CHAPTER 6
The dial on his Luminox dive watch read one in the morning. “C’mon, Alisha, we’ve got to get moving.”
They’d made a bed on the floor with towels and catching a few hours sleep made a big difference in his book. If only they had time to make love again before they worked their way through the checklist.
Nah, he told himself. If I open that door, we won’t get anything done tonight. He threw back the towel covering him and scooped up his naked lady. Felt funny to call her that, but she was. This was a good time to be labeling their status.
Her hand batted at him. “Stop. I want to sleep.”
He moved quickly through the house until he was at the pile of their clothes. As he placed her on her feet he asked, “Do you want to face Kevin and Julie in four hours when they show up at 0500 and this house isn’t finished, or do you want to get moving while I follow all of your instructions?”
Alisha bit the corner of her thumb playfully. “Pfftttt.” She stuck her tongue out at him with a proper raspberry and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. “You know I choose Kevin and Julie. Let’s get after it. But I want to discuss that ‘follow all my instructions’ idea once we’re done for the day.”
He blew her an air kiss. “As you wish.”
Jonah was genuinely amazed at how organized Alisha was as they went through the list. It was going to be close, but they could make this happen. He picked up a tool belt, adjusted it to fit, and then secured it around his hips. Reviewing the list, he indicated two items and said, “I’m on it.” And with that, they both went to work.
• • •
Alisha came up behind him and put her arms around his body.
“Yyyyyesssss,” he said in a low voice. “How can I help you?”
“My mind is spinning with questions,” she admitted, coming around to face him.
“Like…”
She put her hands on her hips. “What now? What about tomorrow?”
“We get married and move to support my next assignment, or we get married and you stay here and I come back on my open weekends.” Jonah spoke as if he were ordering pizza, like this conversation was the most normal thing in the world.
Jonah put down the hammer and picked up the piece of art and hung it on the wall.
“Am I what you want? What do you truly want from us?”
“I need to be able to communicate with you,” she replied quickly. “The sex is electric. That’s never been a factor for us, but we barely stay put to talk. We have to make that work, and when we argue we have to promise to stick with it until we get to that common ground.”
“You’re talking about ‘Rules of Engagement.’ I’m good with that. Let’s pound them out now and add to them as we need to.” Jonah put out his hand. “My word is my bond.”
“As is mine.” Her spirit settled into the comfort of his as they figured out the details of what they each needed. She shook his hand and then reached up for his kiss. This item topped the list of her personal “needs” list.
CHAPTER 7
A weight was lifted from both of their shoulders as they went back to work. They had made fast work of a good portion of the checklist by the time Kevin’s van pulled into the driveway at nine a.m. There was still a serious amount to be done, but they had a few hours before the party at noon.
“You’re late. We were expecting you at 0500,” said Jonah as Kevin entered the room.
“Blame my wife. She needed bagels from her favorite shop, and that meant driving several hours out of our way, both there and back.” Kevin yawned. “We could have been doing something more fun, hon.”
“Trust me, that was fun,” said Julie, kissing her husband. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
“Coffee! Julie, you are an angel,” said Jonah, taking the proffered cup of steaming caffeine. “If this is how you greet a man, I know why Kevin married you.”
“It better be for more than that,” said Julie with a wink. “Where’s Alisha?”
“In the kitchen, unpacking,” said Jonah, holding off on raiding the bagels until Alisha was done with her task. He liked the idea of them eating together. Damn, he had it bad for her.
“Hey, man, I thought about last night…leaving you here with Alisha. I was up all fucking night thinking about you and her here. She’s like family, a sister. Tell me that you two didn’t knock boots.”
Jonah didn’t say a word. The man said not to tell him. He went back to unpacking the ram’s head fixture. The wires were in a plastic packet, and they were tangled. Wonderful! His fingers worked through the mess of wires.
“Well, crap! I’m such a jerk to leave her with you.” Kevin looked pained.
“Thanks, Kev. Love you, too.” Jonah leaned in. “You know how I feel about her. She’s incredible. I’d rather hurt myself than bring her pain.” Jonah finally got the electrical wires untangled and threaded through the fixture.
“Appreciate that. She’s precious,” admitted Kevin. He coughed and then cleared his throat…twice.
“Whatever it is…spit it out. Sounds like you’re choking on a duck.” Jonah looked up at his friend, pausing in his task and giving his full attention to Kevin.
“Since we’re alone, the ladies are otherwise occupied and stuff, I, ah, I’m sorry about our last phone call. I knew you were busy, and I didn’t want to bring shit up, but you needed to know what’d happened…”
Jonah nodded his head. “No worries. I get it. There are things you need to say in person.”
Kevin shook his head. “Man, we’ve been friends for a long time, and I shouldn’t have been an asshole, but I needed you and didn’t want to ask for help, especially with you across the planet doing God knows what. The timing was wrong and the thing is…the mind is tricky. For months, I couldn’t remember anything leading up to the explosion. I didn’t even know my feet had been blown off until I hit the ground and I couldn’t get up again.” He ran his hands through his hair, scrubbing his scalp. “Without those memories, it was like doubt ran through my brain like wildfire, and I couldn’t count on myself or contain the inferno.”
