Rhapsody (The Bellator Saga Book 5)

by Cecilia London

  Caroline smiled. “That’s nice.”

  Natalie shrugged. “I’m your therapist and your friend. Therefore you are doubly obligated to listen to my advice.”

  “I wish I could get to the point where it stops hurting so much.”

  “You will. Like I said, take it one step at a time. Maybe write things down. That might help you keep perspective. And talk to Jack. He has the same problem you do; he just doesn’t express it as openly.”

  “By throwing things or yelling, you mean.”

  “Yes. Which might make it worse. You two can and should help each other. Let’s set an achievable goal for you. Try to do something that makes you happy every day until Christmas. Can you manage that?”

  “I’ll try.”

  Natalie stood up. “Good. Let’s go back out there and beat those guys at Monopoly or something.”

  Fun. Caroline could try to have fun. And it was a hell of a lot easier to have fun when she could be kicking someone’s ass in a board game. “Fantastic idea.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  No one called attention to her outburst, and the rest of Thanksgiving went off without a hitch. Caroline even managed to finish her application for The Hague during the first week of December. With the rest of the holidays looming, she did her best to forget about Edwards. To focus on happy things. She still had her moments – the crying jags, the silences, the moody afternoons when she’d lock herself in the bedroom with a book and a box of tissues, but Jack tolerated them well.

  The data release was on target for shortly after the New Year, and they planned on unloading everything including prisoner records, files relating to Hendricks’ assassination, and anecdotal evidence from individual members of the rebellion. They were going to throw everything at the wall in a singular effort to spur the international community to action. And despite their daily devotion to weeding through the documents in an attempt to make sure all their bases were covered, Jack and Caroline stayed relatively stress-free.

  They kept Christmas to themselves. Too many memories, and the risk of melancholy remained. Caroline wanted to keep it as happy as possible, which was much easier to do when it was just the two of them. She wanted to make sure they stayed on course. A small candlelight dinner and couch cuddling formed the bulk of their day.

  Jack plopped down next to her, dropping a box in her lap. “I got you something.”

  She grinned at him. “That’s it?”

  “Hush and open it.”

  No big surprise, it was her engagement ring. “You’re the king of regifting, aren’t you?”

  He laughed. “Are you saying you don’t want it back?”

  She held the box out of his reach. “No. Mine now.”

  “I don’t have a jeweler on speed dial anymore. It was the best I could do. Plus, I think you were secretly wondering where it was.”

  Which was true, but she hadn’t wanted to say anything. Especially when she thought about how she reacted the first time he tried to give it to her. “I feel bad,” Caroline said. “Dessert and my piddly present aren’t really comparable to this. I could put out after dinner,” she offered.

  “I assumed that was part of the plan,” Jack said. “You’re the best present I could have received this year.”

  She laughed and let him slip the ring onto her finger. “Aren’t you a ladykiller.”

  “I got you something else,” Jack said, after he sneaked a few kisses. “I hope you like it.” He reached behind the couch and placed a flat, neatly wrapped package next to her. “Open it up.”

  “You must be the only person who gets wrapping paper at the commissary,” she said.

  He laughed. “It is my solemn duty to keep the base economy running smoothly.”

  She ripped the paper off. It was one of the photos he’d kept stashed in the dresser, now housed in a lovely metal frame. From their first Christmas as a married couple. Caroline and Jack sitting on a grand couch in the living room, Sophie and Marguerite on each side. All smiling genuine smiles, looking like normal human beings. Caroline loved it because even though it had gone out on all of their official holiday correspondence, it wasn’t the least bit political.

  She brushed her fingers across the frame. “One of my favorites,” she said.

  “I know. That’s why I picked it.” Jack kissed the side of her head. “Do you need a minute?”

  “Afraid I’m going to freak out?”

  He chuckled. “A little.”

