“My goodness, what else does she do? You never said, but I had the impression she was a full-time mom.”
Cluny had to laugh. “Everything she does is full-time. When she met Dwayne she was selling real estate and had just embarked on her first property development project. She contracted with him to renovate an old apartment building into condos. Gunny got more than he bargained for, the lucky SOB.” He grinned at Santos. “Hey, you’re going to get in some batting practice today.”
“They have a yard big enough to play baseball in?”
“It’s a different kind of batting practice. Instead of baseballs we’re using water balloons.” He touched Graciella’s arm. “It’s the yellow house on the left, middle of the block. Pull in the driveway and park on the left side close to the garage door.”
“What if they have to get out?”
“The door rolls up, and Gunny parks his truck on the right side of the garage. I can always move my Green Monster if necessary. That’s it. Nice and tight.” He opened the door and went to the driver’s side to help her out. Again, she took his breath away. Every man at the barbecue would be wishing they were in his shoes.
He smiled. “You are beautiful, baby.” He kissed her cheek. “Smell good too. Please tell me you wore that just for me.”
Her smooth hand on his cheek, she said quietly, “I bought it just for you and I’m wearing it just for you.”
Cluny was afraid his heart would stop. How was he going to keep his hands off her all day? He drew her into a kiss, not caring who saw them.
“Come on, Macfearsome. You can kiss Mama later. Open the trunk and I’ll get the cooler with the candy and we can go to the party.”
He had a plan for later. If Graciella agreed, they’d be alone tonight at either her apartment or his house. The wait would be an eternity.
* * *
Excitement roared through Graciella. If there was a way to manage it, Cluny would make love to her tonight. She was still trying to think of a solution when they entered the house and a very pretty, petite, blond woman shouted, “Mac!” and flung herself into Cluny’s arms.
“Mis! You made it!” He planted a kiss on her cheek and lifted her off her feet. Setting her down, he took Graciella’s hand. “This is my old Marine buddy, Misty Beachy. She served in Iraq with me and Gunny. Mis, this is my special lady, Graciella Jefferson and her son Santos.”
This woman was a Marine? She’d served in Iraq? Graciella gathered her thoughts and smiled at the woman. “I’m happy to meet you. Should I call you Mis or Misty?”
The woman grabbed her hand in a firm grip. “Mac’s the only one on the planet who calls me Mis. The other guys always called me Beachy, or they said, ‘Yes ma’am, Master Sergeant Beachy, ma’am.’” She turned to Santos. “Hi there, Amber tells me your dad was a SEAL. I’m honored to meet you.”
Santos flushed a sweet shade of pink and stood taller. “Me too, thanks. Macfearsome met my dad once.”
“Macfearsome? Good name for my old buddy. Let’s go in, I was helping Marla rearrange the fridge so we could make room for your surprise dessert.” She put her hand on his shoulder and led him through a doorway on the right. Queen bounded ahead of them.
Graciella looked up into Cluny’s handsome face. “She was a Marine in Iraq? She’s very pretty. I would never have guessed she was a war veteran.” Determined to stifle the little twinge of jealousy she’d felt at their familiar and enthusiastic embrace, she asked, “Was she around the day you got ambushed?”
“Oh, yeah, she was right in the thick of it. The truck she was driving took a hit. She charged out the door with her M-16 blazing like a video game superhero. She was wounded and didn’t even know it until later. Mis is a lot tougher than she looks.”
“She was wounded?”
“Yeah, she took some shrapnel in the right shoulder, tiny fragments in the right eye and ear. Her hearing on that side was permanently damaged. That’s why she turns some to the left when she’s talking to you.”
Graciella couldn’t imagine this. She was ambivalent about women in the military and had no idea they took such dangerous combat roles. “Is she on disability now?”
“She’s eligible for ongoing medical services, but she works full time for Customs training sniffer dogs.” He put his arm around her waist. “Let’s go meet Dwayne and Marla so we’ll have time to talk to them before people start pouring in.”
