25
25
MORNING AFTER
A n annoying sound kept ringing in my ear. Ring. Ring. Ring. Shut up! Ring. Ring. Ring. I cracked an eye. It was the phone mounted onto the floating nightstand. Ring. Ring. Ring. Only thing to do was answer it. “Good morning, Mrs. Nealson!” blasted into my ear. “This is your wake-up call.”
Oh gah ! Was it ever. I was officially Mrs. Nealson, a whole new identity. Snap . Just like that. Weird. I groaned and rolled over, pulling my pillow over my head. Ohhh. My head. It throbbed. My stomach felt sour, and I felt the urgent need to sleep for twenty-four more hours. I peeked at the clock on the nightstand. A glass of orange juice and a compact pouch with some serial numbers on it greeted me.
I reached for the juice, sipping gratefully. Mmmmm. Fresh-squeezed. I looked doubtfully at the pouch. “Take contents with eight ounces of water or juice . ” How ‘bout six ounces? I was just getting ready to follow instructions when the door to the bathroom opened, coughing out steam and a very large, very bronze, very intimidating man. My husband.
“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?” He filled the doorway with a scowl and towel around his waist (I fervently prayed wouldn’t fall off), and a toothbrush dangling from his mouth.”
Did I mention very handsome?
On closer inspection, I noticed he had shadows beneath his eyes and a shadow of a beard dotted his jaw line.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. Seemed like the right response in these situations.
“You’re sorry ,” he repeated incredulously before stalking back to the sink to spit and rinse.
I slumped up, put my hands on my knees, hung my head . . . and realized I wasn’t wearing any clothes. Did we? . . . Except for panties. Whew! I yanked the sheet up and stared up at Ranger mournfully.
“Don’t look at me like that.” A quiet measure of time elapsed where we didn’t speak. “What the hell were you thinking? . . . Benzos and alcohol! ”
“I-I guess I was nervous,” I said, plucking at the clay-colored bedspread.
“You guess you were nervous,” he repeated.
I nodded and swallowed.
“Well, I flushed your supply down the drain, by the way. And don’t bother calling your dealer. Ever again. Patel’s lucky I don’t petition to revoke his license!”
“He was only tryin’ to help, and I said I was sorry.”
He shook his head like I was a sorry sight. I rubbed at some latent mascara smeared beneath my eyes. He blew some aggravation out his mouth in a long stream. “Well, I guess that’s as good a place to start as any.” He stared me down another long moment, then huffed out some tired air. “We’re tabling this for now because it’s already seven o’clock. Our flight’s at eleven. This gives you twenty minutes to shower and get ready, and twenty minutes to eat breakfast. We need to leave by eight to make our flight. It’s an international one, so we need to get there in plenty of time.”
I nodded my understanding.
“Your father and Andrew are leaving with us to the airport. This means that Mikey will have to say goodbye to all of us at one time. Try to be quick about getting ready, so you can spend as much time with him as possible. Smitty’s already here to take him back. I’m feeling nervous about leaving him, so I need you to work your magic.”
“Maybe we should take him with us?” I gathered the sheet under my arms and sheet-walked myself into the bathroom.
Ranger looked like a person who was trying not to look aggravated. “He doesn’t have a passport, and Weston would never go for it, and . . . it’s our fucking honey moon.” He listed out on three long fingers.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go then.” I offered this in a small girl voice.
Ranger stared at me and my sheet through the bathroom mirror. “He’ll be fine. It’s only a week. He has Shadow to take his mind off things. His friends. His home is The Academy now. We’ll call him every day.” He paused like he was waiting for me to say something. Got nothing. “Now get going. We are not going to miss this flight.”
I stood there a moment with him, sharing bathroom space, and wondering the best way to proceed to the shower.
“Scoot!” he slapped my sheet behind, and I yelped and moved it forward.
I reached into the ample marble shower and squeaked on the water. Then busied myself grabbing a hair-clippy to put up my hair. My husband was occupied shaving. I stood watching him scrape at his jaw, leaving a clean line of hairless, shaving-creamless skin behind. It was rather fascinating to watch. I’d never seen anyone shave before, other than my father once or twice, but not, like, a real guy.
He cut his eyes to mine in the mirror and stalled mid-swipe. I cleared my throat. “May I please have some privacy?”
