“Because you say so?”
He laughed. “Because I know so. You’ll see once it starts moving.” The words were barely off his tongue when the cars began rolling along the track, quickly accelerating until it reached speeds exceeding sixty miles an hour. Angela had buried her face against his chest and screamed. His free hand cradled the back of her head as the ride slowed up a steep incline before hurtling down to a dip that continued into a loop, momentarily snatching the breath from his lungs. Angela was right. He was a thrill-seeking junkie. Speed and heights had become his drugs of choice.
The fifty-year-old Fourth of July fair had evolved from one day to two, and finally three, after the town council ruled that all businesses closed on the Fourth so employees can celebrate the holiday with their families. The next two days would also be town holidays with a fair-like carnival with rides, games and bake-offs, with business owners offering deep discounts to sell off inventory before the next season.
This was only the second time Lee had celebrated the holiday with the residents of The Falls. The first had been following his high school graduation and weeks before he signed his enlistment documents.
Holding Angela, feeling her warmth and inhaling the sensual fragrance of the perfume on her exposed skin had become an aphrodisiac. Everything about her—her face, body and voice—pulled him into a web of longing from which he did not want to escape. The instant she came over and sat across from him at the table in the school cafeteria he’d found himself mesmerized. So much so that he’d found himself unable to say more than his name. Angela was like a fairy-tale princess come to life, and once he had become more familiar with her he realized it wasn’t just her natural beauty that held him spellbound whenever they were together, but also her willingness to form a friendship without expecting anything in return.
Lee later discovered he and Angela shared a common bond: alienation. The kids avoided him because of the stories about his unscrupulous ancestors who’d cheated and abused the men who’d worked in their mines, and the girls rejected Angela because she had made a name for herself as a successful teenage model. By age sixteen, her face had graced the covers of teen magazines, and during the school summer recess she traveled with her mother to Paris, Milan and Rome to model the upcoming lines of well-known designers.
She left the world of high-fashion modeling to become a wife, unware it would be short-lived. Angela was the exemplary military widow when Lee sat next to her at Justin’s funeral, holding one hand while her other rested on her rounded belly. Not once had she displayed grief during the service or when she was given the folded flag that had covered Justin’s casket. It pained Lee to see her grieving inwardly and he was unable to offer the comfort he knew she needed from him as a friend. He hadn’t wanted to be a friend but a husband to her and a father to her children yet to be born.
Lee knew he had wasted time by not keeping in touch with Angela, but that was going to change now that he was back in Wickham Falls. He had lost her once and he swore it would not happen again.
The ride ended and Angela’s head popped up. Her eyes were shimmering with excitement. “Let’s do it again.”
He stared at her in disbelief. The wind had whipped her hair around her face. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
“No. That was incredible.”
Throwing back his head, Lee laughed until his sides hurt. “You’re unbelievable. Now who’s the adrenaline junkie?” Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he gave the ride operator two more tickets.
During their second ride Angela didn’t hide her face in his chest but raised her arms above her head like many of the other riders did when the car sped up for a rapid decline. Her willingness to ride the roller coaster again told Lee that Angela was a risk-taker and that she was open to try something at least once.
The fairground was teeming with teenagers, mothers and fathers with their children, and people he recognized from Mineral Springs. For years there had been a fierce football rivalry between The Falls and The Springs.
Although Lee tended to eat healthy he could not resist the allure of carnival food. He ordered a sub with sausage, peppers and onions, while Angela indulged herself with a hotdog with mustard and grilled onions.
“Remind me not to kiss you before I brush my teeth,” she teased.
Lee nodded because he didn’t have a comeback. He’d kissed Angela but never on the lips. That was a line he did not want to cross unless she gave him permission. Hopefully it would happen sooner than later. They finished eating their sandwiches and washed it down with mugs of sweet tea.
Placing his arm around her waist, he led her over to the section where vendors had set up stalls with stuffed animals as prizes. He stopped at one where there were prizes for hitting moving ducks with an air rifle. “What kind of toys do your children like?” he asked Angela.
She studied the prizes. “Malcolm likes penguins and Zoe is partial to sock monkeys.”
Lee placed a bill on the counter. “I’ll buy three games.” The vendor handed him the rifle and his change, and then pressed a lever. Lee raised the rifle and one by one in rapid succession he hit all ten ducks.
* * *
Angela stared in awe at Lee’s sharpshooting skill as he knocked over every moving target. A small crowd had gathered to watch him and a smattering of applause broke out when he set down the rifle. The vendor picked up an extension pole and took down a penguin, a sock monkey and a white bear with a big red heart on its chest.
A middle-aged man with a long, gray ponytail slapped Lee on the back. “Son, where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“Uncle Sam’s Army.”
The older man narrowed his eyes. “You Special Forces?”
Lee nodded. “Ranger.”
“Well, it looks as if we have something in common. I was a Green Beret. Spent three years in Nam before I received a medical discharge after shrapnel tore through my left leg. The doctors wanted to amputate because it’d become infected. I told that SOB if he cut off my leg I was going to come back and gut him like a pig. He must have believed me because he ordered massive doses of antibiotics and three months later I walked out of the VA hospital with the legs I came into the world with.”