The pretty, petite woman trained dogs. Graciella wondered about the other vets she’d meet today, what kind of businesses or jobs they were in. He led her to the kitchen where a burly, dark haired man with a prosthetic leg showing below his shorts was in the process of putting on some sort of contraption over his muscular shoulders.
“Hey, McPherson, help me with this damn thing.”
“What the hell is it?” Cluny took her hand and led her to the man that had to be Dwayne Dempsey.
He looked exactly like she expected. She smiled and put out her hand. “You’re Dwayne, Amber’s father. I’m Graciella Jefferson.”
He grinned and took her hand and at the same time gave her a bold, appraising once- over. “McPherson should have told me you were so gorgeous. I’d have dressed better.” He dipped his head. “Dwayne Dempsey at your service, ma’am.” His grip was firm and his eyes danced above his big smile. She was pleased and shy by the handsome guy’s unveiled admiration.
She returned his grin. “I see the problem. You’ve got it upside down.” She reached up and pulled the papoose carrier off his shoulders, flipped it around and held it for the two men to see. “It goes this way. Otherwise the baby would fall out.”
A striking redhead strolled in from the dining room. “You’d be toast if that happened, Dempsey.” She stopped in front of Graciella. “I’m Marla, and you are Santos’s mother. Amber talks about the two of you constantly. I’m so happy to meet you. If this big galumpff,” she pointed to Cluny, “gives you any trouble, let me know.”
Graciella liked her instantly. “I think I can handle him, but now I know where to go if he misbehaves. What can I do to help? I’m anxious to meet that baby of yours.”
“Come right this way. Beachy’s trying to dress the little squirm worm.”
“You call her Beachy? Not Misty?”
“The guys usually call each other by their last names. Misty Beachy is one of the guys.” Screams and laughter drifted in from outside as Santos and Amber played with Queen and DD. “That will have them worn out before the party even starts.” She led Graciella down the hall.
Misty exited a doorway holding a lively, kicking baby in her arms. “He already kicked off his socks. I think he’s a born nudist.”
“Takes after Dwayne.” Marla lifted the baby, nuzzled him, then handed him to Graciella. “It’s nice and warm today. He won’t miss his socks.”
Graciella sighed. “My word, except for the hair, he looks just like his daddy. I can’t believe he’s barely a month old. I haven’t held a baby in years. Umm, the wonderful baby smell and velvety skin. Oh, Marla, he’s so precious, and so big.”
“I expect he’ll be walking by next week. We just put him in the jumper for the first time yesterday. Had to prop him up with pillows all around, but he got the hang of kicking his feet in no time.”
“Gosh, babies seem to be so much stronger these days. Santos couldn’t hold his head up until he was almost two weeks old.”
“Declan could lift his head within a day after we brought him home from the hospital. Do you mind taking him out to his daddy?”
“Not at all. Shall I put him in the backpack?”
“Yes. Soon as Dwayne moves around he’ll fall asleep. We discovered early on that it worked better than the rocking chair. I think he likes the sound of his daddy’s voice too.”
Graciella carried the precious baby out to the patio. She arrived in time see Santos shake hands with Dwayne and say, “I’m going to marry Amber when she grows up. Is that all right with you?”
Dwayne and Cluny, to their credit, d
idn’t laugh. They nodded thoughtfully, then Dwayne said, “It’s fine with me, son. What does she think about it?”
“I didn’t tell her yet,” Santos answered, deadly serious. “She’s too young. I’ll wait for a while.”
Dwayne nodded. “Good plan. Shall we seal the deal with a beer?”
Wide-eyed, Santos said, “I don’t drink beer.”
“Good answer.” Dwayne placed a hand on the slender boy’s shoulder and smiled. “You just passed the first prospective son-in-law test.”
Graciella decided she really liked Gunny Dempsey.
“In the meantime, sailor,” Cluny said, “how’d you like to meet your future brother-in-law, Declan?”
Graciella held the baby in front of Santos. “Look at this cuddly bundle. It seems to me it wasn’t so long ago I was holding you at this age.”