He rolled his eyes. “So polite when you want something.” He sighed, picked up his razor, threw a towel over his shoulder, and walked out mumbling. “I can’t believe I’m going to go shave in the dining room.”
I had ten blissful moments of solitude to unwind in the shower and try to put the pieces together of last night to create a whole picture. I recalled the ride to the church, feeling pretty calm, until we pulled up. That’s when I stalled and panicked outside. I remember solemn vows being exchanged before a priest, Mikey with his little pillow, no one knocking down doors to come rescue me, a long kiss, a long, cold ride to the hotel with a couple of bare butts hanging out a luxury bus.
Then . . . it started to get really fuzzy. The champagne. I did remember a dance with Ranger and my father. I felt a pang because I wasn’t sure if I properly danced with either of my brothers. Then there was a lot of blank space until I recalled the bathroom, and Dr. D, and Ranger and his anger, and then André coming in for the save. A bouquet toss mishap that I think happened. And then . . . just flashes of disapproval, anger, and worry from Ranger.
And a gift. I wonder what that was? I shrugged my shoulder and turned off the shower. Probably just some fancy panties that would embarrass me.
When I stepped from the shower, I found my preselected traveling outfit hung over the door. Then an immediate knock. “Mrs. Nealson,” he called through the door. “I need you to hurry and get dressed so I can get in there . . . or, if you prefer, you can let me in, and I’ll rub lotion on you.”
“Um, no thanks. Just a minute please. I-I’ll get dressed quickly.”
Mocking laughter leaked through the door jam. Two minutes later, I was wearing a pair of designer white pants with gold button detail, and a navy tube top. (Just because it was cashmere and designer did not mitigate the fact that it was a tube top.) Thankfully, the pants came with a matching jacket.
Ranger barged in and stopped long enough to wolf whistle. “I love that outfit.”
“Thanks.” I blushed around the compliment. And then realized—it had nothing to do with me. He even picked it out.
He unclipped my hair, and it tumbled halfway down my back. I noticed he was still shirtless but wearing a pair of khaki shorts. He slid a hand beneath my hair and pulled it aside. Then grazed along the back of my neck with his teeth. Pleasure shimmers danced up and down my spine. “You look yummy enough to eat for breakfast this morning,” he said, pulling me to his chest and wrapping his arms around me.
We stared at our reflections in the mirror. “Mr. and Mrs. Nealson.” He said it like I felt—like he couldn’t believe it. But then he smiled the smile of a man who was content, and bent his mouth to the side of my neck, nibbling gently. I sucked in a breath, my hand gripping his arm. I closed my eyes to revel in the delicious sensation, exhaling a little breathily. I even shocked myself by leaning into him. This elicited a sexy smile from him.
Gah! What’s the matter with me?
I snapped out of it, stepping out of his embrace. “I, uh . . . better get to it. I only have, like, five minutes.”
He exhaled heavily. Looked at me with those eyes before grabbing his toiletry bag. “Your breakfast is waiting. I’ve already eaten, so I’m going to go round up the Connelly clan.”
“Okay. Um, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Nealson.” He flashed a smile before exiting.
I hurriedly did a light makeup, brushed out my hair, and zipped up all my toiletries but my toothbrush and toothpaste. Then I sallied out to the dining room, alternately feeling anticipation and dread. I picked up my spoon to eat while enjoying the spectacular view of the towering skyscrapers, which were strangely unhidden by the foggy air this morning. I realized we were just three and a half hours from yellow sunshine. And just a few more from consummating our marriage, if I could get him to wait till tonight. A nervous pang had me setting down my half-eaten yogurt parfait. I gulped some coffee and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
I’d just finished when Ranger poked his head in. “All finished?”
I nodded. “Where’s my brothers?”
“They’ll be up in ten.”
I nodded and smiled, fidgeting with the strap of my carryon. He looked at me seriously for a moment. Oh no . . . not more lectures.
“Come here,” he ordered in a weighty voice.
Oh no . . . not that. Is there even time?
He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips as though he could read my brain. “I want to give you something.”
Oh yeah . I smiled, a little bashful. That box. He wanted to give me that wedding present. Where is it? I didn’t see it anywhere. I advanced forward and stood in front of him. He pulled me around in front of him to face the mirror. He reached into his pocket and unceremoniously pulled out a gold chain. It was the gold cross he’d given me. The one I’d taken off after “The Incident” because I’d wanted to put it behind me. That’s what was in the box? Oh yeah . I just remembered—the something old.
