"How bad is it?" she asked.
"Bad enough. Let's just hope things settle down."
"So much for smooth sailing for the last month of deployment," she remarked wryly.
"We just have to hope and pray it continues to be 'smooth sailing'," he replied. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.
She sighed.
"I have to report back now. Why don't you finish what you were doing and we'll meet for dinner?" he said.
She nodded and went back to her inventory. They were getting low on supplies. Luckily, they would be in port again soon and she could replenish the stock of food and medical supplies.
Dinner was quiet that night. Several of the other officers joined them and Charlie could tell everyone was worried about the Korean issue.
Over the next few days, things remained quiet, thankfully. A week later, a message arrived from the Red Cross. Blaine took Charlie into his office and sat her down.
"Honey, something has happened." He sat down and took her hand.
"Is it the Koreans?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No, sweetheart. Listen carefully to what I have to say."
"Y-you are frightening me, Blaine."
"I'm sorry, honey. There has been some bad news on the home front. It seems your dad was in an accident. It's serious, baby. I've approved your leave. As soon as we are in port, I'll get you to the airport. You need to have all your things ready to go. We may be back in San Diego before you get back."
Charlie's hand flew to her mouth. "What sort of accident?" she asked. "Do you have any details?"
"Apparently, he was doing some work on the roof of the house and he fell. I don't know any other details, other than it's serious enough for the Red Cross to contact us."
"Oh, I don't know what to say. I-I guess I should go pack. Th-thank you, Blaine." She got up to leave but was stopped by Blaine walking up behind her and putting his arms around her.
"Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I wish I could be there with you but you know it isn't possible. If there is anything I can do, please let me help you."
She turned slowly to face him. "Oh, Blaine," she said as she collapsed in his arms. He held her for several minutes, letting her lean on his strength, as she gave in to the tears.
"That's it, baby, let it out."
When she stopped crying, she looked up at him and said, "I need to pack."
"Let me help you."
"N-no, you have things to do. I will be fine. Will you come to my cabin later?"
"Yes, I will. I'll bring you something to eat. Let me take care of assigning your duties to Johnson. He's next in line. I'll join you shortly."
She nodded and hurried to her cabin. An hour later, her bags were packed. She sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what was happening back home with her dad. He had to be all right, he just had to be! What else was going to go wrong?
There was a knock on the door. Assuming it was Blaine, she got up to let him in. Marci stood in the hallway when she opened the door.
"I just heard. Is there anything I can do?" her friend asked.
"Come on in. I just finished packing. Blaine should be here soon. He was taking care of everything else. Do you know how soon until we get into port?" she asked.
"The captain has instructed the crew to get there as soon as possible. Once we dock, he will take you straight to the airport and put you on a plane for home. I believe they plan to be there by morning," Marci replied. "You're fortunate we were nearly to our next stop."
"Yes, really fortunate. I should meet with Johnson and go over the inventory list with him. We need supplies to get us through the last few weeks. That is the reason for this stop."
"Would you like for me to go with you to find him? I am off duty for a few hours."
"That would be great. Let's go so I can meet Bl… the captain back here."
Marci smiled. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll see you soon, in San Diego."
"Yes, you will."
They found Charlie's replacement in Blaine's office.
"Oh, good, you're here. I was going to send for you. Can you sit down and go over things with Johnson?"
"Sure, we were looking for him so I could do just that. The supply list is the main thing. If you'll come with me to my office, I can fill you in."
"I'll see that your dinner is brought to your cabin, Commander. I'm sure you'd like some privacy tonight," Blaine said as they started to leave his office.
"Thank you, Captain. This shouldn't take long."
An hour later, they were alone in her cabin.
Charlie had barely eaten anything. Blaine was holding her on his lap and they were talking quietly.
"Charlie, if you don't make it back to the ship before we dock, I'll be in San Diego, waiting for you. You know that."
"Yes, but what about the Korean thing? I'll be worried for you."
"Shhh, no need to worry about that. Your family needs you. We'll be fine. Three more weeks and we'll be dockside. I think the crisis has passed, for now, anyway."
"I'll miss you so much."
"Oh, Charlie, you'll be fine. We'll be fine. Now, I think you should try to get some sleep. It's going to be a long day for you tomorrow. Come, lie down. I'll stay with you."
"Y-you'll stay?"
"I will; I'll hold you all night long, whatever you need."
"But…"
"No buts. Now, come on. Let's get you ready for bed." Blaine tenderly lifted her and carried her to the bed, where he undressed her and laid her down. He crawled in beside her and held her in his arms, whispering to her and caressing her until she fell asleep.
Early the next morning, he woke her. "Sweetie, come on, wake up. I've been to my cabin and cleaned up. I'm going to the bridge to find out our location. You should get ready. Here's a cup of coffee." He leaned over and kissed her as she opened her eyes.
"Oh, Blaine," she said as she sat up in bed. "Thank you." She kissed him again, not wanting him to go.
"I'll return soon," he told her. "Enjoy the coffee, wake up and have a nice, hot shower. I'll bring breakfast."
By the time he was back with a light breakfast for her, she was dressed and ready to go.
"We'll be docking in an hour. I have some things to attend to. Why don't you try to eat something, and I'll send for you when I'm ready to take you to the airport?"
She nodded. "Thank you for taking care of me, Blaine. I know it wasn't easy, with all your duties, to attend to me, too."
"Honey, I would have done the same for any XO, except the spending the night part." He chuckled, hoping to raise a smile.
"Oh, you!" She rolled her eyes.
"Eat, I'll send for you."
