47. Roman
CHAPTER 47
ROMAN
If it were you and Mama, would you risk it?
Wow.
“Point taken,” Cal said.
The connection went nearly silent. Only rustling and movement could be heard, then Cal’s voice came to me, closer than before.
“Goodnight, son.”
“Goodnight, Dad.”
“Goodnight, Roman.”
Holy shit.
“Umm, goodnight, Mr. Wilcox.”
“I was Cal when you were just friends. I think it’s a little stupid to go back to Mr. Wilcox now, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’m going to bed, boys. Carson, we’ve gotta an early morning. You have therapy.”
Cal’s chuckles and footsteps echoed over the phone connection.
“So… you okay?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“He took it just like I thought he would.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Your mom will be the same. You know that, right?”
“I think so. Maybe. I don’t know.”
“You hit the jackpot with your parents.”
“Your mama ain’t so bad.”
I sighed. “No. She’s fantastic.”
“I know you had it hard after he died…”
“Does it make me a bad person if I said life got better after he died?”
“Of course not. He dragged you and your mama through the mud, and it had only gotten started when he killed himself. Why’re you going back there?”
“I don’t know. I just… we’re so close to the dream…”
“Yeah, we are.”
“Is it strange that we’ve never dated?”
“Are you saying you want to court me?”
“Quit being an ass.”
“I’m really not.”
“What I’m getting at is my dad abandoned me. Margot’s mother abandoned both of us. And we’ve never even been on a date.”
“Rome, are you worried I’m going to ditch you?”
“No. Yes.” I groaned, dragging my hands over my face.
“I’m going to the bedroom and video calling you. Give me five minutes.”
I grabbed my laptop from where I had tossed it on the bed earlier and booted it up. I didn’t know why I was shooting myself in the foot.
“You still there?” he asked, his voice not as steady as he was trying to make it seem.
I smiled. “I am. Laptop on my lap and everything.”
“Doc?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m hanging up, and you best fucking answer when your laptop makes that horrible racket.”
“I promise.”
The line went dead, and a few minutes later, my laptop rang. He was right. The app’s ringtone was annoying. I clicked the button, and his face filled the screen.
“Hey.”
“I’m gonna have to get used to this, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, doc. You are. You’re leaving the military life behind, but you’re stepping into the supporting role.”
“I’m happy to step back and let you be the war hero.”
“Now, let’s talk about the insanity of me leaving you. It’s not gonna happen, doc. Not willing. You’re stuck with me until you kick my ass to the curb.”
“And that’s never going to happen.”
“Good. Any time you get to worrying, you let me know what I’m doing wrong.”
“Why would you be doing something wrong?”
“If you’re doubting me, doubting us, then I’m doing something wrong.”
Radio silence filled the airwaves between us. The intensity of his gaze heated my blood, and I knew what I wanted, and it wasn’t to fucking talk.
“I know what you’re doing wrong now.”
The look of surprise on his face descended into resignation.
“What do you need me to do differently?”
“Get naked.”
The downtrodden look heated, and a smile erupted.
“Now, we’re talking.”
I sat at the desk doing charting. Or rather, trying to. Late-night phone sex calls that last for hours weren’t conducive to a productive day. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes and prayed for an easy day.
“Captain Ott, you going to be okay?”
Jerking my head up, I met Colonel Craig’s gaze. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.”
I went back to the charts I was working on and tried to look like I wasn’t about to die of sleep deprivation.
“By the way, you have some high-ranking friends.”
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“I was doing some digging, trying to help the little birdie fly the nest, when I got a call from a two-star about Fort Eustis and Fort Belvoir.”
“Umm… I don’t know any generals.”
“No, but apparently, you do know an admiral.”
I racked my brain. What admiral… then it hit me. “Admiral Holt? But I don’t personally know him. I’ve met his son and niece. I’ve only spoken with the man once, and that was when the SEAL Team whose chopper went down was here. His son is the team leader, and his niece was the pilot.”
“Well, I don’t know why he made the call, but he did. He called his good buddy the two-star, who called me. Eustis and Belvoir both have spots open. Judging from the grin you’re trying to hide, one of those works for you. Tell me which you prefer, and I’ll let the general know.”
I didn’t know how this happened. Less than twenty-four hours ago, Carson and I were staring down another year apart, and now, somehow, fortune shined upon us, and we’d be together in just a few months.
“Captain?” she prompted.
“Eustis, ma’am.”
Fort Eustis was the best possible option for us. Newport News was less than an hour away from Little Creek. I’d have to sell my house near Kenner, but that was fine.
“Get your shit together, Captain. You’ve been ordered to report to Eustis in a month.”
“A month, ma’am? But I have…”
“You don’t argue a two-star, Captain.”
“Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
I stood from the chair I’d been sitting in to chart and said, “I’m going to call my mother so she can set things in motion for the move back to the States.”
“Sounds good.”