I swallowed and looked down, so he couldn’t see my face. So, he still doesn’t trust me. He draped the thick gold chain around my neck, screwed in the tiny cylinder, and then inserted a teeny pick-like device into the miniscule aperture to lock it—a new addition to my cross necklace.
I swallowed a lump. Tried to keep my face straight. He caressed his fingers along the line of the chain to adjust the weighty gold cross. It fell exactly at the hollow of my throat—a choker now more than a necklace, really. Untakeoffable. Tears pricked my eyes.
He stared at me in the reflection, keeping his warm palm on the side of my neck. “Mexico is notorious for kidnapping. We’re staying at the ex-president of Mexico’s house, reserved only for VIPs. And there are only a couple of Mexican Military guards on duty. I obviously don’t think anything will happen . . . but just in case.”
He tugged on the ropey chain. “This isn’t so easy to yank off. Not that I plan on letting you out of my sight,” he whispered in my ear. It sent chills down me. The bad kind . . . and the good. A smile followed by a breathy kiss on the side of my neck. “It’s just a precaution. Nothing more. I don’t want to lose you, Shorty.” He smiled and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I already lost you once, and that’s enough for one lifetime.”
Something fluttered around in my chest.
“And Weston would have my ass, and then lock you up and throw away the key.”
That flutter turned to a stab, in my heart. I closed my eyes. Oh Right. I’m valuable property of The Academy . His “ass would be in a sling” if it ever happened again. Didn’t want my husband sliding back down the rung on account of me.
Ranger drew in a deep breath and cradled my head in his hands. He caressed his hands over my hair and shoulders and down the length of my arms before hooking his thumbs in the waistband of my pants. And tugged. A knock at the door preempted his next move, and preceded the vivid, animated voices of little people echoing from the hall. He sighed and dropped his head, bestowing a final kiss, this one on the corner of my mouth.
“You better go answer it. I need a minute,” he growled. He stayed behind while I rushed to the door.
“Katie!” Mikey hurled himself into my arms, knocking me backwards. I was glad I didn’t have my shoes on yet.
“Mikey! Drews!” I bent down and gave them each a generous hug and a big, fat kiss. “Daddy . . . come on in.” Aw, what the heck . I reached up and pecked his freshly shaved cheek before stepping aside for him to enter.
He cleared his throat and patted my arm before stepping just inside the door, where he stayed put. “Good mornin’, Katie-girl.”
Is it just my imagination, or is he avoiding looking me in the eye? The telltale stain on his face let me know why. Oh. My own faced flushed at what he must be thinking. It was definitely awkward for a father to be entering the honeymoon suite of his daughter, the morning after her wedding night. If he only knew.
“Wow! Check out their view.” This from Andrew, who ran over to the balcony to peer outside.
Daddy seized upon the excuse to bypass small talk with me and was quick to move it over there. “Well now, we sure are up high.”
Mikey had other matters on his mind, like trying to climb me like a tree. I picked him up, and he wrapped his arms and legs around me. I squeezed him to me and tried to put him down, but he was clinging to me. He grabbed my face with his fleshy palms. I knew what was coming and averted my gaze.
“Katie, can you and Ranguh take me to Vallarta with you?”
I pulled him down so that his arms dropped, and I was supporting his back with my arms. I blew raspberries on his exposed neck until he laughed. This was a tricky situation because I wasn’t sure if my father and Andrew knew exactly how gifted Mikey really was. I suspected they suspected because it would explain a lot. Like why security was posted outside their door all night. And why The Academy nabbed him, instead of Andrew. But we weren’t supposed to discuss it with them. Ever. To them, and everybody else, The Academy was an elite military school and nothing more.
“Well, sweetie, it’s our honeymoon,” I gently explained. “And that means we have to go alone as a couple.”
“Is it a ruwle?”
I laughed. “I do believe it’s in the marriage handbook somewhere. But I want you to know that when we get back, Ranger and I are gonna take you to the beach.”
“But it’s too cold to swim here,” he informed me.
“Then we’ll plan our own family vacation where we’ll all three go together and swim in the ocean. Okay?”
“With the dolphins? Can me and you and Ranguh swim with dolphins?”
“I think that might can be arranged.”
