by Cat Johnson
The house was what he called where his ex-wife and children lived.
She tamped down the jealousy that his ex was in town with him and could see him any time she wanted, while Ginny was hundreds of miles away and barely saw him at all.
That was going to change soon. She had to remember that. “Did you tell the kids about us?” she asked.
“No. I haven’t told the kids yet.”
“Why not?” Was he afraid they wouldn’t accept her?
That renewed her worry about the whole stepmother thing she’d managed to forget about in favor of the other big concern—telling her mother.
“I stopped by but they were at a play date. I haven’t arranged a time to see them yet, but I told Debbie.”
“You did? Wow. And?” she asked.
“She was . . . fine with it.”
“Oh? Good. I’m glad.” Though what Ginny would really be glad about was when she was his wife and living down there with him.
His sixty days from license to marriage plan looked better by the second.
“You sound sleepy. Did I wake you?” Thom asked.
“Nope. Just in bed watching TV.”
“There’s not going to be television watching in the bed once you get your sweet self down here after we’re married.”
Ginny cringed at his pronouncement, keeping to herself that her favorite thing to do in bed—aside from sex—was to watch television. But less than a week into their secret engaged life, she didn’t feel the need to argue the point long distance.
Instead, she joked, “Promises, promises.”
“Nope. Just the truth. So did you tell your parents yet that we’re engaged?”
“Um, no.”
“Did you at least tell Molly?”
“Um. No . . .”
“I thought you were excited about this wedding.”
“I am, I’m just afraid some people might have another opinion.”
He sighed. “Your mom.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, take what time you need. But I’m warning you, if you don’t get this thing planned for soon I might just start
trying to commute from Connecticut to Virginia.”
“Could you do that?”
Thom snorted. “A seven-hour drive each way? Uh, no. I was just joking.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know you couldn’t really commute, but I thought maybe you could, I don’t know, get like firemen hours? You know, two days on, three days off. Or something like that.”
He laughed. “That would be very nice but the Navy doesn’t exactly work like that. And actually . . . ”
Crap. She was starting to dread his long pauses. Nothing good ever followed. She braced herself for the inevitable.
“. . . it looks like I might be, um, busy at work much sooner than I thought. And communications might be spotty for a while here and there when I’m traveling.”
Busy. Traveling. Yeah, sure. She smothered a snort, knowing it was all euphemisms for him going away to someplace dangerous to do something deadly.
“When I’m in the same room with you, in the same house, on the base where they sweep for bugs and know that we’re secure from spies, are you going to actually tell me stuff? Or will we still speak in code like this?” she asked.
“Well, first of all, they don’t sweep for bugs, as you put it, in base housing. At least, not as far as I know. But yeah, we’ll be able to talk a little more freely than we can now on the phone. Within reason, of course.”
Within reason. Meaning he’d still keep things from her, but at least she’d be there with him when he did it. That would have to be good enough. “Okay.”
“Are you really? Okay, I mean?” he asked.
“You’re not here, so I’m not exactly the happiest newly engaged girl in Connecticut, but I’ll be all right. Just make sure you come back to me. And in time for the wedding—whenever that is.”
He laughed. “Yeah, about that. Can you get working on that soon—setting a wedding date—so I have some idea when to beg for leave? Please?”
The dreaded task of telling her mother she was moving away hung like a dark cloud blocking the sunshine of her pending marital bliss. But she’d need to do that before she could choose a date. “I’ll take care of it. I promise.”
“Can I believe you?” he asked, with humor in his tone.
Ginny drew her brows low. “Yes. Why wouldn’t you?”
“We might be apart a lot, but I know you. You would procrastinate breathing if you could get away with it.”
Her frown deepened but knowing it was true she couldn’t deny his accusation. She could only be insulted by it. “You’re supposed to be charmed by my little quirks.”
“Oh, I am. Believe me. Completely charmed and in love with you. But right now, I’m going to say good night. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”
“Okay. I love you,” she said.
“And I love you. With all my heart. Remember that.” His words sounded a little too final. As if this might be the last time they talked for a while—or ever.
Ginny swallowed hard. “I remember.”
“Oh, and if you aimed for a weekend close to a full moon for the wedding, that would be good.”
She lifted her brows at that strange request. “A full moon?”
“Yup. Just a suggestion.” He was being vague, skirting the issue, which only made Ginny more determined to know.
“Um, okay. I’ll look into that.” As well as why he might be requesting a full moon for their wedding, because she was fairly certain it wasn’t because he thought it would be romantic and pretty for the pictures.
If she hadn’t been the queen of internet research before, dating Thom, with all of his secrets, had made her one.
“Good. All right. Let me go. If I don’t get in touch with you tomorrow, I will as soon as I can. Okay?”
Swallowing the lump of dread from her throat, Ginny said, “Okay.”
“Good night, baby.”
“Good night.” Tears filled her eyes when she heard the call go dead. She missed him constantly and worried about him already even if he hadn’t left the country yet.
The sooner she moved to be with him the better and to do that she needed to suck it up and face the music—or more accurately, face the parents.
