Love of a Marine (The Wounded Warriors Series Book 2) (20 page)

He placed his hands on her cheeks, lowered his head, and kissed her gently. “OK?”

Her long fingers wrapped his wrists. “Better than OK.”

When they stepped outside the garage it was nearly dark. Her heart tripped faster than a snare drum beating a quick march.

He grabbed her hand. “Stop.”

“What? Why?”

“Your hem is tucked in your panties.” He tugged it free and smoothed her skirt.

“Oh, my Lord.” She gasped a quiet thank you as heat burned her cheeks.

“Nobody noticed. They’re waiting for the fireworks to start. Let’s sit with our backs next to the garage. I’ll grab a couple of chairs.” He snatched two chairs and was intercepted by Dwayne and Marla on his way back to her. Dwayne carried a chair and set it next to Graciella.

“We’ll sit back here with you,” Marla said. “I can duck into the garage with Declan if the fireworks scare him.”

Thankful her breath had returned, Graciella said, “I don’t see Santos and Amber. Where are they, do you know?”

Dwayne pointed to the big eucalyptus. “Up there, sitting in the crotch of the two big limbs. Best view in the house.” He motioned to Marla. “Sit, honey. I’ll stand behind you.”

Queen leaned against Cluny’s leg. “Where’d you come from? Were you looking for me, girl?”

Dwayne grinned. “She’s been right here, next to the back door of the garage, waiting for you to finish your business inside. That’s a good dog. Be nice to her.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Graciella enjoyed the loud exclamations from adults and children when the fireworks got underway. The northern sky toward Simi filled with the spectacular glow of magnificent color and continuous booming. Cluny’s hand squeezed hers ever tighter. She glanced at him and saw him smiling, but his jaw twitched each time a big explosion filled the night air. His leg bounced under their joined hands.

“Cluny?” His grip had grown painful. She leaned her shoulder into his, but he seemed in another dimension. She raised her eyes to Dwayne, trepidation building inside her.

He moved behind Cluny and placed strong hands on his shoulders. “OK, McPherson?”

“What?”

“How ya doin’?” Dwayne asked.

Queen dropped her head on Cluny’s knee. When he ignored her, she whined. He patted her. “Good, Gunny, we’re good.”

Marla held the baby toward Cluny. “Could you hold Declan for a couple of minutes? I need to get another blanket from the house.”

“Hold Declan?” He raised his eyes to Marla, let go of Graciella’s hand, and reached for the infant. “Sure, I’ll hold him.”

Graciella noted the tender way he cuddled the baby to his chest, smiled and brushed his lips on his tiny head. Dwayne had relaxed his grip on Cluny’s shoulders but remained standing behind his chair. To her relief, Cluny visibly calmed and bounced the baby against his shoulder stroking his back. He hummed a quiet tune.

Marla returned with a crocheted baby blanket, draped it over her son’s back and Cluny’s shoulder, but made no move to retrieve him. She took her seat next to Graciella and gave her a look that said volumes, accompanied by a small nod. She whispered in Graciella’s ear. “I’ll explain later.”

The fireworks only lasted half an hour, but it had been spectacular all the same.

Parents gathered their kids, coolers, and other things they’d brought and began taking leave. They said their good-byes to friends and approached Dwayne and Marla to thank them for another great Independence Day party. Most of them shoved wads of bills in the big empty jar at the bar before departing. The single men folded chairs and stacked them on the side of the garage.

Beachy was one of the last to depart. She thanked her hosts and kissed Cluny on the cheek. “Do you want me to take Queen with me, Mac?”

“Nah, she’ll stay with me. I left the key under the back steps, let yourself in, Mis.”

Misty Beachy is staying at Cluny’s house?

“Thanks for the bunk, Mac. I’ll most likely be pulling out before you get home.” She nodded to Graciella. “Nice meeting you. I hope to see you again.”

Speechless for a split second, Graciella processed the fact that his former girlfriend was spending the night at Cluny’s house. She wondered if this was a common occurrence. “Um, yes, Misty, me too.”

Marla picked up on Graciella’s anxiety and squeezed her arm. “Don’t be a stranger, Misty. Stop in next time you’re in town.”

