Out of Uniform

Could he have already found a lead? Her emotions as tender as her body, she craved even a sliver of reassurance that her son would be in her arms soon. Jacob certainly appeared invincible, capable of anything in his flight suit.



Even in socks and no boots.



“Yeah. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, Spike. Tell your Mountie bud I owe him.” He thumbed the off button on the cell and looked at Dee.



“Well?” She could see her answer in his eyes, and it wasn’t good. She’d told herself not to hope, but that didn’t stop the stab of disappointment.



“I’ve been talking to a friend on base with the Office of Special Investigation to see if they could get any inside scoop since your ex was up on charges that would affect military safety.”



“The man you called Spike?”



“Right, Special Agent Keagan. We’ve been back and forth on the phone for a few hours now.”



“And he said?” She scrambled to process all he was telling her, but kept thinking of how her husband had put all of these military people in danger just for money. She hoped all the potential damage had come to light when his partner had been arrested, but could there be more?



Finding Blane became even more important, something she wouldn’t have thought possible.



“The cops have updated the data in the NCIC—National Crime Information Center. A warrant had already been issued for Lambert’s arrest for custodial interference based on your statement to the police last night. They’ve put a trace on all his credit cards and his cell phone. They’re also keeping an eye on his, uh, mistress. Her phone records will be monitored, as well. I wish I had more for you.”



“You’ve done so much. Thank you.” She hadn’t thought about him taking the other woman along later. At least the policeman last night had the forethought to jot down the woman’s name. Then the rest of Jacob’s words trickled through her brain. “You said you’ve been speaking with him off and on for hours. Did you manage to snatch any sleep?”



His gaze flicked to the bed, with its rumpled sheets and musky air of sex. “I’m used to catching power-naps when we have a long flight.” He cocked his head to the side. “How did the conversation with your parents go?”



“Simple. Everything’s taken care of on their end.”



“That rough, huh?” He stepped closer, a simple reach away, the uniform stretching across the broad chest she’d slept against through the night.



She tried not to let the hollowness inside her echo through to her voice. “They’re not demonstrative people, and we haven’t spoken in so long. I didn’t expect a great emotional outpouring. They’ll take care of what needs doing with Evan’s picture. Wiring me money. That’s all I can ask.”



Indignation snapped in his eyes. “I happen to think you can ask for about anything you need at a time like this. For what it’s worth, I’m here for you, and that includes helping you through this.”



For all of four more days remaining in his leave time?



The words went unspoken between them. Still she could almost hear the clock ticking away their time together. She wanted to believe she would be holding Evan by nightfall, but she had to accept the reality that she could be searching for him for a long while—on her own.



An uncomfortable silence stretched. Morning-after awkwardness? Maybe. She hadn’t expected declarations of undying love, certainly wasn’t sure she could have handled it if he’d said any such thing. Her one brush with love and marriage had left her burned beyond belief.



All past problems aside, because of Evan she couldn’t think beyond the next few hours, much less into any kind of future. She needed to hold on to the hope that with her returned memory, she would find her son. “I’ll scrounge up some breakfast.”



Jacob watched Dee make tracks toward the door, her signature spunk starching all the way up her spine. He hated that his rotten mood had kept him from reaching out to her after sex.



The phone calls—his and hers—had left him frustrated, edgy and feeling too damned inadequate. She deserved better from him.



Halfway across the room, she paused. “What?”



“We don’t have to leave for another hour. There’s nothing to accomplish by showing up early.” He extended his arms. “Come here.”



Still she hesitated.



Dee usually had such a grab-life attitude, he kept forgetting about those tender feelings. He could use the time to gather more information about her past while indulging her in some morning-after cuddling women seemed to need. “We’ve watched a lot of sunsets together.” He nodded to the picture window across the room. “Let’s watch a sunrise.”



At the mention of their ritual after supper, her shoulders relaxed. She inched toward him.



He spread his arms wider. “Come here.”



“Come get me.”



Jacob couldn’t hold back the smile. His Dee had returned, and he’d missed her even during those few short minutes she’d been gone.



He tugged her arm as he sank into the recliner. She curved into him as he settled his chin on her head. A perfect fit. “My ID of the man who checked you in matches Lambert’s description. The search was broad before, but now they’re checking out ferries, bus stations, airlines. The border patrol has been alerted.”



“Two weeks too late. He’s probably already left the country.”



“So they’ll find him in Canada.”



Her bare foot peeked from the hem of her jeans. He smiled, remembering her surprise that first day at finding she had big feet. Jacob cupped the graceful arch in his hand and warmed her skin. “That picture from your parents will be a big help to the police.”



Dee stiffened in his arms, hesitated, then said, “Their photo will be at least six months old. Hopefully somebody can get to one of my more recent snapshots soon.”



Six months old? Odd. His friends all had pictures of their kids littering tabletops and albums, a new batch cropping up almost by the week. “It’s better than nothing until somebody gets to yours.”