“Yay!” He hugged me so tightly I started choking, but I was still able to get a load of Andrew’s face.
Oh Shoot. Andrew had the bitter look of a boy being picked last on the schoolyard. He saw that I saw so stepped closer to the window, pressing his face against the pane to peer down. I sighed.
Ranger emerged from the bedroom and came over to shake my father’s hand, and then Andrew’s. “Quite a view, right? Did you know you’re standing on the twenty-second floor?”
“No, sir.” Andrew’s answer fogged the window. He still couldn’t (or wouldn’t) look Ranger in the eye. (I knew the feeling.)
Ranger gave me a peck on the cheek before relieving me of our brother. “Who’s going to look after Shadow, if you come with us?”
I didn’t hear the answer because my father finally came up with something to say to me. “Katie-girl, is that what yer plannin’ on wearin’ on the plane?”
“Yes,” supplied Ranger. “She looks beautiful, doesn’t she? Very nautical chic.”
My father choked on his agreement.
“Actually, I have a jacket, Daddy. I’ll just go get it and slip on my shoes. Come on, Andrew.” I nabbed his hand. “Check out the view from our bedroom window.”
Andrew trailed along behind me and lowered himself uneasily on the arm of the chair, staring out the window while I retrieved my gold sandals and jacket from the closet. He watched me pluck the dress from the chair and carelessly zip it up with my veil in a garment bag. I tossed it onto our un-tousled bed and then came over to join him in the wingback chair the dress just exited.
“It’s a cool view, right?”
“Yeah,” he responded listlessly. “Our room’s only on the fourth floor. This one’s probably the best room in the whole hotel.” I heard the edge there.
“I think there’s probably a penthouse suite that makes this one look like a closet.”
“What are you gonna do with your weddin’ dress? Throw it away?” Andrew offered sourly.
I gave him a sad smile. What is going to happen to it? I had no idea. “Smitty is going to retrieve it.”
“Who’s Smitty?”
“An Academy Service Provider,” I explained. “It’ll probably go into storage somewhere.”
“You don’t even know?”
I shrugged my shoulder. I don’t even care. He gave me a small conspiratorial smile. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into my lap. He’d grown so much. Taller. Skinnier. Growing into an awkward stage it felt like I’d just grown out of yesterday. Tears glistened in my eyes.
He whispered in my ear. “You were right about The Academy bein’ a bad place. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.”
I shook my head and split my lips with my finger. Andrew ignored my warning to lean in and whisper again. That’s when Ranger made his appearance. He immediately narrowed his eyes at us.
“Sorry to bust this up, but it’s time to go.” He didn’t sound sorry at all.
I reluctantly peeled Andrew from the chair and steered him out the door. And, all too soon, I was sandwich hugging Mikey with Ranger, and sandwich hugging Andrew with Mikey, and then one brother was off with Smitty (and a stun-gun carrying security guy). We waved to them from valet, with an exuberant Shadow lolling his tongue out the window as they drove away. Mikey stayed waving out the back window at us, while I made a heart shape frame with my hands. Tears pricked my eyes. That was a nice touch sending a car with Shadow. My husband was a smart man. Someone who thought of everything. It would do me well to remember that.
So we set off for the airport, in a less audacious black vehicle, with my other brother and my father. Ranger and I were the first to disembark. While Ranger saw to the bags, I had the heart-wrenching task of saying goodbye to Andrew. I honestly had no idea the next time I would see him. I threw my arms around him, pressing his sunny head to my chest.
“I really miss you, Katie-Kat.” His air of confidence had become polluted by the absence of mother, brother, and sister.”
My heart felt like it might break. “I miss you too, Drews. Everyday. But I get to call you twice a week now, and you can visit on family weekends.”
“Yeah, but that’s just twice a year. You can’t even come home for Christmas!” Andrew’s eyes transformed into sparkling blue Topaz.
“Yeah, but I do get to send a big, extravagant Christmas present to the best brother in the world!” I finished with a tight squeeze. Ranger had just given me the chin nod from the sidewalk, after shaking hands with my father again.
“Let Mrs. Montgomery and Mrs. Hildebrand help take care of you, okay? I love you, Drews. So much!” I hugged and kissed him again, and my husband had to come and pry my hand away from his shoulder.
