Beyond the Breakwater

by Radclyffe

  “This is so exciting.” Eyes sparkling, Cath looked from Reese to Tory in undisguised delight. “I spoke with Mom and Dad last night, and they can’t stop talking about how much they’re looking forward to another grandchild. They thought when Danny got his tubes snipped and we were done that they wouldn’t have any more. You have no idea how happy you’ve made them.”

  Tory slipped her arm around Reese’s waist and leaned into her as Reese draped an arm over her shoulder. “I wish they lived closer so we could see them more often.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve already been talking to Mom about getting plane tickets so they can come down after the baby is born.”

  “You mean you actually got Dad to agree to fly?” Tory turned to Reese. “My father doesn’t trust anyone else to navigate. Even though they’re ten hours away, he always insists on driving.”

  “I seem to recall him mentioning that the last time we got together,” Reese remarked with a grin.

  “Well,” Cath said, “I think the opportunity to spend more time with his newest grandchild has convinced him that it was worth it for once.”

  “Amazing.” Tory gestured to the sign-in desk. “I should let them know I’m here. I’ll be right back.”

  Cath watched her sister walk away and then tilted her head to study Reese. “How’re you doing?”

  “Pretty well.”

  “Nervous?”

  Reese nodded.

  “Are you going in with her?”

  “As long as it’s okay with Wendy.” The very thought of something being done to Tory while she waited outside in the hall was enough to make Reese’s stomach cramp. She didn’t get this nervous when she was facing down a drunk with a knife.

  “You know,” Cath said, taking Reese’s hand, “my husband almost passed out when I had my last one. I think it’s a normal spousal response.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Reese confided softly. “Because I feel that way half the time.”

  Cath patted Reese’s cheek. “You know, honey, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”

  Reese glanced across the room to where Tory was filling out paperwork at the counter. Even from where she stood, Reese could clearly see the swell of her abdomen beneath the loose pullover she wore. Tory’s cheeks were brushed a delicate rose, and everything about her seemed fresh and alive—miraculous. When Reese spoke, her voice was husky. “I’m the lucky one.”

  “I’d say it’s mutual.” Cath saw Reese’s expression change suddenly, her eyes growing focused and intent. She followed Reese’s gaze and saw the reason why. Stiffening, she grumbled, “I can’t believe it. What is she doing here? Son of a…Tory doesn’t need this now!”

  “It’s okay,” Reese said quietly, placing a restraining hand on Cath’s arm. She watched as K.T. spoke to Tory and resisted the urge to join them herself. “She was moonlighting when I was in the hospital. Tory saw her there.”

  “Tory never mentioned that.” Cath had her eyes riveted on the tall, dark-haired surgeon. “She probably knew I’d be stalking through the halls with a gun.”

  “Tory’s okay, Cath,” Reese assured her gently.

  “Yes, maybe she is. But I still haven’t forgiven K.T.”

  At that moment, K.T. turned away from Tory and, glancing in their direction, nodded a greeting.

  Reese inclined her head, but Cath merely glared.

  Tory rejoined them as the surgeon disappeared down a hallway on the far side of the room. One look at her sister, and Tory knew exactly what was happening. “She saw my name on the outpatient schedule. She just came by to say hello.”

  “How nice,” Cath said acerbically.

  “It’s okay, sis. Really.”

  “I know.” Cath forced a smile. “So, how long did they say?”

  “Wendy is running on time, so it shouldn’t be more than half an hour.”

  They settled in to wait, Tory and Cath catching up on family news while Reese held Tory’s hand and tried to relax.

  *

  “I just want to make sure the samples get off to the lab.” Wendy Deutsch applied a small Band-Aid to the puncture wound in Tory’s abdomen just below her umbilicus. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “You okay, sweetheart?” Tory turned her head to Reese, who sat by her side on a tall stainless steel stool. Reese’s hair was damp with sweat.

  “Fine.”

  “I’m sorry. I couldn’t really talk during the procedure.”

