Always Faithful

by Caitlyn Willows

  “Oh, Phillip, I—”

  His lips swallowed the rest of her sentence, devouring the words as he did her soul. Rowan clung to him, deepening the caress. With a low growl, he wedged her against the sink.

  Rowan parted her legs and pulled him closer, arching herself to the hardness that beckoned. He fumbled to breach her shirt, shoving aside the material until he reached her bra strap. With the flick of his wrist, the clasps came free. He swooped his hands forward, capturing her in a gentle hold that shot sparks of fire through her.

  There was a sound behind them. They looked up in time to see Mike ducking back into the living room.

  Panic paralyzed Rowan. “Oh, no.”

  Phillip pulled her shirt back into place. “It’ll be okay.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Mike is… Mike’s too honest. He’ll never keep this to himself.”

  Phillip took several quick breaths. “Trust me.” He turned and shouted in the direction of the living room. “Come on, Mike. Let’s see that car of yours.”

  Rowan sank into the nearest chair. Her knees were shaking too much to hold her anymore. Was that disaster or happiness looming on the horizon? She was no fool. One could not exist without the other, not as far as she and Phillip were concerned.

  * * * *

  Mike had yet to speak since Phillip had come to the garage. On the surface, he behaved as if nothing was out of order. But every once in a while, Phillip caught a questioning expression in his eyes.

  “Here’s your problem right here.” Phillip pointed to the radiator. “You need a new cap. This one’s cracked. See the edge?”

  Mike nodded, not looking where Phillip was pointing.

  Phillip wiped his hands on a rag and stood back. “All right. Out with it.”

  “Out with what?” Mike refused to meet his eyes.

  “Come on. I know you saw us.”

  Mike drew in a breath and glanced up. “I didn’t see a thing.”

  “Honestly?”

  “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Off the record, though, I’m going to give you a warning. If you hurt her, I’m bringing you down.”

  Phillip smiled and shook his head. “I care for her, Mike. I always have. I wouldn’t hurt her for the world. You’ll see. My word.”

  “Then that’s good enough for me.”

  “Come on.” He gave Mike a heartfelt smile. “We probably have time before dinner to pick up a new cap at the auto parts store.”

  “Looks like someone else might like to go.”

  Phillip turned in the direction Mike indicated. Ian was hovering near the corner of the garage, tracing designs in the sand with his foot.

  “Have you apologized to everyone?”

  Ian nodded, but continued to stare at the ground.

  “What about me?”

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

  Phillip squatted down to Ian’s level. “Don’t I get a hug with that?”

  Relief flooded the boy’s face. He ran forward and tossed his arms around Phillip’s neck. “You mean you still love me?”

  “Of course, I do. Come on. Let’s change into some clothes so we can go to town.”

  “Oscar, too?”

  Philip glanced over to where Oscar was nosing around the jug of antifreeze. “Get out of there. Are you trying to get yourself killed?” He yanked the container away and put it out of reach on the shelf.

  Oscar jumped back and wagged his tail.

  “Would that stuff really hurt him?” Ian asked, his eyes wide with worry.

  “It could. Dogs love the sweet taste and try to drink it.” He shook his head. “It’s pure poison but they don’t know it.”

  Ian tugged on the dog’s collar. “Come on, Oscar. You don’t want that stuff. Let’s go for a ride instead.”

  A jackrabbit darted by the garage and Oscar took off in pursuit.

  “Oscar!” Ian yelled.

  Phillip chuckled. “He’ll be back soon enough. Let’s go in and clean up before it gets too late and the stores close.”

  “I heard that,” Zach shouted from the porch. “I’ve been slaving over this grill all afternoon. No one’s going anywhere until after dinner. I’m putting it on the table now.”

  Phillip scooted Ian toward the house. “You heard the man. Let’s eat.”

  Rowan heard them clatter inside. They were at the table before Zach could put the platter of steaks before them.

  Phillip fit too nicely into their lives. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was a promise of a future behind that searing kiss of his. It certainly wasn’t the kiss of a man preparing to share his life with someone else.

