9. Soledad
9
SOLEDAD
I woke early and stretched, feeling simultaneously guilty and grateful for how well rested I was now that Alex and I had been sharing a bed for a week. When Luke had become fussy around midnight, Alex had cared for him. From the bedroom, I’d heard Alex’s soft footfalls and soothing words as he calmed our crying son. I’d gotten up once, offering assistance, but Alex had waved me away with a smile, telling me to get some rest.
I had, falling into a deep and dreamless sleep. That may have had something to do with my general state of contentment. Somehow, Alex was an even better lover than I remembered, and I wondered how that could be. Our lovemaking was more tender, more intimate, but just as sexy as it had ever been.
I studied Alex, who was now asleep on his side, his back to me. The sheet was pushed down to his waist, so I could see the sleek contours of his body, the width of his shoulders and the narrowness of his lean hips. Beneath the sheet, I knew, were long, muscular legs. His body was rock hard and gorgeous. He’d lost none of his physical fitness in the weeks he’d been home.
Reconnecting with him as more than co-parents had brought easy smiles to my face and a sense of happiness that I’d thought was no longer possible. It might be temporary, but, God, it was so good being with Alex again, letting myself touch him whenever I wanted.
I reached out a hand to stroke his back but stopped myself when my fingers were just inches away. As much as I craved the feel of his warm skin and the attention he would surely give me, I should let him rest after the long night of caring for Luke.
I withdrew my hand and slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Alex. I padded quietly across the hall to check on Luke. The baby was out and probably would be for a while yet. He’d had a few similar nights, and we’d left him zonked the following day. I glanced out the window to where sunlight flooded the backyard. The golden light of just past dawn, my favorite time of day, had always drawn me out for a morning run in the past.
I felt a twitch in my legs. Yeah, they wanted the run: the pounding, the buildup of lactic acid, the satisfaction of covering miles. It had been so long since I’d had that. With another check on the sleeping baby, I returned to the bedroom where Alex still slumbered. I could be out and back before either of my men woke. Quietly, I dug in my drawer for running shorts and a tank top before creeping down the stairs. I waited until I was just inside the front door before putting my shoes on. Sticking my phone in a pocket, I disarmed the security system and stepped outside, gently tugging the door closed behind me.
When I stood on the front walk, I stretched my arms upward, taking in a deep breath that filled my lungs. I lowered my hands to my heart, centering myself before taking off. I’d learned that trick from a coach in college and always found it soothing and energizing at the same time.
I started off slow, setting little goals for myself. I’d jog to the next light post and then sprint to the stop sign. As my breathing became heavier and my muscles burned, I remembered the sheer joy of moving that had sustained me as a teenager and college student. This was a unique kind of freedom, one that I’d been without for too long. When Luke got a little bigger, I’d buy a jogging stroller and get back to running daily.
After about two miles—hardly a warm-up, back in the day, but it would take me a while to regain my stamina—I slowed to a walk, happy that I’d avoided getting a cramp in my side. I was near the downtown area of Springwell, and I looked in the windows of stores and restaurants as I went past. Distracted, I turned a corner and nearly collided with two women I recognized from the department store where I had worked.
“Hi,” I said as I came to a stop, still a little breathless.
“Soledad,” they exclaimed in unison. We all exchanged hugs and greetings, excited to see each other for the first time in several months.
“You look fabulous,” Caitlyn said. The chic older woman had worked in the store’s bridal salon and wedding registry.
“Walk with us a bit so we can catch up,” Lauren suggested. She was in her early thirties and had managed the better women’s dresses section. I had always admired her sense of style and eye for detail.
“I’d love to.” I turned to head in the direction they’d been going, glad to have other women to talk with. Alex’s in-laws were welcoming and kind, but my former coworkers knew me so much better.
“I want to see baby pictures,” Caitlyn asked as we walked.
“You need to get Facebook,” Lauren said, laughing. “You can see tons of them there.”
I had posted several photos after assuring Alex that I had my privacy settings adjusted so only my friends could see the images. “I’m happy to show you on my phone.” I pulled it from my pocket, but the sunlight was too bright for them to see the screen.
“Let’s duck in there.” Caitlyn gestured across the street to a café with a blue awning. “We can get a cup of coffee and look at pictures. I’ll treat.”
I hesitated for just a second before following them into the café. I couldn’t be away too long, but a few minutes couldn’t hurt. Before ordering, I checked my phone. No texts from Alex. Most likely he and Luke were still sleeping. I could take some time to catch up with my friends.
I ordered a cappuccino, and the three of us sat at a table in the café’s front window. Holding my phone so Caitlyn could see, I scrolled through images of Luke, beginning with when he was just a few hours old and going all the way to the day before, when Alex was playing with him.
“Is this Daddy?” Caitlyn asked, her eyes on Alex. “He’s a handsome one.”
