"Getting ready to leave son," she asked looking around as if she was searching for something.
"Yeah momma, just waiting for Rhea to get home from work," she stopped straightening the couch pillows, and I can see a sly smile cross her lips. She knew that I was in love with Rhea, hell she had known right off when I first realized, I mean really realized it, when I was fifteen. Rhea had been only ten, so I brushed my feelings off as puppy love, but she was always there in my heart and in my mind.
"When are you gonna tell that girl that you love her," she turns to me, tossing the pillow at my head.
Catching it, I toss it playfully back at her. "It's not that simple mom," I say, running my hand through my hair, brushing the waves back. My mom hated my long hair, always telling me to cut it and shave my beard, but I liked it, and better yet Rhea seemed to like it. My mom scoffed at me, waving her hand dismissively.
"Oh please, 'not that simple', just tell the girl how you feel," she threw her hands up in the air, seemingly swatting at imaginary cupids flying around her. "She loves you, you love her, just admit it to each other," she came up to me placing her strong loving hands on my shoulders, "you better do it before some asshole like Duke Orr gets her pregnant and she feels obligated to marry him." Her cocked eyebrow gave me a sense of dread, the thought of Rhea marrying Duke filling my gut with bile. I knew how that would end. Rhea would be overly pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen, a fresh black eye across her beautiful face as Duke sat in his lazy-boy chair chugging down Coors Light and yelling at her for dinner. Yeah, definitely not going to let that happen.
"Mom," I say, taking her into a hug, her small stature only coming up just below my chin, standing a little taller that Rhea. "Don't worry, you'll get your grandbabies," I chuckle as she swats me in the chest, pushing away from me and giving me a ridiculous look.
"You know that's not why I'm sayin' it, Chadwick," oh man, she used my whole name, she means business. I grin at her and she breaks the seriousness, giggling at me like a little school girl. I hook her arm in mine, walking towards the front door because I've concluded I have all of the things for the weekend. "Just don't let her get away," she says, her sweet voice ringing in my ears as she kisses me on the cheek.
"Yes, ma'am," I say as she issues her 'goodbyes' and 'be safes', walking across our side lawns to the house that I purchased for her, to get her out of the trailer park. My mom was right, I needed to let Rhea know how I feel sooner rather than later. Checking my phone I see that it's a little after six and Rhea should be home soon, so I double check the tailgate of my truck, hopping in and starting her up.
This weekend was going to be fun.
This weekend was going to be life changing.
CHAPTER THREE:
Rhea
I had been home only about ten minutes when I heard the gravel shifting in my driveway, looking out my bedroom window seeing Chad's truck pulling up near the porch. It sends my stomach into flip-flops, my mind fluttering and my pulse racing. It was so crazy that he drove me wild even after three nights of crazy, unbridled sex we had had. I shake it off, getting back to making sure I have everything I need for the weekend. I had gotten another waitress to cover my shift at the bar and Kendall was going to meet us up there after her shift tonight.
The sound of his truck door slamming shut sends my mind wandering from my task, getting to my feet I shove a few more shirts, pairs of jeans and lingerie items into my bag, meeting Chad in the hallway. "Ready," he asks, his hands going to my waist and pulling me to him, a crooked grin on his lips. I let my bag drop as I go up on my tip toes, wrapping my hands around the back of his neck and letting his mouth find mine. His hands find the edge of my tank and his fingers send shivers throughout my waist as he trails them along the bare skin.
Smiling, I pull my lips from his, bending over and picking up my bag, "Now I am," I say, a little grin reaching Chad's lips when he swats me on the butt as I retreat into the front room of my double wide.
Making sure all the windows are locked, grabbing a few blankets from the back of my couch and a light jacket, I lock up as Chad throws my things into the backseat of his Silverado. Getting on the highway, I push the center console up and slide over to snuggle into Chad's side, his arm wrapping around me pulling me in tight. As we made our three and a half hour drive we talked about his SEAL friends, about how Martinez's wife liked her wine and how Black and French were bringing their dogs. Up through Petersburg and Richmond, the sky grew darker, our arrival time at the cabin estimated at nine-thirty. We stopped in Charlottesville at a grocery to pick up enough food for everyone, filling two carts in the matter of twenty minutes. It astonished me that we had to get five gallons of milk, but Chad told me to wait and see, we might even need more.
