Always Faithful

by Catherine Snodgrass

The idea was laughable. "He’d never believe it."

  "Sure he will. I can be very convincing. I’m a lawyer. It’s what I do for a living. Just drive off and I’ll take care of the rest."

  Zach popped open the door and jumped out. The instant it was shut, she pulled back onto the road.

  Lies. All of it lies. She’d give up everything she’d worked so hard for in a heartbeat if only Phillip would ask.

  Phillip stared at Rowan’s van as she sped off down the road. "What did you do?"

  Zach sank into the seat and looked away. "The wrong thing. Can we leave it at that?"

  "Did you have an argument?"

  "Something like that. She chewed me out pretty good," his friend muttered.

  "Over what?"

  "Something stupid. Could we let it go? Let’s just say I’m sufficiently chastised and embarrassed and leave it at that."

  Phillip pulled into traffic to follow her.

  "Have you thought about how you’re going to handle this?" Zach stared out the window counting the passing businesses. "You’ll be with them every weekend, every holiday. It’s only a matter of time before the inevitable happens. How discreet do you think you can be when both of you glow like supernovas when you’re near each other? Phillip, your career will be over."

  "Frankly, Zach, I’d give it all up in the blink of an eye if I thought we could have a life together." When Zach snorted, Phillip shot him a glance. "You said it yourself. I never should have let her go in the first place. I’m not sure I’m willing to let her go now. And I don’t think I could stand it if there was another man in her life."

  "You might not have a choice."

  "Yes…I know that, too. As I said, I would need to know where she stood before I consider resigning from the Corps. Any other suggestions?"

  Zach parked his elbow on the door and leaned his head against his hand. "Not this time. I think I need to stop trying to be the voice of reason and butt out. You are on your own from now on, pal."

  "That’s what I figured."

  * * *

  Colonel Scott folded his hands on the desk before him. Rowan couldn’t tell if he was getting ready to explode or fighting the urge to do so. They sat in his office, she, Phillip, Zach, Jess, and Mike, waiting for the back swing of the pendulum.

  "I’m going to make this as quick as possible. I know all of you are working together to find the evidence to clear our staff sergeant here. It’s not quick enough. There has been nothing but one disruption after another, and I’m running out of patience." He looked at Jess. "I can’t speak for your office, Mr. Alderman, but as for the rest of you," he scanned the room, "this is your priority. Nothing comes before it. Do I make myself clear?"

  Yessirs rumbled through the room.

  "Captain Taylor, your command has generously offered your assistance. I’m sure that thrills you to no end."

  "To pieces, sir."

  The colonel shot him a sharp look. "Good. Dismissed. Except for you two." He waved his hand at Rowan and Phillip. Reluctantly, they resumed their seats while the others hurried from the room.

  Colonel Scott leaned back and steepled his fingers under his chin. "Captain, your colonel and I are wondering if a charge of fraternization needs to be entertained. Convince us otherwise."

  It didn’t take more than a few words for Rowan to realize how Phillip gained his reputation as one of the best attorneys in the business. He was confident, eloquent, and coherent. Not once did he falter. His argument was convincing, ending with the logic that there would be some degree of fraternization because of the child they had to raise together. Surely the commands would understand and be sympathetic to that. After all, this was not entirely their doing, but a mistake wrought years before by his father.

  Her colonel nodded slowly. "Very good. I trust you both on this one. Just make sure you leave no stones unturned in her defense. She is a valued member of my staff."

  "I’m doing all I can, sir."

  And then some, Rowan said to herself.

  Summarily dismissed, they beat a hasty retreat and hurried toward Phillip’s small office. Rowan assumed that they would probably re-comb through the evidence…again and again looking for clues missed before. Instead, Phillip suddenly excused himself and left her standing outside. He hurried to the parking lot where Laura Cushing was pulling to a stop.

  "Nice looking couple," Malcolm Collins said.

  He could be no more than five feet behind Rowan, but she didn’t bother to turn around and acknowledge him.

