Before Sunrise Page 7

  “Okay…stand up,” Kennedy said. She rolled up her sleeves and got down to the business of scrubbing and rinsing Mac’s little body. Mackenzie talked a mile a minute. Kennedy’s mind drifted to unpaid bills and work obligations. Before she knew it, her daughter began to stomp in the tub, sending water everywhere. “Mac! Enough, baby!” she cried, shaking her head and laughing with her.

  ***

  Liam handed the satellite phone back to Eric. “She didn’t answer.”

  “Well, it’s best you see her in person anyway.”

  “Right,” Liam mumbled.

  “Hey, bro, I know what you’re going through.”

  Liam cut his friend a look. He saw Eric drop his shaved head in shame. “What I mean is, I know how you and Kennedy felt about each other. Fuck, I might lose a bar my outburst in there. Alexa is full of shit. Kennedy never gave up on you. She didn’t, brother. Go home and get your family. You didn’t survive hell to give up now.”

  “How could she marry him? Were they fucking around behind my back?”

  “You know Kennedy better than that.”

  “Correction, I knew her. The woman I loved wouldn’t do this. If I’d lost her or believed she was dead, I’d never fucking replace her.”

  Eric pressed his lips together, unable to counter his argument. Liam might be a dick on many counts, but when it came to his woman he was one hundred percent. No man or woman who knew him questioned his love and devotion for Kennedy. Eric’s silence spurred Liam on.

  “Four years or four minutes, it doesn’t matter. She spread her legs for him. When I think of Phil touching her, I want to kill them both. Fuck it. Fuck it.”

  “Word of advice,” Eric said. “I sincerely hope you are not going home to her with that attitude. Trust me, the lady needs you to return solid in your love for her, and Mac. I’ve seen her and Phil and he won’t give up without a fight.”

  Liam laughed. It came out dry and angry. “Oh, he wants to fight me for my wife, for my kid. Yeah, I want to see this.”

  Eric shook his head “None of this is anyone’s fault, least of all yours. Stop punishing yourself and don’t punish her. It’s Kennedy, man. You know she loved you more than life.”

  Liam rose up on his elbows. “Loved. She loved me. Looks like she got over it.”

  Eric squared his shoulders. “I’ll let you get some rest.”

  Silently, Liam watched him go. He dropped back on his pillow and let go of the tears he wouldn’t shed in front of them. “Kennedy, why?” he moaned, gripping the sheets. “Before sunrise…. It was our bargain. How could you forget me?”

  ***

  Kennedy walked into her bedroom, drying herself. She was soaked. Phil said she should wear a swimsuit to bathe Mac. She had to agree. Mackenzie followed behind with her towel around her shoulders like a cape, making a case for another after-dinner snack. Kennedy half-listened. She remembered the missed call and picked up the phone.

  US DOD 1 888 334 2045

  Kennedy frowned down at the number. Had Eric called, or God forbid, Alexa? Well, they weren’t calling her: they were calling Phil, she supposed. Still, she stared down at the number and felt her pulse race. It felt strange.

  “Who is it, Mommy?”

  “No one, baby. Let’s get you dressed and yes, you can have a cup of applesauce. Then it’s lights out. Deal?”

  “Deal!” Mackenzie grinned.

  Chapter Five

  Liam absorbed every detail of the city during their approach. So far, his return had been both surreal and a disappointment. Matchbox-shaped houses with racecar-track roads wound between them. After years of darkness, he found himself marveling over the simplest things. The Army-issued transport bounced lower and lower through the clouds, doing absolutely nothing to dispel his unease. He didn’t so much mind the takeoffs, but he’d always preferred parachuting back to earth. It kept him in complete control of his landing.

  Liam had worked hard to prepare. His nights were spent on the floor doing push-ups and sit-ups until his limbs shook hard enough to force him to stop. Most days he roamed the ship, re-learning the rhythm of walking. He’d gotten to the point where he could stand and cross the room without seeking support. He’d put on a couple of pounds, too. He felt stronger physically, though maybe not so much mentally. He’d gotten a clean shave and though she liked his hair longer, an even, short haircut. He wanted her to see him at his very best. He planned to walk back into her life, not hobble.

