******
“Trey.”
He heard his name and saw Connie waving from a table near the window. She stood to give him a brief hug.
“I’m so glad you decided to come. Mr. Egan let me know to expect you at the services. I know it must’ve been hard not being able to speak to Sydney directly before she—” Connie’s words trailed off as her throat closed with emotion.
Trey placed a hand on hers and squeezed. “I wanted to be here.” He let his hand drop away. “Besides, I thought you’d like to have some actual pictures of Trevor that you could hold in your hand.” He handed her the large envelope he’d brought.
She didn’t wait. Connie opened the envelope and was looking at the photos in seconds. Trey noticed the emotions passing over her face as she held each one. She laughed at a couple, smiled at others, and showed no emotion for a few.
“Are these your roommates?” She held up one with two unfamiliar men.
“That’s them. Reb’s on the right and Paul’s on the left. Poor kid’s going to grow up thinking he has three fathers.”
“You mentioned another roommate when you were here—a female pilot, but I don’t see her in any of the pictures.”
Trey sat back and let out a slow breath. “She found other accommodations. Moved out the day I brought Trevor home.”
“That’s too bad. I mean, Trevor is such a great little boy that I can’t imagine any woman wouldn’t want to spend time around him.”
“Guess it wasn’t her thing.”
“No women in his life, huh?” She tried for a light tone, yet Trey heard something else in her voice.
“I wouldn’t say that. There are two sisters, both widows, who watch him a few hours each day, and a couple of fifteen-year-old twin girls who babysit if one of us isn’t back from the base by three o’clock.”
“What about when you go out, date?”
“Date? I’ve had one date since Trevor arrived and that wasn’t my doing. I was just helping out a friend.”
Connie shook head. “How well I know how much time a baby takes. I don’t believe I went out more than four or five times while we had him.” She took a deep breath. “Truth is, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
“You miss him.”
“Every day. But I know he’s where he should be, and I can see you’re working hard to provide a loving home. Sydney would be pleased, Trey. I’m certain of it.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the activity in the restaurant and listening to the quiet conversations around them.
“You know, you’re always welcome to come out for a visit. There’s a room we use for guests.”
“Maybe someday. Things are a little tight right now.” The evasive tone of her voice told Trey there was more involved than a desire to see Trevor. It was the first time it occurred to Trey that Connie might not have the money to make the trip or be able to take time off work.
“We’ll make sure it happens, somehow.” He held out his glass to hers in a salute, then finished his drink.
“I’d better head home. Tomorrow will be busy.” Connie pushed up from her chair. “I am so glad you came. You didn’t know Sydney well, but I’m certain she’s smiling down at you.” She gave Trey one last brief hug, then walked out the door.
He watched her leave, understanding the emptiness she must be feeling at the loss of both her best friend and Trevor. Trey vowed to get her to California for a visit—and soon.
******
It had been a long day and restless night, and now he was packing to catch his plane.
Trey had met a couple of Sydney’s distant relatives at the services, but not the ones Mr. Egan had mentioned from up north. Forty or fifty people had been at the church, then everyone formed a procession to the cemetery. Afterwards, they all met at Connie’s house.
Trey had taken time to look at the various photos on the wall of Sydney, Connie, and Trevor. One that stood out was of Sydney and Trevor with a good-looking man, who appeared to be in his thirties.
“That’s Buddy,” Connie said as she walked up behind Trey. “The three of us have been friends for years. You probably didn’t notice, but he was at the church and cemetery, but begged off coming here. He’d hit his wall.” Connie looked to Trey and saw that he understood.
“Was she seeing anyone?” Trey asked.
“No, not for a few months before she was diagnosed. She dated an attorney a couple of times. It didn’t work out.” Connie smiled at the memory.
“What’s so funny?”
“Truthfully? The guy was a chump. Smart but arrogant.”
Trey chuckled. “What about you?” He indicated the people in the room. “Anyone here you’ve been dating?”
“Nope. I do have my eyes set on someone at the hospital. Poor guy is too busy to notice anyone.”
“A doctor, huh?”
“Yeah. There isn’t a lot of opportunity when you work as a nurse. There’s only so much time in a day, and I’m not much of a partier.” She blushed as the words tumbled out of her. “The night you met Sydney was an exception—for both of us.” Connie smiled and looked around the room. “Guess I’d better make the rounds again to be sure I’ve said spoken with everyone.”
Trey grabbed her arm before she left. “I need to take off, Connie.” He leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek. “We’ll stay in touch.”
Connie touched his arm, smiled, then turned toward the others in the room.
Trey watched her for a few more minutes, and vowed, once more, to be sure the woman who’d helped his son’s mother would have the opportunity to see Trevor as often as possible.
Chapter Thirteen
“How about six o’clock?” Alex suggested.
Jesse had noticed his business card laying on her dresser a couple of days before, and wondered if the construction company owner was serious about getting together sometime. She’d pondered the possibility a couple of days before, trying to find the courage to pick up the phone and call. He seemed genuinely glad to hear from her. Alex’s schedule for breakfast or lunch was full the next several days, so they decided to have a casual dinner at a local hamburger place that evening.