  “That’s okay, love.” Reese brushed her fingers over Tory’s cheek. “I’m pretty sure you weren’t supposed to be talking. Wendy explained everything, and I saw as much as I needed to.”

  As a matter of fact, she’d barely remembered to breathe as she watched Wendy place a long needle through Tory’s abdomen and into her uterus. She’d been able to follow the path of the needle perfectly well on the ultrasound monitor. It seemed to pass within millimeters of the baby’s head, which, at sixteen weeks, even she could make out without assistance. The whole thing was over in a matter of minutes, but it had felt like an eternity.

  “How’re you feeling?” Reese edged closer so that she could take Tory’s hand.

  “Fine. Just a little cramping.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “Perfectly,” Tory said with a small smile. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, Wendy’s the best.”

  At that moment, the obstetrician returned and pulled up another stool next to Reese’s.

  “That went fine.” She had a chart in her hand that she opened and perused for a few seconds. Then she met Tory’s eyes. “Your blood pressure’s been steadily increasing.”

  “I know.”

  “Are you having any other symptoms?”

  “No.” Tory felt Reese’s grip on her hand tighten, and she looked away from her doctor to smile reassuringly at her lover. Softly, she whispered, “It’s okay.”

  “No extremity swelling, no visual problems?”

  “None.”

  “We’re not at the point where I’d call this preeclampsia,” Wendy said seriously, “but you need to be alert for the early signs, Tory.”

  “I have been.”

  “What’s going on?” Reese looked sharply from one woman to the other. “Someone explain this to me.”

  Wendy focused on Reese. “Preeclampsia is a condition which affects some women during pregnancy, particularly women who are nulliparous, meaning they have not previously been pregnant. It’s associated with hypertension and, in a small percentage, with other symptoms such as persistent headache, visual abnormalities, abdominal pain, and changes in blood chemistries.”

  “Is it serious?”

  “Reese—” Tory protested gently.

  “No. I want to know.” Reese’s eyes were locked on Wendy’s, and her voice was a command. “Go ahead, Doctor.”

  “It can be, if it progresses. There can be severe hypertension with alteration in renal and liver function and other problems. But—”

  “Is it a risk to the baby?”

  Wendy continued in a steady, calm tone. “Sometimes if the maternal-fetal blood flow is compromised, there can be intrauterine growth restriction.”

  “And to Tory?” Reese’s voice was even and strong, but there was a roaring in her head that sounded like gunfire.

  “Only if the condition progresses,” Wendy said. “But we’re nowhere near that point, Reese. I’m not even willing to call it preeclampsia at this point, but we need to be vigilant.”

  “I’m already taking my blood pressure three times a day.” Tory spoke calmly to reassure Reese. “The diastolic has only risen ten points above my baseline. I’ve checked my urine daily for protein. There hasn’t been any.”

  “I’ll need to see you every two weeks from here on out.” Wendy made a few notes in the record. “Keep monitoring your BP and urine the way you’ve been doing, and add a fingerstick hemoglobin every ten days. Call me at the slightest sign of symptoms. Even if you’re not sure.”

  “What about workin
g? Is it safe for Tory to continue?” Reese asked.

  Wendy nodded. “Reasonable hours, yes, as long as we don’t see any worsening.”

  “Don’t worry,” Tory said. “I’ll be careful.”

  “Good. Then I’m satisfied.” Wendy stood and smiled at them both. “I’ll call you with the lab results as soon as I have them.”

  Reese was silent as Tory dressed.

  “There’s nothing wrong, sweetheart, really.” Tory took Reese’s hand.

  “I know.” Reese managed a smile, but her eyes were dark. She drew a long breath and straightened her shoulders. “Is it okay for you to eat now?”

  “It had better be,” Tory said with a laugh. “First of all, I’m starving. And I’m sure Cath expects us all to go to lunch.”

  Reese slid her arm around Tory’s waist and kissed her temple lightly, ignoring the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Then let’s not keep her waiting.”

