I'll Be Waiting

by Michelle Ziegler

I’ll Be Waiting

  By Michelle Ziegler

  www.RoanePublishing.com

  Copyright ©2016 Roane Publishing

  A Roane Publishing Free Read by Michelle Ziegler

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  “Well, that’s just not a good idea.” Angela bit the top of her pen before crossing out more doodles. No one needed, or rather, no one should see that.

  “What?” Rebecca asked from behind her.

  Angela glared over her shoulder. “What? What? Stop sneaking up on me.” She inched her fingers over to cover up a few scribbles that shouldn’t be seen by her best friend.

  “You said it was a bad idea. So, what was a bad idea?”

  Flicking her eyes over the paper, Angela went with something close to the truth. “Spin the bottle would be a bad game idea for Nic’s send-off party.”

  Rebecca snorted. “Uh, yeah, that was probably a bad idea after junior high. So really, what was the bad idea?”

  Angela nibbled the inside of her cheek. She couldn’t actually answer her over protective best friend. Rebecca took the caring thing to a whole new level. The comment about spin the bottle had been an idea that should never have left Angela’s head. Unfortunately, she’d been in her own little fantasy where she’d finally been able to kiss Nic’s warm and soft lips. His scent was the same as always, something deep and woodsy. Her day-dream had coiled itself until desire settled in the pit of her stomach.

  What could she say? Her imagination had improved after years and years of daydreaming. Terrible party game ideas had only manifested after she’d grown desperate and needed to figure out how to actually have a chance with Nic, Rebecca’s brother. He was off limits for a million different reasons. It hadn’t stopped Angela from pining away for the past who knows how many years. “Just about anything I am thinking is a bad idea.” She stopped and quickly back tracked. “For the party. Anything I am thinking for this party is a bad idea.”

  Rebecca laughed. “I’d doubt that. You are a great planner and you’ve never thrown a bad party.”

  “Really? The last party I planned was back when we were ten.” Angela set the pen down on the table, swiftly followed by her forehead. “Why does he have to go on another deployment?”

  Rebecca shrugged. “He feels a sense of duty, I guess. I don’t know. He doesn’t talk to me much about it. Maybe if we could get him to find the right woman, he’d finally stay. I think he can retire from the Navy in a few years.”

  The room suddenly lacked any and all air. Angela’s hand flew to her chest as she gasped for breath. It never seemed to hurt less that Rebecca couldn’t see Angela as a possible match for her brother, or that she’d been in love with Nic since before a training bra had actually been necessary. She pinched her eyes closed and tried to wipe away the mental pictures of him finding someone else, kissing anyone but her.

  “Right. Yeah. Great idea. You work on that, and I’ll finish writing down what we need for his party.” The air slowly came back to her, but the ache in her chest made a deep breath impossible.

  “Angela, can you try this for me?”

  Looking up, she shook her head to clear the hurt and pain from her face. “Yes. Sure. Try what? Should I be worried?”

  “Ha,” Rebecca said. “It’s a sandwich recipe I found on Pinterest. Thought it might be good for the party. It’s pretty easy to make. Here, take it.”

  Angela eyed the golden brown square. It looked edible, but it wasn’t like either of them were gourmet chefs. History had proved itself over and over again with a few bouts of food poisoning and multiple kitchen fires.

  “Oh, good grief. It’s not going to bite you. Try it. Right now it’s warm, and my concern is what if it’s cold.”

  Angela hesitantly picked it up as the fridge open behind her.

  “Better get me a soda or something, just in case this doesn’t go well.” Nic’s laughter boomed through the kitchen. “Bec’s cooking again? Remind me to eat before this shin dig.”

  Angela’s lips twisted into a grin. She tried to hide her amusement and her excitement at Nic’s voice.

  Chapter Two

  Nic’s stomach rumbled. He intended to eat his sister out of house and home before being sent to the desert, where he’d be lucky to survive off the awful crap the military qualified as food.

