A Proposal for the Officer

by Christy Jeffries

  The twelve-year-old invited him over to dinner at Maxine’s so they could talk to Molly about the plan. Since he’d spent the past two nights at her apartment, Kaleb didn’t want the woman thinking this was becoming a habit. In fact, when he’d kissed her goodbye this morning before she’d left to help set up for the baby shower, he no longer felt like they were role-playing.

  When he headed back to Seattle in a couple of days, they were going to have to break up—or at least make the pretense of breaking up. He didn’t know what to call it anymore. Whatever was going on between them still wasn’t real, but they’d definitely crossed that platonic line and now the only awkward part of their relationship was the fact that it no longer felt awkward.

  So he’d purposely not made plans to meet her directly after the baby shower, knowing that spending less time together was the key to getting their lives back to normal. But when the babysitter Kylie had hired called Drew and Bobby Junior to tell them that two, possibly three, kids appeared to have poison ivy, Kaleb sent Molly a text asking if she wanted to ride together to Maxine and Cooper’s.

  “So what’s this big plan Hunter wants to tell me about?” Molly asked when she opened the apartment door. She was wearing snug white jeans and a light blue sweater and looked so much more comfortable than she had in the sundress she’d had on this morning when she’d left.

  “It’s actually not that big of deal, but he made me promise to wait until we got over there to tell you about it.”

  “Since when does Kaleb Chatterson wait for anything?”

  “Since I saw you in those jeans,” he said, sliding in close to her and putting his hands along her rib cage before giving her a kiss hello. She was wearing that mango coconut lotion again, and as his thumb brushed against the underside of her breast, she gave a soft moan. “Maybe we can be a little late.”

  “You know that if we’re not there by six, Hunter is going to blow up both of our phones with text messages demanding to know what’s taking so long. So if I have to wait to hear about this big plan, then you can wait until after we come home to finish this.”

  Home. He’d never trusted a woman’s motives enough to let her into his inner circle, let alone live with one. Yet, the amount of time he spent with Molly felt so natural to him, so right, he didn’t want to stay with anyone else. The word home should’ve scared him but instead of dwelling on it, he pushed for a more playful tone. “People are going to talk if they know you keep begging me to spend the night.”

  “Begging?” She grabbed her tote bag and he stepped aside as she locked the door. “I heard all about the poison ivy so don’t pretend that you weren’t hoping to catch another reprieve from your family over here. Besides, people are already talking.”

  “I’m not only over here for a reprieve, you know.” He followed her down the stairs.

  “You proved that in my bedroom last night. And the night before that,” she said saucily over her shoulder. But before his ego could grow too much, she added, “It just so happens to be a bonus that since you don’t have any employees here to boss around, you can also get your CEO fix by constantly micromanaging my levels and monitoring what I’m eating.”

  He grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop and turn around. “Do you really think I’m trying to micromanage you? Like you’re some kind of project for me?”

  She tilted the corners of her lips into a smirk, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, I know it’s not for my Wi-Fi since you always bring that ridiculous portable satellite thing over with you. Luckily, I don’t have insecurities about the type of internet availability I can provide my guests.”

  Kaleb cupped her cheek. “What you lack in Wi-Fi capabilities, you more than make up for with the way your mouth does that thing—”

  His watch let out a shrill ding. He yanked his hand back and silenced the ringer, but not before she had to tug on her earlobe and rotate her jaw. “Talk about overkill. Does that stupid device even serve a purpose? I mean, other than to make me go deaf?”

  “Sorry,” he said, then laughed when he saw the text message pop up on the screen. “But you were right about Hunter looking for us if we didn’t show up on time.”

  He opened the passenger door for her and waited until he pulled onto Snowflake Boulevard before asking her if her hearing had returned.

  “What?” she said playfully, then smiled.

  “So you mentioned something earlier about people already talking about me spending the nights. What are they saying?”

