by Rachel Dove
‘I got it.’
Cooper looked annoyed for a moment, and she giggled a little, walking to the lift. He followed grumpily. They entered the lift and she laughed out loud when the doors closed.
‘Don’t be so grumpy! You can pay me half back, if that’s the problem.’
Cooper snorted. ‘Pay half! You made me look like a right div, being paid for by a woman.’
Kate jabbed the button hard for the third floor.
‘Oh, as opposed to a man paying for a woman to stay in his room, like a hooker?’
His eyes darted to hers and she gave him her sternest look, crossing her arms across her chest. Cooper narrowed his eyes and folded his own arms. They stood like that when the lift stopped, and when the doors opened, and after. The ding for the closing of the doors sounded and no one moved a muscle. Kate shook her head. He was just as pig-headed as she was.
‘Are we going to sleep in the lift, because I’ll go and get my money back, if that’s the case.’
‘I can pay my way you know,’ he said begrudgingly. Kate rolled her eyes, leading the way out of the lift.
‘Good, because I have a son and a messy divorce to pay for. You can pay for breakfast.’
His mouth twitched, and he slowly followed her out of the lift onto the corridor. Once in the room, the door closed behind them, they both stood looking at each other. This was it. All those miles, all those hours, all the talk, this was it.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Cooper
When the door closed, I had to catch my breath a little. I felt panicked, and I didn’t want her to notice. She probably knew anyway, she always seemed to read my moods, good and bad. The truth was, I had been in many hotels before, with women hoping to land a soldier. Attracted to the uniform, the danger, or just looking for someone to rescue them. Some people think that it’s us that are the skirt chasers, and we are, but we have to have skirt to chase in the first place. I never promised anyone anything. In fact, I was always honest to a fault. Not that they always listened, of course.
Now, stood in this room with this woman, the woman who broke me down and put me back together, I was scared. This would mean something, something much more than just a night in this room. One look at her made me realise that she was thinking too, and I wondered if she was thinking of her husband. This wasn’t me, messing with a marriage, but I trusted her completely, and truth be told, I was ready to fight again. Not for the government, or for the safety of others, but for a life of my own. I wanted to be in her corner, hers and Jamie’s. Putting up a barrier was something we both did, but perhaps it was time to build our own, against the world.
I stepped up from my chair, slowly, and she watched me, not moving. She looked so beautiful standing there, the sight robbed me of my breath once more. I steadied myself on my legs and held my hand out to her. She walked to me, and as our hands met, I felt the pull of her deep down in my gut. She reached out to touch my cheek, and I kissed her palm. She locked eyes with me and, not moving them from my face, she moved her hand down to my sweater. I watched her, transfixed, enjoying the feel of her touch on my skin. She lifted the material up, discarding it onto the carpet. She placed both hands on my chest momentarily before stroking them downwards. I sucked in a breath in surprise and her hands stilled. She looked worried, and I kissed her. I could feel her hands press against my chest, so I stopped the kiss, but she grabbed hold of me and pulled me into a deeper kiss. Our mouths opened and I flicked my tongue against her lips. She moaned in response, and I felt a twitch in my trousers. She must have felt it against her body because she pushed against me harder. I reached for her then, taking clothes off her body as quickly as I could, till she stood before me in her underwear. She shivered a little, and I took off my shirt, wrapping her in my naked chest.
‘You cold?’ I asked softly. She shook her head.
‘No, just nervous.’
I smiled at her then, grateful that this woman landed in my life. ‘Me too,’ I admitted. ‘We can go back, if you like?’
She shook her head, dropping a kiss onto my lips. ‘No, no more going back. Only forward from now on.’ I kissed her again.
‘I love you,’ I uttered, before I even realised I was going to. She looked at me, surprised, and in the moment before she spoke I have never felt so exposed, so unprotected.
‘I love you too, Cooper.’
