Unexpected (26 page)

“I did tell her.”

“Then she's only got herself to blame.” Ray reached for Jane, the gesture as far from friendly as she could make it.

Jane screamed bloody murder.

Wincing, Eli said, “Damn it to hell . . .” He bent, scooped Ray into his arms, and deposited her over his shoulder.

Bemused by how fast he'd moved and how he'd once again taken her by surprise, Ray hung still in his hold.

“I think we'll finish this conversation in private.” Eli patted her butt. His other hand held her legs firmly pressed to his body so she couldn't kick him.

Coming out of her stupor, Ray twisted to see him. “Put me down, Eli.”

“Patience, sweetheart. We'll be alone in just a minute.” He started up the porch steps, but stopped when a loud wail came from the yard, followed by another burst of laughter. He turned. Ray lifted her head.

Jane was twisting in circles with Precious hanging from her tailored skirt, his growls as loud and ferocious as a six-pound dog could manage. Hank, who had turned the dog loose, stood off to the side, his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. Jeremy and Matt both tried to help her, but she kept scurrying around, making it impossible for them to catch hold of the dog.

Eli heaved a sigh of exasperation.

From her odd upside-down position, Ray said, “Will this ruin your business dealings with her?”

“Jane doesn't let anything get in the way of business. She may not look it, but she's a shark.”

“Eli?”

He hugged her legs and pressed his cheek to her hip. “Yeah?”

“I could get away from you if I wanted to. You know that, don't you?”

With a laugh, he said, “Yeah, I know.” He went into the house and upstairs, taking the steps two at time. Ray was surprised he hadn't jarred her teeth from her head. But then, from the day she'd met him, Eli had always been so careful with her, treating her like a woman first, a soldier last.

He went straight into his own room, then shoved the door shut with his foot. He didn't toss Ray onto the bed, but rather laid her gently upon it, coming down next to her and half-covering her to keep her still. Not that she had any intentions of moving.

“So,” he said, his fingertips touching her cheek, smoothing her hair. “Am I in trouble now?”

She should probably be mad, Ray thought. Under normal circumstances she would be. She'd only wanted to scare Jane, as Eli had guessed. And she'd succeeded, if the woman's ridiculous scream was any indication.

“That depends. Why'd you run off with me? Did you think I was going to commit murder after all?”

He touched the tip of her nose. “No. Jeremy looked fine, and if you didn't kill him, you wouldn't hurt anyone.” Eli kissed her, soft and easy, on the mouth. “I brought you here so we could be alone, of course.”

Oh.

“Did you mean what you said? I've got you for good?”

“Yes.”

“Because you love me?”

She looked at his mouth. “Yeah, I do.”

He pulled back in surprise. “You mean that?”

Ray fought a smile. “I said so, didn't I?”

His voice deepened in that oh too familiar way. “You're going to have to say it a lot over the next sixty years or so.” He leaned down to kiss her. “So now we know you love me, and you don't want to get away from me, so . . . will you marry me?”

“On one condition.”

He gathered her closer, making her feel nurtured and protected and loved. “Anything.”

Ray grinned at his fervent reply. “Teach me some of your moves. I don't like it that I always end up on the bottom with you.”

Eli stared into her eyes a moment, then caught her shoulders in his hands and rolled so that Ray was on top, lying all along his length. “I promise to show you all my best moves, Ray.” His hands settled on her hips, pulling her against him.

“Mmm. This is definitely one of your better moves.”

“Yes. Now pay attention while I instruct you.” He leaned up to take her mouth.

The bedroom door opened and Lily waltzed in. She was humming.

Ray shot away from Eli, then scrambled to sit upright, almost knocking Eli off the other side of the mattress. She quickly straightened her clothes.

“Lily.”
Good God, she'd been caught. “I—” How did you apologize for romping in a respected woman's house?

Ray wasn't given time to worry about it. Lily, arms loaded down with three fat photo albums, sat down next to her on the bed. “I've brought you something to look at.”

Eli straightened himself, trying for some aplomb. “Gram. What do you have there?”

