He shifted. “I’m not an alcoholic. But I’ve avoided excesses of anything since I got back from Iraq. Because I’ve heard of too many guys self-destructing when they got home. I don’t intend to do that.”
“I’m glad,” she said softly.
Annie was afraid of how much she cared.
CHAPTER TWELVE
DREW WAS STILL WIRED when he got back from Annie’s house less than an hour later. Their conversation had changed course after her admission that she cared. And neither quite knew what to do with that.
He was more grateful than he would ever admit. It took most of the sting out of her unrealistic parenting expectations.
How would she react if she realized how serious he was about becoming career military? Not because he necessarily agreed with everything in the military, but because it was where he was needed?
Funny, knowing he had a son should have made him less willing to consider becoming a chaplain. But in some ways, it left only one clear choice. He wanted to be so much more than he was, for his son. For Annie.
Drew shook his head, amazed at the changes in his perception.
Flipping open his laptop, he switched it on. Sure enough, there was an e-mail from his buddy Twitch. The kid got the nickname from having a nervous twitch the first three months he was in Mosul. But he’d settled down and Drew had trusted him with his life.
Twitch had volunteered for a second tour and Drew wished he’d been there to talk to the kid, see where his head was at and if his decision was more than a knee-jerk reaction.
As Drew read the e-mail, it was almost as if he was in Iraq. He could feel the grit that coated every surface and worked its way into every orifice. Could smell the stench of raw sewage and rotting trash so common in some Iraqi cities. And see the night sky, a blanket of stars sparkling in the inky blackness, reminding him that it was, as the song said, one world.
He shifted in his seat, resolving to send them more baby powder in the next care package.
He shot off a response to Twitch, chuckling. Drew wished he could tell his buddies and family that he had a son.
Soon.
Very soon.
ANNIE HEARD LAUGHTER as she walked into the apartment on Friday. It sounded like Kat and Drew, with Micah’s giggles thrown into the mix.
Her smile froze as she entered the great room and saw Drew on the floor, intertwined with her best friend while Micah danced around them.
Annie saw red. And it wasn’t the large red dots on the vinyl sheet.
Micah saw her and shouted, “Mom!” He raced over and she grabbed him up in a hug, burying her face in his neck, inhaling his sweet, salty scent.
When she looked up, she figured the ache in her chest matched the blue circle where Kat’s rear end rested.
Annie cleared her throat. “It looks like you guys are having fun.” So much fun that it was hard to tell where Kat’s legs began and Drew’s ended.
“Twist her,” Micah pronounced, clapping his hands.
“I can see that.”
“When did you get here?” Drew asked, standing. He held out a hand to Kat and helped her up.
Annie wanted him to release Kat immediately, if not sooner.
“A minute ago.” There, her voice sounded almost normal.
“It seems like forever since I’ve seen you.” Kat, in jeans, brushed imaginary dust off her perky butt. At least Annie figured it looked perky to Drew, judging from the way his gaze lingered on it.
Annie couldn’t believe how childish she felt. This was her best friend, Kat. And Drew.
She’d made some bad choices in men, though. They’d all seemed honorable. Until they revealed some big old relationship buster kept carefully under wraps. Like Jeff’s wife. Or Ron’s delight in driving after a few drinks, speeding around curves on a deserted mountain road.
Annie’s throat went dry as she recalled the sickening squeal of metal on metal as the guardrail buckled. The stark terror as she climbed out the driver’s door after the crash and knew one wrong movement could send the car plummeting into an abyss. Ron’s laughter, as if they hadn’t been inches away from death.
The memory had faded over the years, but not her simmering resentment of men who couldn’t or wouldn’t act like adults. Men who thought relationships came a distant second to an adrenaline fix. It was what fueled her determination to know a man inside and out before she slept with him. Until Drew, that is.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You have a bad day?” His concern should have reassured her. She was really starting to like him. And that’s what worried her.
