Read Online The Pregnancy Plot (Brothers In Arms: Retribution Book 2) by Carol Ericson - Free Book Online Page B

and hugged herself.
    “Miss?”
    She glanced over her shoulder at the anxious face of a grandmotherly type. “Yes?”
    “You can move ahead now.”
    She rolled her cart into the gap between her and the next cart with her heart thumping in her chest. First Lou and now Simon. Who
wouldn’t
show up here in Washington?
    She shook her head. There were tall men in the world with red hair, even here in Washington.
    She transferred several items from her cart to the conveyor belt and left the big stuff in the basket. Once she’d checked out, she rushed to the exit and scanned the crowds of people eating in the outdoor food court area. No redheads.
    She blew out a breath and shoved her cart in front of her. She’d been like this in LA, too—seeing red-haired men all over the place.
    She ordered a taxi van to the dock and waited for it at the edge of the parking lot. When the yellow van arrived, the driver helped her load her supplies in the back.
    “Which island are you from?”
    “Break.”
    “Haven’t been out to that one so much.”
    “It’s quiet.”
    “Aren’t they all?”
    “Some more than others.”
    He hit the main drag, lined with T-shirt and trinket shops, and traffic slowed to a crawl. “Everyone over from the islands trying to stock up before the big storm hits.”
    “Uh-huh.” Nina pressed her nose against the window, her gaze tracking back and forth along the sidewalks.
    “Looking for someone?”
    She peeled herself off the glass and slumped back in her seat. “No.”
    The driver rolled up behind a line of taxis in front of the harbor. “You need a pallet cart for this stuff?”
    “Yeah, I do.” She slid open the door. “Wait here and I’ll grab one.”
    She weaved through knots of people on the wharf to claim a cart. As she dug into her pocket for the five-dollar bill that would rent the cart, someone grabbed her arm.
    She spun around, her jaw clenched and her hands balled up into fists.
    “Whoa!” Jase held out his hands. “I wasn’t going to steal your cart.”
    “Jase.” She swallowed. “You scared me.”
    “Obviously.” He studied her face with his eyebrows meeting over his nose.
    “What are you doing here?”
    “I borrowed the Kleinschmidts’ boat.”
    “Again? They’re going to have you arrested.”
    “I asked them this time, and they said we could use it until yours is repaired. I figured I’d save you the hassle of lugging this stuff on a cart onto the ferry and then loading up the truck on the other side. The boat will take you practically to your doorstep.”
    “Great, thanks.” She stuffed a still-trembling hand into her pocket. “The stuff’s in the taxi.”
    “We’ll get the cart anyway to transport it from the taxi to the boat, since I can’t get the boat any closer to the ferry terminal.”
    She let him deal with the cart and led the way to the waiting taxi.
    Jase and the driver loaded up the supplies, and after paying the driver, she helped Jase steer the cart toward the slip where he’d docked the Kleinschmidts’ boat.
    As she lifted a bag of fertilizer, Jase stopped her. “I’ll get that.”
    “What
won’t
you get?” He’d grabbed every item heavier than a feather out of her arms.
    “Nothing.” He flicked his fingers at her. “Go get the boat ready for departure and make sure this stuff is secure enough on the deck.”
    She saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
    While she was mumbling about bossy men, she lifted her head to brush the hair from her face and saw the weak sun glinting off a redhead in line for the ferry.
    A surge of anger thumped through her veins, and she jumped from the boat.
    “Nina?” Jase called after her, but her single-mindedness drove her feet in the direction of the ferry.
    Reaching the end of the line for the boat, she began pushing her way through, ignoring the comments and protests.
    “Hey! Hey, you! Simon!”
    As she reached the redhead and grabbed handfuls of his jacket, he jerked around.
    Nina met a pair of