  "Always on opposite sides of the courtroom, but from what I understand, it makes for a great time making up afterward. They’ve been hot and heavy for a year now with no signs of slowing down. At least that’s what a friend tells me. They love to argue and patch it up."

  He laughed, but there was no humor in his tone. In fact, it chilled Rowan.

  "Personally, I can’t see it. You women are all alike. Always want what someone else has. Never satisfied."

  Rowan spun around, prepared to tell Collins to shut up, but he had already ducked back inside the office. She refused to believe it was true and was afraid that a look toward the couple would verify all Collins had said. Keeping her chin up, her eyes clear, Rowan walked on to Phillip’s office alone.

  * * *

  Laura hauled her briefcase from the back seat. "What do you want?"

  "I need your car tonight. Let me have the keys." He held out his hand and wriggled his fingers.

  Laura slammed the car door shut and knocked his hand aside. "I need. I want. Gimme, gimme, gimme. Who the hell do I look like…your fairy godmother?"

  "What’s the matter with you?"

  She poked a finger into his chest. Phillip winced from the jab and backed away only to find himself trapped between her piercing nail and the fender.

  "You pompous, overbearing, arrogant bastard! Who do you think you are? No one’s feelings matter but your own. It’s no wonder Rowan McKinley ran out on you. I wish I could have had the guts to do it myself instead of letting you drop me first."

  She shook her head. "Obvious physical attributes aside, I don’t know what I ever saw in you in the first place. I’m not an obedient dog you can order around, Phillip. You deliberately humiliated me by dragging me to that autopsy. You didn’t have the common decency to let me know I would be prosecuting your old girlfriend and the mother of your child."

  Phillip held out his arms, pleading. "Laura, I didn’t even know about—"

  "Don’t interrupt me while I’m talking. And then, when I try to discuss a valid trial issue with you, you embarrass me in front of her, Zach, and two strangers…," she rammed her finger into his chest again for emphasis, "…by announcing our previous relationship. And now you have the gall to demand my car?"

  She drew her shoulders back and took in a deep breath. "I’m not your doormat, Phillip. I’m a living, breathing human being with feelings you can’t even begin to comprehend. I deserve a little respect from you as an attorney, a woman, a co-worker, and a former…God, girlfriend doesn’t even fit…how about liaison? Because that’s all it was to you, wasn’t it? Or do I not even rate the respect of that title?"

  Phillip stared at her in mute shock. He’d realized the raw deal he’d given Laura days ago. What had happened to his good intentions since then? Had he become so entrenched in his own problems that even the simplest of apologies slipped his mind? Apparently so. Knowing he had used Laura for his own gain hadn’t registered. It was a nasty habit he had continued to nurture, despite the personal and moral revelations of late.

  Phillip cupped both of his hands around her rigid fist. "I’m sorry, Laura. You’re absolutely right, and I’m surprised you didn’t let me have it long before now, because I certainly have deserved it. I don’t have any excuses for the way I’ve behaved to you or to anyone over these last several years. All I can say is that it’s been like having a stranger living inside me…and I didn’t recognize that until recently. With everything that’s happened lately, I’ve come t
o realize that I need to think about more than myself."

  She tucked her arms under her bosom and cocked out a hip. Staring at him intently, she narrowed her eyes. "Amazing. But I’m not sure I totally believe your sudden move toward morality, Phillip."

  "I’m trying my best."

  Laura continued to stare at him, trying to read his face for any deception. Finally, she relaxed.

  "Hmmm. For the first time in the year I’ve known you, I believe I’ve finally met the human side of Phillip Stuart. He doesn’t seem half bad." She smiled, briefly.

  "Okay enough to at least forge a friendship with?" He smiled and extended his hand.

  Laura hesitated, then shook it. "It’s worth a try. Even if we always do seem to be on opposite sides of the courtroom."

  Phillip’s smile faded. "There’s no way you’re going to win this one."

  "You never give up, do you?" She rolled her eyes and would have pulled away if he hadn’t held her in place.

  "Give me a chance to explain." He motioned to his car. "Over lunch at the Officers’ Club?"