  “Hey, Angela, any more of that banana bread you baked?”

  “What? Ouch.”

  He turned to find Angela rubbing her knee. “What? Did the table attack you?”

  She scowled, something that might have been menacing if it had been his sister.

  “No. You’re a jerk and you scared me.”

  “I think you’ll survive, though. So, back to the bread thing. Do you have any more?”

  She shook her head and her glower turned into a grin, one that always hit him right in the gut. He’d kill to take that smile with him, or at least the promise that she wouldn’t smile at anyone but him until he returned.

  “I just brought you two loaves. I don’t even think your mother or sister got any.”

  He leaned against the counter. “They don’t need the calories. Ask them.” He stopped as Rebecca’s fist met his shoulder. “Well, you don’t, that’s what you tell me every freaking day I’ve asked to go for ice cream. How often am I even home? So what? Ice cream is out, but bread is okay?”

  “Whatever.” Rebecca rolled her eyes at him and he couldn’t help himself. He yanked her over and mussed her hair. That always got her riled.

  Rebecca growled. “You are such a jerk. Keep eating all that bread and you’ll need a diet, you ass. You’re such a bad brother. Angela, I’ll be right back. Watch him. I have to go fix my hair.” She stormed out of the kitchen.

  Nic shook his head. “I’m heading to a desert. I gotta get the goods while I can, little sis.”

  “Nic. You shouldn’t do that to her. She has enough emotional issues, don’t remind her that she thinks she’s fat.”

  He sighed “Yeah, yeah. I know. She’s just such a control freak. Sometimes I’m glad I’ve been stationed three hours away, or she’d be driving me crazier. You’d think she was the older sibling.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he eyed the coffee pot.

  One more thing his sister seemed to control was Angela. He couldn’t stand it, but if the past proved anything, he would lose that argument again and again. His chest gave a painful reminder just how much he hated the situation of being able to date nearly any girl he’d ever wanted, except the one right in front of him.

  Giving up on figuring out what to eat, Nic headed for the coffeepot. He was really going to miss good coffee. If the government wanted better results during their missions, perhaps they should spring for the good stuff.

  “Maybe you should save some room for water in the pot?”

  He set the bag of grounds aside. “The only way to make coffee is to make it strong. You know better than that, Ang.” He flashed her his best smile, the one that usually got results.

  Not her, though. He walked around half naked and noticed a flush to her cheeks, but nothing else. The woman had the strongest resolve he’d ever met, and damn it if it wasn’t frustrating as hell.

  He filled the coffee pot and poked the brew button. Turning to face her once again, he bit his lower lip, the pain giving
him a distraction from where his thoughts wanted to go. Mentally, he swore as he realized his brain would wander no matter what he wished it would do. The only way he’d ever have Angela would be in his fantasies.

  “So, are you a plus one?”

  He quirked a brow. “A plus one?”

  “Yeah. Weren’t you seeing some dippy girl?” She paused, and he took in the flash of pink racing across her cheeks.

  “Sorry. I meant, some beautiful and leggy blond?”

  He couldn’t help it. A laugh shook him from head to two. “A dippy girl, huh? Is that what you thought of her?”

  Angela nibbled her lower lip and her brow creased. The action brought his attention to her full pout. Her lips were amazing. No dippy girl had ever had a mouth like hers. It begged to be kissed.

  “Crap. Sorry. That’s not what I meant to, I mean. Oh, for the love. Sorry. I’m sure she was Nice. I just couldn’t remember what Rebecca had said her name was. Let’s face it, I didn’t think she’d stick for long anyway.”

  A twinge hit him in the gut. “Yeah, well, what’s there to say? I get bored easily.”

  Angela nodded. “Yeah. You get bored and leave a trail of broken women behind you. Anyway. Plus one? Yes or no?”

  He rolled his eyes. “They aren’t broken. They know when they get into a relationship that I don’t have any plans for the future. I take it one day at a time.”

  Or just waiting for you to get over my sister’s crazy no dating me rule.

