by Grady, D. R.
So far, he seemed in favor with the Morrison family. But what happened if he lost favor? Could that happen? Because he certainly didn’t want to be accepted for a brief time only to be outcast due to behavior he didn’t know was unacceptable. And was there a statute of limitations?
So long as you didn’t mess up for x amount of time, you were in, no matter what? He didn’t know the answers to those questions. But he wanted to be a part of the family laughing and talking and teasing and loving around that huge picnic table more than anything he’d ever wanted before.
Mitch had an advantage over Lainy, too. Her brother sent him videos of her, but Lainy couldn’t see Mitch in action. Recording himself wasn’t an option, not in the job he’d come to do. Security matters were of utmost importance here. Would that be held against him, even though he couldn’t help the matter? Would she hate him once she met him in person? Did he stand a chance in her family?
His eyes fell on Bentley, who received a treat from one of the herd. Bentley was in. He didn’t question his place. Mitch doubted he even cared. These people fed him, gave him root beer, and let him play and swim in the lake. Bentley had no worries. Life was good.
But Mitch on the other hand couldn’t imagine life without Lainy now. He didn’t want to live outside her family unit, but instead wanted to be like her brother-in-law, Greg, who didn’t seem to worry about his place, either. Of course, there were no doubts his wife loved him. No doubts the family liked him. None of the in-laws seemed concerned about this. They appeared secure in their place.
How had they done it? How had they won the Morrison family love and respect?
Mitch leaned forward as Lainy and several of the other women stood. He wished he could meet them all in person. He wanted to hold Lainy close and he wanted to witness the herd in action. He’d even enjoy seeing Bentley throw her brothers in the lake. Heck, Bentley could throw him in.
He watched as more people, neighbors, more relatives? Mitch didn’t know but they meandered up to the table, were welcomed, and everyone moved over to give them room to sit. A plate, utensils, and cup were passed down and the newcomers helped themselves to the food. Mitch didn’t see any resentment, just a warm welcome for whoever dropped by. No one appeared shy about sitting either. Mitch thought the ladies had made quite a lot of chow, but he watched in amazement as the food disappeared.
Lainy stood and left to refill the bowls a few times, as did her mother. Laurie and Ed jumped up a dozen times to rescue drinks and catch flying objects or to pest, at least on Ed’s part.
As the kids grew restless, the men cleared the table. They carried in the dirty dishes and Lainy’s mom disappeared into another cabin. A man who he figured to be Lainy’s father followed her. They carried out several huge trays of brownies and four oversized tubs of ice-cream.
The kids stopped being restless.
The family dug into the trays and ice-cream and Mitch watched as sundae toppings appeared on the table. The adults helped the younger kids, while the rest of the family built amazing brownie sundaes. There were nut and non-nut brownies and four different flavors of ice-cream.
He watched with interest as Lainy delved into a non-nut tray and then added chocolate ice-cream on top. She slathered both with hot fudge sauce and topped the confection with a dollop of whipped cream and four cherries. Her sisters and grandmother had similar concoctions in front of them. The men topped theirs with the typical vanilla, although Ed and Max both selected French vanilla rather than the regular stuff. At least he’d fit in with the men in Lainy’s family.
The kids ended up wearing almost as much as they ate, and Mitch saw several of the men finishing off what the kids didn’t eat. Again, that interchangeable thing went on. Ed ate one of Will’s kid’s desserts and Will ate one of Tom’s kid’s desserts. And Tom finished off Will and Ed’s wives desserts. Lainy snagged someone’s cherry and got a dollop of whipped cream on her nose, which she rubbed on Ed.
Mitch winced. “Bad idea, Lainy,” he muttered and watched in horror as Ed picked up the can of whipped cream and aimed it at her. She picked up another can and returned the favor. He opened fire first, but barely a millisecond before her.
