The Colonels' Texas Promise

by Caro Carson

  The riders were seated two by two. It was clear to Evan that Matthew would sit with his mother. The child had made sure to stand between Evan and his mother for twenty minutes in the winding line, so he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Evan sit with his mother once it was their turn. Sadder still, he wasn’t going to sit with Evan.

  Evan was in the disconcerting position of being a thirty-seven-year-old military officer who wished a middle-school boy would include him at the hypothetical cafeteria table where the cool kids sat.

  Hey, I’m cool. Sit with me on this coaster. Did you know I fought in a war? I’m in charge of, like, hundreds of real soldiers. Can I sit at the cafeteria table with you?

  Not happening. Not today.

  Matthew kept his mother’s hand in a death grip as he climbed into the coaster car, pulling her with him. Evan resigned himself to the bench behind theirs, sitting back to back with them, shoulder harnesses and a foot of hard, molded plastic between them, shutting him out.

  He’d underestimated the impact of the adrenaline rush, however, on how expansive Matthew would be after the ride.

  “That was awesome. Wasn’t that the best? The best!”

  Evan enjoyed Matthew’s enthusiasm. He was a fun kid when he forgot to keep his guard up.

  “I could hear you yelling ‘hair,’” Evan said. “What happened to your hair?”

  “Mom’s hair! Show him, Mom. Do what your hair did when we were hanging upside down.”

  “You mean this?” Juliet dug her hands in her hair and then lifted it straight up into the air. Matthew thought it was hysterical. Evan thought Juliet looked beautiful—silly, smiling, carefree. It might be only a temporary post-coaster high, but Evan loved to see it. It was a vast improvement over the grimly determined woman from yesterday.

  “Where to next?”

  Juliet let go of her hair and shook it back in the Texas sunshine. “How about bumper cars?”

  “Yeah, cool!” Matthew said.

  “Here’s the map. Lead on.” Juliet fell back to walk next to Evan, which made him feel as excited as a sixth grader himself, one who’d gotten the pretty girl to stand next to him in the cafeteria line. Pretty and smart, too. Evan admired the way she’d been letting Matthew learn how to orient himself and navigate with a map, letting him lead the adults, boosting his confidence without seeming to be doing anything at all except having fun.

  Hadn’t he once bragged to Rob about what a good mother she’d be? He’d been puffing on a cigar and pretending he liked to sip port. Gentlemen, please. We’re talking about the future mother of my children. I’m not going to have ugly children. Not stupid ones, either.

  Juliet spoke to him in a voice meant only for his ears as they followed in Matthew’s wake. “I need to stay right-side up and on the ground for a ride or two. I hate to admit defeat, but my stomach isn’t what it used to be.”

  Evan buried the guilt. “Say it ain’t so. You never met a thrill ride you didn’t like.”

  “I still like them, but now I get motion sick sometimes, ever since I had a baby. I don’t know why pregnancy has weird side effects like that, but things never are quite the same.”

  “Really?” Evan was fascinated. He’d never heard that pregnancy could make a woman become permanently susceptible to something like motion sickness. “Side effects like what?”

  She didn’t answer for a few steps, and Evan realized he’d made a misstep himself, asking about something that probably got really personal, really fast. Before he could try to change the subject, Juliet cleared her throat and did an admirable job of sounding like she wasn’t embarrassed. “Oh, you know. Stretch marks. Other things. I have a friend who swears her breasts got smaller.”

  For the love of—Was he supposed to not look at Juliet’s chest now?

  He didn’t. He was an adult. He didn’t look.

  Until Juliet waved her hand toward her own sunny yellow knit shirt. “But me, well... I didn’t get breast implants after college or anything, in case you wondered. I got bigger when I was pregnant and stayed that way.”

  He didn’t stumble, he didn’t stare, he didn’t giggle like an embarrassed schoolboy—outwardly. He did all that and more inside. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t been wondering anything like that in the last twenty-four hours, because he hadn’t checked out her breasts, not when she’d been wearing military regalia yesterday afternoon and a denim jacket last night. Jeez, Juliet, give me a minute here...