Once we got out of Charlottesville the drive was mostly scenic, the mountains in the distance, the moon hanging high above them. Chad turned on the flood light rack that he had on the top of the truck, lighting up the single lane road as we bounced our way towards the cabin. Breaking a thick tree line, the cabin sat nestled between two large pines, a silver Jeep Wrangler sitting in the driveway as we pulled up. "Martinez is always early," Chad smiled, throwing the truck into park and kissing me on the cheek before jumping out.
The flood lights were still on along with the porch light from the cabin so I got a good look at Martinez as he came around the Jeep and gave Chad one of the typical guy hugs, one handed with a hard pat on the back. He was shorter than Chad, maybe five foot eight or nine, his bronze skin giving away his Mexican heritage. Chad had told me that Reno's mom and dad had come to America via tunnels in the California desert, becoming legal citizens after they testified against some drug dealers who had murdered over a hundred people. He had buzzed short hair hidden under a knit cap as tonight was colder than the last couple of days.
I got out of the truck hesitantly, always nervous when meeting new people. Chad was talking away, waving me to come over with a smile on his face, lifting some of my hesitation as he took my hand, throwing his arm around my shoulders pulling me to his side. "Reno this is Rhea," he smiled down at me, squeezing me tighter to him.
"Nice to meet you," Reno issued, shaking my hand, "this is my wife, Rosa," he waved to the dark side of the Jeep as a curvy woman stepped into the light. She had jet black hair, straight as a pin and pulled up into a tight ponytail. She had on bright pink ear muffs and a bright pink jacket, bringing out the tan in her skin. Her large, round, dark brown eyes were lined with thick makeup and her lips were painted red. She made me feel plain and boring as I only had on simple mascara with nothing else and my hair was up in a messy bun. I shook her extended hand, noticing her perfect nails with bright designs drawn on each and the huge diamond on her ring finger. She smiled and nodded and I returned the gesture. "It's nice to finally put a face to a name," Reno said, throwing his arm around Rosa's shoulders the way Chad had his around mine.
"Same here, Chad has been talkin' bout you guys nonstop," I said making them all laugh, Chad kissing me on the side of the head as he told Reno to help him bring the stuff inside, denying us girls to help them.
Rosa took my arm, pulling me towards the cabin, "They need to do it by themselves," she all but whispers, "it makes them feel useful when they're home." We both giggle as I unlock the door, flicking on the light switch and going to start up the wood stove.
"You want me to do anything," she asked, pulling off her ear muffs and jacket. The guys burst in the door with grocery bags bulging from their arms making both of us laugh as they make their way into the kitchen.
"Yeah, if you wanna go up and turn down the beds, there should be Febreeze up there if you think they need it, but I washed them the last time I was here." She nods her head, making her way up the stairs with her heeled boots clicking on the wood. The men passed through again heading outside, Chad giving me a wink as I noticed more headlights coming up the road.
Rosa came clicking down the stairs, her black skinny jeans accentuating her curves along with
her silver tunic sweater. "All the beds are good," she smiled and I nodded my head, handing her a glass of wine that I had ready for her, her eyes going out to the driveway, "oh looks like Timmons and the others are here." Following her line of sight I spied three men joining Reno and Chad's efforts at bringing the items in. Two big dogs lopped around their legs as the five of them lugged the last of the items in, all congregating in the living room around the wood stove that was pumping heat throughout the cabin.
"Everybody," Chad throws his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him with a sly grin, "this is Rhea." The three new men all issues their hellos, shaking my hand with the youngest one kissing it, making me blush. "Back off Timmons," Chad jokingly issued, pushing the kid in the shoulder. Bobby Timmons was tall, maybe six foot six, and lanky, his arms thin but muscular. His brown hair was buzzed short like Reno's but he had lightning bolts shaved into the side. His hazel eyes were striking being outlined with dark lashes, his pale skin dotted with freckles.