I didn’t need to know anything else. I kissed her hard, and she kissed me right back. I backed her up to the bed, slowly, carefully and she let me take the lead. I pushed her down so she sat on the bed, and took a step back. She went to reach for me, but I held out a hand to stop her. I needed to do this. She had seen me before, at my worst, but I needed her to be aware of just what she was signing up for. I undid my belt, letting my trousers fall to my feet. Kicking them off one foot, I removed them from my prosthetic and tossed them to one side. Taking a step towards her, I did the same with my boxers, before standing once more before her. She took me in, looking me up and down, pausing at the parts she had seen the least of.
‘You are gorgeous,’ she said. ‘Come here.’
I shook my head. ‘I need to do this as me, the new me.’
She placed her hands on her lap as a sign of waiting.
Moving forward, I steadied myself against the bed as I took off my prosthesis, then using the back of the nearby chair arm, I stood before her once more. She smiled at me, an open smile of admiration, and stood with me. This time we came down to the bed together, kissing each other once more. We laid down and I looked down at her as I took her bra off. She shivered again as the chill in the air hit her, and I grinned as I ran my teeth across her collarbone. She sighed a little, breathing my name, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. We kissed passionately, running our hands over each other as we laid tight against each other. I knew she could feel me against her body, and she pulled away suddenly.
‘Protection?’ she said, pulling a face. Shit. I groaned as I realised I hadn’t come prepared. I hadn’t even thought about it.
‘Sorry,’ I grumbled. ‘I can’t believe this!’
We both laughed then, and she kissed me again.
‘I am good if you are, Captain. I get tested regularly, and I haven’t exactly been doing this a lot lately.’
I nodded with relief. I was clean too, and it meant a lot to me that she assumed that of me. Another reason why I loved her.
‘But what about …’ I started.
She shook her head. ‘I’m still on the pill.’
I dropped my head, rubbing my stubbly cheek against her neck. She squirmed beneath me. ‘No teasing,’ she scolded. I felt her hand around me then, guiding me closer. I stopped teasing.
Kate watched the sun rise through the slit in the half-open curtains as she listened to Cooper’s heart beating beneath her ear. They had hardly slept, not that she was complaining, but she had to get back soon, perfect her cover story. The local estate agents opened at nine, and she needed to start looking for a suitable bungalow for herself and Jamie. And Cooper, hopefully. They hadn’t discussed it, but Kate knew that she wanted him with them. She wanted to make them both a home, a better home than either of them had ever had, one filled with love and laughter, not arguments and absent parents. She propped her head up on one elbow and looked at her sleeping partner. His usual frown lines seemed diminished, and a ghost of a smile played across his lips. He looked happy, and peaceful, and Kate thought he had never looked so handsome. He looked pale against the white sheets, and she thought back to that day when his body was tanned, and broken. She slowly traced her finger over his scars, the lines of skin salvaged and painstakingly stitched back together once the shrapnel was free. They were turning silvery white now, healing more and more as each day passed. She wondered if the beating heart she could hear was being healed by her, patched up with her love for him. He slept on his back, slightly twisted so that his legs were wrapped around her under the sheets. He was totally at peace, but she knew if danger kicked the door dow
n, he would be ready to protect her to his last breath, and even though she would never admit it, it made her feel safe and protected. She had never got that feeling from Neil; she had felt like the stronger, more adult half of their pairing. What she felt now, lying in this bed, was a perfect match. She just hoped that the stress of the next few months didn’t alter them. She snuggled into him further, half-closing her eyes. One more minute, and then she would get up. One more minute, to savour this slice of time.
The knocking was insistent, and Kate scrunched her eyes up at the intrusion to her dreams. Trevor. That was her first thought. It was Trevor, knocking at her room door to shout at her once again. A flash of Cooper, naked, popped into her head and her eyes sprang open. She wasn’t at home!
‘Shit!’ she shouted. She heard the door open, and as she frantically glanced around, the hotel room swam into focus, along with her bra, which hung from the mounted television. Muted voices were exchanged and then Cooper, clad in a pair of boxers, walked back to her, wallet in hand.