“Sounds great, Alex. I’ll see you at six at Bud’s.” Jesse hung up from the call. That’s when she noticed the person next to her. “Hey, Paul.”
“Jesse. What’s up?”
“Not much.” She tried to ignore the fact that he’d overheard the conversation with Alex.
“Sounded like something to me.” His narrowed eyes daring her to try to dispute it.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m having dinner with a man I met at the dance. That’s it.”
“Given up on the cowboy, huh?” Paul followed her down the hallway and out the door to the parking lot.
She glanced at her friend and former roommate. “More like he has no interest in trying to work things out with me. I’ve tried. He pushes me away each time.”
“The guy’s had a lot on his mind the last few weeks. He’s flying back from Pensacola today.”
“I knew he was going back for the services.”
Paul stopped and turned toward her. “You know, he wasn’t with Trevor’s mom but one night. It doesn’t have anything to do with that, does it?”
“You mean the split?”
“Yep.”
“The way I understand it, that night happened before he left for Texas. He and I didn’t start going out, at least not as a couple, until a few months before our transfer to California.” She fell silent a moment, wondering if there was even a little truth to what Paul said, but shook her head. “No, the split was all about me not knowing how to handle the changes Trevor would bring.”
“And now?”
“Now? I’d like an hour alone with Trey to talk things through. At least try to finalize it in my mind, even if he’ll never forgive me for taking off like I did.” She paused, toying with car keys she held in her hand. “He just isn’t interested.”
>
They stopped at Paul’s truck. “We’re having a barbeque this Saturday. Why don’t you come by for a while? Benny and Tony will be there, plus Nate and a few others. I think Reb invited Shelly. What have you got to lose?”
Jesse closed her eyes, wondering if she had enough courage to face Trey once more. “Nothing, I guess. I’ll think about it.” She turned to head for her Jeep, then looked over her shoulder. “Thanks, Paul.”
Jesse drove home, considering the invitation. She had yet to meet Trevor, and even though she could lie to most people, she couldn’t deny the truth to herself—there wasn’t anything she wanted more than to see Trey.
******
Jesse walked into the small hamburger restaurant to see Alex signaling from a booth near the entrance. He stood as she approached.
“Hi, Jesse. Glad you called.” He looked around the packed dining room. “Hope this is okay.”
She sat down across the table. “This is great. I’ve been here several times and it’s always good. Of course, I always get the same thing.”
“Oh, yeah, and what’s that?”
“Burger with blue cheese and bacon, and pickles on the side.” She didn’t even open her menu.
The waitress walked up and took Jesse’s order, then turned to Alex. Jesse watched him as he spoke. He really was a good-looking man. If he weren’t still in love with his wife and trying to work things out, any woman would find him a great catch. Every woman, except for her. It had only been a couple of months, yet something inside of Jesse told her it would be a long time before she felt what she did for Trey with another man.
“How are you doing?” Alex sat back in his chair and let the glass of beer roll between his palms.
“Good. We’re getting lots of flight time.”
“Is your ex also a pilot?”
“Yeah, and a good one. He’s with another squadron but also attached to the Reagan. Can’t seem to get too far away from him.” Jesse tried for a smile, yet it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Must be tough—working around him, I mean.” Alex looked up as the waitress set down their food then left. He inhaled deeply. “Ah, that smells great.”
Jesse wasted no time digging into the meal. Juice dripped down her fingers as she bit into the messy burger. “They sure do a great job on their burgers.” She grinned and grabbed for a napkin.
“Yeah, they do.” Alex snatched a couple of fries. “So is it tough, working together?”
Jesse set down her burger and wiped the juice from her hands. “Not really, at least not as tough as it could be if we were in the same squadron. I don’t see him every day. What about you? Any word from your wife?”
“I got a call yesterday.” A tentative smile crossed his face. “She’s flying out this weekend. Wants to talk things over, try to work it out.”
“That is great news. You must be thrilled.”
“Yes and no. I’m trying not to read too much into it. I flew back to Texas a few months ago, hoping to do the same thing, but she wasn’t interested—wanted me to move back and let Mike take over the company. Now she talks as if she’s ready to come back to California.” He finished his meal and sat back. “We’ll see.”
The two relaxed and talked about her flying, then shifted to his projects at the base and plans for his own home. The drawings were complete, but the house had never been started. His wife leaving had put a stop to everything.
“Must be exciting to build your own place. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” Jesse sipped her beer, realizing she was glad she’d made the call to Alex. It was good to get out with someone whose life wasn’t wrapped up in flying.
“Oh, I believe you’d handle it just fine. All you do is list what you want, set a budget, and start sketching out what you’d like. It’s not as hard as some people make it out to be.”
Jesse looked up at the sound of a child’s laughter coming through the door, and her heart stopped. Trey walked in carrying his son, followed by Reb and Paul. Damn him, Jesse thought and narrowed her eyes at her squadron partner. This was no random encounter. At least Paul had the good sense to avoid eye contact.
