster, you know.”

She blushed, remembering the dreams she’d had the past week about him springing horns and giant teeth. “I know.”

“You don’t sound all that convinced.” He flattened his hands and leaned back, striking a relaxed pose. “If you recall the night we met, you were the one who—”

“Please, I’d rather not talk about that night.” She abruptly left the room, walking into the kitchen. He followed her just the way she knew he would.

“In case you’ve conveniently forgotten, you were the one who seduced me.”

“I…prefer to think we seduced each other,” she returned boldly.

“Naturally, that’s what you’d choose to think.”

Her face felt fire-engine red. “Do you mind if we change the subject?”

“Not in the least. Answer me one thing, though. What do you expect will happen if we share the same bed? You don’t want me to touch you, then fine, I wouldn’t dream of it. You have my word of honor.”

Hannah ignored the question and the man. Opening the refrigerator, she removed a head of lettuce and a package of half-frozen hamburger. “How does taco salad sound for dinner?”

“Fine, for tomorrow night.”

Her gaze flew to his, not understanding him.

“We’ll be dining out this evening.”

“We are?”

“Right,” he said, grinning at her, his look almost boyish. He seemed to enjoy teasing her, bringing up details that would embarrass her, possibly because he fancied seeing her blush. “Far be it for you to tell Junior how you were forced to cook on our wedding day.”

“Junior?” Funny, but she’d never given the sex of their baby any thought. The fact that he had, warmed her heart.

“We’ll call him that for now, unless you’d rather not.”

Her eyes met his, and for the first time that day she felt like smiling. “I don’t mind, although I think you should be prepared for a juniorette.”

“Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter to me. A baby is a baby.”

His matter-of-fact attitude stole a little of her good cheer, but she didn’t let it show.

“It’s ladies’ choice tonight. What’s your pleasure?”

Hannah hesitated. She’d been craving seafood for weeks, but it was expensive and she didn’t want him to think she was extravagant. “Any place would be fine.”

“Not with me. It isn’t every day a man gets married. How would you feel about a seafood buffet? It’s a bit of a drive, but there’s a wonderful restaurant on Hood Canal that serves fabulous lobster.”

“Lobster?” Hannah’s eyes rounded with pleasure.

“And shrimp. And oysters and scallops.”

“Oh, stop,” she said with a laugh. “It sounds too good to be true.” This man had the most incredible knack of reading her mind.

He reached for her hand, and grinning, he led her out the front door and down the stairs to where his red CRX was parked. The drive took the better part of an hour, but once they arrived and were seated, Hannah realized it had been well worth the effort. The smells were incredible. The scent of warm bread mingled with garlic and freshly fried oysters.

Hannah piled her plate high with steamed clams and hot bread. As soon as she was finished, she returned for a slice of grilled salmon and barbecued shrimp, balancing a cup of thick clam chowder on the edge of her plate. The waitress came by with a glass of milk, which Riley had apparently ordered for her. She was pleased to note that he chose coffee for himself.

“This is wonderful,” she exclaimed, after returning to the buffet table for the third time. She took a sampling of finger lobster and some oysters.

Riley was openly staring at her.

“Is something wrong?” she questioned, after adjusting the napkin on her lap.

“I would never have guessed one person could eat so much.”

Hannah gazed at her plate. “I’ve made a glutton of myself, haven’t I?” She rebounded quickly and smiled up at him. “You have to remember, I’m eating for two.”

“You’re eating as if you’re expecting triplets,” he teased, but the way his mouth lifted up at the corners told her he was pleased.

Breaking off a piece of bread, Hannah reached for the butter. “Is there anyone you want to tell about the wedding?” she asked conversationally.

“Who do you mean?” Her question appeared to displease him.

“Family,” she said, not understanding his mood.

“I don’t have any family.”

“None?” It seemed incomprehensible to Hannah, who was so close to her own.

“My father ran off when I was eight, and my mother…Well, let’s put it this way: she wasn’t much interested in being a mother. I haven’t had any contact with her in years.”

Hannah set the bread aside. “I’m sorry, Riley. I had no idea…I didn’t mean to bring up unhappy memories.”

“You didn’t. It’s in the past and best forgotten.”

“How’d you end up in the Navy?”

He seemed to find her query amusing. “How else? I enlisted.”

“I see.” It had been a stupid question, and she grew silent afterward.

They left the restaurant a few minutes later. A full stomach and the warm blast of air from the heater lulled her into a light sleep. She was only mildly aware of Riley turning on the car radio, switching stations until he found one that specialized in Easy Listening.

Hannah woke when he stopped the engine. It took her a second to realize her head was resting against his shoulder. She straightened abruptly as though she’d been caught doing something wrong. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—”

“Don’t be,” he said brusquely, as though she’d displeased him far more by offering an apology than using his shoulder as a support.

He came around and helped her out of the car and cupped his hand under her elbow as they walked up the flight of concrete steps to his apartment.

Once they reached the top, Riley unlocked the door. Shoving it open, he turned to Hannah and without a word calmly lifted her into his arms.

Taken by surprise, she let out a small cry of alarm. “Riley,” she pleaded, “put me down. I’m too heavy.”

“Let me assure you, Hannah Murdock, you weigh next to nothing.” With that he ceremoniously carried her over the threshold, gently depositing her in the leather recliner.