He stared at her expectantly.
Kat’s eyes narrowed.
Annie released a breath. “Yes, I had a bad day. The quarterback got the wind knocked out of him and couldn’t get up. After that player in Chandler who was paralyzed, it makes me sick when something like this happens.”
“The boy is okay, though?” Drew asked.
“Yes. He’s fine.”
“Good. I can only imagine the hell I put my mother through with my sports. Football, wrestling, racing motorcycles…”
Kat folded the vinyl Twister sheet and put it in the box. “You raced motorcycles? Cool.”
“Don’t ever encourage Micah to do something like that.”
Drew touched her shoulder. “Annie, he’s going to find his own interests. And probably a few of them will result in bumps and bruises. That’s all a part of growing up.”
“I’d love to stick around for this debate, but Dillon’s driver’s license was revoked so I’m designated driver one hundred percent of the time.” Kat grabbed her purse from the breakfast bar.
“That sucks,” Drew commented. “I guess you managed to forgive him.”
“Yes, it sucks and yes, I forgave him. That reminds me, we have a meeting with his attorney tomorrow and I know you have a game, Annie. I hate to bail on such short notice.”
“An attorney on Saturday?” he asked.
“Yep, DUI attorneys seem to work 24/7. I’m sorry, Annie.”
“I don’t think I can find anyone to fill in for me this late.” She turned to Drew. “Is there any chance…you might be able to sit with Micah?”
“On one condition. You let me bring him to the game. We’ll be in the stands, but we won’t bother you. It’s been ages since I’ve seen a high school game. And Micah will get a kick out of the crowd and band and stuff.”
She sighed. “Put that way, I guess I can’t refuse. Just cover his eyes if anyone gets hurt, okay?”
“I promise.”
DREW MET ANNIE AT the field before the game started. They’d driven separate vehicles in case Micah got restless and Drew needed to take him home early.
“There’s your mom, buddy.” He pointed her out from the sidelines. Holding the child on his hip, he strode over to the low fence separating the spectators from the field.
Annie glanced up and saw them, her smile making him catch his breath. If she’d been a sexy siren the night he met her, tonight she was sexy in an entirely different way. Smart, sweet and confident in what she was doing.
“Hi, you two. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Mom!” Micah, fortunately, wasn’t bent on being in her arms. Maybe he’d understood Drew’s explanation that Mommy was working, so the guys were going to hang out together.
“Where’s Brett?” he asked. “I feel like I know the kid.”
She pointed. The teen was a little on the scrawny side, but apparently was a very good punter. He was in conversation with one of his teammates.
“You’re right, he does seem to speak well. Not as much for you to do, huh?”
“It’s still important to be here and confirm the coach’s instructions.”
“We’ll go find a seat and let you get back to work.” Drew raised and waved Micah’s arm. “Say goodbye to Mommy.”
Micah snatched away his hand to prove he could wave just fine on his own. His independent streak never ceased to amuse Drew.
They went up
the bleacher stairs. Bob and Kara Barton waved. There were seats available next to them, but Max was there, too, and Drew wasn’t eager for a repeat performance of the birthday party.
He smiled and nodded, pretending he didn’t notice the seats.
They kept going three more rows to where Drew spied more seats before Micah spotted his friend.
Micah was enthralled when the marching band came on the field. After a short musical interlude, they took their seats in the bleachers not far away. The other team’s band did the same, sitting on the opposite side.
Drew was fascinated watching Annie do her job. Her fingers flew, a blur against the navy blue background of her shirt and pants. Her black-rimmed glasses gave her that geek-girl look he found totally hot.
The game started off well, but Micah fussed after the first quarter. Drew reached into their soft-sided cooler and brought out the carrot sticks Annie had packed, along with juice boxes.
But the boy pointed at popcorn, then cotton candy. “Me want.”
“I know you do, buddy.” As a matter of fact, the smell of nachos wafting from a few seats away made Drew’s stomach growl.
