Nothing Ordinary by M J Marlow (books to read now .TXT) 📖

just then. He was holding a teddy bear under his arm. “Baxter told me he was lonely back at the cottage.” He put the bear in her arms and she clung to it and buried her face in its chest. He looked over at Clark. “Your people were packing up her things when I got there. Very efficient.” “Grandfather’s things, too,” Annie looked at the men and wondered why they balked at that. “I want to go through them myself. There are things among them I would like to keep.” “Of course, Annie,” Ryan nodded. “I’m certain Mr. Clark can make sure that his people bring his things to you.” He saw Clark frown but nod his agreement. “They’ll be there,” Clark nodded. He got to his feet. “I’ll go speak to the pastor at the church for you and see when he can schedule the funeral. Then I’ll go see the funeral director.” “Thank you Mr. Clark,” Annie smiled at him briefly. The nurse brought the sedative and she took the pill without argument. “Thank you for bringing Baxter here, Captain Ryan.” “I brought more,” Ryan smiled at her. He stuck his head out the door and beckoned to someone. A dark-haired, blue-eyed man in a military uniform stepped in the door with a pizza box and a six pack of root beer. “I found this man hanging around the gift shop. I believe you know him?” “Jeffrey!” Annie cried out in joy. “Bruder!” She put the bear aside and threw her arms around the neck of her brother-in-law when he came to her side. “How did you get here so fast?” “One of the perks of being the son of a four star general, liebchen,” Jeffrey Owens smiled briefly. “I am so sorry about your grandfather, Streudel.” “Streudel?” “Anneke has always been a fiend for apple streudel,” Jeffrey explained. “I caught her once when she was four…” She remembered that episode vividly and she was embarrassed he would bring it up now. She knew he was doing it to distract her from her pain and she loved him for it. But the fact that he could talk about it in front of these men made her very uneasy. “Jeffrey!” Annie broke in, blushing madly. “Don’t tell them about that. I was so bad.” “You were four, Anneke,” Jeffrey smiled at her and ruffled her hair. “Lots of four year olds behave badly when they determined to get something they are told they can’t have.” He kissed her on the cheek then and the other two men left them alone for a few minutes. Jeffrey sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head and just held her as she cried. He knew the instant she began to calm and looked down at her. Annie smiled up at him with gratitude shining in her eyes. “How long are you staying?” “As long as you need me,” Jeffrey told her. “Got room for me?” “Mr. Clark found me an apartment,” Annie told him and got her purse. She handed him the keys. “Tell the landlady you’re my bruder and you’re here for the funeral.” She looked at him fiercely. “I get the best bedroom.” “Of course, Streudel,” Jeffrey nodded as he accepted the keys. He wished he could give her more, but he would give her what he could. “That goes without saying.” He took her hand in his and his expression was serious. “You know you can always count on me, Anneke.” The moment ended and he set the pizza box down on the tray table and opened it. “Your favorite: mushroom, olive, onion, and pepperoni.” “Moop!” Annie laughed as Ryan came back into the room, and he was astounded. This man seemed to have the knack for helping the girl come out of herself. They were invited to join them in the meal and they did so happily. They learned far more about the girl and her parents as Jeffrey talked freely about them. “We received some good news, Annie,” Jeffrey said as he paused a moment. He took her hands in his and there was joy in his eyes. “They found James!” he practically crowed. “Injured, but alive. He was on his way home to Munich as I was leaving.” “Alive?” Annie threw her arms around him and cried for joy. “When can I see him, Jeffrey? How injured is he?” “He needed surgery on his face,” Jeffrey told her bluntly. They never lied to each other. “He won’t look exactly like himself when he has healed. The bastards who held him did a lot of damage trying to make him break.” “I do not care about his face,” Annie replied. Her eyes were shining with joy. “Oh Jeffrey! I have my heart back!” She laid her hand on her abdomen. “Our child will have his father back!” Annie fell asleep with a smile on her face, holding the bear to her breast. Jeffrey went to take his things to the apartment, promising Annie he would be back after he settled in. He was glad he could take at least one worry from her mind. He watched her as she slept and smiled. She was so beautiful, and so full of emotion. He knew the FBI had placed a man on her so getting close to her was going to be a problem if he had to speak to her. He heard his phone ring and he put down his binoculars and pulled out his phone. He remained sitting cross-legged on the hood of his convertible as he answered. “Are you certain that is wise?” he asked the man on the other end. “She is not without guards now.” He listened and nodded. “It’s your call. You are paying the bills.” He hung up and smiled at the order. “Soon, Anneke. You will be going to your new life.” 3 Annie sat in the front pew three days later and listened as the pastor read the