Stripper: The Fringe, Book 4 (25 page)

“You’re right.” Diane gave a squeeze to Duster’s hand and his thigh. “You need to teach him honor with weapons.”

“Honor with power.” Duster stroked his fingers around the twine of her hair. “Weapons are power, and power is nothing but savage unless tempered with honor. That’s really what I want to teach him, but the thing is, he pretty much already knows.”

Accepting the compliment, Diane said, “I did my best.” Turning the conversation, she said, “We need to teach him to swim too.”

“Thought I saw you warily eye the pool.”

“I signed him up for lessons on Dahank for when school let out, but, well…” She shrugged.

“I’ll teach him. Or you can.”

Catching his dazed and dreamy, mossy-green gaze, Diane tried desperately not to blush as she admitted, “I don’t know how. It was something we were going to do together. Swimming lessons were my big gift to him for the holidays.”

“Really?”

“A month together on Dahank learning to swim while we stayed at a fancy hotel. Winter vacation for him from school and a long break for me from Network Thirteen.” Finally, she had the money for such indulgences, and that cover story would have given her a month leeway to get away from them, but now everything had changed.

“Then that’s what we’ll do tomorrow. We’ll learn to swim and practice water safety. A perfect family project. And don’t worry about the pool. I keep it covered, and if anything touches that cover, it goes rigid and an alarm goes off. You can’t drown in that pool.” Chuckling softly, Duster added, “Actually, I should ask Mary about security around here. Mary could drown herself in my pool, despite all I’ve done to make it safe.”

Remembering how easily Mary took them from lockdown to Michael’s office, Diane said, “Lucky for you, she doesn’t want to drown herself.”

Duster pulled away a bit. “Still, she might have some insight.” After making a note to himself by speaking into one of his electronic gizmos, Duster turned his attention back to wrapping a strand of her copper hair around his finger. His sleep-dreamy eyes watched his work. He seemed to be taking enormous pleasure in just sitting on the couch next to her, fondling a ribbon of her hair. Duster seemed content to spend the rest of his life right here.

Almost afraid of the intensity of the moment, Diane said, “Child safety seems designed right into everything in your house. But Mary would be the person to ask. About security.”

“Do you understand now why I call her Scary Mary?”

“Only a fool would underestimate that woman.”

“Then I’m a fool. Because I did. Once. Never again. At the moment, it seems one could leave a toddler alone and that child would find little trouble to get into. No sharp edges. Everything soft and safe. But Mary would find any hole in security. Even the littlest thing. She told you, didn’t she? About her forthcoming child?”

“Yes. She’s like you said, scary but also very kind. Michael won’t hurt her for what she did, will he?”

“Absolutely not. Michael loves Mary to a degree that’s… He won’t hurt her.”

“You admire her so much.” Diane felt a pang of jealousy.

“Mary is…unique. So are you. So is Scott.”

“What about school? Mary told me you’ve done a lot for the schools on Windmere.”

“I always anticipated I’d have my own kids. Scott’s school is right down the road. We can walk him. Tomorrow is Saturday, so we’ll have two days together to get everything ready. I want him to meet the MacKays next door. Bill and Sherry have twin boys, Billy and Jared, who are roughly Scott’s age. Their boys spend time over here and will be even more welcome now. I know they’ll open their home to Scott. There’s about a month left in the school year at this point. That’ll give him time to make friends and be ready for the summer break.”

“It sounds as if you already have it all planned out.” God, more talk about children. Duster’s obsession only aggravated her fear.

“Anything you don’t like so far?”

“No. Just…this has been a very long day.” With so many ups and downs, Diane could barely find her feet, let alone stand.

“Are you trying to get me into bed?” Duster pressed his mouth to her ear. “If you are, you don’t have to twist my arm very hard. Gee, let me think—not at all.”

“Duster, I really—”

He silenced her with a finger to her lips. “I know. Come with me.”

Gently, he helped her rise from the couch, then led her to their room. “I’d really like to take a shower before bed. Care to join me? No hanky-panky, well, maybe some hanky with a smidgen of panky, but mostly just a shower.”

“If you promise to behave.”

“I will.” Duster crossed his heart. He took her into her bathroom, which was decorated in rose pink and hunter green. They stripped down while sneaking peeks at one another. She hoped he found her body as beautiful as she found his. Seven years had been more than kind to him.

Duster kept his word. Their mutual shower was mostly a lot of hot looks and slippery, soap-covered hands. She found his touch more calming than arousing. After all the sexual tension between them, Duster sought not to entice but to calm her. Her agitation seemed to melt away with the hot water and soothing strokes in the floral-scented, steamy air. When they finished, they dried off, and he took her to his bed. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but all he did was lie down next to her and curl his body along the length of hers.

Duster uttered a sigh of deep and blissful contentment.

“You’re not going to make me perform my wifely duties?” She asked it partly in jest but also with curiosity. He had more self-control than any man she’d ever heard of.

“As appealing as the idea is, I thought I’d skip it. For tonight, at least.” Chuckling, he turned serious as he stroked his hand soothingly down her damp hair, combing the wet strands to her neck, across her shoulder, then down her arm to his chest where he drew the strands across. “You’re exhausted. So am I. I’m sure you could breathe a second wind into me something fast and furious, but I’d rather wait for the right time.” He pressed his lips to her ear. “I’m kinda liking this anticipation thing.”

Diane laughed gently. “You are a most unique man, my husband.”

“Say that again.”

“My husband?”

“Yeah.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “I like the possessive way you say it, my wife.”

Shivering, wrapping her arms around him, she whispered it over and over in his ear until he held her face. Softly, like a butterfly wing brushing against her lips, Duster kissed her.

“We have it all, Diane. We can bring as many children as we please to share it with us. A house filled with children.”

