by Bella Juarez
“I went to a Catholic school up until I went to high school. When I got to public school, I started hanging out with some rough people. When I was a junior in high school, I decided I didn’t really want to go to school anymore. My dad and I had been having problems since I got to high school. He told me there was no way I could leave school unless I had my diploma, so I got it. I went to night school and did a little summer school and got my diploma by the time I was supposed to start my senior year,” Jack said.
“Why did you want to leave school so quickly?” Anna asked.
“I had a really good job,” Jack said with a slight smile. “In fact, that job was the reason I joined the military.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
Anna could tell that Jack was getting uncomfortable and trying to avoid telling her something. She wasn’t about to let him out of her hot seat.
“Jack—” Anna said.
“I was arrested when I was seventeen.”
“For what?” Anna asked impassively.
“My job. I was running numbers for the mob. The judge gave me a choice. I could enlist in the Marine Corps for six years or I could go to Attica for eight,” Jack confessed.
“Hence the jarhead comments.”
“I joined the marines. My mom and dad were so upset they didn’t even see me off at the bus terminal. The cop that arrested me did.” Jack paused. “I went to basic, and then to A-School. I was a sheet-metal mechanic, for choppers. I was sent to Cherry Point, North Carolina for my first assignment. There was an old gunny from Queens who took me under his wing and convinced me to start college.” He shrugged. “I had nothing better to do, so I used my GI Bill and started school. About eighteen months into college, I got orders and went to Spain for a year.”
“Where the strippers are?” Anna teased.
“What strippers, honey? Do you want me to tell you what you want to know?”
“Of course I do. This is better than my grandma’s Wednesday-night novellas,” Anna teased.
Jack smiled again and returned his gaze to the Potomac River.
“I kept up school, got back stateside, and was sent to Beaufort, South Carolina. There I applied for a program called Bootstrap. Basically it let me go to school full-time, graduate, and get commissioned as an officer. They needed Navy pilots more than marine pilots. I had a small break in service. I got my commission and went to pilot school in Florida and flight training school in Kingsville.”
“Wait a minute, you’re a pilot? What’s your degree in?” Anna asked.
“Yes, I’m a pilot. My bachelor’s degree is in aeronautical engineering. I have a master’s degree from Navy War College.”
Anna’s jaw dropped slightly. She quickly resumed her impassive expression.
“When I got to my first deployment, that’s when I decided I wanted to be a SEAL. I was assigned to an amphibious unit at Little Creek. I was hauling them all over the place.” Jack smiled. “It looked like fun.” He paused again. “A couple of years later, I went to BUD/S and did my SEAL training and here I am.” He smiled at her and teased, “Protecting the queen.”
“That doesn’t explain the art thing.”
“Well, that started my last year of college. I had to have a couple of courses that I’d been putting off because I thought it was a bunch of crap. One of them was art appreciation. I took the course and really enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I guess you could say I got hooked. Anna, no one really knows this about me. It’s my own personal little thing.”
“Oh?”
“I like art. I especially like the impressionists. I go to museums every chance I get. In every city I’ve been in. My favorite is the Louvre in Paris. The one museum I want to see and haven’t is the Guggenheim in New York.” Jack smiled and paused a moment. His features became wistful and sad. “When I went to Iraq during the first wave, it killed me to see them pillaging the museums. There was so much history that’s lost now. I’ve seen the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan and how the Taliban tried to destroy them. It’s such a waste,” Jack said, quietly looking away.
Anna wanted to wrap her arms around him and comfort the deep sadness he’d just revealed to her. She was seeing a side of Jack that was touching. A sensitive, artistic, and romantic side of a complex man who’s adult life had been diametrically opposed to the delicate beauty he treasured. He’d told her from the beginning he was a romantic. Anna briefly wondered if Jack could paint.
“Thank you for sharing, Jack,” Anna said, taking his hand.
“Did I answer your questions?”
