Protecting Lucianna

by Tiffani Lynn

  Luci doesn’t even take time to think about it. “I would love that, thank you,” she responds quickly.

  “Your dad will be back from work around one to spend some time with you. Maybe we could all go to a late lunch together,” my mom adds.

  “I’d like that, Mom,” I reply, so pleased that we are back at this place in our relationship.

  The day goes by too fast. Lunch with my parents is fun and lighthearted, like how we used to be forever ago, and I forgot how much I loved time like this with them. Luci fits right in with them like she’s always been there. My parents ask a lot of questions about her family, and she has us rolling when she impersonates her mom, whom she calls Mamá Rosa. There was bossing and ranting in Spanglish and coddling too. I bet the woman is a tornado unto herself and I wish I could meet her.

  It’s a little cooler and windier than the last couple of days but that doesn’t stop us. After lunch, my parents leave and we take the last of my hour and a half before I have to go to the airport, walking down the beach holding hands, intermittently stopping to kiss, only breaking apart when things get too heated. Luckily there is no one on the beach today.

  At six o’clock we are back at my house and my dad has my stuff loaded in the truck and is waiting inside the cab as I say goodbye to my mom and Luci. Both are crying, Luci trying to hide it and my mom being kind of loud about it. “I miss this,” she tells me. “I need my son to come home and see me.” She holds my face between her hands and looks me in the eye so there is nowhere for me to look but at her.

  “I love you, Mom, and I promise I’ll come back. It won’t take me ten years this time.”

  She steps away after one last hug and walks out to Dad’s truck, leaving Luci and me there alone.

  “Thank you for everything, Devlin. You saved me from myself and for that I’ll be forever grateful. You were my own redheaded Christmas miracle.” Her lips tip up slightly as she fights to keep the tears away. She’s not good at hiding her emotions.

  “I could say the same about you, my little Latina Christmas miracle. I’ll have to give up my man card if I stand here and tell you what you’ve done for me, so please just know, because of you I’m leaving here a better man. Thank you.” Her arms wrap tight around my middle and I dip my head to her hair, hoping to memorize the scent of it as I hold her close. “I added my cell number to your phone while you were in the shower. You can call me or text me or let me go; it’s your choice, but I’ll always be only a phone call away.”

  Pulling back, she looks up at me with wide eyes.

  “You didn’t think I would forget that you asked for my number, did you?” I smirk at her.

  “I thought maybe you changed your mind.”

  Even though my parents are probably standing there watching us, I lower my face to hers and kiss her deep, long and hard, leaving her breathless.

  When my dad and I pull out of the driveway, both women are waving from the porch.

  Once we get on I-95 North, my dad dives into why he asked to drive me to the airport alone.

  “Son, I know this week has been hard on you, but I can also tell some things have changed, and I have to say I’m proud of you. For coming home to face this place, our family and your memories, and for helping Luci out. She obviously needed a man like you.”

  “I’m glad I came home, Dad. It was hard as hell. I promised Mom I’ll be back sooner rather than later and I will.”

  “Are you going to keep in touch with Lucianna?”

  “I don’t know. I left the ball in her court, but don’t get your hopes up, Dad. We’re twenty-six hundred miles apart. That’s why I didn’t try to take things farther with her over the last few days.”

  “If it’s meant to be, you’ll find a way,” he remarks sagely.

  I nod noncommittally because I don’t know how you overcome all the space in between. “She has an established career in Miami, not to mention family and friends there. I have a career that takes me out of the country often. I think leaving her alone would be what’s best for her.”

  “So you plan to reenlist again in the fall?”

  “I haven’t thought about it. Up until I came home this time, I haven’t thought about much past work.”

  “Maybe this is the time you think about what the rest of your life could entail instead of ignoring it and pretending there is nothing more.”