  “Are you blushing? Why, Evan Stephens, you are blushing. Hey, you’re the one who asked the question.”

  He couldn’t keep it together. He half laughed, looked away, rubbed the back of his neck.

  Juliet’s laughter was worth his embarrassment. “Sorry.”

  He’d like to swoop her off her feet or tickle her, something to get a little revenge, but he’d gotten the distinct feeling that she was trying to stick to the this is my friend Evan narrative with her son today.

  Fine. It was effortless to slip into their old friendship as they walked along. “No, you’re not sorry one bit, but you’re cute and I like you anyway.”

  “Aww, that’s sweet, coming from a blushing man. Let’s see, what else does pregnancy affect?”

  “Forget I asked. You’re enjoying this too much.”

  “Would you expect hair to change? A woman in my last unit had her hair turn completely gray. No joke. It was crazy.”

  He touched her hair without thinking, then changed the caress to a friendly tug. “Not you. Yours is darker now, though.”

  “Not the baby’s fault. It started getting darker years before I was pregnant.” She was silent for a step or two. “No longer dirty blond. Sorry. I know you usually prefer your women blonde.”

  Stop apologizing. “Shows what you know. There’s gold in your hair when the sun’s hitting it, and I wouldn’t care if there wasn’t.”

  Her smile lingered, but she was gazing at nothing, far away from him.

  “My favorite look is just the way you look, Juliet. I said it yesterday, and I’m saying it today, and I’ll say it again tomorrow. I am so damned happy to see you, and you are very beautiful. All of you. Head to toe.” He let his gaze drop to her chest rather obviously. “And everywhere in between, now that you’ve pointed it out.”

  That snapped her out of that distant stare. “Stephens!”

  “Mom! You’re too slow. Come on.” Matthew backtracked to grab his mother’s hand and pull her along.

  Just as she skipped into a jog, she reached back and grabbed Evan’s hand. He jogged to keep up with her, his happiness almost complete.

  Almost.

  When Juliet had said he preferred blondes, he’d remembered, for the first time in the last twenty-four hours, one blonde in particular. Linda was the meteorologist on the local television station, easy on the eye as she pointed at weather maps during the evening news. They’d been dating—and spending Saturday nights together when she didn’t have to do the 11:00 p.m. news and he wasn’t out on field exercises—but she was not someone he’d made any promises to. It went without saying that Linda was now the woman he had been dating. Juliet was everything.

  But Linda deserved a face-to-face goodbye. He’d break up with her once she returned to the States. She was currently on assignment in a third-world country that had been devastated by a storm. She said her station got better ratings when she gave her weather updates with toppled palm trees behind her. Even if he could reach her by text, he wouldn’t do that to a woman. Got married. Won’t be seeing you. Hope your trip is going well.

  Juliet squeezed his hand as they came to a stop at the entrance to the bumper cars. Her cheeks were pink from the jog in the crisp air, the V-neck of her yellow shirt revealing the rise and fall of her rapid breath. Vibrant and vital, he’d thought yesterday, the best part of his life from now on. It was still incredible to him that, after years of convinci
ng himself she was out of reach, she was standing right here, holding his hand.

  Nothing would stop him from marrying Juliet.

  And then, the week after that, he’d break up with his girlfriend when she returned to the States.

  Simple.

  Chapter Seven

  “I’m tapping out. Two rounds were enough for me.”

  Juliet unfastened her seat belt and shimmied her way out of an orange bumper car.

  Evan was grateful for reasons that had nothing to do with a woman shimmying. His knees had been smashed against the dash of his blue bumper car long enough. If Juliet was out, he was out.

  “But, Mom, there’s no line. We can keep our cars and do it again.”

  “You go ahead, honey. You’re plenty old enough to ride alone. I’ll wait by the exit. Ride as many times as you want.”