Angela walked away to give the two men a modicum of privacy to compare war stories. She studied Lee as if it were her first time looking at him, and found him so primitively sensual, with his black hair floating around his face when not secured in a bun. Then there was the intensity in his eyes that had the power to not allow her to look away. His tawny complexion and seemingly balanced features that were the result of his mixed race ancestry made him a breathtakingly beautiful man.
A hint of a smile tilted the corners of her mouth when she wondered how had she gotten so lucky to have not one but two men in her life to love? Even though she did not want to admit it to herself, Angela knew Lee had always held a special place in her heart. Whenever her life was in crisis he was the one she’d reached out to: the spats she had with Justin in high school, her husband’s death and now the confrontations with her mother-in-law. Lee had always come through offering support while not being judgmental. It had taken Lee fifteen years to admit to wanting more than friendship and he now he was offering her a second chance at love. He turned to look at her at the same time her smile grew wider.
He closed the distance between them and handed her the bear. “What are you smiling about?”
“I’ve just made a decision.”
His black eyebrows lifted. “What about?”
“About us dating.”
A beat passed. “What about us dating?”
“I’m ready to do it.”
Leaning closer, Lee brushed a light kiss over her parted lips. “Thank you.”
“Do you always kiss a girl on the first date?” she teased.
“Only if she lets me.” He pressed a kiss to her ear. “One
of these days I’m going to show you just how much I love you.”
Angela did not have to be clairvoyant to know he was talking about making love with her. Passion had become as foreign to her as her past life as a model. It was a part of her past. She knew Lee wanted to make love to her and she wanted him to. After all, she was thirty, widowed and a mother of two who hadn’t had sex since becoming pregnant. She was six weeks pregnant when Justin received orders that he was to be deployed, and he feared making love to her until she completed her first trimester, unaware he would never get the opportunity to sleep with his wife again.
“It’s been a long time for me, Lee.”
He angled his head. “I know that. I promise not to touch you until you’re ready.”
“What if I’m never ready?”
Lee lowered his eyes. “There are ways a man can release his sexual frustration.”
Going on tiptoe, Angela kissed his cheek. “Are you blushing, Leland Remington?”
“No!”
“Someone is protesting too much.” She looped her arms through his. “You can let me know when you need a sexual release and I’ll see what I can do about it.”
“Hot damn! I’ve got myself a saucy wench!”
“One of these days I’ll show you a real saucy wench and I’m willing to bet you won’t be able to handle her.”
Lee leaned back slightly. “Are you challenging me? Because you know how much I love a challenge.”
“Yes, sweet prince. It’s a challenge.”
Lee laughed so loud that people near them turned around. Angela tugged on his arm. “Let’s go before folks think there’s something wrong with you.”
He stared at her, his blue-gray eyes holding her captive. “The only thing that’s wrong is that I finally had to admit my feelings for you go beyond friendship.”
Lee’s passionate pronouncement stayed with Angela long after they’d left the fair. She spoke in monosyllables during the drive, and once they returned to his suite, she retreated to the bathroom to shower. When she emerged it was to close the bedroom door. The boldness she had exhibited had dissipated like hot water on a heated griddle.
Lee had come back into her life with the force of a twister sweeping up everything in its path and it frightened her. He didn’t mince words, saying exactly what he wanted or felt and that was something she had to get used to. The young man she’d known in high school had evolved into a man she recognized but did not know. And it was the mature, adult Leland who made her feel something she had forgotten: desire.
Reaching over, she turned off the bedside lamp and closed her eyes. Sleep was a long time coming and when she did finally fall asleep, it was to dream of a man making love to her. She woke with a start, her chest rising and falling heavily as she tried to ignore the throbbing between her thighs. Angela sat up and covered her mouth to stop the slight moans from escaping. She gasped when the door opened and a tall shadow appeared in the doorway.
“Are you all right?”
Heat suffused her face when she realized Lee must have heard her moaning. “Yes. I just had a nightmare,” she lied smoothly.
“So you want company?”
“No! Yes,” she said quickly, patting the mattress next to where she lay. Angela knew she had to stop lying, something she detested and always cautioned her children against. “It wasn’t a nightmare but an erotic dream. I had a dream you were making love to me.” There, it was out. Now he knew everything.
Lee walked into the room and got into bed next to her. “Move over, babe.”
Angela exhaled an inaudible sigh when she realized Lee was wearing pajama pants. “I...”
“Go back to sleep,” he said, interrupting her and turning his back. “I need sleep if I’m going to be alert for tomorrow’s military challenge.”
“But, Lee...”
“Please stop talking, Angela,” he said, cutting her off again.
