Jackson heard a noise. He got out of bed quietly and walked down the hall to the bedroom where he hoped Kayla was asleep. Nothing, then he heard it again. He opened her door, and she jumped from where she stood at the window. She put her finger to her lips.
He moved silently toward her and peeked around her to see what she thought she saw out the window. It was dark, only a sliver of the moon lit the sky.
“What did you see?” he whispered.
“Nothing. I heard a scraping on the outside wall and then the window.”
“I’ll go out and check.”
“No, they might have a gun or something.”
“Honey, I know how to sneak around without being seen, and I’ll have my gun. Get back in bed. I’ll come and tell you when I’m back inside.” He took her arm and guided her to the bed. Then he strode off, grabbed his gun from his bedside table, and slipped out the side door of the garage.
The wind rustled the leaves on the trees as he moved quietly through the yard. He kept his cover behind his shrubbery. When he didn’t see anyone in his yard, he walked to the street and looked up and down for any unfamiliar cars. Worried about Kayla, he headed back into the house. She stood in the hall waiting for him.
“I thought I told you to go to bed.”
“No way. Not with you out there alone.”
Jackson stepped forward and put his arms around her.
She looked up at him. “There wasn’t anyone?”
“No, and we’re going to see your doctor tomorrow and ask if this is a normal reaction to the pregnancy.”
“You can’t go with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because we haven’t decided whether we’ll stay together or not.”
“Honey, this is my baby, too, either way, and I intend to be involved.” He hugged her. “Come on. From now on you’ll sleep with me. You and the baby need rest. You have to feel safe to get some sleep.” She opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head.
She pulled away from him. “This is too soon. I want us to get to know each other without the sex. It’s great. We know that part of our relationship isn’t a problem.”
“I can sleep beside you without the sex.” I can, but it won’t be easy.
She studied him and when she started to speak, he put his finger across her lips. “I’m aware of your trust issues. You can trust me to keep my word until you decide you’re ready.”
“Okay, we’ll see how tonight goes. I am nervous and it isn’t good for our baby.”
In the bedroom, he lifted her onto the bed and slid in beside her. She snuggled against his side and in a few minutes, was snoring softly in his ear.
She was right. I won’t sleep, but I’ve gone many times without. Her small body lying warm against him seemed right, and without thinking, he touched her belly. Inside her, a baby grew and he found himself in awe. After all the horrible things he’s seen, having the experience of being part of a miracle seemed cleansing and uplifting in a way he’d never suspected.
****
Kayla stirred and reached a protective hand down to touch her little belly. Her hand touched his, and she opened her eyes. They both stared at each other, and then Kayla said, “It’s a miracle and so wonderful.”
Jackson kissed her belly and then slid up to cup her face in his hands. “Go to sleep. I’ll be here to take care of both of you.”
“Thanks.” She tried to sleep but smiled when she saw Jackson breathing softly, very much asleep, but his hand had moved down and touched her baby bump.
****
“She’s staying at his house? He must care about her. We’ll both get our revenge. First, we kidnap her and then get him. You’ll be happy to get back at him for the way he treated you in training, and I’ll have the satisfaction of seeing him experience pain after all the hurt he’s caused me by throwing me aside.”
“I don’t like involving the woman. She’s pregnant.”
“No wonder you failed SEAL training. You’re a wuss.”
He grabbed her by the throat. “Watch what you say. When this is over, I might just kill you, too. Then no one will connect me to their deaths.”
“I have a brother. He’s a sniper for the SWAT team in Chicago. You don’t want to mess with me or you’ll die.”
“Then we’re in this together. Bear’s pregnant girlfriend is getting nervous, when do we kidnap her?”
“Soon, I’ll say when, and then we have to keep her alive until we get him.” The woman grinned.
“Right.”
“I can hardly wait to see his expression when we torture her in front of him. How lucky I literally bumped into her at the hospital. I’d heard he had a new woman, but not who.” She rubbed her hands together. “Sweet revenge will come soon.”
****
Jackson smiled to see Kayla still fast asleep. He carefully got up and went into the kitchen. Kayla had mentioned a Dr. Simmons last night when they were talking. Glancing through the phone book, he found his name and called. Their operator paged the nurse.
“This is Anne, Dr. Simmons nurse. How can I help you?”
Jackson started to explain he was the father of Kayla’s baby, but the woman on the phone stopped him. “I don’t know who you are, and I certainly won’t give you any information about any patient.”