  “Actually, it was only one person who brought it up, but she did it in front of everyone at the baby shower and in this really uncomfortable context. But don’t worry. The conversation ended up going in a different direction and I was saved from responding.”

  “You know that you didn’t exactly answer my question, right?”

  “You’re doing that micromanaging thing again.” She wagged a finger at him.

  “And you’re doing that thing where you avoid giving details so you can pretend everything is fine.”

  She grunted and let her head fall against the back of the seat. “She asked me if we were planning to have children.”

  “Together?” His stomach did a somersault and he had to command his foot to return to the accelerator. That had been his same response to the employee at the department store yesterday. Why did the idea of having children with Molly keep popping up in his mind?

  “Actually, she asked if I wanted to have them, then implied that you and I had plenty of time to figure that out.”

  “Do you want kids? I mean, in general. Not necessarily with me.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I always assumed I’d have them someday, but now I don’t even know if I can. Anyway, it’s not something I need to figure out right this second.”

  “But you know you’re going to have to think about your future eventually.” Kaleb was only pointing that out because he wanted her to be receptive to Hunter’s idea. And because he wanted her to think it was brilliant. That he was brilliant. He couldn’t explain this sudden urge to prove that he was more than just the technology dependent overgrown kid people had accused him of being lately.

  Her response was to roll her head in his direction and give him a pointed look. Not that he could blame her.

  They didn’t speak the rest of the way, but when they pulled into the driveway, Molly asked, “Who’s car is that?”

  * * *

  “Maxine, don’t you think it’s a little weird that your former mother-in-law comes over to family dinners with your new husband?” Molly whispered to her sister in the kitchen as they heated up the leftover food from Patrelli’s. Cessy Walker, the woman in question, was in the living room overseeing the men’s assembly of a bassinet.

  “Not any more weird than inviting her to both my wedding and my baby shower,” Maxine replied. “I know it’s a bit unorthodox, but after Beau died when Hunter was two, we were the only family Cessy had left. Plus, Cooper won’t admit it, but he secretly gets a real kick out of her.”

  Molly shook her head in doubt. “One of the blessings of calling off my wedding with Trevor was the knowledge that I’d never have to go to another luncheon with his mom again. Yes, she was actually stuck-up enough to call them ‘luncheons.’”

  Maxine nodded her head in Kaleb’s direction. “Looks like that’s not the only blessing to come out of your breakup.”

  Yeah, except it was tough to get too optimistic about another relationship that would be ending in a few days. Of course, since she couldn’t correct her sister’s—and everyone else in town’s—assumption she changed the subject. “Do you know what this top secret plan of Hunter’s is?”

  “No clue,” Maxine admitted. “He used to tell me everything but he’s getting to that age. You know how it goes.”

  “How would I know how that goes?” Molly asked. “I don’t have kids of my
own, remember? Your friend Elaine was such a dear to bring that subject up in front of everyone today.”

  “Whoa.” Maxine held up her pot holder–covered hand. “First of all, I meant because you became the same way when you were Hunter’s age. Second of all, Elaine is not my friend.”

  Before Molly could ask Maxine to expand on her initial statement, Cessy pulled out one of the counter stools and joined them. “Max, I told you I was sorry for inviting her. I was at the clerk’s office in city hall talking to Mae Johnston about the shower cake we ordered from that fancy bakery in Boise. How was I supposed to know that Elaine was in line to get a permit for the remodel of the Gas N’ Mart?”

  “It’s not your fault.” Maxine squeezed the woman’s shoulder. “Mia accidentally mentioned it at her yoga class last week, as well. Besides, it’s a small town and Hunter is friends with her son.”

  “At least she brought a nice gift.” Cessy poured herself another glass of wine, then extended the bottle.

  “No, thanks.” Molly took a big gulp of her water. “So did you like all your presents?”

