“I’m still working.” It wasn’t time for me to go home, just lunch break.
“Just quiet for us to talk. If that’s okay. We can stay out here if you’d rather not go in.”
I shook my head. I wasn’t scared to be alone with him. In fact, since I rather suspected he was going to yell at me, better he do that behind closed doors than out in public anyway. Rohan must have fixed the door so it didn’t automatically open. I put my finger on the lock mechanism, and it opened up for me. I stepped inside, and Ari followed.
I cleared my throat. “Ari, I’m sorry I had that fight with you in public. I’m sorry I said those things in front of so many others. I… I realize that was awful.”
He shook his head. “Couple of things. Number one, that was my fault that happened in public. I basically forced it. I was half out of my mind with jealousy. That’s not an excuse. I have no business trying to insist you talk about anything you don’t want to, and I certainly know better than to yell at a woman who just the night before had been almost beaten to death.”
Well, that I hadn’t expected at all. “I think it’s probably good that it all came out, though. If you were going through the motions of courting me.”
He held up his hand. “I have some things to say. I spent the night really thinking about how I wanted to present this to you. Would it be okay if I did?”
My throat felt tight. “Sure. Whatever you need to say, I’ll listen.”
“I have a lot of experience with Sandlers, and make no mistake, that is what you are. All of you go around spending so much time, and rightly so, hating your father that you miss the ways you inherited some of his traits. You might not look like your brothers, Waverly, but yesterday when you were shouting at me in the hall, you were acting just like them.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Is that so? I’m like my father, then?” This seemed rather out of left field.
“When Sandlers get frightened, they lash out. That is what you did.”
No, he had completely misread that. “I’m not afraid.”
“Oh sure you are. I scared the shit out of you. Jackson, Canyon, Rohan, and me. All of us coming out about our feelings for you on the same day? I was last. I took the scared hit. You’re out of your mind frightened because this isn’t going to fit in whatever box you’ve placed yourself in.”
“I…” He held up his finger, and I stopped talking. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say, exactly. The box I’d put myself in?
“That thing I do, where I use names for women—the sweetie, gorgeous, baby thing—most of the time I do it because I can’t remember the woman’s name.”
My head pounded. Ari wouldn’t let me drop his gaze. Whatever he was going to say, he meant to get it out, and I was going to stand there and listen to it.
“Oh sure, I do it for Diana. I do it for Paloma. It’s very disarming for them. It pisses off their husbands. I can seem sort of mellow, sort of on their side. Everyone laughs. I started doing it years ago. I’ve never had a particular problem getting women to either like me or to go to bed with me.” He held up his hands. “We’re speaking truth to each other, Waverly. So there it is. I couldn’t have given two shits who I went to bed with. Baby. Sweetheart. That was easier than saying ‘whoever you are, I don’t care about your first name, because you’re just another whatever to me.’ ”
I shook my head. “Ari, I…”
“Let me finish. Let’s get the whole nasty truth out there, and then we can start over from wherever we land. Everything changed for me when Sandler Cartel kidnapped me, tortured me, and changed my brain chemistry so badly that I’ll never really be okay again. That altered me, and you know what? Thank the fuck it did. I’m a better person now. I care about people more than I ever did. I mean, I guess I occasionally used to give a fuck. Not as much as I do now. I’m a better person, a better man, and a better doctor. I haven’t had sex since then, by the way. Just to keep that in perspective. Would I have noticed you years ago? I don’t know. Maybe not. Unless you threw yourself at me in a bar because those were the only women I was looking at anyway. I didn’t give a shit about any of it.”
I had to stop him there. “Ari, you can talk however you want to and sleep with whomever…”
“No.” His voice was hard. “I can’t, Waverly. I can’t because I’m in love with you, and you know what? I don’t have to go through a whole explanation justifying myself about why that is and why I would think you were pretty when you are, according to you, so clearly not. Fuck that. Seriously? I look like I do so I can therefore only love a certain type of woman? Every time you’re with me, life is… better. And that’s not a strong enough word. I want to know everything about you. I’m sorry you were hurt by how I have been conducting myself, that it’s been making you feel less-than. I’m going to work on stopping that. I’m deeply attracted to you, Waverly, and guess what? You’re going to have to learn to deal with that.”