But even if he could circumvent Annie’s dietary strictures, the logistics of getting food from the booster club booth back up the bleacher stairs, all the while keeping track of Micah, were too complicated.
So he helped himself to a carrot stick. “Mmm, that’s good.”
Micah’s glance all but said, “Who do you think you’re fooling?” He pushed the bag away.
“Me want.” He pointed again at the cotton candy. What kid wouldn’t want bright purple-and-turquoise swirls of sugar? They fairly screamed of a trip to the dentist and novocaine.
“No way. Your mom would be really mad at me.”
“Me want.” He stuck out his bottom lip, usually the precursor to a temper tantrum.
“Let’s watch the game. See, Brett’s going out to punt the ball.”
But Micah would not be distracted.
Drew was resigned to packing up and leaving, when a soft, familiar voice said, “Drew Vincent, I didn’t expect to see you here. Who’s your little friend?”
Beth sat in the seat next to him.
He didn’t know what surprised him more, seeing Beth at the game or seeing her in jeans and a team sweatshirt. “I forgot Damian made the team. This is my…friend…Micah. I told you about him.” He gave her a warning glance.
She seemed to understand. Extending her hand to the boy, she said, “Any friend of Drew’s is a friend of mine.”
Micah eyed her hand.
“Shake it,” Drew prodded in a whisper.
Micah’s expression was serious as he reached out and gave her a very adult handshake. Then he became momentarily distracted by the panther mascot gyrating down on the field.
“I thought I’d let you know that Mac—from your unit—will be home on leave next Thursday. I’m going to have a barbecue in his honor a week from tomorrow. I know he’d want you to be there.”
Drew grinned. “I wouldn’t miss seeing that S.O.B. for anything in the world. Pardon my language.”
Beth laughed. “I’ve heard worse. Even said a few things I wasn’t proud of. Little pitchers have big ears, though.” She nodded toward Micah. “Why don’t you bring him and his mother to the barbecue? Micah could play with my granddaughter and the other kids.”
Drew was sorely tempted. It got old going to parties by himself. He felt like some grizzled bachelor, unable to persuade a woman to marry him by age thirty-three. Truth was, he’d never wanted to ask any of the women he’d dated to marry him.
But now he felt lonely. He’d changed. First, from having his world turned upside down in Iraq. Then, finding out he was a father.
“So how about it?” Beth tousled Micah’s hair. “Will you bring this guy?”
“I’ll ask his mom. Thanks, Beth.”
“Great. I best get back to my seat now. I bet my granddaughter ate all my popcorn.”
Drew felt as if his life was finally making sense. As if he’d been waiting to be a family man.
It would be good to see Mac again. And show off Annie and Micah. Not that he could claim either of them as his own.
Yet.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ANNIE TURNED DOWN HER car stereo so she could unwind and think on the way home. Practice had run long and she was keyed up.
Her weekend had been uneventful except for the game. Kat had been busy carting her boyfriend all over the place, so she wasn’t around. Annie’s mom had been in town, but was involved in some women’s reproductive health rally way over on the northwest side, and she and Micah hadn’t even seen her.
She’d loved being with her son. Sometimes she envied stay-at-home moms. But after forty-eight hours of being around only a toddler, she’d longed for adult conversation.
She’d even considered calling Drew. How crazy was that? She suspected he’d have been happy to spend extra time with his son, but she just hadn’t been able to reach out to him.
He scared her on so many levels. The fact that he was Micah’s father and could make a claim for joint custody wasn’t as frightening as it had once been. She trusted him. And the realization stunned her. But quick on its heels came the knowledge that there was an undercurrent of danger with Drew. His experiences in Iraq had left a deep impression, one she suspected might run deeper than he let on. And that left her with a lot of unanswered questions. Like, had he found the adrenaline rush addictive?
Annie didn’t do unknowns anymore.
