Two Weeks With a SEAL (The Wakefield Romance Series) (16 page)

"Wow," was all
I could say because Rosa hadn't come off as a child kind of woman. To me she
had seemed like a party, shopping, hanging out with her girl-friends kind of
girl, but you shouldn't always judge a book by its cover. He held the phone in
front of me so that I could see what Reno had said to him, "
Doc says it
must have happened when we were on base for that week last month." Hmmm,
I
thought because I hadn't know they were on American soil last month, but if it
was only for a week I can see why Chad hadn't come home. "You were home
last month?"

Tipping my head back
against his chest, my eyes strain to see him. His brow is knitted together and
his eyes are on my lips. "Yeah," he said, his arms tightening around
mine, squeezing me tight, "the mission had been tough so I.....I had
stayed with Reno." His chin rested on my shoulder so that his beard
scratched against my neck. "It was better for me to be there than to bring
my problems here," he whispered, his arms squeezing me, his hands gripping
on my upper arms, "it's one of the reasons why I think this next
deployment is gonna be my last."

I kissed the side of his
forehead, moving my hands up to rest on his biceps that were curled around me.
"Whatever makes you happy," I whisper against his graying hair and I
could feel his lips moving along the crook of my neck, his teeth pulling at the
material of my Henley shirt. We stood there, holding each other, enjoying the
silence and warmth of one another till the coffee pot beeped, signaling that
the coffee was done brewing. When Chad was engrossed in making his coffee, I
pounced on him, spinning him around and pinning him to the counter, up on my
tip-toes my mouth finds his in a hurry, his hands going around my hips.

I kissed him, moving my
hands along his shoulders and chest till I felt the tension release in his
muscles. His arms relaxed to just hold me as I put my forehead to his, holding
my body against his, feeling his heart beat in my chest. Brushing the hair
behind my ear, Chad kissed me lightly again, whispering, "Thank you."
I smiled at him, looking in his blue eyes seeing the storm clouds dissipating.

"Anytime," I
smirk bumping him with my hip, grabbing a mug from the counter. We snuggled on
the couch with our coffee, his head in my lap as his legs hung over the arm, my
fingers running through his hair. I watched him as he watched TV. I watched the
way the gray hairs mingled with his brown ones, I watched the way the waves
seemed to wrap around my fingers as I dragged them slowly through. I watched
the way his eyes closed slightly when I ran my fingertips over his cheek,
scratching them through his shortened beard. This man that I had dreamed of for
twenty years was in my lap, sighing as my fingers ran over his skin.

"I love you,"
I whisper, smiling as Chad turns his face to look up at me, with that crooked
smile on his lips.

"I love you
too," he said, his hands pulling my head down to him. I still don't know
how that man can drive me crazy with just a simple kiss.

We almost broke the
coffee table in our escapades, Chad's laughter mixing with mine as our love
filled the space that we called home. I love his laugh. It made my heart swell
with love for this man.

It was a little after
nine as we pulled our clothes back on, me tugging on my boots as Chad went out
to start the truck and let it warm up. Making sure all the doors were locked, I
grabbed our sweatshirts and jackets, tugging my purse from the coat hook and
locking the front door behind me I ran into the chilly garage and jumped into
the truck as Chad swung the door open from inside.

My eyes lingered off
into the corner of the garage and the half covered classic Chevy truck that sat
there. It was Randy's old truck, his baby. He had purchased it about a year
into the Navy and had restored it beautifully. After his death I had been torn
as to what to do with it, so I had given it to Chad. I know Randy would have wanted
him to have it. He loved that truck as much as Randy had. Even in the darkness
of the dimly lit space I can tell that it's in perfect shape. I was happy for
that. It was a piece of my brother that both Chad and I can enjoy.

I tossed his zip up
Mossy Oak hoodie across the center console to him, smacking him right in the
face, a loud snort coming from my nose as he just smirked at me, peeling out on
the street headed for the Dow farm. He tugged it on as he drove, excepting my
help with steering as he pulled his left arm through its sleeve.