  Liam had been forced to rely on a black, silver-tipped cane that Vasquez purchased for him after they arrived. Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the last stop. Another change in plans; he should have gone to the Navy hospital in Portsmouth, but at the last minute, they’d told him it would be a specialist in DC. Every ridiculous change seemed to bring him further away from home, and Kennedy.

  The psych doctors said the usual crap around PTSD and anxiety, but he called bullshit. One doctor said his rage issues would prove to be a problem if he wasn’t put on some intense medications. This caught him by surprise, considering he barely said two words to the jackass during the entire consultation. At Liam’s vehement insistence, phone calls were made. Alexa stepped in and to his surprise, they cut him loose. He’d been cleared to return to Fort Bragg.

  The plane jerked through landing and taxied far off from the usual hangar. The door slid open, allowing Liam to step cautiously out with the aid of his cane. He walked upright, forcing his leg to behave, and keeping his shoulders back and chest forward. A black Ford Expedition waited. The sergeant behind the wheel had been given orders to take them to group HQ first. Another goddamn delay. Liam swallowed down his resentment and got himself under control.

  ***

  “So why haven’t you returned my calls? First you send word that we must meet, and then you make me wait and never call.”

  “It was a matter of national security.” Alexa crossed her shapely legs.

  Phil glared at her. “Since when am I a security risk?”

  “Since you were emotionally compromised,” she answered in a dry tone.

  He hated this bitch. Most people did within five minutes of meeting her. For her to be seated before him, all smug and coy, meant something big was about to come down.

  “What are we talking about?”

  “Ghost.” She shrugged.

  “Come again?”

  “Ghost of love past,” Alexa said, a dark, seductive smile playing over rose-colored lips. Phil had no idea what her riddles meant. Despite their long-established practice of working together in support of their mutual interests, he was two seconds from forgetting her rank.

  “Liam’s alive.”

  Phil stepped back. “Alive?”

  “Found him three months ago in an Afghan desert. He should be returning to Fayetteville sometime tomorrow.”

  “That’s—that’s a lie,” Phil stammered.

  “No, it’s the cold, hard truth. Remember the intelligence we received on Amir Sarkhir? We sent Vasquez and the team into the region. Turns out our little strike mission became a rescue and recovery. The infamous Liam Flanagan has been Amir’s POW for five years. He’s alive, Phil, and he knows you married his precious little Kennedy.”

  Phil blanched. “This makes no sense. His transport was shot down. You saw it yourself. Confirmed that he was blown out of the sky. You were so sure, all of you.”

  Alexa nodded. “And then he just up and walks out of the desert. Hey, we can’t explain how he survived. Every man around him died, but he survived. And he’s the same old Liam. With just her on his mind.”

  “She’s my wife.”

  Alexa let go a sharp peal of laughter that felt like ice cubes poured down his back. “You’re kidding, right? The moment he walks through the front door you’re divorced. Wait. Isn’t it annulled? I mean it’s not really a marriage. Oops, come to think of it, she can just cancel you without so much as a Dear John note.”

  “This is funny?”

  “Humor…irony…I can’t decid
e.” She shrugged.

  “Five years is a long time. Things have changed.”

  Alexa stared across at him. “Really? You sure? She was so obsessed with him, we thought we might have to commit her after he died. It took you four long years to get her down the aisle. My guess is she didn’t let you touch her until the wedding night. Probably still calls Liam’s name when you—”

  “You can be a nasty bitch.”

  Alexa shrugged. “I’m a realist. He wants her and she wants him. Trust me, it’s like nothing’s changed. Never could figure what he sees in her. Can’t stand the spoiled brat.”

  “Don’t call her that!” Phil snapped.

  Alexa shot him a smirk. “Or what?”