He had officially stunned me into silence. After a second, he walked toward me. It was like my brain didn’t want to work. Ari pulled me into a hug. I looked up at him for just a second before his lips came down on mine. He tasted like mint. I closed my eyes, kissing him back. This was real. Ari Bennett wanted me.
I kissed him back until I was desperate for air and I had to stop. His eyes were hooded, and he breathed hard. “Yell at me anytime you want, Waverly. You’re not scaring me off. Tomorrow night is mine. I’m already on the damn schedule. I’m tight with the other three in this grouping, but no more. We’re officially closed down. Yes, I’m making rules.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“Okay. Good.” He nodded and let out a breath. “Couldn’t sleep all night. Almost came over here ten times.”
I pressed my head into his chest, and he held me even tighter. Who needed to breathe? “I’m sorry, Ari. I couldn’t fathom that you… really felt this way.”
“Waverly, I’m sorry to do this right in this moment, but is there a giant spider in the corner?”
Well, I really hoped not. I turned to look. “No. Not a spider anywhere.”
He closed his eyes. “Great. Sorry.”
“Don’t ever be sorry for that.”
Ari nodded. “Okay, I won’t be.”
I somehow made it through the rest of the day. My head was in a cloud. I’d dreamed about these guys, and now I had them. How had all of this happened?
“Earth to Waverly.” Lewis grinned at me. “You’re done. Go home.” He shook his head. “I broke ten vials when I first fell for Diana. Amazing what it does to us.” He yawned. “Sorry. Helene has an ear infection. She’s had one for two days. It’s getting better, but she’s not sleeping. My girl has lungs. No one is getting any sleep.”
He needed a night off. “Listen, I don’t know what Rohan planned for tonight. But I could babysit for a couple of hours. Maybe from say six to eight. Then I could go out after that. Give you guys two hours to be together, all of you. Do you want that?”
His eyes widened. “Really? No one babysits for us. Not even Melissa. She has her hands full with her own little ones. Yes, thank you. We’ll take it. I mean who better than you? If she’s in pain, you’ll know what to do. Her fever broke this morning. Thank you. Yes.”
I’d really made him happy. Everything was beautiful. Why shouldn’t everyone feel as good as I did in that moment?
I hummed all the way back to my room where, after sending Rohan a note to tell him where to get me at eight o’clock, I sang all the way through my shower.
Diana fussed for fifteen minutes over Helene before she left her in my arms. The family of five was going to have dinner in the Mess and then take a walk around the lake outside because it was pretty in the snow. Not the most exciting things in the world but they seemed so happy to get to do them that it only added to my surety that I’d done the right thing in offering this.
Helene sniffled, but didn’t fuss before she promptly fell asleep on my shoulder. Diana raised her eyebrows. “You’re really
good with kids, aren’t you?”
Cash took her hand. “She is. I wouldn’t trust her with anyone but Waverly.”
Baby in my arms, I closed the door behind Diana and her husbands. I grabbed my tablet. I’d read and probably not move for two hours, and then they’d be back.
Helene would move every so often, but otherwise, she was just an adorable sleeping baby who had been sick for days, was trying to get over her cold, and needed to be held right now. It was easy for me to manage her. I got to give her back when her parents came home.
Sterling pinged my tablet. All okay?
I replied with a yes and went back to reading. They loved their girl. Lucky little baby.
The first alarm that went off jolted me from the story I was reading. It was the station vicinity alarm. It meant there were unknown spacecraft approaching. I covered Helene’s ears even though she hadn’t stirred and waited for them to turn off. My heart kicked into gear. Why weren’t they turning off? They always went off.