She lay down and turned her back to his. Her celibate body was screaming for physical release and the man sharing the bed had no intention of assuaging her. His soft snores reverberated in the room and minutes later Angela fell asleep, too. She did not wake until ribbons of sunlight filtered through the drapes and the smell of coffee wafted to her nose. The pillow where Lee had slept beside hers bore the imprint of his head. Throwing off the sheet and lightweight blanket she headed for the bathroom.
“Don’t take too long, sleepyhead,” Lee called out from the kitchen. “Breakfast will be on the table in about fifteen minutes.”
She smiled. “Aye, aye, Sergeant Remington.”
“Wrong branch, princess.”
“My bad!” she drawled as she closed the bathroom door. Angela knew she could easily get used to living with Lee. She did not go as far as thinking of them living together as husband and wife, but it was definitely something for her to think about for the future.
Chapter Eight
Angela knew she would either be hoarse or lose her voice completely as she screamed for Lee’s team, led by Aiden Gibson, when they competed against Giles Wainwright’s team during the tug-of-war. The participants wore tees and shorts stamped with their respective branch of service. All wore gloves to protect their hands against the hemp rope and military-issued boots as footwear. Giles had selected former marines to fill out his team, leaving Aiden to pick up those from the other branches.
Viviana, who had returned from her overnight stay in Charleston, nearly deafened Angela when she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Nicole, show the boys how it’s done!” After giving the Corps fifteen years, Nicole Campos had gone to law school, returned to The Falls and was now an associate with the local law firm.
The red bandanna tied to the middle of the rope went back and forth over the chalk line without either side giving quarter. Biceps and triceps were visible as the combatants fought for superiority. The heat from the sun, which had emerged from behind puffy clouds, beat down mercilessly on those gathered in the field to watch what had become a battle of gladiators.
Angela spied Joyce standing off from the crowd, frowning. Her expression indicated her distaste for the display of physical prowess, and she wondered if anyone or anything other than her grandchildren made her happy. Whenever she was around Malcolm and Zoe she’d become the overindulgent grandmother.
The competition continued for ten more grueling minutes, and then, without warning, the teams released the rope and declared it a draw, much to the disappointment of the spectators. A five-minute break ensued before the next competition: bell ringing. It was a team effort again and this time Aiden’s team was awarded a first-place ribbon. Only six signed up for the weight-lifting contest. It began with bench-pressing one-fifty, increasing each round by fifty pounds.
Angela managed to push her way to the front of the crowd and held her breath as a pregnant silence fell over the assembled when Aiden failed to powerlift five hundred pounds. The next contestant also failed. She closed her eyes for several seconds as Lee lay on the bench and slowly lifted the barbell until it was above his head. Although not as heavily muscled as his team leader, he was younger and in peak conditioning compared to the former navy SEAL. He managed three repetitions before resting the bar on its stand. Hoots and whistles rent the air as Lee bowed as if he were an actor taking curtain calls.
Angela did not have time to react when Lee lifted her effortlessly off her feet and held her over his head. The crowd cheered with more hoots and whistles as he spun her around and around. He’s gone and lost his mind, she thought as her heart pumped wildly against her ribs. He stopped spinning and slowly set her on feet. Angela gripped his shirt to maintain her balance. “You’re going to pay for that,” she threatened.
“What, babe? No congratulations?”
“Congratulations, Lee,” she said, breathlessly. Angela hadn’t expected him to use her as a human pinwheel. She saw Joyce out of the corner o
f her eye, glaring at her as if she had suddenly grown a set of horns. Looping her arm through Lee’s she steered him away from the crowd that had gathered to watch the competition. “I’m ready to go home now.”
“Do you want to come back later?”
“No. I need to go back to The Falls House and iron my clothes for the workweek.” Angela had one more day before her vacation ended and it was back to work.
Lee exhaled an audible sigh. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Of course. Tomorrow afternoon is the bake-off competition, and I’m curious to see if Miss Joyce will win again this year.” Angela untangled their arms. “I’ll drive back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure, Batman. Sit back and relax. You’ve earned it.” She tapped a button on the jeep’s remote device, unlocking the doors. Lee sat next to her and she waited for him to secure his seat belt before turning on the engine and shifting into gear.
Angela woke to the sound of rain pelting the windows of her bedroom in The Falls House. It had been an unusually dry spring and although the region needed the rain, she would’ve preferred if it held off for twenty-four hours. It was the last and final day of the Fourth of July fair, and she knew if it didn’t slack up or stop by noon the rest of the holiday’s festivities would be canceled. Turning over she picked up the television remote, tuned to the weather channel and read the crawl on the bottom of the screen. Meteorologists were predicting torrential rain with flooding in valleys and low-lying areas. Last year the Chamber of Commerce had canceled the entire fair due to inclement weather, and Angela felt they were fortunate this year to get in at least two of the three days.
Angela turned off the television and stared up at the ceiling. It had taken the span of one week for her life to change: her children were with their maternal grandparents in Los Angeles; she’d moved out of her mother-in-law’s house and into a historic mansion; she’d taken the first step to finding a house, and her relationship and feelings for Lee were changing and deepening with every encounter.
Twins for the Soldier Page 10