‘It was reception. We slept in, so they wanted to check if we wanted the room again for tonight. I tipped them to give us an extra half hour.’ He kissed her, and she closed her lips tight. He faltered, pulling back, and she realised he had his limb on, and his breath smelled of mint.
‘Scared of morning breath?’ he chuckled.
She spoke out of the corner of her mouth. ‘Mine, not yours,’ she said, grabbing for the sheets to tuck round her as she headed for the bathroom. Picking her clothes up, he flicked her thong at her. She caught it, blushing, and grabbed her bra on the way past.
He blocked her path to the bathroom, and she looked up at him, flustered.
‘No regrets?’ he said, and she realised he was worried. She pecked him close mouthed, dropping the sheet. His eyes bulged as he took her in.
‘None,’ she said saucily. ‘Half an hour means we have enough time for a shower too.’
He broke into a broad smile then, taking her by the hand to the bathroom. She put her finger to his lips as they neared hers.
‘I must just brush my teeth first,’ she said. Cooper chuckled, and he shut the door behind them.
Later that afternoon, Cooper having left, Kate was enjoying a wander around the city centre. She had bought some new clothes for Jamie, and was now sat in a coffee shop looking at bungalow listings from the estate agents. The lady had been really nice, not batting an eyelid at the long list of specifications that she rattled off at her. Some of them, one in particular, looked promising. The one she had her eye on had land with it, and Kate wondered if this could be put to good use going forward. It was just out of town, a large country-style bungalow. Just the ticket for their new life. Kate turned her phone on, intending to book a viewing, when her phone burst into life. She had missed calls, texts and voicemails. The centre number came up repeatedly. Jamie. Kate grabbed her things and raced to the nearest taxi rank. She punched the voicemail button and listened as she fired out her destination to the receptionist. It was Trevor.
‘Kate, it’s me. Listen, get back here as soon as you can. Jamie is missing.’
Kate’s blood ran cold. The taxi pulled up, and she jumped in, ignoring the driver’s cheery greeting. She rang Cooper’s mobile. He picked up on the second ring.
‘Missy! I was just thinking ab—’
‘Cooper!’ she screamed into the phone. ‘It’s Jamie. I need you!’
Cooper
Kate’s voice down that telephone line made me think of the first day I met her. The panic and urgency in her voice terrified me. When she told me what was happening, my instincts took over.
‘Okay, I’m here Kate, listen, I am on my way to help, okay? Ring me when you get to the centre.’
Kate managed to pull herself together long enough to say goodbye, and I resisted the urge to tell her I loved her again. It didn’t seem right, when we had only just told each other how we felt the night before. I would tell her when I saw her. When she was in my arms and Jamie was safe.
I rang Rita. No way I was going to speak to Trevor. It happened on his watch, what would stop him lying to cover his tracks? He wouldn’t tell me a damn thing anyway. Why would he?
Rita answered in her usual brisk busy bee manner. ‘Can I help, my love?’ I could hear the noises of the kitchen in the background. The hiss of water running, the clang of pots and pans.
‘Hey, Reet. Did you see where he went? How the hell did he get out?’
‘I have no idea, the staff were all busy, and Trevor was holed into his office. His grandparents came for him, and he went willingly. It was one of the new nurses, she didn’t know the background, and there’s nothing in his file about him not being allowed to visit his father’s family.’
‘Wait, his father’s parents came and took him?’
Rita’s voice came across loud and clear. ‘Yes honey, and he went with them willingly.’
I mumbled my thanks before ending the call to make another.
‘Hightower, hey,’ I barked out down the line, all my training taking over. ‘I need that address dude, like now. Quick as you can. And can you get his parents’ too?’