  “I should have known you were going to give me a dad talk.” I grin at him, only slightly kidding. I know he’s right, but he has to give me a chance to catch up. Hell, I’m just now coming to terms with some things that have been fucking with me for over a decade.

  He chuckles. “Why else would I make you ride alone with me to the airport?”

  “I appreciate it, Dad. Just give me some time to get my head worked out again.”

  When he pulls up at the departing-flights drop-off, I get out of the truck and pull my duffel bag to the ground next to me. My dad doesn’t have any problem showing affection, so it doesn’t surprise me when he grabs me in a hug so tight it’s hard to breathe. “I love you, son. More than you’ll ever know. Come back soon. Your mother and I will plan to come out there in the spring. She was already talking about it last night.”

  “Sounds good.” I lift my bag over my shoulder and head inside. If I was a betting man, I’d bet that he watched me until I was out of sight.

  Lucianna

  My last evening in St. Augustine is spent with Will and Claire, playing dominos and eating. They obviously love games. I’m certain they played a lot when the kids were growing up. The whole time they tell stories of their kids and laugh like crazy. It’s obvious that they miss Briana, but equally as obvious that they have healed as much as parents can in a situation like this. I think the change with Devlin helped a lot this trip, and I hope he’s true to his word and comes back soon to see them. They need him as much as he needs them, even if he doesn’t realize it.

  The next morning, I load my stuff into Will’s truck because he’s dropping me off at Earl’s on his way to work. Claire is getting ready to go back to work today and seems a little melancholy as we sit down for a cup of coffee first thing. It could be because Devlin is gone or maybe it’s because when I leave her house will be quiet once again. I get the feeling she loved having us in her home the last couple of days and it makes me sad for her.

  Back on the front porch to say goodbye like yesterday with Devlin, Claire embraces me as only a mother could and holds tight. “You’ve changed us, Lucianna. You’ve helped to heal us and I hope this isn’t goodbye, but see you soon. You are welcome here anytime.”

  “You’ve done the same for me and it won’t be goodbye.” We shared contact information last night so I will make it a point not to let that fall to the wayside. “Thank you for taking me in and making me feel welcome.”

  “My pleasure,” Claire murmurs and she quickly hugs me once more.

  As we pull away from the house I can see Claire waving so I wave back.

  “Where are you headed now, young lady?” Will inquires.

  “I was going up the east coast to New York, but I think I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to Tampa to stay with my best friend and her fiancé through New Year’s, then I’ll go home.”

  “Definitely a safer choice. I’m glad you changed your mind. I would have worried about you.”

  “Me too. Besides, who wants to freeze after spending a week walking on the beach?” We both laugh this time. We pull into Earl’s parking lot and he puts the truck in park.

  “Luci, I hope you have it in you to wait for Dev to get his head out of his ass. He’s not stubborn so much as he’s an overthinker. He has to think long and hard before he comes to the right conclusion when it comes to matters of the heart. I’ll tell you, it’ll be worth it if you do. My son loves deep and he loves hard, and it’s obvious that even after all this time, he still has it in him.”

  “There is no way we could work. I live in Florida and he’s in California. I’ll keep in touch with him,
though, because he means something to me, and honestly, even after knowing him less than a week, I can’t imagine my life without him in it in some way.”

  “Good girl,” he oddly replies.

  I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean so I end the conversation and climb out of the truck. He pulls my stuff out and rolls it over to my car, which I point out for him. After I pay old Earl and get my keys, we load my stuff and say goodbye.

  “Keep in touch, Luci. Come back anytime.”

  “Thank you. I will.” I tear up a little as I get behind the wheel and pull away.

  Hours later, when I pull into the parking lot to Simone’s apartment, she’s waiting outside with a concerned frown on her lovely face.

  “Why are you making that face?” I ask as I lean in to hug her.

  “I’m worried. I wanted to talk to you before we get inside and you clam up around Thomas.”