  Rowan nearly laughed out loud. He’d be crazy to give up everything for her and she didn’t have the option of leaving the Marine Corps for another three years. One thing was certain. She couldn’t stay on this emotional seesaw any longer. It was time the two of them talked.

  The blast from her landline interrupted her thoughts.

  Zach plopped a potato onto her plate. “Let the answering machine get it. Food’s getting cold. You need to eat.”

  She laughed at him and stabbed a steak. On the counter behind them, the machine picked up.

  “The warnings are over,” a man said, his voice muffled and distorted. “Tonight it’s your dog. Next time, it’s your kid.”

  The line went dead.

  It seemed an eternity before any of them moved, then they jumped for the door. Phillip raced across the yard to the garage, shouting Oscar’s name.

  The dog lifted his muzzle from a puddle of antifreeze and staggered toward them.

  “Oh, no!” Rowan clenched her fist to her mouth in a vain effort to stay calm while Phillip scooped Oscar into his arms. “Take him to the van! We’ve got to rush him to the vet or he’ll die.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rowan stretched her arm around Phillip’s shoulders. He looked like a grown-up version of Ian, trying his best to keep his emotions in check. Oscar lay unconscious on the stainless steel veterinary table, his tongue protruding. The lab assistants were clearing away the last traces of expelled antifreeze and hooking up an intravenous drip to rehydrate the exhausted pup.

  “You’re lucky you found the dog when you did,” the vet said, checking Oscar’s pupils with a quick flick of his thumb.

  Phillip cleared his throat. “You’ll be able to help him?”

  “It was touch and go at first, but we seem to have gotten him cleaned out. For now, it’s good. He’ll have to stay overnight, of course.”

  He caught Rowan’s fingers and traced each digit. “I’d like to leave him here for a few days, if that’s possible.”

  “I doubt it will be necessary.”

  “This wasn’t an accident. It was intentional. I don’t want him hurt again. If you could board him here until I can take him back home, I’d appreciate it. He won’t much like it, but I’d rather have him upset than dead.”

  The vet narrowed his eyes, clearly concerned. “Not a problem. But if I were you, I’d notify the Sheriff’s Department.”

  “We have friends at the house who should have already taken care of that.” He scratched Oscar behind the ears then bent and gave him a kiss on the head. “You hang in there, boy.”

  Rowan wanted to break down and weep. One look at the sheen of unshed tears in Phillip’s eyes stopped her. Someone needed to be strong right now. It should be her.

  The ride home was quiet except for a sniff from the passenger seat. Rowan half-expected Phillip to brush it off as allergies. He surprised her again.

  “Big ole dope of a dog. He’s the dumbest animal I’ve ever met. Has a heart big enough for twenty dogs. It’s crazy to love a dog that much.” He gave a humorless chuckle. “Zach would say it was crazy to love anyone that much.”

  “And what would you say?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “I would say Zach’s in for a big surprise when the woman walks into his life.” Phillip straightened. “We need to
get Ian away from here until this is over.”

  “I don’t have any relatives except Mom.”

  “I was thinking about Claudia. Ian and Emma could go up there. She’s living in San Francisco right now. Claudia’s job is pretty high-profile. She’s an investigative reporter for the local TV station. She lives in a very secure apartment building. My father won’t bother them, if that’s what you were thinking.”

  That was exactly what she had been thinking. “Well, if you’re sure he would be okay and Claudia wouldn’t mind. But how can we make sure they get there safely? Mom refuses to fly. Someone will have to drive them. Any suggestions?”

  “Maybe, but before we make too many plans, let’s check with your mom first to see if she’s going to be able to leave for an extended period of time.”

  “Call her.”

  “We were in such a hurry that I left my phone at the house.”

  “Me, too,” she said.

  “We’ll stop by her place before we go home. I’d rather talk to her without any eavesdroppers. No sense upsetting anyone until we know if this is doable.”

