A Marine's Second Chance: A Marine for You/SEALed for You Crossover Novella (2 page)

S
earching
design ideas online for the nursery had sucked Wyoming’s time until she realized how late it had gotten. She dashed around the house, trying to get ready for her lunch date with Alessa when the doorbell rang. Figuring it was a package, she ignored it and leaned closer to the mirror as she added her mascara, only to have the annoying bell ring again.

“Damn it.” She shoved the mascara brush back into the tube and headed for the door. She had to leave in ten minutes and she hadn’t even blow-dried her hair yet. “This better be good,” she mumbled to herself as she tugged open the door.

“Thank heavens you’re here.” Dakota brushed past her and dropped a duffle bag onto the floor next to the coffee table. “I can’t take them a minute longer. All they do it fight and nothing I do is ever good enough.”

“Well, hello to you too.” She shut the front door and eyed her sister. “You’re eighteen, so move out.”

“I did…I mean, I am. I just need a place to stay for a couple of days.” Dakota dropped onto the sofa and let out a heavy sigh. “Please, Wyoming, I can’t go back there.”

Knowing the kind of hell it was living with their parents, she nodded. “Fine, but I’m inviting them over for dinner on Saturday. Mom, Dad, and Mr. and Mrs. Dorset. If you’re staying here, you’ll have to help keep everyone from fighting during dinner. Afterward, I’ll kick them all out and they can fight on the front lawn if they have to.”

“After the last family dinner, you’re going to do it again? Without Jeffrey here? Are you insane?” Without looking away, she tugged her hair back into a messy ponytail. “That’s a worse deal than sleeping in my car.”

“I’m doing it because…never mind. Forget it.” She tugged her cellphone out of the back pocket of her jeans and pulled up the earlier string of text messages from Alessa.
Change of plans. Could you come here instead? Dakota’s here, been fighting with our parents. I’ll prepare something.

“Tell me.” Dakota’s voice was too close to a whine for Wyoming to handle at the moment, making her cringe.

Before she could deal with her sister, Alessa replied.
I’ll pick up food and be there.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Damn it, D.” She shoved her phone back into the pocket of her jeans and glanced at her sister. “Don’t think you can come into my house and start acting like a brat. I know it’s hell living with Mom and Dad, but I don’t need you being whinny.”

“You’re never like this. What’s wrong? Is it because of Jeffrey again? Maybe it’s time for you to leave him.”

“Leave him out of this.” Wyoming had enough of everyone thinking they knew what was good for her. Ever since she told her mother about Jeffrey’s deployment, she’d heard nothing except rude comments.
If you want a man who’s going to stick around, you need to start dating.
Dating? Was her mother serious? She was married and even through all of their problems, she took her marriage vows seriously. Her mother might not, but she sure as hell did.

“What has you so moody?”

Letting her sister’s words sink in, she came around to sit in Jeffrey’s chair. “I’m pregnant.”

“What?” Dakota’s mouth dropped open.

“Not the reaction I was hoping for.” But what could she honestly expect? If there was one person she confided in besides Alessa, it was Dakota. There was a six-year age gap between the two of them, but they had always been best friends. If there was any distance between them now, it was only due to the fact she didn’t understand the relationship she had with Jeffrey. When it came to her relationship, it was easier to talk to Alessa, and she seemed to understand the situation, allowing them to bond on another level as military spouses.

“Are you happy about it?”

D’s question cut through her thoughts and sent anger rushing through her. Even if things didn’t work out between her and Jeffrey, this pregnancy was a wonderful thing. “Wow. D, if you want a place to stay until you figure things out, I suggest we close this topic because I can’t handle another comment like that and still be able to bite my tongue.”

“Hey, sis, I’m sorry. It’s just…” As if she thought better of it, her words trailed off before she leaned back against the sofa and smiled. “I’m going to be an aunt.”

“Aunt Dakota, now that’s a scary thought.” She relaxed in the recliner. “I know things with me and Jeffrey have been iffy at times, but things are going to change.”
I hope so, at least.

“You’ve told me that before.”

