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Chapter 10

“Steve!” Lindy screamed. “We’re married.” She bolted upright and clenched the blankets to her naked breasts with her right hand while holding out her left in proof.

“Married!” Steve exclaimed on a long, slow breath. Gradually he released his grip on Rush’s neck. “What the hell! But you hardly know each other. You can’t possibly…. You wouldn’t.”

“It happens that way sometimes,” Rush explained, and reached for his pants.

“I don’t believe this.” Steve shook his head as though the action would dissolve the image before him, then turned and stalked out of the room. He paused at the doorway and looked back. “We need to talk.”

Lindy wasn’t sure which of them Steve wanted to speak with. What was clear was that Lindy hardly recognized her own brother. His solid, sturdy good looks hadn’t changed in the time since she’d last seen him. He was still lean and handsome, the way she’d always remembered him, but his eyes had been so hard, so cruel, as though he would have relished an excuse to fight, even if it was with his best friend.

Rush sat on the edge of the mattress and Lindy moved behind him, looping her arms around his neck. “Are you all right?”

“It’s not exactly the way I cherish being woken.”

“Me, either.” Her teeth nibbled his earlobe, and she rubbed her bare breasts against his back, loving the tingly feeling the action provoked. She grinned with satisfaction as she felt Rush’s shoulders tighten and knew he’d experienced the same kind of delicious pleasure.

“Lindy, for God’s sake, stop. I’ve got to go out there and talk to your brother.”

The regret in his voice was enough to raise her blood pressure and she sighed, wishing her brother had chosen another time and day to make his appearance.

“I’m coming with you,” Lindy said when Rush had finished buttoning his shirt.

“Honey, listen,” Rush said, his voice low and thoughtful. “I think it might be better if Steve and I had a few minutes alone first.”

“Why?”

“I want to tell Steve how things went between us,” Rush explained. “If he’s going to be angry, then I’d rather he was upset with me.”

“Hey, Rush, come on. We’re in this together.” She reached for her clothes and was dressing as quickly as her fingers would allow. “It isn’t as if you seduced me, you know. In fact it was more the other way around. You’ve been a perfect gentleman from the minute we met…. Well, other than that first night—but that’s understandable when you think about it…. I think we should both talk to Steve. He is my brother and…”

Rush moved around to her side of the bed and stood in front of her.

Lindy was prepared to argue with her husband if he was determined to be obstinate, but when she glanced up his eyes were filled with such love and tenderness that all her determination to stand at his side and face her brother evaporated.

“Ten minutes,” he said, taking her by the shoulders. “That’s all I ask.”

Denying Rush anything in that moment would have been impossible, and she nodded.

Her husband-of-a-day rewarded her with a quick but infinitely thorough kiss, his tongue darting into her mouth and shooting ripples of pleasure down the full length of her body. When he released her Lindy sank back onto the corner of the bed, her legs too weak to support her.

Rush left the bedroom and closed the door. Lindy stared at it helplessly, unable to move. Almost immediately the raised, angry voice of her brother followed as he demanded to know what the hell Rush thought he was doing marrying his little sister. Lindy didn’t hear her husband’s reply, but whatever he said apparently didn’t appease Steve, because shortly afterward Steve started in again. Lindy grimaced at some of the language, impatient to speak to her brother herself. She was an adult and certainly capable of choosing her own husband.

She gave Rush the ten minutes she’d promised, but it was difficult. As the endless seconds ticked past, Lindy tried to remember the last time she’d seen Steve. Before he’d divorced Carol, Lindy realized. That was what?—one and a half years ago now. Steve had been happy then, excited, full of life. Could it really have been only eighteen months ago? She hardly recognized Steve as the same man. He looked so much older than his thirty-three years, and she wondered if the divorce was responsible for the changes in him. From what her parents had told her, Steve and Carol had broken up shortly after their visit to Minneapolis, and the divorce had been final for over a year. No one knew any of the details. Steve hadn’t explained a thing, and Lindy hadn’t asked. What went on between her brother and Carol was their business, not hers.

When Lindy couldn’t stand it any longer, she stood and walked out of the bedroom. Both men stopped and turned around to face her. Anger flashed from their eyes, and it looked as if they were about to resort to physical violence. Lindy knew she’d timed her entrance perfectly.

“It’s good to see you again, Steve,” she said with a soft smile, walking to her husband’s side and slipping her arm around his waist.

Her brother grumbled something in reply.

“Aren’t you going to congratulate Rush and me?”

Steve’s eyes hardened as they clashed with Rush’s. “I’m not sure.”

