All ONES: The Complete Collection

by Aleatha Romig

  The Lightning are having a special pregame ceremony on Saturday night. It’s the anniversary of the season when we won the Stanley Cup. This ceremony, bringing back members of the championship team, is supposed to be good luck for the season ahead. It doesn’t hurt for PR purposes either. It isn’t my thing, but it gave me a reason to whisk her away.

  I glance over to see Mandy looking around as we pull onto the street that leads to the airport. There really isn’t much else in this vicinity. She has to suspect something.

  “Malcolm, where are we? I thought we were meeting Sally and Brian.”

  “We are.”

  I slow as we approach the short-term parking garage.

  “At the airport? Why would we have dinner here?”

  The gray skies overhead are the reason for her coat and gloves, but where we’re going, she’ll be able to show off her sexy body in sundresses and bathing suits.

  “Well, you see, dinner isn’t for another few hours.”

  “What?”

  “But if you’re hungry, I think we have time to grab an appetizer and drink before we leave.”

  Mandy is sitting straighter. Her neck is flexing in that way I’ve learned it does when she’s suddenly nervous or worried. I reach out and touch her thigh. “Don’t worry. It’s a surprise.”

  Her lips purse as her head slowly shakes. “No. I don’t like surprises.”

  “You’ll like this one...I hope.”

  After the gate lifts to the parking garage and I take the little ticket, I continue driving around the circular lot, getting higher and higher until I find a parking space. The entire time I feel her stare on me. “Green three,” I say aloud.

  Her head is now shaking vigorously back and forth. “No. I need to be home in the morning. My mom—”

  I seize her petite hand, stilling her words. “Your mom knows. Sally helped. Your mom isn’t expecting you until Sunday evening. Sally packed your suitcase.”

  “What? No.” Her voice grows louder. “This is ludicrous. You can’t kidnap me. I need to be home for Ja—my son.”

  “And you will be, on Sunday before he goes to bed. I’m not kidnapping you. There’s no ransom note. And you can’t be kidnapped if I plan to return you on Sunday. I’m simply borrowing you.”

  Mandy takes a deep breath with her eyes still too wide. “You could have asked.”

  “I could have, but I think you would have told me no.”

  “I would have. I’ve never, never in his whole life left my son for two days.”

  “Then it’s time.”

  “No! You don’t understand...”

  I lean forward and stop her protest with a gentle touch of my palm to her cheek, pulling her moving lips my direction and swallowing her words with a kiss. When she finally seems to relax—if only a smidgen—her body melting my way, I speak, “I don’t. I don’t understand. Not because I don’t want to understand, but because you haven’t shared. Let me tell you what I do understand?”

  “Malcolm.”

  I touch a finger to her perfectly kissable lips. “Shh, please?”

  She nods against my finger.

  “Brian and I are part of a pregame ceremony tomorrow night in Tampa—”

  “Tampa! No!” She gets the words out before I can touch her lips again with the tip of my finger.

  “...in Tampa,” I go on. “Sally is coming with Brian. I wish I could say it was my idea to bring you, but it was her idea that we all go.” I continue talking before Mandy can protest more. “Sally made the arrangements with your parents. I know you haven’t introduced me to them, and I get it. I thought it would be a bit presumptuous of me to show up at their house, introduce myself, and explain that I wanted to borrow you for the weekend.”

  A smile threatens Mandy’s scowl as the tips of her lips fight the urge to smile. “My dad might have hurt you.”

  That makes me smile. “If I were your father, I’d probably do the same. So you see why it worked better this way. You’re here and I’m unharmed by a crazed, overprotective father.”

  “I think my brother might be more of a threat.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She shakes her head. “So my mom knew about this?”

  “Yes, she helped Sally with your packing and agreed to keep your son.”

  Mandy reaches for her phone. Before she dials, I put my hand over hers and say, “You’re only allowed one call.”

  “What? Am I under arrest?”