  She’d lost her temper a few times since Thanksgiving, but on the whole she’d done fairly well. It was getting easier to think about the girls without feeling a stab in her chest. The moments would come, but without as much intensity. Caroline tapped her fingers on the frame again. “We had a good thing going, didn’t we?”

  Jack kissed her again. “We sure did.”

  A small victory to be able to open that gift without falling apart. Progress couldn’t always be measured so easily, but she’d take it. Caroline hugged the picture to her chest. “It’s beautiful, Jack. Thank you.”

  He pulled her into an embrace, letting her cry the few tears that seeped out. “You gonna be okay?”

  “Yeah.” She straightened up. “Where should we put it?”

  “Wherever we can look at it and be happy.”

  Caroline put it on the shelf next to the door. “That way they’ll be sending us off every day.” She headed toward the bedroom, motioning for him to follow. “I got you something too.” He opened his mouth to speak and she held up a finger. “It’s not that.”

  “You promised sex.”

  “Later.”

  He smiled as she retrieved an oddly shaped present from the dresser drawer. “You should have asked me to wrap it.”

  “Quiet.” She handed him the package. “I hope you like it.”

  He pulled a lopsided item out of the wrapping. “Uh, sweetheart. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but what is this?”

  She put it on her head. “It’s a stocking cap. See? Natalie taught me how to knit.”

  “Is that what you two have been doing on your free afternoons?”

  “We figured we could learn stuff from each other.”

  Jack stared at her. “Have you been teaching her to bake?”

  “She’s doing pretty well. She finally made a successful meringue.”

  “I think she’s getting the better end of the deal. Is it supposed to make you look like an elf?”

  She pulled the cap off and held it out of his reach. “I’ll keep it for myself, then.”

  “No,” he said. “I want it. I just – we live in southern California. Do I really need a stocking cap?”

  “It’s cold in Europe this time of year. Plus it brings out the color in your eyes.”

  He yanked the hat out of her hands and put it on his head. “How do I look?”

  She kissed him. “Incredibly handsome.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “This hat must have taken you a while.”

  “I was able to throw it together while Natalie was busy failing at her first three or four meringues. Do you really like it?”

  “It’s downright swell. But it’s a little too dressy for the rest of our evening. Let’s head down to the cafeteria. They’re having a Christmas shindig.”

  Oh, he’d pay for that sarcastic remark later. “By they, you mean we. I got the memo. I wrote the memo.”

  “Schroeder wrote the memo. You just proofread it.”

  He was splitting semantic hairs. The party had been completely her idea. “Fine, I’ll go,” Caroline said. “Maybe Natalie and Mark will be there.”

  Jack smiled at her, putting the stocking cap on the bed. “I’m pleased to note that you’re wearing your finest sweater and jeans ensemble, my lady.” He looked down at her combat boots. “And your footwear is practical, but cute.”

  “Evening gowns and heels are hard to come by around here. You’ll have to make do. Just imagine I’m wearing something else.”

  “Or nothi
ng at all.”

  “That happens later.”

  “You’d better not be teasing me, Mrs. McIntyre.”

  “Do I ever?”

  He kissed her. “Let’s go.”

  * * * * *

  Natalie and Mark were indeed there, and Jack and Caroline spent most of the night hanging out with them, along with Jonesie, Gig, and Crunch, who had heard a rumor that there would be a keg of Guinness available. Caroline was trying to figure out how their kitchen crew managed to make that happen. She certainly hadn’t approved it. If her husband had played a part, he’d done a great job of keeping his mouth shut. The alcohol was flowing freely. Jack told the soldiers there were no expectations when it came to consumption as long as no one behaved like a fool, and tomorrow was a free day in order to let them all recover. The entire room was in high spirits, with music playing in the background that Caroline didn’t recognize.

  “What song is this?” she asked Natalie.

  “Hell if I know. Like I keep up with what the kids are listening to these days.”

  “You are a kid.”

  “Not compared to a lot of these guys. You, Gig, and Jack raise the average age by about twenty years.”