“Why not?” Lindy feigned a calmness she was far from feeling and smiled up at Rush, letting her warm gaze speak for her.

“Lindy, just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Steve demanded, looking more upset by the minute. “You’ve been in Seattle how long? Three, four weeks?”

“Are you saying Rush will make me a terrible husband and that I’ve made a dreadful mistake? Obviously you know something about him that I don’t.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” Steve shouted. He paused long enough to rake his fingers through his hair, mussing the well-groomed effect. “What about Paul Abrams?”

Lindy met her brother’s gaze without emotion. “What about him?”

“You loved him…or so you said. Hell, the last time I heard from you, your heart was broken and you didn’t know if you wanted to go on living. Remember?”

“Of course I remember.”

“And that’s all changed?” His voice carried a harsh sound of reprimand. “It didn’t take you very long to forget him, did it? So much for undying love and devotion. Well, little sister, did you ever stop to think what could follow next? If your affections can change overnight, what’s going to happen when Rush has sea duty? Are you going to divorce him once he’s out of sight because you find yourself attracted to another man?”

Lindy felt her husband tense at her side. She wasn’t pleased with Steve’s insinuation, either, but she was willing to let it pass. “As you recall, Paul was the one who conveniently forgot about me. Thank God he did, otherwise I would never have met Rush.”

“You’re saying that now. God, what a mess.” Steve abruptly turned away and marched to the other side of the room. Just as sharply, he turned back to face them. “Of all the people in the world, I thought you were the one I could trust the most.”

His comment was directed at Rush.

“She’s just a kid.” The look Steve tossed his friend suggested Rush had resorted to robbing a day-care center.

“I’m twenty-two,” Lindy cried, piqued.

“Damn it, Lindy. You don’t know a thing about marriage.”

“She knows enough about being a wife to satisfy me,” Rush answered calmly.

“She’s too young for you,” Steve shouted, and started in again with hardly a breath. “Any fool could see she married you on the rebound. I thought you were smarter than this, Callaghan. You took advantage of her.”

“If he’d taken advantage of me,” Lindy cut in, growing more impatient with her sibling by the moment, “he wouldn’t have married me.”

“Of course he married you. He knew I’d beat the hell out of him if he didn’t.”

From the tight expression her brother wore, Lindy could see that he’d relish the opportunity to fight with Rush.

“Steve, stop it,” she pleaded, holding out her hands. “I’m married, and although you seem to think it’s some great tragedy, I don’t. I plan on being a good wife to Rush. This isn’t an overnight fling. We’re committed to each other.”

“I don’t give this so-called marriage three months.”

Rush’s hands knotted into tight fists, but when he went to step forward, Lindy stopped him. Her husband had done an admirable job of keeping his cool, but Steve’s accusations were beginning to wear on them both, and Lindy could tell Rush wouldn’t put up with much more.

“Have you told Mom and Dad?”

“Of course. I’m not ashamed of what we’ve done.” But she’d waited until after the ceremony to announce she was married for fear her mother would try to talk her out of it. When she did phone her parents, Grace Kyle hadn’t been able to disguise her shock and had started to weep. When her father had come on the line, he’d been equally stunned, almost embarrassed, stumbling over his words, clearly not knowing what to say. It wasn’t until Rush had talked to both her parents that Lindy’s family had made an effort to offer their congratulations.

Steve’s eyes narrowed. “I should kick your teeth down your throat for this, Callaghan.”

Rush’s mouth quirked into a half smile. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Stop it, both of you!” Lindy cried, shocked at both men. “I don’t know what’s the matter with you, Steve, but this is my honeymoon. I have only one night left to spend with my husband, and I don’t intend to waste it arguing with you.”

“The Mitchell is leaving in the morning?”

Once more Steve’s question was directed to Rush as he chose to ignore Lindy.

Rush nodded.

The two men stood not more than ten feet apart and glared heatedly at each other, issuing silent challenges. Steve broke away first, picked up his seabag and headed toward the door.

“I’ll leave you two alone.”

“It would be appreciated,” Rush answered.

Steve turned back to face his friend and Lindy couldn’t remember when his dark eyes had been more intense. “You hurt her, Callaghan, and you’ll answer to me personally.”

The tension in the room was so electric it was a miracle lightning didn’t flash from the ceiling. It seemed to arc and flow between the two men, ready to ignite at any moment.

“I thought you knew me better than that,” Rush answered through clenched teeth.

“I don’t trust anyone. Not anymore. Just remember what I said. If Lindy’s ever unhappy, I’m going to hold you responsible.”