Anna wanted to walk back into the gallery the Jack liked so much and cash in her 401K for him. She was more convinced than ever she’d done the right thing buying that painting. Her plans for it changed, however. She decided to hang it in his study at the house.
“More than I ever hoped you would. Did you know the McNay in town has a free Sunday once a month?” Anna asked.
“I have a pass to the McNay. I haven’t had a chance to go completely through it. The last time I was there I had to go back to work. There are some really cool galleries in San Antonio and in Austin,” Jack said quietly.
“Yes, there are.”
“Maybe we could check them out?” Jack asked tentatively.
“I promise you we will.”
Jack smiled. They wrapped up their tour of the Torpedo Factory and started back to the hotel when Jack received a call. Anna cringed internally. She would have to learn how to manage that reaction. He informed her that Dixie had reserved some space at the Pentagon Dining Room and wanted to have dinner with all his SEALs. She assumed it was for the men only but Jack drove without stopping and she found herself at the Pentagon.
“Where did you two run off to?” Mac asked.
“I made Jack give me a tour of Old Town Alexandria,” Anna said.
Mac seemed satisfied with the answer. Anna was amazed at the amount of people who filled the elegant dining room. Dixie had brought his wife. Anna observed that she was a standoffish woman. Some of the men had wives with them. Most were single. All of the men Anna observed were striking. It wasn’t their physical appearance as much as it was the way they carried themselves. She understood why women naturally gravitated to these men. She considered with some sadness that most of these women were in it for the eye candy and could not withstand the pressures and loneness of their lifestyle. Many of these men, she knew, had failed marriages and broken hearts.
During dinner Anna noticed how uncomfortable Dixie’s wife seemed to be. She quietly asked Jack about the woman.
“Anita’s from Tijuana. Dixie says she’s still not comfortable with her English,” Jack said.
“She’s a Mexican national?” Anna asked.
“Yes, Dixie married her about ten years ago. This is the longest he’s ever been married,” Jack said.
“Does she travel with him a lot?” Anna asked.
“She used to, until they had kids,” Jack said.
Anna reevaluated the woman with this new information. She observed Anita Campbell. She was a tall woman, like her husband, and was drop-dead gorgeous. Her long dark blonde hair hung in gentle waves. Her hazel eyes were perfectly made up and made her features pop. She had a perfect womanly hourglass shape. The black dress she wore fit like a glove. Her angular face was accented with delicate womanly features. This woman looked like some of the hot women in her grandma’s nighttime Mexican soap operas. After dinner was finished and everyone was socializing and saying their final good-byes Anna approached the woman.
“Admiral? Mrs. Campbell?” Anna asked.
“Anna! I don’t think you’ve met my wife, Anita,” Dixie said turning to his wife.
“No, I haven’t. Mrs. Campbell, it’s nice to meet you,” Anna said as Dixie turned away to someone else.
Anna noticed the woman stiffened. It was a defensive posture. She swallowed and paused a moment before answering.
“Anna. It’s nice to meet you, too,” Anita Campbell replied in a thic
k accent.
Anna did not want to insult the woman, but it was clear that this striking beauty next to this powerful man was very uncomfortable. She decided to ask Anita if she would be more comfortable speaking in Spanish and that she was by no way intending any insult.
“¿Señora Campbell, de ninguna manera me refiero a ningún insulto hacia usted, pero prefiere hablar español?” Anna asked.
Relief washed over the woman’s features and for the first time Anna saw a brilliant full smile that lit up her face.
“Thank you. I’m glad someone here speaks my language,” Anita replied in Spanish.
Chapter 44
76532 Stone Oak
Woodbridge, Virginia
October 22, 2008/1600 Zulu
Jack pulled up in front of the house. This family thing was something he would need to get used to. Anna had a cousin who lived in Virginia and wanted to visit while she was here. He silently protested, but she’d been really good about Rafe’s funeral and all the duties of a commanding officer’s wife. She’d even tolerated another gallery tour. He could tell it really wasn’t her thing, but she at least tried to be engaged while he was indulging himself.