“He is,” I agreed. I could tell that Caitlyn wanted to ask questions about my relationship with Alex, but she didn’t. I wasn’t sure how I’d have answered, but I knew my friends could tell I was happy. I supposed that said plenty about me and Alex.
“Are you ready to go back to work?” Lauren asked after we’d chatted about what my former coworkers were up to now.
“I’ve switched over to bookkeeping. It was really a lifesaver in the last trimester—it meant I could work from home rather than being on my feet all day.” Not that being on my feet had been an option, given that I couldn’t find any store to hire me, but I chose not to bring that up. “It’s been going well for me so far, though I could use a few more clients.”
“They might need someone where I’m at. The store’s owner has been handling it herself, but I heard her talking about how she wanted to hire someone to take care of it for her.” Lauren had taken a job at an upscale women’s boutique a couple of blocks from the café where we sat.
“At LaForce’s?” I asked. The shop was known for excellent customer service and the best quality clothing. I’d shopped there for special gifts and the occasional treat item for myself.
“We’re starting to carry men’s clothing. Beautiful pieces. We got in this cashmere sweater from Scotland that you’d love,” Lauren gushed.
I had worked in the men’s department, selling both casual and designer items, for the three years until I was laid off. I leaned forward, eager to hear the details of LaForce’s new offerings. Lauren filled me in on more of the products, such as Italian suits and shoes and designer sportswear.
“Sounds great,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. If I did some bookkeeping work for the shop, would that mean that I’d get an employee’s discount?
“I can put in a good word for you,” Lauren suggested, “but you’ll want to apply in person.”
“A personal touch always makes a difference,” Caitlyn added with a smile. “It’s a fact.”
I laughed. I’d been a good salesperson because I knew the product and was personable, but I admitted that a pleasant personality didn’t hurt sales.
“You’re getting checked out right now,” Lauren said nodding toward the café’s front window, which reflected the interior. “Guy in the back corner, blue baseball cap. He can’t take his eyes off you.”
I took a casual glance in that direction and saw an attractive, athletic-looking man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He caught my gaze and gave me a half smile and nod. A shiver went down my spine. There was something about his expression I didn’t like. He gave off a bit of a creeper vibe.
“Not my type,” I said to Caitlyn and Lauren. “He seems a bit… I don’t know. He’s making me uncomfortable.” I was rarely put off by anyone, so when my senses warned me about someone, I’d learned to listen.
I took LaForce’s owner’s name and number from Lauren and stored it in my phone. Maybe later I’d make a call or get dressed up and head to the store to talk about hiring on as their bookkeeper. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and if the workload was about the same as what I got from Carolyn and Mandy then I shouldn’t have any trouble making time for it. While I was keying the information into my phone, I noticed the guy in the baseball cap get up and head for the door. He paused with his hand on the handle, eyeing me before tipping his head at me.
“A bit obvious,” Lauren commented as we watched him walk to a black Mustang convertible. He put the top down and drove away, but I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling he’d given me.
“I should get home,” I said a few minutes later. “Luke will wake up soon and want to be fed.”
“We’ll walk with you part of the way,” Lauren said without being asked. I understood that my friends had my back.
We walked at a brisk pace until we were just two blocks from Alex’s house. After giving me more hugs and encouragement to apply for the job at LaForce’s, Caitlyn and Lauren turned in the opposite direction. I considered sprinting home but fought the irrational fear that the guy had left me feeling. But I wasn’t foolish either. I kept an eye on my surroundings as I continued toward Alex’s house. I was in front of Gina’s place when I noticed a black Mustang parked at the curb several houses up the street.
Quickening my strides, I hustled inside, locked the door, and set the alarm, feeling strangely vulnerable. It was probably nothing, I rationalized. Someone on the street happened to own the same car. I didn’t remember seeing it before, but I wasn’t overly observant about vehicles either. Alex likely knew the make, model, and license plate of every car on the street. That was who he was. I could ask him about the car, but what would I say? “I think some guy from the coffee shop followed me home”? No way.
I went up the stairs, listening for any sounds from Luke. When I heard nothing, I jumped in the shower and filed away my worry. I’d had a great run and a wonderful, unexpected reunion with my coworkers. That’s what mattered about the morning.
Alex
I sat at the little desk in the den to review alerts from the security system and footage from the cameras that covered the front and rear of the house. I’d gotten in the habit of analyzing the data several times a day, looking for any clue that Bruce was out there. I’d done it more often when I’d been in Lee’s old room, especially late at night when I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t having that problem anymore. Sleeping with Soledad took away some of my restlessness. Probably because I could hold her and make love to her whenever I wanted. Doing that soothed me in ways I hadn’t expected.