He hung up the phone. He’d have to get Kayla to call and make the appointment, and then when he went in with her he’d ask Kayla to put him on the list of people who can talk with the doctor. At least I can call Mrs. Terrell and ask her about time off for Kayla.
“Jackson, it’s so good to hear from you. Have you seen, Kayla.”
“I have, and I know about the baby.”
“I hope you handled it well. Kayla has been so concerned about your reaction.”
“I didn’t react well, at first. Stupid of me, but I do believe Kayla now. Look, she needs to see the doctor today.”
“No problem. Tell Kayla to take the day off. She worked so hard while you were gone. All her big files are closed. Tell her to rest and take an extra day. She has an enormous amount of vacation saved up.”
“Good. I hope to convince her to do just that.”
“Do what?” Kayla asked from behind him.
Jackson clicked off his cell. “I called the doctor’s office, but they wouldn’t talk to me. I think you ought to see the doctor, so we can make certain whether this is your imagination or real. Maybe the doctor knows of other cases where the mother imagined things. That last conversation was with Mrs. Terrell. She said to take off today and tomorrow to rest.”
“I don’t want you taking over my life. There’s no reason for you to make appointments for me or ask for days off from my boss, who just happens to see you as a son.”
“And you as a daughter. You’ll have to get used to me helping you with anything that needs to be done. You can be as independent as you want when I’m gone on missions. In fact, you’ll see, you’ll miss my help.”
“I doubt it,” she said but smiled as she turned away.
He put his arms around her. “Come in the kitchen, and keep me company. I’ll fix our breakfast. Then you can call the doctor and try to get an appointment.”
“All right, bossy.”
****
Kayla had arranged an afternoon appointment. Anne took them to a patient room and they explained what had been happening. Dr. Simmons didn’t make them wait long before he joined them. He shook Jackson’s hand. “I’m happy to meet you. I hope you’re as excited as Miss Townsend is about the baby.”
“I am. It surprised me at first, but now I’m very ready to meet my son or daughter.”
“Do the two of you have any preference?”
They both said “no” at the same time.
“Well let’s talk about you,” he said and looked at Kayla. “Anne said you’d been frightened lately.”
Kayla explained about the occurrences, and no one seemed to be there when she tried to get a good look at them. “Except, the day at the office. I’d swear a man looked at me from the corner of the building, but when I walked over and glanced down the side wall, no one was there.”
Jackson looked over at her frowning.
“What?”
“Don’t ever take a chance like that again. If it had been someone, he’d have snatched you right then.”
“I had my gun in my purse. I have a concealed carry permit.”
“And he’d have startled you and got your purse or made you drop it.”
“Children,” Dr. Simmons stopped them. “Arguing is not good for your baby. And Kayla, I do agree. Keep safe. I can’t remember another patient having such fears. Is there anyone who might want to scare you?”
Kayla shook her head. “Not that I know about.”
“I’ll keep her safe. She’s staying with me, and I’ll take her to work and pick her up.”
“That might be a good idea,” Dr. Simmons said.
“You two can’t make decisions for me.”
“Yes, we can,” Jackson said and took her hand. “We want to keep you and the baby safe. It’ll give us more time to get to know each other before our baby arrives.”
Kayla glowered at him. Jackson laughed at her.
“I hope we have a little girl, who will someday look at me just like you did.”
“It will be when you try to take over her life.”
“Probably.”
“You make me so mad. Why don’t you argue back?”
Both men laughed. Kayla stood. “Am I all right to go?”
“Yes, but if it’s okay with you, I’d like you to add Mr. Langley’s name to your records. Then I can speak with him, too, when he calls. In fact, I’d like to speak with him now.”
“I suppose it’s about keeping me safe. Go ahead, but I won’t allow you all to keep me outside of any other information after this one time.” She stomped out of the room.
Anne saw her and came to her side. “Men can be so irritating. Come have a cup of tea with me while I eat lunch.”
“I don’t want to bother you during your free time.”
“Please do. It’s lonely eating by yourself.”
“I don’t believe you, but thanks a cup of tea sounds good.”
“And it’s decaf.”
****
“She’ll be safe with me, Dr. Simmons. I wish I hadn’t been gone when all of this came up, but it was necessary,” Bear said.
Dr. Simmons leaned forward. “I don’t think what she’s reporting has anything to do with the effects of her pregnancy. It’d be safer to believe what she says, then be sorry afterward.”
“I agree. I’m going to start driving Kayla to work. If I’m not able to do it for some reason, one of my buddies will be with her. Meanwhile, we’ll be trying to catch this person.”