Fred Black took Timmons into a head lock and the men were off, shouting and wrestling as Rosa and I retreated into the kitchen as the dogs started to bark. Fred was the oldest of the group at thirty-two, his black hair being a little longer than Reno and Bobby's, but still pretty short, especially compared to Chad's. He was shorter, maybe five foot five, and stocky, his neck almost disappearing in all of the muscle that engulfed his chest. His St. Bernard, Daisy, lumbered around barking and slobbering on him as Bobby and he tumbled on the large area rug, coming awful close to the wood stove.
"Be careful," I yell and Rosa laughs at me, shaking her head.
"You're better off talking to a wall," she joked, putting some of the food in the fridge. We chatted and worked, putting all of the food away as the men left us alone, the two of us going through the bottle of wine in no time as we started to cook some hamburgers and hot dogs. Rosa made a chef salad along with a macaroni salad as I manned the stove, shocked when Chad's hands snake around my waist, his beard tickling my neck as his lips lingered above my skin.
"The guys are starting a fire outside," he whispered against my neck, his lips brushing gingerly against it making me close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Why don't I take over here and you two girls go up and arrange the rooms," releasing me he took the spatula from my hand and I noticed that Reno and Rosa were making out right next to us, Rosa's hands still gripping a knife in one and a tomato in the other.
Going with the feeling I had, I took Chad by surprise, latching my mouth onto his with one hand on his cheek and the other in his hair. I don't know what came over me, but I kissed him with some sort of ferociousness, moving my lips with his in search of something, his hand at the small of my back holding me tight to him. I only released him when a giggly throat clearing broke through my haze, Chad's forehead leaning on mine as he held me to him, his breathing fast and erratic. "Later," he whispered, kissing me softly once more before he let me loose, my face red as I left the room with Rosa.
I helped Rosa take her and Reno's bags into the second bedroom, placing them on the bed I turned to go do the same with my bags when Rosa's hand stopped me, "You know it's hard," she said, her eyes displaying a slight sadness. My face must have broadcast my confusion for she elaborated, "Being with a guy like Reno, or Chad," she shook her head slightly, releasing the light grip she had on my arm, "it's hard letting your heart walk away not knowing if it'll come back alive or in a box." A tear fell onto her cheek and her words echoed in my mind. "Don't get me wrong," she smiled wiping the tear away with her manicured hand, "I love Reno with all my heart, but it's hard every time he leaves. It never gets easier," she patted my arm then turned back to unload her clothing into the dresser drawers.
I walked into the master bedroom, pushing the door shut and leaning my back against it, my head hitting it slightly as I closed my eyes. Rosa's words ran through my mind over and over, "it's hard letting your heart walk away, not knowing if it'll come back alive", tears rimming my closed lashes. What had my heart done to me so many years ago when it had fallen for Chad? The fear of loving him then losing him crept into my mind and a sob broke through my chest, my legs going weak and my back slid down the door, my butt hitting the hardwood floor. I tried to cover my mouth to muffle the sounds of my tears, but I knew they were audible to anyone who was upstairs, the walls not offering too much sound insulation. In that moment I could care less if Rosa heard me because my heart was silently breaking at the notion of never seeing Chad again, never holding him again or seeing his crooked smile again.
I gathered myself enough to unload our bags into the dressers, tears streaming down my cheeks the entire time, trying to wipe them away before they hit my lips. My hands were braced on the cherry wood dresser, my eyes inspecting my reddened face as the door creaked open, Rosa poking her head around the corner, her eyes finding me. "Oh Rhea," she said, quickly shutting the door and wrapping me in a soft hug, "I didn't mean to upset you." She rubbed my back, but all the tears were gone and I sighed into her shoulder.
"I'm okay," I say giving her a smile, "let's go see if the food is done." There was no way that anyone who saw me wouldn't know I had been crying, so taking a deep breath and fixing my hair, Rosa and I descended the stairs. I could see all the men through the front window, gathered around the roaring fire, food in all of their hands. "Guess they started without us," I say with a slight smile grabbing my jacket as Rosa leads the way into the kitchen.
