Chapter 7

Best Laid Plans

It was almost 8 p.m. before they finally reached the Club Quarter and checked into a room with a crib and a kitchenette. It was a very nice place with the amenities of a business suite. Once again, they unloaded the car, took care of Willa, and ordered a pizza. After a bath, Winona nursed her and got her to go to sleep for the night quite easily.

After a late dinner and with Willa down, Raylan walked up behind Winona and wrapped his long arms around her.

"I've been waitin' to do this for days," he whispered into her hair, pressing himself against her.

He reached up to cup her breasts, gently squeezing. Winona closed her eyes, leaned back into him, and succumbed to his lead. Kissing her neck, he reached up under her top and freed her breasts from her bra, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples, as he began to slowly grind her from behind.

She softly moaned as he breathed heavily into her ear. He pulled her top up until she raised her arms over her head so that he could pull it off, her bra soon joining it on the floor. Raylan sensually kissed her bare shoulders, while he reached around and unbuttoned her jeans. He opened her zipper and she wiggled, allowing him to slide both the jeans and her panties down over her hips.

Raylan turned and cleared the kitchen table with one swipe of his arm. The empty pizza box went flying. He bent Winona over the kitchen table, her warm skin cooling against the wood. She looked vulnerable, exposed. He kissed his way down her body, teasing her with his skilled tongue. He took his time, slowly torturing her.

"Raylan, please," she moaned, begging him to take her.

He raced to free himself from his jeans. Retrieving a condom, he wrapped himself with the latex and slowly entered her from behind.

Winona let out a low moan and pushed back to meet him, making him want more of her with every stroke. At one point, he leaned over, until he was on top of her back and took her hair in one hand. Carnal desire took over as he rode her, pounded her. She bucked against him, intensifying their pleasure, until she shuddered and cried out.

It took everything Raylan had not to follow in her release. Instead, he waited for her waves to subside before he began all over again, only this time, he did follow her over the edge, grabbing her hips, holding on tight. He slumped over her on the table, spent and breathing hard as their bodies quaked together.

"Damn," he swore.

Equally breathless, she concurred, "Damn is right."

Once he was steady enough to climb off of her, he looked down. "Shit!"

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"The condom. It broke," he reported. "I'm sorry. I guess I got too carried away."

Still shaky, he helped her stand up from the table.

"Well, you have been promising me a night of wild abandonment," she teased. She looked into his eyes. "That was incredible."

His eyes glistened gazing into hers. His feeling of satisfaction was turning to worry

"I think we're okay," she said reassuringly. "I'm still nursing."

"Yeah?" His look changed to hopeful.

"Yeah." She came closer and kissed him softly. "Let's go to bed." After a beat, she added, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he echoed.

They held one another for a while, until she slowly aroused him into another round of love making, more the old-fashioned way.

-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-

"Hey." Adam rolled over, nudging her. "That's your phone."

Anna reached over him to the nightstand, grabbing the phone and pressing the button to take the call. "Hello?" she said, her voice rough with sleep.

"Agent Rulé? This is Assistant Director Goodall. I need you to come in this morning. I have a few questions about Kendrick that aren't covered in your research or what we worked on yesterday."

Shit, Anna thought. There went brunch with her possible brother and his family. She yawned and looked at the clock. It was after midnight by the time she got home, and it was only six-thirty now. Did this woman ever sleep?

"Are you there, Agent?"

"Yes." Another yawn.

"I'm sorry," Goodall said. "Did I wake you?"

"Yes," Anna said, deciding to be honest. "Can you give me an hour or so to get there?"

"You've got thirty minutes." She heard the click as Goodall disconnected.

"Bitch," Anna muttered, throwing off the covers. She nudged Adam until one eye opened, and he looked at her. "I gotta go in."

"Brunch?" he managed.

