He wasn’t sure where all of this was going, or how he truly felt. He had to be with her, though. They needed time to sort things out.
Time. They just needed time.
10
THE NEXT MORNING Matt woke with a start. He was usually up at four, his body on a timer, even if he and Chelly hadn’t gone to bed until two. He wasn’t surprised to see it was his regular time. Sleep wasn’t something he was able to do very well. Maybe it was all the years in the military, but if he woke up during the night, he was staying up.
He turned to check on Chelly.
But she was gone.
He threw on some shorts and went downstairs to see if maybe she was in the kitchen. She wasn’t. A trek out to the pool house and he found her on the daybed in a fetal position, hugging a pillow. She was sound asleep.
Strange. He thought she’d stay with him.
He checked his watch; it was a little after four. He put a blanket over her and then shut the door quietly.
The guys would be over at nine to help with the heavy lifting, but he wanted to get the rest of the antiques and extra furniture out of the house before they arrived. He moved the trailer to the front and started carrying out the boxes she’d packed.
When his buddies turned up, he’d already made two trips to the storage facility. She’d done a ton of work he hadn’t even realized.
“Where’s this amazing woman we keep hearing about?” Ben asked. He, Brody and Marcus, another friend of theirs, had shown up to help.
It was their code. You were always there to help your brothers out.
He wasn’t sure where Chelly was. When he’d come back from his last trip, she’d disappeared. He thought maybe she’d be here to at least direct them. And she hadn’t left a note.
“She’s busy.”
“Hey, guys,” Chelly said as she came through the open sliding glass doors. “I went and got you all coffee and breakfast sandwiches.” Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she had on her cute shorts and a purple top.
She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Ben obviously thought so because his jaw had gone slack. Dude was about to lose that jaw if he didn’t get his eyes off his girl.
His girl?
“I’m guessing you’re Chelly?” Brody asked.
“I am, unless he’s hiding some other woman in here that I don’t know about,” she joked. But the smile didn’t seem as wide as it usually was. She had to know he wasn’t interested in anyone else.
“Nice to meet you,” Brody said and held out his hand. Ben and Marcus lined up to do the same.
They introduced themselves and then, being Marines, they dug into the food.
“Mari tells me you’ve got a good eye for design,” Brody said between chews.
She blushed. He liked her modesty. “Your fiancée’s really sweet. How is she?”
Brody rolled his eyes. “She’s in full-on controlled chaos mode trying to get the party set up for this afternoon. She wants everything to be perfect for the CO. Please don’t tell her I said the chaos bit. Makes her mad.But I was grateful my man here needed a hand moving that stuff. Got me out of the CO’s house, at least for a few hours. I did promise I’d be back in time to help her arrange the buffet, so we better get this show on the road.”
Chelly put her hands on her hips and looked around. “I thought I’d move some of the smaller boxes, but it looks like those are already gone.”
“Thought I’d get a head start,” Matt said. “That way the guys just had to help with the larger pieces.”
“Always thinking ahead,” Ben said. “And saving his buddies work. And sometimes our asses at work.”
They all laughed.
* * *
WORKING WELL AS a team, they had everything loaded in the trailer in no time. Traffic, however, was being less cooperative.
After a quick lunch that Matt paid for, they completed their last trip to the storage facility. He hadn’t seen Chelly on their previous trip. He checked the pool house and the apartment but she wasn’t in either location.
He returned the trailer to the rental agency, and when he pulled in at the main house he noticed her truck was gone.
It made him nervous. They were supposed to leave in an hour for the CO’s party.
Maybe she was just running an errand? But when she wasn’t back once he was out of the shower, he texted her.
She didn’t text back.
Was she in trouble? He was about to head out to the pool house to see if her stuff was still there.
Had she left for good?
She wouldn’t. Would she?
The garage door opened and she rushed through, almost bumping into him.
“Hey,” she exclaimed, stopping short. “Did you guys finish already?”
“We did. But you and I need to leave in a half hour for the party.”
She frowned. “That doesn’t give me long to get ready. It’s later than I thought.”
“Where have you been?” His tone sounded so accusatory. “Sorry. That didn’t come out the right way. I was just worried about you. I hadn’t realized you’d left.”
She watched him carefully, as if she was afraid he might do something. Then he remembered. The ex—that’s when she’d left him.
“Sorry,” he repeated, meaning it. “I really was just worried about you.” He took a step back to give her some space.
“That’s okay. I sold the two end tables I was telling you about the other day. The ones I painted turquoise. I just dropped them off. The guy bought them as a surprise for his wife. She’d seen my ad online and loved them. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You went to some stranger’s house by yourself?”
Her mouth went to a straight line. “Yes. And I sold the end tables. What is wrong with you?”
Wrong with him? What was wrong with her?