In about ten seconds, brownies, ice-cream, toppings and even the remnants in the bottom of the nearly empty cherry jar flew through the air. Shrieking and throwing food at random, the kids’ laughter nearly overrode the taunts of Lainy’s brothers to the women.
Lainy’s mom picked up one of the trays that hadn’t been cut into and moved it to a safe place, then she calmly picked up her half eaten dessert and flung the contents at Will, the biggest taunter. Pretending to be shocked, he let his mouth fall open, which proved to be a bad move, since Lainy was still armed with the whipped cream. She squirted a huge mouthful inside and Rachel added some caramel sauce.
Laurie and Melly backed Tom into a corner and were dribbling chocolate sauce on him. Their husbands were busy helping some of the kids wing mangled brownies.
Ed held a wriggling woman in his arms and Mitch soon realized he was attempting to wipe his whipped cream on her. The woman got the upper hand when she licked his cheek free of the stuff and his eyes darkened. Mitch figured the woman must be his wife. She looked perfectly normal, but that’s all he saw because the pair snuck off into the trees. He wondered if they headed for the closet in Will’s cabin.
Max and three teenagers tossed ice-cream at anyone who ventured too close. Granddad and Lainy’s father quickly relieved the table of any dish with contents. Anyone within firing range got brownie sundae contents tossed on them.
Bentley, along with all the dogs, had taken to licking anyone and everything within licking distance. They barked in between when they felt it necessary but their attempts seemed only half-hearted.
One of the sisters-in-law opened fire with a hose and soon several joined in. Rivulets of melted ice-cream, brownies and toppings trailed from nearly everyone. They mopped up most of the mess and then everyone took a dip in the lake. The screen blanked.
Mitch was left green with envy. And remorse. All those amazing looking brownies going to waste. He would have enjoyed the fun, but sitting several thousand miles away in a hot, sandy, arid place where the food was dismal at best, he ached for a brownie. He didn’t even care if it had nuts. He just wanted one. He also wanted to remove some whipped cream from Lainy’s lips with his, but he’d settle for a brownie.
And the chance to witness the whole thing in person. Someday he wanted to participate in a massive food fight just like that. He’d never been in a food fight before, but hoped this was an experience he’d earn in adulthood.
Mitch tugged at his container of cookies. He burrowed down to the bottom and came up with a chocolate chocolate chip cookie. It worked. When he finished the first, he started on another. He stared at his screen saver and wondered when he’d get out of Kuwait. Some of the guys said they’d only been slated for eight months and were still around fifteen months later, with no end in sight. Most of them had children they hadn’t seen in months.
Mitch shoved the rest of his uneaten cookie away. He didn’t have kids, except for the herd, and he’d come here to protect them. At least he wasn’t missing out on a vital time in his children’s lives. He had it much better than some of the men on base.
The call to leave came moments later, and he sent a quick e-mail to Lainy. The first lengthy assignment away from base, and three months without contact from her. His heart ached.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lainy checked e-mail, happy to see something from Mitch. When she read the line he cut out of her e-mail and his subsequent question, Why, her heart dropped.
She couldn’t tell him about those experiences. They were the deepest darkest secrets she possessed. What if he viewed her differently? What if her past changed how he felt about her? What if her revelations turned him off?
Swallowing the bile creeping into her throat, Lainy fought tears. How could she tell him? Another e-mail pinged her server and with a gr
ateful sigh she opened the message.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Ben's Visit
Hello Lainy,
Ben came, as promised. We watched all four videos and talked.
Unfortunately, I got the call to leave. I'll be gone at least a month, but I imagine it will be even longer than that.
So, don't feel my silence is because I don't care because that's not the case at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I do need to send this promptly, though, as I need to prepare for departure. You've become more important to me than anything or anyone else in the world. You and Bentley. You probably edge him out. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Your assignment while I’m gone is to work on your self-esteem. (Please.)
I wish I could write more, but my transport leaves in ten minutes.
