Operation Swift Mercy (31 page)

“I’ll fly back with you.”

“You have to go back to base soon. You can’t fly all that way then turn around and fly back to the States. That’s ridiculous,” she pointed out exasperated by the man’s stubbornness.

“If I want to fly around the bloody world—I will.”

“There’s no need,
I can take care of myself, Chase. I don’t need you—
”
she stopped as the words she yelled froze between them. Slowly he dropped his hand from her arm and stepped back. “I didn’t mean—”

“You made it loud and clear what you meant,”
he said stiffly.

“Chase—”

“I’ll drop your things here in the morning. That way you won’t have to force yourself to spend the night with me,” he said, turning away from her and walking back down the jetty.

She wanted to call out to him—to tell him to stop, and take everything she said back, but this was the only way she knew he’d let her leave. He would have flown halfway around the world and then back again just to make sure she was okay—because that’s what he did—he took charge and protected.

She sank back down on the end of the jetty and let the tears fall—she didn’t care that she was wallowing in self-pity—she had to do it now, because once she left, she’d have no time for regrets—she’d be too busy being on her own.

****

Chase stopped in at the main house and took a bottle of scotch from behind the bar. Tate, Del, and Tupper watched him from where they sat at the table, puzzled by his actions
.

“You planning on sharing that?”
Del asked as he walked past.

“Nope,”
Chase said without stopping.

“
You gonna
’
drink the whole thing on your own?” Tupper called.

“Yep,” he threw over his shoulder, letting the door slam closed behind him.

So much for his big plans tonight, he thought, lengthening his stride a
s he headed back to his cabin.
Tonight he’d planned
on prop
o
sing to Mercy. He didn’t have the ring, but he knew they’d be heading back to Australia soon for her to testify and he was going to let her choose one then.
So much for that idea.
How could he have read her so wrong? She had to feel something for him—he may not be the
world’s
most intuitive guy when it came to women, but he was certain she
’d
felt
the same way about him.

It didn’t make sense.

He unscrewed the lid from the bottle and took a hearty swig. He hated this shit—but there was no way he was packing her stuff while he was sober. He needed to dull the pain a bit before he handle
d
all her clothes that still smelt like her—he’d have to rip off the sheets too—there was no way he could sleep in a bed that still held her scent. The pillow would have to go. Maybe he’
d
just start a bonfire and burn it all—buy new linen. It was the only way he could erase her from his belongings. Getting her out of his head and heart though would be a whole other thing. For now scotch would help—but eventually it would run out and then he’d have to find a new way to cope.

****

Mercy dragged herself into the house long after it grew dark. As she walked inside she looked up to find five unhappy faces staring back at her. It was too late to turn around and go back and she had nowhere else to sleep, so she sighed, and decided to just get it over with.

“I take it you’re not staying with Chase tonight?” Summer asked.

“Nope,” she murmured.

“And you told him about the embassy booking your flights?”

“Yep.”

“Anyone else experiencing Déjà vu here?” Tupper asked
.

“Look, he wanted to give up his job for me.
” She felt as though they were all judging her and they didn’t even know the facts! “
He can’t do that. I
won’t
let him do that,”
Mercy said,
ignoring
the men and talking to Summer.

“A
re you serious?”
Tupper
slid back his chair and stood up.
“He said he was getting out?”

“Shut up, Tupper,” Del and Tate both said in unison
,
at the same time as  Summer and Willow chorused, “That’s great!”

“It’s not great! Damn it Willow
. Y
ou were the one who pointed out that I was a damsel in distress, remember? That everyone was wrapping me up in cotton wool! I’m sick of it. I need to stand on my own two feet. I need to take care of myself!”

“You listened to
me?
”
S
he said, astonished
.
“
Don’t listen to anything I say—I’m more screwed up than even these jokers are,” Willow told her.

“The point is,” Mercy grated over top of a few disgruntled male responses, “You were right.”

“There’s a difference between standing on your own and being
alone
,
”
Summer said crossly. “You can still be
you
, in a relationship—okay, yes, admittedly, they’re pains in the arses, the lot of them
,
”
s
he said waving her hands around the table at the men, and ignoring their
indignant grumbles. “
They’re dominating, arrogant, bad tempered and have egos the size of Texas—but in the
end;
you
won’t
find another man who will go
above and beyond to protect you or to
make you happy, the way these guys do.
He loves you, Mercy. He really does,” Summer said crossing to her side to hold her hand.

“How can I ask him to take all that on?” Mercy asked, knowing Summer and Willow knew what she was really referring to
,
as hot tears ran down her cheek.

“Aww man, I hate when chicks cry,” Tupper groaned.

“Shut up, Tupper!” everyone shouted, making Mercy give a hiccup of a sob at the utter ridiculousness of this entire public conversation.

“It’s been a rough few days—it’s just delayed shock,” Summer soothed, sending Tupper a fierce glare.

“N
o
, it’s probably the hormones—I’ve been bawling like a son
-
of
-
a—” Willow stopped abruptly as Summer stared drop-jawed at her sister.

