Nothing Ordinary, M J Marlow [ebook and pdf reader .TXT] 📗

their time together was interrupted by the lusty cry of the other occupant of their room. “Are you certain he should have to eat so often?” he complained as he watched her nurse their son. “He’s only a week old, James,” Annie smiled up at him. “He needs all the nourishment he can get if he’s going to grow up to be as strong as his father.” “All right,” James laughed. “I refuse to be jealous of him.” He sat and watched as the infant suckled her and he felt his need for her mounting. When Karl had finished, he took his son and burped him. Then he put him to bed and carried Annie to the bed. “I love you, wife.” “Well that’s good, husband,” Annie smiled back at him happily, “because I love you, too.” Morning came all too soon and they packed up their things and went to see Jeffrey. He spent some time saying goodbye to his brother in private and stood on the curb to wave them off. They drove for most of the day, stopping only for fuel and gas and diaper changes. That night, they stayed at a B&B that General Owens had arranged for them. The baby’s portable crib was set up in the corner. When Annie woke up and found herself in a comfortable bedroom furnished in old country style, she almost forgot where she was. She heard someone moving in the bathroom and sat up to see James shaving. “Darling,” James called out. “Your son was cranky last night.” He came out of the bathroom smiling. “Is it too soon for him to be teething?” “Of course it is,” Annie said. She went to pick the baby up in her arms, rocking him as he smiled up at her. “He was probably uneasy. He’s never been on a cross-country trip before.” She opened her nightgown as he made sucking sounds and put him to her breast as she settled down on the bed. “You don’t think they’re after us, do you?” “They don’t know where we’re headed, darling,” James smiled as he took her into the bathroom. “So for now, we are safe. You and I have been posted to a military academy in upstate New York.” He put his hand to her cheek. “Don’t worry. We’ll be all right, Annie.” “I want them stopped,” Annie said softly. “They hurt our family.” “We’ll see they pay, darling,” James stated with an assurance he was far from feeling. He kissed her roughly and heard her moan as her body began to respond to his touch. “I’ve dreamed of having you back in my arms so long, Annie. I still have nightmares where this is all a dream and I wake up in that cell.” She sighed as he carried Karl back to the crib and put him down. He joined her on the bed. He took her fire and added his own fuel to it, using the anger and horror he had kept locked away to turn their joining volcanic. Annie was unconscious when they finished and James stayed inside of her and passed out. He felt himself stirring again as she tried to pull away and their next time was far less catastrophic. He felt her surrender happily to what they shared. “This is not a dream, is it, my angel?” James crooned as he held her afterwards and let her cry. “We belong to each other.” He held her closer. “We will build a life together where we will be at peace; in a place where the horrors of our pasts can not touch us.” He looked down into her eyes. “You want that as much as I do, my angel.” He kissed her once more and then he set her on her feet. “We need to get moving, lazy bones. We still have a two hour drive to our new home and we have to fuel our selves and our mini-van.” Annie got to drive the two hours to the military academy as James played navigator. She was eager to begin the new life he had mapped out for them. “In case something happens to me,” James told her, “I want Karl and you to be able to pick up and go where you choose, so all my finances are in joint ownership and yours are left to you alone.” He smiled as she turned into the gates of the military academy and the cadet on gate duty came up to the window. “Major James Owens, Mrs. Anneke Owens and family,” he told the teenager. “Reporting for duty.” “Major, sir; Ma’am,” the teenager went to attention. He checked the sign-in sheet. “Your quarters are on Oak Lane. Take the main drive to Grant Avenue and hang a left. Take Grant Avenue to Jackson Street and hang a right. Oak Lane is the third left. You are No. 1204 at the end of the lane.” “Thank you, Cadet Sergeant,” Annie smiled at him. She looked over at James. “Did you get all that Mr. Navigator?” “Committed to memory, Madame Pilot,” James smiled at her. He took her hand in his and they followed the cadet’s directions. Their home was a very sweet two-story bungalow painted white with green shutters like every other home on Oak Lane. She pulled into the driveway and put the van in park. She stopped the car and handed the keys to James. As they got out the front door of the house opened and a man in a Colonel’s uniform came out with a tall elegant woman at his side. “Colonel Sheridan. Mrs. Sheridan,” James smiled and went to attention without the salute since he was in civilian clothing. “This is my wife, Anneke. Darling,” he smiled down at her lovingly as his arm stayed around her waist. “This is the commanding officer of Sterling Academy, Colonel Jasper Sheridan and his wife, Lenore.” “It is a pleasure to meet you both,” Annie smiled at them warmly and held out her hand while holding on to