  Chapter Eleven

  May, Provincetown, MA

  “Things will start jumping around here over the weekend.” At a little before six a.m., Reese poured French roast from the carafe into a travel mug. She was already in uniform, dressed for work. As always, the creases in her shirt and pants were knife-edge sharp, the knot in her tie perfectly positioned below her buttoned collar, her leather belt a polished black. Her weapon was nestled in an equally highly shined leather holster on her right hip.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Reese smiled at Tory, still in the T-shirt she usually slept in—and not much else. Her normally energetic lover looked sleepy and out of sorts. “Want some juice?”

  “No,” Tory snarled, settling a hip onto a stool at the breakfast counter. “I want some coffee.”

  “I’ll make decaf.”

  “I don’t want decaf. I want real…” Abruptly, she quieted as her face grew pale.

  “Bagel? I can toast—”

  “Oh, God…” Tory bolted off the stool.

  Heart in her throat, Reese watched Tory rush for the bathroom. After a moment’s hesitation, she followed, her insides roiling. This hasn’t happened in weeks. Jesus, God…what’s wrong?

  “Tor? Love…can I get you anything?” Reese circled her palm aimlessly over Tory’s back as the other woman cradled her head on her arms, her body bent over the sink. Reese’s stomach lurched as she felt Tory tremble. “Honey?”

  “No,” Tory gasped, not looking at her. “I’m fine. Near miss—no eruptions.”

  “Some water?”

  “Yes, fine. Good.” With a shaky sigh, Tory straightened up and accepted the glass Reese filled and handed to her. She traced the curve of Reese’s jaw with her fingers, smiling faintly. “I’m okay.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Mmm. I am.”

  Reese asked carefully, “Shouldn’t we check your blood pressure?”

  Tory was silent a long minute, reluctant to add to her lover’s worry. I want this experience to be a joy for you, not a constant source of anxiety. “It was just a little blip, sweetheart.”

  “I need to be part of this, Tor. Please.”

  Tory’d never seen Reese look so helpless, and her heart twisted to see the pleading in her eyes. “Of course. Come on, I’ll show you how to take it.”

  Reese was a quick study, and five minutes later they looked at one another and smiled.

  “No change since my last visit with Wendy,” Tory reported. “Okay now?”

  Reese nodded. “Can you eat something?”

  “I don’t think I’m quite ready for that.” Tory wrapped her arm around Reese and leaned into her. “You should get to work.”

  “I’m okay for a bit. You need to eat something. The doctor said—”

  “It would be nice if someone remembered I’m a doctor.” Tory heard the temper in her own voice and realized that Reese was just concerned. In fact, she still looks scared. I never thought I’d see anything that could shake up my marine. “Sorry. Try not to worry, sweetheart. It was just a bit of leftover morning sickness.”

  “I’ll just read the paper and finish my coffee,” Reese said as the two of them walked arm in arm back toward the kitchen. “Then I’ll fix you a little breakfast before I leave.”

  Tory cocked her head and studied her impossibly handsome lover. “Reese Conlon, you never read the newspaper in the morning.”

  “I’ve never had a pregnant lover before.”

  “As I recall,” Tory said softly, running her fingers lightly down Reese’s chest, “you’ve never had a lover before.”

  “Tory…” There was a warning note in Reese’s voice. “I have to go to work in less than an hour.”

  “So?” Tory remarked innocently, but a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

  “I don’t have time for sex, and I can’t work if I’m…aroused all day.”

  Relenting, Tory kissed Reese swiftly on the lips and moved away to sit on the stool again. “Don’t worry. I’m not quite ready for sex this morning myself.”

  “How about toast instead?”

  “God, you’re persistent.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  Tory nodded her assent and watched appreciatively as Reese moved efficiently about the kitchen, fixing toast and scrambling eggs. “Thanks,” she said when Reese passed the plate to her. Remarkably, it smelled wonderful.

  “Tory,” Reese began carefully, “what about another person for the clinic?”

