Forever Lovers (15 page)

Damn you Lily! Couldn't you have waited?
Surely, that week in the Caribbean meant something!

Quinn was miserable and angry all at the same
time. He rubbed his eyes and felt something like moisture. He put
his arm over his eyes trying to block out the world until his pain
medication took over. Part of Quinn's heart died that day, his soul
was soon to follow with more crushing news.

Just when Quinn didn't think it could get any
worse, his doctor announced the following week that he'd probably
never have any children of his own. To make it all the more
devastating, he added that he hoped he'd be able to have an
erection as his scrotum still had both nuts, but was significantly
swollen leaving some noteworthy damage from “the accident”. Later
that day, the nurses found a hole in the wall where Quinn had
thrown an impressive right knuckle punch for the second time in his
life.

CHAPTER 33

Quinn's parents had him out of the Berlin
infirmary as soon as they could get the papers signed and
dismissed. He was taken to a chateau of Uncle Dawg's that was on a
cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, in hopes that a change of
beautiful scenery mixed with serenity would help nurse Quinn back
to health. It had a salt water spa and was equipped with all the
necessary equipment to exercise, strengthen, and put him back
together again. A French cook, a housekeeper, a young Italian maid,
and a physical therapist came every day. Three cute young nurses
alternated around the clock.

His dad commented, “If nothing else, they'll
make great eye candy.”

His mom told his dad, “This is not a time to
be thinking with
your
dick. How would
you
like
looking at candy, you couldn't have? What are you imagining anyway,
a tri-fecta?”

Troy hugged a frigid Swan, “I'll always enjoy
looking, but will never want anyone, but you. Besides, how's he
ever going to know what his body is capable of unless he tries?
Isn't that the SEAL motto?”

“Somehow, I don't think an erection was what
they were talking about,” Quinn's mom quipped drily.

CHAPTER 34

Quinn's parents hung around for another week
making sure he had everything he needed to help him recuperate and
live a normal life before they went to visit Aunt Kat a couple of
hours away. What they chose not to understand was that nothing
would ever be normal again. He was glad that they wanted to be
supportive, but he needed some time to process all that had
happened, including Lily, which was just the crowning blow. So,
after reassuring a tearful mom that they could do nothing more and
that he needed time to rebuild his body strength and to concentrate
on getting well, they made plans to fly back to the states after
visiting Aunt Kat. He spent the next month pushing his body to its
inter core. By the end of that time, he was almost off his crutches
and most of his medications.

That next weekend, Quinn limped into the lush
den of the chateau with its walnut wooden floor covered with a
bright Persian rug of blues, reds, browns, and tan. Masculine
chairs of chocolate brown leather framed the fireplace that was
burning to take the chill off the fall weather that cool late fall
night. A large ornate antique desk stood in front of the floor to
ceiling windows that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.

As Quinn was about to cozy up to the roaring
fire, he noticed a manila envelope addressed to him lying on the
top of the dark patina desk top. Curious, he sat down to open it.
He dumped the lumpy contents in front of him. Two things spilled
forth, both of which he'd had on him the day of the Yemen explosion
– his dog tags and Lily's rose colored bikini throng. He stared at
the offending object that had landed in the shape of a smile. His
face hardened as he clenched his jaw not even able to touch the
offending scrap of fabric that had once belonged to his true love
and was at one time a loving souvenir. He could hardly bear to look
at it, much less hold it in his hand before throwing the offending
object in the fireplace.

Quinn limped out on the balcony and leaned
against the railing, trying to control his rage that had only been
exacerbated by the small piece of cloth that belonged to Lily. As
he gazed out at the dark churning water, he took a final trip down
memory lane while he watched the waves beat themselves against the
granite rocks below as the sea tossed, agitated, and emulated his
own turbulent emotions.

