Part 54 (2/2)

”Why...not...?”

”Because people will think, 'Wow, he really loves her. And they'll be right.”

She opened her eyes and looked right up at him, shock on her face. ”Did you just say... ?”

”I love you,” he said. ”Yeah, that's what I said.”

He reached between them, knowing exactly where to touch her to push her over the edge.

”Oh, Michael,” Joan gasped as she exploded.

He had to grit his teeth and think about differential equations to keep from joining her.

And when she finally lay beneath him, limp and exhausted, he was still hard inside of her.

Her eyelids fluttered open in surprise as he began moving again. ”You didn't...?”

He shook his head. ”No. We have a little time left, and, well, I still have this one thing that I really want you to do. Something that'll completely get me off. Something that'll rock my world for a long, long time.”

”Ask me,” she said. ”I'll do it. Just tell me what to do.”

Muldoon nodded. ”Promise?”

”Yes.”

He took a deep breath and said it. ”Marry me.”

Chapter 26.

As Mary Lou drove to work, she saw Ihbraham walking along the road that led to the base.

What was he doing, walking?

She pa.s.sed him, but then pulled over, out of the heavy stream of traffic, reaching to roll down the pa.s.senger's-side window as she waited for him to catch up.

”Where are you going?” she called.

He came and leaned in the window. ”To see the President speak at the Navy base,” he told her. ”I knew there would be much traffic and trouble with parking, and it's a nice enough day to walk, so...”

”Hop in. I'll give you a lift.”

”That's not necessary.” He started backing away.

”But I wanted to talk to you. It's important. I had dinner with Bob Schwegel last night.”

Ihbraham stopped moving, but he didn't lean back down so she could see his face. ”And you are telling me this because... ?”

”You were right about him,” she said to his blue T-s.h.i.+rt. ”He's a creep. I think he's a con artist. He asked me to run away with him to New Yorka”can you believe that? I was supposed to pack a bag and bring it to work today. He said he'd meet me here and then we'd go pick up Haley and leave town. Of course, we'd make a quick stop and clear out all of Sam and my bank accounts before we hit the road. I called Medway Insurancea”that's where he said he workeda”and they never even heard of a Bob Schwegel. He was scamming me right from the start.”

Ihbraham sighed, and then crouched down next to the car. ”I'm sorry.”

”Will you please get in?” she said.

”No,” he said. ”I don't think that's wise.”

”Don't be a dope. I'm not going to jump you in the short amount of time it takes to drive to the base. I mean, while I'm driving? In busy traffic? I'm good, but I'm not that good.”

He sighed again, then opened the door and climbed in.

Mary Lou put the car into gear and signaled her intent to move back into the line of cars. It was moving even more slowly now, looking to be stop-and-go all the way to the base. But that was okay. She was very early, and the more time she could spend with Ihbraham, the better.

”Did you call the police about this Bob?” he asked.

”No.”

”You must.”

”How'm I supposed to do that without everyone in the world finding out I had dinner with a sc.u.m ball?” She sighed. ”I don't know... maybe it doesn't matter who finds out. Sam asked me last night if I was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around with my next-door neighbor. You know, Crazy Donny? Can you believe that? He actually thought ... But he wasn't even angry or even the slightest bit jealous. Just kind of curious about ita” which is pretty depressing, don't you think?” She glanced at Ihbraham. ”So I went to see a lawyer this morning, about a divorce.”

Well, now she had his attention.

”She said I'd get child support from Sam, and alimony, too. I had no idea it would be as much as this lawyer saida”at least until I get married again. If I get married again.” She sneaked another look at him.

He was silent as they rolled up another few car lengths. ”Sam may not agree to give you this divorce.”

”Yeah, he will,” Mary Lou said. ”I'm, like, 99.999 percent certain this is what he wants.”

”You seem quite certain it's what you want, as well.”

”I am,” she told him. ”I'm scared, sure, but, see, well... I'm not in love with Sam anymore. And I wasn't even remotely interested in Boba”I was just real mad. At you.” She glanced at him again.

He was just silently watching her, a slight furrow in his brow as if he were struggling to understand what she was saying. She didn't really blame him for not getting it. She hadn't been particularly clear.

”I was mad because, well, you've been hiding from me, and... I've gotten kind of used to you being around.” Come on, girl, just say it. ”I'm kind of in love with you,” she told him.

But he still didn't utter a sound, didn't move, didn't jump up and down or cheer.

So Mary Lou forced a laugh. ”How'd that happen, huh? I mean, we're so different from each other, and, well, different. In every way. But... if you maybe still have feelings for me, I thought... After Sam and I separate, which will probably be tonight or tomorrow ... maybe you could come over sometime and I could cook you dinner. If you want.”

She was actually blus.h.i.+ng. She could feel her cheeks heat, remembering that conversation they'd had when she'd invited him in for iced tea. She wondered if he thought she was inviting him over for more than dinnera”and if he would mind very much if she was.

But when she glanced at him again, he was shaking his head. ”I was sure you would never leave him,” he admitted. ”I promised my brothers...”

”What?” she asked, but he just shook his head.

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