  Evan didn’t have a cute shimmy like Juliet, but he managed to unfold his six-foot-plus frame from the blue car that was definitely built for a smaller human. Or one with better knees. The army was hell on knees, just like most professional sports.

  “You, too?” Matthew sounded dismayed. His black car was parked next to Evan’s, since he’d just smashed into Evan when the electricity had died, and the ride had ended abruptly.

  “Me, too.” Evan put his palm on top of Matthew’s head and pretended to use him as a crutch as he balanced on one foot and got his other leg free. “Give ’em hellll...heck for me.”

  He messed up Matthew’s hair as the kid laughed at him. What could be funnier at age eleven than an adult trying to salvage an accidental cuss? Evan headed for the exit.

  Juliet was waiting for him, laughing at him, too. She backed against the swinging gate and pushed it open. He threw his arm around her shoulders and took her with him as he walked out.

  “I think he likes you, Grandpa.”

  “Then my knees didn’t make that sacrifice in vain.” Behind them, the distinctive buzz of electricity preceded the screech of rubber bumpers on a slick floor. He steered Juliet to a landscaped spot a few yards away. “So, when are we going to tell him?”

  Her smile faded. “I don’t know.”

  Evan leaned back against the waist-high wrought-iron fencing that kept the crowd off the grass. He draped their unnecessary jackets over the railing. The late afternoon was still warm from a whole day of sunny skies.

  “You should come over tomorrow.” He pulled Juliet to stand between his knees, living the dream of every teenage boy at the park who wished his crush would let him do the same. “See the house. We can let him know that he’ll be moving in. He can choose his bedroom. I’ve got three empty ones.”

  “Wow.” Juliet had a little worry line between her eyebrows.

  “I know, the quarters are way too big for one service member. It was the smallest thing that post housing offered in the neighborhood.” He didn’t have to explain to her that neighborhoods on any army post were essentially assigned according to rank. Field-grade officers were given same-sized houses on the same set of streets. “Key personnel are supposed to live on post, so I had to take what they offered. I’m tagged as key personnel.”

  “Sure,” she said in an absentminded way. “Battalion commander.”

  Evan tried to read her change in mood. “I can put in for an exception. There’s no compelling reason it wouldn’t be granted. It’s not like we ever get snowed in by blizzards in Central Texas. We could buy a new house anywhere you like.”

  Juliet bit her lip.

  “Near any school you want Matthew to attend. What would you like? Say the word. We’ll do it.”

  “You don’t have to spoil me.”

  “I think I do.” Someone should have been spoiling you for years.

  “It’s just me. Juliet Grayson, the girl who is forcing you to keep a pact you made when you were twenty-one.”

  “You’re not forcing me to do anything, Juliet Grayson, except forcing me to show more restraint than I want to on a perfect Saturday. I’ve been doing my best all day to pretend I’m just your friend.” He hooked one thumb through a belt loop of her jeans to keep her close. With his other hand, he captured her hand and brought it to his lips.

  “Oh...”

  He smiled against the back of her hand. He knew the sound of a woman who was melting. Why hadn’t he tried to make Juliet melt years ago?

  Because she was married to someone else, thanks to you.

  “You’re right,” she said. “I don’t want to force you to do anything. Instead of riding coasters today, I thought we’d talk through some serious issues. Seriously.”

  “This is serious. This is family togetherness time. Bonding with my future stepson while pulling some Gs together.” Without taking his eyes off her face, he kissed the back of her hand again, then paused. “That sentence was supposed to put a smile on your face, not make you look quite so horrified.”

  “Before we tell Matthew anything about future housing, we have to be sure this is really going to happen. He’s had a lot of promises broken in the last few years. I don’t want to tell him one thing today and something different by Friday.”

  “I’m a sure thing, Juliet. Friday is going to happen.”

  “You can’t say that, you really can’t.”

  “I’m a sure thing, Juliet.” But he didn’t laugh, because he wasn’t joking.

  “We haven’t talked about...things.”

  “For example?”

  “Things like finances.”