Maybe so, but she had hope she didn’t have before. The sparkle in Jeffrey’s eyes when they spoke of their child was something that had been missing from him for a while. She only hoped that it would still be there when he returned from his deployment. Even though it was too early for her to be showing yet, she placed her hand on her stomach.
Your daddy fights for his country and has witnessed too much. Now we’ve got to show him there’s more to life. We’ve got to fight for him. We can do that, right, baby girl?

Girl? When had she decided it was going to be a girl? Or was that Jeffrey’s earlier comment influencing her? She always thought he’d want a son first, and then maybe if they were lucky, a daughter. A son to teach how to throw a football, hit a baseball, and all of those other father-son moments. Yet, he seemed excited about the possibility of having a daughter.

When the doorbell rang again, Wyoming hopped off the chair and opened it, expecting it to be Alessa. Instead a delivery man stood on her porch, holding a package. “Mrs. Dorset?”

“Yes.” Her eyebrow rose in question. Who was sending her something?

“Please sign here.” He held out a clipboard and pen. After she signed her name, he handed her the box, bent down to retrieve another package in a decorative bag that she hadn’t noticed, and held it out to her as well. “Have a great day.”

“Umm…you too. Thanks.” She stood there for a moment, holding the items and examining the labels.

“What’s all that?” D rose off the sofa and came to stand next to Wyoming.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Wyoming noticed a small envelope on top of the box and slipped her finger under it to pull out a small card.
I already miss you. Jeffrey.
Tears sprang from her eyes and rolled freely down her cheeks.

“See, things are going to be different.” She stepped back into the house, kicked the door shut, and went back to the recliner to open the packages. When she opened the small white box first, another notecard with Jeffrey’s handwriting on it tumbled out.
Wear these and think of me.
Three tiny hearts were sketched below his words. Lifting the card, she found a pair of earrings, with three dangling hearts, connected in a row.
Our hearts. His, mine, and our child’s.
Maybe it wasn’t his thought when he’d purchased them, but it was hers now.

“For our daughter? You know it’s going to be a girl?” D held the card that must have been attached to the second package and stared at Wyoming.

“Not yet, but he believes it’s going to be a girl.” Before her sister could question it further, she added, “Don’t ask. It’s an old family story.” She set the box aside and leaned forward toward the decorative bag.

“Whatever it is, it’s bigger than the baby will be.”

With a light chuckle, she noticed D was right and untied the ribbon holding the bag closed. The plastic slipped down, revealing a large, stuffed elephant. The stuffed animal had to be almost twenty inches tall and fifteen wide, but the soft velvety gray material was adorable. She ran her hands over the elephant, caressing the long trunk and big ears. The soft pink bow around its neck matched the pink on the bottoms of the elephant’s feet.

“You’d better have a girl now.”

Wyoming didn’t bother replying to D’s comment. Instead, she leaned back in the recliner and cuddled the elephant to her chest.
He’s thinking of us.
The very idea brought tears to her eyes again and hope rushed through her. Things were going to be different.

T
wo days
after the packages arrived, Wyoming sat at the kitchen table trying to work, but her thoughts kept returning to the family dinner planned for that evening. Telling their parents would have been less stressful with Jeffrey by her side, but she couldn’t wait for him. This had to be done, and damned if she would let them spoil her mood. Dakota’s reaction gave her an insight as to how their parents might react. At least Alessa had been happy for her. There was someone in her life who was excited and supportive. Even D had come around, but Wyoming didn’t have hope that her mother would be supportive.

The computer in front of her buzzed, alerting her to an email, and the dread bubble around her popped as she clicked the alert to find the message was from Jeffrey. It was unbelievable that it had only been two days since she last saw him. This deployment seemed to be going slower than previous ones, and there was still too long until he’d be back home. She wanted him back home now. When he left, she wasn’t sure that they would be able to make it work, but she was willing to give it a chance. Now she had a new hope that things would work out. Their son or daughter gave her hope that she might not have had otherwise. Putting the thoughts of their remaining time apart behind her, she clicked to open the email.

