The Shooting (20 page)

She was teary and upset for more than a week until once again, David snapped her out of it. She didn’t know what she’d have done without him. He even attended her prenatal classes.

She was a little sad that it wasn’t Tom by her side while she learned how to breathe in and out and she was embarrassed when the instructor assumed she and David were a couple, but she’d be forever grateful for his strength and support—and that’s what really mattered.

Now, as the baby kicked impatiently inside her, she settled the class for the next session. The teacher, Mrs Reynolds, cleared her throat and spoke.

“Now, children, remember how we’ve been learning about safety in our community? We have a special treat for you this afternoon. A visitor from the Chatswood Police Station has come along for a visit. Would you all please put your hands together and welcome Constable Tom Munro.”

The door behind Lily opened and she turned as if in a daze. Her heart began to thud.
Had the teacher really said Tom Munro?
No, she couldn’t have. Lily must have been mistaken.

A tall form filled the doorway. She blinked and then blinked again.
It was him.
There was no mistake. He strode into the classroom like he belonged there and looked around the room.

His broad shoulders filled his pale blue uniform shirt the way it always had. She couldn’t believe it had been seven months since she’d seen him. From what she could see of his hair beneath his police cap, it was a little longer than he used to wear it, as if it were overdue for a haircut. Or maybe that’s the way he wore it now? She no longer had the right to know.

As if he heard her thoughts, his gaze collided with hers. Her heart skipped a beat and then pounded away. Nerves flooded through her and her legs went shaky with fear. Her hands splayed across her belly in an effort to conceal its bulge, but at eight-and-a-half months pregnant, the action seemed futile. With her shoulders back and her head held high, she let him look his fill. She knew the very instant he recognized her.

He blinked and blinked again, just like she’d done. It would almost have been funny if the situation weren’t so serious. And then his eyes widened and his features flooded with shock. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He shook his head and then blinked again and then she saw the anger set in.

His gaze narrowed and his jaw clenched. She could almost feel the fury that radiated from him. She stepped backwards in an effort to escape its heat.

“Constable Munro, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to join us. We’re very grateful that you could come.” Mrs Reynolds turned back to the class. “Let’s all say a good afternoon to Constable Munro.”

The class of third graders dutifully wished Tom a good afternoon in a singsong chorus of voices. Lily took the opportunity to move further away from him and took refuge on the other side of the room. She snatched a breath and did her best to get her heart rate back under control. It wasn’t good for the baby to get so worked up.

To say that she was shocked was an understatement. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought he might see her like this. Their only mutual connection was a loose one between David and one of Tom’s colleagues and David would never breathe a word to anyone. She’d foolishly thought she could get through the nine months and Tom would never be the wiser. Sydney was a city of nearly four million people. It was unlikely that they’d ever run into each other again.

But, here he was, a matter of yards away, looking just as stunned as she felt. From across the room, his gaze sought hers and from the hard look in his eyes, this was far from over. He wanted answers. She could see it in his face. She knew better than to imagine he might leave without getting them.

For now, however, she’d been granted a reprieve. Tom was expected to speak with the children for half an hour. Mrs Reynolds would handle the questions. Lily could slink back into the shadows and pray desperately for answers that might satisfy him.

* * *

Tom seethed. For an instant, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. It couldn’t possibly be Lily Strickland standing in the classroom, her hands crossed in front of an unmistakably pregnant belly. From the look of her, the baby could come any minute. Either that, or she was having twins.

The very thought of it sent another shaft of anger flowing through him. She certainly hadn’t wasted any time. His side of the bed could have hardly grown cold before she found someone else to replace him. Hurt pierced through him and he nearly gasped from the impact. The faces of thirty expectant children stared up at him from their position on the floor and he suddenly remembered why he was there. Dragging his gaze away from Lily’s, he cleared his throat and greeted the children with a smile. It was so forced, he thought his face might crack from the strain, but he managed it all the same.

A half hour later and it was all he could do not to sigh out loud with relief when the teacher eventually called for the last question. A cute little girl with blond pigtails gave him a toothy smile.

“What do you like best about being a police officer?” she asked.

Tom smiled back at her. This one was easy. He’d been born with law enforcement genes running through his veins. His father might not have been a police officer, but as a District Court judge, he was still very close to the law. Then there were his brothers.

“I love that I can help people,” he replied.

“Doctors and nurses help people. Why didn’t you become one of them?”

The same little girl spoke and this time, lifted a single fair brow in query. Tom’s heart melted at the sight. She was going to be a handful someday.
 
The thought left him yearning that things between him and Lily had worked out differently. He shot her a glance, but she’d turned away.

“That’s a very good question, honey,” he said. “I guess I wanted to keep people safe. It’s like I’ve been telling you—there are a lot of bad things that can happen and it’s important to have people like me you can call. We’re there to scare the baddies away.”

“And lock them up in jail!” a young boy seated in the front row shouted amidst cries of laughter.

“Exactly!” Tom laughed and then turned back toward the teacher who had introduced herself earlier as Mrs Reynolds.

“Okay, grade three, I want you to say thank you to Constable Munro. It’s been lovely having the constable here to talk to us about safety in our community. Please put your hands together and thank him for coming.”

While the children dutifully clapped, Tom gave the teacher the box of stickers. He’d almost forgotten about them. She thanked him with a smile and then turned back to the class. With firm efficiency, she directed the children back to their seats. Tom glanced at his watch. It was almost time for the bell. Lily hadn’t moved from her spot up the back and he could hardly talk to her in front of a roomful of kids.