“That guy could have been a serial killer,” he said, barely keeping his temper in check. She’d put herself in danger and didn’t even seem to care. Not to mention the fact that she was hauling around pieces of heavy furniture by herself. She could have been hurt.
“Yes, because serial killers are well-known for buying bright turquoise end tables for their wives. Why are you making this a thing? And why are you acting like some overprotective gorilla? For the record, I’ve survived fine on my own for a really long time. Years and years. I don’t need some protector.”
It was when he was about to bring up the past few months of her life, and how she hadn’t always made the wisest choices when it came to people, that he stopped himself.
Talk about rubbing it in. She was right; what was wrong with him?
“I was concerned. I thought—”
“You thought what?”
“That you’d moved out.” There, he said it.
She looked confused and hurt, as if he’d wounded her. “Why would you think that?”
“You didn’t answer the text. Your truck was gone and I couldn’t find you.”
She sighed. “I was so excited when he called that I left the phone on my desk. I didn’t see your text. But why would you automatically think that I’d just up and leave?”
What was he supposed to say? He had to tell her the truth. “You told me you run when things get tough. This job is a big deal, and you’ve been working so hard. Too hard. And today your smile didn’t reach your eyes when you were talking with the guys. You seemed uncomfortable, like you couldn’t wait to get out of there.”
“They’re your close friends, so of course I was nervous. I wanted them to like me. Also, they’re huge. I mean, you don’t notice because you’re their size. But it was like walking into a room full of bodybuilders. Not to mention, I hadn’t changed clothes and was a mess. I thought I�
�d just leave the food on the counter and then you guys were all there. And I was embarrassed, okay? It wasn’t how I wanted to look the first time I saw your friends.”
“What are you talking about? You’re stunning. I was about to punch Ben in the face for looking at you a little too long.”
She rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s sweet, but let’s be clear. You hired me to do a job, so no matter what’s going on with this,” she said, pointing to him and then to herself, “I’m here until I finish the job. You might think I’m some major flake, but not when it comes to work. That’s one thing I take seriously. I have a really great work ethic. I have gone above and beyond for you because I wanted to please you. And this is how you respond?”
She had him there. “You’re right. I’m overreacting. It was nuts of me to jump to conclusions. This is new to me. These feelings I have for you. Still, that’s no excuse for how I acted.”
She dug in her pockets and pulled out a wad of cash. “It’s not. I sold the tables for six hundred. Here’s your portion. I’m keeping track of every transaction and giving them receipts for the sales so everything can be counted for tax time.” She handed over the money.
“Those ugly tables went for six hundred dollars?”
“A piece,” she said. “Like I said, that’s your part.”
“I... You have to be kidding me. This is a joke, right?”
She sighed. “Remember? That’s why you hired me. So in the future, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t question me. And if you didn’t think I was running off to Alaska or somewhere every time I left the house. It’s—annoying.”
“I screwed up. I told you that I can be protective. Maybe it’s overprotective.”
“Definitely. Could be this wasn’t such a good idea, mixing business and... Might be best if we stick to business only.”
The exact opposite of what he was trying to accomplish here. “Sorry isn’t going to cut it, is it?”
“Actually, I’m tired. My head hurts and I hate to bail at the last minute, but I don’t feel like going to the party now.”
He almost asked if she really had a headache, but that didn’t seem the smartest course of action.
“Of course. Have you eaten today? I’ve noticed that sometimes you forget. That might be why you don’t feel well.” He shut his mouth tight. Now he was telling her what to do. He had to stop. But he cared about her.
She’d started to walk past him. “Uh. No. It’s okay, though, I’m not hungry. I’d rather lie down. You go to the party. Mari will be disappointed if you don’t, and you can make excuses for me. Tell her whatever you want.”
Then she left him there.
No. He wasn’t about to leave her alone if she wasn’t feeling well.
He pulled out his phone and texted Brody and Mari.
I messed up bad. We aren’t going to make it.
Mari sent a frowny face.
Brody texted him privately.
Do whatever it takes to make it up to her. And maybe stop messing up. Women don’t seem to like that in a man.
He typed back Word.
He glanced toward the pool house. Yep. There were some things more important than bonding with his buddies.
After locating some aspirin in the upstairs bathroom, he headed out to the garage. That’s where they’d stored the newer kitchen appliances he’d bought. That gave him an idea. He went back to the house and made Chelly a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He also picked up an apple and put it on the plate.
Knocking lightly with his foot, he waited. But she didn’t answer. When he entered she was asleep in the fetal position, hugging the pillow again. Her cheeks were flushed, and he was worried maybe she really was sick. But it was also hot in the pool house. After leaving the plate of food and water on the desk, he scribbled her a quick note. This was becoming a habit. But sometimes it was easier for him to write the words than to say them.