Stop worrying, baby. Tonight will go fine. Our parents…what can I say, other than they are who they are. Don’t let them spoil our happiness. Bringing a child into this world is an amazing thing. Even though it’s still hard to believe that we’re going to be parents, I have no doubt we’re going to be better ones than ours.

Ellie the elephant, as you’ve already named our daughter’s stuffed animal, isn’t too big. It’s the perfect size for our little girl to grow into. It’s also the first item for the nursery. Speaking of the nursery, when you’re ready, Diamond and some of the guys will come over and move the furniture out. I’ll be home before the crib is needed, so just leave it. I don’t want you doing too much.

I’ve got to go. Are you wearing the earrings? Love you.

She was touched by his words.
Our happiness.
His happiness made her optimistic, though his reaction was unexpected. She hadn’t anticipated his excitement over the pregnancy, even bracing herself for him to be upset about it.

She ran her finger lightly over the earrings that dangled from her ears, while using her free hand to hit reply. Since the arrival of the packages, she’d been wearing the earrings—except in bed. Crazy as it sounded, it made her feel closer to him. They were a small gift before he shipped out, but the meaning behind them touched her deeply.

Wearing them and missing you. D is here with me, so she’ll help keep my parents in line. Your parents…well, let’s just hope for the best. I wish you were here to tell them with me. Hopefully they’ll be happy for us and accept they’ll be grandparents in a few months.

I’m not worried about the nursery, but thanks for asking Diamond. Is it too early to start shopping for baby clothes at Heart of Diamond? Just kidding. You might believe we’re having a girl, but I’d rather the doctor to confirm that before I go crazy on the nursery. I know you’re never wrong, but let’s just wait, shall we?

She smirked to herself. She could picture him standing before her, the cocky grin on his face. Rarely was he wrong, but it happened to even the best of them. Jeffrey didn’t say something unless he was positive of the answer and he had no problem admitting it if he didn’t know for certain. She rubbed her hand over her stomach. “You’ll be a little girl just to get on your daddy’s good side and prove once again he’s always right. Won’t you?”

D had another blowout with my parents, so she’s staying here for a few days. It’s been nice to have her around. I’ve been thinking about the basement apartment again. It’s been empty since we bought the place. I know you don’t want someone you don’t know living there while you’re deployed, but a fresh coat of paint and a little elbow grease is all it needs. Give it some thought when you have time. The extra income could be nice once the baby is here. There’s so much that needs to be done before our…damn you, you almost had me saying ‘our daughter’s arrival.’

Needing to get back to work, she wrapped up the email, but before she hit send she grabbed her cell phone, snapped a picture so he could see she was wearing the earrings and attached it. As the email sent, she thought back to the last deployment. Even though it was over a year ago, she could still remember the email that marked the difference in him. She brushed it off, thinking it was the events weighing on him, and the unknown status of PFC Kyle Phillips. Only, it never got better, the distance between them growing.

Needing a boost, she shot Alessa a text, inquiring about what happened to Kyle. She didn’t know the young Marine very well, but what happened to him could have happened to any of them. If Kyle hadn’t been assigned to Diamond’s squad, would Jeffrey have been in the Humvee that exploded when it ran over an IED? Would it have been her husband who came home injured? Or worse yet, would he have taken Weber’s place? She’d rather have him back injured, than have to bury him like Cassy had to bury her husband.

Thinking about all of the horrible things that could happen to Jeffrey while he was overseas wouldn’t make this deployment easier.
This isn’t his first deployment. He’ll be home safely soon.
Even as she reminded herself of this, she couldn’t shake the dread settling over her. The knowledge that something could happen to him or any one of the Marines was a weight they all carried with them. They just tried not to acknowledge it. As if not thinking about it could prevent it from happening. That the men in uniform would never show up at her door to deliver the worst news of her life.

“You seem lost in thought.” D sank into the chair across from her. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She forced herself to give her sister a smile, even if it was the last thing she felt like doing. “You heading out? Don’t forget that Mom and Dad will be here at six.”

“I was going to go for a run, but if you’re not working why don’t we take a drive? In the paper this morning there was an advertisement for an apartment. It’s only a couple miles away, and I thought I’d swing by and check it out.”

