by Hart, Lea
He stood and put his plate on the counter. “I told Birdie she could set me up one last time and that was it. After this she needs to find someone else to torture.”
Travis shook David’s hand and led him to the door. Before he stepped out, he waved to Cary. “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll see you tonight.”
She waved at him and cleared the dishes. Travis walked back in and started rinsing and loading the dishwasher. She waited for him to say something, and he didn’t. He just smiled at her as he cleaned up the kitchen. She made her way back to the bedroom and pulled the sheets off the bed and put a new set on. Once she was done, she packed up her suitcase and rolled it out to the living room. Travis looked up and saw the suitcase, and a thunderous look came over his face. “I hope that suitcase is empty and you’re just planning on putting it in the garage.”
“We both know that’s not true.” She put her hands on her hips, and stared him down and disregarded the look he was giving her. “I’m going to head out. Thank you for letting me stay here.”
He came into the living room. “Why do you want to leave?”
“Because it’s time.”
“You’re just mad about the canoe. How are we going to be in a relationship if we don’t learn how to have disagreements?”
“I don’t want a relationship. I want adventure. You’re so bossy, it gives me a headache and makes me want to eat chocolate.”
“So you’re saying we have some things to work on to make this relationship really work?” He stepped up to her and took her hand. “I think we’re going to be great together. We can have plenty of adventures together. Heck, we have a canoe, and later on you’re going to tie me up, and we’re going to jump out of a plane, later this week. That’s not a bad start.”
She looked up at him and tried to figure out what he was trying to accomplish. “Why me?”
“Because you’re the one. You are the one I fell for. Isn’t that the way it works? You meet someone and that’s it.”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you know. You’re just not ready. Let’s go to Lake Hodges and put the canoe in the water and see if you like it.”
“You’re going to ignore everything I just said?”
“Yes, I am, and I’m also going to ignore that suitcase. I hate that damn suitcase, but if you want to pack it every day and roll it out, then that’s fine. If that makes you feel like you’re in control, then be my guest.”
“Fine.”
“Great. Grab a sweatshirt and let’s go.”
“I want to figure out how to put the canoe on my car.”
“We have to get the right straps for your rack, so let’s take the truck today.”
“Fine.”
He wrapped his arms around her, fitted their bodies together and wiggled his hips against her as he kissed her very slowly. He felt her let go a little, and she eventually kissed him back. There was a long battle in front of him, and didn’t care. He had years of experience and planned on using everything he’d ever learned with Cary. She had no idea what she was up against. He lifted his head slowly and kissed her face. “I’m ready when you are.”
She tilted her hips against his. “I can tell.” She stepped back and turned around and walked towards the bedroom to grab a sweatshirt.
He watched her saunter away with her hips swaying. He adjusted himself and smiled. “Game on, Cary… game on.”
********
They floated near the edge of the lake in a shady spot, and Cary lay back as she looked up at the cloudless blue sky and enjoyed the warm sun on her arms. She looked over at Travis and tried to figure out why he had such a powerful effect on her.
Travis felt Cary studying him and attempted to determine if she was starting to fall for him. “What do you think of our new canoe?”
“I think it’s terrific. I could see spending a lot of time out here floating around. Next time I’ll make lunch and we can eat out here on the lake.”
He ran his hand up and down her leg and enjoyed her soft skin. “I think a picnic is a great idea.” Any idea that involved the two of them together was a good idea. “Do you have to have your summer of adventure right now? What about next summer?”
“It should happen this summer, because if I put it off, it might never happen. I want to change the way I live my life. I allowed myself to stay in a boring relationship because I became lazy, and I don’t want that to happen again. I’m making a conscious effort to create a life worth living.”
“As long as you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself. My God, woman, take a breath and give yourself a break. I don’t think making all of the changes at once is going to be smart.”
“Maybe.” She leaned back in the canoe, let her hand run against the water and looked up at the sun filtering through the tree.
“What does adventure mean to you?” Travis asked.
“I’m not sure…having new experiences in places I’ve never been with people I‘ve never met before. Giving back in some way.”
“How much risk-taking have you done in the past?”
“Very little. It shows, doesn’t it?”
“A little. I think you have to go with your natural instincts.”
“What if my natural instincts are boring? I have no excuse to have a boring life.”
“I think it’s only boring if you are bored.”
“I want to push myself outside the comfort zone.”
“I think you’ve been operating outside your comfort zone for the last week. How do you feel?”
“I felt OK until I found out my house wasn’t getting done. I need a home base, because I’m not very good at being a free spirit.”
“Can I offer you a home for the summer?”
“Oh, Travis, that’s very generous of you, but I couldn’t accept.”
“This is the first time in my adult life that I will be living alone.” Travis said. “I’ve been in officer housing for the last fifteen years. I don’t know how I’m going to do on my own. I may need your help with the transition. I think I need your company a lot more than you need mine. Maybe we can spend the summer together and help each other out.”
