The Marine's New Family

by Roz Dunbar

  Luke glanced up in surprise. The way he looked at Tess? How did he look at Tess?

  You look at her like you just might be interested in her.

  This time he didn’t push the thought away. Who says you can’t be interested in a woman and raise a son at the same time?

  Well, I said it, he mused. But it’s possible I may have been wrong.

  “I’ll give it some thought,” Luke said with a wide grin. Courting Tess appealed to him. The more he allowed himself to think about it, the more he liked the idea. But first, he needed to talk to her. Explain why he hadn’t told her about Afghanistan. Hopefully, being the Tess that he thought he knew, she would listen and understand.

  From my lips to Your ears, Lord, he prayed silently.

  *

  Tess tried to pull into the driveway at the cottage but there wasn’t room. Three delivery trucks were parked in a straight line, one after the other. Men from one truck were busy unloading what looked like an inordinate number of white wooden chairs, along with white wooden tables.

  Another truck with a party supply logo on the side had a different group of men working from it, carrying white tents through the moon gate into the backyard. Miss Annie was standing next to the third truck, which sported a local catering company’s sign. She waved cheerily and blew Tess a kiss before turning back to the group of ladies she was conversing with.

  Tess turned around and drove to the rear of the house, where Katie was standing with a clipboard and barking orders on placement of the items. A drill sergeant had nothing on her, Tess thought, shaking her head.

  “Tess, dear, don’t park on the grass, please. Stay on the dirt path,” Katie shouted over to her when she saw the compact car.

  It was setup day for the luncheon, and Tess had to admit that it looked like a three-ring circus at the cottage. She had stepped out to get her hair cut, at the aunts’ invitation, while the preparations for the luncheon were going on. The sisters had made an appointment for her at the only salon in town, a treat, they said, for helping Luke with Caleb. Tess had protested that it wasn’t necessary, but Aunt Annie had shushed her, saying that it was a small thing and everyone loved going to the beauty salon once in a while. It was a nice girlie thing to do. She had to admit it felt good to be pampered a bit, and had ended with a French manicure and pedicure along with the haircut.

  She got out if the car and approached Aunt Katie. It was time to tell them that she was thinking of leaving Swansboro. She hated the thought, but she had made the decision that it might be time. She had feelings for Luke, but they were conflicted and confusing—a mix of attraction and anger. He made her feel safe, while at the same time she wondered if she could even trust him after the secret he’d kept from her for all this time.

  She’d come to Swansboro to get away from the real world while she recovered…but now she needed to get away from Swansboro while she regrouped and dealt with the tangled mess of emotions Luke made her feel. Maybe it was best that she go back to Seattle.

  But you have obligations here, she reminded herself. You’ve never shirked a commitment in your life. What about the cakewalk and, more importantly, taking care of Caleb?

  You can’t leave yet. Not until Luke finds a replacement for you. You promised him. She shook her head. She hated it when she was right. She sighed and promised herself she would leave once the church festival was over and Luke had found a responsible person to take care of his son. Caleb had spent the rest of the week with his grandparents and Luke, and she hadn’t seen any of them since the day Dave Lockard had collapsed.

  “Hey, Aunt Katie.” She leaned to kiss the softly wrinkled cheek that the older lady proffered before she began shouting at several workmen who were carrying a load of chairs.

  “Snap to it, gentlemen. I don’t have all day!”

  “Wow. Looks like you all have been busy.”

  “You don’t know the half of it, dear. We still have linens to be delivered. Annie is setting up a schedule with the catering people right now. I hope she gets the times correct. I just know I’ll have to go behind her and make sure.”

  “Do you have a couple of minutes?”

  “Absolutely! Annie and I have been waiting for you to get back. Hang on a second.” With that she reached into her pocket, pulled out a walkie-talkie and clicked the button smartly before speaking into it. “Butterfly, this is Hummingbird. Come in, Butterfly.”

  There was a slight pause and then a crackle came over the handset as Annie answered. Tess raised her hand to cover her mouth as she pretended to cough in order to conceal a laugh.

