by Lucy Gage
She nodded and headed back to Em.
**********
Her best friend’s wedding defined lovely, and Liam seemed to make an effort to avoid Nina without making her feel awkward. Still, Meg pulled Nina aside soon after the ceremony and suggested they make a break for it. Nina eagerly agreed.
Meg barely stepped in her door and an email alert pinged on her phone. She checked it quickly. Neil. She breathed a sigh of relief. It almost didn’t matter what it said. Sending email meant he was alive and presumably okay.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
RE: Safe and sound
Hey, beautiful. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get in touch sooner. It just wasn’t possible.
Danny sent an email and said he saw you at Emily’s wedding. He said you were worried and he told me I better contact you ASAP or he’d kick my ass when he next saw me. I know a hug from him isn’t the same as a hug from me, but I hope it helped. I’m jealous that he gave you a hug from him, too. Just kidding. He loves Charlie too much to think about cheating.
I love you too much to think about that too, you know. I hope you believe that. I can’t imagine being with anyone but you ever again. And I’ve been imagining being with you an awful lot lately. Is it May yet? I can’t wait for the package. Did you send me anything exciting? eyebrow wiggle
Skype call Monday at 1900 your time, okay? I miss you. I love you.
xo Neil
Meg could breathe again. She responded straightaway.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
RE: Thank God
Hey, sexy. Do you know how relieved I am right now? I was so worried about you. I saw that report yesterday and it freaked me out. Dan assured me that it was nowhere near you. Thank God. I think I’ve prayed more in the last month than I have my whole life. Dan gave me a big hug from you and no, it wasn’t the same. For one, you have much bigger arms and a nicer chest to lay my head against. I miss your body. Yes, like that, but I just miss being in your arms.
Speaking of your best friend, he said you told him about our plans. He thinks I should meet your parents. What do you think? Will that be weird? Meeting your parents without you present? If you want that, I’ll do it. I’d do anything for you, Neil. You know that, right? Anything.
I hope your package gets there soon. Let me know when you get it. Yes, there will be a nice surprise in it for you. I’d send you a video or something on a flash drive, but I suspect it wouldn’t get past the screening. That’s why you sent the flash drive while you were still stateside, right? No need to go through screening when you can drop it off at UPS yourself. Though, given when I received it, I suspect you had Owen actually mail it for you.
I can’t wait to talk to you Monday night. You can guarantee that I’ll be there, waiting. Be careful and stay safe. Come back to me. I miss you. I love you.
xo Meg
She was about to shut down her computer when she received another email from Neil.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
RE: Can’t wait
Hey, beautiful. Now I’m going to be waiting for that package with bated breath. I have a feeling it’s something sexy. I’ll be dreaming of you tonight. I miss you. I love you.
xo Neil
PS If you want to meet my parents, then I think you should. I wish I could be there, but I can’t. I already met your parents – Sarah and Jerry – Danny introduced me to them at the wedding. Bet you didn’t know that, did you?
Meg laughed. She remembered seeing him with her parents and chugging a beer because it made her nervous. Between that and the wine, her fuzzy memories from that night shouldn’t be a shock.
She knew he’d both love the package and probably show the guys. What girl is stupid enough to send something like that to her boyfriend stationed overseas and think he won’t show his buddies? She’d had guys do worse, for sure. Trashing her reputation in high school and cheating on their wife were tops on that list.
Thank God she had finally found a good one. Now, if he could get home soon and in one piece…
Chapter 24
Neil opened the box carefully, even though he could hardly contain his excitement. He’d been waiting for this package for a while. As soon as the box flaps were lifted, the spicy scent of her perfume assaulted him in a good way. Instantly, he smiled as he recalled being close to her and smelling it on her skin.
Thank you, Meghan. I needed that.
He removed the stack of letters, wrapped in cobalt blue and chocolate brown ribbons. Adorable. He found a friendship bracelet, made of cobalt blue and chocolate brown thread, which made him smile. As if we’re just friends. She didn’t know that he couldn’t wear something that would prevent him from blending into the background, but the gesture had been thoughtful.
A stack of photos lay inside the box. Though some were sweet pictures of younger Meghan, one must have been taken recently, since it in it she held a sign that said I love you, Neil. Included in the group were an actual photo of her in the sexy blue bikini and one of the photos taken on Mt. Washington, this one captured by the woman who’d snapped their picture before they knew she’d clicked the shutter. The best one in the stack, a snapshot from Danny’s wedding, showed the two of them dancing. Meghan had thrown her head back in a laugh – he could hear it in his mind – and the look on Neil’s face said, I’m a goner. I’m already in love with you.
Checking the box for more photos, Neil spotted a flash of cobalt blue silk and he nearly had a heart attack. He pulled the lacy, silky panties out of the box and his dick hardened so fast he thought he might get dizzy from the blood loss to his brain. He glanced around to see if anyone was looking and when he saw that no one was, he sniffed them. They smelled like her. He held them up and looked at them again, trying to picture the panties on her perfect ass, when he heard a voice behind him.