  “I’m pretty sure we know each other’s salary, Colonel Grayson. Anyone can look at the army pay scale and see how much a lieutenant colonel gets per paycheck.”

  “For example, my paycheck gets garnished.” She had that Juliet expression on her face, the one that meant she was resolved to broach something difficult. “I have to pay alimony to Rob.”

  “What?” He wanted to laugh it off. He wanted to believe it was a joke, a test, a tease.

  She looked at him like she was refusing to flinch no matter what kind of punch might clip her chin next.

  “Doesn’t Rob have to pay you child support?”

  “No.”

  “But he doesn’t see Matthew. Ever. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, you pay for all the food and housing and clothing? Transportation. Medical.” He knew the breakdown after years of dealing with the child support issues of soldiers under his command. “Why doesn’t Rob have to contribute?”

  “His lawyer was better than mine.”

  He flinched. She might stand there stoically, but he felt sick. So damned sorry she’d had to deal with legal battles. So damned sorry she’d had to fight such a selfish son of a—

  “Mom! Can I go again? The man said I could, but the rule is that I have to get out and go back around to the entrance after three turns.”

  Juliet forced her mouth to curve in a smile before she faced her son. “Of course. I’ll be here whenever you get sick of having your teeth rattled.”

  “I’m never going to get sick of it.” Matthew was off, sneakers pounding on the asphalt, unzipped jacket flapping in the air, completely unaware that his mother was so deeply unhappy, because she didn’t let her child see it. She bore everything on her shoulders as a single mother, picking up the slack for her ex-husband, that goddamned, lazy—

  She squeezed his hand. “Say something.”

  “That son of a bitch. Rob lawyered up, did he?”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe,” she said.

  “I’d believe it. I can tell already, we’re going to need a drink if we’re going to get into serious things. Come with me. I’m buying.”

  “Thanks, but I told Matthew I’d wait here. Plus, you know, my stomach’s not in great shape after that death-loop thing. And it’s not five o’clock anywhere.”

  “We’ve definitely gotten old if we can’t drink before five on a Saturd
ay.”

  “I just think with Matthew here—”

  “I’m kidding you.” Evan stood and turned her around, then pointed over her shoulder, which gave him a great chance to feel her warmth against his chest. She’s here, right here, where I can keep her safe from Rob. She isn’t going to have such a hard life anymore. “I meant a slushie. Nonalcoholic, fluorescent frozen sugar. The stand is right over there. You can wait here, and I’ll bring you one, so you won’t miss Matthew if he decides his teeth have been rattled enough.”

  “I’ll get brain freeze.”

  “Can’t hurt worse than having to rehash your ex’s legal crap.”

  “The pain won’t last as long, at any rate.”

  It was a sarcastic joke, but at least it was a joke. “Pick a color. Looks like there’s red, blue, orange, green. What flavor is blue? That’s just wrong.”

  “I’ll take a blue, please.”

  He pulled her into a hug as he stood behind her, something he’d probably done dozens of times at school. “I think we’re riding that bicycle again.”

  She ducked her chin, almost bashful. “Definitely not.”

  “No? Then we’re done arguing about slushies. What color should I get Matthew?”

  He felt her go still. Then she turned around in his arms and looked at him as if she was about to say something.

  He waited a long second. “What is it?”

  “It’s just...” Her eyes looked a little too bright. He cursed Rob for being so awful that the thought of him made Juliet tear up on a day that was full of coasters and bumper cars and slushies.

  Juliet suddenly let go of his arms. She concentrated on smoothing out the sleeve she’d wrinkled, patting it into place. “It’s just sweet that you don’t forget about Matthew.”

  “That’s it? I get points for not buying two slushies when we’re a party of three?”

  “It’s not as common as you’d think. Generally, if a man buys my child a treat, he’s pretty transparently trying to get into my pants.”

  And your old pal Evan isn’t?

  “I see,” Evan managed to say. Was he supposed to insist he had no intention of getting into her pants? He wouldn’t have used that terminology, but...