by Dale Mayer
Cooper listened intently, and there actually seemed to be a note of regret in his voice – or he was a darn good actor. He frowned, not liking the idea he was sincere about getting back together again. Sasha didn’t appear to be affected by Greg’s tone though. Thankfully.
“I am too.”
Cooper listened to the painful conversation and tried to be detached. Was there anything in Greg’s voice that said he’d have done that to Sasha’s house? At this point he wanted to talk to Maureen. He wrote her name down and texted the information to the cops. Maybe they’d be able to track her down. At this time, nothing suggested she’d have come back to vandalize Sasha’s house. If the breakup had been months ago there’d be no need.
Apparently, Sasha had the same thought. “Why did you and Maureen break up?”
“She moved on,” Greg snapped. “She was there one day and gone the next.”
“And you’ve spoken to her since, or has something happened to her?” she asked in alarm.
Cooper gave the phone a hard glance.
“I spoke to her sister, and she said Maureen had taken a job on the East Coast and she had left without wanting to get into it with me.”
“Oh.” She relaxed back. “Then she’s moved on?” She smiled up at Cooper.
Good. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with Greg. And realized he could put a stop to it right now. He grinned. Walking over, he plucked the phone out of her hand and said, “Sorry, Greg. Have to cut this short. She’s a little busy.” And he closed it. Then gave her a wicked smile and dropped a kiss on her shocked lips.
“You’re welcome.”
And loved it when she burst into laughter.
Chapter 17
She slept soundly. Enough that when the birds first started singing outside her window at five-thirty she was happy to lie there and listen. She did have decisions to make and a little peace and quiet was perfect. She’d watched a movie and had a beer with Cooper last night. Two friends thrown together by circumstances and had enjoyed herself. He was the all American male and a pleasure to be around. That he was sexy as hell and a gentleman just added to the attraction. Make that a gentleman hero.
This morning life looked brighter, and she was able to view yesterday in a different light. Obviously someone had more than a little dislike for her if they’d shredded her bedding. Maureen? Why though? She’d broken up with Greg and already moved on. Yet, it was such a female thing to do… But how would she know where Sasha lived?
Had her mother told Greg?
Hearing a door open she hopped up to look out the window and saw Cooper doing a few stretches. He was dressed for a jog.
She called down, “Want company?”
Surprised, he looked up at her, a wide grin splitting his face. “Sure,” he called. “But I figured you’d be still sleeping.”
“Woke with the birds. Give me two minutes.”
She dressed fast, loving the idea of going for a run. She’d been an obsessive jogger during her marriage and had used it as an outlet to deal with the fallout of the divorce. The refugee camp experience had changed her schedule, but she’d still managed to get in a few. The week back in the States, she’d run every day. It filled her heart with a lightness she couldn’t express.
As she barreled downstairs and out the front door, laughing at him, she called out, “Come on slow poke.”
And hit the sidewalk running and never slowed.
He shouted with laughter and raced to catch up. She was gratified to see he did so easily. She knew he was in great shape, but that still didn’t make him a runner.
“Where to?” she asked.
“Trails or roads.”
“Trails every time.”
He motioned to a side street. “Then let’s go this way.” And he veered off. She followed. “How long do you want to run for, so I can determined the best route?”
She frowned, pondering his question. “I’d say I’m good for five miles easily, could do seven for fun and ten in a stretch. I normally do ten twice a week but haven’t since going to the refugee camp.” She glanced at him. “You?”
“Same roughly. But I run daily so let’s settle in the middle and pull through the seven mile mark.”
“Done.” She quickly settled into a rhythm, and he matched his pace to hers. She was happy to see it didn’t take much adjusting. He was a powerful man and could outrun her in a heartbeat but to keep up the endurance of a long jog was a different story altogether.
The trail was a series of paths winding through green space with the ocean on her right. She’d lived in a different location altogether and knowing that she’d not likely ever see Greg here helped her relax. She shook out her tense muscles.
They kept up a light teasing conversation the whole way and the trip passed in half the time she’d been expecting. Back at his house she ran inside and called out behind her in a teasing voice, “I get the first shower.”
“Ha.” He called behind her. “Leave me some hot water.”
“Nope, going to drain the tank…” She dashed into the bathroom stripping off her clothes as she went.
*
Cooper loved the teasing and admired the can-do attitude. That she’d raced ahead of him said much about her energy levels too. He’d enjoyed this morning’s run but it hadn’t worn him out. Neither had it worn her out.
Good thing.
They had a few things to deal with today. And not the least of which was to find Theresa. He’d sent several emails out last night looking for answers to the restaurant meeting. Sasha had shown her the emails and texts from Teresa about the meeting, but there was no name or department of who she’d be meeting. And that concerned him. He was more worried that the texts might not have come from Theresa herself. If her phone had been jacked it would have been easy to send a message to Sasha under the assumption she’d recognize Theresa’s name. But why?
To create an opening to go into her house? Fairly complex maneuvering to go and rip up some bedding.