“Hormones?”
Del repeated confused.

“Holy sh—” Tate stared at his friend and a wide grin broke out across his face
.
His experience with a hormonal, pregnant wife,
had set
him in
good stead
and able to recognise the symptoms easier than his inexperienced best friend.
“Hey congratulations man—how come you didn’t tell us?”

Del looked from his wife to his best friend, confused.

Summer was still staring at her sister as though in a dumbfounded trance.

Willow was now glaring at Tate and nervously twisting her fingers.

“What the hell is everyone talking about?” Del demanded.

“Wait—you haven’t told him yet?” Tate asked, looking over at his sister in law incredulously.

Willow opened and closed her mouth looking very much like a goldfish before doing what any under pressure, hormonal mother
-
to
-
be would do—she burst into tears and ran from the room.

Immediately Del pushed his chair back and followed his distraught wife, leaving the rest of the room in stunned disbelief.

“Tate!” Summer glared at her husband.

“What? How was I supposed to know she hadn’t told
anyone?
She brought it up!”

“So hang on—if Willow said she knew where you were coming from with all this hormone stuff…does that mean…you’re knocked up too?” Tupper asked, and for once, no one yelled at him.

“You’re pregnant?”

Mercy spun around to find Chase standing just inside the doorway, having come back inside while the three ring circus had been going on.

“Holy sh—” Tate muttered again, and Summer hustled him from his seat, grabbing Tupper by the arm as she went and suddenly Mercy found
herself all
alone with Chase.

“Mercy? Damn it
,
answer me!”

There was no use trying to get out of it now—it was too late the proverbial cat was well and truly out of the bag on its way to visit the damn Queen. “Yes. I am,”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
H
e moved across the room towards her, but she stepped back and held her hand up to stop him coming any closer.

“No. This doesn’t change anything. My reasons are still the same—you
cannot
give up your life for this.”

“Are you out of your freakin mind? You’re pregnant—there’s nothing to discuss—we’re getting married as soo
n as I can get a celebrant lined
up,”
he snapped.

“You can’t!”

“Why the hell not? Do you loath me that much the idea of marrying me repulses you that
bad
?”
H
e yelled.

“Of course not you idiot!” she yelled back, furious now that he was pushing her so hard on this.

“Then why the hell won’t you marry me?”

“Because it’s not your baby!” she almost screamed
. T
he words coming out on a sob as she watched his face harden.

“What?”
H
is voice had lost its volume, but he stared at her bewildered.

“I was already pregnant before we met. It’s Nikkos
’s
baby,” she said in a defeated tone, sinking into a seat at the table.

He continued to stare at her, seeming to struggle with the news. It was just as she feared—he couldn’t accept the fact this child wasn’t his.

“Now you know why I can’t marry you. Now you know why I spared you the trouble of finding a way to back out of it,” she said bitterly.
Make up your mind,
a cranky voice in side her snapped.
Why are you acting like you’re hurt if you knew that he’d react this way! You can’t have it both ways!

“It’s just a shock—I,” he stopped, seeming at a loss as to what to say.

“Tell me about it,” she scoffed sarcastically. “You should try it on this end.”

“How long have you known?”

“The day you went out on the boat.”

“Are you sure? I mean, that it’s his. How do you know how far along you are?”

“I’m sure it’s his, Chase,” she said sadly. Hearing him clutching at the same straws she’d clutched at, hurt
. “You don’t know how badly I wanted it to be yours,” she whispered, lowering her head
.

Silence fell between them and the sound of the ocean outside matched her mood. Tonight it wasn’t calm and serene—it was angry and loud—restless and hurting—well, maybe it was just her that was hurting, but everything else summed up her mood perfectly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said finally.

“Chase—”

“No. Listen. That baby is part you, and it isn’t him—it’s a baby. A baby that I already love because it’s part of you and it’s been part of you from the moment I met you. It doesn’t make any difference.
I won’t lie—I wish to God
I was its biological father—but we can’t change that—it’s done. We have to move on, accept that for what it is and make our own life. I love you, Mercy and if I have to spend the next fifty years following you around the world trying to convince you—I will,” he shrugged.

Mercy gave a weary snort. “You know, you walk a very thin line as a stalker. I’m beginning to worry about you.”

“I’ll take whatever I can get,” he shrugged.

Mercy looked at him—really looked at him and felt herself tumbling into those silver, wolf eyes once again. How could she have ever thought she’d be able to walk away from this man?

“Would you settle for a damsel in distress and what will
undoubtedly
be th
e cutest baby in the world in about seven and a bit months?”

“I’ll take that deal…but let’s get one thing straight. I’m not saving you—you’re the one saving me this time,” he whispered, pulling her close and kissing her as though he would never let her go
.

“There goes another good man—ruined by a woman!” Tupper moaned from the doorway where an audience had gathered to listen in.

“
SHUT UP, TUPPER
!”

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank
Terry Coombes who gave me permission to use the word ‘thunk’ and answered all my ship and spear gun questions…with a straight face!