“I know they repealed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, but you might not want your men to see your fetish for women’s underwear, Captain Murphy.”
Neil whipped around at the sound of his CO’s voice. “Sorry, sir. These are my girlfriend’s.”
There was a wry grin at the corner of the CO’s mouth. “Must be some girl to send you silk panties halfway around the world.”
Neil handed him the stack of photos. “See for yourself, sir.”
Major Willis smiled as he looked through the pile. He saw the bikini photo and his eyebrows shot up. He looked at Neil, impressed. Then he saw the photo from Mt. Washington and the one from the wedding.
“You known this girl long, Murph?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve known her since I was fourteen. Probably been in love with her that long, too.”
The Major made a noise of assent. He hadn’t missed the look on Neil’s face in the photo. He looked at the panties.
“She a smart girl?”
“Incredibly smart, sir.”
“Then she’s a keeper. I’m sure she expected you’d show those to the men, didn’t she?”
“She’s smart enough to figure that out sir, yes.”
He grinned. “Chandra was like that, selfless and strong enough not to let it bother her. She doesn’t send me sexy lingerie anymore. Figures I’ve had enough of it, I guess. You love her, Murph?”
“I do, Major. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”
“You ever get to see her in those?” he asked, pointing at the panties.
“Not this pair, but plenty of others. She’s a goddess. And if you don’t wipe that grin off your face trying to imagine her wearing these, Major, I’ll kick your ass. Sir.”
Jason laughed. “At ease, soldier. I can appreciate a sexy white woman, but you know I only like black girls. Even before I met Chandra, I never dated a white girl.”
Neil grinned his acknowledgment of that truth.
“Chandra send you something?” Neil asked.
> “She sent me a pregnancy test.”
Neil took a second to understand what that meant. “What? So you’re going to be a father?”
Jason grinned ear to ear. “Apparently so.”
Neil jumped up and hugged his friend. “Congratulations! Damn! That’s bad timing, though,” he said, stepping back. Jason could miss the birth.
“Yeah,” Jason sighed. “Once we knew we were being deployed, she insisted that we start trying. Didn’t want to take any chances, you know? I guess it worked.”
Neil gave him a half smile. He understood that. Hell, he wished things had been further along for him and Meghan so that they could be married and making babies together.
But they hadn’t. He just needed to endure the next seven months so he could get back to her, like he promised.
Jason clapped him on the back. “I’m happy for you, Murph. This the girl you mentioned when you came back from leave?”
“Yeah. She surpassed all my wildest fantasies. I’m going to ask her to marry me when we get home.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Jason asked, shaking his head. “You’ll be good at marriage. She gonna come see you at Ft. Irwin when we get back? Chandra will want to meet her, take her into the fold.”
Chandra had already promised to include Meghan in her group of Army wives in their unit. She and Meghan would get along well, Neil knew. They were two peas in a pod – strong, sassy, smart women who put on a good façade and only showed how vulnerable they really were to the people they loved most.
“I hope so. Is Chandra afraid to have the baby without you there?”
“She says she’s not, but you know what that means. I wish I knew I could be there. At least we have video chat now. I might not get to hold my baby when he’s born, but at least I can see him.”
“When’s she due?”
“May. If I’m lucky, the baby will wait for me to get home.”
“Well let’s pray things work out so that you can.”
“From your lips to God’s ears. Maybe they’ll send us all home early.”
Neil laughed. If only.
“I’ll let you get back to that stack of letters. Enjoy those panties,” Jason said, winking before he walked away.
Neil laughed. He’d be thinking about Meghan in those panties tonight, for sure.
**********
His reply came while she was in her meeting. As soon as she sat in the car, she checked her email, giddy when she saw a reply.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
RE: Doing a happy dance
Hey, beautiful. Two big bits of happiness came my way today. First it was the package, which came with today’s post. Then it was the news that you’re the greatest girlfriend in the world (as if I didn’t already know that) and not only did you get whoopie pies for me, but now all the guys won’t be trying to steal mine. You’re the best.
Speaking of which, oh, my God, Meghan. I can’t believe you sent those panties. I think I blushed when I found them in the box because my CO was nearby. He chuckled and said you must be some girlfriend. I showed him the pictures you sent. He agreed that you were hot and I told him he better not be imagining you wearing those panties. Sir. He had a good laugh, then. Said his wife didn’t send stuff like that anymore.
I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you. What did I do to deserve a woman like you? I’ll be dreaming of you tonight. I miss you. I love you.
xo Neil
PS Danny said you’re meeting my parents next week? I think I better tell my mom to skip the baby pictures. Just kidding. I was a cute baby. We’ll make adorable kids.
Meg’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, to think about having babies with Neil. She hadn’t even contemplated that before. Not with anyone. And yet, she found that she wanted to have children with him more than she could ever have imagined. To know a part of him would always be mingled with a part of her…it was almost too beautiful to consider and made her cry.
She missed him, and times like this made it more acutely painful that he’d be so far away for so long.
**********
Neil didn’t Skype with Danny often, but he wanted to talk to his best friend face-to-face before Meghan met his parents this week. When Danny’s face popped onto the screen, he sported a huge grin.
