Home Front, page 15
That day, the day she’d be flying home to Miami, was coming all too soon. Another two nights here in New York, a follow-up appointment in Manhattan, then the airport directly after that. And in there somewhere she was going to have to say goodbye to Kyle.
“All right. I’ll bring you to my house and you can meet my family. But no church for you. You’re too well known. It’ll end up a mob scene. Every kid in the pews will have their phone out putting pics of you on social media. All right?”
“All right,” she agreed.
His lips twitched with a smile. “The fact my parents’ house has indoor plumbing have anything to do with this request?”
Grateful he’d lightened the mood, she tipped her head to one side and said, “It didn’t hurt.”
He patted her bottom. “Come on. Get up. Let’s go meet the fam.”
“Maybe we should, you know, take advantage of the privacy here first, before we go?”
Kyle’s low growl as he pulled her against him and closed in on her lips told her he agreed with that plan.
Her cell phone vibrating in the pocket of her hoody interrupted her bliss. She pulled away, dreading checking the display. She didn’t want it to be Dan. Not right now. She wanted to ignore that problem, just for a little while, so she could enjoy her last few days with Kyle.
While Kyle watched her, she pulled the cell out of her pocket and saw a message from Angel. Breathing in relief it wasn’t Dan, she told Kyle, “It’s from Angel.”
The text was the picture she’d requested of the note he’d received. She turned the cell to face Kyle. “That’s the note Angel got.”
Kyle reached for the phone and enlarged the image.
“Tell your bitch fiancé to go away before she gets hurt. You are mine!” He frowned at the message he’d just read aloud before lowering the phone and raising his gaze to hers. “This is different.”
“It’s still a threat against me.”
“Yeah. But this is the first one that mentions Angel. This reads almost like a jealous lover wrote it. And you did say Angel sleeps around.”
She shook her head and flipped the cell facedown. She couldn’t face the reminder of her cousin’s betrayal. “Maybe Dan wanted to change things up. Can we just forget about it for now? Please.”
Kyle was still thinking about the text. She could see his mind was working and she didn’t like it. She wiggled in his lap, and knew she’d rubbed against the right spot when his eyes narrowed and he drew in a breath.
When he stood, lifting her with him, and carried her to the bed, she knew she’d won the battle. His mind was hers again. His body too.
At least for a couple of more days.
twenty-four
The Jones house was unlike anything Luna had ever seen. On a sitcom on television, perhaps, but not in real life.
She stood in the doorway a little nervous, a little overwhelmed, but mostly, excited as the senior men of the family ushered her inside.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Jerry said.
“I hope you drink,” Kurt added. “You’re gonna need one to deal with this family.”
The two men had driven over to get them at the cabin and bring them here, to the big old stone and clapboard house that Kyle told her had been built in the eighteen-hundreds. There was nothing like it near her in Miami, where everything looked new and modern.
Kyle glanced down at her as she stood in the entry hall and gazed around her at the white-painted wood-paneled walls and sweeping staircase.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked.
She didn’t have a chance to answer him as a streak of motion cut across the room, heading directly at her.
“Door!” a woman who looked to be about in her fifties shouted as she rushed into the room.
Kyle spun and slammed the front door closed just before what looked like a bald rat bounced off it, changed direction and then skidded back out of the room.
“What was that?” Luna asked, ready to jump up on a chair if one had been available.
“That was Grandma’s hairless cat, Lucille Bald,” Kurt explained before wrapping one arm around the woman’s shoulders. “And this is Mom. Mom, this is Luna Blue, Kyle’s ‘client’.”
Luna ignored Kurt’s use of air quotes around who she was to Kyle and said, “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Jones. I’m sorry to come over unannounced like this.”
Kyle’s mother waved away her apology. “My kids have been bringing friends home for dinner unannounced their whole lives. Everyone is welcome here. And please, call me Mary.”
“Thank you, Mary. And I hope I didn’t scare the cat.”
“Nothing you did. That cat is a nutcase,” Jerry grumbled.
“Lucille is just a little high strung,” Mary corrected her husband.
Kurt blew out a lip-flapping breath. “Yeah, Lucille is nothing compared to Pedro, Grandma’s foul-mouthed parrot.”
As if on cue, there was a loud chirp followed by, “Fuck you, Chad!”
Luna bit her lip to hold in a laugh. She wasn’t raised to cuss in front of her elders. The parrot apparently hadn’t had the same kind of upbringing.
Mary rolled her eyes in response, “There’s Pedro now.”
“Um, so who’s Chad?” Luna asked, loving everything about this family and their crazy pets so far. And she hadn’t even gotten past the front door yet.
Kyle sighed. “We wish we knew.”
“Hell, yeah,” Kurt agreed. “I’d love to meet the guy. He’s gotta be a piece of work for Pedro to hate him so much.”
“Why is Lucille Bald hiding under the sofa?” an older woman asked as she entered the room.
Luna glanced past her into what looked like a living room. She saw the cat, her head under the sofa, while her entire rear end stuck out in full view.