A throbbing, wounded silence filled the room after the front door slammed. Lindy sat on the davenport and forcefully expelled her breath. “What is his problem?”

“When was the last time you saw your brother?” Rush wanted to know, taking the seat beside her and reaching for her hand.

“About a year and a half ago. Steve and Carol drove to Minneapolis when Steve was on shore leave. They were so much in love and so happy, we were all stunned when a few months later we got a letter that said he’d filed for divorce. We never knew why. I think he would have told me had I asked, but I never did. What happened between him and Carol is their business.”

“The divorce changed him,” Rush explained softly.

“You’re telling me. But his letters were never like this. He was always so encouraging, so upbeat. When he heard what happened with Paul, his letter helped me so much. He understood so well what I was going through, but now I feel like I hardly know him.”

“He’s upset,” Rush answered after a moment. “He’ll come around once he has time to think things through. He knows us both, probably better than anyone else.”

Lindy nodded. “I’m not fickle and my brother knows that. I didn’t marry you on the rebound. I swear that, Rush. I love you.”

Rush’s face broke into a slow, relaxed grin and he draped his arm over her shoulders. “And I love you, wife.”

Lindy tucked her head beneath his chin and snuggled into his warm embrace, cherishing the closeness they shared. She didn’t expect anyone else to understand something she couldn’t explain herself. Finding Rush was like stumbling upon her other half. With him she was whole.

“What went wrong with Steve and Carol?” Lindy asked quietly as her thoughts drifted back to her brother. She was concerned about the changes she saw in him.

Rush was silent for a long moment. “I’m not sure. Like you, I felt it was his and Carol’s business, but I’m almost certain she was unfaithful.”

“No way.” If Lindy knew anything about her ex-sister-in-law it was that gentle, sweet Carol would never cheat on Steve. “She just isn’t the type.”

“Then I haven’t any idea what went wrong.”

“How sad,” Lindy murmured. It was obvious to her that Steve had changed drastically since his divorce. Although she couldn’t believe Carol had been unfaithful to her brother, that would explain Steve’s statement about not trusting anyone anymore.

“I think we could both learn a valuable lesson from what happened with your brother’s marriage,” Rush said, his voice tightening.

“What?” Lindy asked, and raised her head to study her husband’s face. His eyes had darkened slightly and she wasn’t able to read his thoughts, but she had a good idea what he was thinking. And she didn’t like it. Not one damn bit. “Are you going to start lecturing me, Rush Callaghan?”

“Lecturing you?”

“Yes. I have a fair idea of what you’re going to say.”

The muscles of his face relaxed into a half smile as he leaned against the back of the davenport and crossed his arms. His knowing eyes came alive with mischief. “Oh, you do, do you?”

“You were about to give me some dopey line about what we’re experiencing now being some kind of euphoric stage all lovers go through.”

“I was?”

“Yes, you were. You were going to say we’re experiencing a time when everything and everyone is perfect. There’s no one else on the planet but us and nothing else but our newly discovered love.”

Rush’s brows arched, but if he was portraying anything other than amusement, Lindy couldn’t tell.

“And…”

“There’s more?” he asked, and laughed, his rich baritone sounding relaxed and amused.

“Oh, I’m just getting to the good part.” She stood and rubbed the palms of her hands together, sorting through her thoughts.

“Well?” he pressed, having trouble disguising his amusement.

“You’re about to tell me that the tension is gone. We’ve stepped over the line, entered the bedroom and now that territory has been charted.”

“Not as much as I’d like, but we’ll make up for lost time later.” Rush’s words were more promise than comment.

“Don’t interrupt me.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t look the least bit repentant.

“You’re going to tell me we’re about to step off cloud nine and should expect to be hit with a healthy dose of reality. We could be headed for trouble now. If we aren’t careful, what happened to Steve and Carol could happen to us.”

All traces of amusement faded from Rush’s eyes and his face tightened. Lindy knew she was right. “By this time tomorrow, you’ll be gone.” She forced herself to offer him a brave smile. “And I’m going to be alone.”

Rush stood. His eyebrows were pulled down into a heavy ledge of concern. “That’s right, Lindy. Up until this point everything’s gone smoothly for us. Our whole world has been telescoped into a two-part universe. After tomorrow everything will change, and I doubt that it’ll ever be exactly the same again. In two weeks you could be wondering how you ever imagined yourself in love with me.”

“That will never happen.” She shook her head hard for emphasis.

“In two months, you’ll have forgotten what I look like.”

