Twins for the Soldier

by Rochelle Alers

  Angela slowly shook her head. “She messes with me so much that I’ve learned to ignore her, especially when the kids are around, because I don’t want them to see their mother go ballistic on their grandmother. She said something so twisted tonight that I knew I couldn’t spend another minute there.”

  “Where do you want to go?”

  She stared at Lee’s distinctive profile. She had always thought him incredibly handsome, but his attractiveness didn’t end there. He exuded a masculinity that was almost palpable. “I’d like to spend the night with you.”

  Lee’s foot hit the brake, causing the vehicle to come to an abrupt stop. “No!”

  Angela gave him an incredulous look. “Why not?”

  “Because where I’m staying only has one bedroom.”

  “Do you have a sofa?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll sleep on your sofa. It’ll be just for tonight.” Angela wanted to tell Lee that she could check in to a hotel or motel, but she didn’t want to be alone. Not tonight. And not when she needed to bare her soul about pretending to be strong when it was something she struggled with every day for the benefit of others and her children.

  Lee exhaled an audible, ragged sigh. “Okay, Angela. Just for tonight. If you need someplace to stay, then I’ll call Vivi and have her put you up.”

  Angela clutched the hand on her knee. “I really appreciate it.”

  Lee pulled his hand away and activated the Bluetooth feature on the dash, connecting it to Viviana’s number. “Hey, Vivi,” he said when her greeting came on the speaker. “I have Angela with me and I’m asking if you can do her a favor.”

  “Of course. What does she need?”

  “Can you prepare one of the bedroom suites for her? She’ll be there tomorrow and she will let you know how long she’s staying.”

  “That’s not a problem. I’ll put her in the suite across from mine. What about her twins?”

  “They’re away for the summer, so it’ll just be her.”

  “No problem. Give her my number and have her call me before she comes over just in case I may have to step out.”

  “I will.” He disconnected the call and met Angela’s eyes. “You’re all set.”

  Slumping against the leather seat, she nodded. “Thank you so much.”

  Chapter Four

  Angela felt as if she could finally exhale after so many years of holding herself in check. Her appearance on the ramp had been touted as the next coming of supermodel Naomi Campbell, when in reality Angela had been just a frightened teenage girl who had to psych herself up before taking that first step onto the runway. And no one knew of her insecurities about her height and waif-thin body, which had become the brunt of jokes from her peers who called her Olive Oyl, the skinny cartoon character from Popeye. However, she had managed to hide her anxiety and lack of confidence whenever designers draped her frame with their latest creations and her stilettos hit the runway.

  She willed her mind blank as Lee exited the interstate and turned onto a local tree-lined road. Seconds later he drove into the parking area of a three-story building, whose neon billboard identified it as an extended-stay residence. He pulled into a numbered space and shut off the engine.

  “Don’t move. I’ll help you down after I get your bag.”

  Angela waited for him to get out and come around to assist her. He held the handles to the Pullman in one hand while his free arm went around her waist, lifting her effortlessly before setting her feet on the ground. She felt the calluses on the palm of his hand when he took hers in his and led her to the entrance of the hotel.

  “I can remember when this building was a two-story motel.” She couldn’t tell Lee that it was the place where she had offered Justin her virginity. He had chosen it because it was located far enough away from Wickham Falls and off the road where they could hope for a modicum of secrecy. It was a day that had changed her life forever.

  Lee smiled. “It’s very different now.”

  “So I see,” Angela said as she stepped into the updated lobby with several muted flat-screen televisions tuned to sports and all-news channels, contemporary tables, lamps and comfortable seating areas.

  Lee nodded to the clerk at the front desk as they made their way to the elevators. “I’m on the third floor.”

  Walking into the elevator was like déjà vu for her, but instead of spending a few hours with her then boyfriend she would now spend the night with her best friend. Angela had lost count of the number of times she and Justin had broken up while in high school, but Lee had remained their constant. As their friend he didn’t judge or interfere. She was aware he was dating a girl from his former school and she’d gotten to meet her for the first time at their senior prom. Cherise Williams was petite and shy, and claimed a flawless café au lait complexion. It was the first and last time Angela had seen Lee with another woman.

  Lee swiped his keycard, opened the door and then stepped aside to let her enter, bowing slightly as if she were royalty. “S’il vous plaît, entrez, madame.”

  Angela smiled. “Merci. You still speak French like a native. What other languages have you picked up during your travels?” She and Lee had shared French classes and she knew he had an uncanny gift for languages. By the time they graduated he was fluent in French and Spanish and had earned honors in both.

  “Italian and Arabic.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “Arabic?”

  “Yep. I can speak, read and write it.”

  Angela wondered if he had utilized the language when deployed to the Middle East. “I’m really impressed.”

  She glanced around the open floor plan with a spacious living/dining area and galley kitchen. How different it was from the small room with a single bed, nightstand, chair, minuscule bathroom and closet where she and Justin had spent the afternoon making love. “Where are you going with my bag?” she asked Lee when he made his way down a narrow hallway.

  “You can sleep in the bedroom tonight. I’ll take the sofa. It converts into a queen-size bed,” he said, smiling over his shoulder. “By the way, have you had supper?”

