Finally Home (Home Series) (53 page)

Love me true

All my dreams fulfilled

For my darlin', I love you

And I always will."

Lainey was finally dancing with her Commander.  He kissed her fingertips several times during their dance.  She knew for the rest of her life, she would never forget how he looked just then, those ice blue eyes no longer quite so icy.  Thoughts of him and how he'd looked that first night she saw him in his dress white uniform at the Founders Day Ball all those years ago flooded her.  All the fantasies she'd had o
f him over the years; none of them compared to being here in his arms.

Mike looked into the emerald depths of his Lainey's eyes
as they listened to Leila Lair sing the song that they'd come to identify as their own.  He thought of all the years he'd spent fighting, and the years since he'd left the Navy just drifting.  He hadn't known at the time what he was missing in his life, but now, with her in his arms, their babies growing inside her, he knew that his life was complete.  With her help, the demons that had threatened to eat him up inside no longer controlled him.  He hadn't had a single nightmare since the one he'd had foreshadowing the shooting.  Lainey's love for him had saved him in more ways than one.  Looking into her eyes, dancing with her now before their friends and family, Mike Casiano knew that for the first time in his adult life, he was finally home.

Epilogue

Ten Years Later...

"Daddy!" a little voice called, and
nine heads turned to see whose kid the voice belonged to.

"That would be yours, Malibu Ken," Colt chuckled, seeing Sydney Stanton running up the back steps of Mike and Lainey's house.

Riley stood and scooped little Sydney up before she slipped on the steps, tossing her high in the air and making her squeal in delight.

"What's the matter, Syd?"

"The big boys are being mean."

"No one likes a tattle-tale, Syd!" her big brother Jace called out.

"Boys, be nice!" Jenna called out.

"Of course we won't," Chris called back, making his dad chuckle.

"Oh, yeah, he's your son, all right," Tessa said.

"What are you implyi
ng?" Colt asked, faking innocence.

"Just what I...Gabriel Shane, don't even think about it!" she called, seeing Gabe
about to push Mike and Lainey's daughter into the pool.  Her name was Katherine, named after Lainey's best friend Kacee, but they called her CoCo because of her dark hair.  She was two years younger than her older twin brothers, Gage and Ridge.

Lainey stood off to the side, watching everyone. 
They all had come to their house for the 4th of July.  It was amazing to see how all these big, strong men had settled down and become family men.  She and Mike had their three.  Riley and Jenna had Cam, who was now twenty and the hottest thing going in the Motocross world; and then their two boys Jace and Ryan and little Sydney.  Colt and Sarah had Chris, and a daughter named Charlie (named after Sarah's mother, Charlotte), and another son named Chase.  Shane and Tessa had Gabriel and their daughter, Jessica.  Coop and Claire had AnnaKate and Olivia, and their son Jackson.  Whit and Melissa had Petey and a little girl named Zoe.  And Lainey's three cousins, Jack, Trevor and Aaron all had little ones of their own now, too. 

She watched Colt get up and run after the boys who were out of the water.  He was doing remarkably well for someone who had a bullet lodged in his brain still, ten years later.  The main noticeable trace left from the bullet was a white streak in his hair where the bullet entered...a streak he wore with pride and refused to color.  She didn't blame him.  It was a good reminder of what had happened that day.  Charles Conroy had eventually died of his injuries; they never did figure out how he got around Colt's security system to enter the building.  Melissa had run through all sorts of
checks and came up empty.  When Colt recovered and was back to full capacity, he ran over all the checks as well and never found how the system had been bypassed.  Charles had never regained consciousness so they'd never had the chance to ask.

Mike came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

"How much we've all changed over the years.  Look at Colt.  You'd never guess he had a bullet in his brain right now.  He barely limps at all any more."

"Only when he's really tired.  I never would have guessed we'd all end up like this.  All those years we were hunkered down in the desert...none of us ever talked about having families.  We talked about women...but never families."

"And now look at you."

"Now look at us.  Changed diapers.  Cleaned up puke.  Pulled teeth.  Played tea party.  You name it.  We've all done it."

"You're all really good daddies."

"Except for Aaron," Trevor said, as he walked by, "he won't even change a dirty diaper."

"Oh, yeah, whatever, Trev," Aaron said, flipping his brother off.