From his narrowed, tight expression, Lindy knew he wouldn’t listen to any denials. She hadn’t started this conversation to argue with him. The last thing she wanted was for them to spend their remaining hours fighting.

“You’re married to a man you hardly know who’s going to be leaving you for half a year. The next time I see you, it’ll be close to Christmas.”

She crossed her arms and cleared her throat loudly. “Have you finished?”

“Finished what?”

“Your lecture.”

“Lindy, I’m serious. I—”

“You’re not saying anything I haven’t already thought about a hundred times. I love you, Rush, and I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. My feelings aren’t going to change in ten days or ten years.”

Tenderly he wrapped her in his arms then, and held her close. If there was anything more he wanted to tell her, he left it unsaid.

* * *

Hours later Rush lay on his back in bed with Lindy nestled, sleeping, in his arms. He hadn’t been able to sleep, dreading the thought of leaving her. Getting married the way they had was possibly the most irresponsible thing he’d done in his life. But he didn’t care. Given the same set of circumstances he’d marry Lindy again. Gladly.

She astonished him. She was so sure, so absolutely confident they’d done the right thing. Her unwavering trust had been contagious. God knew, he’d wanted her badly enough. Steve seemed to think he’d taken advantage of her, and perhaps he had, but that couldn’t be changed now. Lindy was his wife, and by all that he considered holy, he planned to be a good husband to her.

He closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of jasmine and perfume that was Lindy’s alone, knowing full well that within a few hours he would be walking away from her.

Rush thought his heart would burst with the love he felt for his wife. He softly kissed the crown of her head, cradled in the crook between his neck and shoulder.

Lindy Callaghan was some kind of woman. They’d made love together, their bodies moving in perfect synchronization, as though they’d been married for years. All afternoon and evening, they’d teased and played lovers’ games, pretending they had forever. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. Rush wanted her again. Now. But he had the feeling making love to her a thousand times wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him.

* * *

Lindy woke from a sound sleep when Rush pushed the thin fabric of her nightgown aside, his fingers light and quick. She hardly felt his movements until his mouth closed greedily over her nipple. She sucked on her bottom lip to keep from whimpering as the hot stab of pleasure pierced her. Her head ground into the pillow with every moist stroke of his tongue. And when his teeth gently tugged at the raised peaks of her breasts, it felt as if he were pulling at a thread that was linked to the heart and heat of her womanhood. She moaned anew at a pleasure so intense it was akin to pain, and still Rush sucked at the pebbled hardness. Again and again, like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, he sampled the sweetness of the nectar from her breasts until he was pleasurably sated.

When she was sure she was about to melt with liquifying, pulsating need, Rush lifted his head. He lay on his side and slid his hand down the smooth length of her stomach until his caressing fingers tangled in the nest of wispy hair. He paused.

Lindy stopped breathing as his fingers slowly delved deeper, charting fresh territory as they sought the opening to the moist warmth. With his probing finger inside her, Lindy lifted her bottom and rotated her hips, saying without words what she wanted. Rush’s mouth returned to her nipple and the hot cord of pleasure joining her breasts and the core of her womanhood was drawn even tighter as he connected the two ends.

When he had nearly driven her to the limits of sanity, Rush moved his body over hers. In one unbroken action, he entered her.

They both gasped at the strength of the undiluted pleasure.

Their eyes met and locked in the darkness. He was buried as deeply inside her as he could go, and still he didn’t move. Lindy felt his limbs tremble as he struggled to gain control of his raging desire. She moaned in protest and squirmed beneath him, grinding her hips against him until he cried out her name in an agonized plea.

“Honey…please…don’t do that.”

“I can’t help it.” Once more she raised her bottom enough to experience the intimate friction she craved so desperately.

“Lindy.” He hissed her name again through clenched teeth. “For pity’s sake, don’t…. Every time you do that…oh, Lindy….”

She gazed up at his tortured face and lifted her head to kiss him. He responded by thrusting his tongue in her mouth while all ten fingers tunneled through her hair.

He started to move then in a long, slow stroke that plunged him deep within her. She whimpered when he withdrew, but he quickly sank into her again and again and again, bringing them to a shared climax several moments later. Together they cried out, their hearts sailed and they soared into a new shining universe as their voices shouted in joyous celebration.

Still sheathed inside her, Rush whispered urgently, “You’re mine, Lindy. Mine.”

“Yours,” she whispered in return. “Only yours.”

* * *

Lindy had never seen so many people gathered in one place in her life. It seemed the entire navy had come to watch the tugboats tow the Mitchell out of Sinclair Inlet.