Bracing herself, Ginny decided to do that tomorrow and to make sure she didn’t chicken out she would set up a time to see them right now.
She glanced at the clock. It was probably too late to call but she could email. She grabbed her laptop off the coffee table. Her email inbox was open, as usual, so she tapped out a quick message to her mother asking if she could come over for lunch tomorrow and then hit SEND before she could change her mind.
One down, one to go. Drawing in a deep breath, she picked up the cell and typed in a quick text to Molly.
I have news. Call me when you can.
When a reply didn’t come back in seconds—which it would have if Molly had been awake—Ginny let out the breath she’d been holding.
She was about to put down the cell when a brilliant idea struck. She typed in a second text to Molly.
Can you have lunch with me tomorrow?
Having Molly there would be a good buffer. The woman took a long lunch every day to go shopping. She could darn well spend it with Ginny instead when her friend needed her.
Tomorrow, for better or worse, she’d be a publicly engaged woman. And hopefully it wouldn’t be too much longer before she’d be a married one as well.
Which reminded her . . . grabbing her laptop again she opened a new browser tab and typed into the search bar “calendar of moon phases”.
She’d get the dates of the full moon first, and then she was going to move on to trying to find the reason behind Thom’s odd request, even if it took her all night.
CHAPTER 12
“So he just asked you to marry him and then left?” The judgment was clear in Molly’s tone, even through the cell phone.
&nb
sp; Temper rising, Ginny was starting to regret telling her best friend about what should be the happiest moment of her life. “No. He was here for four days. He stayed until late Sunday when he had to leave for Virginia to get back to the base.”
Molly sucked in a breath. “He was here all that time, and proposed, and you never called me so we could go out and celebrate?”
That was exactly why Ginny hadn’t told Molly while Thom was still there. Their time together was too limited, too precious, to spend it out at some crowded bar or restaurant.
All in all, Molly’s reaction so far to the news of the engagement didn’t bode well for the upcoming revelation with her parents later that day. Ginny had thought Molly would be the easier of the two, but it wasn’t turning out that way.
“We wanted to be alone. I’m sorry I didn’t call you, I really am, but we have so little time together. And you’re supposed to be happy for me. You’re my best friend and I just got engaged.”
“I know. And I am. Really. I’m just feeling left out.”
Ginny sniffed out a laugh. “You won’t be left out for long. I’m going to need help. We want to have the wedding as soon as possible.”
She was armed and ready with a list of upcoming weekends near full moons.
“How soon is soon?” Molly asked.
“Like this summer.”
“You do realize it’s already June, right?”
“I know. And it might not work but I’d like to try.”
“What’s the rush—” Molly sucked in a breath. “Oh my God. You’re pregnant!”
Ginny shook her head. “No, I’m not. Thom has a vasectomy.”
“Oh. Eww. Too much information, thank you very much. Change of subject, have you discussed where you’re going to live?”
“Yes, of course. We’ll live in Virginia.”
“Oh, boy. Your mother is going to freak out. I’m not too happy about it either, but your mom—”
“I know.” Ginny didn’t need to hear it from Molly. She already knew the move was not going to go over well. “It can’t be helped. He has to be near his base.”
“He can’t get a transfer to another base?”
“I don’t think so.” She hadn’t asked Thom specifically but she knew his SEAL team was based in Virginia so that’s where he had to be.
“Well, that sucks.”
“I know, but you can come and visit me. It’s beautiful down there by the water. And there are tons of Navy men.” Ginny dangled that temptation in front of her single and always looking friend. Between the beaches and bars, all teeming with male eye candy, she’d manage to keep Molly occupied.
“There is that.” Molly laughed. “So you haven’t told your mother yet?”
“No, I’m going over today to have lunch and break it to them.”
“Oh, please. Can I come?”
Ginny laughed. “Yes. Why do you think I texted asking you about lunch? But the question is why would you want to be there?”
“Well, I want to see the ring. But mostly I think it should be one hell of a show when you tell her you’re moving.”
Ginny glanced down at the diamond on her left hand. A perfect single solitaire on a band of white gold. Not showy, but classic. Thom had done well choosing and she wanted Molly to see it. She only hoped the ring was enough to also charm her mother into accepting the marriage.
“When and where?” Molly asked.
“Noon. My parents’ house.”
“All right. I can do that. What are you wearing?”
Ginny shook her head. No matter what the issue at hand was, good or bad, it always circled back to what outfit to wear with Molly.
Some days that trait could be really annoying—even best friends could have quirks that got on each other’s nerves once in a while. But right now, with so much on her mind, Ginny was happy to join Molly in her concern about something simple, like clothes, for a little while.
CHAPTER 13
“Ready?” Molly asked as they stood between their two vehicles parked in Ginny’s parents’ driveway.
“No.” Ginny pouted and considered getting back inside her car and driving away to delay the inevitable.
She couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom over the upcoming event. She’d even hidden out to delay the whole thing.
Parked along the curb down the block, she’d waited until she saw Molly pull into her parents’ driveway before she pulled up to the house herself. All because she didn’t want to arrive first and be there alone with her parents. That’s how much Ginny dreaded her mother’s reaction to the news she was moving away.