“Will he really be my brother-in-law, Macfearsome?” He touched the infant’s wispy red hair and grinned.
“He’s Amber’s brother, so that would be a yes.”
Graciella straightened and pointed her chin to the carrier on Dwayne’s back. “I have orders from his mother to deposit him in the backpack.”
Cluny reached for Declan. “I’ll take him.” He lifted the baby and tenderly threaded his legs through the holes in the seat, strapped him in, and stuffed the blanket around him.
He handled him like a dad who’d raised a family of his own. He’d told her about how he and Dwayne had been left with three-day-old Amber and were both terrified about what to do with her. They’d obviously figured it out. Both men seemed very comfortable handling Amber’s baby brother.
“You do that very well, Cluny,” she teased. “I’m impressed.”
“A couple of the foster homes I lived in took newborns for the first couple of weeks of life while they waited for adoption. I always loved the smell of babies.” He glanced at a couple of men arriving with their wives or girlfriends. “Don’t let it get around.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.” She squeezed his arm. The more she saw of this man, the more she liked. He directed a loving look to her eyes, and she warmed all over.
“I’ll introduce you to these guys, then you can help me carry out the steaks and burgers.” He took her hand and led her to a small group of early arrivals.
Graciella was astonished to see Ollie and Lu Williams come thought the back gate. What could he possibly be doing here? She tugged Cluny’s hand and met them halfway across the lawn. “Chief, is something wrong? Is Krystal OK? How did you find me?” Her heart raced waiting for his answer.
“I wasn’t looking for you. My boss invited us to the party.”
“Your boss?” Confusion piled on bewilderment as she tried to understand. “Who is your boss?”
“The man you’re holding hands with, Cluny McPherson.” He grinned and turned to Lu. “Louella, honey, this is my new boss.”
Louella offered her hand and a big smile to Cluny. “God bless you for saving our marriage, Mr. McPherson.”
“Cluny, please.” He laughed and kissed her cheek. “I’m happy to meet you. I may be calling on you for advice if he gives me any trouble.”
“Oh, dear, you can count on that.” She took Chief’s arm and hugged it to her side. “I’ve never known this man to stay out of trouble.”
Speechless, Graciella took in the exchange. Chief worked for Cluny? She squeezed his hand and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me Chief worked for you?”
“I didn’t know you knew Chief.” He stepped back and wrinkled his brow. “How do you know him?”
Ollie shook his head. “It’s a small world. I’m old pals with her father-in-law, Earl Jefferson. I’ve known Graciella and Santos for some ten years. She only knew a couple of people in San Diego. Marv charged me with looking in on her when he left for Iraq.”
Cluny smiled his heart-melting smile. “I’ll be damned. It is a small world.” He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his side.
What an astonishing coincidence.
* * *
This could complicate things, Cluny thought. He’d just hired a man who happened to be friends with Graciella’s in-laws, and she’d known him as long as she’d been in the country as a bride. Might get a bit cozy. Too late now, the man started work tomorrow. Cluny would have to tell Gunny about this turn of events.
The old Chief directed his comments to Graciella. “Damndest thing happened. Earl called us, after you told Lillian that Krystal was staying with us, to say this hotshot modeling agency in New York wanted Krystal to bring her portfolio and come for an in-person interview.”
“Do you know the name of it?” Graciella asked.
“Can’t remember, but it was a place she’d been trying to get signed by.”
“So when is she leaving?”
“She left this morning. Lillian brought some of her clothes and her portfolio. Lu and I drove her to the airport at five-thirty this morning.” He pressed his lips together. “That bastard boyfriend of hers won’t be able to track her down now.”
Graciella faced Cluny. “This is wonderful news. Krystal thought she’d be stuck doing department store catalogs forever. Lillian and I both told her if she was patient she’d get signed by a big agency.”
He took her arm. “Excuse us Chief? Mrs. Williams? I’d like to introduce Graciella to some of the people arriving.” He pointed to the open side gate and the sliders leading out of the house. Partygoers were pouring in. “Circulate, Chief. You know Gunny and some the others.”
