screwed up your life yet again. I can’t change that. But I can do my best to get us out of here. I promise, as soon as I can manage it, I’ll get you back to the normal, safe life you like so much.”
If her mouth didn’t hurt so much, she’d smile at Deke’s words, Mindy thought. The normal, safe life you like so much.
She’d give anything for normal and safe right now.
But as usual when Deke was around, normal and safe had left the building.
His words were on target. She’d loved him most of her life, and loving Deke wasn’t exactly a recipe for normal. Certainly not for safe.
Loving Deke was a recipe for disaster. Not that her heart cared. Nor her body. He’d always been the sexiest thing on the planet. From his sun-streaked brown hair to his startling sea-blue eyes. From the hard line of his jaw to his broad, leanly muscled shoulders. Even his battered shearling jacket couldn’t hide the power and grace of his six-feet-plus body.
A wave of nausea reminded her that this was no time to be ogling her ex-husband. She swallowed against the queasiness that was fast overtaking her. It had plagued her ever since the moment yesterday morning when she’d rapped on the apartment door. Even before the door opened, she knew she’d made a mistake.
Deke had warned her often enough not to wander around strange places by herself. But the message had been so simple, so innocent sounding.
Hi. Mindy Cunningham? I just received a delivery from Babies First that belongs to you. It’s from an Irene or Irina Castle. I’d bring it to you, but I’m on bed rest for the last month of my pregnancy. Can you pick it up?
When she got to the address, the person who opened the door wasn’t a pregnant woman. Wasn’t even a woman. It was a man. Something about him—the expression on his face or the gleam in his eyes—confirmed that she’d screwed up.
Before she could react, he’d grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind her. Then he’d shoved her up against a wall and stuck something into the back of her neck.
He’d drugged her
She was terrified that whatever he’d given her might hurt the baby. It was her worst fear—that something might happen to her little Sprout.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Sprout kicked. She rubbed her tummy and smiled sadly.
Until she’d acquired this tiny passenger that depended on her for his very life, she’d have said her worst fear was that she’d never be able to get over the man sitting next to her.
Deke Cunningham, air force veteran, sharpshooter, alcoholic, adventurer and ex-husband.
Once their divorce was final, her plan had been to never see him again. But the best-laid plans…
Just over eight months ago, he’d come to her mother’s funeral. One of about three times in his life she’d seen him in a suit. He’d been handsome as a GQ model, and more gentle, sweet and protective than he’d ever been before.
For that one night, he was the man she’d always known he could be.
At the end of the evening he was still there, at her house. Just to make sure she was okay, he’d said.
When he got up to leave, somehow she’d asked him to stay. They’d somehow ended up in the bed, and she’d somehow ended up pregnant.
So much for getting over him.
“Mindy, you’re not okay. They hurt you, didn’t they?”
His voice was controlled—barely, but that was all about him that was. His intensity and anger washed over her like scalding hot water. Anger, not at her, but on her behalf.
“No, I’m not injured. Just tired and hurting.”
He’d never understood why she hadn’t wanted him to be angry for her. He’d never realized that his anger—even when it wasn’t directed at her—still scared her.
And that was why, although he needed to know what he was up against—deserved to—she couldn’t tell him. Not until she absolutely had to.
Like the coward she was, she planned to put off that revelation as long as she possibly could, because scalding water didn’t begin to describe what Deke would throw at her when he found out she was pregnant—with his child.
“Deke, we’ve got to get out of here. The guy told me he’d be watching me. He’ll be back anytime.”
“Yeah, we do. Can you move? Turn around. Let me see your hands.”
Could she move? Hah. Not too well, she wanted to answer. Like an overloaded supply plane, she was carrying heavy on the front end.
She twisted until her back was to him, working to suppress the grunts and groans that went with everything she did these days.
By the time he said “That’s good,” she was breathing hard.
“Min, are you sure you’re okay?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. “It’s the drug,” she said as evenly as she could. “It’s making me light-headed. And I’m hungry.”
He chuckled. “No surprise there.”
Mindy bit her lip against the poignant memories that bombarded her. The sweet teasing, the tickling matches, the kisses. Dear heavens, she’d missed him. It didn’t matter how many times her head reminded her heart that they were as compatible as jet fuel and an ignition source.
He twisted on the wooden crate until he was facing her back. Then he bent double to look at the ropes binding her hands.
He uttered a short burst of colorful curses. “Damn it, I can’t see anything.”
“Can you bite them like you did the gag?”
He sniffed in disdain. “My teeth aren’t that good. Stay still.”
Mindy waited. It soon became obvious that Deke was scooting around until his back was to hers. Then he shifted closer and twisted some more, until they were pressed together like bookends.
She felt his hands on hers, big, warm, protective, as they explored the ropes.
He let go a string of colorful curses. “…Those sons of bitches,” he finished.
Mindy’s pulse skittered. “What is it Deke? What’s wrong?”
“Nobody’s this stupid. Everything about this, from the moment you called, has been too easy,” he muttered. “Too pat.”
“Too easy? How is this easy?”
“They used your phone. Didn’t even bother to keep the call short. Like they were telegraphing their