“Come on.” Molly tugged on Ginny’s arm. “Procrastinating won’t help anything.”
“It might.” Ginny dragged her feet to slow their progress toward the house and the certain guilt trip waiting for her within.
Molly rolled her eyes and forged ahead. “Your mother can’t be upset with you when you come bearing both the good news of your engagement and food.”
“Wanna bet?” Ginny wasn’t so sure about that, but luckily she’d stopped by the gourmet shop and stocked up on their favorite foods anyway.
“You brought lunch. I have dessert and bridal magazines. We’re good. We’ll kill your parents with kindness. Your mother won’t know what hit her.”
Ginny let out a guttural noise of doubt. “Don’t be so sure.”
Her mother would know when Ginny delivered the news she was moving seven hours away. No question about that. But Molly was correct about one thing. Dragging this out wouldn’t change anything in the end so she might as well get it over with.
Like ripping off a bandage. One quick painful yank . . .
The front door of the house swung open, ending any chance for Ginny to turn and run.
“Molly. It’s nice to see you again.” Ginny’s mother kissed Molly’s cheek.
“Nice to see you too, Mrs. Starr. Thanks for having me over. I picked up dessert. Cannoli from the Italian bakery.” Molly held up the white bakery box tied with string.
Her eyes lit up. “Mmm. I can’t wait. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I’ll go put them in the kitchen.” Molly smiled and sidled past Ginny’s mother and into the house.
Then it was Ginny’s turn. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, Virginia.”
Had her mother sounded happier to see Molly than her own daughter? Ginny stomped down that suspicion, but still vowed that next time she came over she’d be stopping to pick up cannoli herself.
“Where’s Dad?” she asked when she saw past her mother and her father wasn’t in his usual chair in the living room.
“He’s out back trimming the hedges.”
“Oh.” With the hope she could soothe the ruffled feathers about to be caused by the upcoming announcement, Ginny held up the plastic bag in her own hand. “I picked up the chicken salad you like. And the pasta salad Dad likes.”
“Oh, g—” When her mother’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open on the unfinished word, Ginny’s mind reeled to figure out what was happening.
It took her a second to put the pieces together and realize what her mother was reacting to . . . and her own mistake. Her engagement ring was on the hand she’d thrust right in front of her mother’s nose by holding up the bag of food.
“Um. Surprise. I’m engaged.” She tried for a singsong, happy tone of voice, but wasn’t sure she pulled it off.
Molly had reappeared behind Ginny’s mom. Unseen by the older woman, Molly cringed before walking around to join the conversation. “Isn’t it great, Mrs. Starr? And I love the ring. So classic. It’ll never go out of style.”
As her friend babbled, Ginny, still standing just inside the front door, decided she’d better get to the sofa and sit down for this.
She pushed past her mother. “Let’s sit down.”
“Yeah, there’s so much to talk about and plan. It’s so exciting.” Even Molly’s perpetual optimism seemed to fall flat in the face of Ginny’s mother’s ston
e-faced silence.
Ginny plopped the bag of food on the shelf in the fridge and returned to the living room to find her mother still narrow-eyed in spite of Molly’s cheerful efforts.
“Where are you two going to live?” Ginny’s mother asked.
Wow. Right to the heart of the matter. No tiptoeing around it.
“In Virginia?” Dammit. It was a definitive answer, so why had Ginny made it sound like a question?
Ginny’s mother’s lips formed a thin angry line. “So I’ll just never see you again.”
So many responses to that ridiculous accusation flew into Ginny’s head she couldn’t choose just one.
Luckily, Molly was faster. Her mouth was open before Ginny could form a coherent thought.
“Actually, Mrs. Starr, Ginny was telling me how she plans to come back to Connecticut whenever Thom deploys. And since she won’t have her apartment up here anymore, she’ll have to stay here with you, so you’ll probably see her more. You know how often Thom’s gone.” Molly had lowered her voice for that last part, as if she and Ginny’s mother shared a common distaste for how much her new husband would abandon her.
Since it seemed to be working, Ginny didn’t fight it. She jumped on Molly’s train of thought. “Would you mind if I stayed in my old room sometimes while Thom’s away?”
“Of course not. I put my off-season clothes in your closet but I can move them into storage bins and you can keep some of your things here, if you want. That way they’ll be here when you come and you don’t have to travel with luggage.”
“Good idea. It’ll be so much easier to just jump on the train or plane with a small carry-on bag. She’ll probably be up here more than she’s down there with the amount of travel Thom does,” Molly said.
“Mm, hm.” Ginny’s mother nodded.
Pushing aside the fact that her mother and her best friend were basically hoping her husband would be away more than he was home—God, how Ginny hoped that wasn’t going to be true—she decided not to argue. The dark cloud her news had caused seemed to have lifted and Ginny wasn’t about to bring it back again.
There was one thing she had to bring up though. Thom was waiting for her to text with a date so he could put in for leave before they flew off to wherever he hinted he was going.