"Geez, Baby Boy, chill with that," Jack scolded him, "you're going to have half the kids here flipping everyone off."

Aubrey shook her finger at Aaron.  "You're already in my doghouse, Aaron Stanton."

"Why?  What'd I do?"

"My two-year old is going around calling everyone a not-so-nice name that Uncle Aaron says all the time.  That is not cool."

Aaron busted out laughing.  "Then tell his dad to quit acting like one!"

"Oh, my gosh!  When are you going to grow up?" Aubrey shouted, making Aaron laugh even harder.

"Try, never!"

The back door opened and everyone turned to see who was there.

"Where my ladies at?"

"CAM!!!!!!!" several young voices cried, all the kids running up to embrace him.

"There's the Rock Star," Riley said, smiling up at his stepson.

After Cam disentangled himself from all the kids, he embraced his mother, kissing her cheek, then shook Riley's hand and emb
raced him as well. He'd been traveling on the circuit lately and hadn't been home in months.

"I thought you had an event today," Jenna said when Cam sat on the porch rail.

"I did, got first place again."

"Of course, you did," Trevor said, embracing him.  "How ya been kid?"

"Good."

"Cameron," Jenna said, turning his attention. "What's wrong?"

Cam smiled, dimples flashing.  "Nothing's wrong.  I missed everyone, I wanted to come say hi."

Jenna folded her arms over her chest, making Riley chuckle.

"You're getting 'The Look', Cam, I don't think she's buying it."

"Can't a guy miss his family?"

Jenna pulled him to her once more, kissing his cheek.

"Yes, he can.  He can also admit to his mother that something's wrong and let her help.  What is it?"

He sighed, shaking his head and glancing over at Riley.

"Can't get anything past her, can I?"

"Not really," Riley said, "so you may as well spill."

Jack shook his head, "He doesn't have to.  I can read him like a book.  It's a girl, isn't it?"

Cam winced, letting every single one of them know Jack had nailed it. 

"Is he right?" Jenna asked her son.

Cam rubbed the back of his neck, one of his very Riley moves.

"Yeah...she threw me out."

Jenna's eyes widened.  "Threw you...have you been living with someone, Cameron Wade?"

"Not living with...but," he said, shrugging.

"Oh, man," Trevor said, shaking his head.  "Did you learn
nothing
from us? You're only twenty, kid.  Live a little."

"Trevor, shut up," Aubrey said, shaking her head.

Jenna shook her head, "Far be it for me to agree with anything Trevor says, but honey, you are only twenty.  Don't -"

"Don't tell me I'm too young, Mom.  You and Dad..."

"Yes, me and Dad, and look where we ended up."

"Because Dad was an idiot.  I'm not him."

"Then why did she throw you out?"

"Oh, man," Cam said, looking up toward the sky before taking a deep breath and answering, "because I asked her to marry me."

"YOU WHAT????" everyone cried.

Later that night, while Trevor and Aaron oversaw the fireworks, Riley and Colt played their guitars while Mike played the old piano he kept on the back porch.  Tessa had said once, long ago, that Colt was the better singer, but Riley was the better guitar player.  The girls had had many debates about that over the years, but they'd all agreed that the three guys plus Jenna and occasionally Lainey singing were pretty good.  Even their new good friends, Jack and Leila Lair had been impressed with them, and that was saying something since Devil's Lair was one of the hottest bands going, still, ten years later. 

Shane McCanton came and sat beside Lainey while they watched the fireworks and listened to the music.  Together, they watched Tessa, Colt, Riley, Coop, Whit and Mike laugh while they played their songs. 

"They've come a long way, haven't they?" Shane asked, nodding toward the six of them.

"Yes, they have."

"I used to hate the thought of Tessa being so close to all these guys," Shane admitted.  "But now...they all helped shape her into who she is now.  Colt taught her to fight and he and Riley and Whit and Coop taught her to laugh and not take things so seriously."

"And Mike?"

"Mike taught her to lead by example.  Always steadfast.  Between him and Gib, she learned a lot."

"They all learned from each other.  And from all of us.  They
may have all taken the long way to find their place, but I think we can all agree...the Orion Team is finally home."

THE END

for now...

Look for my next book, Tempting Trouble, coming Summer 2014.  It will be the story of Trevor Stanton and Aubrey Donovan.

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