Deep Night (9 page)

The entire Wilson family was like her own. The boys had been like brothers. Well, to be perfectly honest, her feelings for Chris had always been different. When they were young, she shadowed him, admiring his strength and cleverness. As they grew older, she watched as he matured, his voice growing deeper, his shoulders broader, his features more masculine. He had dated not only the popular girls, but also the president of the chess club and the editor of the school newspaper.

Would she have agreed if he'd asked her out? Probably not, if it had been a real date. Then again, maybe she would have surprised herself and accepted. But she would never know…because he never asked.

So why had she jumped out of his arms yesterday? Why had she blown up at him last night? Why couldn't she just relax and treat him like a regular roommate?

All good questions.

No good answers.

The one thing she knew was that she needed to resolve this. Chris hadn't been out of line, other than the fact that he had come into her bedroom uninvited. However, she had broken that rule, too. He was a good roommate and a good partner on the streets. Her leftover feelings from when she was a teenager were silly and immature. That was her problem, and she needed to get over it.

So, she was waiting anxiously for Chris to get home so she could clear the air, because the last thing she wanted was for this to come between their friendship. She valued that above all else.

That is,
if
Chris came home tonight. Maybe he was having a sleepover somewhere…and probably not at his parents' house. She didn't think he had a girlfriend. Spending hours sitting in the park waiting for a call gave them a lot of opportunities for conversation, and none of those discussions had included anything about whom he was dating. Nor had he gotten any calls or texts from girls, or she would have known about them. Another thing that wasn't any of her business.

She sighed and pressed her hand against her heart. There was absolutely no reason for this dull ache that twisted through her. She had no right to care whether or not Chris screwed every co-ed in town. She tried to explain it away that it was because she was worried about him. Coming back from Afghanistan had to be a little like coming out of a long-term relationship. Likely he was horny, lonely and eager to make up for lost time. All of which made him vulnerable. Any girl would probably look good after having almost no females around for so long. She just hoped the girl was worthy…and didn't break his heart.

Pushing her books and papers aside, she stood and stretched her cramped muscles. She glanced out the front windows. It was after midnight and the street was deserted. Except for one guy, standing at the corner of the building across the street.

It was a rehearsal facility for musicians, and all types of music could be heard drifting out of its non-soundproofed walls during the day and early evening. But it closed at ten and all the lights were off, so it was unlikely he was a straggler leaving late. She watched for a moment, but the man didn't move. He stood there, in the shadows, only the glow of his cigarette showing that he was facing her building. Why was he there? Who could he be? Was he watching her?

Sara quickly stepped to the right so that a wall was blocking her from view. With no drapes on the windows and lights on inside the apartment, she knew she was highly visible. She peeked around the windowsill.

He was still there. As she watched, he stepped out of the darkness and the light from the streetlamp washed over him. He was staring directly up at her.

She dropped down to the sofa that was in front of the open window. A cold chill shook through her and her body trembled as if it were 10 degrees outside instead of 70. The light wasn't bright, and the street was three stories down, but she recognized that face. It had been years. How had he found her? What did he want?

On hands and knees, she crawled around the room, turning off the lamps as she went and ending up at the front door, where she double-checked that the deadbolt was locked. In darkness she sat on the floor, leaning against the wall next the bathroom with her knees pulled up to her chin and her arms hugging her legs.

It was her worst nightmare…and she was wide awake.

Chris unlocked the door and hesitated. All the lights were out in the apartment, which was very unusual. Sara always had lights on at night. She had told him she didn't like the dark. He could only conclude that she wasn't home. He stepped inside, shut the door and headed straight for his bedroom. Something snagged his foot and he tumbled to the floor, but instead of hitting hard wood, he landed on something soft and warm.

A piercing scream startled him.

“Don't…don't touch me!” Sara cried.

Chris scrambled to his feet and flipped the light switch. Her eyes widened.

“It's you!” she exclaimed.

“I live here, remember?” He was a little freaked out by her attitude, and the fact that she was cowering against the wall in the dark. He knelt down next to her. “What's going on? Did someone try to break in?”

“Turn the light off and look out front.”

Yeah, that didn't sound crazy. But he did as she directed. Leaning over the couch, he peered out the window at the street below. A couple, he couldn't tell if it was a man and woman or two men, walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk toward downtown. There weren't a lot of bars in the area, so it didn't attract a lot of social traffic, mostly just locals. The Denver skyline sparkled against the backdrop of the night sky, but most of the businesses on this end of town were closed and dark.

“What am I looking for?” he asked.

“Is there a man out there…on the corner?”

He squinted through the blackness, but he couldn't make out anything that was remotely human-shaped. Even the couple had turned and entered the apartment building across the street. “No, there's no one out there.”

He heard her move across the room, then join him at the window. She searched the darkness just as he had, and after a couple of minutes, she turned around and collapsed on the couch.

