Deadly Expectations Read Online Free PDF Page A

far enough.
    “How do you do that?   I’m trying to be mad and you make the room spin,” I muttered as I closed my eyes waiting for it to stop.   Paul laughed and dropped his head to the other pillow.   Then he returned, hovering just in front of me.   I didn’t even try to focus.
    “Sugar,” he sighed and brushed my cheek with his.   “I got a call in the middle of the night from my CO.   I had fifteen minutes to shake four guys out of bed and get them packed in a truck.   I was running down the road banging on cabin doors when I called to tell you I was shipping out.   My phone’s been working for a week since I got back.   CO is cheap and shuts them down when we’re in the field.”
    “You said ‘sorry Anna I’m moving on.’   That’s all you told me.”
    “Shit yeah,” his nose found its way behind my ear.   “I could have been gone for months.   I thought that was a kinder way to leave you than nobody here knowing to call you if there was bad news.   I was going to call you in a few days … I needed some time to adjust to being back after … being away.”
    I nodded and brought a hand up to wipe my eyes.
    “I’m sorry Anna.   I left you hurting and alone.   I promise it won’t happen again.   If we decide we don’t want each other we’ll both know why okay?”
    “Yeah, okay.”   Paul rested his head on my shoulder and I got a hand up to his face.   He was too close to see clearly so I turned and kissed his forehead as my hand felt the stubbly line of his jaw.   “I had a really bad night before I came here.   I’ve never felt so alone.”
    “What happened, Sugar?”
    I turned my head away feeling weak for failing to look after myself.
    “I had a break in.   The kid from the parking lot where we met was in my house.”
    “Is that why you had a gun?”
    “I didn’t … wait … I got it out from under the couch to put away while was packing.   Must have been doing too many things at once and stuffed it in my bag.   I don’t know why I bought it … can’t hit a thing.”
    Paul laughed.
    “Can Ray call my sister?   Alina Creed … she’s in my phone.   Talk doctor to her and say I had an accident?   And Tony.   Tell him to get Mrs. Desmond her groceries every week on my credit card.   He’ll know what she needs.   Maybe slip her some smokes.”
    “Yeah, sleep now … we’ll keep an eye on you.   You’re safe here.”

 
    Chapter 5
     
     
    “Anna, wake up Kiddo.”
    Someone was gently shaking my arm.
    “Ray?   Morning.”
    “Not yet.   I need to take some blood from you if that’s okay … prenatal stuff.   I’ll drop it off in town.   Did Paul tell you?”   Ray asked.
    “Guess he forgot.”   I realized I was alone in the bed.   “Is he going with you?”
    “No.   He goes for a run early most days but he’ll be back for breakfast.   Anyway, if you give me the name of your doctor I’ll make sure he gets a copy of the results.”
    “Okay, go ahead but I don’t have a doctor.”
    “No doctor?”
    “Haven’t needed one since I was thirteen … I guess you’re my doctor now.”
    I was glad I was lying down.   The IV was one thing.   Seeing my blood was something else entirely.
    “Without doctor stuff from time to time I had no idea until now that I’m squeamish.”
    Ray took my arm.   “Why don’t you close your eyes and tell me about the last time you needed a doctor?   I’ll make it quick, I promise.”
    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.   “Kenny next door was teaching me to ride his big brother’s dirt bike in the empty lot by our houses.   He was two years older and we’d taken the bike without asking.   I had Kenny on the back behind me.   It was a huge two stroke 650, the wrong bike to be learning on anyway.   It was working pretty well for a while but then he put his hand up my shirt and helped himself to a big old squeeze.”
    Ray was already pressing a cotton ball on me so I opened my eyes and kept