  “One call, Ms. Wells. Okay, one call per day. Who will it be?”

  “Will I see Sally?”

  “Yes, they’re supposed to be here already.”

  She laughs. “Which means they’re not.”

  I nod my agreement.

  “My mom.”

  I release her hand with her phone.

  I haven’t met her mom, but as the phone call ensues, I decide that I like her. Not only did she help with getting Mandy away for this weekend, but as soon as the call connects, her mother’s laughter rings out from the phone, filling the interior of my car. It’s nice to know that Mandy has so much support.

  After the initial laughing, I can only hear Mandy’s side of the conversation. “...knew? Why didn’t you say anything? ...Yes, I know that’s how surprises work. You know I hate surprises... What about...?” Her eyes dart to me.

  It admittedly hurts more and more that she won’t even say her son’s name in front of me, but I can’t change that. What I can do is hope that one day she’ll trust me more, and in the meantime, I can give her an unforgettable weekend.

  Mandy’s still speaking. “I didn’t tell him goodbye. ...Okay. Tell him I love him. Tell him I’ll call tomorrow.” Her gaze darts back to me. No doubt she’s thinking about her one call restriction. “And it may be on Sally’s phone, so be sure to answer.”

  I just shake my head. Damn, she’s a handful and I love it.

  “Because...I’m not sure if you packed my charger. Oh, you did... You don’t know,” she says, “I mean, Malcolm could be a serial killer, and you packed my bag!”

  Her tone is lighter than it’s been and it makes me smile.

  “And you trust Sally? ...I hope I see you again on Sunday.... I love you too, Mom. Bye.”

  After she disconnects, she stares down at her phone for a minute and then back to me. “I don’t know how you did it.”

  “With help.” I reach for her hand. “You didn’t let me finish about what I understand.”

  “Fine. What do you understand?”

  “That you’ve rocked my world. I understand that you have a son and responsibilities.” I nod toward her phone. “And that you have a super support system. I don’t fully understand why I can’t know them. I mean, I do get it...but as I’ve said, I’ll take what I can get, what you’re willing to give. Right now, I’m getting your undivided attention for an entire weekend.”

  “Minus phone calls,” she interjects.

  “Minus one call per day. Today’s is done. Don’t make me take your phone away.”

  Her pretty eyes narrow. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  I lift my brows. “Something that you might want to understand about me: I love a challenge. And what you just said feels like a gauntlet being thrown down, a proverbial line in the sand—Florida sand in this case.”

  “Fine.” Mandy takes a deep breath. “I won’t call, but I have to have my phone in case my mom or dad needs to call me.”

  “Deal,” I say, extending my hand. After we shake, I watch as the front of her jacket rises and falls and imagine only a light top, sundress, or bathing suit. Hell, maybe warmer climates are better. “Now that we’re on the same page, are you ready for an adventure?”

  Mandy leans forward and places her palm on my cheek. “Malcolm Peppernick, I want to be mad at you, but how can I be mad when you went to all this trouble to steal me away?”

  “You can’t,” I agree.

  “I’ve never been kidnapped before. Oh,” she says, her tone feigning duress. “Wha
tever is going to happen to me?”

  I reach for her hand and kiss the soft skin of her palm. “I plan to return you Sunday night, perhaps a little sore and worn out, but only because all your wildest fantasies have been fulfilled.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve entertained fantasies.”

  “Then it’s past time to start. Let’s get out of this car, go through security, and get something to eat. I doubt your fantasies include starvation.”

  Her eyes widen. “It depends on the cause. A plane crash on a desert island—no. But...that first night when we almost forgot to eat our pizza—that was an acceptable reason for starvation.”

  “Oh, but, beautiful, I didn’t forget to eat.”

  Mandy shakes her head as pink fills her cheeks in an endearing way. As we get out of my car and I open the trunk, she says, “Hey, that’s my suitcase.”