He seemed to have serious foot-in-mouth issues when it came to her. Which was funny, since she said she had the same problem around him.
He didn’t want to act all overprotective of her; that was the last thing she needed or wanted. But when it came to her, he wasn’t so sure he could keep those instincts in check.
After placing the note next to the plate, he stepped out of the pool house. First, he’d visit the hardware store. He needed supplies.
Yep, time to put his plan in motion.
11
WHEN CHELLY WOKE UP, the pool house was pitch-black, and her head was worse than when she’d lain down.
Probably should have eaten something.
She blinked a few times and then yawned. She stretched. Finding something for her head was the first order of business. Then she’d deal with the catastrophe that was Matt.
She turned on the lamp on the nightstand and blinked a few times. That was when she saw the food, the note and more importantly the bottle of pills. She stood, a bit wobbly at first.
Knowing the pills would sit better on a full stomach, she ate the PB&J he’d made her. The man was sweet, she had to give him that. A bit too shielding and bossy, traits she wasn’t thrilled about, but so sweet. She chugged some of the water and took a couple of the pills. Then she sat down and read his note.
Beautiful Chelly,
I hope you can forgive me. Of course you can take care of yourself. You’re a strong, independent woman. It’s not an excuse, but I find myself feeling very protective of you. But that’s my problem, not yours. I’m working on it.
I skipped the party. Didn’t seem right going without you. How fun would it be without my favorite person? I’d like to make everything up to you. Come find me when you’re feeling better.
–Matt.
How was she supposed to stay mad after that? Like, the sweetest letter ever. And his fault was that he cared too much about her? How ridiculous was that?
Was it weird that they’d known each other such a short time, but they were protective of one another? She’d never had this kind of affinity with a man, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.
In the past, the men she dated always started out nice, but then the criticism would begin. The demands would follow. She could never quite fit into the mold. Their expectations for each other always nose-dived. Quickly.
But Matt was aware of what he’d done wrong; wasn’t that half the battle? Who would expect such a tough, no-nonsense guy to be so self-aware and caring? The man had shown her nothing but kindness.
She hadn’t been feeling great. And darn if he hadn’t pegged exactly what was wrong with her. She had the hangry going on for sure. Hungry and angry were never a good mix.
She took a shower and washed her hair, which helped her head immensely. Feeling a bit better she ventured out. He wasn’t in the house, so she headed to the apartment to see if he was there.
The little dining room table was set with a tablecloth, plates and even candles, albeit they weren’t lit. That was a good thing since Matt was sound asleep on the couch. He’d hooked up his television and the baseball game was going on. But his eyes were closed and he was on his back.
She couldn’t help but smile.
Yeah. How could she stay mad at that handsome man? He really was a work of art. Never in her life had she’d seen a better guy. And he’d done nothing but make her life easier.
He had faults, but who was perfect? Not her, that was for sure.
She took off her flip-flops and tiptoed into the kitchen. There were bags from his favorite hamburger place on the counter. Poor guy, he must have been waiting for her to get up. But she’d slept almost four hours.
The week really had taken it out of her. He was probably right about her trying to do too much at once. It’s just that he believed in her, and she so want
ed to please him, and not just in bed.
She grabbed the plates from the table and put food on them. He’d bought a fridge and a stove and hooked everything up. How had he gotten those things up the stairs by himself? Then she glanced at him. Those defining muscles of his. So strong.
He’d also brought the good microwave from the main house. She popped the burgers and fries into it and started heating up the food.
When the microwave dinged, Matt sat straight up, his head turning back and forth like he was watching a tennis match, instantly alert.
Marine training, she was sure.
“Hey,” he said when he saw her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, thanks. I’m guessing this is our dinner?”
He nodded. “Sorry, I dozed off. Been a long day.”
“I’d say. You moved half a house and then cleaned up this place even more and installed a fridge and stove by yourself.”
“Not that big of a deal. You look pretty.”
She smiled. Disarming, that one. A little tingle started in her core. Not yet.
“Thanks. Why didn’t you go to the party? You didn’t have to do all of this.”
“I did. I needed to apologize.”
“It isn’t necessary. The PB&J kind of said it all. And the aspirin. Thanks for that, too.”
“You’re welcome. I’m new to this. I know I keep saying that. But I’m trying. My relationships in the past—I was always moving around the world. The one time I tried to do something long-term, well, she said she couldn’t wait, or rather didn’t want to wait around for me to get back from my tour.”
“You never told me that. Who wouldn’t wait for you? You’re awesome.”
“Not always. I am sorry.”
“These feelings are new to me, too,” she said honestly. “But I need you to believe in me, Matt.”
“I do, really. You’re so talented. I think it was more how you acted around my friends earlier.”
“I explained that to you. I was overwhelmed.”
“It was more than that,” he said, moving closer.
Make Mine a Marine Page 9