Protecting What's Theirs (Line of Duty, #1.5)(7)

“Go to work, Derek.”

He watched her turn and shut herself into the bedroom before he left, loathing every step that took him farther away from her. All the while knowing it didn’t even compare to the distance he’d just created.





Chapter Four


Ginger accepted cash from the customer and handed him his receipt. “Is the chest a gift for your wife or did you just make her mad?”

He laughed as he tucked the slip of paper into his leather wallet. “It’s a gift. Although I make her mad often enough that I’ll definitely be back.”

“Good.” She winked at him. “I’ll set aside the matching bureau.”

“Consider it a sale.” His eyes twinkled. “For when she finds out I bought those Cubs season tickets.”

Her smile was a little wistful as she watched the older gentleman, with the help of his eager-to-please son-in-law, carry out the French two-drawer chest. She always felt this way watching one of her favorite pieces walk out the door, but it bolstered her mood knowing it was going to a good home. Not to mention the hefty price tag.

Two young mothers walked into the store chatting animatedly, their respective children entering behind them like hurricanes hell-bent on destroying her shop. Both dressed as Captain America, they skidded to a stop in front of the cash register and held out their pillowcases to her, toothy smiles a mile wide.

“Trick or treat!”

Ginger shared a laugh with the mothers as she reached under the counter to retrieve her bowl of mini Snickers bars. Wicker Park, the neighborhood in which she’d chosen to open her store, was full of young families, unique shops, and experimental restaurants. She loved it here. The unique, funky sensibility of the locals layered over a strong foundation of family. The more she witnessed those unbreakable bonds of mother-child, husband-wife, even pet-to-owner, the more she understood it. Somewhere along the line, the foreign concept of unconditional love had started making sense to her. It hadn’t seemed so impossible anymore. Maybe, just maybe, she could have that for herself. With Derek.

How that careful building of confidence and hope could shatter so quickly, she didn’t honestly know. Five nights ago, waiting for Derek to come home, she’d been so damn sure of his reaction to the news that she was pregnant. The entire day, she’d become more and more convinced that a new life could be a good thing. An amazing thing. She’d tell him she was carrying their baby. He would pull her close and share in her joy.

Never, not once, in the thousand scenarios she’d created in her head, did Derek walk away before she could share the news. He’d never actually been there to begin with, she’d realized afterward. Sitting in the bedroom, hearing the front door close, she’d replayed the scene in her head. Derek coming home, giving her an unbelievable sexual experience, yet withholding that final part of himself. Pleasuring himself without the use of her body. He’d been distant. Something had been missing. But she’d still kept her faith, her hard-won faith, because this was Derek. And he loved her.

Then he’d shut her down. She could still feel that cold, empty feeling. A feeling she’d never expected to associate with her lover. Her best friend. Her everything.

“Two Captain Americas?” Ginger forced a smile. “Are you planning on catching lots of bad guys tonight? You boys have certainly got your work cut out for you. I’ve seen quite a few questionable characters lurking around outside my shop.”

“We’ll get them for you!” One boy raised his shield proudly into the air. When the other boy tried to imitate his friend, his shield clattered to the ground. They both tried to pick it up and bumped heads. Ginger wanted to laugh with the mothers, but instead she felt suspiciously like crying.

Quickly, she shoveled a handful of Snickers into each bag. “I feel much safer now. Now, you listen to your mamas. Don’t eat too much candy or you won’t be able to fly.”

“We won’t. Thank you!”

Seconds later, they’d run out of the store, already moving on to their next candy conquest. Trying to distract herself, she rearranged the furniture to account for the hole left by the just-bought piece. Time had moved at an odd pace that week. Slow at times and fast at others. She still couldn’t manage to wrap her mind around the fact that Derek hadn’t come home in five whole days. Sure, he’d called and texted, but his tone had been stiff, businesslike. He’d clearly been rushing to get off the phone. Since the day he’d walked out, she’d existed in a kind of dreamlike state, every day flowing into the next. The longer she went without seeing him, the more she was convinced something was wrong between them. She just had no idea what it could be.

Tonight, she and Derek were supposed to attend a Halloween party at an ex-police dispatcher’s house. Patti, a grandmotherly-type, had been Derek’s right-hand lady during her days working at the station. She’d retired earlier this year, but still made it a point to issue them invites to her many themed get-togethers. They always had a theme. Hawaiian night. Brad Pitt night. Speakeasy night. Patti was a beloved member of the department, so officers and their wives, new recruits all the way up to senior law enforcement, showed up. Even Ginger, who’d seen her fair share of parties, had to admit they were a good time.

Thankfully her costume for tonight didn’t have to revolve around a specific theme. She’d picked up a gypsy costume from the seasonal costume shop down the block during her lunch break. Since she’d waited until the very last minute, her choices had boiled down to gypsy and nun. Which, in Ginger’s thinking, hadn’t really been a choice at all. Besides, sheer crop tops and low-riding skirts would be off-limits once her belly started to grow.