Chief nodded and led Louella to a long table where Misty Beachy was serving cold drinks and beer.
Cluny wanted to introduce Graciella to as many as possible before the festivities started. He was proud to show off his luscious woman.
Santos rushed up to them, breathless and excited. “Mama! See that tent way in back? Amber and her cousins are having a campout tonight. She wants me to come. Her dad has an extra sleeping bag. Can I? Can I? Please?”
This was the break he was waiting for. Before Graciella could answer Cluny said, “Hey that sounds like a great idea, buddy.” He grinned at her. “What do you think, Mama?”
“I…”
“Please, Mama. I never did a campout in my whole life. They’re going to roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories.” His pleading expression was so comical, Cluny had to laugh. To his great relief, she was smiling.
“If Amber’s parents give their permission, it’s OK with me.”
“They did already, but you can ask them again.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Graciella wanted to be alone with Cluny tonight, but now that the perfect opportunity had presented itself, she was nervous. The look he gave her was proof he’d been thinking along the very same lines. She had a moment of hesitation, wondering if he’d planned it. No, he wouldn’t trick her. That’s not who Cluny McPherson was.
“Hey, here’re a couple of guys I haven’t seen in a while. Come, I’ll introduce you.”
He led her across the yard to a couple of vets who looked to be around forty. She wondered how Cluny knew them because he was much younger. One tall man was dark, the other fair. Four little girls, all toddlers, clung to their legs. The dark man’s wife was a very pregnant petite brunette and the blond man’s wife was tall and also blonde. Graciella smiled. The two couples made her think of the old fairy tale, Snow White and Rose Red.
Cluny made introductions all around. “Rafi and Joe own a small cargo airline in West L.A. These guys flew Queen back to the U.S. from Iraq on one of their aircraft with several other dogs being evacuated.” She was amazed that there were so many connections in the large community of veterans in Southern California.
“What beautiful children,” Graciella said as she bent down to the little girls. The oldest smiled shyly. “Who’s your daddy?”
The tall blond man picked up the girl and kissed her on the cheek. “The two blondies are mine and Jill’s, and the brown-eyed beauties are Rafi and BD’s.”
“You’re
so lucky. I wanted to have a large family, but I have just one son.” She pointed to a group of kids filling small balloons with water. “He’s the skinny dark boy with curly hair.”
Cluny squeezed her close and kissed her cheek. “I have a hunch that situation could be remedied.”
Her breath caught at his meaning. She stared into his blue gaze and blushed. The four people she’d just met got it too. “Uh, if you’ll excuse me? I’ll help Marla carry out the rest of the food.”
She needed some space. Her desire for Cluny unnerved her. There was no mistaking where he wanted this to go, and she was so afraid they might be moving too fast. She headed for the kitchen. “Marla, what may I do to help? I’ve been introduced to so many people my head is spinning.”
“I know what you mean. I don’t know all of them. Dwayne’s been doing this party for at least seven years, and he thinks I should know everybody by osmosis. We’ve only been married for two years. I just smile and nod.” She indicated a tray. “How about taking these condiments out and setting them on the end of the table where Beachy set up the bar? The steaks and hamburgers will be done soon. I have a big macaroni and cheese casserole in the oven for the little kids.”
“Happy to.” She reached for the large tray and turned to leave.
“Oh, ask Cluny if he’ll unfold and set up those chairs at the side of the garage. It’s hard to cut a steak if you can’t balance the plate on your knees. The two picnic tables are reserved for the children.”
Graciella went outside, set the tray on the end of the bar and was glad Cluny and a couple of men were already carrying the chairs and setting them up in three circles. She’d keep her distance from him for a few minutes longer.
As she made her last trip into the kitchen for a large bowl of potato salad, Marla said. “I have to retrieve DD and put her in her carrier. She’s a relentless beggar and she’ll annoy everyone no end. Queen will stay next to Cluny and nap during dinner.”
Love of a Marine (The Wounded Warriors Series Book 2) Page 14
