“Really?” What does that mean? He’s not available. Is he thinking of me? Is there someone else?
His releases my hand and his fingertips graze my cheek. “Hey. I’m not available to anyone but you, Megan. Wipe that worried look off your face. I’m yours, baby. Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
My eyes are glued to his when the buzz of my phone breaks my stare.
“Go ahead. Get it.”
I reach for my bag, and take out my cell.
“Oh my god.” Tears fill my eyes. “The baby is here. Mrs. Gelson. She had her baby.” I hold out my phone for him to see the picture Travis just sent.
“Cool.”
“She’s cute, isn’t she?” I mumble, while wiping my eyes.
“Told your mom you were gonna need more than one pack of tissue.” I punch him in the arm. “When is Mrs. Fuller’s baby coming?”
“Christmas break. How fun for them. I hope me and the girls get prego at the same time.”
“In about five, ten years, maybe. Right?” He looks worried.
“Yes. I only want you to be my lick-stick right now, remember? Not my baby daddy.”
To this, he throws his head back with a big belly laugh. “Lick stick, Meggie? Really?”
“How are we supposed to know which one he is?” I ask. “They all look the same.”
“We’ll know when we see him,” Ben’s mother says. “They all look very handsome, don’t they?”
We stand for the National Anthem. The lyrics form on my lips as the band plays the song. When it’s over and we’re seated again, my eyes scan the perfectly straight rows of men looking for my friend in a sea of Marines all dressed in the same khaki colored dress shirt, and blue slacks. The band plays as I continue to search.
“Find him yet?” Alex asks.
“You’ll know when I do.”
We watch as a Marine—who I assume is someone special because there’s a red pinstripe going the down the side of each of his pant legs—grunts out a bunch of stuff I can’t make sense of. I’m assuming these jarheads know what he’s saying but I sure don’t. And they don’t even flinch, sway, or move a centimeter while he calls out to them. It’s amazing to me how still they can be on their feet, their right hands up in a salute, while everything goes on around them.
Through a P.A. system, an officer tells us about this group of graduating Marines. There are 428, ninety-nine percent are high school graduates, and nine are college grads. The booming voice thanks the parents for giving up a part of their families to protect this great country. I look over at Ben’s mom. She nods with a smile on her face. His dad is beaming with pride.
“Good morning, Marines!” he shouts.
Then, I’m assuming they say good morning back, but I can’t quite make out the words. The crowd cheers in response.
The voice goes on to talk about the changes we’ll see in these new Marines. I laugh aloud when he says they’ll all wear their pants where they belong now—around their waist and with a belt. Maybe the rest of the guys at my school should enlist.
“I still don’t see him,” I say.
“Neither do I,” his mom says. “If he asks, we’ll just tell him we had our eyes zoomed in on him from the moment he marched in.”
We all chuckle at her joke.
At one point, the spokesperson asks all Marines in attendance to rise. Near us, an older gentlemen stands, wearing a red ball cap that reads, “USMC Veteran” in gold lettering. His legs are a little wobbly as he raises a shaky hand to a salute, but the hardened look on his face is sheer determination. A young woman sitting next to him has tears gliding slowly down her cheeks.
“Is he your dad?” I ask.
She dabs at her eyes with a tissue. “Yes. We’re all here,” she gestures to the people next to her, “to see my friend who’s graduating today. Me, him, and his girlfriend have been friends since the fourth grade.”
“Wow, that’s a long time.” I think of Keesh and smile.
“My dad is a Vietnam vet so things like this always get emotional for us.” She reaches out to steady her father as he sits.
He glances over at me, and I tell him, “Thank you, sir, for your years of service. It’s an honor to be here with you today.”
He nods with a gleam of pride in his eyes. “You’re very welcome.”
The band begins to play again and this time the bad ass mother fuckers— as I’ve been instructed to call them because they are never to be referred to as soldiers—begin marching.
“Oh, cool. It looks like they’re gonna come right in front of us.” I sit up a little straighter, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ben as he passes.
We observe as each platoon goes by in step with each other. How they manage to stay together in stride is impressive.
“Did you hear that?” she asks, after a number is called. “That’s his platoon. He’s in this group.”
“I see him,” Alex says, pointing toward the guys. “He’s in,” he counts, “the fourth row in the center, closest to us.”
And sure enough, there he is … facing forward, straight-faced, and he doesn’t even blink. The seriousness of his expression is new to me, but that’s definitely his profile. He looks thinner, and more tan. A little bulkier on top.
When all the men get into their new lines in front of the crowd, their drill instructors give them their final orders. The announcer makes another joke saying this will be the best order their drill instructors have given them since they arrived. There are a few barking shouts from the Marines with the red stripe on their pants, the new Marines shout something back, and then all hell breaks loose as they erupt into cheers.
“Let’s go,” Ben’s dad says. “We can see him now.”
I take a quick glance at his mom who looks at me with big eyes full of tears. “Let’s go see my baby.”
Alex holds her hand, offering support, as she makes her way down the bleachers. I follow behind nervously.