Biting back a growl of impatience, he threw her a hard stare and then turned away. With his cap in his hand, he strode to the door and left as quietly as he’d come.

* * *

Lily blew out a surreptitious sigh of relief, unable to believe Tom had left without approaching her. Perhaps his initial shock was over? Perhaps he no longer cared enough to want to find out if the baby growing inside her was his? The thought pained her and she pressed her hand against her mouth to hold back a sob.

It was her own fault if he’d stopped caring. She was the one who’d lied to him. Okay, so she hadn’t actually said the words, but when he’d asked if she was pregnant, her silence had been telling. She’d been too shocked by his question and had struggled for something to say. By then, it was too late and he’d drawn his own conclusion. Knowing it was for the best, she’d blown him off by telling him she wanted to play the field.

The lies had nearly killed her, but she’d said them for both their sakes. She refused to marry a drinker and Tom was one of them. He’d also feel honor bound to marry her and she’d be no man’s obligation. It was the last decade of the twentieth century. Women now had more choices than that and thank goodness they did. Lily shuddered at the thought of what it must have been like for a woman who found herself pregnant and unmarried in the fifties.

As if on autopilot, she helped the children pack up the colored pencils and workbooks in anticipation for the end of the day. Not only the end of the day, the end of the week. Lily smiled in relief at the thought of having two days to put her feet up. As much as she loved teaching, she looked forward to the break.

She wasn’t the only one looking forward to the weekend. Right on cue, the bell went and the children streamed from the class amidst shouts of excited good-byes. She finished tidying up the classroom and then went to the cupboard where she stored her handbag.

“Thank you for all of your help this week, Lily,” Diane Reynolds said with a smile.

“No problem, it was a pleasure. They’re a great bunch of kids. You have them all very well trained.”

“Not without a lot of effort, let me assure you,” Diane laughed. “You’ll get the hang of it. You’re a natural.”

Lily blushed, pleased with the woman’s praise. Diane had been teaching for twenty-five years. Her approval meant a great deal.

“Thank you. I-I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I can’t wait to finish college and get out into a school. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed being with you, in your classroom. You’ve passed on practical knowledge that can’t be learned from a book and…I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you going the extra mile. I’ve been with other teachers in other schools during my pracs and no one has taught me as much as you.”

The woman smiled and accepted Lily’s compliment graciously. “You’re an interested pupil and a quick learner, Lily. Why wouldn’t I be willing to help you out?” Diane finished cleaning the board and then turned back toward her.

“I was lucky when I was your age, just starting out, to have a teacher who became my mentor. She’d been teaching all her life and she had to be in her sixties. She taught me things I hadn’t even thought of, little ways to connect with the children. It made a difference in my life and in my career. I’m always happy to pay it forward.”

“Well, I for one am very appreciative.”

Diane collected her handbag and together they walked to the door. “Have a good weekend, Lily. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“You, too, Diane, and thanks again for everything.”

Together, they left the classroom and walked through the doorway that led outside. Lily looked up and gasped. Tom stood right outside the door.

“Oh, Constable Munro, I wasn’t aware you were still here. Is there something I can do for you?” Diane asked in surprise.

“No, I’m fine. I was wondering if I could have a word with Lily?”

Diane turned toward her, a slight frown deepening the lines across her forehead. “With Lily? Of course. That is, if it’s all right with you?”

She directed her last question toward Lily and it was all Lily could do not to turn tail and run. Here was her chance to escape. She could simply decline to speak with him and leave with Diane. There would be nothing he could do about it, short of running her down and she was sure he wouldn’t do that.

“Um… I…I have to—”

“I won’t take a minute, I promise.” His grin was pure charm. Even his eyes twinkled. But Lily wasn’t fooled. She could see the tension in every line of his body, the way his jaw was clenched. It was too bad Diane didn’t know him as well as she did.

“I’ll catch you next week, Lily. Have a good weekend.” Diane nodded toward Tom and left.

Nerves thrummed like kettle drums in Lily’s stomach, turning it upside down. Her hands clenched into fists and she drew in a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come.

“You look well, Lily. Even more beautiful than I remembered.”

It was the last thing she expected him to say and her breath left her body in a rush. Heat spread from her neck to her cheeks and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

“I-I… Thank you.” Her thoughts were in turmoil.

“I must admit, I was shocked to see you here. I thought you were still in college.”

“I am. I…I’m doing a practical placement. I’ve been here a fortnight and I have a fortnight to go.”

“When is your baby due? It doesn’t look like it’s going to wait that long.”

Lily bit her lip, still unsure what to tell him. Her reasons for keeping it from him in the first place hadn’t changed, despite the months that had passed.

“I…I…” She shook her head hopelessly and tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want to lie to him again, but she was terrified she didn’t have a choice.

Mistaking her reticence, Tom’s gaze narrowed and his lips went taut. “It’s been seven months since you left me. You sure didn’t waste any time.”

She closed her eyes in an agony of indecision, hating the hurt that rang out in his voice—hating even more that she was responsible for putting it there. The knowledge that he thought so little of her—that she could go from his bed to another’s with barely a breath in between—cut her heart to pieces. Torn, she stared at him for a long moment and finally decided upon the truth.

“The baby’s due in a little over three weeks.” The words tumbled out of her mouth and she was suddenly lightheaded with relief. The strain of keeping something so huge from the man she still loved had taken their toll. While the heavy feeling of dread she’d carried around inside her for the past eight months hadn’t disappeared, it had certainly eased.