  He turned away, fuming. “Thank you for the warning, but I’ll protect my family.”

  Alexa rose behind him with a snort. “And who’s going to protect you? Liam’s not too happy and his psych exams are borderline. All that pent-up anger and resentment. Liam needs someone to direct it to.”

  “Oh please, are you actually standing here telling me that the government is about to turn some shell-shocked POW loose on the streets? With the secrets in Liam’s head, just from Scorpion alone, he should be contained somewhere for years.”

  “Senator Clayton agrees, but we have to tread carefully.” Alexa sighed and for a minute he thought he saw sadness in her eyes. “He’s been through a lot, Phil. I can’t stand to see him suffer. He won’t give up, won’t let her go. He needs to see her. My only hope is that one look at your happy family, and the magic is gone. He’ll think of her as spoiled goods, so to speak. Then he’ll accept the situation, and be back on board with us.”

  “Wow, you do have a heart in the cold chest of yours.”

  Alexa situated her cover on her head. “Good luck, Phil. You’re going to need it.”

  Phil waited until she was well down the hall before he pounded his fist down on his desk in anger. He grabbed his keys and bolted for the door.

  ***

  Kennedy stole another glance at her husband’s profile. She smiled. Phil Freeman was amazing at times. He called her at work and told her that he’d been neglecting them both. He wanted her to pick up Mackenzie from school and meet him at home right away. He put up such a fuss she made up some lame excuse to her bosses and did as he asked. At eleven in the morning he whisked them off to the State Fair. It turned out that during the work day, most of the rides along the midway were empty. They had the run of the grounds. Mackenzie nearly burst with excitement. She laughed, skipping and giggling her way from attraction to attraction.

  Kennedy was always thrilled to see her daughter happy. She lived for one person now. Her daughter. That’s how Phil had won her over. She could have gone her entire life and not taken another man into her bed, much less her heart. But his connection with Mackenzie sealed the deal.

  She and Mackenzie rode every age-appropriate ride . The Ferris wheel, they rode twice. Gorging on junk food came next. Phil took his turn, helping Mac win as many stuffed animals she could carry.

  “Mommy, I want ice cream,” Mackenzie said from her booster seat, swinging her Dora-the-Explorer-clad feet. Kennedy shot Phil a pleading look not to give in. He smirked, and steered the car out of the fairgrounds. They began the half-hour drive back home.

  “Mac you’ve had popcorn, cotton candy, and french fries. Don’t you think that’s enough?”

  “No.”

  Phil’s smile broadened. “Hey, she gave you an honest answer.”

  “Well, here’s another honest answer. No, there will be no ice cream.”

  “Aww!”

  Phil reached for Kennedy’s knee. His hand eased smoothly up her thigh, then went higher, between, to cup her intimately. Kennedy, caught off guard, scooted back in her seat. Phil then rubbed her there. She blinked at him for the message behind his touch. He gave her one of his famous looks that clued her in to what the night would bring. She reached between her legs and removed his hand from her crotch.

  “Have you been to the doctor?” Phil asked.

  Kennedy nodded. “I’m not pregnant yet, Phil. It’ll happen.”

  When he didn’t speak, Kennedy noticed the worry lines wrinkling his brow. She felt bad for rejecting his touch. He was such a good husband, and to be honest, other than sex he didn’t ask for much. “I’m fine. The doctor says it takes a while sometimes for your body to adjust after the Pill.”

  “Why did you stay on them so long?”

  “Cramps. I told you.”

  “I just think that if you had agreed to starting a family sooner, we’d have a baby by now.”

  “Where’s this coming from?” Kennedy asked.

  “Me wanting to start a family with you, and you doing everything to prevent it.”

  “Are you serious?”

  Phil switched lanes, taking the far left so he could accelerate past several slow-moving cars. He knew how she hated when he drove past the speed limit, especially when Mackenzie traveled with them. He did it to piss her off. He was actually angry at her. “You can’t seriously think I’m not pregnant on purpose? I wouldn’t lie to you or manipulate you. I’m in this with you, and I want this baby. Hey, look at me.”