  “Sister? Is that you?”

  Katie rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s me. Who else would have the other walkie-talkie? And call me Hummingbird. We agreed that Hummingbird and Butterfly would be our code names.”

  Another crackle and then Annie spoke again. “Oh, right. Yes, Hummingbird?”

  “Meet us in the house. Juliet wants to discuss something with us. Your code name,” she mouthed to Tess.

  “Of course,” Tess murmured, so wanting to laugh.

  Crackle, crackle, and Annie spoke once more. “On my way, Hummingbird. Stat.”

  Tess took Katie’s hand, leading her toward the cottage, but the woman stopped in midstride and turned to look back at the people working in the yard and garden.

  “I’ll be back shortly. Carry on, and remember I can see you from the windows.” Her voice was friendly, but had a distinctly firm edge as she gestured toward the cottage.

  A few minutes later the three of them were seated at the old oak table in the sunny kitchen, with frosty glasses of iced tea. Tess looked at the women and smiled. Aunt Katie had the clipboard in front of her. Aunt Annie held Jack in her arms and was telling her what a beautiful puppy she was. Tess rubbed her finger around the rim of her glass in a slightly nervous gesture that the aunts had not picked up on. Or so she thought.

  “Tess, are you all right?” Katie was giving her an assessing look over the rims of her glasses.

  “Well, since you ask, no, I’m not.” Tess felt her face heating a little as she answered.

  “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Is it your leg? I thought it was getting better. Are you in pain? Would you like a BC Powder?” Annie gave Tess an empathetic look as she reached over to touch her hand.

  “Oh, no, Auntie, my leg is fine. Much better, in fact. I rarely use the cane anymore.”

  “If it’s about all of the organized chaos going on right now—” Katie waved a hand in the air dismissively “—it just looks that way because everyone is here at once. They’ll be gone soon,” she assured her.

  “Oh, no. It’s not that at all. I… It’s time for me to go back to Seattle, I think.” There. It was out and she felt like crying.

  “Oh, no, dear. You can’t leave. Not now.” The stunned look on Annie’s face was almost Tess’s undoing. She didn’t want to leave, but she had to. How could she explain it to them and have it make sense? She wasn’t sure it made sense to her. She had come to love these two incredible ladies in such a short period of time, not to mention the town and its funny, lovely inhabitants.

  “Nonsense!” Katie stated roundly. “You can’t leave. You are committed to helping at the Summer Fest at the church. You’re also committed to caring for Caleb. One doesn’t walk out on commitments, now, does one, dear? What brought this on, if I might ask?”

  “Oh, I’ll not leave until after the festival. And before I go, I’ll make sure Luke finds someone to care for Caleb. I wouldn’t leave everyone in the lurch. But after those situations are taken care of…well, I think it’s time.”

  Tess hadn’t planned to tell them about finding out that Luke had saved her life in Afghanistan, but the story came out, anyway. She couldn’t have stopped herself if she had wanted to, and she had wanted to keep it to herself. But when she began, and saw the sympathetic looks on their face and felt the pure love radiating toward her, she kept going until it was all out, sitting on the table between them for inspection and de
ciphering. For that’s exactly what they did.

  “I always knew that Luke was a hero. And my, it really is a small world. What are the odds?” Annie sighed dreamily. “Oh, dear, you are so blessed that he was there.”

  “Yes, sister, she certainly is. And since I doubt you’re angry with him for saving you, I’d guess you’re upset that he didn’t mention it once he saw you again?”

  Tess nodded in agreement.

  “Seems to me he didn’t out of kindness and respect for you,” Katie continued. “Why are you angry, dear?”

  Tess sighed. “That’s just it, I don’t know. I guess I feel like if I had known up front, it might have helped me sooner…maybe. Oh, I don’t know. It just feels like he lied.”

  “It wasn’t a lie. He just didn’t say anything. I think, instead of running away, you need to face him and ask him why he omitted that bit of information.”

  “But isn’t that a lie by omission?”