  “Yes. I ate at a rest stop on the way back from Florida. But I could use a cup of coffee.”

  Lee stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Same here.”

  “Do you mind if I make it?” she asked. She was tense and needed to do more than just stand around and watch Lee.

  Lee glanced at her over his shoulder. “Of course not. The coffee maker is on the countertop and you’ll find pods in the overhead cabinet to the left of the stove.” He winked at her. “Now, do you remember how I like my coffee?”

  She nodded. “A little milk and no sugar.”

  Lee smiled. “You do remember. You’ll find a bottle of milk in the fridge.”

  Angela found the pods, dropped one into the well of the coffee maker and waited for it to brew as she examined the space that had become Lee’s temporary home. She wondered why he had chosen to live in an extended-stay residence rather than the mansion where he had grown up. She was also aware, as with most in Wickham Falls, that Emory Remington had come back, but she didn’t want to believe it was the reason why Lee had elected not to stay there. He’d never talked to her at length about his father, and she’d assumed he was either too embarrassed by or ashamed of the man.

  “I love the smell of coffee any time of the day.”

  She turned to find that Lee had returned without making a sound—a feat she found remarkable for a man his size. There was no doubt it was a skill he’d developed as a member of Special Forces. At thirty he appeared in peak conditioning, which made him a magnificent masculine specimen. He’d brushed his hair and secured it in a man-bun.

  “It’s bacon for me.” Breakfast was her favorite meal of the day.

  * * *

  Lee picked up her mug, handing it to her before grasping his.
“Let’s sit on the sofa where it’s more comfortable.”

  He waited for Angela to sit before taking his seat beside her. Stretching out his legs, he crossed his feet at the ankles. “Tell me, why are you running away?”

  Angela put the cup to her mouth and took a sip. “Is that what you think? That I’m running away?”

  “Even if you move out and set up your own household, I doubt Miss Joyce is going to change. Which means it’s up to you to change the narrative and your relationship with her.”

  Shifting slightly to face him, Angela met his eyes. “Why should I change, Lee? How many times do I have to ignore her accusations when she blames me for Justin losing his life?”

  A frown creased his forehead. “That’s crazy and you know it.”

  “Do I, Lee? Not when I have to hear it at least a couple of times a week. And if you do hear it enough you’ll start to believe it.”

  Lee set his mug on the table, moved closer to Angela and rested his arm around her shoulders. “Joyce Mitchell is attempting to brainwash you to take the blame for something over which you or anyone had no control.”

  Angela laid her head on his shoulder. “She says I should’ve convinced Justin not to drop out of medical school and not to join the Marines.”

  “Didn’t she know Justin never wanted to become a doctor? That it was her dream, not his.”

  “She would never admit that,” Angela said in a quiet voice. “The first time I met Justin I overhead him tell Miss Joyce that he didn’t want to be a doctor, but she was having none of what she’d call his crazy back talk.”

  Lee stared at a watercolor painting on the wall in the dining area. “That’s because she wants what she wants.”

  Angela sighed softly. “You’re right about that.”

  Lee listened without saying a word as Angela related the conversation she’d had with her fiancé, who’d admitted he always wanted a career in the military; she told him once they were married he had her full support in whatever decision he made. When Justin had called and asked him to be his best man, Lee put in for leave and met the couple at the courthouse for the ceremony.

  “Miss Joyce has always been intolerant and opinionated, which is why she’s never had many friends,” Lee said. “It’s probably why her husband and son had become her whole world.”

  “And now that both are gone she’s zeroed in on my children.”

  “What set her off this time?”

  “I told her my parents were taking the kids to California and that when they return I plan to enroll Zoe and Malcolm in Miss Alma’s Little Tots Childcare at the end of the summer.” Angela paused, seemingly to compose herself. “That’s when she said things to me I’d never repeat to anyone. I’m so done with her, Leland.”

  Lee knew Angela was upset whenever she didn’t shorten his name. When he’d called and she said, “Leland, come and get me!” he’d known at once that she was in distress, although he never would’ve suspected she’d had a disagreement with her mother-in-law volatile enough to send her fleeing her home.

  It was a long time ago that he, Justin and Angela had made a pact to remain friends for life, while he and Justin had pledged that they would always look out for Angela. It had been Justin that made him aware that many of the girls in their high school resented Angela because of her success as a teenage model. Her college professor parents only allowed her to take modeling assignments during summer and school holiday recess. Once she graduated, her career had skyrocketed and she’d earned the sobriquet of supermodel. Lee had come to recognize her vulnerability when she revealed to him that he and Justin were the only people she was able to trust to have her back.

  It was at the reception following his wedding that Justin confided to Lee he wasn’t returning to medical school, but had enlisted in the Corps and had two weeks before he was scheduled to report to Parris Island, South Carolina, for basic training. His mother had taken the news very hard and it was the reason she’d decided not to attend his wedding. Justin had thanked those who had come to help him celebrate one of the most important days in his life, unaware that two years later the same people would come together again, this time for his funeral.

  “Enough talk about Miss Joyce,” Lee said in a quiet voice. “I’m certain Viviana will let you live with her until you find a house.”