Too complex.
Unless Theresa had been snatched and was in danger even now. That didn’t explain the setup for the restaurant though. He checked his laptop to see if new information had come in. He’d kept the others in the loop the whole way.
If this was related to Theresa and the mess in the refugee camp then he’d get lots of help. But if it wasn’t then it was a local police issue, and they’d have to wait and see.
Markus had already checked on Greg’s location, confirming he was in town.
He read through the other emails and found nothing helpful.
Damn it. He checked the time. Shower, breakfast then he’d call the cops who’d been at the house and see if they’d found anything.
He sent off a quick email to Mason asking for an update on Ron’s condition. Sasha wanted to see him if she could.
Then he closed the phone down and headed to his bathroom.
His turn for a shower if she’d left him any hot water. He grinned. If she hadn’t he’d have to dream up a way to retaliate.
He was loving this playful side of Dr. Sasha.
Chapter 18
Sasha grabbed her phone while she searched the refrigerator for food.
“Hello.”
“Sasha?” She closed her eyes. Shit. Why hadn’t she checked the number first? She didn’t want to talk to him again.
“Hello, Greg.” She rubbed her temple. “Oh, sorry really bad timing,” she lied. “I’m on my way out.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
She frowned. “None of your business. Why?”
“No reason, just curious,” and that voice was back to being warm and friendly. “I was thinking we could have coffee somewhere.”
She narrowed her gaze, trying to figure out what was behind the suggestion.
“I doubt it’s going to work out,” she said smoothly. “I have a lot on my list.”
“You still need to take a break, don’t you? I’d love to see you.” His voice deepened. “I missed you.”<
br />
“Oh, do you miss Maureen, too?”
“What I had with her was nothing like what I had with you.” He took a deep breath. “I’d hoped to do this in person but if you won’t give me a chance to see you…” There was an odd silence then he continued with, “Look, I was an idiot. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I don’t have an excuse other than to say I was lonely as you were working so much.”
“So it’s my fault?” She’d heard this all before. “And your excuse is still as poor as it was the first time I heard it. Obviously, you tired of our marriage and no longer cared about me.”
“I do care. I don’t have a good excuse. I can only tell you over and over again that I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”
“Except you never said that while you were happily playing house with my best friend,” she snapped. “You’re only saying it now that you’re alone again. I’m not interested in filling Maureen’s shoes. I’m happy to be friends, but that does not include benefits.”
She hit the end call on her phone. And realized Cooper was leaning against the doorframe. He’d probably heard the entire conversation.
And damn it – her fingers were trembling. “How long does it take for someone to get the message? We’ve been split for over a year.”
“But like you said, he’s lost his current partner and is alone now,” Cooper said quietly.
She nodded. “His problem. Not mine.” And not Cooper’s. She shouldn’t be dumping all this on him. She stood up. “I need to eat then I need to do something.”
“As in excess energy and you need to go for another run to de-stress?”
“As in my life has been out of control for too long, and I need to grab ahold again.”
“Shall we go see Ron?”
She spun, her face lighting up like a light bulb. “Yes. Can we?”
“Yes.” He smiled and held up his phone. “Just got permission. He’s been asking about you.”
She grinned. “Now that is a man to have your back. He’s been huge for getting help for those in need.”
“Then let’s get something to eat and go see him.”
And he was true to his word as he quickly scrambled up eggs. She made toast and within a few minutes they were sitting down and eating.
A half hour later they pulled into the naval hospital parking lot.
She shook her head. “I forgot he’d spent so many years in the service.”
“And been awarded many medals.”
“Is he the reason we warranted the rescue?” she asked. “I’d been holding off asking why we got such attention. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so damn grateful for it, but I’m curious.”
He laughed. “He’s one of the reason’s your plight was brought to our attention, but not the only one. We were already in Turkey doing training exercises.”
“Ah, makes sense.” She smiled and walked ahead of him slightly. At the reception she stood off to one side as he talked to the woman. The hospital was huge, but she’d worked here before.
“He’s down this way.” Cooper held out his hand. “Follow me,” he said.
She laughed and reached out for his hand. “It is visiting hours, right?”
“It is,” Cooper said cheerfully. “He’s on the second floor.”
And he led her right to Ron’s room.
She stepped inside and saw him. He saw her at the same time and opened his arms. She raced into them. “Oh my. I was so afraid we’d lost you.” She hugged him gently.
“I’m fine.” He grinned. “Now, at least. I wasn’t so sure a week ago. Figured I’d pushed my luck for the last time.”
“I hated to leave you in that damn cabin…” she cried, settling back on the edge of his bed to study his face critically. But the twinkle in his eye and returning color to his skin reassured her.
“And I hated to see you go.” He smiled up at her, his face crinkling with wrinkles. “But I was out of it at that point, so the timeline of events are a blur.”
“It wasn’t long after Sasha and the others were hustled onto the boat that you were rescued and the shack was torched,” Cooper said from the side of the room. Ron’s face lit up when he saw Cooper. The men shook hands.