  “Not at all, my dear. I know Luke Barrett, and believe me, sooner or later he would have told you. He would never have kept it to himself. He knows what you’ve been going through, trying to come to terms with what happened. He was probably just trying to give you time to work things out before he spoke up.” Annie rubbed Tess’s arm tenderly as she spoke.

  “She’s right.” Katie reached over and took Tess’s free hand before adding, “You can’t keep running from your problems, Tess. This is a good life God has given us. Live it! I can’t emphasize that enough. You are blessed in so many ways. Why can’t you see it?” The last was said gently and with love.

  Tess felt her eyes tear up. They were right. She had learned so much and gotten so much from the people in this town in the short time she had been here. They had helped her heal in ways she couldn’t begin to describe. She loved this village and had really thought she wanted to stay and make a home here. Livie had given her a gift when she had sent her here.

  Did it really matter that Luke hadn’t said anything? Was she just looking for a reason to slip back into her old pity party for one? And as far as Luke went, she really liked him, more than a little. But no, what man in his right mind would want a woman with so much baggage?

  She hadn’t realized she had spoken aloud until she heard Annie chuckle.

  “I see now,” the woman said. “Honey, you don’t have half the baggage you think you do. Not really any more than the rest of us. Talk to him. I suspect you might be surprised. Sister and I think that he might like you more than a little, too.” She looked at her twin, who nodded in agreement.

  “He’s a good man, Tess. I think he might want to talk this out with you, knowing Luke as I do. And I know him well.” Katie jumped to her feet. “Now that that’s sorted out, we have work to do! Can’t leave these people alone for too long. Come, Butterfly, and don’t forget your walkie-talkie.”

  With that, the aunts were gone, Annie giggling as they walked out of the door. Tess couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with her and Luke.

  She would talk to him. She owed him that much. He had saved her life, literally. Aunt Annie was right; it was a small world. What were the odds that she would end up in the same place as the marine?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tess woke early on the Saturday morning of the luncheon and headed for the small sun-bleached wooden dock at the edge of the backyard, pausing momentarily to look at the decorations. They really were beautiful, she thought. So simple, yet elegant.

  She had to admit that the garden provided a perfect backdrop for the affair. All the flowers were in glorious multicolored bloom. The trellis was heavy with fragrant, old-fashioned roses.

  Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Tess moved on to the dock. She wanted to get a quick swim in. She needed the warmth and healing of Bogue Sound this morning before everyone descended on the cottage.

  Gracefully, she slid into the water and began a casual backstroke as she stared unseeingly at the pink clouds that drifted through the early morning sky. The warmth of the sea enveloped her and she let out a small grateful sigh. This was therapy at its finest and she desperately needed the tranquillity it always brought her. Turning over, she brought her legs together and gave a perfect mermaid flip to propel her back toward the dock. Thankfully, her leg was much stronger.

  She reached the dock and had raised her arms to pull herself up when a much larger hand came into view, offering her help. Looking up, she saw Luke standing at the edge, grinning down at her. She put her hand in his and he lifted her out of the water as if she weighed no more than a baby.

  “What are you doing here? The ladies will be arriving soon,” she warned him as she reached for her towel. She felt vulnerable standing in front of him in her one-piece bathing suit, conscious of the scar on her leg. He looked as handsome as ever, that grin slanting across his firm lips.

  “Thought it would be a good time to talk to you. I didn’t want to put it off any longer.”

  “Okay. I’m listening.” Tess wrapped a towel around herself and shivered slightly. She felt a little off balance at his unexpected appearance. Taking a deep breath, she looked past him to the garden.

  “Not here. Let’s go to the house.” Was it her imagination, or did he seem nervous, as well?

  “Where is Caleb?” she asked as they took seats at the table on the patio.

  “With his grandparents. Dave should be released tomorrow. Thank you for what you did. You saved his life, according to the doctors, by giving him the aspirin.”

  “I really didn’t do anything.” Tess felt her cheeks warm and changed the subject. “Did you get the custody problem straightened out?”