They were having lunch with Anna’s cousin’s family. She walked ahead of Jack and rang the doorbell. She was anxious to see her cousin because apparently they were very close. He was looking at the manicured lawn when the door swung open. The man who opened the door was holding a toddler and greeted them warmly. Jack turned around and blinked in astonishment.
“Thompson?” Jack asked in surprise.
“Rock?” the man asked just as surprised.
“You two know each other?” Anna asked.
“Come in,” Reese said, opening the door wider. “Anna.” He hugged her with his free arm. “How are you? I heard you were sick.”
A woman came out into the foyer where Jack and Anna were standing.
“Anna!” the woman called.
Anna and the woman ran to each other and embraced. Reese and Jack looked at each other and cocked their heads.
“You’re Anna’s new husband?” Reese asked.
“Yes, sir, I am. Who’s this?” Jack asked, taking the child’s hand.
“This is my son, Jake. His brother is sleeping. This one refuses to sleep so he’s a real pissant in the evenings,” Reese said, kissing his son.
“Brother? This one looks pretty young. How old is the other one?” Jack asked as the baby wrapped his fingers around Jack’s larger one.
“I have twin boys that are two years old. This one is going to be my marine,” Reese said proudly.
“You don’t know that!” Reese’s wife said.
“Jack, this is my wife, Victoria. Jack O’Malley,” Reese said.
“Hello, Jack. Welcome to our home,” Victoria said graciously. “Anna can you help me in the kitchen?”
Jack groaned. Reese smiled. “Come on, I’ll get you a beer,” Reese said, leading him into the spacious family room.
“So how long have you known, Anna?” Reese asked as he sat down and stood his son in between his long legs.
“I’ve known her for a while. We didn’t formally meet until July,” Jack said.
A slight frown creased Reese’s features. It was late October. Jack could tell he was doing the math.
“Victoria was really surprised when she got married again. We heard she was really sick back in August,” Reese said.
“She was. I guess that’s what sealed it for me. I don’t want to live without her,” Jack said.
Reese said nothing as he watched his son grab ahold of the coffee table. The child walked along the end for a short distance, reached for a toy, and landed on his padded butt. Reese helped him up and stood him against the table. He smiled.
“How about that beer?” Reese asked.
Reese scooped up his son and left the room. Jack saw a large display of photos and went to them. He was looking at a myriad of memories when one caught his attention. It was Anna, and she was with a young girl. Jack picked up the picture and stared at it for a long time. The girl looked just like Anna. She had Anna’s large brown eyes and smile. Her hair was long and fell in think curly waves. They were both dressed in pink and held flowers. Jack felt a lump form in his throat. There was no denying the genes.
“That’s Alyssa. Anna’s daughter. Has Anna ever told you about her?” Reese asked softly, handing Jack an open bottle.
“Yes,” Jack said lowly as he continued staring at the picture. “I’ve never seen a picture. I’m sure Anna has them. I’ve just never seen them. She was very…” He stopped.
Jack understood Anna’s pain. This girl was full of life. It was in her eyes. Alyssa had the same mischievous glint that was so maddening when he saw it in her mother. He was overcome with sadness because Alyssa’s eyes had closed too early. He surmised that, like her mother, Alyssa had been a handful. He put the picture back in its place and took a long drink. He turned away and resumed his seat on the couch as he gathered himself.
“Where was that picture taken?” Jack asked.
“Our wedding. Alyssa was a bridesmaid. Anna was the matron of honor. Alyssa died three months after that picture was taken. It’s Victoria’s favorite picture,” Reese said.
Jack took a deep breath and another drink. The more he got a peek into Anna’s life, the less he realized he knew. She rarely talked about her daughter and never talked about her first husband.
“How’s the Pentagon?” Jack asked, switching gears.
“It sucks,” Reese said, taking a long swallow.