Being with her was even better than I remembered. She was as sexy as ever, but there was something else, too. I skimmed through security data even as I thought about Soledad and our relationship. The trust between us was greater and more meaningful than it had been. It must be sharing a child that drew us together—which seemed natural, but parenting had done nothing for my parents’ interactions. Kids had been an inconvenience to them, a problem they blamed each other for. But it didn’t have to be that way if both adults took responsibility.
And I was trying to do that. I stepped up whenever I could, like last night. Soledad had seemed tired, and since I was used to missions that required hours of wakefulness, I’d been glad to take Luke and let her sleep.
Whoa. What was that? I backtracked through the report I was viewing. The security system had been disarmed for over an hour earlier that morning. I looked at the information. The keypad sequence had been entered to disengage the alarm at 0615 and reset at 0759. I ran a quick diagnostic to make sure it wasn’t an error. When no problems showed, I went to find Soledad. Only the two of us had the code to shut the system off.
“Hi. Do you want some lunch?” she asked when I located her in the kitchen. “Luke’s snoozing again, so we can eat at the same time for a change.” She finished slicing tomatoes and moved on to a cucumber. A salad bowl already sat on the counter, half full of lettuce.
“That’d be nice,” I said, taking a stool at the island. “Sol?—”
“Thanks again for staying up with him last night,” she added before I could ask about the alarm.
“He’s my kid, too. You don’t need to thank me.” We’d had this conversation before, but less often since we’d become a couple again. “Did you go out this morning?”
“Yeah, you were both still asleep and I felt like running.” She grabbed sliced turkey and cheese from the refrigerator. When she turned back, her forehead was wrinkled as if she was worried about something.
“Did something happen?” I asked, concerned.
“What? No. Nothing,” she said, but there was a note of uncertainty to her words. She wasn’t telling me something. I felt sure of that. “I just ran a couple of miles.”
“You were gone nearly two hours.” I kept my tone light, hoping she’d open up to me and not wanting to give her the impression that she was caged.
“Hey.” She pointed the salad tongs at me in a playful gesture. “I’m just getting back into running. I had a baby, so my pace is off.”
“Fifty-minute miles?” I raised an eyebrow at her. She had easily run seven-minute miles in the past—and, in any case, she could crawl a mile in less than fifty minutes.
“I ran into some friends, and we got a cup of coffee,” she said, giving me a smile. Maybe that’s what had her worried—the fact that she’d been gone so long. “Time got away from me and I was gone longer than I realized, but it was nice being out for a bit.”
I understood that and didn’t want to burst her bubble of happiness, but I was nervous about her going out alone, especially when I was completely unaware of her movements. I didn’t want her to make it a habit. Bruce could come at her anytime—and would, without compunction. But how could I phrase it without scaring her or sounding overbearing?
“You should take Frankie with you.” I suggested lightly.
“She was sleeping in this morning, too.”
“No surprise. She was up with Luke and me.” The little dog had paced with me in the night, unable to settle as long as I was up. She was a faithful and smart animal, making her a fortunate addition to our home. Frankie also had a protective temperament. But that was why I wanted her to stick close to Soledad. It wasn’t as if I needed protection.
Soledad sliced a hard-boiled egg onto the salad before grabbing silverware and plates and coming to sit next to me. We bumped shoulders as we ate, while she told me about the job opportunity at the upscale store.
“Are you going to apply?” I asked, recognizing that it might be the perfect thing for her. My feelings about it, though, were mixed. She was making decent money from Carolyn and Mandy, and I knew that she was getting a little from her blog, too—but if she added another customer, she’d probably have enough money to feel comfortable moving out and getting her own place. I liked things as they were, even with the issue with Bruce hanging over my head. But I recognized that it couldn’t stay that way forever, and she seemed excited about this possibility.
“Yes,” she said after a moment, her fork paused in the air. “I need to.”
“They’d be lucky to get you,” I said, trying to put my feelings aside. I had expected to be disappointed by Soledad. No relationship in my life had avoided that emotion in the end. What I feared more now, though, was disappointing her. I was doing my best to be a good father and lover, but my best had never been enough when it came to those close to me.
“I’d have to find childcare for Luke,” she said.
“I’m around,” I volunteered. “And I’ll bet Lily would take him part time if needed, though of course she’ll have her hands full when the baby comes.” My sister-in-law was great with kids and had practically raised her younger siblings. Not to mention, she had been a teacher for a while before she’d become a nanny.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Soledad said. “I’d want something consistent for him. I hate seeing kids bounced around to different sitters.”
“Sure,” I agreed, but I wondered if she was also trying to feel me out about my future plans. We’d avoided any direct discussion of my possible deployment, and I hadn’t shared my thoughts about retirement or the job Colin had mentioned to me. I should. I owed her that, but trusting her—or anyone—was a big step for me. We’d have to talk about our relationship soon, though. But not yet, not with Bruce’s threats hanging over us.