  Leaning against my car, I level my gaze on her. “I’m better. I really am. So much has happened in the last several days that I have to tell you about, but if I stand down here and do it, Thomas will think we’ve been kidnapped. I won’t clam up around him.”

  “You’re better?” she whispers, unbelieving and also hopeful.

  I nod. “Yeah, so much. It’s why I came here instead of going to New York.”

  “Okay, fine. Then let’s get your stuff inside and we can talk. Gavin’s at his dad’s house until New Year’s Day.”

  “Crap, I’m invading your alone time with Thomas.” I’m a little mad I didn’t realize that might happen.

  “It’s no big deal. We’re getting married so it’s not like he’s going anywhere. Plenty of time to be alone later.”

  After we get inside and settled, Thomas pours us both a glass of wine and the two of them sit snuggled on the couch together, watching me carefully. I get comfortable in the middle of the love seat and tell them all about the last week.

  At the end of my story, Simone is all teary-eyed and girly-excited for me. “I couldn’t write a better story than that…except the ending. The ending sucks! Unless it’s a cliff-hanger and they get together in book two. Is there a book two, Luci?”

  “I doubt it. It was a great story even without book two.”

  Thomas doesn’t remark on anything I’ve said. Instead he asks for Devlin’s first and last name and disappears into the bedroom. I’m sure he’s calling his brother, Mike, who owns the security firm he works for to do a background check or something crazy. When he returns, he doesn’t say anything about it, but I can tell he’s slightly on edge about the whole thing. If he is running a background check, it won’t take him long to see what I saw—a good guy who helped bring me back to life.

  New Year’s spent with Simone and Thomas is fun and low-key. We don’t do much except go to dinner and watch the countdown on television. After our ordeal last year, none of us really feel the need to go to a big party. I’m just thankful they’re okay with me crashing their evening. I considered going home this morning, but decided I didn’t want to be alone on New Year’s. After I see Gavin in the morning, I’ll be driving home and working on getting my life back.

  Devlin

  “Devil!” Wolf yells across the bar, drawing attention from the whole place. Bastard. He always does that to fuck with me. We’ve been friends since we went through BUD/S training together ten years ago. I grin at his new wife, Caroline, who all the guys on his team call Ice, sitting next to him before I drop down into a chair at their table. The place is pretty rowdy today, considering it’s New Year’s Day and I would expect everyone to be hungover. We get all the small talk out of the way over a few beers and some chicken wings.

  Finally, Wolf asks, “Whose call are you waiting for?”

  “No call. A text maybe, but no call.”

  “You have a woman I don’t know about?”

  “Nah, just a friend. I met her when I was back in Florida for my grandmother’s funeral.”

  “I’ve never stared at my phone, thinking it’s got the answers to the universe, for a friend.”

  “Well apparently I have, because she’s just a friend. Nothing else she can be. She lives in Miami. That’s a little far, even for a long-distance relationship.”

  Caroline wrinkles her nose. “I’m not a fan of long-distance relationships, so I get it.”

  “Is moving an issue for her if something gets serious?”

  “She’s a lawyer in Miami. To move her career, she’d have to get a new license and I’m sure a bunch of other shit that would be a pain in the ass, only to be on the other side of the country from her friends and family while I come in and out of town. That’s not cool and wouldn’t be fair to her.”

  “You re-up later this year, right?”

  I shrug, because I hadn’t thought much about it before my dad said something in the truck on the way to the airport the other day.

  “Maybe you should think of moving on. Circumstances change, life changes and so can a career. The right woman is worth it.” He leans in and kisses Caroline’s hair before continuing. “If she’s not worth it, that’s a different story, but in all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you spend more than a night with a woman, and even that was few and far between.”

  Glancing back at my phone, I see the text I got from her at midnight last night that reads: Happy New Year, Devlin! Wish you were here. At the end, there’s a kissy face emoji with a heart.

  My reply to that was: Happy New Year to you too, sweetness. Wish I was too. God, I’m such a sap. Maybe I have some things to think about.