“Who was he?” Chris asked, easing down on the couch, but making sure he wasn't touching her. His eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, and with the half-moon and glow of the streetlight, he was able to see her face. Something had rattled her pretty badly.

“Nobody. I just thought I saw someone looking up here.” Her gaze slid away from his. “I must have been mistaken.”

She was clearly lying, but he couldn't challenge her on it. Obviously, she had recognized someone down there. And it had terrified her.

“Maybe we should get some blinds for these windows—you know, just below the arches so the light would still come in at the top, but we could shut the blinds at night for privacy,” he suggested.

“I'm not being paranoid.” Her chin lifted defensively.

“I'm sure you saw someone down there, and everyone who walks by can see us.” He shrugged. “I know I'd feel better if we weren't on display here. I'll measure the windows in the morning and pick up some blinds from Lowe's. They're easy to install.”

There was relief in her eyes as she slowly relaxed. He suspected it was more that he believed her than because of the offer of blinds.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

“You don't have to apologize. It's creepy to have someone—”

“No, I mean about last night. I was tired, and I overreacted. I just pushed too hard, but you know me…I can't afford to fail a class.”

“Neither can I,” Chris agreed. “As it is now, I'll probably have to go an extra year, because I can't work all my classes and labs in while I'm working full-time.”

She nodded. “I know. Sometimes I wish I could just run away to a beach somewhere, find an empty chaise longue and someone who will keep my margarita pitcher filled and just vegetate.”

“Maybe this summer…”

“I've got a couple of lab credits that are available in summer classes.”

“You don't sleep much, do you?”

“I've always gotten by with only four or five hours. I don't need much.”

“I'm still trying to catch up from all the sleep I lost out in the field.” He looked outside again and saw that the street was still empty. “We could hang up some sheets over the windows for tonight,” he offered.

“No, it's okay now. I'll just study at the table and keep away from the windows until morning.”

If she had asked, he would have stayed up with her. But she didn't. Her wall was firmly back up, and she was emotionally pushing him away.

He yawned and stood. “I ran into Miller tonight. He seems to be doing okay. You'd like his dog.”

“He's got a dog?”

“Yeah, a black Lab. I thought maybe we could invite him and the dog over for dinner tomorrow night. Would that work for you?”

“We could make spaghetti.”

“I'll pick up all the ingredients while I'm out tomorrow.” Chris headed across the room. “Need to use the bathroom? I'm going to take a quick shower.”

She shook her head. “Go ahead.”

A half hour later when he left the bathroom and headed toward his room, he noticed that she had moved one of the lamps to the dining table, creating a small circle of light so she could study. “ 'Night,” he called.

“Good night,” she answered with a shaky smile.

He saw that she had locked both the deadbolt and the handle lock, as well as the security chain on the front door. Whoever had spooked her had done a good job. He closed his bedroom door and stripped before climbing into bed. It felt a little more comfortable than last night, when he'd awakened after a few hours and realized he was still fully dressed. He'd gotten up only long enough to take off his shoes, pants and shirt, turn off the light, and then crawl under the covers. But he never really slept well when he'd had too much to drink. The nightmares had plagued him, waking him over and over until it was finally time to get up.

At the VA meeting, there had been coffee and cookies, then the men had all gone out to Denny's and had a late meal. He had enjoyed it a lot more than he would have expected. All the guys had their own stories and memories, but even though each one was different, they were all the same. They had risked their lives on a daily basis in a hostile foreign land for the cause of freedom. Some lost an arm or a leg. One guy even had both legs blown off when his truck drove over an IED. All agreed the path to recovery wasn't easy, but they were doing their best to adjust to civilian life. Every day was challenging on all levels, and some men were more successful than others. But these informal get-togethers were vital in their recovery. And they welcomed Chris to the brotherhood without judgment.

Sara was asleep on her “beach” when he got up, measured the living room windows and left. The windows in her bedroom were the same size, so he assumed the measurements would work for all of them. A few hours later, he returned with five sets of custom-cut blinds and an electric drill from Lowe's, along with a few groceries, including all the ingredients to make spaghetti for tonight. He had stopped by Miller's apartment, and he was touched by the man's excitement at the invitation. Chris left behind a bag of groceries and a box of dog biscuits, then headed home.

He didn't want to make noise, even though he was pretty sure she wouldn't hear the drill over the roar of the waves, so he went to the gym to work out. He liked the exercise, but also the mindless repetitions that allowed his brain to work through problems. He felt hopeful for Miller. All the guy needed were a few lucky breaks and the support of his new friends to get him through the rough times. Sara's issues were a little more difficult. He had his suspicions about what was making her so afraid, but until she felt comfortable confiding in him, there wasn't anything he could do to help her.

But then after last night's near hysteria, he wasn't sure whether her fears were real or imaginary. He still couldn't recall any indication that she had had anything but a happy childhood. Surely there would have been some sign. Maybe something happened during high school or even while he was away. He decided to get Julie to talk to her when she got back from her honeymoon. Julie would know how to help.