“Baby albums.” Her smile was wistful. “Oh, how I wish I had some baby photos of you, Eli. But I do have them of your father, and I thought Ray would like to see.”

Ray put a hand to her throat. She couldn't get a single word out. Not that Lily noticed. She spread the first album open to a photo of a fat baby lying on a blue blanket with his bare butt showing.

“Eli has his daddy's smile,” Lily claimed.

Reluctantly, Ray accepted the album. The baby staring up at the camera did, in fact, resemble Eli. “Amazing. It's so small.”

“He, dear, not it. And believe me, he didn't feel small being born. He weighed a good eight and a half pounds.”

While Eli settled beside his grandmother, Ray began turning pages. Each and every picture seemed more adorable than the last.

“That's his first tooth. Oh, and look at that. His first black eye. He was almost three when he fell off the front step.” Lily smiled, but said, “Oh, how I cried.”

Ray glanced at her. “Why'd you cry?”

“Why, because I felt wretched! I'd let my baby fall and get hurt.” She patted Ray's hand. “Having a baby is the most wonderful and the most fearful thing in the world.”

Fearful? Yeah, she knew all about that.

“I remember being so scared when I carried, I cried almost every night. Hank thought it was just the pregnancy, and it might have been in part due to that.”

Ray swallowed hard. “What was the other part?”

Lily sighed. “You'll think I'm silly.”

“No,” Ray promised her, “I won't.” She was dying to hear what fears this kind, gentle woman could have had.

Embarrassed, Lily admitted, “I was a little country bumpkin who could barely stand up for herself, and yet I knew I'd soon be responsible for protecting a child. Me! All I knew about babies was that they were expensive and needed a lot of care. It was a terrible and overwhelming thought. Not that I didn't want the baby! From the moment I knew I was expecting, I loved that child with all my heart.”

Ray laid her hand over her belly. She was aware of Eli watching her, his expression tender. “I love my baby, too.”

“Of course you do. And you and Eli are in a much better position than Hank and I were. We'd been through the Depression. Plenty of times we had to struggle just to get by. I kept wondering how I could make my baby's life better, what kind of mother I'd be.” She pulled out a hanky to dab at the tears swimming in her eyes.

Eli put his arm around his grandmother, smiling indulgently.

Shaken, Ray said, “So how'd you learn what to do?”

“Learn?” Lily laughed and patted Ray's knee. “Trial and error, honey. Trial and error. It wasn't until I had my second child that I realized there are no experts. Every mother comes into this with she same blank slate because it's such a . . . a
miracle.
There aren't any books or experiences to prepare you for how you feel when that tiny baby is handed to you to love and protect for the rest of his life.” She dabbed her eyes again, still smiling. “But oh, do you protect him. I'd have fought lions for either of my children.” She cupped Eli's face. “I felt that way when I met Eli. He was such a challenge, so defensive and hurt, and I loved him the minute I saw him.”

Seeing the two of them filled Ray with hope. “Was it easier the second time around?”

“No, because each child is so different, it's like starting from scratch. You make as many mistakes, just different ones. No mother is perfect. All any of us can do is our best, and it never feels like enough. To us anyway. To the children, it's plenty. They need to feel loved and nurtured. They need to know that home is safe and that you care enough to set rules that are in their best interest.”

“Does the fear ever go away?”

Eli glanced sharply at Ray. She didn't look at him. Not that it mattered. Eli could always see right in to her soul.

“It comes and goes in spurts.” Lily took her hand, emphasizing that with a squeeze. “Like when they cry and you can't figure out why. Oh, that's just awful and it tears at your heart. Or when they get sick or fall. My daughter was an overachiever, much like you, but with academics. That girl would have a fit if she didn't get straight As. But she almost never got hurt.

“Now Eli's father was just the opposite. He was happy if he got a C. He was smart, he just had a different focus. And injuries? He kept me buried in doctor bills. He was fearless, always willing to be the first to try something dangerous.”

“Like what?” Eli asked.

