Truth Avenged (Green Division Series Book 1) (24 page)

Chapter Twenty Three

“He has impeccable taste in floral arrangements.”  Paul sat on the edge of her desk, admiring what had become a jungle of flowers.

“
It’s a bit much.  I get an arrangement a day.  Do you know how much that would cost?”

“
You’re worth it.”

“
How do we know they’re from him?  There isn’t a name written on any of the tags.”

“
Do you have any other suitors knocking at your door you’ve neglected to tell me about?”  He pulled a pink rose from one of the bouquets.

“
You never know.”

“
I don’t like him.”

“
I know.”  That went without saying.

“
But, you love him.”

“
I don’t.”  She pulled the rose from his grasp abruptly.

“
You do.  And as much as I don’t want to say this.”  The words about to come from his mouth were going to taste horrible.  “You know what I think off him.”

“
He’s a prick, dick, asshole, piece of shit, dirt bag, douche bag.”

“
Among other things.”  Paul smiled.  “But, everyone deserves a second chance.”

Chance rolled her chair back. 

“Holy shit.  You didn’t say that Paul Marston!”

He barred his teeth trying to smile. 

“I did.  I’m not encouraging you to do anything little girl.  But, he did risk being seen at your house and since then has anonymously sent a bouquet of flowers daily.  Remorse and regret are heavy on that man’s mind.”  Paul pushed off from her desk. 

“
And he loves you too, otherwise he wouldn’t be putting in this much effort months later trying to win you back.  You’re welcome for being that beacon of light.”  He pointed his finger at her.  “I still don’t like him.”

She star
ed down at the rose. 

“
Are you going to the gala?”  He pointed to the card on her desk.

“
I don’t know.”  She put the rose back in its proper place.

“
You should.”

“
You make no sense, you know that!  You don’t like him, you fight him, now you tell me I should get back together with him!”

“
I didn’t say anything of the sort.  I want you to be happy.  And maybe he’s your happy ending.  That’s all I want for you.”

“
You’re such a romantic.” 

“
I’m a sucker.”  He turned for the door.

“
So is he.”  Chance looked at her blank screen.  She hadn’t been able to focus for weeks.  “Things are more complicated than you know.”

“
Hmm, you’ve been holding out on me again.”  Paul retook his seat and crossed his legs.  “I’m waiting.”

Chapter Twenty Four

White linens adorned the round tables that filled the large banquet hall.  People mingled and socialized at the semi-formal affair.  Tuck hated these events.  He was at the yearly banquet where awards were handed out, civilians and organizations were recognized, and the coveted warden of the year award was presented.  Tuck wasn’t in contention for that award this year.  Or any other year.  The red dress coat of his formal uniform made him feel like an RCMP officer and he hated it. 

“
Tuck.”  Mitch called.

Tuck slipped through a handful of civilians and took a sea
t next to Mitch, Ryan, and Ryan’s wife Jess. 

“
Hi Jess.”

“
You staying out of trouble, Tuck?”  Jess smiled. 

“
Trying.  Your husband keeps me straight.”

“
Now I know you’re full of it.”  She laughed.

“
Hey, take it easy, I’m sitting right here.”  Ryan put his arm around Jess.

“
She’s here.”  Mitch said lowly.

Tuck eyed the room and his stomach did flips.

“This is fucking torture.  You’re not allowed to see her, but we’re going to invite her to the banquet.  What the hell?”  Tuck said.

“
Screw ‘em.”  Mitch took a drink.  “They invited her; obviously they don’t have a problem with you seeing her.”

“
I wouldn’t bank on it.”  Their admin hadn’t been bright enough to see the conflict of interest.  “Where is she?”

“
She was talking to Kerr.  I don’t see her now.”

Tuck
scanned the room, but couldn’t spot her.

“
If everyone would please take their seats, we’re going to start the presentations of awards.”  The Colonel bellowed from the podium at the front of the hall.

“
There she is.”  Mitch pointed to the side entrance. Chance wore a little black dress and black heels.  The pink stripe in her hair had disappeared and she looked…different.

“
Who is that?”  Tuck said under his breath.  A tall, broad shouldered man pulled Chance’s chair out as she took her seat.  He was a man about Tuck’s age, had a crew cut, and his neck looked nearly as wide as a doorway.  He didn’t look like a man who took any shit.  “What the hell?”