Hannah smiled at him, a little breathlessly, although he’d been the one to do all the work. This man was full of surprises. All week she’d been convinced she was marrying a monster, but Riley had gone out of his way to prove otherwise. Perhaps this marriage had a chance to survive, after all.

Riley turned on the television and reached for the evening paper and, after a few minutes, Hannah excused herself and began unpacking a few of her things. Since they would be moving within a matter of days, she only removed items she’d be needing.

Since Riley seemed wrapped up in something on television, she decided to bathe. The water was warm and soothing, and as she rested her head against the back of the tub, she traced her index finger over her stomach. There was no evidence her body was nurturing a child—at least not yet—but she hadn’t reached the fourth month of her pregnancy. The doctor had told her to expect to feel movement at any time, and the prospect thrilled her.

When she’d finished, she dressed in a thick flannel gown and brushed her hair away from her face. Riley was still in the living room, sitting on the edge of his cushion, punching his arms back and forth. She noticed he was watching a boxing match, and she cringed inwardly.

He must have noticed her, because he reached for the television control and turned down the volume. His eyes widened as he assessed her.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, glancing down at herself.

“You normally wear that to bed?”

“Yes.” He made it sound as if she’d donned sackcloth and ashes.

He nodded and punched the control, turning up the volume. “Then my guess is Junior will be an only child.”

Hannah bristled; then, not knowing what else to do, sat down and tucked her feet under her. The fight taking place on the television screen was violent, with two boxers slugging it out as though they had every intention of badly maiming each other. Hannah winced and closed her eyes several times.

“Why would anyone fight like that?” she asked during a commercial break.

“Ten million might have something to do with it.”

“Ten million dollars?” Hannah was incredulous. Standing, she looked around for something else to do. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. The evening paper was on the floor next to Riley’s chair. She picked it up and read through it.

“Would you like to go to church with me tomorrow?” she invited.

“No.” His eyes didn’t stray from the screen.

She set the paper aside and yawned.

“Go ahead and go to bed. I’ll wake you when I come in.”

Hannah was skeptical, but the fight was only in the sixth round and it looked as if it could continue for a good long while. “You don’t mind?”

“Not in the least,” he answered, and waved her toward the bedroom.

Hannah found an extra blanket in the hall closet and wrapped that around herself as she lay on top of Riley’s bed. It would have been presumptuous of her to crawl beneath the covers when she fully intended to sleep in the living room after Riley had finished with his program.

Although she was exhausted, Hannah had a difficult time falling asleep. What an unusual day she’d had. She’d married a man who was little more than a stranger to her, and discovered in the short time they’d spent alone that he was easy enough to like. She sincerely doubted that she’d ever grow to love him the way she had Jerry, but then Jerry had been a special man. It wasn’t likely that she’d ever find anyone like him.

Riley was rough around the edges; she couldn’t deny that. He drank beer as though it were soda and enjoyed disgusting displays of violence. Yet he’d gone out of his way to see to it that she had a wonderful wedding dinner. He appeared to be trying.

She smiled at the memory of how he’d hauled her into his arms and carried her over the threshold, then immediately frowned when she recalled the way he’d looked at her in her nightgown and announced that Junior would be an only child.

With a determined effort, Hannah closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn’t sleep, but lying in bed was a hundred times more appealing than being subjected to the boxing match.

Hannah stirred, feeling warm and comfortable. Her arm was wrapped around a pillow, although now that she thought about it, this particular pillow was anything but soft. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found a pair of intense eyes staring back at her. She blinked, certain she was seeing things.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“The question, my dear wife, is what are you doing clinging to me as if you never intend on letting me go?”

Hannah immediately removed her arm and bolted upright. To her surprise, she was beneath the covers. “How’d you do that?” she asked, noticing at the same moment that he wasn’t.

“Do what?” Riley asked with a yawn. He sat up and stretched his hands high above his head and growled as though he were an injured bear stalking the woods. The sound was so fierce it was all Hannah could do not to cover her ears.

“You said you’d wake me,” she reminded him, not the least pleased with this turn of events.

“I tried.”

“Obviously you didn’t try hard enough.” Primly, she tossed aside the covers and leaped out of bed. “You had no right…We agreed—”

“Hold on a minute, sweetheart, if you’re—”

“Don’t call me sweetheart. Ever.” She hated the way he said it. Jerry had always spoken it with such tenderness and love, and she wouldn’t have this man who was her husband desecrate the few precious memories she had of her fiancé.

“All right,” Riley said, holding up his palms. “There’s no reason to get bent out of shape. For your information, I did try to wake you, but it was obvious you were in a deep sleep. It was either haul you into the living room or leave you be. I chose the latter.”

Hannah glared at him. She’d risen quickly and neither the baby nor her stomach appreciated the abrupt change of position.

“Hannah, you’re looking pale. Are you all right?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” she lied. The all-too-familiar sensation was taking root in the pit of her stomach. Her brow broke out in a cold sweat and her knees grew weak.

“There’s no reason to be so upset,” Riley continued, undaunted. “I did the gentlemanly thing and slept on top of the covers. Our skin never touched, I promise you.” He paused. “Hannah…”

She didn’t hear whatever he intended to say. With her hand over her mouth, she rushed down the hallway, making it to the toilet just in time to empty her stomach.

Riley helped her to her feet when she’d finished, and gently wiped her face with a damp cloth. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Damn, if I’d known you were going to get sick, I’d have slept on the sofa myself. I’ll tell you what—you can take the bed and I’ll camp out there until we move.”

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