CHAPTER 35

Lily was in the middle of changing diapers
when her cell phone rang. Looking at the number, she realized that
it was the commander from the Fort Riley base. Knowing that the
time for Gunner to leave them was coming to an end, she dreaded
returning his phone call.

Gunner, who was still somewhat needy,
followed Lily to the couch like he also knew what the conversation
was going to be about before she made the call back to the base
commander. Nuzzling her hand, Lily took a moment to rub his ears
and coo just like she did with Dominic and Tyrone. He responded
with love and adoration of a wet slobbery tongue. It would be a
difficult transition for both of them emotionally as she tried not
to dwell upon the separation to come.

Dialing back, Lily got the usual bark from
the commander that everyone else did. She didn't think he had
another form of dialect. She couldn't help but wonder how that was
workin' with his wife. “Lily here, what can I do for you, Sir?” It
was all she could do to keep from standing to attention and
saluting over the telephone.

Not being one to beat around the bush, the
commander got right down to business. “We have a placement for
Gunner with a young man in Europe who is also a Wounded Warrior
from a bomb explosion and a recipient of skin spray. One of our
doctors thought they might be a good match for each other. Gunner
will be deployed next month to the soldier's home in Italy. Would
it be possible for you to accompany him and help both of them
adjust to each other?”

The commander had Lily's attention. She was
definitely interested. She was more than curious about the newly
generated skin stem cells on a human patient. She was anxious to
converse with someone that could talk. She needed to know for
Gunner's sake what he was feeling, had he experienced any
discomfort, was he still sore etc... Besides, she wanted to make
sure that Gunner and the soldier were a “fit” herself. It would
comfort her to know that. “I'll see what kind of arrangements I can
make and get back with you, Sir.”

Quinn also got a call from his commanding
officer the same morning. He was not one bit happy with what he had
to say. After hanging up, he muttered to himself, “Now isn't that
just “friggin” great. My commander thinks I need a visit from
another wounded soldier.”
How in the hell does he think he knows
what I need,
Quinn thought disgustedly.
I suppose he thinks
I need bonding time, too. Just because we were both bombed and
missing body parts, I think I'm quite capable of picking my own
cripples if I want one – harsh, but it was the way he felt.

Quinn went into his exercise room to do some
extensive exercise and let off steam. While he was at it, he
decided that he was going to start looking over the sexy afternoon
nurse. Maybe, she'd be interested in being his night nurse and
tucking him in bed when the sun went down. It was time to move on
and what better way to do that than with another woman – mornings
lately had shown him that an erection was possible. Somehow, he
didn't think that performance was going to be a problem. If he had
any doubt it was dispelled that afternoon when the nurse was
leaning over him removing his bandages and showing off an abundance
of cleavage.

CHAPTER 36

A week after speaking with the commander,
Lily was on an Italian airliner headed for Rome. She was
accompanied by a handsome soldier that was about her age and a
slightly distraught and needy Gunner that would have climbed in her
lap if she would have let him. The soldier was coming up the ranks
in the Army. He had an interesting history. His name was Tom
Jackson.