Something exploded in the sky. I rushed to the window to look up. There were shuttles there, and our missiles were firing. They were loud, concussive explosions, and I darted away from the window. We were under attack.
Everyone had known this day might come.
Above my head, I heard more fire. At least our weapons could reach the shuttles. I knew Makenna had our people working on defense all the time. As for me, my only priority had to be to keep Helene safe until her parents got back. They’d told us to get under things like tables to keep ourselves safe.
The baby stayed blissfully asleep. Maybe that was where the expression sleep like a baby came from. I got under the table in their kitchen area. As a family residence, they basically had a small home to themselves with a real working kitchen. The tables had been designed to withstand a pounding. That’s what the security briefings said anyway.
I grabbed my tablet. It was off. Another security measure. They shut down when we were under attack lest the enemy take one. They couldn’t get in our system.
A boom shook the room. Something had exploded nearby. A second one, this time more of a crash, shattered the windows. I held the baby close, glad my back was to the glass. I’d get hurt before she would and…
The door flew open, and I held my breath. Had they managed to get people on the ground? Were they coming for Diana? She was called Lady Di in Sandler Cartel plans. Killing her was on the list of to dos. Well, I wouldn’t let them near her daughter. I grabbed a piece of the glass, cutting my hand just slightly. It would stop fast. No one was taking this baby.
Rohan’s voice was what I heard first. I was so relieved I dropped the glass. “You’re here.”
“Yes.” His voice was low. He cupped the back of Helene’s head. “You’re both fine. I thought so from the heartbeats, but I had to be sure. Sterling,” he spoke to the empty room. “I know you’re listening. I’m here with them, brother.”
“How did you get here? Things are exploding?”
He got under the table with me, although he barely fit. “I caused some of those explosions. I’ve been in battle many times. This one is almost over.” Rohan adjusted himself until he was fully seated and pulled me against his side. “There will be many injuries. But you won’t get to attend patients tonight. Neither will Ari. As soon as this is over, we’ll travel. We missed these plans. They must have been hastily made. Only four ships up there. Although this is loud and frightening, the danger is minimal. They are being easily destroyed. Clean up will be the biggest problem. We will go see what else they have planned.”
This was a mouthful for Rohan. “Are you talking to me to calm me down?”
He nodded. “Is it working?”
The baby chose that moment to wake up and cry. He hissed in his breath. “Is she hurt?”
“No, sick. She has a cold. An ear infection. It’s loud. She’s under a table with people she doesn’t know, and she wants her family.” I kissed her head. “It’ll be okay, Helene. Mommy, Daddy, and your Uncles are all coming. Whatever you need, Ro, I’ll be there for all of you. It is my honor to help.”
His eyes were on Helene. “It’s like you’re the baby whisperer.”
“I love children. I’d have ten if I could.” I wasn’t exaggerating. “I was all alone growing up. I wanted a big family and the support that came from that. I had siblings, but I didn’t know them.”
He lowered his head. “Ten.”
“Ten.” The sounds outside stopped, and the world fell quiet. “Is it over?”
Rohan nodded once, and then scooted out to help me up. Helene stared up at him with big, teary eyes. She reached out to grab his chin, and he smiled at her. “Hello, little person.”
Her smile was huge, and she practically threw herself out of my arms into his. I gave her over, and he visibly swallowed. “I have never held a child before.”
Helene wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re doing just fine.”
In the same evening, Rohan made things explode, found me in the middle of a battle, and held Helene Hurst like an expert even though he’d never done it before. He was right when he’d told me he succeeded in all things he set out to do.
“Sterling is almost here.” He spoke to me, then Helene. “You were a brave little girl. Your family is coming for you.”
The door burst open, and Sterling was right in front of us. Rohan handed him Helene in such a swift move I barely saw the exchange. “The others are behind me. Two minutes. Thank you, Waverly. We were terrified, but I listened in as best I could, considering the circumstances, and I could tell that you were doing everything to keep her safe. Cash was right. We’re never leaving her with anyone but you.”