Which made her attraction to Drew all the more disturbing.
It wasn’t only a physical attraction, though her body had been emphatically reminding her that it had been a long time since she’d been with a man. And in her dreams, she remembered in vivid detail just how awesome it had been with Drew.
How was she going to face him at the apartment without replaying the dreams in her mind? And how in the world could she keep him from detecting her thoughts when her face was an open book? Not for the first time, Annie wished she was a better liar.
Pulling into the lot, she parked her car beneath one of the canopies reserved for residents. She squared her shoulders as she got out, hoping Kat would provide a buffer.
Annie listened intently as she let herself in the front door. All she heard was the low murmur of Drew’s voice. The smell of cooking food enveloped her as she went into the great room.
There she found Micah ensconced in Drew’s lap, looking through his baby book.
“That’s you, buddy, when you were only a day old.” Drew pointed to one of the photos she’d carefully labeled. “Me?”
“Yep, it sure is. You were such a tiny thing.”
Annie raised an eyebrow. “Tiny is a relative term, even with preemies. Believe me, they call it labor for a reason.”
Drew and Micah looked up. Their smiles were identical and both warmed her heart, for very different reasons.
Annie set her purse on the coffee table. “Where’s Kat?”
“Where else? Driving her low-life boyfriend around.”
Annie chuckled. “We agree on that. I keep telling her she has to start dating men who actually deserve her.”
“Too bad. She’s a great person.”
Annie felt a pang of jealousy, but muzzled it quickly. Drew and Kat had become friends over sharing babysitting. Kat had reassured her after the Twister episode, even though Annie had insisted she didn’t need reassurance.
“I’ve got lasagna in the oven,” Drew said. “Should be done in about ten minutes. I thought maybe we could discuss…that topic after dinner. Maybe plug in a movie for Micah?”
“I didn’t have lasagna or the ingredients. What gives?”
“I brought it, compliments of Mama Stouffer. I figured if I was going to invite myself to dinner, providing the meal was the least I could do.”
Annie was impressed with the gesture. She just wished they didn’t need the discussion.
“Thank you. I don’t sup
pose you brought a movie, too?” she teased. “Extreme Fighting?”
“As a matter of fact, I did bring a movie. The newest Veggie Tales. I figured I couldn’t be accused of corrupting him with that.”
“You never cease to amaze me.”
“Good. That means you’ll never get bored with me,” he said, winking.
Annie wasn’t quite sure how to take that, so she said, “I’ll go set the table. It’s only fair since you made dinner. Even if you did invite yourself.”
The meal was a relaxed affair. Annie had grown accustomed to having Drew around, and enjoyed sharing tidbits about her day and vice versa.
“Have you always been an inspector?”
“Ever since college. I worked my way through school picking up odd construction jobs. After I graduated, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I only knew that a nine-to-five desk job wasn’t for me. One of the general contractors I worked with suggested I talk to a buddy of his about inspecting. I did and that’s how it began. But before I left for Iraq, I had applied for the police academy.”
Annie felt the blood drain from her face. “Police? Did you…pursue it since you got back?”
“No, it didn’t seem like a good fit.” He shrugged. “I’d like to help people in a less confrontational way.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You’ve got Micah to consider, after all.”
He nodded. “I’ve thought long and hard about how my career choices may affect Micah and my relationship with him. I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
She released a breath. “Home inspections sound nice and…safe.”
“Danger can be relative. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Or slip in the shower.”
Micah’s spoon clattered across the table. Annie intercepted it without missing a beat and placed it near her plate, out of Micah’s reach.
“Yes, but what are the chances? I’m glad you decided not to become a policeman. I’d worry a lot less about you falling in the shower than getting shot in the line of duty.”
“You’d worry about me?”
“Of course I’d worry. You’re the father of…well…you know what I mean.” She glanced at Micah, who seemed absorbed with his dinner.
Welcome Home, Daddy Page 11