“Oh, there was the time when he was ten and he and his friends tried diving into the pond out of a tree.” Lily covered her heart. “What a terror. I grounded him for two weeks, then got down on my hands and knees and thanked the good Lord that he hadn't broken his neck instead of his arm.”

Trying to picture Eli as that little boy, Ray asked, “Where is this tree?”

“Oh no, you don't.” Eli tweaked her hair. “I won't have you diving out of trees, Ray.”

She reached past Lily to punch him, but she was laughing—and feeling much more confident about impending motherhood. Love she could give in spades. With Lily's influence and Eli at her side, the rest would hopefully fall in line.

“I still miss him,” Lily whispered, staring at the photo in the book. “But I have Eli, and soon a great-grandson.” She touched Ray's cheek. “I'm so glad you're here.”

Ray's nodded. “I'm glad, too.”

“Hank worked extra hard back then, making sure we'd have everything we need. He never wanted us to do without. That's a worry neither of you will have.”

“He's a good man,” Ray said, and meant it.

“Yes, he is.” Lily stood. “Take your time with the albums. There are years and years' worth of pictures in there. And Ray?”

Ray tucked the books close to her heart. “Yes?”

“If you want to talk more later, I'd be glad to oblige. There's little an old woman enjoys more than reminiscing, especially about her children.”

“Thank you, I'd like that.”

Eli sat stiff and proper until his grandmother's footsteps had faded down the hall. Then he fell back on the bed with a laugh. “I feel sixteen again, caught sneaking a girl into my room. Not that my mother would have cared, if she'd even noticed. But the girl's folks might have.”

Ray looked at him over her shoulder. “What would you do if our son tried that?”

“At my age? I'd give him privacy.” He grinned.

Ray turned back to the pictures. There were so many to enjoy. In some of them, Hank and Lily were included, young and vibrant and smiling. A loving, happy family.

“Eli?”

“Hmm?”

“I didn't want to go back, anyway.”

Silence fell like a dead weight before Eli sat up beside her. He took the photo albums and laid them aside, then pulled Ray into his lap. “Where, sweetheart?”

“To Central America.” She snuggled close, liking the way he held her. “I'm not hardened enough anymore for the job. I got distracted too many times during this last trip. That can be dangerous.”

Nuzzling the top of her head, Eli said, “I distracted you.”

“Right from the start.”

Ray felt his smile against her temple. “So you're telling me that, at least this once, I'll get my way?”

Ray lifted herself to look at him. “I can't see me as some happy housewife, content to stay home every day.”

“I hope not. After I told Granddad how handy you are with a hammer, he's been planning a lot of repairs.”

“You're making that up.”

“Am not. You can ask him yourself. But it's up to you what you do, Ray.”

“What about my house?”

“I don't know. I thought about that, too.” He put his forehead to hers. “We can keep it if you want, maybe live there part-time. I'm sorry, but I need to be near here as much as possible. Granddad has more health problems now and Gram—”

“Shh. I can be happy here.”

“You're sure?” Eli cupped her face. “I love you, Ray. I want you happy.”

It was ridiculous how easy tears came. She dashed them away, laughing. “I didn't want to fall in love with you. But I couldn't seem to stop myself.”

“You never stood a chance.”

“Yeah, right.” Ray pushed him flat on his back and propped her elbows on his chest. “Because you're bigger and stronger?”

“No.” He touched her mouth. “Just more determined. Your mission may have been to save people. But I had a mission, too. I had to accomplish what Central America couldn't.”

“And what was that?”

“I had to capture a soldier. And she was the meanest son of a—”

Laughing, Ray clapped her hand over his mouth. She remembered Eli's request at the onset of their meeting. She'd bragged that she was the best the agency had to offer. And the meanest. It seemed like a lifetime ago, now.

Eli kissed her palm and tugged her hand away. “You succeeded in your mission. You saved my brother. But you got me in the bargain. I'd say we were both damned successful.”

Ray thought to tell him that he'd saved her, too, saved her from her own wayward responsibilities to the world. He gave her the love she'd never thought to have, and the acceptance. But then Eli was kissing her, his tongue sliding deep, taking control as usual, and all she could do was hold on tight.