“I’m sorry. I think that’s my fault. Hi. I’m Luna.”
The woman frowned and glanced around at her family members. “Why is Luna Blue standing in our front hall? Did Scooter win some kind of contest on the radio?”
“You know who I am?” she asked, surprised. The woman had to be in her seventies. Maybe older.
“Of course, I do. Two of your songs are on my jazzercise class playlist.”
Wow. Before she could react, the door behind her opened and a male voice said, “Whoa. What is the bottleneck in the front hall? Something happen?”
Kyle moved to the side, gently guiding her with him. When she turned it was to see a younger version of Kyle standing in the doorway, mouth agape.
“Luna Blue?” he said when he finally managed to talk.
“Yeah. Hi.” She extended her hand to him.
He looked at Kyle, the question clear in his glance, before he focused back on her. He shook her hand. “Ken Jones.”
“Or Scooter to the rest of us,” Kurt corrected.
Scooter shot his older brother a glare before turning to Kyle again. “Uh, bro. Why is Luna Blue standing in our hallway?”
“That’s what I asked and no one answered me,” Kyle’s grandmother said.
“I’m working for Luna,” Kyle said.
“Doing what?” Scooter asked.
With a glance at her, Kyle answered, “Private security.”
“For how long?” Scooter was sure full of questions.
“Since I left.”
“You left?” Scooter frowned.
Kurt snorted. “Jesus, bro. You didn’t notice he’s been gone for weeks?”
“No, because unlike you, I have a life,” Scooter sniped.
“All right, boys. No fighting in front of our guest,” Jerry reprimanded.
“Luna, come on. Join me in the kitchen. I have wine.” Mary waggled her eyebrows.
She laughed. “Okay.”
As she turned to follow, Kyle grabbed her arm. “You doing okay? They’re a lot. I know.”
“I’ve never been better. I love your family. And this house. And the animals. Everything.”
A loud squawk coming from the next room was followed by, “You’re a dumbass, Chad!”
Kyle drew in a chest-expanding breath. “That makes one of us.”
twenty-five
Kyle closed the door to the Manhattan hotel suite and deposited Luna’s newly purchased suitcase on the floor inside.
He glanced at the new luggage, then at Luna, who was turning on lights in the living area. “Sorry I made you leave your other bag at the ski house.”
Her new bag was cheap. Something he’d had his mom pick up for her at Walmart to replace the really nice one he’d made her abandon at the ski house because he’d been afraid it was bugged.
Since it had been Daniel who’d tipped off the photographer, apparently he’d been wrong about that. He didn’t want to even guess how much that bag they’d left there had cost her.
She turned to look at him. “Don’t worry about it. I really like the new one.”
“You do?” He let out a short laugh. “Why?”
“It’s pink.” She smiled. “I always wanted pink luggage.”
“Well, all right. I’m glad.”
She never ceased to surprise him. And always in a good way.
“Have you arranged for someone to get you at the airport tomorrow?” He tried not to notice the feeling of being punched in the gut from bringing up the subject he’d been trying to avoid. The topic of her leaving and going back to Miami without him.
“Amy is going to get me.”
“Good. I feel better it’s someone you know and not a car service.”
She tipped her head to one side and looked a bit sad as she said, “Daniel is someone I know.”
He took the few steps to close the distance between them. “I know. And I’m so sorry the way things worked out.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m just not looking forward to confronting him about it. And I don’t even know what I’m going to tell Aunt Camila.”
“You shouldn’t confront him alone. I could come down—”
“No. I’ll be fine. He won’t get violent or anything. I’m not worried.”
That made one of them. He was worried enough for the both of them about what a direct confrontation with Daniel could bring.
He also hadn’t missed that she’d just told him not to come to Miami. If there had been any doubt in his mind that this thing between them was ending the moment she left, it was gone now.
Tonight was their last night together. After her follow-up appointment with her doctor in the morning, he’d be dropping her off at the airport, then heading home himself.
So they’d be close to the hospital, she’d booked a hotel in Manhattan. A suite. One with two bedrooms. Was that one for him and one for her? Even after they’d spent two nights in his family’s cabin tangled up together in one cot?
Luna laid a hand on his chest and gazed up into his eyes. “Can we not talk about Daniel or tomorrow?”
“Sure. What do you want to talk about?” he asked.
She took another step until her body brushed against his. “Do we have to talk at all?”
He pulled her tighter against him and claimed her mouth. Not talking sounded perfect to him. Her leaving was going to be the worst. He intended to make tonight the absolute best.
“Your bedroom or mine?” he said, between kisses.
“How about the sofa?”
He laughed. “God, I love you—your, uh, way of thinking.”
Holy shit. He’d almost accidentally said it. The L-word. He hadn’t meant to, but he had.
Had she heard or did his clumsy attempt at covering it up work?
He stared down at her. She didn’t look shocked. She just smiled and tugged his hand, pulling him toward the sofa.
Blowing out a breath, he followed, happy. At least happy for now. Tomorrow though… Yeah. That would be a different story.