  “You mean Ian.”

  “Actually, I was thinking about Zach.”

  Rowan flashed him a puzzled frown.

  Phillip pointed toward the road. “Just drive. I’ll explain later.”

  Light burned behind the drawn curtains of her mother’s house—an odd occurrence at dusk since Mom always enjoyed catching the last rays of sunset each day.

  “Something’s not right. Those curtains should be open. Mom never closes them.”

  “Jess is with her. I’m sure she’s fine.”

  Rowan pulled into the driveway and jammed the gearshift into park. “Someone tried to kill Oscar and threatened Ian. Why would Mom or Jess be any safer? A bullet can kill from a long distance and I doubt at this point the murderer is real picky about who he shoots.”

  Phillip conceded the point with a nod. “I’ll go in first, just in case.”

  With her breath held, she watched Phillip approach the house. His stride was poised and calm, never giving away to any sniper that they suspected foul play. A flick of his wrist opened the door. He ducked in then pulled back, his eyes wide with shock.

  Rowan wrenched open the van door and dashed up the walk. “Oh, my God, they’re dead, aren’t they?”

  He pulled her back before she could rush inside. “No, no, no. They are very much alive. Shh…listen.”

  She cocked her head to one side. An unmistakable sound reached her ears. Rowan’s jaw dropped. “My mother and Jess Alderman are having… They’re having… They’re doing—”

  “Right on the living room couch.” He grinned and hooked his arm through her elbow. “Let’s go. I’ve been traumatized enough for one day.”

  Under Phillip’s guidance, Rowan stumbled toward her van.

  “Don’t look so shocked.” Phillip chuckled. “Ian said you thought she had a boyfriend.”

  “Yes, but I never thought… She’s never said anything about this.”

  “What’s she supposed to say? You’re her daughter. Shared confidences only go so far. Have you ever talked to her about your sex life?”

  What sex life? She shook her head. “I didn’t have a clue this was going on. She’s been so discreet.”

  He yanked open the van door. “Then there’s hope for us yet.”

  Rowan spun around, not quite believing her own ears. “What?”

  He caught her shoulders in a gentle hold, drawing circles with his thumbs. “You certainly can’t mistake the fact that I still want you as much or more than I ever did. If I can’t be with you soon, I swear I’ll go crazy. I love you, Rowan. You must have realized that by now.”

  Somehow she had known, but hearing the words and knowing she wasn’t mistaken made everything right. She pressed closer, feeling the evidence of his desire and praying he could feel the heat of her response.

  “I love you, too, Phillip. I can’t say that I’ve ever stopped loving you. And God knows, I want you so much.”

  “That settles it then.” He jerked his head toward the house. “If they can be discreet, so can we.”

  “Discreet? We’ve never been known for our discretion. Look at us now. We can be seen from Mom’s house, my house and by anyone watching us.”

  He dropped his arms and moved away.

  “And don’t you think Malcolm Collins is going to notice when you rush to the store for condoms? Unless you have some with you.”

  “I don’t. I wasn’t expecting—”

  “I wasn’t, either, and I certainly don’t have anything at the house. Collins and whomever else he is working with is not stupid, Phillip. And shopping for birth control isn’t discreet. That little news item would get to my colonel’s ears in a second and your colonel’s a second later.” She snapped her fingers. “He’d use it to destroy your career and mine.”

  “So…what do you want to do?”

  “What can we do?” The question was meant to prompt discussion, an evaluation of options open to them. “Phillip, I don’t have the luxury of having a just-for-the-heck of it relationship. I… We have a child to consider. How do we know this isn’t sex talking?”

  “If it was only sex I wanted, I would have gone to Laura.”

  Rowan shot him a glare meant to kill. She swung into the van and cranked the engine. “Get in or walk.”

  “You’re blowing this way out of proportion. It was a poor choice of words.”

  “You got that right.” She slammed the door.