Tom made his money to pay for college by
being a stripper. (Lily tried not to let her imagination get
carried away as she thought about him shirtless, muscles gyrating
and wrapped around a pole or is it just the girls that do that?) Of
course, he was a lot of fun and chatty as he had no inhibitions and
was quite comfortable with his own sexuality and anyone else's for
that matter. He left no doubt that he was interested in Lily. There
was no question that he would happy to be her stud guy, making her
a member of The Mile High Club and entertaining the surrounding
passengers if she gave him the slightest bit of encouragement. She
thought, however, that it might not hurt to take him up on his not
too subtle offer at a later date. It was time to move past Quinn
and stop mourning over a relationship that was gone or never
existed. Even if she did not take Tom up on his invitation, it was
noteworthy to be admired and flattered after Quinn had dropped her
flat only after a week of romping in the Caribbean almost two years
ago. It felt quite good to her ego to just be checked out as he let
his eyes roam not too subtly over her anatomy and be recognized as
an attractive woman again. Besides, she was primed and ready to
have an adult conversation with a desirable young male. She
suspected that Tom would have no trouble multitasking with
conversation and sex combined if need be. Twin boys under one were
not exactly stimulating to the mind no matter how much she loved
them. It might be a good and healthy diversion, one that could
satisfy both of them. It certainly was worth a consideration.
At Lily's insistence, they went first class to Rome with reclining
beds. That was the only way she would travel with Gunner who got
the reclining seat next to her much to the disappointment of her
escort. Gunner was very happy to be her canine companion right next
to Lily in his own bed. He was used to sleeping in the same
sleeping bag as his previous owner, which made him a “crowd-er”
with any available space just like any other male. The only
difference was that he didn't pig the blanket. So, he was quite
happily content and comfortable as he snuggled against Lily while
the aircraft hummed over the Atlantic for the next eight hours from
Chicago as the engine drown out any disturbing noise.

That morning, the passengers were asked by
the pilot to wait to disembark from the airliner until the wounded
American soldier got off the plane. After the passengers craned
their necks and discovered that the soldier was a Belgium Malinois,
they clapped as Gunner left the aircraft wearing his prosthesis,
oblivious to all the surrounding commotion that he had caused. It
made Lily proud to be an American.

Transportation was waiting to take Lily,
Gunner, and the lieutenant to the wounded soldier's home. It was
nice to have accommodations arranged and waiting.

“What do you know about the young man that
was injured,” she asked Tom soon after they were settled in the
van.

“I know little about him except that he was
wounded during a bombing on one of our ships in Yemen,” the
lieutenant answered. “That's about it.”

It was not surprising that Tom knew so little
about his assignment as the Army was quite good at giving out only
snippets of information. The less everyone knew about their
situation, the better was their attitude. Perhaps, it also kept any
enemy of the United States from learning something that might
appear to be trivial, but was not. Everything is always on a need
to know basis. The only other thing that Tom did know, was that
injured soldier outranked him. He was to salute him upon meeting
him for the first time as Army protocol demanded.

It took a “while to get to the home of the
unknown soldier. It didn't matter in the least to the occupants as
they had a spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea for most of
way. That was a particular wonderful change for Lily after living
in landlocked Kansas. It was a peaceful and calming ride, but it
reminded Lily way too much of the last time she had spent a week in
the beautiful clear blue Caribbean with Quinn – a distant memory
that she didn't go to often as it made her terribly sad. But, those
memories would still encroach and surprise at unexpected times,
just like the annoying pop ups on your computer.

As the airport van approached the luxury home
at the top of a cliff, Lily and Tom realized that they were about
to enter the land of the rich and famous. Their eyes first focused
on the immaculate grounds full of southern Italian vegetation that
got most of its moisture from the sea beyond. Accompanying the lush
vegetation was a scattering of several palm trees that lined the
garden drive like umbrellas. The red brick chateau was spectacular
and breathtaking all at the same time as it stood stately and
impressively overlooking the Mediterranean as it had done since the
middle of the eighteen century.

“Holy mackerel! Do you suppose the guy has a
daughter I could marry?” commented Lieutenant Jackson with all the
enthusiasm he could muster as his eyes popped out at the
surroundings.

Lily could feel an anxious Gunner beside her
as he tapped into her emotions and leaned against her leg for
comfort. For some reason, she was feeling extra edgy like she
should be remembering something and Gunner sensed her anxiety. She
tried to put down her symptoms as nerves that were building just
because she would soon be turning Gunner over to a complete
stranger, something that she had been dreading since she had gotten
that first call from the commander at the base last week. After
all, Gunner had worked himself into her heart becoming part of the
family and needing her as much as the twins. She should have known
he would. She was always a sucker for animals; especially, those
that were hurt or injured. That was why she'd become a veterinarian
in the first place.