Graciella’s furtive glance in Cluny’s direction revealed that he’d stopped paying attention to the conversation and was concentrating on the cooing infant.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Dwayne said, “I’m going to get the DVD player and screen set up in the tent for the kids. Honey, would you help with the ice cream?”

“I bought a huge box of drumsticks for them. It’s in the freezer. All we have to do is pass them out.” Marla turned to her. “Graciella, would you like to help me get them settled down?”

“Yes, sure.” She popped out of her chair and followed Marla. Once inside the kitchen, she asked, “Does she stay at his house often?”

“Whenever she passes through town. He’s got plenty of room and doesn’t want her to pay for a motel. It gives them a chance to catch up. I wouldn’t read anything into it if I were you.”

But Marla wasn’t her. Graciella struggled to get her mind around it. Misty had said, “Friends, that’s it.” Still, she was uneasy. Could there be more to it?

Cluny strolled into the kitchen. “He’s out like a light, Marla. Shall I put him in his cradle? I’d like to help Gunny put the yard back in order.”

“Yes, please. I expect he’ll sleep for a couple of hours before he’s hungry again. Graciella and I are going to take ice cream out to the tent and make sure the kids are ready for their ghost stories. I doubt they’ll close their eyes for hours. I’m so glad you installed that toilet off the laundry room last spring. At least I won’t have them clomping through the house at all hours.”

He brushed a quick kiss on Graciella’s lips. “I’ll be done shortly, sweetheart. We can head out soon.”

A pile of shoes and sandals filled up an area at the side of the tent flap. The noisy kids arranged their blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags around the DVD player and screen Dwayne was setting in place. They vied for the best view. The boys set up on one side of the big tent, and the girls on the other. She wondered if this had been Dwayne’s idea. Santos arranged his sleeping bag across the narrow strip of canvas closest to Amber.

“Ice cream!” Graciella called out over their loud chatter, and nearly started a stampede. “One at a time, Let the girls go first.” Santos offered his cone to Amber. Graciella went through the first box of drumsticks in a flash, then half the second box. She placed the remainder in the ice chest in the corner. “There’s more here when you finish those.”

Dwayne set up a small charcoal brazier several yards from the tent. He lit the coals and told his oldest nephews, “It’ll take a while for these to start glowing. I’ll leave the marshmallows, long forks, and fire extinguisher on the table. You big boys are to watch the younger kids and make sure they’re never unattended.”

A boy of about thirteen spoke up. “You can count on me, Uncle Dwayne. I did it last year.”

After bumping fists with the tall boy, he called, “You kids have fun. When you finish the ice cream and marshmallows, turn off the lanterns to save the batteries. You’ll see fine with the light from the movie screen.” He grinned at Graciella. “I doubt they heard a word I said.”

“Are you sure they’re safe toasting marshmallows on their own?”

“They won’t be on their own. I’ll be watching like a hawk. Don’t worry. We do this every year. Soon as they’ve toasted all the marshmallows, I’ll remove the brazier.” He slung his arm around her shoulder and walked her back to the house. “You and Cluny can stay awhile or leave whenever you’re ready. Marla and I’ve got this.”

“When should I come for Santos?”

“Once they finally get to sleep they’ll probably stay that way till after eight. I’ll pick up a carload of breakfast sandwiches and a couple of gallons of milk and orange juice before they’re up. I’m taking the day off tomorrow, so come for him whenever it’s convenient.”

Cluny was in the kitchen. “What say we relax and have a cup of coffee with Dwayne and Marla before we leave? You probably want to make sure Santos doesn’t have second thoughts about sleeping in the tent. He said he’d never camped out before.” He held a kitchen chair and took the one next to her. “OK?”

“That sounds great. Marla, what can I do?”

“Decaf’s almost done. I’m taking a breather while it perks. You stay put.”

Graciella sighed. Cluny took her hand and gave her a look that sent heat scorching through her.

* * *

Something was bothering her. They rode in silence for several minutes. Cluny racked his brain, going over the day’s events from start to finish. “Sweetheart?”

Graciella jerked like she’d heard a gunshot. “Yes?”

“You’ve been so quiet. Did I do something to upset you?” He stroked the back of her neck and kept his eyes on the road.

She didn’t say a word for several seconds, then, “I don’t want to spoil the rest of our evening. I’m probably too touchy and unsure of myself. Meeting all those people today was daunting to say the least. Don’t worry about it.”

