Getting Katie off her phone and into bed took a mean mom look, and then a threat of not letting her go on Friday. The threat was completely hollow, and she suspected that her daughter knew it. However, Katie put her phone in the kitchen on the charger—the house rule to prohibit nighttime use—and then turned off her computer.
“Night, honey,” Holly said.
“I don’t think I can sleep,” Katie whispered. “What am I going to wear?”
Holly leaned on the doorframe. “Ask the other girls what they’re wearing. If need be, we can pick up a new outfit tomorrow after school.”
Katie leapt from the bed and raced across the room. When she threw her arms around Holly, she almost lost her balance.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Katie said. “You’re the best mom ever.”
“Yeah, I want to hear that the next time I tell you to vacuum the house.”
“I will. I swear. I’ll vacuum and even dust.”
“Don’t get carried away.” Holly kissed her daughter’s head. “Now, go to bed. Try to sleep.”
Katie danced across the room and fell crossways onto the bed on her stomach. “I’ll never sleep.”
Holly walked over. “Come on. Get in the right way.” When Katie did, Holly tucked the top covers around her. “Night, honey.”
After a nice cool shower, Holly dropped into her own bed and picked up the latest contemporary romance on the best-seller list. She checked her cell phone to see if she’d missed any calls or texts, but no. All was quiet on that front.
Wednesday after school, she and her sister-in-law Diana, took the girls out for shopping and dinner, a mother-daughter outing. The entire evening was a raging success. When they got home, Katie went straight to her room to text pictures of her new clothes to the other three girls. On most school nights, Holly would’ve protested Katie being on her phone so much in the evening, but with two days left in the school year, there were no homework assignments or projects left to finish, so Holly ignored the shattering of the house rules. Her daughter was making memories that would last her the rest of her life. Holly wanted them to be happy ones.
Later that evening when Holly crawled into her bed and picked up her book again, her phone vibrated with a text. When Benjamin Blackwell flashed on her screen, her heart did a little happy dance until she shut it down.
Fake boyfriend. Remember that.
It’s late, so I hope I’m not waking you. You up?
[Laughing emoji] It’s nine o’clock. Of course, I’m awake. Heck, Katie is still up. How’s your week going?
Long days. Crappy food.
Sorry about the food. I’m surprised. I’ve heard the base has great food.
Oh, no. Not the base. Food there is excellent. I’m eating at home.
She snorted, then began typing again.
Well, guess who has her first boy-girl party Friday night?
I’m thinking you’ve probably been to one of those, so I’m going with Katie. How’d she break you down?
It’s only five boys and five girls. A kind of sixth grade graduation party. Completely chaperoned by a couple of parents I know well. Better than a dark movie theater, right?
I’m a guy. If I was twelve, I’d be trying to figure how to kiss Katie without my parents seeing me.
Thanks for that image. It’s going to break her heart when I tell her she can’t go.
Kidding. I swear. Besides, sounds safe and a good way to let her dip her toe into that pool. But I’m not a parent.
Hey! I was thinking since she has plans for Friday, maybe you and I could meet for dinner? Continue getting to know each other, so it looks real when we’re around my family???
As she typed the invitation, her fingers shook a little. She didn’t ask guys out. Or at least, she never had in the past. She felt so forward and a little embarrassed. But for this whole fake relationship to fool her friends and family—especially her mother—they had to appear as though they knew each other much better than they did now. With four cops in the house, it was a little hard to pull the wool over eyes.
Sorry. I’ve already got a date for Friday night.
Oh.
Her heart stuttered. She was so glad no one could see her right now. She was dying…of embarrassment and confusion.
Her phone vibrated in her hand with a call. His name flashed. A dichotomy of emotions overwhelmed her. Excitement. Dread. Happiness. Embarrassment.
Still she had to answer. It wasn’t as if she could pretend she hadn’t heard the phone ring.
“Hello?”
“Oh is the wrong answer.”
His deep voice seeped from the phone and into her stomach. Chill bumps sprang up on her arms as a wave of lust rippled through her. She had to swallow against the rising desire.
“Excuse me?”
“When the person you’re dating exclusively tells you he has a date and it’s not you, the correct response is not ‘Oh.’ It’s something along the lines of ‘what the hell do you mean’?”
She shivered and all parts of her got damp. His voice was like smooth bourbon, and she wanted to drink it down. She cleared her throat. “What the hell do you mean you have a date?”
“There,” he said, his voice filled with humor. “Tweak it with a little jealousy to go with the anger.”
She laughed. “So exactly whom do you have a date with on Friday?”
“Oh, your mother.”
Holly’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.”
He chuckled. “And you, of course. Your mom called and invited me to have dinner with your family on Friday evening. She didn’t specifically say the rest of the family would be there, but I think a one-on-one date with your mom might make things a little tense when I meet your father, don’t you agree?”
She snorted. “Yeah, I would say so. Actually, this Friday isn’t our usual family dinner, so she’s pulling some strings to get everyone there. You are the entrée, you know.”
“And here I thought I was the dessert.”
Yeah, she could see him as her dessert.
“You still there?” he asked. “You got quiet.”