She stood, grabbing a band from the dresser and pulling her hair off her face, but leaving it down. "Can you meet them? Maybe give them a quick tour around town? Invite them to dinner back here," she suggested, pulling on a pair of khakis and a white t-shirt. "Text me your list, and I'll do the shopping on my way home." She topped her Saturday casual with a red denim jacket and slid her feet into matching sandals. "Adam?"

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, meet them, take 'em around, invite them to dinner." He repeated her litany.

She started brushing her teeth and talked around it. "And text me your list."

"Got it. How's about I go regional with dinner. Crab cakes? With Remoulade and sweet corn risotto?"

"Ummmm," she said, her stomach rumbling. She spit into the sink. "That sounds wonderful. So. I should get a white wine, right?"

He thought for a moment. "Pick up a Sauvignon Blanc. And a bottle of Woodford Reserve, we don't have any bourbon, and that's the best, in my opinion." He yawned. "I have a great recipe for a caramel cake that will taste great with bourbon. It even has bourbon in the icing."

"You're going to be a busy boy." She bent to give him a kiss.

"Brunch at 11 . . . a quick tour . . . drop them off by 3 or so . . . home to cook. I'll get the stuff for the cake and do that first."

"If I'm not home by three, I'll shoot myself. Or her."

Adam laughed. "Don't do that. The F.B.I. wouldn't be pleased."

"Oh," she said, suddenly reminded. "Please don't tell Raylan or Winona that I work for the F.B.I."

"Why not?" He shrugged. "He's a cop, too."

"Maybe. But without a DNA test, at this point, we don't know if Marshal Raylan is really my half-brother or not," she said over her shoulder as she walked down the hall.

"Skeptic. You're channeling your inner Scully," he teased, referring to her favorite FBI Agent from The X Files.

"Yeah. So?"

He followed in his boxers and nothing else. "Okay," he said, slipping up behind her, as she studied the contents of the fridge. "But what if he asks?"

"Use the usual cover," she said, grabbing a carton of yogurt. "Tell him I work in real estate, but only if he asks."

-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-

"Anna texted while you were in the shower," Raylan said, frowning. "She got called into work. Adam is still going to meet us at someplace called Belga Café at 11. She said to take a cab and bring a stroller. Adam's going to give us a quick walking tour after."

Winona could see his disappointment at the meeting being postponed once again.

"Do ya' think she's havin' second thoughts?" He gave voice to his concerns.

"No," she assured him. "You of all people ought to understand that sometimes work interferes with life. Maybe being a workaholic runs in the family."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm on vacation now, ain't I?"

"Yes, you are." She kissed him. "But you had to be tricked into it."

"Uh-uh-uh," Willa grunted from the floor where she was having some Tummy Time on her play mat. They both glanced down to see that she had one leg underneath her and was working on the other one. She pushed up with her arms, pulled her leg forward, and for one split second was on all fours, then she collapsed. Her grunts turned to screams of frustration, and Raylan stooped to scoop her up.

"You'll get there pretty soon, Miss Willa," he said. "You'll be crawlin' all over before you know it."

"Come're Punkin'," Winona said, holding out her arms for the baby. "Let's get you changed and dressed while Daddy takes his shower.

"Uh, we gotta problem," Raylan informed his lady love. "We're goin' on a walkin' tour, and we've got no stroller or front carrier."

"Yeah, they're at Mama's," Winona thought out loud. "I'll call the Concierge while you're in the shower and see if we can borrow or rent something."

"Let's hope so," Raylan said. "Or it's gonna be a short tour."

Raylan showered and dressed in jeans and a Henley. "They had one?" Raylan commented upon seeing a collapsible stroller in the corner of the room.

"Yeah, a bellman brought it up, right away," Winona smiled. "It's on loan for the length of our stay."

"The price is right." He grabbed the stroller, the diaper bag, and the monkey . . . and turned to Winona. "You ready?"

She nodded, shifting Willa to her hip. "Let's go meet this Adam."

