by Nancy Adams
Human error would mean that I was doing something wrong, and I was sure I wasn't! I worried and fretted about it the rest of the day, but when it came time to go home, I still hadn't figured it out. I told Donna to watch the registers closely, and call me if she noticed anything. She assured me she would.
When Nate called me that evening, I cried on his shoulder about it, and he told me not to worry; he'd put someone on it from his end and get it figured out. I appreciated it, but what bothered me was that until the answer was found, there were bound to be those who would think the human error was caused by me stealing money! I knew I'd never do such a thing, but the people in the corporate offices didn't know me from Adam.
Of course, Nate assured me that he'd never think such a thing of me, but that was only minor comfort. If the story got around the head office, then how would the people there ever accept me if Nate and I were to be married? This was a problem that I wanted solved, and solved quickly, but I didn't even have a clue as to how to fix it.
Saturday morning couldn’t get here soon enough. My only real hope was that Nate could figure it out and find the real cause, before I got my reputation so sullied that even he would be afraid to be with me. He would tell me I was being foolish if I said that aloud, I was sure, but I didn't feel foolish; I felt scared.
Chapter Six
When Dreams Begin To Live
* * * * *
I was at the airport a half hour before Nate's Lear Jet was due to touch down, waiting with both excitement and anxiety for him to land and take me back into his arms. I had barely slept the night before, worrying over the missing money, and I was sure the bags under my eyes would give that away.
But soon Nate would be back, and everything would be put right in my world. I clung to that like a mantra, knowing that just being with him again would be the biggest thing I needed to help me get through this crisis.
The rising sun had helped a bit; my fears of being accused of stealing money from the company weren't so bad in the light of day, because underneath it all, I knew that I was innocent. Since that was the truth, I felt sure that I would find a way to prove it, and my confidence in Nate assured me that he'd help. There really wasn't so much to worry about, but still…
I had stopped on the way and gotten coffee for each of us, and I sipped mine while I waited for him to land. He was due sometime in the next few minutes; I opened the window on the Cadillac so that I would hear the plane's engines as it came in to touch down on the runway, and sure enough, the high pitched whine caught my ears only a moment later. I couldn't tell which direction it was coming from, at first, but then it began to get louder and I saw a glint of light, a reflection of the sun on a shiny white body that was rapidly descending from the sky. I followed it down with my eyes until its little wheels touched the tarmac, and it roared down the runway with its engines protesting in reverse thrust.
And then I saw it taxi to the loading area, and I was out of the car instantly, my feet moving as if with a will of their own as I hurried to the gate where Nate would come to me. The plane's door opened, and a man came down the steps, followed by the one man I wanted most to see in all the world.
He didn't stop for his luggage, but came straight to me, and his arms were around me before I could even get my own to move. He swept me up and lifted me off the ground, spinning me around so fast that my legs flew out behind me like a little girl's, and then he set me down and kissed me, and the world was okay again.
“I can't believe how much I've missed you,” he said, and I moaned my agreement into his chest as he held me. I felt him kiss the top of my head, and smiled, just enjoying the intimacy of the moment.
“Your luggage, Sir?” the other man asked, and I pointed my hand behind me and touched the button that opened the trunk on the car. The man gave a little laugh and went to place Nate's gear in the car, then walked back past us without a word. The door of the airplane closed, and it began to get louder as it taxied back out to the runway to head off to wherever it was needed next.
“So, how about some breakfast?” I asked, and Nate hugged me tighter.
“In a minute,” he said. “Right now I just want to feel my arms around you.”
I didn't mind at all.
We finally went to the car, and I handed him the keys as he opened my door for me. I'd missed that little touch of his personality, and was glad to have it back. I slid into my seat, and waited while he adjusted his own to fit his taller frame, and then we were off to find a restaurant. He accepted the coffee I'd brought him with a smile, and we'd finished both of them before we got to the cafe.
Breakfast was simple; I ordered a waffle, and Nate had sausage and eggs. We talked about the problem of the missing money, and Nate let me know that his security people were working on finding the answer, as well as the bookkeeping department.
“So,” I said a little nervously, “what if your security people can't find the answer? I mean, just because you believe I'm not a thief doesn't mean everyone else will.”
“Does if they want to keep their jobs,” he said, but he was grinning. “Honey, please don't worry; we've already got some ideas of what happened, so we'll get it figured out. And don't ask, because we don't talk about things like that until we're certain about it; just trust me that everything will be okay, and no one is going to think you did anything wrong.” Hearing him say it so convincingly eased my mind a great deal, and made me feel a lot better.
Nate had suggested I take the day off, so I'd planned us a day of relaxing fun. I told him about it as we ate, and saw his face light up in a smile several times.
“I bought a new bathing suit yesterday, and I thought it would be nice to just go to the lake and do some swimming, don't you think? You've got trunks with you, right?” I decided he must really enjoy swimming, because his face got red with excitement when I mentioned it.
“Um, yeah, they're in my suitcase. Swimming is fun; what else you got planned for us?”
“Well, I'm not sure how you'll feel about it, but there's a musical program at our church tonight, and I sort of wondered if we could go to it together? It's one of the local youth choirs, and they're really good.”