“What changed?” Jonah’s voice was low and calm as his hands continued pulling the wires until he reached the end and then he picked up another one and followed the same procedure. He didn’t need to look to know what needed to be done.
“My wife. That lady fights like a lioness protecting her cubs. She was fierce with the doctors and harsh with some of the things she said to me, to put me back on track. The best part was…she didn’t give up. She pulled me out of darkness and forced me to interact with her and others.” He laughed. “Man, I never want to be on the wrong side of her.”
“She’s quite a lady. You’re blessed.”
“I am.” The rough sound of Kevin’s voice filled the room. “That’s why…during that call I yelled like a maniac at you. We had just lost a baby, only a couple months into the pregnancy. Our first. It was hard…to keep fighting. Julie wouldn’t let me back away…from anything.” He patted his legs. “So, I picked myself up and I did a lot of soul searching. And, I took those freaking PTSD classes; even did some regression therapy, too, and other shit like that. It surprised me that those Wounded Warrior programs helped…a lot. The hardest part was talking, but once I started, just jawing with other guys who had experienced similar stuff and were going through the same things with a desire to reach the other side…it was easier. Like we shouldered the weight for each other. It’s like you’ve got this choice: either sit still and dwell in this infinite loop of hellish turmoil or you get moving, go for the gold and grab life by the balls.”
“Yeah, you’ve always been a ball-grabber,” Jonah joked.
“Look who’s fucking calling me that!” Kevin laughed and then he scratched his chin. “No, but seriously, thanks for hanging…you know, sticking in there, even when I was a bastard.”
&n
bsp; “Kevin, we’ve been brothers from another mother for a long time. I even tried to marry you into the family, but noooooooooo! You had to meet Miss Perfect Julie and get married. None of my eight sisters were good enough.” Jonah winked at his buddy, and then he put down the wall sconce and looked at his friend. “Seriously, Kev, I would have taken the pain for you if I could have.”
“I know. Thanks for that. I had to figure this out on my own.” Kevin patted Jonah on the back. “Look at me now…the wife is happy and I’m fucking employed and I’m moving into a gorgeous house! Shit happens and then you move on. Hey, when I was in the Corps, Julie and I almost had the divorce-me conversation. You know eighty percent of marriages at Camp Pendleton fail. That’s a crappy number, and we were on our way to becoming a statistic, and then this happened. It forced us to communicate, really talk to each other, and stuff changed. None of it was overnight. We had to put in the work, but this experience, in all its horror, did actually bring us closer. Not that I would have ever chosen this particular path.”
“No shit,” said Jonah. “Glad the marriage is better. You deserve the happiness and the great job, too.”
“Thanks, man. Working on the space-to-water vehicle is going to be mind-blowing.” Kevin smiled proudly. “The engineers have a special building less than an hour away and then the main facility is up the coast on the water.”
“Bastard,” said Jonah, slapping Kevin’s hand in a high five. “You are definitely a lucky man.”
“Yeah, well, now it’s your turn to find happiness and tie the fucking knot,” teased Kevin. “You’ll get to see the pluses and minuses of what all married men know.”
“Yup, that’s the plan.” Jonah picked up his task and began wiring another wall sconce.
“Ha! I knew it. I saw you looking at Alisha. Pretty hot lady…” Kevin baited him.
“Yup…” Jonah said, nonplussed. He had it so bad it was showing all over the place. Well, he did like Alisha as well as love her. There was something about her pluck, her joy, and her energy that intrigued him. He wanted to learn more about her…and show her what he loved about life. Damn, that was corny, but he’d never had the urge to share his innermost experiences with someone before and yet, it was easy to talk to her; and the way she kissed made his body react like a race car engine going from 0 to 200 in seconds. If heat were fuel, this lady could fill all the tanks at NASCAR.
“Excuse me, you’re like a dog on the hunt, and that lady is the juicy bone,” Kevin joked.
“Nice.” Jonah frowned. “A little more class, please. That’s the woman I love.”
“Oh! I touched a nerve! You really do love her. Good to know the truth! I’ve always known you’d hit it off.” Kevin lifted his water bottle and took a long drink. “Man, I wish this was a Longboard Lager. I could use a cold one.”
“You and me both, brother,” agreed Jonah. “You and me both.”
• • •
Alisha blushed. He loved her. Her stomach did several flips. She loved him, too.
The reaction of her body was a surge of heat, remembering last night’s kisses. His hands caressing her body and the way she fit perfectly against him. Like they were made for each other…
Julie came out of the bathroom looking pale. “I’m never going to get used to morning sickness. Probably because it comes out of nowhere at any time of the day. Thank God, Kevin is oblivious.”
“Why haven’t you told Kevin about, ahem, you know?” Alisha nodded to the woman’s slim belly. “Not that you’re showing. How can you be five and a half months along and be that tiny?”
“Because I had twenty pounds on me when it all started.” She smiled. The expression melted from her face as a memory struck. “You know how hard it was when we lost our daughter. Kevin was destroyed. I just want to reach the six-month mark, and then I’ll say something. I…have to be sure.”