“She won’t be available to babysit all of the time,” Rohan answered for me. Considering the circumstances, I’m not sure why I found that to be so amusing.
10
A Date With Rohan
My stuff had been jostled around, but not destroyed. I didn’t know what the casualties were. Lewis and Cash, after checking on Helene, had taken off to meet Dane, Wade and the other doctors in the Med Bay. I wasn’t headed there. Instead, I grabbed my quilt, my pillow, and my toothbrush. If I was going to sleep in that chair again for eight hours, then I was going to try to be more comfortable about it.
I ran through the snow. Ari stood outside of the facility—talking to a man I didn’t know. He was as tall as Ari. My—boyfriend?—laughed and threw back his head. He saw me as I approached and held out his arm.
“Waverly, come meet Trenton.”
The other man turned toward me to check me out as I approached. “Hello,” I greeted him.
Ari cocked his head to the left. “Are you carrying your bedding?”
“I… Yes.” I couldn’t really explain why I needed it in front of this Trenton person.
“You’re Waverly. I’ve seen you. During group gatherings.”
Ari moved slightly closer to me. “Trenton leads our battalion. He was coming back to fix up his shuttle and took down two fighters while he was up there.”
“Good timing, for sure.” Trenton rocked back on his feet. “Why are you running around out here with your stuff, Waverly? Do you need help?”
“No, she’s fine,” Ari answered fast. “She’s with me.”
Trenton’s eyebrows shot sky high. “Really?”
I sighed. This was going to be the reaction every time. I shouldn’t care. I knew it and…
“I never would have thought Ari had it in him. He was so sure he’d never settle down.”
Oh, he hadn’t been thinking we didn’t look like we fit. Ari winked at me. Had he known what I was thinking? “Well, it really just took meeting the right woman.”
A gust of wind hit me, and I shivered. Tonight was the coldest night yet. We’d been attacked, and we’d won, but the outside weather certainly matched the general feeling in the air around me. Things were going to get very, very chilly.
“That’s for sure.” Trenton nodded. “Hold onto it. Because it ca
n be gone in a hot second. And then there’s really nothing to live for except revenge. See you two later. Glad to have another Sandler on our side.”
Trenton walked fast toward the main facility. I looked at Ari. “Does he know what’s going on inside?”
“No.” He shook his head. “He lost his wife in an explosion. Sandler Cartel blew her shuttle from Mars Station on its way to Earth. He’s a great commander. Tommy picked him. Trenton and I are good friends. Why are we talking about this out here, and why do you have your bedding?”
He opened the door, and I walked through it. “Something to sleep a little more comfortably while I wait for all of you. My neck hurt in that chair. I was so exhausted I didn’t care, but today I might be cold.”
Ari put his arm around me. “Don’t sleep in the chair. Go sleep in my bed. Or any of the guys’. We can’t come back before eight hours. You don’t have to physically be in the room. I did lots of things during the eight hours, including working a four hour shift to spend time with you when you didn’t know this was happening.”
“I worry about leaving. What if something happens? And I’m not here.” We walked together into the room with the scanners. “I feel better, at least for now, staying here.”
He kissed the side of my head. “I would never tell anyone how to take care of their patients. Stay in the chair if you want to.”
“Well, gee, now that I have your permission.” I elbowed him in the side.
Ari held up his hands. “All right, fine. I’m a little… bossy.”
“Just a little.” Rohan appeared by my side. “We have ten minutes. Come with me, okay? It’s my date night.”
Ari stepped back. “Give me the bedding. I’ll see what I can do about that chair.”
I handed Ari my stuff and let Rohan lead me away. We walked into his bedroom. It was sparsely decorated. He didn’t have much in the way of possessions. Just a gray comforter for his bed and his pillows. But he’d added a small folding table and two chairs. On the table were two cookies on a plate.
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