The Last Hour (Thompson Sisters), Sheehan-Miles, Charles [reading an ebook .txt] 📗

in the world, but one thing she gave me was an exquisite sense of manners. I returned his rudeness with icy courtesy.

“It’s a delight to meet you, Mr. Coombs,” I said.

He didn’t look up from his notes. My teeth jammed together, and I felt my muscles tense. For the last several weeks, these two had been randomly showing up and grilling Ray. They showed up without a phone call, without a warning. They pried into parts of his life that had nothing to do with the war. They were treating him like a criminal, and I’d had enough.

“Excuse me, Mr. Coombs. I’ve got a question. For both of you.”

“Um ... Carrie…” Ray said, as Major Smalls was returning to her seat.

“Wait a second, Ray. Seriously. Where do you get off? Ray reported the crime here. Why are you treating him like a criminal? Is this your subtle way of punishing him for doing the right thing? What the hell is it you’re trying to accomplish?”

Coombs gave me a cold look and said, “Number one, it’s none of your business, Miss Thompson. Number two, we haven’t yet established just who the criminal is in this situation.”

Smalls looked down for a second, then up at me and said, “We have to conduct our investigation, Miss Thompson. Your boyfriend here made very serious accusations.”

“Then do it with some professionalism and courtesy. It’s no wonder he was reluctant to report it, if this is the response you get for doing the right thing.”

Ray touched my arm. “Carrie, please….”

I looked him in the eyes. “Fine. I’ll stay out of it. But I want you to know that someone is on your side. Why don’t you show me where the shower is, and I’ll clean up while they finish.”

He smiled and ignoring the other two, took my face between his hands and mashed a fierce kiss on my lips. “I love you, babe. Come on.”

By the time I got out of the shower, I was calm. I was toweling off when I heard a light knock on the door. Quickly, I wrapped the towel around me and knotted it in the front.

“Carrie?” Ray said.

I opened the door and pulled him in. He got a wicked grin on his face and put his arms on my waist.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me right now,” he murmured and put his lips to my neck.

I shivered. “Are they gone?”

“Yeah,” he said, still moving his lips up my neck, near my ear. “But … my parents are here.”

I winced, then put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him gently away. “Well, that’ll have to wait.”

He exhaled and said, “Yeah.”

“Shoo,” I said. “Let me dry off and get dressed. I’ll be out in five minutes.”

It was a few minutes longer than that. I was a little nervous about meeting Ray’s parents for the first time and wanted to make a good first impression. It was bad enough I was in the shower when they arrived.

Finally ready, I walked back down the hall to the living room.

Ray stood up first and walked to me, then took my hand and faced his parents. I watched him, a little startled. I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him nervous.

“Mom, Dad, this is Carrie Thompson.”

Both of his parents stood. It was obvious at one glance where Ray got his height. Ray had told me that his father once played basketball for Duke.

“Michael Sherman,” he said, taking my hand.

“Kate,” his mom said. She was a good ten inches shorter than her husband, a tired looking blonde woman.

“I’m so glad you could come visit,” Michael said with a genuine smile. “Ray’s spoken about you a great deal.”

Kate looked considerably less happy to see me. But if I had to deal with that, I could. The four of us sat in the living room, an awkward conversation as Kate asked me questions. I answered everything she asked. Questions about my childhood, where I’d grown up, college, my plans for the future…

When I mentioned the NIH fellowship, Kate said, “I see. That explains why Ray applied to Georgetown.”

Michael almost rolled his eyes. “Kate, Georgetown is a far better school than Stony Brook. I wish you would let that go.”

“It’s very far from home, Michael, and Ray’s just come home from a traumatic experience.”

Ray’s lips tightened as she spoke, and he leaned forward and said, “Mom, we’ve been through this. My decision’s made.”

She looked at him sadly. “I just want what’s best for you, honey.”

“I know,” he replied.

In an attempt to change the subject, Michael said, “So, will you be staying for dinner?”

Ray shook his head. “I’ve got tickets for a show tonight. We’re going to have to hit the road soon if we’re going to make it in time.”

Michael looked disappointed, and Kate looked … put out. Irritated. I wasn’t going to spend any more time worried about that. It was awkward enough that I was going to be staying here for four nights. Ray was taking the couch and I was sleeping in his room. Which was already irritating me. But it was their home, and God knows my mother wouldn’t have let us sleep in the same room either.

We finally got out of there, and it was a relief. Ray took me out to dinner that night, and then we went to see a Broadway show. The next morning, he woke me up early and we drove to the Hamptons, had breakfast in a small village and then walked along the ice-cold beach, huddled together for warmth.

I’d been in New York, of course. Six years at Columbia University. But Ray took me to see his New York. The clubs and other spots he’d hung out in high school and college. Out of the way places where tourists didn’t go. We went ice skating and to see classic films at The Film Forum, and Ray took me out for a wonderful birthday dinner, even though it was a week early.

I took