by Ava May
We followed the woman to our seats and I sat across from her wanting to actually be able to talk and have decent conversation. I let go of her hand and slid into the booth. Our bubbly waitress’s eyes lit up when we separated and I rolled my eyes. For real did this girl think she was going to get something from me?
I opened the menu and my eyes widened. I was surprised by the variety.
Charlie laughed. “I told you.”
I looked at the waitress. “I’m gonna need a few.”
“That’s fine, I’m Bambie. Just holler when you’re ready.”
Charlie chuckled but covered it up by coughing. The poor woman. Who would name their child after a Disney character?
She sauntered away swaying her hips doing her best to attract me, but I didn’t even bother paying attention. I was still young, and I certainly wasn’t dead, but I also wasn’t an asshole.
“I think she likes you, Ash,” Charlie said with a smirk.
I shrugged not wanting her to get any ideas. “Good for her.”
“So what do you want to try?”
I looked the menu over and couldn’t make up my mind. I really didn’t care. Eating out was an excuse to take her out. “What are you getting?”
“Something fast and not messy I have to go back to work,” She looked at her watch and cringed in 25 minutes. “Sorry we are going to have to get our food and run.”
I hid my disappointment. “Okay dinner then.”
“Can’t.”
My brows rose, and I held back my questions. For all I knew she had a man. I waited for her to explain, but she didn’t. “Okay tomorrow then.”
Her eyes brightened. “I’m off tomorrow so that works.”
“Then let’s just go ahead and go.”
“Are you sure? You were starving.”
“I’ll just go to Ma’s and eat. I’m sure she has food.”
She laughed. “She always has food. So yeah I guess it was a waste of your time.”
“No time with you is a waste, Charlie.” I wanted her to know what my purpose was.
She blushed and looked away, but I didn’t miss the shock in her eyes, or the smile she tried to hide.
Chapter 3
Charlie
Charlie watched Ash drive away and pulled out her cell phone.
“Ash is going to your house hungry. Lunch was a bust.”
“Dammit, I was hoping he would have stayed away longer. Okay, so I’ll have to feed him then send him back out for something,” Diana said.
“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I had no idea he was already here. So thanks for the heads up.”
Diana laughed. “He wanted to surprise you, baby girl.”
“Well, that he did. I have to get back to work. I’ll see you after.”
“All right, Charlie. See ya, and thanks for the warning.”
“Bye.”
She hung up and clocked back in. All her kids were sitting down for lunch happily chomping down. She let Jessie leave and leaned back against the counter. Her day had taken a weird turn. It sort of seemed like Ash had come back with a mission in mind, and it seemed like the mission was her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. For more than one reason. He was her stepbrother, younger, and already married to the military. She wouldn’t be able to handle him being gone all the time.
She wanted to smack herself for even thinking about it. It would be wrong to be in a relationship with him. She wouldn’t be able to give him much of a future. She wouldn’t be able to give him the family she knew he dreamed of having. It was inevitable he would either leave her or resent her after he realized what it meant to be with her. No man who wanted to be a father would want her. The cancer took motherhood away from her. It’s one reason why she devoted herself to her kids. Every child who came to her childcare center was one of hers. She loved each and every one of them.
Charlie shook her head and chuckled. She wasn’t even sure what Ash was looking for, and she was already thinking of the fact she wouldn’t be able to give him kids. He was only 24. He had a lot of growing to do still, and she wasn’t even sure if he still wanted kids. He did back then. Before he left when they had gotten to know each other he talked about how he wanted to have big family. She wondered if he still felt that way after seeing the harsh realities of the real world.
After lunch she did her reading time with the kids and tucked each of them in for naptime. It was the time she usually scheduled for the next week. At this rate she would have the next three years planned. Today though she pulled out the journal she hadn’t written in since she went through chemo and decided to write. It had been awhile.
The next thing she knew Missy was rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Miss Charlie is it almost time for mommy to come yet?”
She looked at the clock and gasped. The time had really gotten away from her. “It sure is, Lil’ Miss. In twenty minutes or so, Mommy will be here to pick you up.”
She nodded and scampered back to her cot and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders. Missy was always the first awake and the first to leave. She only had five kids left. Then it was time for her to go to her dad’s for Ash’s welcome home party. She had a feeling he wasn’t going to be happy about being crowded by a lot of people.
Charlie began her clean up ritual as parents started to pick up their children. Missy ran up to her and hugged her tightly just like she did every day. It was the best part of the day. She loved the hugs and affection each child so willingly gave her. It was slowly healing her broken heart. Not being able to have children of her own was a big deal. She wanted to be a mom more than anything in the world. Knowing she couldn’t create life made her feel like she wasn’t a full woman any longer. It was the whole reason she stayed away from men. She hadn’t found one she was willing to take a chance on.
By the time Andy, the little boy who cried for over half the day every day, left Charlie was exhausted. It happened all the time. She’d get tired out of nowhere and then panic, but she had to stop worrying about the cancer coming back and live because if it did come back she didn’t want to have any regrets.