She looked over at him and felt her heart fall toward his. “Maybe we could.”
“Can we please get rid of that suitcase? I hate that damn thing.”
“Are you going to loan me a drawer for the summer?”
“Honey, you can have the whole damn closet.”
She laughed and let her head tilt up. “We can have summer camp for two adults who are trying to find their way.”
“Perfect.”
********
As they drove over to Mark and Birdie’s house, Cary quizzed him on who was going to be there.
“I think Rory and Max will be there, along with David and whomever Birdie has in mind for him and maybe her cousin Ana.”
“So is Birdie a matchmaker?”
“Yes, unfortunately she’s rediscovered her passion for the sport over the last six months. I think most of the guys are scared to get within a hundred-foot radius of her in fear they might be her next victim. She might have invited Ed and Amelia over as well. She likes to show them off and remind people that she’s capable of putting people together.”
“You said earlier that she has a lot of money. How did she acquire it?”
“Birdie is a forensic accountant and had a successful career in Los Angeles before she moved down here. Her grandmother passed away and left her a house, a business and a building. She’s a financial wizard and has a knack for turning a pile of money into a bigger pile. She’s taken care of me for a couple of years now. Her cousin Josh is on the Teams, and she got to know the guys and offered to pay their bills when they were deployed.”
“You said that Birdie and Mark were engaged within a month of meeting one another. How did that happen?”
“They met at Josh’s wedding, and that was it. Mark went after her with everything he had and didn’t give up until she agreed to be
together. He had a ring on her finger one month after they met. They got married in January and are pretty damn happy.”
They pulled up in front of a pretty two-story craftsman, and Cary admired the house. “Adam worked on this house?”
“Yes, he did all the renovations on the house, garage and granny-flat. He also worked on the offices in her building.”
They walked up the path, and Cary admired all of the flowers and pretty landscaping. They knocked, and Travis wrapped his arm around her as they waited. The door opened, and big man stood there with a smile. “Welcome to the madhouse.”
“Sweetheart, this is Mark, my former CO and the man who saved my life on our last op.”
Mark let out a big laugh. “I think we saved each other’s asses out there. Anyway, come on in. You must be Cary. My wife is dying to meet you.”
“Thank you for including me tonight.” She saw a pretty woman walk up with a big smile and noticed the change in Mark’s face as his wife approached. He was a man with a hard face and a powerful build and didn’t appear like the type of person who was capable of kindness. Yet when he looked at his wife, his whole demeanor changed. He wrapped his arm around Birdie and kissed her as she joined them.
“You must be Cary. I’m so glad you could make it. Come in, come in. Let me get you something to drink.” She was about to sweep her off but quickly turned around. “Hi Travis, I didn’t mean to ignore you, but I’m going to. I’m excited to talk to Cary.” She turned back around and took her into the kitchen.
Mark turned towards Travis. “So, is she the one for you?”
“Yes, she is. I know because if she isn’t happy, I can’t move…..or breathe….or do anything until I make sure that she is. I have to know that she’s OK and then I can be.”
“How does she feel about it?”
“Not great.”
“No one ever said it was going to be easy, and they were right. But whatever you have to do is worth it. Trust me, the last six months of my life have been better than anything I could’ve imagined.”
“I know. I lived here for a month. I got to see it up close and personal, and it was more than I ever wanted to know.”
“Yeah, I wish I could apologize, but I can’t seem to make myself. I love my wife and I’m never going to act like it’s no big deal. I tried to act cool on our first date, and she almost kicked me to the curb. I will never make that mistake again. I love her like there’s someone working twenty-four hours a day to take her away from me. I’m never going to give her a second’s doubt about the way I feel.”
“I have to admit that I thought you and Max were a little crazy, but now I’m starting to understand.”
Mark clapped him on the back. “I think you need a beer so we can toast to your future.” They walked through the kitchen and watched Birdie and Cary with their heads together in deep conversation. Mark stopped and kissed Birdie’s head. “Do you need anything else done before dinner?”
“I think we’re all set.” She slipped her arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze. “Do you want the snacks for the cave?”
“Sure, I’ll take them out now.”
Cary looked at them. “You have a cave?”
Birdie laughed. “That’s what I call Mark’s man cave. We redid the garage and converted part of it into a workout room and his man cave.”
“My wife made a very impressive room with a big TV, couches and a pool table. When she gets tired of my company, she sends me out there.”
“Mark, I’ve never sent you out there.”
“Yes, you did. You sent me out there when you had your book club over.”
“That’s right, I did.” She looked at Cary. “I started a book club with a lot of the wives from the Teams and Max’s company. The husbands started showing up, so I sent them out to the cave. How are we supposed to talk about our book if the men won’t leave?”
“She lets us come back in for dessert, so I guess we should be thankful for that.”