“Try to keep her calm. Stress is not particularly good for her or the baby. We don’t want anything to happen to either one of them.”
“Will do.” Bear stood and shook the doctor’s hand.
“Tell her to keep the appointment she already has scheduled.”
Bear nodded his head as he walked out the door. The empty waiting room made his heart jump. “Where’s Miss Townsend?” he asked the receptionist. Well, I must have barked. The woman jumped up.
“I’ll get her. She’s having tea with the nurse.”
“No, need to rush. Sorry, I snapped at you.”
The woman waved and still ran out of the office area through a side door.
****
When Kayla came into the waiting room, she frowned. “You scared poor Jenny to death. What did you say?”
“It worried me when you weren’t sitting here,” he motioned toward the line of chairs. “I guess I snapped at her.”
“She’ll be back in a moment. We are waiting for her, so you can apologize.”
“Yes, dear. I did already, but maybe she didn’t hear me.” He smiled and took her hand.
How does he do it? One sexy look and I melt. I have to get stronger, or he’ll walk all over me.
She watched as he strolled to the window and talked with Jenny. From the look on Jenny’s face, he had the same effect on her. Jenny smiled as he left the window and told them to have a good day.
“You are so bad. The poor girl didn’t have a chance when you turned on the charm.”
“Yet, you seem quite able to ignore my charm and charge right in.”
“Someone has to, or your head will grow much bigger than the rest of your body.”
Bear had opened his truck’s door for her, but before he could help her up into the truck, he bent over in laughter. Kayla bit her lip to keep from laughing with him. After he stopped, he lifted her into his truck and leaned forward to kiss her.
“I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard,” he said and looked into her eyes. Then he kissed her softly once more. “I think we may do very well together.” With that said he strode around to the other door and got in.
“What, no reaction,” he teased.
“Sometimes, you take my breath away.”
Grinning, he started the engine. “Good enough.”
Back at the house, Kayla changed into her casual clothes. She stopped by the kitchen and took a glass of ice water with her. Then she headed for the backyard. No one will bother me out here in broad daylight, and the weather is perfect, in the seventies with a slight breeze. I find this yard to be so peaceful. She started to sit in a chair by the pool.
“What are you doing out here alone?”
“Your study door was closed. I thought you’d join me when you came out. I’m certain you were calling in your friends to take shifts guarding me.”
“And you don’t like that idea?”
She sighed. “I guess it’s necessary. Having someone by my side constantly will not be very comfortable.”
“Believe me, being kidnapped would be more distasteful.”
“How can your friends help when you all have to work at the same time?”
“Remember Heath? He was at the barbecue, and Cheryl tried to talk to him.”
“You warned her off.”
“Yes, but he’s a good man, and he needs to be busy until he’s ready to return to his team or mine. When one of us can’t be here, he’ll fill in.”
“You trust him to keep our child safe?”
“I trust him to keep my woman and my child safe.”
“My woman?”
“I knew that would get your dander up. You’re so easy to tease.”
“Watch it, SEAL. I may just hit you one of these days.”
“Know this, if you do, I’ll have my retribution.”
“You’d hit me?”
“No, I’ll take you in my bedroom and make love to you until you say sorry.”
“That’s not in our agreement.”
“Hell, with the agreement. Sometimes a man needs to take charge, and do whatever it takes.”
“You forgot the baby.”
Bear leaned toward her. His delicious, masculine scent aroused her more than she wanted to admit. Her heated blood rushed through her veins. His hands touched her baby bump. He knelt in front of her and kissed her tummy, and then stood.
“I wasn’t certain I wanted children, but now I can’t wait to see and hold our child.”
Kayla blinked the tears away. “Stay tough and demanding. It’s easier to keep you at arm’s length.”
“Here, I’ll move this chair under the oak tree where you’ll be in the shade. I have to go to work for a few hours. Heath will be arriving at any moment to watch over you until I get back.”
“Hmm, it’s not necessary. I can go inside and read. I’ll keep the doors locked. No one will get in. You have alarms inside and out. I’ll need someone more on my way to work and back.”
“No arguing, my minds made up.” He kissed her and strode off to answer the doorbell. “See, Heath’s here already.”
Kayla watched him hurry inside and heard him greet someone. The tall, well-built man came outside with Jackson.