Hightower didn’t need asking twice, but he told me he had only got one so far. No doubt he would track down the other soon enough. The man could hit a fly between the eyes from a mile away, a bit of tracking would be no problem. Two minutes later I was on my way to meet Kate’s husband.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Cooper
Pulling up at the address Hightower had given me, I thanked my driver as he passed me my chair. I wished I could do this on my own two feet, but I just can’t do it yet. I had some pride, falling arse over head wasn’t part of my plan. I saw a car on the drive of the smart detached house. It was a nice area, not as nice as where Kate said she lived, but nice. Families lived here. The car was decent too, a rather sporty executive type. I bucked the trend with cars; being army born and bred, I didn’t notice anything about a car other than the tyre width and whether it can take a hammering. Settling into my chair, I asked the driver to wait and headed for the front door. I checked the number with the text Hightower sent me. It was the right address, and it looked like a family home, not the home of a divorcé to be. I cursed under my breath, and knock at the door. I heard a dog bark, a yappy little thing, and then the door opened. A man opened the door, but it wasn’t him I saw. I could see Jamie’s eyes, staring back at me from a man’s face. My gut roiled. The man looked a bit surprised to see me, looking from me to the cab, back to me. He took in the chair and his smile faltered a little. He gripped the door a little tighter. Coward, was my first thought. Was this the man Kate chose to spend her life with?
‘Er, yes, can I help you?’ he ventured, and I noticed him pull the door a little closer behind him with his free hand.
‘Neil Harper?’ I asked in a deliberately loud voice.
‘Er, yes,’ he said, pulling the door a little closer still. A quick flick of his eyes made me look to the living room, where I saw photos and ornaments on the mantel. I wondered who else was in the house.
I could hear a dog yapping its head off somewhere in the house.
I kept my back as straight as I could, and looked the guy straight in the eye. ‘I’m here about your son, Jamie.’ There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes, changing from panic to concern.
‘Jamie?’ he said softly. ‘Is he—’
‘He’s fine.’ No thanks to you, shit head. ‘He left the centre today, with your parents. I think he wants to speak to you. I wanted to come to tell you, and to find out where Jamie is. He has people worrying about him.’
Neil switched from one foot to the other. The dog barked again, and I heard a door click shut. ‘I told my parents not to get involved.’
‘That’s it? No questions about your son?’ I countered. This sack of crap was getting on my nerves.
‘I … I … who are you, anyway? Do you work with him or something?’
‘I know him, and his mother. The question
is, where the hell were you? And more to the point, where do you think—’
The door opened behind him then, and he jumped.
A woman stood there. She looked like she’d just woken up from a nap. She had a stain on her t-shirt, and dark circles under her eyes. If she was shocked to see someone like me at the door, she didn’t show it. She looked at Neil and he wilted under her gaze.
‘Look, as much as I would love to sit here on the doorstep and watch you two make eyes at each other, I’m here for Jamie.’
Neil looked at the woman again, putting his palms out in a gesture of futility, and she glared at Neil as she went back into the house. The yapping continued. My ears felt like they were bleeding. Why the hell did people buy those groomed rats as pets?
He went to close the door behind him as he moved forwards I wasn’t giving this guy an inch to wriggle. I just sat there, not moving as he manoeuvred himself awkwardly around my chair. As he turned sideways on, his ankle clipped the metal on the side of my foot rest, and he hissed in pain through his teeth. I chuckled to myself, still not moving. Once he finally got himself out of the doorway, I slowly turned my chair to face him. The front of the house had a neat path all around it, and he stood kicking his toe against one of the slightly raised paving slabs. He wore trainers, the kind that a guy who didn’t sweat for a living wore. Pristine white. Kind of girly. I wanted to ask him so many questions about Kate, but I didn’t want to give myself away. The priority was Jamie.
‘So, are you going to ask about your son?’
He looked at me, and I knew right off something had changed. This guy was angry at me.
‘What the hell do you know about my son?’ he spat at me. He leaned forward, speaking in hushed, angry tones. It reminded me of a daytime comedy I once saw. A couple were fighting around a sleeping baby, whispering ‘screw you’, and gesturing silent declarations of war.