A night of hot sex, followed by a morning of making love, didn’t erase the pain of driving into the parking lot of the airport the next day.
“You really don’t have to park. You could just drop me off at the departures…”
“Nope. I’m escorting you all the way inside.” And waiting there until he saw her pass through security.
“You take your job very seriously.”
“Yup.”
Yeah right. The job. It was a good excuse, but not the truth. He probably could have stopped being her shadow twenty-four/seven the moment they’d determined it was Daniel.
He hadn’t even suggested it because every moment left with Luna was precious. Even now as they stood awkwardly facing each other near the end of the airport security line.
“Thanks for everything,” she said.
“My pleasure.”
“Say goodbye to your family for me.”
“Will do.” He nodded.
She glanced at the people queueing up behind her. “I guess I should go get on line.”
“Yeah.”
“Um. Bye.” She raised on tip-toe and pressed the quickest of kisses to his lips.
He wasn’t letting her go with just that. He cupped her face between his palms, leaned low and kissed her thoroughly. A kiss worth remembering. He might never see her again. But he was going to make sure she at least left an impression she wouldn’t forget.
But in the end, he didn’t promise to keep in touch or talk to her soon. He noticed neither did she. The fantasy of the broken SEAL and the superstar singer was over. Time to face reality.
Luna passed through the checkpoint. She gathered her things and turned one last time, lifting her hand in a wave to him. A wave that said she was fine and he could leave.
So that was it then. He lifted his hand and waved back, then she checked the signs above her head and turned the corner toward her gate.
It was a long drive home with too much time to think. Checking the screen of his cell watching for a text from her—that never came—made it feel longer.
Blasting the radio didn’t help.
In a brilliant bit of foresight on his part, he’d scheduled an appointment for late afternoon the same day Luna left, knowing he was going to need a distraction after she was gone.
The one pinpoint of light in his dark mood was the appointment with his orthopedist. If the doc had good news for him, that was. If not—well, his mood was already shit so what could bad news do?
He drove directly there. It was a good excuse to not go right home to a family that would no doubt have a million questions about Luna. She was their favorite topic of conversation since that night he’d brought her over.
Pulling into the parking lot brought on an assault of memories of meeting her here for the first time on that rainy day. It was a milestone day all around. It was the day he’d ditched his crutches.
It seemed fitting their relationship began here and that he was here again on the day it ended.
He checked in with the receptionist, who luckily didn’t seem to remember his bad behavior the last time he was there when he’d been so angry Luna had taken his time slot. Funny, he’d give anything to see her walk out of that exam room hallway now.
“Kyle Jones? You can go on back.”
Standing, he glanced at the clock on the wall. Five minutes early.
The big black boot clunked along the tile floor as he made his way back to the examination rooms. The radiologist took him for another set of X-Rays, and then the doctor entered the room.
Smiling, he said, “Things look good. How’s it feeling?”
His heart leapt. “Good. Great.”
“Have you tried putting weight on it without the boot?”
“Yes. A little bit.” When he’d been naked with Luna.
Big black orthopedic boots could be a mood killer. Although, the first few steps without the boot when he’d wondered if he was going to collapse in front of her had been scary as fuck.
“Well, I’m going to say that as long as you can walk without it and feel comfortable doing so, you don’t need to wear the boot anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Call me if you have any pain, but otherwise, I don’t need to see you again.
“Thanks, doc.” He was so happy to hear that news, he even forgave the doctor for being a dumbass last appointment and giving his spot to Luna.
How things had changed from that first day to today—their last day together. And that was a shitty depressing thought.
Now was the time for happy thoughts. His ankle was better. Mostly. No more boot. He’d spent months wearing one shoe and that damn boot. No more.
He could fly back to Cali. Start to work it out just a bit at first. Swimming maybe. Something easy. Definitely not the O-course. But he could start to get his ankle and also himself back in shape. Then, when he was feeling one hundred percent, or close to it, see the doc on base and hope and pray for an all clear to go back to the team.
It was a good plan, a simple plan, which seemed less good and less simple when he thought about saying goodbye to his family.
After having just said goodbye to Luna, it seemed like a lot to lose all at once. But he’d be going back to his other family. His team. Hopefully.
He would have ditched his boot right outside the office, like he did his crutches, if he’d had his other shoe with him.
Since he didn’t, he waited until he got home. He made it as far as the living room before he sat and started tearing open the Velcro closures.
“Fuck you, Chad!”
He smiled and added, “And you too, boot.”
“Hey.” Kurt walked into the room. “Where’s Luna?”
And there went his good mood. “Gone back to Miami.”
“Oh.”
There was a lot of unspoken text in that single word that Kyle chose to ignore as he realized, aside for Kurt, the house was quieter than usual. “Where is everyone?”
“Mom and Dad are at choir practice. Tonight is Grandma’s poker night and who knows where Scooter is. We’re on our own for dinner. There are leftovers. I checked.”
Kyle nodded, stood and took three steps towards his brother, without the boot. “Wanna go for a few beers and some wings at the Muddy River Inn?”