She shifted in his lap, her bottom wiggling against him again. Jacob gritted his teeth, damn near cracked a crown.



Her face rested against his chest, her lashes fluttering against his skin. He tamped down temptation, then shot it all to hell by tunneling his hand under the quilt to cup her warm skin. She sighed and sagged into his touch.



Patting her back wasn’t enough. He needed to fix her whole world and make sure no one ever hurt her again. “It’s going to be all right.”



Dee swiped her wrist under her nose. “I hope so. It’s just tough to trust my judgment after the way I fell for a man like that. I haven’t spoken to my parents in years. Other than sending them an occasional picture of Evan, we haven’t had contact since I married Blane.”



That explained the old picture. But it didn’t explain how a parent gave up on a child. That he couldn’t understand. Hadn’t anyone stood by this woman the way she deserved? “How long were you married?”



“Eight years.”



“You married young, then.” And went right from her unforgiving parents to an unfaithful husband. No wonder she instinctively resisted leaning on anyone.



“I was a late-in-life child for my parents. They petted me, took care of everything for me. Sounds pretty pathetic when I say it out loud.” She traced along a patch on his sleeve, her fingers sketching over a stitched flag. “They didn’t like Blane. I made my first big stand in marrying him, and was too prideful to admit to them I was wrong.”



“Everybody makes mistakes. That’s life. Sounds like your parents didn’t give you a chance to learn from making them.”



Dee’s hand abandoned the quilt to cup his face. “You’re sweet, trying to let me off the hook like that, but I’m responsible, too. I can’t bear to think of all the military members he has put in jeopardy for greed.”



He couldn’t let himself think overlong on how the man had been sending defective parts for the very planes Jacob had worked to keep in perfect condition. A crash because of mechanical failure would be a guilt he couldn’t live with.



His grip tightened and Dee winced. He stared into those brown eyes and saw the hurt and shame she couldn’t hide. “Dee, it’s not your fault. None of it. You’re not responsible for what your husband did and you’re not to blame for how your parents have acted.”



He kissed her before she could argue, because he couldn’t wait another minute to taste her, and because he knew she’d have to close her eyes.



Dee ended the kiss with a brief tug on his bottom lip. “Guess I inherited that stiff-necked prideful nature from my parents, a part of why they had no reason to miss us when Blane dumped me in the middle of nowhere.”



What would happen to Emily and Madison if the next time he flew into combat, he didn’t make it home? Chase hadn’t proven himself to be much in the way of support—emotional or otherwise. Jacob’s grip around Dee tightened. He couldn’t stand to think of his sister as vulnerable and alone as this woman.



She snuggled closer and continued talking. “It still gives me chills to think of how easily I fell off the map. I’d quit my job to move away from Blane, so even my friends weren’t expecting to hear anything from me. I’d put all my furniture in storage and moved into a resort weekly rental condo while I lined up job interviews in nearby towns midyear—I’m a preschool teacher.”



“That explains your obsession with hats.” And why she’d been so good with Emily and Madison.



Jacob’s arms twitched protectively around Dee as his thoughts flew back to the previous night. Chase would spend another few hours in jail before his parents would be able to spring him. Jacob forced his breathing to level out and reminded himself he hadn’t had a choice.



No one would hurt her again, not Chase, not her worthless son of a bitch ex-husband.



Jacob thought of the uncharacteristic red dress. Another clue he’d missed. His instincts had all but clubbed him over the head that the clothes didn’t match the woman inside. “The red dress wasn’t yours?”



She shuddered. “Not even close.”



“Lambert?”



“He tossed out my clothes when I was sleeping. I still can’t believe I even managed to fall asleep that night. I just remember lying down beside Evan to help him settle and I must have drifted off for a few minutes out of sheer exhaustion. When I woke, he’d undressed me, thrown out my clothes and had that red dress waiting. Just the style his mistress liked.” Shuddering, Dee tugged the blanket closer around herself. “Blane always did have a sick sense of humor. I could have died out there without warm clothes and he would have gotten away with Evan.”



Jacob’s muscles contracted, and he forced himself not to hold her too tightly. He wanted to kill Lambert, with his hands, a gun, it didn’t matter.



Dee squirmed in his arms, and Jacob loosened his hold. “Sorry.”



“It’s okay.” She snuggled closer as rays of sunshine pushed through the clouds to glitter off the picture window glass.



Their night together had ended.



Dee stared at the computer screen in the police cubicle. Her picture stared right back from a god-awful driver’s license photo. Shoulder-length hair had been restrained with a headband. Her smile was overbright, her eyes wide as if the flash had caught her unawares.



Little had she known how life would blindside her just as unexpectedly.



Amazing how much younger she’d looked a mere three years ago, mistakenly thinking she had her world in order—marriage, son, job. All a sham. A false sense of security. She’d been too young and trusting. Not anymore. She owed Evan.



She also owed Jacob for his faith when he’d had no reason to take her in. Steady and constant, he sat next to her, walking her through the process of telling her story—again.