  “Yes, Nic. That’s all great. You’ve told me this time and time again as I sit and listen to you about the breakups. Or worse yet, you ask me to breakup with them for you. I don’t appreciate that by the way.”

  Nic scoffed and reached into the cabinet for a mug. “One time I asked you to breakup with a girl for me and I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  He could actually feel her crossing her arms behind him. He knew her well enough to know her face was contorting into a million different expressions trying to settle on the right one to intimidate him. It never worked. She wasn’t scary.

  “Well, it still was low. I don’t care if you were a trillion miles away. You could have waited until you got back.”

  Nic shifted his weight and leaned against the counter. “You know why. Next time a guy proposes to you over mail and you’ve just spent the last few days sitting in a ditch, I’ll make you figure it out on your own.”

  Angela scowled and then seemed to lose a battle. A smile spread over her lips and her eyes lit up. “Yeah. Okay. It was kind of sad and funny all at the same time. I mean, who thinks about marriage after three months, especially when you had tried to break it off before you left. She was Nice, but a little clingy, I guess.”

  He smiled back. “Thank you. Every guy needs an Angela to stroke his ego, or whatever it is you do.”

  She waved him off. “So, plus one or not?”

  Turning to the coffee pot, he grabbed the carafe.

  “No. No plus one.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, trying to see her reaction. He was shipping out in two days. You’d think she’d finally just get over her fear of his sister. Like Rebecca would ever abandon her right arm and best friend. Angela had been around for as long as he could remember and, in the last few years, he’d noticed Angela. Really noticed her. Apparently, Rebecca has seen her as well, realized he had a thing for her and stopped the chance of a relationship by playing on Angela’s guilt and her unshakable loyalty.

  He couldn’t see Angela’s face and it was for the best. He didn’t want to get his hopes up anyway. “Well, I better go get dressed I suppose. I told Bec I’d pick up a new propane tank and I still need to hit the gym,” Nic gritted his teeth. He needed gym time. Sleeping in the same house as Angela always made his resolve crack and splinter to a point he itched to knock down her bedroom door. She was supposedly moving out of Rebecca’s house, and he hated that, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to stay here if she did.

  Chapter Three

  Angela checked her email for any additional RSVP’s. She clicked through a few and rejoiced each time it wasn’t a girl. She’d extended all the invites as requested from Rebecca, from Rebecca and Nic’s mom, and from Nic himself. He’d actually only asked for his best friend. Angela practically jumped for joy at the news. She tapped on her keyboard, adding items to the to-do list. This was his second deployment and it wouldn’t be any easier. At least they could have a BBQ to help him say goodbye to everyone. Too bad there wasn’t much that would help her.

  She recounted the responses. They’d need to get more hamburger buns. Angela glared at the one name she’d hoped wouldn’t RSVP. Too bad Rebecca had insisted on inviting his ex, or one of his exes. The girl didn’t deserve him and she didn’t deserve to be there either. Not on the last day Angela would see Nic for months.

  Rebecca waltzed back in and grabbed a seat. “My mother wanted me to pass along she is bringing her deviled eggs. I tried to talk her out of it, but well, you know how that goes over.”

  Angela stretched as she took a break. “Whatever. Most of the food will be inside on the counters anyway. Too many bugs and the heat is bad this summer. Besides, people sometimes like her eggs.”

  Rebecca smiled. “That’s why I love you. You always make everything work. Sort of the go with the flow kind of girl. I, on the other hand, thought about threatening my mother with having her invite revoked for ignoring our menu requests.”

  Angela shrugged. “You know it would crush her. Besides, she’s already replied to the e-invite with foods from the list as well.”

  “Some days I think you’d be a better daughter than me. So, how many people so far?”

  Angela smiled. “It’s easier for me to be her daughter since my parents are pretty difficult to get along with. Anyway, it looks like twenty-seven so far. That includes you and me. It’s probably pretty close to a final count.” She sighed.