  After giving him an indecisive once-over, she leaned against her car. "There’s no one around. I know you have more up your sleeve than you’re letting on, Phillip. Evidence, a witness, something. Just tell me here."

  Laura listened without interruption, and Phillip knew she was evaluating each piece of evidence as he presented it for possible flaws. He even included his suspicions about Collins.

  "Why didn’t you bring all this up at the Article 32?" she asked.

  "We’re trying to catch this guy. That’s why I was hoping to borrow your car tonight. Mine’s a little obvious."

  "All right." She pushed away and snatched up her briefcase. "But on one condition. I go with you."

  * * *

  Rowan watched the hands of the clock edge closer to ten. She longed to switch off the lights and get this business over. But nothing unusual could occur which might alert their little spy.

  "Now?" she asked Zach and Mike.

  They looked at their watches and nodded.

  She flicked off the lights one by one…and waited.

  Mike peeked through the drapes. "I see headlights. He’s leaving. And there goes Phillip."

  And Laura. What did it matter? This whole thing was giving her a headache. "I’m not about to sit around in a dark house waiting for news. I’m going to bed. Let me know if anything interesting happens."

  * * *

  "A bar. How fun."

  Sarcasm dripped from Laura’s tongue. Phillip tried not to laugh. She’d been a good sport about lying in wait for Collins to show, then again when they waited for him to leave. Unfortunately, she was more of a morning person than a night owl, and it was beginning to show.

  Phillip opened the door. "This is where we part company."

  "Leave you here alone? In a bar in the middle of nowhere?"

  "I’d hardly call the center of town the middle of nowhere. I’ll phone a cab to take me back to base. Whatever is going on, I don’t want you in danger."

  She shoved the car in park and turned off the ignition. "But it’s okay for you? Don’t you think it’s going to look a little funny, you walking in there by yourself? At least with me along, we can pretend to be a couple."

  Phillip paused. Not much argument he could give with that kind of logic. "Let’s go. You watch my back, I’ll watch yours."

  The local bar was crowded for a Tuesday night, but it wasn’t hard to pick out their target. Collins sat in a corner booth, his back to the room. The two men with him looked like they had just crawled in from the outback…a week’s worth of whiskers, dusty clothing torn here and there, scruffy boots with the soles falling off. A wad of tobacco swelled one man’s lip to twice its proportion.

  Phillip selected a table across the room and pulled out a chair for Laura. He still had a pretty good view from this angle, then found himself wishing he didn’t. With barely a pause in his conversation, one of the desert rats spat tobacco juice into his empty beer glass. Phillip winced.

  "Pretty disgusting, isn’t it?" The waitress slapped coasters onto the table.

  Phillip looked up, glad for the diversion.

  "Too bad we can’t restrict the clientele. Those two bums would be the first I’d kick out," she said. "I’m surprised to see a jarhead hanging around with them."

  "Who are they?" Phillip asked casually.

  "Junk dealers. Scrap men. And they don’t much care where they get it. They did time once for stripping stolen cars. Word has it they were also caught stealing copper wire from the Marine base once, but nothing was ever done." She gave an exaggerated shudder. "They give me the creeps. Plus they’re lousy tippers. So, what’ll it be tonight?"

  "A couple of beers," Laura replied. When the waitress walked away, she leaned forward. "Collins and two scrap dealers? Looks like your suspicions were right. There’s definitely something fishy going on here, don’t you think? Phillip? Would you quit staring at them?"

  But it wasn’t Collins or his cronies who captured Phillip’s attention this time.

  He saw her from the back—wearing skin-tight jeans and a tank top that left nothing to anyone’s imagination. She captured the attention of every man in the place as she sauntered up to the jukebox. With one flick of her tapered nail, music blared through the bar. She danced up to Collins with a provocative little twitch, inviting him to dance. Phillip never saw her face—he didn’t have to.

  "Damn her! What the hell does she think she’s doing?" he ground out through bared teeth.

  Phillip shoved his chair back and stomped across the room. "Rowan!"