Harlan's family farm was
located just outside of town to the north, right down the road from the
Spratley Cemetery where Randy and my mother were buried and as we drove by the
gates, seeing the many headstones, Chad gripped my fingers tighter in his. I
hadn't been back there since the day I buried my mom a month ago, but my chest
tightened just at the sight of the massive arch over the driveway. Tears
threatened to fall, hanging on the rim of my lashes.

"You wanna go there
tomorrow," Chad asks, drawing my eyes to his face and I see that there is
a sadness lying deep within him. I know I can't talk without sounding like a
broken record, the tightness had moved into my throat, so I just nod at him and
he pulls my hand to his lips, kissing the back of it and holding it to his
mouth as the tears quietly slide down my cheek.

I missed them so much.
Even though my mother had been a shell of her former self in the last year of
her life, she was still my mother and there was a hole in my heart where she
had once stayed. I miss the way she smiled at me when I would tell her about my
work day, or the way she complimented my cooking even though it wasn't half as
good as hers. I miss everything about her. Her voice, her eyes, the smell of
her perfume. I miss my mother, but I know that now she isn't suffering and that
lifts my spirits a little bit. I know that wherever she is, Randy is with her
and they are happy. They're probably strolling down a road in the autumn, the
leaves falling around them as they laugh and talk, my mom's head on his broad
shoulder. I smile just thinking about it and I squeeze Chad's hand, wiping the
tears away with the back of my shaky hand.

There were already
pickup trucks and rusty Jeeps lining the road as we neared the farm gates, the
tall silos sticking up with the bright white lettering, "Dow & Sons
Dairy Farm" on the top of each. They had over four hundred head in cow,
twenty pigs, numerous chickens and geese, and around fifteen horses, which were
always my favorite to visit because they were always curious about the parties.
I love horses and I usually sneak away to hangout in the barn, brushing them
down and sneaking them carrots. There was something calming about horses.

Harlan always lets me
ride their Clydesdale, Rowdy, and he was a gentle giant, even lifting his front
leg so that you can hoist yourself up on his back without using a step stool
because he was one tall horse. I didn't see Duke's truck and I released a heavy
sigh as Chad parked the truck next to the John Deere bucket tractor, the front
scoop loaded with manure but that didn't bother either of us. We'd both
shoveled shit in our childhood.

I could see the fire
burning out in the field behind the horse barn, the flames skirting up into the
night air. Chad's hand was warm as it enveloped mine as we walked past the 
barn, Chad hoisting me over the electric fence as he just swung his legs over
it. We passed some kids Chad went to high school with, all still locals and
either construction workers or mill workers, like their parents before them and
we issued our polite 'hellos' and 'how are ya's'.

The music pumped from
the dairy barns sound system, the Dow's using a paging system to stay in
contact between the barn and the house and to play music to entertain
themselves during the tedious chore hours. The Dow family was large, consisting
of seven children, all of them boys and Harlan being the second oldest, the
youngest being twelve.

Kendall's blonde hair
jumped out to me against the fire light like a firefly in June, her face
turning to see our approach with a wide smile creasing her perfect mouth, her
legs propelling her towards me. Throwing her long, thin arms around my neck,
she wrapped her legs around my waist as she hoisted herself up, my legs
standing firm to hold her. This was the way we had greeted each other since
high school when Kendall had gotten wasted at a party, jumping on me as soon as
I arrived, the show getting whistles and cat calls from all the men at the
party that night. But now it just got shouts of hello, waves and offers of
beer. Kendall kissed me on the cheek, setting her feet on the ground letting me
catch my breath. "I've missed you this week," she said with a smile,
throwing her arm around my shoulder, standing between Chad and I.

"Well you know
where I am," I say, leaning my head on her shoulder and taking in her
expensive perfumed scent. Chad started to walk off towards some of the guys as
Kendall led me to the bench she had been sitting on, Harlan appearing from
around the fire with three beers in his hands. Offering me one, I take a quick
drink saying, "Thanks Har, it's a good night for a fire," he nods but
I see that his eyes are on Kendall, trying to discreetly stare at her and it
makes me smile. "Could I ride Rowdy later," I ask, trying to pull his
attention away so Kendall doesn't notice and get freaked like I know she would.