It seems like eons before the crowds part and Ben comes into view. Just like the officer said, he looks taller, more mature. He stands straighter, his broad shoulders squared off, with more confidence than he ever had before. Not that he needed anymore in that department. But even in his Marine Corps uniform, complete with the white hat, there’s no mistaking he’s still our Ben.
His kind eyes tell all.
He smiles, holding out his arms. His mom closes the distance between them and he envelops her into a long-lasting bear hug. As I watch the warm reception, tears sting my eyes. Alex’s hand tightens around mine, and I can see with one look up at him that he’s fighting back tears too.
Next, Ben shakes his dad’s hand, giving him one of those manly hugs with a slap on the back.
Then, he steps in front of me with his arms wide open. “Come here, Little One. Why do you look so scared?” He holds out his hand to Alex for a quick shake, while tugging me close to him with his other arm.
I circle my arms around his waist. “I’m not scared. I’m just in shock. You’re here. Finally. Congratulations!”
“Thanks but why are you shocked? Who did you think you were coming to see?”
“I guess I just didn’t believe it would really happen till now.”
“Well, I’m here. It’s me. I’m not going anywhere. Not for ten days, anyway.”
We’re spending Thanksgiving with Ben and his family. His parents invited all our families to join them since he’s only home for a short time. Everyone will be here except for Steph’s parents. They couldn’t get out of hosting the holiday dinner if they tried, with their giant family and all.
Ben opens the door to greet us before we even have a chance to ring the bell.
“Congratulations, Ben.” My dad holds out a hand to him. “We’re all very proud of you. And thankful too.”
“Thank you, sir.” There’s a quick pump of each other’s hands and then he turns to my mom. “I missed you, crazy lady.”
She stands on tiptoes to give him a hug
. “I missed you too. Like the man said, we’re very proud of you. I’m just hoping you stay in the country as long as possible.”
Me too. It’s nice to see him home, but I can’t help but dwell on what might come next.
“Let’s not talk about that right now,” he says. “Come on in. It’s time to eat and watch football.”
The rest of the gang is already here. Dom, Steph, Travis, Andi, Josh, Keesh, and …
“Jon!”
“Hey, Meggie. It’s about time you got here. And they always say we’re,” he gestures to Steph, “late to everything.”
I rush to him with my hands out. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d give y’all a two-fer. Both Ben and I in one place at the same time.” He rocks me back and forth in his big arms. This guy keeps growing every time we see him. “I told him I didn’t want to steal his thunder. I mean Marine Corps boot camp for three months is nothing compared to being gone for almost three years.”
“Somehow boot camp doesn’t seem to compare to sleeping in your own bed, showering in the privacy of your own bathroom, and eating your mama’s cooking. But I could be wrong,” Alex says, from behind me. “Now, get your paws off my woman.”
I turn around and bounce up on my toes to kiss Alex’s cheek.
“All right, now that we’re all here, let’s eat. We have the rest of the night and weekend to catch up. I’m dying to dig into the mashed potatoes and gravy.” Ben waves us into the dining room.
There is a crowd of adults already filling in the space from wall to wall.
Ben’s dad quiets everyone. “Before we begin our meal, I’d like to say a little something.” He lifts his hand and signals to his son to stand beside him. “I’d like to thank all our family and friends for joining us this year. I’m happy to have all my children home, along with my grandchildren. Being all in the same place at the same time has meant so much to me.” He steals a glance at Ben’s brother and sister and their families, who just arrived from out of town earlier today. “I know many of you changed your traditions to be here with us today.” He pauses, putting an arm around Ben. “I’m very proud of my son for enlisting in the finest branch of service our country has to offer. And while we have him here with us today, let us not forget all the service men and women who are abroad fighting for the freedom and liberties we enjoy every day. Let’s honor them with a short moment of silence.”
I bow my head along with the others.
“Okay, everyone. Thanks again for joining us. Let’s eat.”
There are a few hoots, a few claps, as some of Ben’s family members give him a hug or a pat on the back.
“How you doing, honey?” My dad whispers as everyone starts to pile food on their plates.
“You know, at first, I was so upset and sad that he left. But now, how can I feel that way? I’m just proud, very proud to have him as my friend.”
Chapter 18
Spending over a week with Alex has been great, but all wonderful things must come to an end. Well, they shouldn’t have too. Great things should continue for eternity. But in our case, we get happiness in little spurts called holidays. And tomorrow, the vacation is over and Alex is leaving at the crack of dawn on an early flight back to Berkeley.
Tonight, though, I’m going to savor. it like it’s my last French fry. Tonight is date night. I kinda feel like an old couple, ditching the kids and spending time alone. It’s not often I go out without the girls, but we need some alone time. And they understand.
“Can you believe we’ve seen each other nine days in a row and this is the first time we’ve been alone?” Alex asks as we drive away from my house.
“I know. Crazy huh.”
“I was ready to drag you into the bathroom at Ben’s house the other night. I’ve been dying to get you to myself.”
“Same here.”
“It was cool Jon made it down,” he says.
“Yeah, I just wish we could’ve spent more time with him. I still can’t believe his parents drove in for the day and then turned right back around. Who does that?”