  “Oh, Lord. Now what?” Rebecca asked as she swiped Angela’s soda.

  “Gee. Help yourself.”

  “Thanks. I will. And what’s that sigh all about?”

  Angela rolled her eyes. “Why did you insist on inviting his most recent ex, what’s her name, Jo or whatever. Thank goodness you didn’t go down the list and invite all of them. This would be a bigger disaster.”

  Rebecca shook her head and pushed back the can. “It’s Josie, and she called me a couple of weeks ago. I agreed to have lunch with her. After all, I was somewhat friends with her before she decided to date my brother.”

  Angela couldn’t hide the surprise. Her pulse kicked up a notch, and she lost all feeling in her extremities. So not what she wanted to hear. Everything was heading southward. Straight for suck-island.

  “And what? She felt the need to rekindle your friendship?”

  Rebecca gave her a sideways glance. “Uh. No. Well, yes. See this is why I hate him dating anyone I know, or want to keep in my life. She practically begged me to help get Nic back. He apparently won’t answer her calls.”

  Angela’s jaw popped as her teeth were clenched. “Well, I think he’s done with her. Hence the breakup and not answering her calls. I went and saw him right after the breakup and he seemed fine. I don’t think she meant much to him.” Before she’d realized it, Angela had mangled a pen cap she didn’t even remember picking up. Oh, well.

  Rebecca glanced at her, skepticism written across her features. “Right. Okay. I know you care for him as much as I do, but at least she’s pretty normal. I figured I’d invite her. If she can get his attention again, maybe he’d see he made a mistake. He’ll be gone for a while, might as well let him make sure. And again, if he realizes he has someone back home waiting, maybe he’ll retire sooner rather than later.”

  Angela took a few deep breaths. She’d hidden her feelings and the horrible ache in her chest that she didn’t want to admit ran deep. It would destroy her friendship with Rebecca if she ever acted. This was not the time to out herself either. Nic was deploying again, and
Rebecca was her best friend. It was best to not rock the boat, not since they needed each other as they went through another stint of worrying about Nic’s safety.

  “Fine. Whatever. This might make the party awkward, because of course, she RSVP’d yes. I know he’s over her.”

  Angela thought back to her last trip to the base and his apartment. She’d met him and a few of his friends at a bar for the night. Nothing had happened, no matter how much she needed it to, but he’d confessed that this latest girl hadn’t been any more right for him than the last four. She always wanted to believe there was more to his words. Her imagination worked overtime some days. Wondering if maybe he was trying to tell her despite how many women he came across, none would be right because she was the one he desired.

  “Angela? Hello?”

  “Huh? Oh. Sorry. Were you talking?”

  Rebecca scrunched her eyebrows together and pursed her lips. “What is wrong with you?”

  Straightening in her seat, Angela nibbled at the inside of her cheek. “Nothing. Sorry. Just preoccupied. This whole thing seems to have taken on a life of its own. It went from a casual BBQ to nearly a huge party. We need to get another speaker for outside. I don’t think one will do it.”

  Rebecca appeared to buy her friend’s absence. “Oh, good idea. Alright. We’ll, I have to go grab the last minute food additions so I can grab that as well. I’m heading out. Text me if you think of anything else.”

  “Sounds good. Shutting down. I’ll start prepping the food for tomorrow while you’re out.” Angela closed the screen to her laptop and pushed it away.

  Her heart ached more than it had yesterday. Saying goodbye sucked, and it was worse when she said goodbye to the man she knew would always be the love of her life, even if he never knew it.

  Chapter Four

  Music filled the tiny house, spilling into the backyard and enveloping the guests. Angela smiled at the turnout. Nic certainly was popular. Four other soldiers flanked him as they’d sauntered onto the patio, their presence commanding attention. Nic walked over and grabbed Angela, picking her up in a bear hug.

  “Hey there, Tink.” She rolled her eyes and slapped at his hands until he returned her feet firmly to the ground.