Jessie and Stacey met her at the door.
“So who was the angry hunk that came by earlier?”
“Ash.”
“Who’s he?”
“A friend.” She certainly wasn’t going to explain him.
“He’s hot and was super determined to see you.”
“He’s on leave from the military. He just found out that I was sick.”
Stacey paled. “He didn’t know about the cancer?”
“No, I never told him. He didn’t need to be worrying about me while he was deployed.”
“Wow. Well, have a good night, Charlie. See you next week.”
“Yep.” She walked out to her car and smiled. She didn’t like how excited she was to see him. The more she tried to tell herself that she didn’t want a boyfriend—that she didn’t want anyone to suffer because of her, and the fact that he was family—the more she did want him. She had chosen not to write him for that reason. She knew she would have crumbled and cried to him had she kept in contact after he left. She realized now she should have written him some, but promised this time when he left she would. Every soldier needed to get letters. It was something to look forward too during the chaos.
The drive to the family home seemed to drag. She didn’t even bother going home to change first. She parked in the driveway and made her way inside with the gift she had carefully picked for him. She remembered him telling her he loved reading poetry, and she had found a special edition of Hemingway. It was in great condition and something she had thought about. She hadn’t even known he was coming home. She’d bought it for his birthday and was going to have Diana send it with her gift. Instead she’d get to give it to him. It had been in her trunk for weeks wrapped up tightly. She just hadn’t gotten around to giving it to her stepmother.
Chapter 4
Ash
I sat with Ma and Ted, waiting for C
harlie. Ma had caved and told me she had planned a homecoming party, but then realized I probably wasn’t in the mood to party, so she decided to have an intimate family dinner first and before I left she planned to do something big. It was a last minute change, apparently.
When Charlie came in, she frowned and set something on the counter. “What happened?”
Ma smiled and shrugged. “I cancelled the big party until we send him off again. I figured a family dinner would be more appropriate.”
“I see,” she said and shrugged picked up what she had put on the counter. “Well here’s your birthday gift. It’s a bit early, but I want you to have it now.” She handed me a neatly wrapped gift.
“Thank you, Charlie.” I opened her gift and gasped. Yes really, and then I gasped again when I opened the cover and realized it was a special edition. “Are you freaking kidding me, I’ve been searching for this. I have all the others.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, this one has been a bitch to find.”
“Oh well I found it months ago, and I was hoping you’d like it. I remembered you telling me he was your favorite.”
“Damn straight.” I stood up from the table and pulled her into a hug. I didn’t care about our parents being around. They might as well get used to us being together because if I had my way after tonight she’d be mine. I wasn’t a patient man, and I felt no need to play games. Life was too short. I saw that on a daily basis, and after finding out about her sickness I felt a need to be with her even more than ever. She hugged me back for a few wonderful seconds but then pulled back with red cheeks.
“It’s not a big deal.”
“It is totally a big deal, thank you.”
Then, taking advantage, I kissed her cheek before going back to my seat. The whole time her dad eyed me curiously and Ma’s eyes watered like she knew what was going on. Hell, she did. I never hid anything from her. Not like she did me. Charlie seemed at a loss until her dad cleared his throat.
“Well, let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Charlie laughed and sat down, her discomfort receding. “You’re always starving, aren’t’ you?”
I patted my hard stomach. “Hell, yeah. I’m still a growing boy.”
Her dad laughed and shook his head. “You’re no boy any more, Ash.”
“Nah, but I still eat like I did when I was sixteen.”
“Better be careful or it will catch up to you,” he said and patted his own belly.
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Ma got up and Charlie followed her into the kitchen. Her dad turned serious. “She’s fragile, Ash. If you aren’t serious about her then keep your dick in your pants. Charlie has been through a lot, and normally I would want to tear you apart for all the things you’re thinking, but I know you’re a good man, and that’s what she needs. I’ll also admit I’m not too comfortable with the idea of you two together right now. Please refrain from putting your hands all over her in front of me.”
My eyes widened. I guess I wasn’t too discreet with how I felt. “Yes, sir. And for the record, this isn’t a new feeling I have for her. Also we aren’t blood-related. You married my mother and we were both already adults. There should be no reason to have an issue with us being together, but I’ll respect your wishes.”
The women came back and our conversation was cut off. He nodded but the frown was still present. I knew it would be tough to win her dad over. I got that people might think it was weird, but mostly no one had really put it together, and probably wouldn’t, and if they did he didn’t care. It wasn’t like we had any of the same DNA. Frankly, it was nobody’s damn business. It wasn’t against the law.
I watched her every move and the more I watched the more I wanted to be alone with her. I was ready for the dinner to be done so I could follow her home. I had every intention of showing her just how much I wanted her. I’d wanted to taste her lips even back then, but the one time I tried to kiss her before, she’d pulled away and then didn’t see me for nearly a week.
I knew she could feel my stare, and she did a good job of ignoring me. I sat back and listened to Ma talking. I wanted the kind of love our parents had. They were so loving and sweet that it was on the verge of being sickening, but I still wanted that feeling. I knew I could have that with Charlie.