  “Oh, my gosh!” Maxine squealed. “I meant to tell you, that crib mattress you got me was so perfect. I got rid of Hunter’s when he was a toddler because I didn’t think I’d ever have another kid. When I found out I was pregnant, one of the ladies who works at the cookie shop gave me her daughter’s old one. It was in great condition, but when we got it home, the mattress had all these yellow stains and it reminded me of that hand-me-down bed we got from Tommy.”

  Molly pointed at her sister. “That was my exact same thought when I saw them in the store.”

  Maxine laughed, then said, “Remember when he would babysit us, then put a cheap frozen pizza in the oven and force us watch that Tom Cruise movie so we’d leave him and his girlfriend alone while they made out on the back porch? We should’ve told her about his bedwetting problem. That would’ve put an end to his romantic endeavors.”

  “I loved those pizzas!” Molly put her hand to her heart.

  “Too bad I can only provide you with the good stuff from Patrelli’s tonight.” Maxine opened the oven and the scent of garlic and pepperoni was like a punch in the gut since Molly knew she would have to limit herself to just one slice. “But we can ask the guys to find Top Gun on Netflix.”

  “I wish I would’ve had a sister,” Cessy said. “You two are so lucky to have each other.”

  Were they? Molly had never thought about what it would be like to be an only child. Sure, there were times growing up when she probably wished that she could have something new or have more of her parents’ attention, but she’d never resented her brothers and sister. She’d also never appreciated them, either. They were just there. She had no other basis for comparison until she’d met the Chattersons and caught a glimpse of what she’d been missing.

  Suddenly, it felt like the most important thing in the world was to connect with her sister. To make up for lost time.

  “Is dinner ready yet?” Hunter asked, a crumpled set of instructions in his hand. “We need to take a break from bassinet building.”

  “But I’ve almost figured out what we’re supposed to do with the rocker base,” Kaleb called out from behind the screen of his phone where he was probably watching a how-to video.

  As Molly and Cessy carried the food to the wooden farmhouse table in the dining room, Cooper gently massaged Maxine’s lower back and told her she should sit down and put her feet up. How sweet was it that her sister had found a man who was so caring and always concerned for her well-being.

  “Do you want me to grab your meter for you before we eat?” Kaleb whispered from behind her shoulder. Huh. For some reason, it didn’t sound as sweet and caring when Kaleb did it. It sounded bossy.

  “I already did.” When his eyebrow didn’t go down, she sighed. “It’s at eighty-eight.”

  “You’re perfect,” he said, then kissed her cheek. “And that’s a pretty good number, too.”

  Maybe it was all the baby talk and childhood memories and lovey-dovey affection between all the couples in this town, but Kaleb’s compliment made her glow. Or maybe her brain was still baffled by how he never needed to look at the miniature chart she carried around with her as a cheat sheet of what her levels were supposed to be.

  “Aunt Molly, come sit on this side of the table by Gram,” Hunter said, holding out a chair. “I want to be next to Kaleb when we tell you so we can both see your excitement.”

  Great. She got to be the center of attention when all she’d wanted to do today was hide out. Expectation crackled in the air. This better be something good. Otherwise, she couldn’t promise that her reaction wouldn’t disappoint them.

  Everyone began passing food and Molly told herself that she could have just a couple of garlic knots. She’d been so good with all those stupid salads lately. When the last platter had been set down, Hunter used his fork and knife to drumroll the table.

  “So your nephew came up—” Kaleb started.

  “No, let me tell her,” Hunter interrupted. “So, I was asking Kaleb about what games his company was working on next, and he said that when you guys were at Shadowview the other day, he thought about creating some training simulators for wounded soldiers who might feel like they’re missing out on the action.”

  “What were you doing at Shadowview, Molly?” Maxine paused midbite. Everyone turned to stare, and the feeling made her want to jump out of her chair and run out of the house. Or sob out a confession. It would’ve been a good time to come clean if Cessy wasn’t sitting beside her, absorbing every word quicker than she was absorbing the pinot noir. Plus, the use of the term wounded soldiers ruffled the hairs on the back of her neck. She didn’t know where this was going, but she certainly wasn’t wounded.