Yours,
Mitch
Lainy stared at her screen in disbelief. She couldn't believe his message.
Did he love her?
Because that's certainly what his message indicated. Since he didn't come right out and say so, she wondered if he knew? Perhaps he hadn't even thought that far. Maybe she ought to just take him at face value. He cared deeply for her. Goodness, but that was better than anything she'd heard in the past. If he loved her, would her past change how he felt? Would he love her more or hate her?
She glanced at Bentley, worn out from playing with the herd, peacefully sleeping at her feet. Mitch loved Bentley. So did that mean he loved her? He said she edged out his dog. He also wrote that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. How could that be?
Overwhelmed by this whole process, and sufficiently depressed at being out of touch with him for the next few months, she shut the program down and turned off her laptop. At least now she’d have time to figure out what and how much to tell him in response to his question. She sighed.
So far, her firewall held, but she’d been forced to update it on a regular basis while she was at the lake. Ed didn’t have any more luck than she’d had finding the hacker. He had supplied her with an Ed-like virus she attached this time. She’d asked a cop cousin to drive by her house often, too. With that problem hopefully out of the way, she could concentrate on Mitch. With a groan, she stood. The firewall was easier.
Pacing into the kitchen, she remembered the full fat, rich chocolate ice cream someone had hidden in her freezer. She'd buy them another one. Yanking a spoon from the drawer, she located the treat. Plopping into her favorite armchair, she pried the lid off and dug in. Bentley whapped his tail against the floor, but Lainy shook her head at him.
“Sorry, pal, but chocolate isn't good for dogs. Besides, there isn't enough to share.” She gazed with dismal interest into the scantly layered pint bottom. Her shoulders sagged as she dug into the icy remnants. How did people survive being in love? How did people with spouses overseas survive for months and months on end?
She’d thought falling in love would be all roses and chocolate and stolen kisses. Not stolen e-mails and uncertain thoughts and laptop computers built and sent to a man thousands of miles away. Those were better than her previous experiences which had been both unfulfilling and shameful.
Should she wait to tell him about her relationships face to face? Or could she chicken out and tell him over an e-mail? With a nervous gulp, Lainy spooned up more of the treat.
She peered into the carton in her hand, and realized it wasn't enough. She needed far more chocolate than this offered. Springing to her feet startled Bentley who bounded off the floor with a growl.
“It's okay, buddy, we need to go to the grocery store,” Lainy soothed him. Patting his head, she dropped to her knees and hugged him. Bentley pressed into her, his wet nose cold against her neck. He snuffled against her and the heat and warmth of his dog body consoled her. He let out a pitiful whimper and Lainy laughed. So this was what having a dog was all about. She still needed chocolate, but not half as much now.
When she pulled up in front of the store, she almost bonked noses with another woman who had finished helping a little boy from her car.
“K.C.”
“Lainy.”
They clasped arms as both women kept the other one from falling, huge grins splitting their faces. Lainy stared at Max’s business partner as the other woman watched her son introduce himself to Bentley, who Lainy assured them was kid friendly.
“I didn’t know you were coming up to the lake.”
K.C.’s lips turned up a bit at the corners and Lainy sighed inwardly. Blonde, sweet, a surgeon by training, K.C. Gilmore was every bit as beautiful as her own sisters. She was also sweet, intelligent, and fit in with the Morrison family like she belonged.
“I hadn’t planned to come, but we had a hard day today and Max put his foot down.”
“My brother put his foot down? Wow, it must have been bad.”
K.C. grimaced. “Let’s just say he took one look at my frustration around two o’clock today and said, ‘You need to go home, pack, and get you and Ryan up to the lake.’” She broke off to grin. “I didn’t argue.”
“No, I wouldn’t either.”
“This little break is just what Ryan and I need.”
“I’m glad. Is Max coming, too?”
“Yes. I just talked to him. He finished up at work and is on his way now.”