  The hand that held the fork stopped midway to Tory’s mouth. After a second, she finished the motion and then set her utensil down. “I’ve narrowed it down to two people. I’ll have someone by the weekend. I promise.”

  “That’s great.” Reese let out a long relieved breath.

  Tory didn’t say anything.

  “Thank you.” Reese leaned across the counter and spread her fingers through the hair at the back of Tory’s neck, gently massaging the tense muscles. “I know it’s not easy for you. But just for this summer.”

  No, it’s not just for this summer.Tory turned her head and kissed Reese’s palm. “And next year at this time, we’ll have a child.”

  Reese couldn’t prevent herself from grinning. “Yeah, we will, won’t we?”

  “Yes, we will.” Tory echoed, smiling now, too. “I know things are going to change. I just need a little time to get used to them.”

  Reese came quickly around the end of the counter and put her arms around her lover. Brushing her lips across Tory’s temple, she said gently, “We’ll work everything out. The most important thing for right now is that you’re okay.”

  “As long as I have you, I will be.” Tory tilted her face and kissed Reese, a gentle lingering kiss of gratitude and soft desire. When she drew away, her throat was tight with a combination of wonder and need. “Go to work, Sheriff.”

  “I’ll call you later,” Reese whispered, her lips to Tory’s forehead. “I love you.”

  *

  Reese was just pulling into the small lot behind the sheriff’s department when the call came over her radio. The alarm sounded in front of the fire department in the middle of town at the same time.

  “Fire reported, Bradford and 6A.”

  It was Smith’s voice, and as Reese spun the wheel with one hand and floored the accelerator, she flicked her shoulder mike with the other. “Conlon. I’ve got it.”

  “Roger, Reese.”

  The whole of Provincetown is less than four miles long and, sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod Bay, even narrower. At that time of morning, just before tourist season, there were barely any cars, and Reese was on scene in less than a minute. The Mooring restaurant, a squat, sprawling ramshackle place at the far end of town, was in flames. She pulled her cruiser diagonally across Bradford and got out, thumbing her mike again.

  “I need another car out here to block traffic coming west on 6.” As she spoke, she opened the trunk of her vehicle and extracted orange plastic road cones. She placed these across the highway behind her, preventing traffic from approachi
ng the area from the direction of town. Behind her, the fire engine had arrived, and half a dozen firefighters in full regalia were climbing off the truck with loops of heavy hose encircling their shoulders.

  “How does it look?” Reese called to the fire captain as he approached. Alan Peterson was technically in charge of the scene.

  “It’s pretty well involved,” he yelled above the roar of the truck engine and the shouts of busy firefighters. “Fortunately, the place is isolated from the surrounding structures by the parking lot on three sides. Unless we get an awful lot of wind, I’m not worried about it spreading.”

  “What about civilians?” Reese leaned close to his ear to be heard. “Can your people get inside to make sure the place is empty?”

  “Negative.” He spoke something unintelligible into his handy talkie and then turned his attention back to her. “Too hot.”

  Reese took a step away from him in the direction of the burning building. She was stopped by a firm grip on her arm.

  “Forget it, Sheriff,” he said gruffly. “If there were any way to get in there, we would have done it already. I don’t want you anywhere near that place. Christ, last time you helped me out, you ended up in the hospital.”

  “You’re not pulling rank on me, are you, Alan?”

  “Damn right, I am. As soon as I get an internal assessment, you’ll be the first to know.”

  Reese relented, because she knew he was right. Still, it galled her to have to watch from the sidelines. “Fair enough.”

  “How are you, Reese?”

  “Fit for duty.” She answered absently, watching the men and women work in a frenzied but organized fashion to contain the conflagration.

  At that moment, Nelson Parker jogged across the street to join them. “What have we got?”

  “Structural blaze,” Reese informed him. “As far as we know, unoccupied.”

  “Looks like it’s gonna be a total loss.” Nelson watched flames lick their way through the cedar-shingled roof and pulse like living beings through the shattered windows into the smoke-clouded air.