* * * *
It was late in the evening when they returned to their hotel room. Anna looked content. It was clear to Jack that family was a very important part of her life. He hadn’t seen his family in some time, but he knew that she kept in regular contact with hers. She never pushed him to be a part of it. He needed to talk with her about what her expectations were because today hadn’t been nearly as bad as he expected. In fact, it had been a very fun and easy afternoon.
As they sat and unwound in front of the TV, Jack recalled the afternoon. Anna had spent most of it with one of the Thompson twins in her arms. He marveled at the way she glowed when she held a child and quietly pondered, as he stroked her back, that she should’ve had more kids. They were involved in a movie when he decided to broach the family subject.
“Anna, why don’t you take me around your family more often?” Jack asked.
“Do you want to be around my family?” Anna asked.
“Yes. When you told me you were going to Kingsville, I had to threaten you to get an invite.”
“Why didn’t you just say you wanted to meet my grandparents? You don’t have to do that whole spiel about my safety.”
“I guess I just don’t know how to ask.”
“I’m proud of you, Jack. I’ll take you more often, if you want to go. I didn’t want to seem like I was nagging you,” Anna said.
Jack thought about how to say what he wanted to know next. He decided to go for it and see where it went.
“I saw a picture of you and Alyssa today,” Jack said.
Anna rose up from Jack and sat back, staring at him. He was unsure of what her expression was conveying. She said nothing.
“She looks just like you. How come you don’t have any pictures of her?” Jack asked.
“They’re in a box. I haven’t worked up the nerve to put them back out,” Anna said.
“Anna, you can talk about her to me. In fact, I would like to know her better. She seemed just as mischievous as you.” Jack watched a slight smile cross Anna’s lips. “I can’t imagine dealing with both of you at once. How old would she be today?” he asked gently.
“Eighteen,” Anna said.
Jack shook his head. “I don’t know how I would have handled her. She’s a very beautiful girl. I’d probably be in prison if she’d been my daughter,” he teased.
Anna giggled lightly. “That little princess needed a huge revolution when she hit ten. Her whole
attitude changed,” she said with a smile.
“Yeah, I’d be in prison,” Jack confirmed. He pulled Anna down into his earlier embrace. “I’m serious, don’t hold back. I want to know.”
They settled into bed after the movie, and Jack lay still as he felt Anna relax. He thought about all the things he’d missed in his life because of his career. He’d purposely kept himself from getting attached to anyone until he met Anna. Once he saw her, he knew he couldn’t stay away from her even if he tried. And he had tried. She was like a magnet, and he was a loose bunch of iron filings that all came together when they collided.
Jack thought back to his time at Kingsville Naval Air Station. Anna would’ve been in college then. He thought about some of the dives he and his buddies would hang out in. She wouldn’t have been caught dead in those places.
Jack smiled as he wondered where she might have been while he was hanging out in dives at night and learning to fly choppers during the day. He briefly wondered if he’d run into her, would she have given him a second look? Probably not. But he reckoned the chase would have been a whole lot of fun. Without thinking, he started to explore her, moving his hand down her belly. The child she had early in life had given her a woman’s body. Knowing she’d at one time had a child in her womb was an amazing turn-on. Jack kissed Anna softly.
“Is something wrong, Jack?” Anna asked.
“I want you,” Jack whispered against her neck as he kissed it again.
Jack pulled away slightly so Anna could turn around to face him. He gathered her in a tender embrace as he moved his hand up and down the length of her spine and her body quivered at his touch.
“You belong to me,” Jack whispered against her lips.
Jack kissed his wife as if it were for the last time. He almost wanted to suck the breath from her and keep her like she was forever. He took his time exploring her as he kissed her deeply and hungrily as he touched her back and explored lower to her generous hips. He wanted to taste her.
Jack pushed her gently onto her back and let his mouth explore her. He moved his way down to her sensitive nipples and started the rhythm he knew drove her crazy. He took her nipple in his mouth and licked slowly. Then he nipped gently with his lips. He repeated the process from one nipple to the other until she was wiggling with anticipation beneath him.