“I’m here. I was thinking what good timing since Katie and her cousin Hillary will both be at the sixth-grade graduation party. Do you want to ride over together?”
“Do you mind if I meet you there? I’ll be at the base until I leave for your folks’ house.”
“Meeting there will be fine. I’ll text you their address.”
“Patricia beat you to it. She sent the address, and told me we needed to be there at six-thirty. That sound about right?”
“It does.”
“Great. I look forward to seeing you.”
“Me, too. Night.”
“Night.”
Now her daughter wasn’t the only person who might be too excited to sleep.
Thursday dragged like cold molasses in a Maine January—not that she’d ever been to Maine in January. But she’d seen enough educational videos of tapping maple trees to know that sap dripped at a frustratingly slow rate, just as the minutes had slipped by on Thursday.
Friday was an official school day, but if anyone in administration thought anything educational happened on the last day of the school year, then they’d never taught. They had an end-of-the-year party, a show and tell for summer plans, and a yoga class…and all that was just to keep her sane through the day.
That evening as she dressed for dinner and Katie dressed for her first boy-girl party, she experienced a brush of melancholy over Steve’s death. Katie was growing up without her father. Holly knew that her dad and her brothers did everything they could to be positive male role models for Katie, but role models weren’t the same as a fulltime father figure. That was likely the reason why her family kept trying to arrange dates for Holly, but she couldn’t make them understand—or they didn’t want to understand—that she and Katie were doing fine. How could Katie miss having a father when she’d never had one?
In the
same vein, her friends and family couldn’t understand why Holly wasn’t that interested in another committed relationship. She was content with how things were. She had a fulfilling job as a teacher, a fun job as a lifeguard, and a rewarding job as Katie’s mother. Holly ate when she wanted and what she wanted. She picked her own books and movies. She was, in short, in charge.
When Steve had been alive, she’d sometimes felt like her opinions weren’t as important as his, or were, at times, discounted. She’d even seen her father and brothers defer to Steve when it came to decisions about their family. Katie was an excellent example.
Holly hadn’t wanted children so early the marriage, begging Steve to give them time to finish school and get good jobs. She’d wanted to wait until she was closer to thirty.
However, that hadn’t fit Steve’s plan, so having children had been a point of contention from the day they’d arrived home from their honeymoon. He’d wanted a big family. She hadn’t been sure she even wanted one child, much less a whole brood. She’d hoped that by waiting a few years, the idea of children and a large family would grow on her. She’d been so enamored with being in love and stepping into the adult world, she’d ignored anything that didn’t fit into her plans, including Steve’s wishes.
And then she’d gotten sick and had forgotten to take her pill for a couple of days. Only a couple of days had changed her life. She hadn’t been overjoyed when she’d discovered she was pregnant. She hadn’t been ready, not mentally. Steve, on the other hand, had been thrilled and had announced it like barker at a carnival to any and every person they’d known.
Now, she would die for Katie, kill anyone who threatened or hurt her. But did she want to go back to four-hour feedings, dirty diapers and the terrible twos? No, she did not and that was the problem with dating. The single men she’d met without children wanted families. The divorced men either had children with their “bitch ex-wife” or wanted a new set of kids to try again. No, thank you.
“Mom,” Katie yelled. “Hurry up. I’m gonna be late.”
Holly shook herself from her memories and turned toward the bedroom door. Katie stood with arms akimbo and gave her a frustrated glare.
“Come on,” Katie said. “If I’m late, Craig will be sorry he invited me.”
Holly smiled. “No, he won’t. I promise. Turn around. Let me see you in your new outfit.”
Katie huffed a breath, held out her arms, and spun around. “There? You happy? Let’s go.”
“Go on to the car. I’m right behind you. Don’t forget your overnight bag for Hillary’s house.”
When her daughter gave her a disbelieving stare, Holly laughed. “I swear. I’ll be right there. I just need to put on earrings.”
“Okay, but I’m blowing the horn if you aren’t out in two minutes.” Katie whirled around, snatched the backpack off the floor, and stomped down the stairs toward the garage.
Poor Katie was nervous. Holly didn’t remember her emotions from her first boy-girl party except for excitement. She’d probably been nervous, too.
Oh, honey, she thought. If you think it’s hard at twelve, wait until you’re thirty-two.
She slipped an earring through the piercing in her ear lobe about the same time as the first honk of the car horn. If Katie thought that would hurry Holly along, she had another think coming.
Holly fixed her lipstick, then found her purse and made her way to the garage at a leisurely pace.
“About time,” Katie said as Holly slid into the driver’s seat.
Holly started to say something about her daughter’s bad attitude, but she gave her the benefit of the doubt.
Thirty minutes later, Katie was deposited at the Butlers’ house, arriving at the same time as Hillary. Diana and Holly waved at each other with wide grins. Dinner would be interesting tonight. She couldn’t wait to hear what Diana had been through with Hillary this afternoon.
Once at her parents’ house, Holly and Diana sat in the living room comparing stories and laughing, both sharing memories of their first boy-girl party. When the doorbell rang at six-thirty, Holly’s heart jumped into her throat, and she momentarily froze and lost track of what she was saying.
