Ace in the Hole (3 page)

“What floor?”

“The eighth floor. There’s a large balcony with nice views, as well as a play set on the other side of the building for the children. There’s an indoor pool and fitness area, a large area on the first floor that can be used for birthday parties, events, pretty much anything a tenant needs. Shall we go inside?”

She nodded and followed her realtor to the door. The additional amenities the condo provided were appealing. So far, the only thing that wasn’t was the additional housing fees associated with it.

“I know it wasn’t entirely what you were looking for but I think it might work better for you. The building next door has a daycare in it that a lot of the families who live here use. The beach and almost everything you need is all within walking distance.”

Another couple of positives for the condo that she added to her mental list. At this point, she didn’t plan to use daycare. Her hours were flexible enough that it wasn’t needed. She could always hire a daytime nanny if she needed someone to watch her daughter while she worked. That would allow her daughter to be home with her instead of in a daycare.

Inside, the creamy white marble tile and warm gold walls gave the place a touch of class. A small coffee area sat cattycorner to the door, with the television overhead tuned into one of the daytime soaps. It felt welcoming, almost as if it wasn’t a lobby.

“There is security detail round the clock, they make sure there is fresh coffee out here at all times,” Trudy explained, winking.

“Security?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. There are never any issues, they’re here as a precaution. So close to the beach, many of the condo owners are not year round residents, so the condo board decided it would put many of the owners at ease to have the security on site.” Trudy pushed the up button in front of the bank of elevators.

The elevator doors opened and Lucky was standing there, Ace’s younger brother. “Gwen? I can’t believe it! That’s you, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Lucky, how nice it is to see you.” She stepped into the elevator and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s been too long.”

“Tell me about it. What are you doing here?” His arms tightened around her until she couldn’t breathe before finally letting her go. “You’re pregnant.”

Not having any desire to get into her pregnancy in front of Trudy, she nodded and quickly made introductions. “Lucky Diamond, this is my realtor Trudy, she’s showing me a condo on the eighth floor.”

“Condo eight-twelve.”

“How did you know?”

“I’m next door in eight-eleven. A fellow Marine lived there, until he received his PCS.” As if he realized at the last moment he was talking to a civilian, he added, “Permanent Change of Station.”

“Hmm, we could be neighbors.”

“Mind if I tag along, then maybe we could get some coffee and catch up?”

She nodded and realized the elevator doors had closed but they hadn’t moved. “Sure, if you weren’t off to do something.”

“It can wait.” He reached past Trudy and pushed the button for the eighth floor.

Gwen leaned against the wall between them, almost unable to believe it was Lucky standing in front of her. The sweet, slightly geeky boy from high school had grown into one fine looking man. Being a Marine had given him muscles he didn’t have before, and the shaggy hair had been replaced with a crew cut. He was attractive, but to her he was like a younger brother, nothing more.
At least he’s happy to see me.

T
wenty minutes later the tour was complete and Gwen sat in Lucky’s condo. The floor plan was identical to the one she’d just seen, the only difference was it was clear a single man lived here. Where a dining table should have been there was an air hockey table in its place, and there were weights near the television. Otherwise, the area was relatively spotless, not that she expected anything less from Lucky. He had always been the most organized of the Diamond family, and lived a strict timetable, making him a good fit for military life.

“So…” He leaned against the kitchen bar, watching her.

Knowing Lucky wouldn’t come straight out with what was on his mind, she took a sip of the water and decided to cut to the point. “Did Wynn tell you, or are you wondering where my husband is?”

“She only told me you’ve moved back into town
alone
.” He sat his beer down on the counter and gave her a serious look. “Do I need to break some guy’s legs?”

With a lighthearted laugh, she realized how much she’d missed Lucky. He always could make her laugh, even when she thought her world was falling apart.

She laid her hand over his. “It’s nothing like that. I did this on my own. It was time I had a family. My daughter was conceived by a sperm donor.”

“Good for you.” He laid his other hand on top of theirs giving it a squeeze. “You took your life in your own hands and got what you wanted. I’m sorry it wasn’t how you pictured it, but you’re living life on your own terms and there’s nothing better than that.”

His words sent a shockwave rippling through her. Even Wynn hadn’t been supportive at first.

“Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

“I know Ace is back in town and you were staying at the house while you searched for a place of your own, so if you need a place to stay you’re welcome here. I have a guest room you can use.”

“Thank you, Lucky, but it’s not necessary.” As she sipped her water, she pictured Ace’s reaction to that. He would blow a gasket if he knew she was leaving his place to stay with his younger brother.

“I know how things went down with you two and I don’t want you getting hurt again. It would be wrong if I have to beat the shit out of my own brother
again
. I’m not sure Mom would like that too much.” He took a deep swig from his beer and watched her.

“I don’t think Mrs. Diamond would be happy over her grown sons fighting, plus it’s not worth it.”

“You’re worth it. Never doubt that.”

“It’s all in the past and that’s where it’s going to stay. I didn’t decided to stay in town to be close to Ace, but because I have so many fond memories here. It’s where I want my daughter to be raised.”