“Are you staying with me?” Lainy put a hopeful note in her voice so K.C. would know she and Ryan were very welcome.
“No, with your grandparents. Treeny is in the next room because Max is staying with Will and Rachel.” K.C. squeezed her arm. “But thank you.”
“You both know you’re always welcome at my place.”
“We know, and we’re grateful.”
Twenty minutes later, she left the store with a wave to K.C. and Ryan, laden with brownies, chocolate bars, more ice-cream and some decadent hot chocolate. Bentley received a dog chew for his patience, which he set to as soon as she handed it to him. She'd also thrown in some eggs, bread, cereal and a few other necessities, since she'd have had to come here soon, anyway. So what if it was nearing eight thirty at night? Best time to shop. No lines.
Back at her cabin, she had barely set her bags down before her sisters, sisters-in-law, mother, grandmothers, and Treeny and K.C. showed up on her front door step.
“We heard you have chocolate,” Laurie announced.
“I just got home, how'd you know?” She glanced suspiciously at K.C., who shook her head.
“Greg went for toilet paper. Why the kids go through so much more here at the lake, we can't figure out, but he saw you at the checkout. You'd finished before he could wave, but he saw Bentley.”
“Oh.” Lainy shoved her bounty at them.
“Chocolate is the first step, now talk.” Dory peeled the paper off a chocolate bar. She sighed at the first bite. The others dug in while Lainy talked.
“You got this e-mail and he says you're very important to him?” Rachel wiped brownie frosting from her lips.
“Yes. But he had to leave in ten minutes, so couldn't say more.” Lainy frowned and forked up more brownie. She didn’t mention the Why e-mail. Her mother, doll that she was, had already whipped up another batch of brownies and had them baking in the oven. Her grandmother discovered the ice-cream and distributed bowls.
“Well, next time you're unsure of these things, you need to let us know what's going on.” Melly’s scold wasn’t as effective with the melted chocolate ringing her mouth.
“Exactly. Our husbands will look after the kids, and we'll bring chocolate,” Melissa, Tom's wife, declared.
“Your granddad is currently tucking Ryan into bed for me. Not that I can offer you any advice, but maybe I’ll learn something.” K.C. grinned at Lainy and Lainy was thankful for her and Treeny’s presence. At least neither of them had much more knowledge than she did in all this messy love stuff. There was comfort in not being the only inexperienced love fool around.
“My, yes. You need your girl
friends around when you're so unsure of love. Do you love him, Lainy?” her Grandmom Melody asked with a sympathetic look.
Lainy stared into those eyes unlike hers and the face nearly identical to her own. She thought she loved him. But how to be sure?
“Tell us,” Laurie coaxed, and her mother seconded.
“I think I love him, but how do you know?” Fear kept her from sending the e-mail about her past. Wouldn’t she be brave enough to send it if she loved him? Her family loved her and surrounded her now, but she’d never told them. She stabbed the brownie in front of her, wishing it held the answers to her life.
“You're in a far more challenging situation, love,” her mother said and her grandmother finished the thought. “He's thousands of miles away and you've never met in person. That doesn't mean you can’t love him. But it does mean you may need to wait until you meet in person to truly know.”
“What do you mean?”
Grandmom Melody squeezed the shoulder of Granda Elizabeth, who said, “What she means is enjoy this courtship, this time of getting to know one another and leave the love stuff until you're together. Right now is the most amazing time of your relationship. Well one of the most amazing. Your first few years of marriage are fun, too. And bringing home each baby.”
“And seeing each baby leave the nest, finally,” her mother added which set off a round of laughter.
The timer dinged and Dory removed the brownies from the oven. She set them on the table so the aroma would make them groan, which it did.
“Like Granda said, Lain, enjoy your getting to know each other time. You can't hurry this part, even if you wanted to, because Mitch is across the world,” Dory said.
“Yeah, like you were patient in your courtship,” Laurie pointed out.