Diana laughed. “Man, you should see the artery in your neck. It’s pounding like a drum. Kind of like this one, huh?”
“What? Of course not. I was just startled by the bell. I mean, no one we know rings the bell. They just walk in.”
“I’ve got it,” Patricia announced as she hurried from the kitchen to cross the living room to the front door. She opened it and a smile bloomed on her face. “Hello, Benjamin. I’m so glad you could join us.”
“I appreciate the invitation.”
His deep, modulated tone made all the hairs on Holly’s arms stand at attention, as did her nipples. After setting her drink on the side table, she stood, her knees a little wobbly.
“What beautiful flowers,” her mother said.
“This is for you,” he said, handing a bouquet to her. Then he turned and handed Diana, and then Bethany, smaller floral bunches. “And these are for you.” His gaze finally met hers, and his face brightened. “There she is. These are for you.” He handed Holly six red roses.
When he’d looked at her, his smile had grown wider, deepening the dimples in his cheek and emphasizing the fine tan lines at the corners of his mouth and his eyes. She could tell he’d been out in the sun all week. His face and arms were darker than last Saturday, which made the silver streaks in his hair all the more appealing. Her stomach clenched as a long-forgotten flutter made itself known.
“Oh, Ben. These are lovely. Thank you,” Holly said, taking the roses and immediately bringing them to her nose for a long sniff. “They smell so good.”
“They reminded me of you,” he said.
“You mean she looks soft, but watch out for her thorns?” her brother Patrick asked.
Holly rolled her eyes. “Since I have to introduce you, these are my brothers, from old fart to young wise guy. Patrick, the old fart; Lawrence, the pain in my side; and you, of course, know Danny, the wise guy.” She slipped her arm through the crook of her father’s arm. “And this handsome fellow is my dad, Robert. Guys, Benjamin Blackwell. Be nice or I will kill you slowly and painfully later.”
Ben chuckled and shook each man’s extended hand. “Nice to meet you all. I’ve heard a lot about you from Holly.” He draped his arm over her shoulders.
“Yeah, well, you were bit of a surprise to us,” Danny said.
Patricia slapped the back of Danny’s head. “Be nice or you’re grounded.”
“You can’t ground me,” Danny said.
His mother sniffed. “We’ll see about that.”
Ben laughed and then said, “I didn’t forget the men. Since I assumed you wouldn’t want flowers, I brought this.” He pulled a large bottle of expensive bourbon from a sack.
“Well, I was going to give you hell about making us look bad to our women by bringing flowers, but this makes up for it.” Patrick took the bottle with a wide grin. “Glad to have you over for dinner, Benjamin.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Base chow and my own cooking leave a lot to be desired. I’m sure Patricia’s cooking will be the highlight of my day, heck, probably my week.”
“Thank you, Benjamin” her mother said, a little blush flaring on her cheeks. “I hope you enjoy it. Dinner’s ready, so why don’t we move on to the table.” She looked at Ben. “Danny has to be at work tonight, so we’re eating a little earlier than usual.”
He nodded. “Coronado police. I remember.”
Holly took his arm and followed the rest of the family to the dining room. Her mother had gone all out today, setting the table with the good china she only used on special occasions. Holly supposed she should feel guilty about presenting a pretend boyfriend when her mother was so happy that she’d put out the good stuff. She should feel that way, but she didn’t. They’d all brought this on themselves with their incessant matchmaking.
Dinner wen
t better than she’d feared. The male members of her family were friendly enough, without basically asking, “When’s the wedding?”
Having been around Navy personnel all their lives, and having more than their fair share of run-ins with Navy brats—both while they’d been growing up and now as professional law officers—her brothers and dad were slightly prejudiced against the Navy. And, in their collective opinions, SEALs were the worst of the entire camp. If she only had a dollar for every time she’d heard her dad or one of her brothers say that SEALs believed “the rules don’t apply to them,” she’d never work again.
They’d made it through dinner with small talk when Ben’s cell phone began to play The Imperial March from Star Wars.
“I am so sorry. I have to take this call,” he said, rising and walking into the living room.
Holly blotted her lips and followed him. When she touched the small of his back, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders while he continued to talk.
“Yes, sir. Got it. I’ll notify Bravo team.”
“Give me a minute,” he said to Holly.
She nodded and began to step away, but he pulled her tight against him.
“Don’t leave,” he said. “I have to call my team.”
She nodded again and stood there as he made seven identical phone calls.
“Wheels up in two. Be on base in one.”
Apparently, no one had questions, because those were the only two sentences he said before moving to the next number. After the last call, he shoved the phone in his pocket with a sigh.
“I’ve got to go.”
“I know.”
He turned them until they were face-to-face. “I’m sorrier than you know.” He smiled, and her heart thudded loudly. “I had some ideas about ice cream and whipped cream planned for later.”
She smiled and dipped her head, knowing her cheeks had to be flaming red. She may have made the whipped cream reference on the phone, but the reality was she’d never been with another man other than her husband and she didn’t have the first clue how to flirt or seduce.
Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor Page 7