“Kayla, I don’t believe you were officially introduced at the picnic. This is Heath Kenyon. Heath, Kayla Townsend and soon to be the mother of my child.” Bear chuckled when Kayla blushed. “And hopefully, I’ll convince her to marry me one of these days.” He walked behind Kayla and rubbed her shoulders. “We believe someone is stalking her.”
Heath looked around the outside area. “She’d be safer in the house.”
“I agree, but being outside relaxes her, so we’ll have to be very vigilant when she’s out to the garden.”
“All right. Any other instructions?”
“A few. I have to get going, but you’ve got my number if there’s trouble. Kayla wants to return to work soon. I’m going to try and drive her back and forth to work, but if something comes up and I can’t, I’d like you drive her. If the problem gets worse, you’ll stay there with her whenever I’m required to be at the base.”
“No problem. Got it.”
When Jackson left, neither spoke until Kayla asked, “May I call you, Heath?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. The combination of the shade and breeze put her to sleep.
****
Heath’s restlessness had him walking the perimeter of the yard. He tried to keep his mind blank from the two scenes that ran back and forth in his head, Deke’s death and Allie’s betrayal. He clenched his fists and glanced at Kayla to be sure she wasn’t watching him. Finally, he moved a chair close between her and the wall. The huge oak protected her on the other side.
For the first time since he’d returned from the mission, his body relaxed. He moved around in his seat to keep alert. Then he heard the noise, a slight brush of something against the far wall. Moving quickly and quietly, Heath threw himself over the fence in seconds. From his peripheral view, he caught a glance of someone in a big coat and hat. The person jumped into a car with the engine already running. There was no time to get the license plate since he heard the ticking from a bag against the wall.
He yelled to Kayla as he ran toward the bag. “Inside now. Get to the front of the house. Hurry.” He heard the movement of her chair as he ran to the bag. He’d been the demolition guy on their team. First, he called 911 and put his cell on speaker phone a distance from the thing that was ticking. He carefully opened the bag. When the operator came on, he explained about the bomb and that he’d try to disarm it. “I know how,” he said and crossed his fingers this one wouldn’t be a surprise. Very gently, he got the bag open enough to see how it was rigged. It appeared to be simple, probably done by an amateur, and it was set to go off in two minutes. Luckily, he seldom went anywhere without his most important tool.
In the distance, he heard a siren, but there was no time to wait for them. Very carefully, he cut one wire and then the next. He took a deep breath when he saw it disarm. A police car came sliding around the corner with another one following.
“Get away from the bag,” one policeman yelled as he jumped out with his gun in his hand.
Heath held up his hands. “I’ve disarmed it. We’re all safe.”
Still suspicious, the man yelled, “Why didn’t you wait for the bomb squad?”
“Because the damn thing only had two minutes left on the timer.” He put his hands down and walked over to pick up his cell phone. “Look, I’m a professional. I’ve been trained.”
“And you just happened to be at the right spot at the right time?”
Kayla came running around the curve from the front of the house. She’d apparently heard what the man said to Heath.
“He’s protecting me. We’re not sure if someone’s been stalking me or not until now, but I guess I was right and they are.”
Two other policemen walked up from the second car. “The bomb squad will be here in a second.”
“No need. This guy disarmed it.” He shrugged toward Heath. “He says it only had two minutes left on the clock.”
“Get back in the house,” Heath ordered.
“Why? I’m safe here with you and all these policemen.”
“Look, do you need me anymore?” Heath asked the police.
“Guess not. Write down your name and phone number in case we do.” The first policeman to arrive handed Heath a sheet of paper. “Thanks, for taking care of the bomb,” he said as Heath handed him back the paper with the information.
“Glad I was here at the right time.” He took Kayla’s arm and started walking her back around the corner.
“Did that guy say bomb?”
“Yes, while you slept I heard a noise, jumped the fence and saw the bag against the wall. That’s when I yelled for you to get inside.”
“Did you see who left it?”
“Didn’t get a good look. I had to take care of what was in the package.” He opened the front door and went in before Kayla. “Stay here while I check the rooms.” He was quick. “Come on in. I have to call Bear and let him know what happened. I’ve locked the back. No more going outside.
“Bear, it’s Heath. We were outside, heard a noise, and saw a man running to a car. He left a package with a bomb.”
Heath put the phone away from his ear. “She’s all right. I defused the damn thing before the cops got here. Yeah, I suspect she’d like to see you.” Heath glanced around. He walked to the hallway. “Her bedroom door is shut. I think having a meeting is a good idea. This isn’t just stalking. Someone wants to hurt Kayla.”