  When I get orders sending me out of the country for the next couple of months, I make a phone call to set some things up for while I’m away. Then I power down my phone and place it on my counter before leaving.

  Lucianna

  Not texting Devlin every time I think of him is torture. I think of him at least 20 times a day, but if I text him when I think of him, I’ll freak him out like some kind of stage-five clinger. My return text on New Year’s has kept my heart in this, even though it shouldn’t be. He’s probably let go of me and moved on. Maybe even has a woman in his bed today. Although I can’t help but hope that he’s just on a mission. He’s definitely a SEAL. Thomas confirmed everything Dev told me. His company did a very thorough background check and even he was impressed by some of the things he found. Today is Valentine’s Day and I would rather be spending it with Devlin than thinking of him, but I need to work on getting that idea out of my head because it’s never going to happen.

  Turning my mind back to my work, I ignore the tug on my heart. About an hour later, there is a knock on my door. “Come in!” I call. It’s got to be a colleague or else my secretary would have buzzed to ask if they could come in.

  A pimply-faced young man no older than 18 stands in my doorway with a package in his hands. “Delivery for Lucianna Ortiz.”

  “That’s me.” I stand and he brings it over.

  “Have a good day,” he calls out as he leaves.

  There is no return address on the box, only a warning in red: Keep refrigerated. What in the world could this be and who could it be from?

  Once the package is open, I find a big box of turtle fudge from Kilwins in St. Augustine. A little card is attached so I open it after I take a bite out of the heavenly treat. Thinking of you, Dev, is all it says. I melt into a puddle of goo, thinking about how sweet that is, and I have to share it with someone so I pick up the phone and call Simone.

  “Guess what I just got!” I say, not starting with pleasantries.

  “What? And hello to you too!” she snaps at me.

  “Dev sent me Kilwins turtle fudge from St. Augustine.”

  “I thought you hadn’t heard from him.”

  “I haven’t. But isn’t that sweet? We went there on our day together and he heard me say how much I love that stuff.”

  “Yeah,” her voice softens. “That’s super sweet. I’m glad you got it.”

  “Me too. Listen, I have to get back to wor
k, but I just needed someone to share with. Have fun with Thomas tonight!”

  “You know I will.”

  Next I pick up my phone and text him. Loved the fudge and the thought behind it. Thank you!

  He never replies.

  I can’t believe it’s the thirteenth of March already. Wasn’t it just New Year’s? Time is flying by so fast. Work has kept me so busy since I’ve gotten back into the swing of things, and my boss couldn’t be happier about it. Today, though, is going to be awkward. Titus, my ex, is coming in for me to go over an endorsement contract he forwarded to me last week. Although I met him at a gala several years ago he ended up being my client shortly thereafter and wanted to stay one after we broke up, but this is the first time I’ve seen him, other than on television, since we broke up.

  I keep thinking of Devlin, wondering why I never heard back when he sent the fudge on Valentine’s Day. I mean, you’d think he’d want to know I got the gift and loved it, but he didn’t even say you’re welcome. Maybe it was his way of saying goodbye, or maybe it was him stringing me along. I try to push that thought out of my head as I gather my paperwork for my meeting with Titus.

  Titus doesn’t just walk into a room, he takes it over. He’s a man with a big personality, so when he enters a few minutes later, it doesn’t surprise me that the room feels different with him inside it, but it does surprise me that I don’t feel anything for him except friendly fondness.

  “Luci, it’s good to see you. He kisses my cheek as he softly holds me by the shoulders.

  “Hey, Titus. Thank you.” I smile at him as he pulls back. “Come sit down.” I wave toward a chair in front of my desk. I sit behind it and lace my hands together. “I see you’re starting the season out well.”

  “Yeah, things are good. Looks like they are going well for you too. You seem…better.” I can’t tell if he’s irritated or just making a remark.