-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-

Outside the hotel, Raylan tipped the bellman for bringing up the stroller and hailing them a cab for the 6 minute ride. After arriving at the trendy establishment, Raylan peeled of another fifteen bucks for the cabbie and grabbed the stroller out of the trunk. Thinking he would have to pay for another cab to get back to the hotel, or anywhere else they went, he was already not liking this trip to the nation's capital.

"Winona? Raylan?" Adam assumed this little family with the stroller was the right one.

"Adam," Raylan acknowledged the younger man, dressed like a hipster, by extended his hand for a shake. "This is Winona and Willa."

"Nice to meet you," Adam smiled. "Would you like to come inside?"

They followed Adam inside the packed restaurant. Raylan maneuvered the collapsed stroller through a sea of loud people and tables as Adam led them to a small table for four. They took a seat and waited for a waiter to bring them a high chair for Willa. It was big for her, and Winona rolled up a blanket from the diaper bag to help support her back. It would do. Raylan tucked the stroller into the corner and pulled the monkey out of the diaper bag and handed it to Willa, much to her delight.

"What kind of restaurant is this?" asked Winona, smiling and fascinated by the décor.

"Belgian," Adam spoke over the background noise. "The café's a hot ticket in D.C. You can only get in with reservations, but I know the owner." After an awkward silence, he went on. "I planned on making a brunch for you today. Then, Anna got called in. So, if it's okay with you, I'll be making dinner for us tonight instead."

"Why thank you," Winona gushed. "That would be so nice."

"I imagine that you might like a home cooked meal after being on the road," Adam tried to make conversation.

"Our room in Atlanta had a kitchen. Winona cooked for us our last night there," Raylan said.

"You like to cook?" Adam turned his attention back to her.

Winona nodded. "It's hard with a little one, but yes, I like it. But I'm no gourmet."

Raylan snorted. "Good, simple food. What's wrong with that?"

The waiter arrived with water for all and menus, as well a basket of freshly baked mini baguettes and jams. Winona ordered a Mimosa, Adam a Bloody Mary, and Raylan, coffee. The waiter asked Raylan if he would like an Espresso or a Cappuccino. Raylan answered that he wanted an American cup of coffee. Perusing the menu, Raylan searched for something familiar, like bacon and eggs, his eyes popping at the prices.

"What's good?" Winona asked Adam. "There are too many choices here."

"I've never had anything here that wasn't excellent," Adam reported. "What are you in the mood for?"

"I think I'd like an omelet," she answered. "This one with spinach, herb pesto, cheese, and bacon sounds really good."

"Anna got that the last time we were here and loved it. I, myself, am in the mood for the cornbread waffle with pulled pork, avocado, egg, and crème fraiche," Adam shared with a smile. "It's my personal favorite." Looking over at the very quiet Southern gentleman, he asked, "How about you, Raylan?"

"I'm lookin' to see how I can order bacon and scrambled eggs," Raylan answered. "And some food for the baby."

"Look," Winona showed him. "You can order them as sides. And I'll ask the waiter to help us come up with something for Willa."

"Oh, sure," Adam went on. "They can do anything you like here."

Again, looking at the prices, Raylan said under his breath, "I bet."

"You've got yourself a beautiful baby there," Adam commented. "How old is she?" He waved at the tiny girl, who gave him a big grin.

"Why thank you," Winona smiled. "She'll be 7 months next week, right Raylan?"

"Time flies," he said, sounding disinterested.

Adam looked over at Raylan. When he climbed out of the cab and walked into the café, Adam noticed a similarity between him and Anna in their build and the way they walk. There was also something in the bone structure of the face that looked familiar to him. "Anna was so bummed that that she had to reschedule last night and this morning. But she will see you soon. She's anxious to meet you all."

Raylan sighed. "It's a little awkward for all concerned. Might be good to get this initial meetin' into our past."