After that tearful goodbye, and a hardy back pat from my father, my husband and I set off for our terminal. I found the airport to be a fascinating place. So many bustling faces and new procedures and rules to follow. Everyone else placidly partook in the rituals—like passing your personal items on trays, removing your shoes and belts, strangers in uniforms blithely rummaging through your personal belongings, walking through a body scanning machine like it was old hat.
A little lip biting was starting to go on now that I was starting to think about our microchips setting off an alarm. I fingered the back of my neck. I knew it was made from bioglass, but would they see it on the body scan? Ranger smiled down at me, unconcerned, helping me get through the whole process, handing over all our tickets, passports, and boarding passes at the appropriate times. I proceeded before him through the metal detector and immediately set it off.
My eyes shot wide. I spun around to find Ranger’s eyes.
“Your buttons,” he said.
A security guard with a wand was waved over to go over my midsection. I failed that test too, so was escorted over to another area. I peeked over my shoulder in time to see my husband sally on through. Of course.
Turns out all the extra wand time was over my necklace. Another security officer was called over for me. I felt like a criminal and was very nearly in tears from all the curious stares. Finally, they took pity on me and waved me through with a “Have a nice flight, miss.” I didn’t correct them by saying I was a Mrs. Heck, I didn’t even thank them, I felt so violated.
Ranger stood off to the side, looking slightly amused by my little ordeal. He handed me my bag and calmly took me by the arm and started leading me to our gate.
“I can’t believe you just stood there and watched while I almost got arrested!” I hissed.
“Not much I could do but wait.”
“Everyone was staring at me like I’m a drug smuggler or somethin’.”
“Just for the record, everyone was staring at you because you’re a babe. And if I were those overworked, underpaid security doofuses, I would’ve used any excuse I could to pass that wand over your body, three, four, or more times.” He threw his arm around my shoulder and gave me a soothing temple kiss. “Plus, if they would’ve really hassled you, I would’ve flashed them a badge. We don’t like to pull it out very often, because we don’t want to blow our covers. But I always keep it on me just in case of emergencies, like if my new wife gets herself arrested for being too hot.”
He looked down at me and flashed his dimples. I shook my head and fought a smile, jabbing him in the gut with my sharp elbow.
“Ooph!” He laughed. “Or for spousal abuse.”
This had me laughing a little, despite myself. And together we bypassed the restaurants, gift shops, and over-filled waiting areas. There was a trio of brightly dressed girls in their late twenties, tripping down the airport in their inappropriate heels, abundance of accessories, and cheap luggage. I saw my husband’s ADD eye briefly roll over them (and vice versa) before we bypassed them to pass through a private door into a quiet, spacious lounge. As soon as we sat down, Ranger lifted his lip and my left wrist to briefly kiss. The gesture sent a shiver of something close to anticipation through me. After which, he snatched his phone from his pocket to catch up on some Academy biz.
While we waited, we were offered our choice of beverages, and while we waited for those, I mused about the difference between my former self and my current one. I could see it now. The class difference between us and civilians. I glanced at my pressed white pants, my low-heeled sandals, my immaculate pedicure and flashing diamond. Understated yet extravagant. Feeling a sudden nudge of guilt for my new privilege, I changed my order from a mineral water with lime to a soda. A few serene minutes of me sipping a soda—I really didn’t want—later, and Ranger put away his cell because we were called to board the plane first.
Butterflies stirred my stomach, and I was actually glad when Ranger grasped my hand. Together we strolled down a long tunnel, through the mouth of the plane, and into the first seats in first class. Ranger kindly allowed me the window seat, seeing as how it was my first airplane ride.
As we hurtled down the runway, the plane’s shell shaking around us, I crossed myself and grasped his strong arm. He gave me another amused smile, with a look upon his face akin to a parent taking their child on their first plane ride. And I think one of those was in the row behind us. I played peek-a-boo with a toddler girl, rather than watching the movie. Turns out, air travel is boring. There’s only so much cloud gazing you can do. So somewhere over the plains of my home state, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was to find my head lying in my husband’s lap, the armrest dividing us lifted. “Bienvenido a Puerto Vallarta !” A cheery voice over enunciated in Spanish. This was followed by more cheery predictions of sunny skies and pleasant weather. Realization of where, exactly, I was face-planted dawned on me, and I snapped my head up to find my husband’s cool blues blazing at me. It was a rude awakening.