A short time later, she left the ship and got into the available car with Blaine. When they reached the airport, he made sure she was checked in and he waited with her until she had to go to the boarding area. They said their goodbyes and he held her tightly, not wanting to let her go.
"I'll be thinking of you," he said. "Give my best to your family."
"I will. I will tell them all about us. They'll be thrilled."
"We'll be back in each other's arms before you know it. Now, you have to go. Remember, I love you."
She kissed him again. "Bye, Blaine. I-I love you."
"Good luck." He waved and she turned to go.
Chapter 9
Charlie stepped off the plane and walked to the luggage area. Looking around, she spotted Blaine and waved to him.
It had been a month since she'd seen him. One very long month. When she'd arrived home, she learned that her dad had suffered a heart attack while on the roof of the family home. He had fallen, causing multiple injuries. It had been touch and go for several days but the doctors had been able to stabilize him, take care of his injuries and deal with his heart issues. He was in intensive care for two weeks and on the recovery floor of the hospital for another week. She had been able to extend her leave to stay another week to help with his ca
re at home.
As she suspected, her family had been delighted to hear that she and Blaine had reunited. When her dad was out of danger, she'd explained it all to them. By the time she left, she felt sure her dad was on the road to recovery, and she was more than ready to return to her duties—and Blaine.
He smiled, when he spotted her in the crowd, and immediately started walking toward her.
"Sweetheart, it's so good to see you," he said as he embraced her in a tight bear hug.
"It's good to see you, too. Come on, let's grab my luggage and you can fill me in on everything that’s happened since I've been gone. I'll bet it feels good to be back landside again."
He grinned. That grin. The one that made her knees turn to jelly. "I have arranged for us to be off until tomorrow morning. How about we find a quiet place to talk? I want to hear all about your dad."
The quiet place turned out to be a quaint little hotel. Once she was settled, she asked, "How did you manage this?"
"You weren't due to report for duty until tomorrow, so I made arrangements for myself. Things aren't too busy right now."
"The family sends their love."
"Oh?" he said with raised eyebrows. "You told them?"
"Of course I did. They were happy, just as I told you they would be."
"I'm glad. Now, when I ask your dad for your hand in marriage, I won't be as nervous."
"Wh-what did you just say?" she asked.
"Oh, I think you heard me," he replied. "Charlie Rose, I've done a lot of thinking about our dilemma. I have done some checking and the Navy is getting more accommodating, as far as stationing married couples together or near each other. I think the obvious thing here is for us to tie the knot. I love you. I wanted to be your husband fourteen years ago, and I still do. You love me. I know your first marriage didn't work out but that doesn't mean ours won't. I'm asking you to be my wife, Charlotte." He got down on one knee and took a small box out of his pocket. Opening it, he revealed the solitaire diamond ring inside.
"I-I don't know what to say. I really wasn't expecting this. At least, not yet."
"I think the appropriate response is yes, Charlie," he teased.
"Yes, yes, yes, I will marry you, Blaine Rogers. I should have said yes, years ago, instead of being a crazy young idiot."
"Never say you were an idiot. You had your reasons, back then. We might not be the people we are today, if we'd done it back then. Things happen for a reason. Now is our time. I love you and I promise to take care of you, for the rest of our lives." He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger.
She held her finger up to the light and marveled at the way the diamond sparkled. "It's beautiful, perfect. I love it."
He walked over to the bar and cracked open a bottle of champagne. Pouring a glass for each of them, he handed one to her and said, "To us."
"To us," she repeated and took a sip.
He took her glass and set it down. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her to the bed.
The next day, they returned to the docked ship and resumed their duties. A few days later, Blaine called Charlie's family and told them he'd asked her to marry him. Immediately, he was welcomed to the family and her mother began to make plans.
One year later…
"You are a beautiful bride, Charlotte," Mrs. Hanna said as she smiled at her daughter.
"Thank you for agreeing to come to California for the wedding. Being my second, I just didn't want a big to-do at home."
"I understand, darling."
Charlie had chosen an ivory colored, knee length dress. Her bouquet was full of pink roses and she wore a matching floral headpiece in her hair. Her father walked her down the aisle of the small chapel on the Naval base to meet her groom. Blaine looked dashing in his dress blues as he stood with the minister at the front of the chapel.
They spoke the vows they'd written themselves and a small party for family and friends followed. The couple had a two week leave and their plans were to spend the first week in the Napa Valley at a romantic honeymoon resort. The second week would be spent moving across the country and settling into their new quarters at their new assignment in Norfolk, Virginia. They were both to be stationed landside there, for the time being. Blaine had been promoted to the rank of Captain.
That night, alone in their suite, Blaine looked at his bride as she stood in front of him. "My Charlotte Rose."
"I love you, Blaine, and I can't wait to begin our life together," she said as he took her in his arms.
"Ditto."
The End
Isabella Kole
USA Today and International bestselling author, Isabella Kole, lives in southern Indiana, where she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Always an avid romance reader, she began writing several years ago, and although she has had several sweet romances published under a different pen name, Accepting His Terms is the first erotic romance in her collection. When not writing, Isabella can be found traveling around signing books and meeting her readers or simply enjoying life.
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Don’t miss these exciting titles by Isabella Kole and Blushing Books!
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Desire for Discipline Series
Accepting His Terms, Book One
Submitting to Brian, Book Two
The Longing Within, Book Three
Loving the Nobleman Series
Remington’s Rules, Book One
Emily’s Emergence, Book Two
Duchess’s Desire, Book Three
Submitting to Her Professor - With Coleen Singer
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Her Captain's Command Page 10