Dinner lasted an hour too long, and then of course Charlie had to help Ma clean up. By the time they were done I had enough of sitting around. Her dad hadn’t talked to me much after his warning. I respected him, but she was a grown woman. If she didn’t want to be with me, she’d had to tell me. Then the reasoning would have to make sense, because I was determined, and I could argue my way out of pretty much any circumstance.
Finally she came into the kitchen and hugged her dad and kissed him on the cheek. She glanced at me and waved. “See ya tomorrow, right?”
Yeah. I had forgotten about our dinner. She’d see me tomorrow all right. When I woke up next to her. I’d have the whole day with her. I smiled. “Yep. Are you heading home?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty exhausted.”
“Let me walk you out.”
She shook her head. “That’s okay.”
I stood up. “No, I insist.”
She shrugged and waved at Ma before walking outside. I placed my hand on her lower back just because I needed to touch her and led her to her car.
“You really didn’t need to do that. I was capable of talking myself to my car.”
“I know, but I wanted to ask you somethin’.”
She unlocked her door and faced me. “Sure?”
“Can I follow you home?”
Her eyes widened. “Ash, that’s probably not a good idea.”
I crowed her against the car. “Why not, Charlie?”
She licked her lips. “Because I think I have an idea on why you want to come home with me.”
I braced my hands on either side of her and brushed my body against hers. I didn’t miss her shudder or soft intake of breath. “I think you’re right, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”
I decided it was now or never. I took the plunge hoping it didn’t back fire and brought my lips to her essentially cutting off her argument. She made a sound of surprise, but then she kissed me back. It was soft and sweet and fucking ended much too soon. Her lips were perfect. The feel of her heart pounding against my chest was all I needed to know. She felt the same way for me. No matter what she said I wouldn’t let her run form me.
I kissed her deeper and gripped her hip with one hand yanking her closer. My tongue slid into her mouth, and I explored every inch before I pulled back. “What’s your address sweetheart?”
Her eyes were unfocused and her lips were puffy. “235 Lexington Drive. Small white house.”
“Thank you,” I replied and kissed her again. “I’m going to stick around for a few, but I’ll be over in a bit.”
She nodded and I backed away and opened her door. She slid inside and I leaned in pecking her lips before shutting her door. Oh yeah, I could get used to this. Her lips were soft and inviting, and I couldn’t wait to take her the way I’d been dreaming of for years now. She was as good as mine.
Chapter 5
Charlie
As soon as Charlie got home, she went into a small panic. She let him kiss her, and it was even better than she could have ever imagined. He was domineering and in-your-face and she loved it. She loved how he kissed her silly. She loved how it felt to have his hand on her hip and the feel of his lips on hers. There was no denying any of that, but there was a bigger issue. If it was just some sort of fling could she handle seeing him when he was home? She didn’t think so. She wasn’t the one-night-stand or even the fuck-buddy type of girl. She knew when she picked a man to be with it was going to be it for her.
Growing up before her mother died she knew that her parents loved each other, but when her dad met Diana she knew for the first time was real, unconditional love was. There was a spark in her dad that she saw that hadn’t been there w
ith her mom.
She stripped off her work clothes and got into the shower. After a long day she was really ready to put on her flannels and crawl into bed, but her heart thumped with excitement knowing Ash was coming. She felt like a giddy teenager waiting for the boy to call. It was ridiculous especially when nothing could come of it. They could be friends, but they could not be lovers, or even anything more than that. She hadn’t had sex or any sort of intimate relationship since before her cancer, and even then her experience was limited. She was surprised she’d even remembered how to kiss.
After her shower she got dressed in her sexiest pajamas anyway, which still weren’t sexy and ran the comb through her hair. She heard the doorbell and her stomach dropped. Nerves filled every part of her body as she made her way to the door. She shouldn’t have been so nervous. When she opened the door Ash stood there smiling at her.
“I’m glad you waited. Ma got to talking and you know how that can go.”
She nodded and gestured for him to come in. “Yeah, your mom can really get going, but you know what, that’s one of the best things about her. She certainly knows how to distract.”
Ash followed her inside and she shut and locked her door. He made himself right at home slipping off his shoes and walking into her tiny living room. Plopping on the couch he stared at her while she stood awkwardly. She was unsure of what to do. She’d never had a man other than her father in her house. It felt different.
“Well get over here, Charlie.”
She nodded and went over to her small couch and sat next to him. Immediately he grabbed her hand and held it. “I’m so glad to be home.”
Easy subject. “I’m surprised you get a break. I thought you had to put in a lot more time before you were able to go home for weeks at a time.”
He shrugged. “I’ve earned it I suppose. It’s actually time for me to decide if I’m going to reenlist.”
“It’s only been six years.”
“Yea, well they do all even-numbered years. I originally signed up for six when I first started. It’s nearing seven, that’s why they sent me home. They wanted to give me time to decide on whether or not I wanted to sign up for another round.”