  “Because you’re going on a weekend getaway.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “And we’re not flying over any deserted islands, so no worries.”

  “Good to know.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Mandy

  The roar of the engines has muted to a constant drone as I look around the airplane’s cabin. Sally is looking at me with a big shit-eating grin on her face as she leans forward from the other side of the aisle and lifts her glass of wine my direction. I’ve already told her that I hate her and I’m never speaking to her again, but it doesn’t stop me from lifting my glass to her in an air toast.

  Malcolm squeezes my hand. “Are you all right? I had no idea you’ve never flown before.”

  My shoulders move up and down. “Again, you could have asked.”

  He bends down and plants a kiss on my cheek. “I just did. Are you all right?”

  “Well, other than never speaking to my best friend or mother again, I think I’m all right.” I turn and look out the small window. Above the clouds the sun is still shining. As the plane heads south, the sun is moving lower toward the western horizon, casting an amazing array of red, orange, and pink hues through the sky, their shimmers reflecting off the tops of the clouds.

  I never really thought about the other side of clouds—the top side. Unlike their underside, which is often gray, the tops are a marvelous mountain range composed of magnitudes of different depths, some as tall as Denali while others appear as cavernous as the Grand Canyon. As we move over them I conjure stories I can tell Jase about mountains of marshmallow fluff. That’s exactly what it looks like—fluff. “It’s like,” I say, “like nothing I ever imagined.”

  The four of us are in first class, filling both sides of the aisle. And I can’t stop my glee as I settle against the soft leather seat. When Malcolm first told me what was happening, I was mad. I was upset, but once I gave in to the reality of my ‘kidnapping’—quotes are purposeful—it made everything more exciting.

  When we arrived at the airport, my ticket was already on Malcolm’s phone. All it took was showing my ID, checking our bags, and walking through security. Then the next thing I knew, we were sitting at a small airport bar waiting for Sally and Brian as we sipped white wine and ate fried pickles.

  You would think being married to a man in the military I would have flown, but I never did. Jackson left for basic training before we were married. Our wedding ceremony was between his training and deployment. If he’d been deployed stateside, I would have gone. That probably would have meant driving, but I would have gone. As it was, moving to my own place was the only independence I experienced. It wasn’t my own place, but ours. A small apartment, even smaller than the one I now share with Jase. Though it belonged to both of us, I was there alone while he was overseas.

  At the time, I thought I was grown up with my own space. Truthfully, I had yet to be inducted into adult responsibilities.

  While Jackson was protecting our country, I was working and taking classes. I missed out on the support of other army wives by not living near a base, but I didn’t want to leave my parents or his parents to live near strangers, even if they would have a better understanding of what I was going through. In hindsight, I think that was the right decision.

  Jackson was home for three months between deployments. That was our most normal feel at married life. During that time, he worked for a recruiting center while awaiting his next assignment. We had hopes for stateside orders and dreams of playing house. That’s why we agreed to start a family.

  And then things happened overseas. I follow the news, but I still don’t think the public is given all the information. The army asked for volunteers to go back to the zones, soldiers who knew the terrain. If they didn’t get the number of soldiers they needed via volunteers, they would have chosen them anyway. I think it was one of those requests that you really can’t refuse.

  I’m not insinuating that the military is like the mafia, but...

  We didn’t find out that I was pregnant until after the paperwork was signed. By then it was too late. The army didn’t assign Jackson a wife. He’d taken one on his own. We’d heard that before. His assignment was only supposed to be for twelve months. The pay was higher than he’d made before due to the increased risk. He’d been there before and had returned. We both thought it would be worth it. Once his second deployment was over, we had visions of a nest egg to live on while we both were able to work on our education. With both sets of parents close by, we knew we’d have help with our growing family.

  Jackson flew home the week before my due date. According to Alec, who was also in the same unit in Iraq, Jackson did everything he could do to get home. He took every duty, begged every favor, and pulled every possible string. All I know was that he was with me when we welcomed Jason Mathew Harrison into the world. I watched the wonder in my husband’s eyes as he held his son for the very first time.