Alex shrugs. “People who don’t get a lot of time off of work. They spent most of their vacation driving. I bet Keesh was happy though.”
“I don’t think she let go of him once. She may have gone with him to the bathroom.” We both chuckle even though we know it could be true. At least they got to hang out for a couple of hours alone before he had to leave again.”
“Yeah. Totally.
“So, ready to tell me where we’re off to?”
Like habit, he reaches over and tucks my hand in his. Sparks flutter up my arm and down the rest of my body.
“Not a chance.”
“Come on. The suspense is killing me.”
“Be patient, Megan.”
I sigh. “When have you ever known me to be patient?”
“Uh,” he laughs, “never.”
“Exactly.”
He turns up the volume on his stereo, probably hoping he’ll shut me up. It works. I sit back and get comfortable for the ride to who knows where.
As Alex heads out of town and up into the mountains, I start to have an inkling as to where we’re going.
“Are we going to that spot we played strip Twister?” I hope not. The last time we were there doesn’t conjure up the best of memories. An image of Travis’s fist connecting with Alex’s nose makes me wince. Even worse was the sound. Thankfully, they were able to get over that day. But the memory still sucks.
“Not exactly,” he says, keeping the details to himself. Finally, he parks in a cobblestone parking lot. “We’re gonna have dinner at the lodge.”
The lodge. Am I supposed to know what that is?
He gets out and quickly comes around to my side. I’ve unhooked my seatbelt and am reaching for my bag when my door opens. Alex holds out a hand.
“What a gentlemen. Impressive, Mr. Aguilar.”
“Wait till you taste the food here.”
“I’m excited already. I’ve never been here before. Never heard of it either.”
“It’s higher than the spot all the high school kids go to. Most of them never make it up this far. I thought you might like it up here with all the pine trees. Thought it might remind you of our camping trip since you liked it so much.”
Hand in hand, we walk the path to the entrance of the lodge. I take a quick glance at the scenery. “I love it. It does remind me of Mammoth. Thank you, Alex.”
He holds the door open and we find a table near the fireplace in the center of the dining room.
“It’s beautiful in here. Really warm and cozy. Like being at home.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
He’s so right. I’m not a fancy kind of girl. Being able to wear my jeans and my San Jose hoodie is a major plus for me. I loathe getting all dressed up. Alex knows this about me and it makes my heart beat a little faster for him.
An older woman dressed in a flannel button down top, worn jeans, and hiking boots comes over with a tablet and a pencil in her hand.
“Hey, lovebirds,” she says. “What can I get ya?”
Alex glances my way with a grin. “We’ll start with some hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.”
“Sounds delightful. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
When the waitress is out of earshot, I whisper, “Jiffy?”
“Yeah. She’s a trip, huh.”
“How do you know what to order? She didn’t give us any menus.”
Alex reaches across the table and threads his fingers through mine. “No menus here. They just have soup, chili, and homemade sourdough bread. It’s all amazing. You’ll love it.”
“What kind of soup?” I ask. The idea of any kind of warm broth sounds perfect. The weather has definitely gotten a lot cooler in the last few days. The summer’s heat is barely starting to wear off even though we’re knee deep into fall already.
“They have chicken noodle, cream of corn, and some others. But my favorite is the brocco
li and cheese.”
“Ooo, yum. That’s what I’ll have.”
“Two hot chocos for the high school sweethearts.” Two mix-matched mugs are placed on our table. “Have you decided on anything else, or are ya just gonna stare into each other’s eyes over a cup of cocoa. I can get y’all some straws so you don’t have to stop holding hands.” She winks.
“C’mon, Betty, stop giving the kids a hard time,” a man dressed just like her says from the kitchen door.
“Aww, I’m just kidding around,” she shouts to him. To us, she says, “Sorry, kiddos if I offended ya. You’re just so cute. I say y’all come back here for your anniversary in ten-twenty years.”
My face heats at the thought. “Well, Betty, you’re on. We’ll be back,” I tell her.
Alex’s eyes are fixed to mine, a smile curved across his luscious mouth. “Count on it.”
I break his stare to look up at the waitress. “We’ll both have the broccoli and cheese soup and some of your homemade bread. I can smell it from here and it’s making my mouth water.”
“Sure thing.” She turns to leave our table, and then shouts to the man, “Two brocs and bread for the sweet little things at number twelve.”
When our sassy server comes back with our soup, sure enough, we’re still holding hands.
“Need a straw for your soup too?” she jokes.
Alex puts his hands up with a smile. “Give us a break. I’m leaving to go back to school tomorrow. I’m just enjoying the little time I have left with my beautiful girl.” He winks at me.
“Ooo, he’s smooth,” she says to me, gesturing to Alex with her thumb. “And a keeper. I can tell.”
“That’s what he keeps telling me,” I say, jokingly. “I think I’ll keep him around for a while unless something better comes along.”
Alex’s lips form a big O in shock.
“Good girl, keep him on his toes.” She places some extra napkins on our table before moving on to tease another couple who have just walked through the doors.
When we’re done eating the best soup and sourdough bread I’ve ever tasted, I follow Alex back out to his car.
Double Threats Forever (Double Threat Series) Page 13