“
Oh.”  Mitch stared blankly with him.  “I didn’t see she had an escort.  Maybe it’s a friend.”

Chance sm
iled and chatted at her table casually.  Tuck peeled his eyes away. 

Tuck had no room to be jealous even though the green monster reared below.  He
’d dug his own grave with her.  If this mystery man made her happy, that’s all he could hope for and he’d tell them the same.

The award ceremony was boring as usual, the food mediocre, but the atmosphere was at least light.  Chance
was called to the podium and given an award for her work with the discovery of the plane.  Tuck watched intently and she locked eyes with his.  When she walked back to her table, she never took her eyes off his. 

“
Our final award, the Warden of the Year is awarded is presented to Ryan Huan.”  The Colonel announced.  Mitch and Tuck choked on their food simultaneously.

“
Are they serious?”  Mitch coughed.

Tuck laughed. 

“They lowered the bar this year Sarge?”  Mitch asked one of the division Sergeants who sat behind them.  Ryan smacked Mitch on the head as he walked by.

Ryan went to the front and was
in his professional persona mode. 

The award presentation concluded and voices filled the hall
of people socializing.  Tuck tried his hardest to not look at her table.  But, his eyes wandered.  She caught him starring, as did the man with her.  She stood as did Mr. Thick neck with her.  He turned his eyes back to Mitch.  Jess and Ryan were off mingling.

“
She’s coming over here.”  Mitch motioned with his head.

“
Hi Mitch.”  She waved.  “Tuck.”

Tuck nodded his head.

“This is my brother Phil.”  She introduced.  “This is Mitch Meyers and Tucker Johnston, they were involved with my escapade.”  Phil gave Tuck a very disapproving look, a look he’d seen from Paul before.

“
Nice to meet you,” Phil said.  Mitch extended his hand.  Tuck did the same courtesy and Phil displayed his strength.  Tuck matched it.

“
Can I talk to you for a minute?”  Chance asked Tuck.

“
Ahhh…”  Tuck was dumfounded.  Her brother continued to display a death stare.  He knew he should say no, but his damn work had made it impossible to not see her. 

She leaned down
and whispered.  “I spoke to the Colonel, it’s okay.” 

The shock took another moment to wear off.  “
Sure.  I’ll meet you in the lobby.” 

Chance disembarked from the group and walked solo to the lobby.

“Pull up a seat.”  Mitch motioned Phil to sit with them.  At the same time Tuck stood and walked to meet her.  He could see himself getting another blackened eye in the parking lot following the banquet.

She stood over to the side of the empty lobby.  He approached her and was relieved.  Thick neck was he
r brother and she willingly wanted to speak to him.

“
Hi.”  He hugged her lightly.  “You look beautiful tonight.”

“
Thank you.”  She smiled.  Chance’s stomach was the one doing flips now.

“
I miss you.”  Tuck took her hand and ran his thumb across the back of her palm.

“
I miss you too.”  She admitted.  “Thank you for the flowers.  All thirty two bouquets.” 

Tuck felt a surge of hope. 

“How’d you get the Colonel to agree?” 

“
I ah, I’ll explain.  Why don’t we sit?”

Explain?  What was there to explain?
  Nothing had changed.  Two months remained of their no contact order. 

They sat together one of the benches in the lobby.

“This is what I had planned, you need to know that.”  She leaned over.

“
Okay.”  Tuck tried to decipher the clue.

“
I didn’t want this.”  She struggled.

Tuck took a closer look at her frame and froze.  After getting himself together and pushing away the shock, he rose to his feet and extended his hand to her.

“What?”  She looked confused.

“
Stand up.”  He said softly.

“
Trust me, you want to sit.”  She said in a distressed voice. 

“
Chance.”  He grinned.  “I’ll be okay.”  She took his hand and stood up.

“
You won’t be singing that tune for long.”  She couldn’t spit out what she needed to say.  She was still in shock herself. 
Get it together Chance
. 

He stepped forward and put one arm around her lower back, pulling her into his center.  He rested his forehead against hers.

“Do you still hate me?”  Tuck’s voice soothed her nerves.

“
I never hated you.”  She wanted to, but she didn’t.

He rested his hand on the side of her well camouflaged slightly there bump.  The shirred dress hid it well, until he knew what he was looking for.

“Does that mean you will give us a chance to be a family?”