  “Don’t they have anything better available? Like, you know, fun stuff? Fifties music, jazz, eighties, nineties, something.”

  “You sound old, Caroline. And cranky.”

  “You kids and your music, get off my lawn?”

  Natalie laughed. They’d both had a few, as had Jack and Mark. Jonesie, Gig, and Crunch were sitting at the table next to them, playing beer pong with a few other guys. Gig and the others were winning, which their opponents weren’t taking well.

  Natalie turned to Jack. “Your wife does not care for the entertainment your troops are being provided.”

  “That’s because this music is terrible,” he said, rising to his feet. “I’m going to see if they have anything good up there. I’ve had enough of autotune and Europop.”

  When he came back he was smiling. “They’re altering their playlist.” He pointed at Caroline. “You should take off your boots, sweetheart.”

  “For what?”

  “We’re going to show this room how proper dancing is done.”

  Surely he didn’t expect her to waltz around the linoleum. “We are?”

  “Of course we are. Do you need a refresher course?”

  “I can follow your lead. I think. Really, Jack?”

  “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

  Natalie finished her drink. “I totally want to see this.”

  “You’d better be dancing too.” Caroline loosened the laces on her boots. “I’m not doing this alone.”

  “Sure,” Natalie said, even though Mark looked petrified. “Why not?”

  “We won’t do anything too dramatic,” Jack said. “Not if you have so little traction.”

  “If you toss me into the air, I’ll beat the hell out of you.”

  He chuckled. “Promises, promises. I’ll do whatever I want and you’ll follow.”

  She couldn’t tell if he was being aggressive or humorous. Caroline looked over at the other table. “Crunch, you wanna dance with us? I think you and Jonesie would look great together.”

  Crunch laughed. “Sure, Princess.” He turned to Jones. “You in?”

  Jones bowed dramatically. “Why not?”

  The song ended and “Runaround Sue” started playing.

  “Let’s roll,” Jack said, dragging her to the front of the room. Jones, Crunch, Natalie, and Mark followed them.

  “Sorry, Gig!” Caroline called. Poor guy was alone at the table, chugging his beer. “Next one’s for you.”

  “He can’t dance anyway,” Crunch said. “Not metrosexual enough.”

  A number of random people had spontaneously taken the floor. There had been hardly anyone dancing before that.

  “See?” Caroline said to Natalie. “I know what the people want.”

  Jack placed his hand on her hip and took her hand. “You talk too much. Just dance.”

  It was a fun slow jitterbug, and the floor grew crowded with other couples. Many of them didn’t know the moves but managed to enjoy themselves. Caroline and Jack whirled around, laughing.

  “This is great,” she said.

  He grinned against her cheek. “I knew you’d like it.”

  The song was short and before they knew it, the next one came on. Caroline recognized it immediately.

  “Brian Setzer, eh? Very subtle.”

  Jack switched his grip. “Wanna jump, jive, and wail?”

  He’d definitely have to lead. “Maybe not the jumping so much.”

  “We’ll see.”

  The steps came to Caroline quickly, even though Jack did most of the work at first. The music was fun and upbeat. They’d done their fair share of swing dancing in the ballroom of their Philadelphia home and it wasn’t all that hard for her to remember. She let Jack spin her around as she laughed, trying not to lose her balance. She hadn’t worn pumps in almost two years but they were much more effective than socks when it came to fast paced moves like the Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing.

  They kept dancing, faster and faster, working in some of their more advanced moves. It wasn’t until Jack swung her over his back that she heard the clapping and cheers and realized they were the only couple still on the floor. The rest of them had stopped to watch. Natalie was blowing kisses at them.

  “I am going to kill her,” Caroline panted. “She swore she’d keep dancing with us.”

  “Just keep going,” Jack said. “Nothing wrong with a little showing off.”

  She continued to let him lead, feeling the music. He flipped her over so fast she was lucky to land on her feet.