“Sure.” Wyoming clicked save on the document that was up and closed her laptop. “Work can wait. After all, what’s the point of working from home and making your own hours if you can’t take a little time off to spend with your sister? Let me grab my purse and I’m ready.” She rose from the kitchen table and strolled back to her bedroom where her bag was, without saying a word about the basement apartment. If Jeffrey got her hints from the email, maybe D could move in downstairs. It was cute and cozy, and it would give D the opportunity to get away from their parents and out on her own without the struggles that Wyoming had before she met Jeffrey.

A few moments later, she returned, her purse slung over her shoulder. “How about we grab lunch while we’re out? My treat.”

“Marqui’s Barbeque?” D shot off the chair and grabbed her bag. “Let’s eat first. Barbeque and pickles.”

“Makes me wonder who’s pregnant.” She teased and pulled open the door just as her mother, Dorothy, stormed up on the porch. “You’re early. Everything okay?”

“Don’t give me that shit!” Her mother stalked toward her, her eyes wide and her fists clenched, forcing her way inside. “How dare you embarrass me this way?”

“Mom? What happened?” D came up next to Wyoming as she shut the door.

“Stay out of this,” Dorothy snapped without even looking at D, instead focusing on Wyoming. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you’re pregnant? Instead I had to learn it from that blabbermouth Mary Tibbs. Do you know how embarrassed I was when she told me? What kind of daughter doesn’t even tell her mother that she’s pregnant? And what were you thinking?”

“That’s why I invited you and Dad to dinner tonight. I wanted to tell everyone at the same time. Mr. and Mrs. Dorset will be here, too.” She didn’t know how Mrs. Tibbs found out, but at the moment it didn’t matter as much as calming her mother down.

“What were you thinking, getting pregnant when you can’t even get your husband to pay attention to you? I’ve seen the look in his eyes. He’s not right in the head. He needs help. Whatever happened to him, he’s not the same man as before. Why would you even consider bringing a child into
this
home?”

This home?
How dare she spit out those two words as if there was something wrong with them? Her mother didn’t know half the situation between her and Jeffrey. Whenever they had a family get-together, they put on an act, as thought everything was perfect between them. She might have told D about some of the strain between them, but never her mother. She wouldn’t have understood and the last thing Wyoming wanted was the condescending remarks that her mother was famous for.

“Mom, you never approved of Jeffrey. You thought he wasn’t good enough for your family and it never mattered that I love him.”

“You’re damn right I never liked him. What kind of husband can he be when he’s gone as much as he is? Even when he’s here physically, he’s not here mentally. Not anymore. You need a husband like I found with your father. Not”

“What’s that, Mom? Someone you can push around? Someone who has a temper as much as you do?” She shook her head. “No, Mom. I don’t want a house filled with fighting like it was when I was a kid. I want a happy home, one filled with love. I don’t want my children to live in fear of saying the wrong thing that might bring on another fight. Don’t you realize that’s why I moved out on my eighteenth birthday? That’s why D left, too. Neither of us could stand living like that.”

“Is that how you feel?” Dorothy glanced over at D. “You too?”

“Mom, it’s not healthy,” D said, but Dorothy shook her head, cutting her off before she could continue.

“Very well. Your father and I are leaving on Monday to see his sister. I want your stuff out of our house before we return on Thursday.” Dorothy turned and grabbed the door handle before glancing back at them again. “If that’s how you both feel about your parents, I suggest we go our separate ways. You both obviously have your lives completely mapped out, and you don’t need us.”

“Mom” Wyoming hollered, but her mother had already left, slamming the door behind her. How could she just cut off her children like that? The very idea was unbelievable for her, especially now that she was pregnant. The very idea of distancing herself from her child broke her heart. Wyoming and D had always had their differences with their parents, but the idea of going their separate ways was like a knife in her back. They would be grandparents in a few months and they wanted nothing to do with her, D, or their future grandchild. Even as she tried to hold back, she couldn’t stop the tears from welling in her eyes. There was no blinking them away this time.