Nate reached across and took my hand. “Of course we can go,” he said. “Baby, I'd be honored to go to church with you. I grew up in church, and I still go when I'm home, so we'll call this my second home, now.”
I smiled from ear to ear.
“First thing I need to do, though,” he said, “is go get checked back into the hotel, and then I've got a couple of little things I need to take care of before we head out for fun. I'll drop you at home, so you can get ready, and I'll be back for you before you know it.”
I think I stared at him for a moment, but he didn't seem to notice. Of course, I had known he was going back to the same hotel, but I'd thought I could go along. And what did he need to do that I couldn't be with him? Something about the flippant way he'd said it really bothered me, but I only smiled and said, “Okay, Babe.”
When we were done eating, he drove me back home, and kissed me as he told me to get ready for a day of swimming and fun. By then, I was over my funk, and so I kissed him back and hurried to the door, anxious to get inside and get the new suit on. I'd bought a really nice little sun dress to go over it, too, and I knew I was going to look good in it for him. He would only be gone about a half hour, he'd said, so I moved fairly quickly.
An hour later. I was getting worried enough to pick up my phone and call him. He answered on the fourth ring, which was odd in itself; he usually got it on the first, or at least the second.
“Hey, Babe,” he said. “Sorry things took so long, I was unpacking when I got a phone call I had to take, and we just got done a few minutes ago. I'm heading for the car right now, and I'll be there in ten minutes.”
“Okay, Hun,” I said, relieved that nothing was seriously wrong. “I'm all ready, and can't wait to see you again.”
“Same here! I'll be there in no time flat!”
He pulled up in less than ten minutes, and came to the door to say hello to my parents. He and Dad shook hands, but Dad made sure to keep it short and simple; the “Marine Corps Squeeze” had left his hand sore when they first met, and he was just finally getting its full use back. I managed not to giggle, but it took some effort.
We left a moment later, and Nate headed for the lake. It was only a bit after nine, but the day was plenty warm enough, so I knew the water wouldn't be too cold. I love to swim, and can stay in the water all day long if I get the chance, so I was more than willing to spend as many hours there as Nate would allow.
I reached over and took his hand, twining my fingers into his. “So, was there something wrong back home? The phone call?”
He looked at me, and for a second I think he didn't know what I meant. “Call? Oh, no; just some questions I had to answer for one of the department heads.”
I watched him for a moment as he went back to staring at the road, and it hit me that with all the changes he'd just been through, taking over the management of the whole company and all, it shouldn't surprise me that he seemed a bit distracted. I stopped worrying about it and began to concentrate on getting his mind off of business, and on to me.
We got to the lake in a short time, and I showed him where to park to get to the swimming area. We locked up the car and went out onto the little beach. Nate was wearing his trunks and a t-shirt, so he stripped off the shirt as I spread out the blanket I'd brought along, and then I watched out of the corner of my eye as he watched me peel off my sundress from the corner of his.
My new suit was a bit daring for me, even though it was a two piece that most girls would consider pretty modest, and I knew I looked good in it, but the expression that came over his face made me blush and think seriously about covering up again! I've seen men's eyes go wide over my figure before, but never like his did, and for a moment I was almost afraid I was being too daring, that I'd actually offended him.
“Baby,” he breathed softly, “if I haven't gotten up the nerve to tell you this before, then please take it with the utmost respect and affection as I say it now. You are without any doubt the most beautiful, ravishing, sexy creature that God ever put on the face of this planet!”
Okay, I couldn't help it, I smiled so wide I was afraid my face was going to split in two. “It's not too much, is it? I mean, I want to look good to you, but I don't want anyone to think I'm being...”
“It's perfect,” he said, and I shut up. I sat down on the blanket beside him, and he reached out to put an arm around me, pulling me close for a kiss, and I'll admit privately that I was suddenly glad we weren't alone, somewhere. Temptation comes no matter what your intentions are, and at that moment, I would not have been sure I could trust myself to behave properly if we weren't in public.
We sat together for a few minutes, the warm sun shining down on us as we looked into each other's eyes. There was so much about Nate that I didn't know and wanted to learn, but I didn't want to break the fantastic mood by asking questions just then. It felt too good to simply see the love in his eyes as he stared at me, and I believe he was feeling the same way about the one in my own eyes. Love can't be hidden; no matter how you may try, it will show in the eyes when you look at the one you love. I truly believe that, and it was why I was so sure that he and I were right for each other.
“Let's hit the water,” I heard myself say, and I was surprised. I hadn't meant to say anything, it fell out of my mouth without any conscious thought at all, but Nate grinned and said, “Let's go!” He was up and running before I could even kick off my sandals, his own laying in the sand beside the blanket.
I caught him at the water's edge, because he stopped to wait for me, and we waded in together. The water hadn’t warmed up all the way, yet, and it felt pretty cool to my legs, but the farther we went, the less it bothered me. I think just holding onto his hand was making me warmer, to be honest; at the very least, it was making me not really care about the coolness.