  “I wasn’t ready for that,” she said.

  “You handled it okay.”

  God willing he wouldn’t try it again or she’d end up on her ass. “I’m glad this is a short song. You’re wearing me out.”

  Jack twirled her furiously, keeping in time to the end of the song. As the last notes played, he lowered her in a deep dip before pulling her up and kissing her. The room erupted in applause and catcalls. Caroline was laughing so hard that Jack had to wrap his arms around her waist to keep her from toppling over.

  “Jerk,” she said, as he kissed the side of her head. “You knew this was going to happen.”

  “You know you love it.” He swept a loose strand of hair out of her face. “You’d better curtsy or something.”

  They took their bows and left the floor as the next song began to play. Caroline walked back to the table, still laughing, discovering that Natalie and Mark were already sitting back down.

  “Nicely done,” Natalie said.

  “Thanks for the backup, kid,” Caroline said. “That was awesome how you ditched me halfway through the second song.”

  “You guys were amazing,” Mark said.

  Jack flopped down in the seat next to Caroline, throwing his arm around her. “That was fun.”

  She caught the fine beads of sweat on his brow. He’d been a little out of dancing shape too, though he’d never admit it. Crunch, Gig, Jones, and the other guys relocated their beer pong game to Jack and Caroline’s table.

  “Where’d you learn to dance like that, Princess?” Jones asked, starting to set up the cups again.

  She pointed her thumb at Jack. “It’s all that guy. He’s the rug cutter. I stumble behind him trying not to fall down.”

  Crunch grinned at Jack. “Can you teach me how to dance like that, sir?”

  “Sure.” Jack finished his beer. “I’ll have Major Flaherty work it into our next training exercise.”

  “I’m tired,” Caroline said. “Two dances and I’m all worn out.”

  “You want to leave?” he asked. “It is a little late. For us old people.”

  She gave the rest of the table a guilty look. She didn’t want to ditch but took any chance she had to get extra sleep if she could. “Is that okay?”

  “It’s not
an issue,” Natalie said. “There is beer to be had and pong to be played.”

  Jack stood up. “I need to check on something first.” He went over to the DJ and returned a few minutes later with a CD in his hand.

  Caroline tried to read the front of the CD. “What is that?”

  He hid it from her view and lifted her to her feet. “Never you mind. Time to go home.”

  “Good night, everyone,” she said, right before Jack pulled her away from the table. She laughed again as he practically started running toward the door.

  “Caroline!” Natalie called. “Wait.”

  Caroline yanked on Jack’s arm. “Hold on, loverboy.”

  Natalie ran up behind them, embracing Caroline in a tight hug. “You looked so happy out there,” she whispered. “I thought you should know. Merry Christmas, you two.” She pulled back and gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek before blushing and heading back to the table.

  “I think Dr. Haddad likes you,” he said.

  “She’s all right,” Caroline said, smiling.

  “I’m glad you have a friend.”

  “And I’m glad you stopped dragging me toward the door. Slow down, Monty. Plenty of time to act out your little plot.”

  Jack grabbed Caroline around the waist, planting a terribly inappropriate kiss on her lips. “Come with me now before I have my way with you in front of the rest of the rebels,” he said.

  “I’m not sure that’s the best way to maintain an aloof yet sometimes approachable distance from your soldiers,” Caroline said.

  “No,” he said. “But it’s a great way to make them jealous. I’m the luckiest guy in the room right now.” He kissed her again, until she was out of breath.

  “You are up to no good,” Caroline said. They definitely had to get back to the apartment. Soon, before he made good on his delicious threat.

  * * * * *

  She expected Tony Bennett but he gave her Ella Fitzgerald. Good, and classic, and wonderful. They ran through five songs before getting to “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Maybe she hadn’t been as tired as she thought.

  They danced slowly, until they were hardly moving at all. Caroline felt his breath in her ear, the moisture on her face, and pulled back to face him.