He heaved the weights up and dropped them on their support hooks. Then he looped his towel around his neck and headed back to the apartment. It was after noon, and, as expected, Sara was up and dressed. She had already pulled the couch and chairs away from the windows.

“You should have waited,” he told her as he eyed the heavy furniture.

“You lifted weights, I moved furniture…all exercise.” She smiled, apparently feeling much better than she had earlier this morning.

They didn't have a ladder, so they had to improvise. They carried two chairs over to the windows and climbed up on them.

“We pick people up all the time after they've fallen off things like this,” Chris pointed out as he reached up to attach the first bracket.

“If I fall, just drive me to the hospital.” She laughed. “I'd be too embarrassed to call 9-1-1.”

“We'd be the subject of the next safety meeting.”

“That wouldn't be embarrassing,” she said with a sarcastic eye roll.

“Do you want to screw the bracket on your side?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Maybe if you stack another chair on top of this one, I could reach it.”

“Oh, right. I forgot you're a mini-medic.”

If she didn't risk falling, she would have hit him.

“I'm going to hook this side, then we have to switch chairs.” He lifted the blinds and dropped the right end into the slot. Sara kept holding up the left end of the blinds until he got down, then climbed up on her chair and took it from her.

The chair was small, which meant full body contact as he stepped up on it. Momentarily distracted by the curve of her ass pressed against his crotch and the tickle of her hair under his chin, he forgot what he was supposed to be doing.

“Uh, my arms are cramping,” she reminded him.

He recovered, reached up and took it from her. She tried to get down, but to do so, she had to turn around and slide down his body.

“Jeez, you're sweaty,” she mumbled against his chest.

Chris was trying to think of anything so his body wouldn't react to the stimulation of her breasts rubbing against him. He visualized puppies and kittens, then when that didn't work, he started reciting the periodic table. “Hydrogen, helium, lithium…” he muttered under his breath.

“I'm glad to see that you're studying,” she said as she finally separated herself and got off the chair.

Let her think that.
He waited until she climbed on the other chair and held up the blinds so he could screw in the bracket. He lifted his end of the blinds up and fit it into the slot.

They stepped off their chairs, raised and lowered the blinds and admired their work. Just as he had suggested, the blinds filtered the light when opened and blocked out curious eyes when closed, while leaving the full arch of the tall windows uncovered.

“I'm going to put up both brackets first on the next one,” he said.

Sara stood on the ground and handed him the screws and the brackets. Working together, they got the other two windows in the living room finished, as well as the two windows in her bedroom. She nodded her approval.

“They look great. How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“It'll be my contribution to the apartment.”

“Thanks. Good add. I just didn't think anyone would be able to look in all the way up here.” She breathed a sigh of relief, and he knew she was still thinking about the peeper from last night. This would keep anyone from accidentally or intentionally looking into their windows.

“It was probably just someone who saw the lights and looked up out of curiosity,” he offered. “Hey, I'm going to grab a shower, then we've got to get dinner started. Miller and Riley will be here around six.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Good idea.”

He held his arm up and chased her around the room. When they were younger, he would have probably rubbed her face in his armpit. Thank goodness they were so much older and more mature. She squealed and giggled as she dodged him until he gave up and went into the bathroom. For just a moment he had glimpsed the little girl Sara that he had known. Too bad she didn't let her guard down more often.

The kitchen was small, so Chris and Sara were forced to work in unison as they prepared the sauce and the bread.

“I cheated and bought premade meatballs,” Chris told her as he took a bag out of the refrigerator. “I've seen my mother make them, and it looked like a lot of work.”

Sara checked out the ingredients on the bag. “I've tried these before, and they're delicious.”

“How many do we need?”

“I don't think you can have too many meatballs.” Sara opened the bag and poured them into a skillet with some olive oil. “Keep an eye on the sauce while I brown these.”

He dipped a wooden spoon into the sauce and stirred it, then tasted it. “This is really good. I didn't know you knew how to cook.”

“My mom was a nurse, and I used to cook dinner sometimes before she left for work. Just simple things, nothing fancy.”

“I'm more of a cereal and frozen dinner kind of guy. My brother Rusty is the grill king.”

“Right. He won't let anyone else near the grill at our parties.”

“Firemen think they're the best at everything,” Chris scoffed.

“Yeah, well, firemen rescue kittens…medics save lives.”

“Rusty would tell you that medics save lives, but firefighters save medics.”

“Yeah, well, he has big white truck syndrome,” Sara joked. “Some boys never grow up.”

The doorbell rang from the box at street level.

“It's probably Miller. I'll go down and get him,” Chris offered. “The bread's in the oven. Don't let it burn.”

He could have released the lock and let Miller come up by himself, but it was easier to go down and get him than to try and explain how the confusing hallways twisted and turned in the old building.