eulogy she had written for her grandfather with only half an ear. The Ryan family sat with her and Jeffrey was at her side, his arm around her shoulders, and lending his support. It was all so unreal to her. She still could not fully believe that her Grandfather was gone. Not so soon after her parents had been taken from her. But her husband was home! In a few months, she would be going to him. “That’s life, Streudel,” Jeffrey had told her just that morning. “It is not fair, it just is.” The service was over and Annie was touched when six men from her father’s platoon acted as coffin bearers. They wore their dress uniforms as Jeffrey did and it was like nothing had changed. She fully expected James and her parents to be there for a moment. But they were never going to be with her and she was in tears again. Jeffrey supported her as they followed the coffin out. Annie was completely overwhelmed by the number of people who had come to say goodbye to her grandfather. “He was a good man,” Molly Taylor said as she hugged Annie at the graveside afterwards. Annie had been surprised to learn that Clark’s aunt was the wife of the FBI agent she had met, but she had fallen in love with this woman almost immediately. “We are all going to miss him.” “Thank you, Mrs. Taylor,” Annie said softly, her voice tinged with grief. “It’s been a lot easier to deal with losing him knowing so many people cared about him as much as I did.” The afternoon began to wear on her as the mourners moved to the Country Club for the reception courtesy of her uncle. She listened to all their memories of her grandfather and it eased some of her grief. But nothing would bring him back and she finally had to leave. “Mrs. Owens,” Doctor Guthrie called to her as she and Jeffrey headed towards the exit. Annie turned and tried to be pleasant but she was so tired and her head was throbbing after trying so hard not to break down. “You’re overwhelmed by all of this,” he noted immediately. “I’ll let you go home and call in the morning.” “Thank you, Doctor Guthrie,” Annie smiled at him briefly. “You’re very considerate.” “I liked your grandfather, Mrs. Owens,” Guthrie replied. “I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t.” He held his hand out to her and she placed hers in it. “If you need anything at all, give me a call.” They got to the apartment and Jeffrey got out her medication and made her take a sedative. Then he made certain she laid down and contented himself with reading while she rested. He was the one who answered the phones for her as more of Barney’s friends checked in. When she woke up again, he had dinner waiting for her. “You’re spoiling me, Jeffrey,” Annie smiled at her second closest friend. “You’re my best sister, Streudel,” Jeffrey said as he ruffled her hair. He kissed her on the forehead and then put his arms around her for a moment. “I promised James I would look after you. Feeling better after your nap?” “Yes,” Annie nodded. “It was all just too much to take in at one time.” She looked over at the picture of Barney and her parents. She had taken that picture when he had come for her wedding. “A lot of people really cared about him, Jeffrey.” She took bites of her spaghetti as she talked and smiled. “You remembered!” “Sweet not spicy?” Jeffrey nodded. “Just like you, Streudel.” She blushed and he smiled at her. “Have you given any thought to what you’re going to do once everything quiets down?” “Go to James, of course,” Annie told him firmly. “Grandfather was retiring in two weeks, Jeffrey. He was going to go back to Germany with me.” She trailed off then and the tears were back. “I’ve never been alone like this, Jeffrey. I don’t know if I can do this on my own.” “Of course you can, Streudel,” Jeffrey said as he laid his hand on hers. “You are not a weak person, you are just reeling right now. You’ll learn to cope with this loss and then you’ll be back on your feet again.” His hand moved up to her cheek. “James should be here with you, not me.” “He would be happy to know you’re here, Jeffrey,” Annie smiled at him. “I need time to get my bearings, that’s all.” She felt much better as he told her he understood and agreed with her. “So are you going back to Germany?” “No,” Jeffrey shook his head. “I’ve been transferred to the Pentagon.” “That’s what you’ve always wanted,” Annie smiled at him. “Let me know where you end up living and James and I will come visit you.” “You’d better,” Jeffrey said to her fiercely. “We have a lot to talk about.” He put his arms around her and gave her a quick hug. It was not awkward. They had grown up together. He’d been seven, and James had been ten, when her family had arrived in Germany. From the very first, James and he had considered themselves her protectors and nothing had changed since then. He couldn’t have been happier when his brother and Annie had fallen for each other. She was his sister for real now. “We’ll play tourist until I leave and explore this little burg, okay?” “Sounds good,” Annie nodded. “I haven’t really seen much of the area myself with everything that’s been going on.” “What has been going on, Anneke?” Jeffrey asked her bluntly. “Did you see who hurt him?” “No,” Annie assured him. “Grandfather was at work at the Clinic. Captain Ryan and I went over to see him at dinner time and I found him.”