S
he pulled her forehead back and looked up.  The shock, terror, and utter disappointment she expected wasn’t there.  In its place was the opposite.  She hadn’t entertained that option.

“
How—?” 

“
You don’t have a good poker face.”

She scru
tinized his demeanor.  “Are you—are you happy?”

“
Yes.”  This confused her even more.  “I’ll be happier if I get the package deal.  I want you both.”

Holy shit
.  He was happy and sincere.  Chance’s rigid body relaxed.

“
We’ve only known each other for a few months and most of that time we couldn’t even see one another.”  The idea that he would be happy still was foreign.  “How can you be happy?”

“
Because I love you.”  He said without pause.  She closed her eyes and he kissed the top of her head lovingly.  “I’m thirty four years old and I’ve never felt this. I’ve never known love.  I know we’ve had our ups and downs in our short relationship, but it doesn’t change how I feel.  I know how I feel and what I feel is love for you.”

She nestled her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a father.”  He whispered into her ear.  She began to cry.  He’d returned.  The Tuck she thought she knew in the beginning of it all.

His hand hadn
’t moved from her bump.  “The question on the table now is—how do you feel?” 

“
I didn’t expect this reaction from you.”  

“
What did you expect?”

“
Horror.  Anger.” She sniffed.

“
I’m excited.”  Tuck wiped her eyes.

Chance hated that she was crying.  This pregnancy had taken the once stoic girl and thrown her out the window.  Hormone
s weren’t an enjoyable part of the experience.

Her tears came from joy and Tuck could tell. 

“I love you too.” 

He put both hands on her sides and she finally lifted her eyes

They met in a mutual kiss and the outside world became oblivious.  It wasn’t until people started to filter out into the lobby that they became aware of their surroundings.

“
Are you coming over to my house?”  Chance suggested.

“
I’d love to.” He kissed her cheek. “I should talk to the Colonel.  Wait, that’s why they didn’t have a problem?”  His eyebrow lifted.

“
I asked him when I came here.  I figured it might sway their opinion to know that little fact.”

Tuck smiled. 

“I’ll see you in a bit.”  She let go of his hands and walked out to her vehicle.

Tuck smiled and shook hi
s head.  It wasn’t the ending he pictured, but it was one he couldn’t stop smiling about.

Tuck walked back into the hall and approached the table where the Colonel was seated.

“Tuck.”  The Colonel rose and walked away from the group of people he sat with.  “Congratulations are in order I hear.”

“
Apparently.”  Tuck let go of his hand.  Tuck wondered how to ask tactfully.

“
If she’d told us sooner we would have ended the no contact stipulation.”

“
I’m grateful if it ends now.”

“
We’re hardly going to impose a no contact order if she’s carrying your child.  You’ll be punished enough.” 

“
Funny.” 

“
What happens with you two now?”

“
I guess we spend the next five months preparing for the following eighteen years.”  He smiled.

“
Don’t kid yourself.  Your children will hold on longer than eighteen years.  My girl is twenty three and she’s still on the tit, if you know what I mean.  I hope all the best for you two.”  He shook his hand.

“
Thank you, Terry.”

“
Go.”  He motioned toward the exit.

*****

Chance kicked off her heels immediately upon stepping through the door.  They were God’s worst invention and if not for how they made her calves look killer, she wouldn’t have sported them.  She put her hand down on her stomach and her mind wandered. She’d yet to tell her family about her pregnancy.  They’d known very little of their daughter/sister’s scandalous affair with a game warden.  She was glad she waited and she wouldn’t be sharing the story until a little further down the road.  Phil had spotted her baby bump immediately.  He’d interrogated her until she broke down and told him the story.  Amy, Paul, and Phil were the only ones who knew.  She’d been able to hide her condition, but knew those days were numbered.  Upon getting back home with Phil, he’d gotten the general hint and took his bag to stay in a hotel thirty minutes away for the night.  She didn’t expect it, he’d returned from Afghanistan only a month prior and she wouldn’t think of putting him out.  But, he knew where he needed to be and it wasn’t in Chance’s guest room.

KNOCK, KNOCK

Chance walked over and answered.  Things progressed from where they’d left off prior to Tuck’s meltdown over Paul.  The guilt was still deep under his skin and he professed nonstop to that fact.  Chance finally told him to stop, it was the past and it was their future they needed to concern themselves with.