Winona leaned over to Adam and shared, "I don't know if you know this, but Anna's father first told Raylan that Anna had passed away. You know, to get Raylan to give up his search. Raylan's kinda been through the wringer of ups and downs on this."

"Oh, no," Adam said, grateful for Winona's attempt at insight into Raylan's biting behavior. "I didn't know that. But knowing the dynamics of Anna's family, especially with her dad, that doesn't surprise me that André would do that. I'm not one of his favorites, either."

The two continued to talk, sans Raylan, as if they were old friends. Willa babbled but couldn't be heard over the background noise.

"That's too bad," Winona offered her sympathies as their drinks were delivered to the table.

The waiter promised to be right back for their order.

"You see, I'm white. He wants a black man for his Anna," Adam explained. "I get that, but it is so old school. And ultimately, it's up to Anna. Right?"

"Right," Winona agreed.

Still playing host, Adam raised his Bloody Mary and offered, "Welcome to Washington, Raylan and Winona,"

"Thank you," Winona said and clinked her glass to his.

Feeling socially pressured to follow, Raylan said, "Cheers," as Adam clinked his cup.

"Have you ever been to D.C. before?" Adam was guessing he may have been presumptuous with Raylan.

"I haven't," Winona offered. "This is my first time."

"Raylan?" Adam asked, again.

"I was here, maybe ten years ago, on a fugitive transport," he recalled. "But I flew into Baltimore."

"You are staying near the White House, right?" Adam asked.

"Yes," Raylan nodded, not understanding or caring where this conversation was going.

"We're close to the Capital and the Supreme Court here," Adam explained. "I thought after our meal, we could go tooling around there and kill some time until Anna can join us. She'll get out early, if she can."

"Sounds good," Raylan said, ready to leave this loud, overpriced scene. The sooner the better.

Finally, the waiter arrived to take their orders. Raylan again unapologetically made it obvious he was a simple man of simple taste by ordering plain bacon and eggs from the side orders. Winona noted his behavior was more than the build up to meeting his sister. He was being a bit of an ass. The waiter suggested some yogurt and pureed fruit for Willa.

The food came quickly, considering the crowd in the restaurant. Even Raylan had to admit his eggs were very good and his side order of bacon was five large pieces cooked to perfection. Better yet, Adam's running commentary had stopped while they ate. Raylan studied him. Something about the guy grated on Raylan, and he wasn't sure what it was. Winona didn't share his distrust and continued making conversation.

"Did you grow up in D.C., Adam?" she asked between bites.

"Practically." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I grew up in Vienna, Virginia, about twenty miles from here. My sisters and I used to hop on the Metro and come into the city all the time."

Willa banged on the tray and Winona gave her a spoonful of fruit. "How many sisters do you have?"

"Four." He chuckled. "My dad travelled for work and I was the only son, so I learned a lot about women growing up in that house."

Winona's foot connected with Raylan's shin under the table, and he took it as a prompt to re-enter the conversation. He said the first thing that came to mind. "So, you're a musician?"

"I play guitar in a band," he said. "And I bartend. I want to get into the restaurant business and it's as good a place to start as any."

"Aren't you a little old to be startin'?"

Winona shot him a glare, but Adam laughed. "You sound just like my parents." He shook his head. "I tried the college-education route. Quit five credits shy of a degree in finance from George Mason."

"Why'd ya' quit?" The waiter approached to refill the coffee, but Raylan put his hand over the cup to stop him. He glanced up with a smile. "Just the check, thanks." He looked back to Adam.

The younger man shrugged. "I prefer the school of life."

Raylan's eye roll at that earned him another kick under the table from Winona. When the check arrived, Raylan grabbed it. "You're cookin' us dinner," he said to Adam. I'll pick up the tab for lunch."

Upon glancing at the check, Raylan almost ate his words when he saw a twenty-five percent gratuity automatically added to the already inflated total. It was all he could do to keep a poker face and save himself another kick to the shin from Winona.

(To be continued . . .)