their son. “James has been telling me all about the Academy and I am excited for him to start teaching.” Her eyes widened as she saw the Rottweiler coming out of the house. “Oh my! Is that yours?” “No, Mrs. Owens,” Sheridan smiled, enchanted by the young woman. “Your husband told us that you were still having trouble being alone so we thought we’d find you a companion. His name is Himmel Besitzen Donner, or Donny.” “He’s a beautiful animal,” Annie smiled as the Colonel put the dog’s leash in James’ hand. “Is he pedigreed?” “His papers are in the office files,” Lenore nodded. “He’s out of our bitch Himmel Besitzen Ruhm or Glory.” She laid her hand on the dog’s rump. “He’s been trained as a guard dog. I teach an obedience class every Thursday and you are welcome to join us so that you get comfortable handling him.” “Thank you very much, Mrs. Sheridan,” Annie beamed at her. “I’ll look forward to that.” “We do not mean to cut this short, sir,” James said to them, “but it’s time for Karl to take a nap. He’s been very cranky.” “We’ll expect you at the reception tonight at 1900 hours,” Sheridan nodded. “Come along, darling. You can get to know Mrs. Owens later.” “Nice people,” James nodded as he made his snap assessment. He crouched down and held his hand out to Donny. “Hallo Donny. Wir werden Freunde sein, ja?” Donny sniffed his fingers and then went to sit next to Annie, sitting on her foot with a grunt. James laughed. “He knows whose dog he is, darling.” “Smart dog,” Annie smiled at him. He swept her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold. “We’re an old married couple, Major Owens.” “Family tradition,” James replied. “The males in our family carry their brides over the threshold of every new home.” “That would explain why they have such powerful arms,” Annie teased him. He set her down and kissed her and Annie let herself respond to him happily. She liked this return to the relationship they had been building before he had been taken away from her. Someone cleared their throat and they turned to see two cadets standing in the doorway blushing. “Husband, I do believe we are corrupting the morals of these minors.” “Then take our progeny to his nursery, wife,” he pointed down the hall, “while I deal with these young men.” “Yes, sir,” Annie saluted. “Wow, Major,” Cadet Sergeant Winston whistled. “Your wife is a major hottie!” “I think so,” James nodded and heard her happy laughter. His heart felt a hundred pounds lighter for the sound of it. “What can I do for you, gentlemen?” “We were assigned to help you unload, sir,” Cadet Sergeant Kelly replied. “Colonel Sheridan assigned us to be your aides while you are here at Sterling.” “There are boxes in the garage that are labeled as to which room they belong in and try to be quiet,” James nodded. “Leave any for the Nursery out in the hall. Our son needs to rest.” “Yes, sir,” the cadets snapped to attention. They then turned to go to the garage. James smiled and remembered his own eagerness when he had been a cadet here a lifetime ago. The bomb had done a lot of damage to his face and plastic surgery had given him a new face. While he recovered, he had gone through Major Weber’s files and found the anonymous tip on who had been behind the accident that had killed the Major and his wife. His only regret had been that he had gotten to Germany after Anneke had already left for the States. “Is that coffee I smell?” Annie’s beautiful voice sounded in his ear as he sat in the kitchen alone. She looked at the boxes and shook her head. “We can’t leave them like this,” she said as she opened the top box. James took the toaster from her and set it on the counter. Then he made her sit down. “You still have that headache?” James asked her bluntly. “I came out here for a glass of water,” Annie replied as she pulled the pill bottle out of her pocket. “But our glasses aren’t unpacked yet.” “Quit stalling, Anneke Leisel Owens,” James said sternly. He rinsed out his mug and put water into it. He watched her take the pill and then he kissed her. “That’s my girl!” he smiled at her as he picked her up and turned her over his shoulder. “Nap for you, pretty girl.” “Put me down, James MacArthur Owens,” Annie protested as he carried her to their room over his shoulder past the astonished faces of the cadets. “That’s embarrassing!” she moaned as he set her down on the bed and knelt down to remove her shoes. “I’m going to have a reputation as a stud,” James laughed as he went to the dresser and pulled out one of his t-shirts for her to wear, “and every male on the campus is going to be jealous of me. That is not a bad thing,” He closed the bedroom door and then came back to remove her clothing. He made her lie on her stomach and he gave her a massage that left her tingling. He kissed her and pulled the t-shirt down her body slowly. “I have some paperwork I need to deal with before the reception tonight,” he said with obvious regret. “I’ll leave you to sleep, my angel.” “You’d choose paperwork over your willing wife?” Annie pouted. It felt so good to be with James again. “Have I lost my allure already?” “I’ll make it up to you after the reception, Mrs. Owens,” James smiled down at her. He pulled her up to her knees and gave her a kiss that curled her toes and then he left the room. “Get some rest.” “How am