In reality, when she’d decided to move back home, she had hoped she wouldn’t bump into Ace. Her heart didn’t need the pain. Too much time had passed for them to go back to the way things were, and the child growing inside her needed her to be at her best, not love sick over someone who’d left her without an explanation. Despite this, she couldn’t get Ace out of her mind no matter how hard she tried.

A
dding the last of the chopped up potatoes and vegetables to the roaster, Ace slipped it into the oven. A nice pot roast with all the fixings just like his mother used to make. It was comfort food, always reminding him of his childhood. He hoped cooking for Gwen would help erase the unease from earlier.

He glanced at the clock and mentally noted the roast would be done in an hour. Hopefully, Gwen would make it back in time from wherever she’d disappeared to. Otherwise, he’d made the meal for himself. As much as he enjoyed it, if he was eating alone he would have rather gone out.

Later on, a slight creak told him the front door had opened and the clicking of heels followed. He grabbed the dishtowel and wiped his hands.

“Gwen?”

“Something smells good.”

“Mom’s famous pot roast recipe, or at least as near as I can get. I was hoping you’d join me for dinner, unless you have other plans.” He stood by the kitchen bar, uneasy.

Sinking down onto the sofa, she dropped her purse on the coffee table and with a moan tugged off her heels. “Sorry, my feet were killing me.”

“You were never much for heels. I think you were the only girl that went to our prom in flats.” The memory of her prom dress tight around her curves made his shaft harden.

“I’d remind you those black ballet flats made the outfit.” She smirked, rubbing the arch of her foot. “You wouldn’t have wanted me to go with those sky high heels that were so popular then, and hear me moan all night about my sore feet. It would have put a damper on our fun.”

“I wouldn’t have changed anything about that night.” He’d only change the stuff after that happened afterward.

She nibbled her bottom lip, something she always did when she was nervous, and changed the subject. “I’d have cooked when I got back.”

“There’s nothing to do but wait.”

She leaned back on the sofa, watching him. “I figured you’d be sleeping for a while or I’d have left a note to tell you I had an appointment with my realtor.”

“I had planned to, but…” He crossed the room. “Gwen, I’m sorry about before.”

“We’ve done this already…”

“Please just let me finish.” He squatted before her and took her hand in his. “When I left for boot camp I thought we’d be together forever. Once things were official and I made it through my training, then we’d get married. It wasn’t until I was actually there that I realized you deserved so much better. It wasn’t the training, or the long hours, it was what I saw the other guys going through with their families. I knew things would only get worse as my SEAL training continued.”

“What are you saying?”

“We didn’t talk about it much but I knew you wanted a family of your own. I could have given you that, the house you wanted, all the material things, but what I couldn’t give you was me. Training day in and day out for over two years. Since then it’s been missions and more training, a SEAL’s job is never done. How could I expect you to sit idly by at home and wait for me, never knowing what I was doing or if I’d even survive? That was no life for you.”

“Why do we have to do this again?” Tears glistened in her eyes.

“Because you need to understand.” He squeezed her hand. “It was the hardest decision I ever made, but one I thought was right for you. The whole family gave me shit about it. Everyone thought I was making a huge mistake, hell even I thought I was. You were always the best thing in my life. I thought I was making the best decision for you.”

“You could have talked to me about this, given me some say in the matter. Instead you sent me a letter.”

“I wrote the letter because I knew if I didn’t do it then I wouldn’t be able to. I planned to explain when I was on leave…then I just couldn’t come home and face you. By then I knew I made a mistake.”

The tears were falling down her face. “We all make mistakes and they can be forgiven. You should have come to me.”

“How could I? By doing what I thought was right, I broke your heart. I screwed everything up.”

“Someone once told me that you can go back to the place where it all went wrong and find your way again.”

He blinked, trying to determine if he’d heard her correctly. Did she mean there was still a chance for them? He was supposed to be making amends with her so he could put the space between them without additional hard feelings. He wasn’t supposed to be getting involved with her.

He stayed where he was, the grandfather clock in the entryway ticking the seconds off as if reminding him there wouldn’t be another chance. If he screwed up this time, it would be the end of anything he could have with Gwen.

“When I first received the letter I was upset, angry, and heartbroken. Who knows what would have happened between us. I knew about your ambitions to be a SEAL since that first day, and that didn’t stop me from falling in love with you.” She placed her index finger under his chin and gently guided it up until their gazes met. “So what if you were gone more than you were home, it would just make us cherish the moments we had together that much more. If the love is true and strong, it can overcome anything.”

“I thought you deserved someone home with you each night, someone who could be an actual father to your children. To throw a ball with the boys and to scare off any dates the daughters might have.”

“As noble as the thought was, it should have been
our
decision to make, not yours. I don’t think it worked out as you wanted it to anyway.” She smirked and laid her hand on the top curve of her stomach.

“Maybe not how I had hoped, but what matters is your happiness.” He laid his hand over hers on her stomach. “I know how important children were for you.”