“Should I finish the, ah, baby’s room? Or wait?” Alisha hoped she could complete it. The crib and additional furnishings were in the back of her hybrid, and she was eager to play with it. Hopefully, Julie would let her do it before the party, but she could wait if they wanted it to be private.
As if her friend had been eavesdropping on her brain, Julie said, “Before the party, we’ll do it. The cravings are getting worse, and I know I’m going to have to admit it soon. Maybe the room will tip him off to the news that I’m scared to share.”
“You’re going to love it! He’s going to adore it!” Alisha hugged her. “A boy’s room is so much fun to decorate.”
“I’m sure it will be. Now, Kevin Jr. and I need more food. I’m thinking fudge. Let them know I’m heading to town. How much do I love that the gas station opens at oh-dark-nothing and has homemade fudge and jams?” Julie grabbed her phone and purse as she headed out the back door. Her friend was a woman on a mission, and that mission was chocolate. Being pregnant was ruling her world. She was surprised Kevin hadn’t caught on, yet. Men!
Alisha had to get moving. She pushed away from the counter she’d been leaning on and got into gear. Unpacking the boxes and scrambling to get things in place before everyone arrived was a serious race, not to mention the long night of lovemaking had already exhausted her. No rest for the weary! She still had her hands full, unwrapping the dangling crystals that would make up the dining room chandelier, too. Busy, busy, busy. She pushed herself into overdrive.
The trays for the party would be here at ten a.m. and then it would be time to set up for the party…and for the baby reveal. She was crossing her fingers that it all went as planned.
CHAPTER 8
Alisha distracted Kevin while Jonah double-timed his actions putting the crib together and setting up the baby room. The SEAL had looked like a grinning monkey when she had shared the news. She had punched him in the stomach and told him not to get any ideas, and then she had passed over the keys to her car and urged Jonah to hurry. Then, she maneuvered Kevin into the kitchen to help her with the process of putting together the kitchen table and chairs.
Honestly, she could have done it herself, but the busywork was keeping the father-to-be distracted. The problem was, he was doing it all too fast.
“Are you sure there aren’t any more screws?” asked Kevin.
“Let me see,” said Alisha, feeling around on the floor behind her. “Oh, yeah, here are a few more.”
Kevin scratched his ear. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve known you for years, Alisha, and I’ve seen you put stuff like this together in twenty minutes flat. We’ve been in here for about a half an hour. And, where’s Julie?” Kevin picked up his phone and texted.
A phone binged from the other room.
“Well, I guess she’s back.” Kevin was fast. He was on the go and out of the kitchen before she could stop him.
“Wait!” she shouted. But the man was gone.
She ran out of the kitchen and stopped in the doorway of the nursery.
Jonah was blocking her way. His voice was a low, rumbling whisper. “Give them a minute.”
“No, I want to see.”
His forefinger touched her chin.
She lifted her lips to his. The kiss was succulent. Its tenderness wrapped around her heart like a warm hug. Reluctantly, she pulled away. “Please.”
He nodded, stepping aside.
The sight that greeted her was humbling and soul sweet. Kevin was hugging his wife, who was curled up on his lap. Tears were streaming down both their faces.
Kevin looked up at them. “A boy. We’re having a boy.”
Her eyes sought Jonah’s, and the emotion on his face was mirrored in her own. They had that in common, wanting only happiness for their friends.
“May you have as many babies as my parents did,” said Jonah as he stepped forward and patted Kevin on the back and then kissed the
top of Julie’s head. Then he walked to the door and took Alisha’s hand.
It felt good to hold his hand. To be connected in this special moment.
He led her from the room, leaving the lovebirds alone together. When they got back into the kitchen, he pulled her into his arms and held her. “I love you, Alisha. It’s always been you. You are my passion.”
Her heart sang with those words. “I love you, too.”
“You better love me more,” said a female voice from the door.
A twinge of jealousy pierced her.
Two more females chimed in. “Jonah’s my favorite, and I’m his.” They started to argue.
Jonah cleared his throat loudly. “Alisha, I’d like you to meet my sisters.”
“Your sisters. Ah, hi.” The jealousy melted like snow in the sun. “Good to meet you.”
“This is my fiancée, though I’m going to redo that title in some kind of fancy, memorable way.” Jonah explained, hugging her close. He whispered in her ear. “I’m one of ten. Don’t be intimidated, just hold your own. Okay?”
She nodded her agreement, and seeing all those bodies, knew exactly what to do. “Ladies, we need your help to finish organizing the house. Can we count on you?”
The answer was a resounding, “Yes!” as they sprung into action. Jonah’s sisters finished putting the table and chairs together. Cleaned the counters. Unpacked groceries and put out the trays. One of them even ran to town for the appetizers, pizzas, and beer. It might not have been fancy in some people’s opinion, but it was exactly the kind of party that made everyone in this hometown feel loved.
Pretty soon the house was overflowing with guests. New neighbors. Old friends. House builders. Engineers. Architects. The local priest blessed the house, and platters of food covered every surface, welcoming the Tomses to Julian. The mountains were graced this day with family and friends and a celebration of the spirit.
Way of the Warrior Page 33