down at him. “Once she’s done eating,we’ll take a quick shower to wash th e chlorine off and then we’re ready to hit road.”
The door to the pool room opened. “Two more sandwiches,” Greta announced, setting them on the table along with drinks. “How’s lunch, sweetie?”
“Good.” Destiny took another bite.
He climbed out of the pool and slung his arm around Nora’s waist. “She loves the water. Are you sure she’s not part fish?” They had been in the pool for over three hours, the longest he had ever used it.
“She’d spend all day in there if I’d let her, and turn into a shriveled prune.” She shook her head and leaned back against him. “You’re good with her.”
“She’s a great kid. Even with all she’s going through she’s laughing and have a good time. That’s a good sign.”
“She’s going to sleep well in the car but when we get there she’s going to be ready to go again.” She tipped her head back to look up at him. “You sure you want to be locked in a cabin with her all weekend?”
“Not just her, but you and Greta. Though I have to admit I’m looking forward to being alone with you after she goes to bed.” He kissed her temple.
He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somehow he’d let himself get drawn closer to her when what he should have been doing was keeping his distance. If he was serious about her, there was something she needed to know. She needed to know the real reason he hadn’t been in touch since a few weeks prior to Jim’s last deployment. Tonight. I’ll tell her tonight.
The rest of the evening went smoothly, but Brian couldn’t ease the tightness in his shoulders. Even with Destiny napping the whole two hour drive, she was still sleepy, making it easy for them to camp out in front of the television and watch movies. He hadn’t been able to focus with his arm around Nora, the ball of tension in his stomach. He wasn’t sure how she’d react when he finally came clean, but it was time to clear the air. Otherwise, he’d never be able to move forward with her—which was what he wanted most.
“Brian, did you hear me?” Nora stood by the edge of the sofa, having gathered the popcorn bowls and glasses.
“What?” He blinked, pushing his thoughts away.
“I asked you if you wanted anything. Greta’s calling it a night, she’s going to do some reading in bed, but wanted to know if you needed anything before she turned in.”
“No, I’m fine.” He tapped the seat next to him. “Come join me.”
“Let me take these to her first.” She disappeared into the kitchen before he could stop her, giving him another moment to gather himself.
He rose from the sofa and paced before the fireplace. The warmth from the fire helped ease the chill settling over him. He couldn’t help but doubt his decision to tell her. The fight with Jim was in the past, it should stay there, but he couldn’t move onward unless he came clean. They needed everything to be out there in the open.
“Greta sent these.” Nora held up two glasses of red wine. “Drink, maybe that will loosen your tongue, and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”
“You’re right. I did want to talk to you.” He took the wine glass and took a sip. “I…” He let out an uneasy laugh, before shaking his head. “I give people bad news all the time, and it’s nothing like telling you this.”
“Just out with it.” She set her wine glass on the coffee table and came to stand before him. “Whatever it is, it’s best to get it out.”
“Jim…”
She placed her hand on his chest. “Do we have to talk about him tonight? He seems like a constant ghost between us.”
He laid his hand over hers, entwining their fingers. “That’s why we need to talk. See, I hadn’t been in touch for a number of weeks before Jim died and lost touch because of an argument we had when he put his name in for that deployment.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t believe Jim had volunteered for
The door to the pool room opened. “Two more sandwiches,” Greta announced, setting them on the table along with drinks. “How’s lunch, sweetie?”
“Good.” Destiny took another bite.
He climbed out of the pool and slung his arm around Nora’s waist. “She loves the water. Are you sure she’s not part fish?” They had been in the pool for over three hours, the longest he had ever used it.
“She’d spend all day in there if I’d let her, and turn into a shriveled prune.” She shook her head and leaned back against him. “You’re good with her.”
“She’s a great kid. Even with all she’s going through she’s laughing and have a good time. That’s a good sign.”
“She’s going to sleep well in the car but when we get there she’s going to be ready to go again.” She tipped her head back to look up at him. “You sure you want to be locked in a cabin with her all weekend?”
“Not just her, but you and Greta. Though I have to admit I’m looking forward to being alone with you after she goes to bed.” He kissed her temple.
He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somehow he’d let himself get drawn closer to her when what he should have been doing was keeping his distance. If he was serious about her, there was something she needed to know. She needed to know the real reason he hadn’t been in touch since a few weeks prior to Jim’s last deployment. Tonight. I’ll tell her tonight.
The rest of the evening went smoothly, but Brian couldn’t ease the tightness in his shoulders. Even with Destiny napping the whole two hour drive, she was still sleepy, making it easy for them to camp out in front of the television and watch movies. He hadn’t been able to focus with his arm around Nora, the ball of tension in his stomach. He wasn’t sure how she’d react when he finally came clean, but it was time to clear the air. Otherwise, he’d never be able to move forward with her—which was what he wanted most.
“Brian, did you hear me?” Nora stood by the edge of the sofa, having gathered the popcorn bowls and glasses.
“What?” He blinked, pushing his thoughts away.
“I asked you if you wanted anything. Greta’s calling it a night, she’s going to do some reading in bed, but wanted to know if you needed anything before she turned in.”
“No, I’m fine.” He tapped the seat next to him. “Come join me.”
“Let me take these to her first.” She disappeared into the kitchen before he could stop her, giving him another moment to gather himself.
He rose from the sofa and paced before the fireplace. The warmth from the fire helped ease the chill settling over him. He couldn’t help but doubt his decision to tell her. The fight with Jim was in the past, it should stay there, but he couldn’t move onward unless he came clean. They needed everything to be out there in the open.
“Greta sent these.” Nora held up two glasses of red wine. “Drink, maybe that will loosen your tongue, and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”
“You’re right. I did want to talk to you.” He took the wine glass and took a sip. “I…” He let out an uneasy laugh, before shaking his head. “I give people bad news all the time, and it’s nothing like telling you this.”
“Just out with it.” She set her wine glass on the coffee table and came to stand before him. “Whatever it is, it’s best to get it out.”
“Jim…”
She placed her hand on his chest. “Do we have to talk about him tonight? He seems like a constant ghost between us.”
He laid his hand over hers, entwining their fingers. “That’s why we need to talk. See, I hadn’t been in touch for a number of weeks before Jim died and lost touch because of an argument we had when he put his name in for that deployment.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t believe Jim had volunteered for
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