“You want that more than anything, don’t you?” Diane felt at once sharp elation and crushing fear. Duster didn’t know how difficult her labor with Scott had been. He had no idea of how terrified of a repeat she was.

“I’ve built this whole world in anticipation of it.” Duster snuggled her tightly to him, then stopped, pulling away. “You don’t want—”

“I want that so much.” What she wanted was to please him, but not at the expense of her very existence. Giving birth to Scott had almost killed her. What if a second child did? Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She wanted to do what Mary did and kick a pillow around for a few hours to relieve her stress.

“Diane, what’s wrong?” Brushing her tears away, he kissed her face. “Why does that make you cry?”

She didn’t want to tell him and have him worry over what might have been nothing. Just because her first birth had been difficult didn’t mean her second would be that way. Her fear wasn’t baseless, but it wasn’t totally legitimate either. She felt conflicted by wanting to give Duster his heart’s desire and wanting to keep herself alive.

“Mom?”

Diane bolted up.

Duster followed.

Scott stood trembling in the doorway to their bedroom.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Diane fumbled for her robe and slipped it on before she climbed out of bed.

“I had a bad dream.”

“I’ll go.” Duster pulled on his robe.

“Not you!” Hysterical, Scott pointed his trembling finger at Duster like an accusation.

“You don’t need to yell,” Diane reminded Scott gently as she patted his shoulder. “Let’s go back to your room and talk about it, okay?”

“I don’t want him to come with.” Scott’s eyebrows drew together from fear.

Caught between them, Diane had no idea what had caused this sudden shift in Scott’s attitude toward Duster.

“It’s okay. I’ll wait here.” Duster plunked himself onto the bed.

Grateful, Diane took Scott back to his room and tucked him into his spaceship bed. “Why are you upset with your father? He hasn’t done anything.”

“He took you away.” Bursting into tears of frustration, Scott pressed himself to her with fierce arms.

“In your dream?”

Scott nodded, wiping his nose on her robe, then more fully along the sleeve of his nightshirt. Diane got a bit of tissue from the bathroom and had him blow his nose.

“Honey, you know dreams aren’t real.”

“Sheldon’s gone.”

“Sheldon’s on Dahank. He’s not gone. We can write to him. Remember? Like we did when we went to Corona for vacation?” Three months of time together exploring funky shops, museums and pseudoscientific exhibits. Unbelievably fascinated by the macabre, Scott had to see every plastibone replica in the whole city. Museums also had all kinds of things in jars. Anything milky and pale or dark and sinister in a jar was worth serious scrutiny. Horrified at first, Diane found out this was a completely normal thing for little boys to do. The yuckier the better. Through it all, they’d kept in almost constant contact with Sheldon.

“Dad won’t stop me?”

“He’ll help you if you ask him. He loves you very much.”

“He won’t take you away? Like Sheldon?”

“Honey, your father didn’t take Sheldon away. Sheldon is still on Dahank. In our old home. He didn’t go away—we did. Sheldon didn’t come with us, but he isn’t gone. All of our friends are still on Dahank. We can write to them whenever we want.”

“Visit them?”

“Of course.” Diane hoped to all the gods worshiped on the Fringe she wasn’t making promises she couldn’t keep. For all she knew, Michael wouldn’t ever let her speak to a soul she’d once known, let alone Scott. All Michael had to say was their communications were a security risk, and that would be that. Worse, he might never let her or her son off his planet.

Chapter Twenty

Duster listened from the hallway as Diane soothed Scott’s fear. No wonder to him the poor kid freaked out and had a bad dream. Scott’s whole world changed overnight. Barely able to cope with the changes himself at what should be a manly and capable twenty-nine years, it didn’t surprise Duster in the least that a little kid like Scott had fears and doubts.

Voice of an ever-patient angel, Diane answered his questions as she tucked him back to bed. “Will you be able to sleep?”

“Yeah.” Scott sniffed loudly. “Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Can we get a puppy now?”

Duster had to bite his lips not to laugh. Amazing how swift a little mind turned to the most important things.

“We’ll see,” Diane offered diplomatically.

“You
always
say that.” A little bit of nightmare fear edged Scott’s voice but mostly accusatory rebellion. “You said we didn’t have enough room. Now we do. We have gobs of room. Dad’s house is huge!”

“Yes, I know, but I need to talk to your father about getting a puppy. It’s not fair for me to say yes without asking him.”

“He’s the boss now, not you?” Scott clearly wanted to define the lines of authority.

Duster couldn’t wait to hear what Diane would say.

“We’re the boss together.”

Ooh, good answer
, Duster thought.

“We all have to learn to work together. A family is like a team, like your hockey team.”

Duster couldn’t see it, but he’d just bet Scott rolled his eyes.

“Do you want me to sleep in here with you?”

“No. I’m a big boy.”

“I know. You’re very strong. I love you very much. So does your father.”

“He won’t make you go away?”

“Nothing in the whole Void could take me from you.”

“Mom!”

Duster just knew she’d tried to hug him. Scott went hard into that pulling away, independent phase that all kids did at his age. He’d watched MacKay’s sons do it. They often ran to him at critical moments, though. It would be a bit more difficult with Scott, who was used to having Diane all to himself. As much as Scott wanted to pull away, he still would selfishly want Diane all to himself. In the midst of that, he’d met his father for the first time. Things were not going to go smoothly, but Duster was okay with that too.

Diane left Scott’s room, leaving his door ajar. She didn’t seem surprised to find him standing in the hallway listening. Silently, they made their way down the hall back to their bedroom. Once there, Duster took her into a strong hug.

“You are an amazing woman.”

“Am I?” Her voice was muffled against his chest and the flannel of his robe.