“Hey stranger. So when are you going to admit to Meg that you already told your parents you want to marry her?”
Neil shook his head. So blunt.
“Not yet. I asked them to keep quiet about it and you should, too.”
“Too late. I already told her I knew when Em got married.”
“I meant keep quiet about the fact that I told my parents. It was for good reason. You know that.”
Danny nodded. He knew Neil wanted to make sure his parents understood his commitment to marrying Meghan. Then, if anything happened to him, they’d allow her to see him. As next of kin, their decisions affected how the Army dictated his care. He wanted to ensure that Meghan would be treated appropriately by his parents. Not that he worried about it, but since he’d never brought anyone home before, they needed to know Neil would want her by his side.
“Look, I need you to stand in for me as best you can when she meets them.”
“You know I’ll do whatever you need. I love to see them anyway.”
“I know. She’ll be nervous. She acts confident, but I know she’ll be terrified. I don’t think she’s met many of her boyfriends’ families. Tell her not to bite her nails, and give her positive reinforcement. You know they’ll love her. I’ve been talking about her for so long, she practically exists to them already. Just like me, they’ll be astonished that she’s even better than the hype. But that doesn’t mean Meghan won’t be a mess. Promise you’ll help her through it.”
“I promise. I adore her, too, you know. I’m glad you two have finally gotten together. She’s head over heels, Neil.”
Neil smiled. “Me too. But you already knew that. Do me one more favor? When you say goodbye to her, give her a huge hug and tell her it’s from me.”
“Will do. How’s it going over there?”
“Depends on the day. Some days are boring as hell, some days are more exciting than I’d care to deal with on a regular basis. The Army tries, but being deployed is being deployed. Even if I wasn’t missing Meghan like crazy, I’d be more than ready to head home.”
“You need anything specific? Playboys?” Danny joked.
“Ha-ha. I don’t need that shit. I have Meghan’s panties instead.”
Danny laughed. “She sent you panties?”
Neil laughed, too. “She did. She’s awesome. God I wish I’d been less of a pussy before and talked to her years ago.”
“Can’t change the past, man. Just need to move forward. You’ll be home before you know it. Then you’ll be getting married and making babies with her.”
“Speaking of, how’s that going?”
“Nothing so far. Charlie is discouraged, but they say not to worry about fertility issues for at least a year. So, we keep practicing.”
Neil grinned. “Can’t complain about that. I have to go. Tell your wife I said hello. I’ll talk to you soon. And don’t forget what I asked.”
“Do I ever?”
No, he didn’t. Danny the elephant never forgot. Ever.
“Love you guys. Kiss my mom for me. But don’t kiss Meghan.”
“Like I’d dare. She’d slug me!” Danny laughed. “Talk to you soon, Neil. Bye.”
They hung up and Neil felt just a little better, knowing that Danny would be there for Meghan.
**********
During their Skype call later that week, Neil tried to reassure her that his parents were very nice and would adore her as much as he did. When she worried that Dan said he had been talking about her since junior high, Neil promised that it had always been positive.
Herein lies the problem, Meg said. What if I don’t live up to the hype?
He admi
tted that she had far surpassed any ideas he had ever harbored and he knew his parents would be sufficiently impressed.
“I wish you could be here with me for this,” she said.
“Me too, sweetheart. Me too. I’ll talk to you again next week. I’ll email to let you know which day. I miss you. I love you.”
“I miss you, too. I love you. Be careful and stay safe. Come home to me.”
“Yes ma’am. Bye.”
Chapter 25
A few days later, Meg traveled to Bucksport to visit her parents. Dan would accompany her to meet Neil’s mom and dad later, and she couldn’t stop fidgeting.
Other than Nico and Toby, she’d never really met a guy’s family. And with Nico, she’d met his parents through Carlos first. They’d been thrilled when she and Nico became a couple and had been despondent when it ended. In fact, they still harbored false hopes that someday, Meg would reconsider. Nearly ten years had passed since she had first met the Vegas, and Meg had no idea how to act.
This time, her introduction didn’t come as the best friend. This time, she wanted them to love her, because they’d be her in-laws one day.
Neil’s parents didn’t live that far from hers. In the car on the way over to their house, Meg chomped at her nails.
“Stop biting your nails,” Dan said. “Neil said you’d be nervous and you’d bite your nails. How the hell did he know that?”
Meg laughed. It broke the tension. “I don’t know. Either he’s far more observant than I realized or he watched me for years.”
“Probably a combination of both. We’re here,” Dan said as they pulled into a little blue ranch in a small subdivision. “They’ll love you, Meg. They’re really, really nice people.”
“Great. I should fit in well, then.”
“Neil said not to be so hard on yourself. You’re a great person.”
“Did he ask you to play his surrogate today?”
“Pretty much. Said he knew you’d be a mess and wished he could help you through it. Let’s go inside. I’m sure Siobhan made cookies. She always has cookies for tea.”
“We’re having tea?”
“You know his mother is Irish, right?”