  “Just some routine tests and stuff,” Molly answered before shoving a bite of sausage and mushroom pizza into her mouth.

  “Anyway, we were talking about how cool it would be to make flight simulators that make people feel like they’re sitting in a cockpit. Or even a tank. We could do tanks, too, right, Kaleb? Hey, what about submarines? That would be so sweet!”

  “Sure,” Kaleb replied, his fingers steepled under his chin and his eyes dialed in on Molly as if her opinion was the most important thing in the room. The problem was, she didn’t know what her opinion was.

  “Uh-huh,” Molly said since everyone was clearly waiting for a response. “And this would relate to me how?”

  “Kaleb would hire you on as a consultant to help him design everything for the jet ones.” Hunter’s grin grew wide, but Molly’s rib cage seemed to narrow. “Like a real job. He’d pay you and everything. Do you know how much money software developers make at his company?”

  Kaleb’s face suddenly swiveled to look at Hunter and she would’ve laughed at the surprise on his face if she wasn’t trying to process what exactly was happening. “How do you know how much my employees make?” “But, sweetie.” Maxine brushed her hand over Hunter’s hair, preventing him from incriminating himself. “Aunt Molly already has a job. When you’re in the military, you can’t just take off for a better paying gig.”

  Cooper didn’t say a word, but his look spoke volumes. Molly fired back at her brother-in-law’s silent chastisement with a sharp but subtle nod toward Cessy. She really didn’t want to have this conversation right now with so many witnesses.

  While Molly couldn’t deny her curiosity at the idea, any potential excitement stirring to life in her belly was easily doused by the threat of Maxine learning the truth. She was already dreading the time when she would have to make a decision about her career, Molly didn’t want to think about her limited choices in front of an audience. And she especially didn’t want to think about the fact that her nephew and her nonboyfriend had gone ahead and mapped out her future—over a round of golf, no less—without even bothering to consult her.

  Chapter F
ourteen

  Kaleb took one look at Molly’s expression and sat up straight in his dining room chair, realizing that he had to reassure her that he wasn’t blowing her cover.

  “You wouldn’t need to leave your job. Unless, you know, you wanted to.” Kaleb was quick to hedge his bets. “With all of our technology, we could do a lot of the work via emails and video conferences and what not. In fact, you wouldn’t necessarily need to be there in person. A lot of it would be, uh, advisory.”

  “Well, I think that’s a fabulous idea, you two.” Cessy clapped twice, making a row of gold bracelets jingle along her wrist. “What can I do to help?”

  “Um, what do you mean?” Kaleb looked across the table. Who was this woman again? Maxine’s mother-in-law? Or former mother-in-law? He wished he hadn’t been so quick to throw out his life preserver to Molly because he had a sudden premonition that he was the one who would need to be saved after this dinner.

  “What about interior decorating? I could do that,” Cessy suggested. “I mean, obviously you’re going to need someone to pick out the leather for the cockpit chair or design where all those blinking lights go inside the submarine. Do they have beds in tanks? Because we could do some darling coverlets that incorporate a camouflage theme. Ooh, we could probably come up with some very neutral color schemes to appeal to people who aren’t into all that military stuff.”

  “Why would someone not into military stuff want to drive a tank?” Maxine asked.

  “It wouldn’t be a life-size tank,” Kaleb clarified. “Just a simulator of one. Really, we only came up with the idea this afternoon. It’s not actually in the works. Yet.”

  “But he’ll do it,” Hunter assured everyone at the table, including Kaleb, who still had more than his share of doubts. “I watched that interview on 60 Minutes when you told Lesley Stahl that once you visualize an idea, you always see it through to completion.”

  Kaleb shrugged. “Yeah, but my visualization process is pretty in-depth and—”