“Thanks for the rescue.” Ron sighed. “I’d wondered at the time if the driver had been a part of it.”
“Really? I’d considered that someone on the inside must have known where to find us.” She studied his pale face. “We weren’t even all on the same side of the camp.”
“I know.” He coughed, his face rippling in pain. “But I can’t say I’m too surprised to hear what he was up to. Terrible circumstances bring out terrible actions. Most of those people are still in survivor mode.”
Cooper said, “We think someone hired the driver. It’s that man we want.”
She understood what he meant but that didn’t mean it was an easy concept to accept.
“And does it do any good to find the person now? We are free.”
“As long as it’s not followed us home,” Ron said quietly.
She was silent until they walked out of the naval hospital toward Cooper’s Jeep. “Is there any chance it followed me…us home?”
“I can’t answer that, but considering your situation, we have to look at it.” Cooper opened the passenger door to the Jeep. “It’s possible, but why?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “There are doctors everywhere. There’s no reason for them to want to find us now. It’s not like we heard or saw anything useful. They didn’t discuss bigger plans with us.” She smiled at him as he got inside the driver’s side and closed the door. “I really can’t see it.”
“Good, then that’s one less thing to worry about.”
She smiled. “Besides, I should be safe. I’m on the base with the big bad SEAL.”
He snickered. “There are dozens of us here.”
“And except for a random shooting by a naval discontent, I should be safe.”
He glanced over at her. “Got to love how everyone hears about the bad shit.”
“We also hear about the good shit.” She grinned. “And the very good shit. Like rescuing me and mine.”
“Happy it was a rescue and not a recovery.”
“Where to now?” she asked.
“Sasha?”
She froze and turned in her seat.
Of course. Her ex-husband.
“Hello, Greg.”
Cooper placed an arm around the seat back and her shoulder in silent support, his warm breath hot on her neck as he whispered, “Easy.”
She nodded slightly in acknowledgement.
“What a surprise,” Greg said with a bright smile.
“It is. Sorry I can’t talk now, we’re late.” She glanced at Cooper. “Shall we go?”
“No wait.” Greg leaned in to see her. “It’s a nice surprise to see you.”
Cooper wasn’t going to let this asshole get any closer to Sasha. He turned on the engine and shifted the Jeep into gear.
“Bye, Greg,” she called out.
As Cooper drove the vehicle through the parking lot toward the exit and away from Greg, she let out a shaky breath. “I should have spoken with him.”
“Do you still care for him?”
“No.” She shook her head. “There is nothing more deadly than a dead love.”
“And are you sure the love is dead.”
“Oh yes,” she said. “I’m sure.”
He fell quiet. “Then it shouldn’t bother you to see him.” He turned the Jeep out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
“It’s not the fear of seeing him because I loved him and I’m afraid to lose him, it’s the betrayal that hurts. The fear that inside I’m really as he sees me.”
“And that is?”
“Not enough,” she whispered. “That I’m the one to blame for everything. That I wasn’t a good enough wife, a good enough woman to keep him. No one likes to see themselves in a harsh light.”
“You know that’s garbage
, right?” His voice was harsh, his tone piercing.
“In my head I do. But my heart says I’m equally at fault for what happened. I can see he might have needed more time with me. That he couldn’t handle the demands my job required of me. Still, he didn’t have to do what he did.”
“I’d forget about him completely if I were you.” Cooper pulled the Jeep into the mainstream traffic. “He’s a child in a man’s body. Men don’t sit there and whine. They do something about the problem.”
She laughed. “How true.” She watched the traffic meander through town. “Why is the traffic so light?”
“No idea but it’s nice. Then again it is Sunday.” He turned down a second corner and pulled into one of the large hanger looking buildings.
“Why are we here?”
“We’re going to meet the rest of my team.”
“Are you sure I should? I’m a mess.”
“And that’s why you aren’t making any decisions today or tomorrow,” he said firmly. “Too much is going on.”
“And then what,” she said softly. “Stay with you?”
“That’s hardly an imposition,” he said quietly, reaching across and holding her hand. “You’re special, Doc, we all want to keep you safe.”
She slowly turned her head. “Do you think I’m not safe?”
He glanced at her and shook his head. “No,” he said seriously. “I don’t.”
Hell.
*
He was never one to deal in lies and innuendos, and given the strange circumstances surrounding her, he’d really like to keep a close eye on her. He needed to keep her safe.
“Up ahead.” He pointed out a huge flock of birds rising from the sands on the left.
“Wow. That’s a lot of birds,” she said, studying them. “I don’t remember seeing them in such a large group.”
“Just another day in paradise.” He grinned as he turned off the Jeep and hopped out.
He came around to her side and helped her down. “Let’s go see the gang.”
She smiled and walked into where a dozen men pretended to be busy doing something and yet nothing at the same time. They stopped and watched as Cooper slipped Sasha’s hand into the crook of his arm and brought her over to them.