“Well, hi there, Jesse.” Reb clapped her shoulder and held out his hand to Alex. “Don’t think we’ve met. Ryan Cantrell, but most people call me Reb.”
Alex stood and accepted the outstretched hand. “Alex Parker.” He introduced himself to Paul and Trey. “And who’s this little guy?”
Trey had walked into the restaurant unaware that Paul had set him up. He didn’t suspect a thing, even as his eyes zeroed in on Jesse and the man at her table. Trey recognized him as the same man he’d seen her with at the dance—the man Jesse had said she’d just met. He wasn’t prepared for the punch to his gut that seeing Jesse with another man triggered.
“This is my son, Trevor,” Trey replied without breaking eye contact with Jesse.
She squirmed under his gaze and tried to look away. Her eyes finally shifted to Trevor, and her heart kicked a little at how much the young boy resembled his father.
She reached out a hand and stroked the boy’s arm. “Hello, Trevor. I’m Jesse.”
He looked at her and Alex, wide-eyed, before tightening his arms around Trey and resting his head on his father’s shoulder.
Trey shifted Trevor to his other side. “You’ll have to excuse him. He didn’t get a nap, and it’s been a long day.” Again, his eyes focused on Jesse as if daring her to acknowledge him.
Jesse moistened her lips, allowing only three words to escape. “He’s gorgeous, Trey.”
Alex watched the intense reaction Jesse had to the man he’d just met. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who he was. “You three work with Jesse on base?” His question was directed to Trey.
“Yes,” Trey replied, not shifting his gaze.
Reb watched for a moment before stepping in. “Good to meet you, Alex. See you on base, Jesse.” He nudged Trey’s arm, indicating it was time to move on.
Alex sat back down, placed his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands. “So, that’s him?”
Jesse’s eyes widened for an instant before she looked down at her empty plate. “That’s the one.”
“You never mentioned he had a kid.”
“Trey just learned of Trevor not long before we split up,” she answered with staid calmness. “It’s complicated.”
“You know what? You’ve been great about listening to me, now it’s my turn. Fire away.”
Jesse didn’t know where the words came from, but over the course of another thirty minutes, she filled Alex in on the relationship and break up. Shelly was the one other person who’d been a sounding board. Talking about everything one more time helped settle in her mind how far apart she and Trey were as well as how unlikely it would be to work things out. She ached each time the memories of the last few weeks surfaced, knowing her mistake might never be righted.
“What’s your plan now?” Alex asked as he drained the last of his beer.
“Now?” Jesse’s puzzled expression wasn’t lost on Alex.
He chuckled at her confusion. “It’s obvious the two of you still have feelings for each other. I just met the guy and it was clear to me. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”
Jesse took a breath, pondering Alex’s question, and wondering if she might be giving up too soon. “I’ve attempted twice to speak with him, apologize, and explain. He turned me away each time. Trey is a good man, stubborn, but fair. And proud. Why would he trust me to not do the same thing again?”
“You mean not embracing the role of being a mom without thinking it through?” A probing query came into his eyes.
“I’ve never quite thought of it that way, but yes. I know my life must seem simple to most. I fly, go to the gym, eat, rest, then get up and fly again. Add to that my relationship with Trey and my life seemed full, yet with too many unknowns.”
“Unknowns?”
“Such as would we always be stationed at the same base? Even though ou
r squadrons are assigned to carriers based at Coronado that might not always be the case. That could mean one might be on deployment to Asia while the other is in the Middle East. How many relationships survive these types of challenges?”
Alex crossed his arms, considering her concerns, yet felt she was still throwing too much away. “You got into the Academy when the odds were against you. You earned a spot in pilot training, and I assume the odds were against you then also. Now you fly jets, a tough job in a world dominated by men. You’ve been successful through it all. Do you really believe you wouldn’t be successful at working out the challenges married pilots face?”
“Married?” she squeaked out. “I never mentioned marriage.”
“You didn’t have to. No one goes through this much angst over saving or discarding a relationship unless they’re considering the long haul. Are you saying you two never discussed getting married?”
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Sure, we discussed it a few times.”
“I’m no family counselor—hell, I haven’t been able to save my own marriage—yet. In my book, the two of you have something worth salvaging. You just need to decide how much work and pain you’re willing to endure before he comes to his senses and lets you back inside.” Alex checked his watch. “Guess I’d better get going. My wife is flying in tomorrow night and I have some serious house cleaning to do.”
Jesse followed him outside feeling as if she’d gone through a brief therapy session. The thing was, everything Alex said made complete sense. “Thanks. I didn’t mean for this to be a help Jesse dinner.”
“Are you kidding? It was a nice change to talk about something other than building permits and budget issues.” He drew Jesse into a brief hug. “Hang in there. It’s my guess it’ll be worth it.”
******
Trey sat inside, watching the intense conversation going on between Jesse and the new man, Alex. He figured they must have something truly important to discuss by the looks on both of their faces. He’d been about ready to hand Trevor off to one of the guys and march over to her table when they’d stood to walk outside. A moment later he watched as Alex pulled Jesse into a hug. Good thing the guy hadn’t kissed her as that might have been more than Trey could handle.
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