“Yes, you should. I don’t know how the men got the idea that they were invited in the first place. It was only supposed to be the women.”
“I think they started coming because you all were drinking too much wine and they wondered what was going on over here.”
“I think they came because they didn’t like being left at home.”
He kissed her and took the tray she handed him. “Come on, Travis. Let’s go outside and give them a few minutes to remember why they like us.”
********
Birdie handed Cary a glass of wine. “Travis told me that you know Catalina and teach at the same school. What a small world. It must mean that you two were destined to meet.”
“Maybe. The way we met was crazy, and a little destiny might’ve been involved. He’s a little intense and overwhelming, though, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for all of his attention.”
“They seem to come that way. My husband didn’t give me a moment’s peace until I agreed to marry him. I only wanted to have a short meaningless affair with him, and I was engaged and married within a couple of months. Don’t get me wrong…I loved most of it, but it was like being in the middle of a tornado. I think he moved in after the first week, but that had something to do with the limited time we had because he was going to be deployed.”
“How did you handle it?”
“Sometimes I handled it well, and sometimes I didn’t. I was in a serious car accident a couple of weeks after I met him. I was given the opportunity to face my feelings, and I did. I let him in.”
“Were you scared when you told him?”
“No, not at all. It was the easiest thing I ever did. What do you think about Travis?”
“I have no idea. Actually, that’s not true. I do have an idea, and it is scaring me to death. I’m not ready to look at my feelings too closely.”
“Well, just leave them where they are. Look at them when you’re ready. You have all the time in the world.”
“I bought a house and it is being redone, and Travis invited me to stay with him this summer. I think I might.”
“That should give you a chance, to see how you feel.” The phone rang and she went to answer it. She had an animated conversation in Italian and then in English. “That was Rory, and she’s not feeling up to coming over tonight. She’s very close to her due date and is ready for those twins to be born. I told Max to come and get me if she goes into labor. We have been on baby watch all week. I’m going to be their godmother, and I can’t wait to meet them.”
“I should call Catalina and tell her that I came home early. Maybe after the babies are here I can talk her into a road trip. We could become Thelma and Louise and drive across the country and go to bars and dance.”
“That sounds like fun. I may ask to join you two for a weekend. Let’s just skip the part about driving off the cliff.”
They were laughing when Mark and Travis walked back in. Travis looped his arm around Cary and kissed her head. “What are you two laughing about?”
“I told Birdie that I was thinking of inviting Catalina on a road trip and we talked about going with a Thelma and Louise theme for the trip.”
“I thought we were going on a road trip.”
“I can take more than one road trip.”
The doorbell rang, and they were saved from further discussion as Ed and Amelia walked in. They had Lilly with them. The dog looked at everyone before settling herself by the door. Amelia smiled at Birdie. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought Lilly. I was at work all day, and I didn’t want to leave her home alone,” Amelia said.
Birdie walked up to the dog and waited for Amelia to give the friend-command and then bent down and petted her head. “I love this dog. She can come anytime she wants.”
Mark walked up to the group. “Hi, guys. Glad you could join us.” He took Birdie’s hand. “Baby, do you want a dog?”
“I might, but I don’t need a dog that’s so highly trained. I just need one to hang out with and warn me when someo
ne comes to the door.”
“I think we should get one. Let’s talk to the woman who trained Lilly and see what she has. I would feel better if we had a dog keeping an eye on you.”
“Oh, goody, another layer of security. Just what I wanted.”
“You can never have too much security, there is no such thing.” The men all nodded at one another in agreement, while the woman shook their heads at them.
“I’m sorry,” Birdie said. “I didn’t introduce Cary to everyone. This is Ed and Amelia. I went to school with Amelia, and she’s the one who took all of the beautiful photographs on the walls. Ed works with Max and is retired from the Teams. I set them up about six months ago, and as you can see, it was a complete success.”
Ed looked at Mark. “She’s going to tell this story to everyone as many times as she can….isn’t she?”
“Probably. Just let her make a toast at the wedding. That could give her the satisfaction she’s looking for.”
“Watching people in a happy relationship is all I need. That and cooperation when I suggest a match.”
Mark laughed and hugged his wife. “We know baby. Don’t worry. I reminded everyone of that all the time.”
Cary looked around at the beautiful home and noticed the photographs. “Amelia, I love your work. Do you sell commercially?”
“Not really, but you can come to my office sometime and look through my files, and if you see something you like, I’ll have it printed for you.”
“Thank you. I would love that. I have a new home in Ocean Beach, and I think this is just what it needs.”
“Let me get dinner finished,” Birdie said. Everyone relax, and we’ll eat in about twenty minutes.” Mark followed her back into the kitchen and took a moment to kiss his wife before he went out to the barbeque. Cary noticed them kissing and felt a moment of longing. There was probably something deep inside her that wanted what they had. She just never really allowed herself to think about it, much less dream that it was possible.