  He did, and then returned his eyes to the road.

  “I love you, Phil. We’re a family. It’ll happen, okay?”

  “Tonight. Let’s make it happen tonight,” he said.

  Kennedy laughed lightly. “Well, okay, we can try.”

  He smirked. “All night?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, all night.”

  Mackenzie, all ears, couldn’t contain her giggles. “We’re going to have a baby!”

  “We’re going to try,” Kennedy corrected.

  ***

  Liam climbed back into the Expedition, disappointed. It took a lot of courage— and restraint—to walk up to the door and knock, not kick it in. Vasquez made some calls to locate Kennedy. He learned that Phil had taken his family out for a mid-afternoon adventure and shared that information with Liam, who didn’t speak. He just sat there in silence. His eyes never left the Freeman home. Their two-story English-style house with the black and white shutters and emerald green, perfectly mowed grass was a big improvement from the rundown two-bedroom shack he’d bought her. He remembered how excited she’d been when he got the loan for their house. Let Kennedy tell it, it had been a castle.

  “Fuck. Let’s just go.”

  “Wait a second bro, check it out.”

  A platinum Mercedes sedan pulled into the driveway. Liam sat up and held his breath. The passenger door opened and his lady stepped out. She wore dark designer sunglasses over her eyes and a white tennis shirt under a leather jacket. The thick hair he loved to bury his face in was straight and long. She wore it back in a ponytail.

  He put his hand on the door, flexing to open it when Phil emerged. The bastard hurried around the car and reached into the back seat for someone. For his daughter. Liam let go of the handle. Mackenzie was lifted up in Phil’s arms. Her locks blew in the wind. She wore bright yellow all over, except for black Converse sneakers. So his little girl liked yellow, huh? Kennedy walked off toward the front door.

  She was still beautiful to Liam. His eyes went over her shapely figure, the soft sway of her hips. When she opened the door and Phil appeared behind her, he popped her fanny and went inside.

  “That motherfucker is dead!” Liam threw his door open.

  “Liam wait. Wait!” Vasquez grabbed his arm and managed to prevent his exit from the vehicle. “Do you want to go to the door now? Do you want to get into it like this?”

  The door to the Freeman home closed. Liam sat back in his seat. He closed his door in defeat. “You saw her, man. She’s happy. Hell, even I can see it.”

  “She doesn’t know yet, Liam. Judge her after she knows, okay?”

  “Let’s go,” he said under his breath.

  “You sure?”

  “Fuck, just drive away, okay? I need a minute. I can’t do this now,” he snapp
ed. Liam’s heart didn’t just race; it beat madly in his chest, threatening to break through. He closed his eyes and sucked down the strong urge to charge in and wring the neck of the man who had stolen his life. The enemy wasn’t Amir Sarkhir. The enemy had become Phil Freeman.

  “We’ll head to my house.”

  Liam opened his eyes. “Did you tell Angelina about me?”

  “No. Angelina couldn’t sit on something like this. You know her, man. So just know you got a day tops and your secret is out whether you come back here or not. You understand?” Vasquez asked.

  “Yeah, okay. I will, but Eric was right. I got to do this right. I can’t go running in there like some madman. Scare my kid. Scare Kennedy. No, I have to…I have to do this right.”

  ***

  Kennedy walked to her bedroom, blowing out a long breath. Phil stepped inside Mackenzie’s room and put her down. She heard Phil approaching from the other end of the hall soon after. Kennedy was tired. The day had been an exhausting one. She wanted a shower first. Yes, that’s what she needed: a long, hot shower.

  Removing her sunglasses, she pulled her shirt over her head. She began to unbuckle her pants as Phil hurried to close the door. She looked up. He stood there, staring at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Do you know how much I love you?”

  She went to her closet to get her robe but he stopped her. He took her hands in his and stared down at her breasts as he spoke. “Do you?”