"Get used to it," she says, handing me a plate, "when they get together, sometimes it's like we don't even exist." She gave me a rye laugh, filling her plate and heading back out to get her jacket. Standing there, staring at the food I was all of a sudden not very hungry. Actually if I tried to eat something right now, I'd probably throw it up. My stomach was in knots over Chad and what we were headed for. We hadn't even really put a label on our relationship; we hadn't even talked about it. We were just whatever.
I hadn't noticed that there were tears running down my cheeks till Kendall's voice broke my train of thought, "Ray, you okay?" her big brown eyes meeting mine, her brow creased with concern as she leaned forward onto the kitchen island across from me. "What's wrong," she reached out and put her hand over mine, her fingers cold from the night air.
I quickly wiped at my face with the back of my hand, trying to give her a smile but I knew it was weak, "Nothing, just......thinking."
She patted my hand, grabbing a plate and coming around the island to stand next to me. "It's that damn Chad," she says scooping salad onto the dish, "he always makes you so emotional. You should just get over him." She gave me a sidelong look and I shrugged my shoulders, trying to put at least a little food on my empty dish. Dropping her plate on the butcher block top, Kendall threw her tanned arms around my shoulders, leaning her blonde haired head against mine, "You love him, I know, but I don't like seeing you get your heart ripped out every time he leaves. I'm not saying you should settle, and you know I def don't want you with Duke, but you need to be happy. Do something that makes you happy." She kissed the side of my head and resumed filling her plate.
"Chad does make me happy," I all but whisper, not looking at her. She sighed heavily, giving me a smile as I turned to her, tears still rimming my lashes. She nodded her head, shoving a forkful of salad, dripping with ranch dressing, into her mouth. She waited for me to finish picking through what I wanted to attempt to eat, following me out into the cold yard to join the men and Rosa by the cozy fire. Chad had on the knit hat I had bought him, pushing his long hair down around his ears and his eyes met mine, his mouth going into a wide smile that I couldn't help but reciprocate.
Sitting in the Adirondack chair next to him, I accept the blanket he puts over my lap, curling my legs up underneath themselves to try and keep them warm. "You okay," he whispered in my ear, his lips lightly kissing my temple and I nod, stealing a tiny kiss on the lips as he retreated back into his chair.
"Did everyone meet my best friend Kendall," I ask to the group, breaking their chatter and they
all answer 'yes', Timmons being overly enthusiastic and I see Kendall roll her eyes but smile at the cute boy. He was younger than us, but Kendall needed a good man. Her off again-on again boyfriend, local boy Jarrod Rawlings, ran in Duke's group and he was a typical womanizer. What Kendall never realized was that Harlan Dow, the one who had saved me countless times from Duke's drunk rages, was hopelessly in love with her. There were many times that I felt like telling her, but I just didn't know how she would react, so I left it alone.
Chad's SEAL Team leader, Austin French, pulled his wicker lawn chair over next to my right hand side as I munched away on the salad that Rosa had made, washing it down with some more wine that she had handed me. "Randy was a good boy, and a good solider," he said to me, drawing a pattern in the dirt between his cowboy boots with a long thin twig. I nodded at him, meeting his brown eyes for the first time. He was probably thirty-three or four, his dark, buzzed hair tipped with grey. His eyes bore small wrinkles on the sides, baring witness to the things he had probably seen. His hands were big and rough looking, his Carhart jacket being old and worn at the sleeves. His jeans were faded and ripped above the knee, but I could tell this man took care of himself. I also noticed that he chewed like Chad, the familiar bulge in his bottom lip and the empty Pepsi can always at his side. His Black Lab, Nan, bounded around after Daisy, both dogs having a hay day in the open land.
"He was a great brother," I say to him, giving him a sweet smile that he returns nodding his head as he continues to draw on the ground with the stick. "Were you Team Leader when he was killed," I asked and then immediately regretted it as silence fell around me, all of the faces turning to look at Fred and I. "Oh, um, I'm sorry," I stutter, trying to cover my tracks, Fred throwing his hand up to silence me and it brings tears to my eyes.
Two Weeks With a SEAL (The Wakefield Romance Series) Page 5