  She really wanted to know. The issue had weighed so heavily on Luke’s mind. Her heart had ached for him. She sincerely hoped everything had been settled. He didn’t look as tired today as he had the last time she had seen him. His mood seemed lighter and she was glad of that. It really did bother her to see him bearing the weight of the world, for that was what it truly must have felt like.

  “We came to an understanding. Caleb will stay here. He told his grandfather that he didn’t want to leave. Dave and I have bonded a little over our mutual love for Caleb. It’s a cautious truce, but it’s a beginning.”

  “Oh, Luke, I’m so glad.” She unwittingly reached for his hand as she spoke, giving it a soft squeeze, then jerked away as she realized what she had done. His skin felt like strong smooth red-hot steel, leaving a burning imprint behind. Surprisingly, he reached for her withdrawn hand and enveloped it in his own, his azure eyes darkening as he looked into hers. Her heart skipped a beat and she could feel a blush developing, but she didn’t try to pull away. It felt right, having her hand securely clasped in his, and at the realization her confusion deepened.

  “Tess, I am very sorry that I didn’t tell you about being with you at the orphanage. I just felt that it would somehow make things worse for you, by awakening memories you were trying so hard to forget.” He turned his head and looked at the calm blue water intently.

  She studied his profile closely and began to feel guilty. She was struck by the sincerity etched on his face and the doubt in his eyes, doubt that plainly told her he questioned the decision he’d made, even though he’d done it for her sake. It wasn’t that he wasn’t concerned, she realized. She didn’t need a map to read the trepidation she glimpsed in those eyes. It was there plain as day.

  The look pulled at her heart, and she wanted nothing more than to reassure him. Her anger dissolved. He truly thought that he had done the right thing in not telling her.

  But she still had questions. Questions that had been gnawing at her since she had learned that he was the marine who had carried her down the mountain. Questions that she felt would help her deal with what had happened. She gently pulled her hand out of his and took a breath.

  “Luke, I was angry at you for not telling me sooner,” she admitted. “I kept wondering why you seemed so familiar, why your voice struck a chord, even if
your face didn’t. I heard your voice in my dreams every night, telling me that you would take care of me, make sure I was safe. I carried it with me for months. I’m not sure how I didn’t connect the dots.”

  “I recognized you the moment I saw you sleeping in the living room,” Luke murmured. “And when I believed you recognized me that day at church, I thought we could talk after breakfast. Then I realized you really didn’t know who I was. I promise you that I was going to say something at some point, after you seemed to be coming to terms with everything. I can see now that I was wrong to wait. Forgive me, Tess.”

  “Did anyone else survive?” Tess blurted out the words abruptly. She had to know. She had been wondering for months. The hope that not all the children had perished had kept her from going quietly insane with grief.

  “Yes, Tess, there were plenty of children and adults who did make it through the carnage of that horrific day.” His words were strong and low, and Tess sighed with relief. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes and she uttered a soft prayer.

  “Thank You, God. Oh, God, thank You for keeping them safe.”

  And though her heart still ached for the children who had been lost, the news that she had not been the only survivor was music to her ears. She felt as though a millstone had been lifted from her soul. She knew that the other two in her medical team of three had not made it, and that the child she had been holding when the explosion occurred had not survived, but that was all she had known for certain.

  *

  The smile Tess gave him was genuine and lit her beautiful face. Luke felt as if he had been punched in the gut. She was gorgeous sitting there with her hair wet, a sprinkle of freckles scattered across her pert nose and soft cheeks, the towel wrapped around her modestly. Her beauty, from within and without, was refreshing. He almost forgot what he was going to say and had to collect his thoughts.

  “Is there anything else you want to know that you don’t remember?”

  “What you’ve told me is so much more than I could ever have hoped to know. That question has been with me for months. I had assumed that no one else made it except me.” She frowned as she said the last words, then shook her head as if to clear thoughts that no longer need haunt her waking moments and dreams. It seemed to be enough for now, and he wished with all his being that he had talked to her about this long ago. If only he had known how much it would have helped her and not hurt her. Hindsight was twenty-twenty.