  He clamped his hand over her wrist and spun her around. A stranger stared back at him.

  "Hey, fella, wait your turn. There’s plenty of me to go around."

  "You tell him, Rusty," one of the scrap men shouted.

  Phillip struggled for something to say. "Ma’am…I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else."

  She slithered closer and raked her nails lightly down his chest. "I’ll be anyone you want me to be, cutie."

  Collins smirked and raised one eyebrow.

  Laura threaded her arm through Phillip’s and pulled him back. "Thanks for the offer, hon, but he’s already with me."

  Rusty’s grin faded. "Doesn’t seem like he wants to be." She spun back around to the booth. "Come on, boys. Someone dance with me."

  Phillip let Laura lead him away.

  "So much for keeping a low profile," she whispered.

  By the time they returned to their table, Collins and his associates were long gone and so was the element of surprise.

  Chapter 13

  * * *

  Rowan rested her head against the tiny sofa in Phillip’s office and longed to drown out the crush of emotion around her. She could understand why Phillip didn’t return to her house the night before. He was under no obligation to do so. She had no claim on him, and no right to think he should jeopardize his career by visiting her home any more than professionalism and his duty to Ian dictated. He could go where he wanted and with whomever he pleased, with no fuss from her.

  All right, so it did bother her. In fact, it enraged her just to think that he had spent the evening in the company of beautiful, voluptuous Laura. No doubt making love the way they used to.

  But nothing goaded her more than his early morning decree for everyone to meet him in his office, then be kept waiting. If there had been room, she would have paced the floor.

  "Here he comes." Zach shoved open the door wider for Phillip to enter.

  A grunt served as greeting before he sagged into his seat behind the desk.

  "You look like you’ve seen better days," Mike said.

  Phillip rubbed his blood-shot eyes. "I was up all night."

  "Did you get lucky?"

  Rowan resented the hidden implications of the question, but she seemed the only one to notice the double entendre.

  "You might say that," Phillip muttered. "Collins met with two scrap deale
rs at a bar last night. The waitress gave me the scoop on them. Then, when I got back to my room last night, I found this note shoved under the door."

  He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and slid it across the desk.

  Zach unfolded it. "‘Quit snooping or someone’s gonna get hurt. This is your last warning.’ Obviously you weren’t as discreet as you thought. What happened?"

  Phillip squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I did something stupid. Let’s leave it at that." His gaze settled on Rowan. "Where’s Ian?"

  "At day camp."

  "I’d rather he were at home with one of us."

  That meant her. Rowan shook her head. "He’s not going to be happy. The day campers were supposed to go to the Oasis Water Park today."

  "Well, then you and Zach can go with him to the water park while Mike and I start checking out scrap dealers on the northern end of the base."

  Zach snorted. "No way. I like kids as much as the next guy, but I’m not spending the day with a bunch of wet, screaming rugrats."

  Mike shook his head in mock-terror. "Don’t look at me. I’m not going."

  "And neither am I. I’ve done the chaperone thing more times than I can count. No more." Rowan fished her keys from her purse and tossed them to Phillip. "It was your idea. You go. We’ll check out scrap dealers."

  Mike and Zach were out the door before Phillip could protest.

  "You don’t even know what you’re looking for," Phillip called to their backs.

  Rowan smirked. "We’ll figure it out. Wear lots of sunscreen. Mom will give you the address of the day camp."

  By the time she reached the parking lot, Mike had their escape vehicle out of its space, ready to go.

  Rowan smiled to herself. It was a dirty trick to play on him, but this tiny bit of revenge chased her guilt away.

  That’ll teach you to stay up all night tumbling around in the sheets.

  * * *

  Tired as he was, Phillip had to admit he got the better part of the deal. First, there was Ian’s obvious delight when he discovered his dad was acting as chaperone. Then Ian’s proud introduction to all his friends. Finally, a day with a bunch of rambunctious children, playing, wrestling, fussing over minor injuries. A day being dad. The kind of dad he always wanted to be. The kind of dad he often longed for.