  Angela shifted again to face Lee. “What about you, Lee?”

  He gave her an unwavering stare. “What about me?”

  “When are you going to move into your home?”

  She was asking a question to which he didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know.”

  “Is it because your father is back?”

  Lee schooled his expression not to reveal his annoyance. First Viviana and now Angela wanted to talk about his relationship with his truant father. “I don’t want to discuss him.” His words were cold, harsh.

  Angela recoiled as if struck across the face. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Lee whispered, “Sorry for snapping at you, but if you don’t mind I’d like to talk about anything other than our folks. Tell me about your new job.”

  Her expression brightened. “Last year I began working for Dr. Franklin as his receptionist. I was promoted to office manager after he took on a partner, Dr. Natalia Hawkins, who is amazing. She married Seth Collier last month.”

  “Vivi would mail me a batch of copies of The Sentinel to catch me up on the goings on in The Falls. When I read that Roger Jensen finally retired and the folks elected Seth as sheriff of Wickham Falls I felt they couldn’t have picked a better lawman.”

  “Do you know what I’m noticing?” Angela asked.

  “What’s that?”

  “That a lot of the guys that left to join the military have come back to stay. Sawyer Middleton now heads the technology department for the school district. He married one of their teachers. Then there’s Aiden Gibson who also married a teacher. His girls now have a baby brother they spoil rotten. Of course you know about Seth.” She paused. “Do you remember Mya Lawson?”

  “Yes. Wasn’t she voted the prettiest girl in her graduating class?”

  Angela nodded. “I believe she was. She married Giles Wainwright, whose family owns and runs a major New York real estate conglomerate. He was once a captain in the Corps.”

  Lee’s curiosity was piqued at the mention of real estate. “Is he involved in real estate here in The Falls?”

  “I’m not certain. But if you want I can introduce you to him. Mya brings her daughter into the clinic for checkups. Are you looking to buy property?”

  “No. I’m looking to sell.”

  “Do you want me to contact her and tell him to call you?”

  Lee smiled. “I’d appreciate it if you would.”

  He knew he had to get the ball rolling sooner than later about selling off some of the land to offset the cost of repairs and perhaps even renovations to the historic property. He wouldn’t be able to ascertain the total cost until an engineer and architectural historian submitted their estimates. At this point he wasn’t certain whether the house or the guesthouses were structurally sound.

  “Are you going to sign up for the military challenge hosted by the American Legion and VFW during the Fourth of July three-day celebration?”

  Lee angled his head. “Is that something new?”

  “They’d planned it for last year, but the Chamber of Commerce had to cancel last year’s festivities because there was so much rain that some of the valleys were flooded.”

  “Is it military against civilians?”

  “No, no and no,” she said, smiling. “That wouldn’t be fair. It’s only for present and former military.”

  There was nothing Lee liked better than a physical challenge. “It sounds like fun. Where do I sign up?”

  “You can go to the Chamber office and add
your name to the list.” Angela smothered a yawn with her hand. “Sorry about that.”

  Lee stood, extended his hand and pulled Angela to stand. “You should turn in. You’ve had a long day.”

  She managed a tired smile. “You won’t get an argument out of me.”

  “There are towels and facecloths on a shelf under the vanity. Housekeeping changed the sheets this morning, so you have clean linen.” Lee normally cleaned up after himself but requested housekeeping come three times a week to bring clean linen and towels and to dust and vacuum.

  Going on tiptoe, Angela kissed his cheek. “Good night.”

  “Sleep tight,” he teased.

  Lee watched her walk, his gaze following the sway of her slender hips in the fitted jeans. Although she’d carried twins her body was fuller than it had been years ago. He had returned to his hometown to help his sister, unaware he would become involved in providing solace for his best friend’s widow.

  Lee had to remind himself that as much as he liked Angela and at one time had wanted more than friendship from her, he did not want to take advantage of her. She was waging an undeclared war with her mother-in-law and he had to be careful not to make a toxic situation worse. Joyce Mitchell wasn’t above spreading vicious rumors that he was attempting to turn her daughter-in-law against her.

  He waited for Angela to go into the bathroom and close the door before he retreated to the bedroom to get a change of clothes for the next day. He was an early riser and usually swam laps in the pool before starting his day.

  Angela was still in the bathroom when he picked up the remote to the television and began channel surfing until he came to one recapping the day’s sporting events. Lee lost track of time until he realized he’d reviewed the encore of the same game at least twice. He turned off the TV, removed the cushions from the sofa and pulled out the bed. He found an extra set of sheets, a lightweight blanket and pillows in the narrow utility closet, and made up the sofa bed.

  He walked into the bathroom, encountering the lingering scent of Angela’s bodywash. It had been a while since he had shared the same space with a woman, and that was something he sorely missed. Lee liked waking up to find a woman beside him or just lying in bed holding hands without either feeling the need to talk. He brushed his teeth and took a quick shower. Reaching for the robe on the back of the door, he slipped his arms into the sleeves. Lee normally slept nude, but he didn’t want to shock Angela in case she walked in on him wearing only his birthday suit.