  Phillip pulled it open. “Don’t do this. Don’t be this way. You know what I meant. You know the difference between having sex and making love. I was trying to make a point. I simply used the wrong example. You can’t hold me to account for what I did or who I was with when we were apart. Surely there has been someone in your life from time to time.”

  A sigh lifted her shoulders. “All right. You’ve made your point. If it’s love, I’ll be in my room waiting for you tonight. If it’s lust, don’t put one foot on those stairs.”

  “And what would you suggest I do about the condom issue?”

  A half-smile lifted her lips. “If it’s more than lust, you’ll figure something out. Come on. We’ll let the lovers have a little privacy while you call Claudia.”

  * * * *

  Zach splayed his hands across his chest. “The Ice Princess? You expect me to willingly put myself into the frozen path of The Ice Princess?”

  It would have been comical had the situation not been so dire.

  “I heard that,” Claudia shouted from the other end of the line. “You tell that self-indulgent—”

  “Stop it, both of you.” Rowan grabbed the phone from Phillip. “Claudia, my son’s life is in danger. I need your help, please.”

  “I’m sorry. You know I’ll help. It’s just that Zach Taylor is the most—”

  “I know, but aren’t they all to some degree or another? We’ll call you back when we make a decision on when they’ll be leaving.”

  Phillip expected her to launch into Zach next and from the way Zach fidgeted, it looked like he expected it, too. Ian’s arrival defused the situation.

  “Is Oscar going to be all right?” His bottom lip quivered with every word and tears filled his eyes.

  To Phillip’s surprise, Zach pulled him to his lap. For someone who had sworn not to have children a few hours ago, he fit the father role well. “The doctor is doing all he can.”

  “Can I see him?”

  Phillip pulled up a chair. “He’s at the vet resting so he can get better. He’ll be home before you know it, ready to play, chase rabbits and begging for something to eat.”

  Rowan tsked. “Oh, Zach, your dinner. I’m sorry.”

  “I kept it warm for you in the oven.”

  “Thank you.” She touched his arm. “I’ll get something in a minute. I want to make sure Mom can do this, unless I shouldn’t bother to try.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll watch the tadpole for you, even if it d
oes mean getting frostbite.” He leveled his gaze to Phillip’s. “And no lectures about getting along. I’ll behave if she does.”

  He laughed. “No lectures. I promise.”

  Ian hopped down from Zach’s lap. “Dad, the sheriff was here after you left.”

  He lifted a questioning brow to the other two men.

  “It looks like the guy may have gotten sloppy,” Mike said. “The sheriff took the jug of antifreeze for fingerprints.” A triumphant grin spread across his face. “There are boot prints in the sand.”

  “How do we know they aren’t from one of us?”

  The grin widened. “Because the deputy sheriff tracked the prints to the road.”

  “Hot damn.” Phillip smiled. “Now all we need to do is tie them to our suspect. We have to find some way to trip him up.”

  Rowan poked her head into the room. “You can work that out with Jess. He and Mom are on their way over. I’m going to take a long soak in the tub. Ian, bath time for you, too.”

  “Aw, Mom.”

  Phillip scooped Ian up and held him upside down until he started to giggle. “Come on. I’ll let you beat me at computer games once you’re done.”

  * * * *

  Rowan slid into a sea of bubbles. Maybe the warmth would ease her tension away. The last of the bruises from her various adventures, even the scratches from Kemp’s wife, were beginning to fade. She sighed. So much for her body, but would there ever be a day when her life would return to normal?

  All she had wanted to do was get to the bottom of the flurry of accidents centered on the Lava training area. She had been doing her part—being a Marine, protecting her own. What had it gotten her? Threats, agony, turmoil…and Phillip back in her life. The one plus or another minus?

  The bath pillow cushioned her as she leaned back. Forgetfulness would be nice, if only for a moment.

  Dreams pulled her in. Rowan let them. Sleep would be a welcome escape. She didn’t know how long she lay there—minutes, hours? It didn’t matter. It wasn’t long enough. She cursed the fact that it was time to summon her energy and get tucked into bed.