“Please don’t keep anything from me, Graciella. Tell me.” He glanced at her.

Her head shook, and her glorious hair swept across the back of his hand. “It’s silly really. I’m being childish.”

“No, baby. Tell me.”

She sighed deeply. “All right. I was shocked to learn Krystal had tried to make Santos leave with her that night she barged into our apartment while we were dancing. He told me you prevented her from taking him. Why didn’t you ever say anything to me about it?”

He heard the hitch in her voice. He’d forgotten that incident, but it seemed very important to her. “God, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wasn’t keeping it from you. I thought for sure Santos would tell you after I took him back to your door.”

“He said nothing and went straight to his room. I wish you’d told me. When I think of her and that awful Jamal taking him without my permission it scares the heck out of me.” She pressed her palms to her cheeks and a sob escaped her throat.

He took the off-ramp leading to her neighborhood. “I’d never met her before. It was your personal family business. I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to stick my nose in.” His stomach churned. The evening he’d been looking forward to was going south. “Please, baby, I had no idea.”

He didn’t talk again until they pulled into her parking lot a few blocks later. He turned off the engine and reached for her. “I’m sorry.” Tugging her hands from her face, he kissed one and then the other.

Her expression was watery and her lips trembled, but she managed a smile. “I’m being silly. I’m spoiling everything. I’m sure you weren’t deliberately keeping me in the dark about it. It’s just—”

He gently kissed her lips. “Shall we go in? You said a couple of things were bothering you. We might as well clear the air.”

“Yes.” She dashed the tears from her cheeks and smiled again. “Yes, let’s go.”

“I’ll pour some water in Queen’s pan. She’ll snooze here in the car for a little while. She’s used to it.”

He lowered his window an inch, stepped out of the car, and opened Graciella’s door. “This will take a minute.”

He lifted a gallon jug of water from behind her seat, poured some in a pan on the floor, and scratched his dog’s head. “Sweet dreams, Queenie.” He closed and locked the car, and then he turned and embraced Graciella.

“Cluny, querido,” she murmured against his chest, “I’m sorry. Can we forget it?”

His heart swelled at the first endearment she’d ever used when addressing him. “We’ll finish this inside. I don’t want you to keep anything from me. God, you and Santos are so important to me. You know that, right?”

She hugged his waist and they walked arm-in-arm to the stairs leading to her apartment. She had to know how important she was to him. What could he say to convince her that he wasn’t only interested in making love to her, but that he wanted to be
with
her in every sense of the word?

She unlocked the door to her apartment, took his hand, and led him inside. Switching on the hall light, she faced him. “Hold me, amor. Can you just hold me for a moment? I want to tell you something else, but I’m losing my courage.”

“Oh, baby, there’s nothing I’d rather do more than hold you.” He leaned back against the closed door and held her tight in his arms. His statement wasn’t exactly true. He did want to hold her, but he wanted a lot more. Maybe the timing was off for tonight. He led her to the living room. “Let’s sit. When you’re ready, tell me what you need to say.”

Once seated, she leaned into him and rested her hand on his chest. His heart pounded and he knew she could feel it. He wanted to tell her he loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he didn’t. They’d known each other such a short time. She would mistake his declaration of love for lust, and there was plenty of that too.

She lowered her eyes. “Some men at the party were talking about you today. They’d had too much to drink and didn’t know I heard them.” She stroked the front of his shirt nervously.

“What did they say?” Had they been talking about his PTS? Did they say something that scared her, made her afraid to be with him, trust him? He swallowed and steeled himself.

“They said you had a lot of…women…that you were sleeping with Misty Beachy.”

He tilted her chin up and gazed directly into her eyes. “Graciella, that’s not true.”

“But, why would they say that?” Tears swam in her beautiful brown eyes.

“Sweetheart.” He kissed her tears away. “I’ll never lie to you. Misty and I were lovers for a few months when deployed in Iraq. We needed each other. That was a decade ago. It ended when we came home. We’re friends.”

“She’s staying at your house.”

“I have a big house.” He needed to make sure his words were thoughtful and comforting. “Look, Beachy understands me. We went through hell over there. Those assclowns at the party didn’t know what they were talking about. They always pumped me for details. Their talk today was nothing more than drunken, wishful thinking. I don’t kiss and tell. It drove them nuts.”