It took me about a minute to get far enough in that I needed to dip under, but a moment after I came back up, I was feeling fine. My hair was soaked, of course, and hanging down my back, but Nate looked at me as if I were a beautiful mermaid who'd just popped up in front of him. I couldn't resist throwing my wet arms around his still dry neck, and he laughed and kissed me just as I'd been sure he would. His kisses were the most wonderful thing I'd ever experienced, but when it broke, he didn't pull back; instead, he pulled me even closer, laid his face alongside mine and hugged me tight.
Wow, I thought. That was almost as good as a kiss!
And then he scooped me up and tossed me a few feet further out, so that I went under the water and came up sputtering. I got to my feet and spun around to glare at him, but he was nowhere in sight.
I spun again, and still saw no sign of him, but a splash behind me made jump, and I turned to find him standing there. His hair was as wet as mine, he'd gone under water as soon as he'd thrown me in, and swam around to get behind me. I shoved at his chest, intending to push him under, but it was a lot like pushing on a concrete wall, and all I managed to do was push myself backward, tripping over a rough spot on the lake bed and falling in again. Once more I came up sputtering, but this time he was there to help me, and we ended up in another kiss.
There's something awesome about being in the water, but I learned that day that it's even better when you're there with the one you love. We played all the silly games that lovers play in water, dunking each other under, splashing water at each other, even “accidentally” bumping into and rubbing against one another (blushing, here); it was a wonderful time, and I loved every second of it.
We got out now and then, laid on the blanket and just enjoyed being together. I'd packed us some sandwiches and chips and cold drinks, so we had them for lunch, then defied all of our mothers' wisdom by getting back into the water less than a half hour later. Somehow we didn't get stomach cramps and drown; just lucky, I guess.
We talked a lot, too. I told him more of what I hoped for in a future with him, and he shared some of his own ideas. He asked me if I would want to continue working, or whether I'd want to be a stay at home mother, and I answered that I felt being a mother would be the most important job I'd ever have. He hugged me again when I said that, so I figure we agreed on that point.
For my turn, I asked him if he would expect me to be a socialite; you know, parties and committees and such. He smiled and said that he'd be surprised if I didn't find myself drawn into it, but it wasn't anything he would require or expect. He would let me decide what aspects of being a wealthy man's wife I wanted to pour energy into, and leave it at that.
I hugged him, that time.
About three, we packed everything up and went back into town. I slipped back into my sundress and he put his t-shirt back on as we left the beach. This time he took me right along to his hotel room, and I waited on his bed while he got a quick shower and changed into casual clothes, then we went to my house and he hung out with Dad while I got my own shower, redid my hair and makeup and got dressed. They were swapping war stories when I got back downstairs, and I caught the tail end of one of Nate's that I'm sure would have raised hairs on my arms if I'd heard the whole thing.
We'd planned on going out to eat before the church service, and I thought we were ready, but Nate smiled up at me as I entered the living room.
“Babe, I hope you don't mind that I invited your folks to come to dinner with us,” he said. I smiled right back, because I knew that he'd just done exactly the right thing to make my Dad his buddy for life! If there's one thing my Dad loves, other than Mom and me, it's food.
“That's wonderful,” I said, and then realized that Mom wasn't in the room. “Is Mom getting ready?”
“She'll be ready in a bit,” Dad said. “Said she had to change and fix her face, but I tried to tell her she can't improve on perfection.”
Nate looked my way. “I know exactly what you mean, Senator.�
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Dad looked at him. “Enough of that, young man,” he said. “Call me Jim.”
“Thanks, Jim,” Nate said, and I felt a swell of pride that my father liked him so much. Dad insisted that almost everyone call him either “Senator” or “Mr. Burke.” Even Corie never got invited to use his name, but she just calls him “Pop” to irritate him, anyway.
Mom came down a few minutes later, and we all piled into the Cadillac to go to Whiskey Creek, one of the best restaurants in the city. From past experience, I knew that the smoked prime rib was the best there is, and when I said so, we all ordered it. I like mine rare, and I was tickled to see Nate order his the same way. So far, it seemed we liked almost all the same foods, so cooking for him would be a breeze.
“I was wondering, Nate,” Dad said as we ate, “KK tells me that you're now the CEO of your company; is that giving you headaches yet?”
Nate nodded as he swallowed his latest forkful. “Some, yes, but it's not been as bad so far as I expected. My father says it's because our top people aren't sure yet how far to push me, but they've all known me since I was a kid, so I don't really think they're all that intimidated. I think we're going to get along okay.”
“Good. I've seen a lot of young men take over a business started by their fathers, only to find the old guard giving them a lot of crap.”
“Well, I made it clear right off the bat that I won't be taking any of that, and that anyone who had any problem working under me could have a generous retirement plan. So far, no one's taken me up on it.”
Dad burst out laughing. “Good for you!” he exclaimed. “That's precisely what I advised those other young men to do; stand up and let their people know that it's their way or the highway!”
Nate nodded again. “Yes, Sir, that's how it has to be. There can only be one leader, whether it's a platoon of leathernecks or a publicly traded corporation. I know that, because my Dad taught it to me, and then I learned it all over again in the Corps.”