  Jackson only had three months left in Iraq, and then our future would begin.

  If he chose to keep going with the enlistment after he returned, we were guaranteed stateside. I had dreams of living in a warm state, playing house with my husband and son, and even flying home to our parents for the holidays.

  That never happened.

  “You’re far away again,” Malcolm says as he caresses my thigh.

  “I was just thinking about flying. I always wanted to.”

  “Good. I hope we can come up with a few other things you always wanted to do this weekend.”

  I take a deep breath and concentrate on the handsome man beside me. “Tell me about Saturday night. Are you and Brian like superstars or heroes?”

  “No. My dad served in the military...” Malcolm’s words sting my heart, yet there’s no way for him to know what I’m thinking. “...those men and women are heroes. Brian and I were overpaid kids who enjoyed getting knocked around and knocking others around on the ice.”

  There’s something in his self-deprecating statement that makes Malcolm even more special than he’s ever been. I recall how the boy in Jase’s preschool was negative toward soldiers. Malcolm and I have never discussed our military, but if his opinions were different, I know it would have an influence on mine. I don’t expect us to agree on everything, but in my opinion the military isn’t political: it’s simply people working hard and risking their lives. And those people deserve our respect.

  “Overpaid kids,” I finally say. “I’m surprised more people don’t sign up for that kind of gig.”

  “Oh, it sounds appealing, especially to a testosterone-filled young man. But the truth is that that job can only be maintained for so long and then the body gives out.”

  That makes me smile. I tilt my head to the side and give Malcolm an up-and-down scan and finally a wink. “I’m pretty sure from what I’ve seen that your body is still doing okay.”

  “Okay? Gee, thanks for the compliment. It’s a real boost for my morale.”

  “Better than okay,” I say, motioning toward Brian and Sally who are laughing and making out like the hormonal teenagers Malcolm was describing. “Tell me we�
�re not sharing a room with those two.”

  “Oh no, beautiful Mandy, I plan to have you all to myself.”

  He looks toward the window. “I wish we were arriving before dark. The sunsets off the Gulf Coast of Florida are some of the best in the world. I haven’t traveled far and wide, but I can personally boast that they can be spectacular. It’s as if you see the big red ball of fire hit the water. My mom used to say it sizzles. As the sky and clouds filled with reds and pinks, she’d tell us to be quiet and listen to the sizzle.”

  “Us?” I ask, knowing I’m breaking my own rule.

  “I have a sister and brother.” Malcolm leans closer. “Can I tell you more?”

  “Are the three of you close?”

  “They live in different states, but we all get together with our parents for holidays and special occasions. We talk on the phone.”

  “Do they know about me?”

  “Yes.”

  I nod, wanting to ask more, wondering what he’s said, but at the same time, I’m afraid that if I do, it will make whatever this is too real. Instead, I change the subject. “What about tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “I mean the sunset. We could watch it tomorrow...” And then I remember. “Oh, we’ll be at the hockey game?”

  He nods. “I guess that means only one thing.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “This will have to be our first trip to Florida. I need to bring you back so you can see a sunset.”

  I don’t argue. I’m already so far beyond my plans for one night. I don’t know what to think as I settle back against the seat and enjoy the warmth of Malcolm’s hand on my thigh. As I do, I realize that part of me wants to believe there could be another time and another trip. For only a moment, I allow myself the small fantasy of expectancy.

  Malcolm had said this weekend was to explore my fantasies.

  You would think that my fantasies would include crazy sex or money to burn, but they don’t. To me a fantasy is a reprieve from the weight of the world and the luxury of allowing myself to want something in the future, to even go as far as to expect it. That’s something I rarely do—expect anything...or hope for more—but since this one weekend is supposed to be about my fantasies, I let myself go.