"Yeah," he
smiles, his eyes darting to his scuffed cowboy boots when he sees that I
noticed his starring, "um, there's food over on the table if yur
hungry." He nodded his head towards a plastic white folding table that was
wedged up against the fence and I catch Chad's eye, his wink and little wave
sending a blush through my cheeks. "Alright, I'll leave ya ladies to
chat," Harlan smiles and takes his six foot one, built like a typical farm
boy frame over to where Chad is. I squeeze Kendall's arm.

"Why don't you go
on a date with him," I ask, my eyes meeting her brown ones and seeing a
spark in them, but she rolls them away, "Come on. He'd worship you and if
rumors are true, he's pretty well endowed." I joke, elbowing her in the
ribs getting her to giggle and swat at me.

"I don't
know," she says, leaning her head on my shoulder so that her blonde hair
falls over my sweatshirt, "I just think it'd be weird with Jarrod an
all." I scoff at her statement taking another swig of my beer.

"Harlan's on the
outs with Duke and his little lackies," I say, but what I really wanted to
scream, right in her ear, was :"
Please, that asshole has cheated on you
so many times. He tried to get with me one night when you were in another room.
Hell, I know as a fact he slept with skanky Holly Unger on your birthday last
year when he said he was at work,"
but I kept my mouth shut because
Kendall knew all of this already. Bringing it up would only upset her. Kendall
just nods her head, issuing an agreeing 'mmhhmm," focusing in on the fire
and I can tell she's thinking. She likes him, I know she does. Even her little
tryst with Chad's SEAL Team-mate, Bobby Timmons, can't hide the fact that
Kendall would be overly happy with Harlan, she just doesn't want to admit it to
herself.

The fire roared on,
Harlan and some of the other guys adding more logs and branches every now and
then, and some of the local townie girls joined me and Kendall on our bench.
They asked whether or not the rumor about me and Chad living together was true
and I proudly said yes to all of them, giggling to myself as the little looks
of disappointment pass through each of the girls’ eyes. The only girl that didn't
get up and leave politely after I had told them the answer they didn't want to
hear was Krista Bullis.

Krista is a cute,
slightly plump, well curved brunette with big green eyes, surrounded by thick,
gorgeous lashes. Krista had graduated with my brother Randy and Chad, making
her five years older than Kendall and I, and she had been Randy's high school
girlfriend. They had broken up after graduation when he had left for the Navy,
Randy telling her that it was because he wanted her to find a man that would be
there for her, and Krista had been broken hearted. She had carried a torch for
Randy all through the years and she had taken it just as hard as my mother had
when news had come that Randy had been killed. Ever since then I had only seen
her in passing, her smile always laden with a slight sadness at what could have
been. Now she sat next to me with a new sort of confidence that radiated off of
her, her smile being brighter and larger than I've seen in a while.

"I'm happy for you
and Chad," she smiled, patting my hand that was resting on the bench, her
hand staying and laying on top of it lightly. "It's about God damn
time," she laughed, Kendall joining in as I elbow her, "but really, I
hope it all works out for y'all." She rubbed my hand and I know that she
has something to tell me, so I give her a little nod, hoping she'll see that I
want her to continue. "I have some good news," she almost whispers,
causing Kendall and I to lean in, "I'm getting married."
Wow,
I
think because I hadn't expected that. Maybe that she had a boyfriend or that
she had gotten a promotion at the law firm she worked at, but not that she was
getting married. I gave her a confused look and she smiled and shook her head,
"My boss, Kyle Jacks, he and I have been dating for about ten months and
last night he asked me to marry him!"

She was so excited
Kendall and I couldn't help but hug her, inquiring and awing at her ring. It
was huge, sparkling and glowing in the bonfire light. I knew that Mr. Jacks was
a little older than Krista, but as long as he made her happy, good for her. He
was an upstanding citizen, donating to the local high school every year and
throwing a charity auction every fall to help the local children's hospital. He
was a good man, so good for Krista. I smiled and hugged her tight as she stood
to go back to her own little group of close friends, leaving us with a wave.