Susan Dwyer stood at Lindy’s side on the long pier, looking at the huge aircraft carrier as it sliced through the dark green waters. Helicopters from the local television stations hovered overhead and small planes zoomed past to get pictures of the carrier as it was tugged away from the Bremerton shipyard.

“How do you feel?” Susan asked, shouting above the noise of the cheering crowd.

“I don’t know.” Lindy shook her head, feeling a little numb. A lump rose in her throat. When she’d kissed Rush goodbye, she’d felt the reluctance and tension in him, but no shrinking. As much as he wanted to stay with her, as much as he longed for them to be together, he longed for the sea more. He was going to leave her because it was his duty, his destiny. He belonged to the navy, and she had only been granted second rights.

“I’m not going to cry.” That much Lindy knew.

“Good girl.” Susan was dry-eyed herself. “You’re going to do just fine. We both are. These six months will fly by. Just you wait and see, and before we know it they’ll both be back, randy as hell and—” She stopped abruptly and heaved in a deep breath. “Who am I trying to kid? It’s going to be the pits.” Her gaze clouded and she bit into her trembling bottom lip. “I think I’m pregnant again.”

Lindy didn’t know what to say. “Does Jeff know?”

“Nope. I went off the Pill last month when they left the first time. There didn’t seem to be any reason to keep taking them when Jeff was going away for all those months. I forgot to take the stupid things half the time anyway. Then Jeff was home and I didn’t even think about it until yesterday morning.”

“Why then?”

“I threw up.”

“Oh, Susan. Are you going to be all right?”

“If I said yes, would you believe me?”

“Probably.”

Her friend sighed. “Well, don’t. I have miserable pregnancies. And I don’t think Jeff’s going to be pleased, either. We’d agreed to wait at least another couple of years.”

Lindy found a tissue in her purse and handed it to her friend, who quickly wiped the moisture from her pale cheeks.

“Tears are another sure sign with me.”

“I’d better keep track of these symptoms,” Lindy muttered absently.

Susan paused, blew her nose and turned to face Lindy. “What do you mean?”

“Rush and I weren’t using any birth control, either…. It wasn’t the right time of the month for me to start the Pill, and well, to be honest, we didn’t discuss it.”

“Oh, Lindy, how do we let these things happen?”

Lindy didn’t have an answer to that. Not once during the last two nights had she given any thought to the fact that she could become pregnant. It certainly wouldn’t be any great tragedy, but she would have preferred to wait a year or two before they started a family. Rush hadn’t said a word, either. It seemed improbable that he hadn’t thought of the possibility.

“You want to come back to the house with me and share a hot fudge sundae and a jar of pickles?” Susan asked seriously.

Lindy shook her head. “My brother arrived yesterday. We haven’t had much of a chance to talk.”

“Keep in touch.”

“I will,” Lindy promised.

* * *

Steve was watching the newscast that showed the Mitchell pulling out of Puget Sound when Lindy entered the apartment. He didn’t so much as look away from the television screen when she entered the living room, and Lindy paused, anticipating the worst.

“If you’re going to yell at me, do it now and get it over with,” she said, standing just inside the room. After saying farewell to Rush she didn’t need anything more to dampen her already low spirits.

Her brother leaned forward and pressed the remote control dial, turning off the television set.

“Dear God, Lindy, what have you done?”

“I just said goodbye to my husband,” she answered him, in a steady, controlled voice.

“Why’d you marry him?”

“For the usual reasons, I assure you.”

Steve wiped a hand down his face. “I wish to hell I could say how happy I am for you, but I can’t. I know you too well, Lindy. This marriage just isn’t going to work. You’re not the type of woman who’s going to accept the life-style the navy demands. How can you possibly expect to know a man well enough to marry him in three weeks?”

“I know everything I need to.”

“I suppose he told you about Cheryl?”

She squared her shoulders and stiffened her spine in a defiant gesture. She knew there’d been someone else, but Rush hadn’t filled in the details. She hadn’t told him everything about Paul, either.

“Did he?” Steve pressed.

“No,” she flared.

“You’re married to a man and you know nothing about his past.”

“I love Rush and he loves me. That’s all I need.” Lindy was painfully conscious of her brother’s adverse feelings toward her and Rush, but she was at a loss to understand his hostility. Unless his divorce had completely tainted his views on marriage.

Steve shook his head, his face pinched in a deep frown. “I’m afraid you’ve made the biggest mistake of your life, Lindy Kyle.”

She stepped into the room and sat on the sofa arm. “The name’s Lindy Callaghan, now.”