I saluted her, spinning on my heel when she returned it. I stalked off toward the consultation room. My first thought was to call Carson, but he was probably still asleep. I didn’t think he’d mind.
Closing and locking the door behind me, I video-called Carson and dropped into a chair. These things sucked. There wasn’t anything comforting about them at all. I knew the premise: Make the patients uncomfortable, and they wouldn’t stay and ask too many questions. I wasn’t a fan of the notion.
“Hmm… good morning,” he mumbled.
His gorgeous, sleepy face filled the screen.
“Good morning.”
“What time is it?”
“Early. I just needed to see your face.”
“Umm, I don’t…” Big yawn. “Hang on for a second and let my brain power back on. Someone kept me up half the night.”
“Weird. Someone kept me up half the night as well.”
“It was fucking worth it though.”
“Absolutely.”
“What’s got you needing a dose of this goodness so early in the morning?”
“You’re a nut.”
“Yep, but you didn’t answer my question.”
I called to give him the good news, but something held me back. Whether it was fear that something would fall through or something else, I didn’t know, but I held my tongue.
“Can’t a guy just wanna call the hottie he spent the night with?”
“Always.”
“Good. So, what’s on the agenda for the day?”
“Adam and Brock are taking us out on Adam’s boat. They were talking about going fishing and invited Daddy. Everyone thought it sounded like fun, so we’re all going.”
“Be careful.”
“I’ll make sure she has a life vest on.”
I burst out laughing. “I’m not the least bit worried about Margot being on a boat. She’s going to be with three Navy SEALs. I’m worried you’ll get some hair-brained idea to go swimming or diving.”
“Not happening. The docs here told me I wasn’t cleared for baths or pools yet, and I figured an ocean with all the whale and shark shit would be an even bigger petri dish than a bath or pool with chlorinated water.”
“Okay. Good.”
I exhaled a sigh of relief that he was being smart about his recovery.
“Don’t worry, doc. I have two very, very good reasons to get back to 100%.”
“What’s that?”
“You and Margot.”
My mouth fell open. I would’ve bet money the team would’ve been one of the two.
“What? No comment?”
“I don’t have words. What about the team?”
“What about them?”
“You’re a team guy…”
“Yes. I am. I have been from the moment I enlisted, and I will be for the rest of my life. Do I want to go back to active duty? Yes, and for as long as I am able. But… this injury and us pulling our collective heads out of our asses has shown me what sort of life I can have. And I want it. I want it with you and Margot.”
“Carson…”
“Don’t get all weepy on me, doc. Besides, there’s no way in fucking hell, I’m going to leave you on the market for any more suave, Casanova motherfuckers like your doctor buddy.”
I laughed. A full-on belly-aching laugh as happiness, the likes of which I never thought I’d get to experience, filled me up from the depths of my soul.
Several hours later, I paused at the front door of the house in Germany, juggling the boxes I’d brought home, when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
Wedging the phone between my shoulder and ear, I dropped the boxes and, finally, got the door unlocked.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey, Mama.”
“Did you have a good shift?”
I smiled, grabbed the boxes, and walked into the house. I’d never PCS’d on my own. Mama had always been around to wrangle everything for me, but this time, I would be doing it on my own.
For the first and last time.
“Yeah. The best. Umm… are you somewhere we can talk privately?”
“I can be.”
“Get there.”
Wind blew past the microphone on the phone while she moved. And I waited. A moment later, a door closed in the background.
“Okay. I’m behind closed doors,” she huffed. “Now, tell me what’s up.”
“How attached are you to Germany?”
“It’s okay, but it’s not home. Why?”
“I got new orders.”
It was clear she tried to hide the huff, but the exhale echoed through the phone. “Where?”
“Fort Eustis.”
“Roman, you know that I don’t know the names of all the bases or where they’re located. You could’ve just told me we’re moving to the blasted moon.”
My body shook with laughter as I said, “Newport News.”
“Oh, my goodness. That’s just… well, I don’t know how far away it is, but it’s close, right?”
“Yeah, Mama. It’s an hour from our house and forty-five minutes from Carson’s.”
“Have you told him yet?”
“No. Not yet. I don’t have official orders, just word-of-mouth, but Colonel Craig told me to pack.”
“Pack? Already?
“Yeah,” I laughed.
“When?”
“I report to Eustis in a month.”
“Oh my. That’s short notice. What are we going to do?”
“I’m going to pack us up and get everything shipped back to the house. Do you think you could get Margot enrolled in school?”
“Yeah. I can do that, but if you’re not telling Carson…”
“Think you can be sneaky?”
“What are you trying to do?”
“Surprise him. Ten years ago, I ran away from him and everything he made me feel. I want to make that up to him. I want to prove I’m here to stay.”
“By showing up, hat in hand, on his doorstep, asking him to take you back?”
“Something like that, but since we’re already together, maybe something more like, showing up and saying I’m your safe space, and I always will be.”
“Good plan.”
“I thought so. Do you think Margot will be okay with moving again?”
“She’ll be fine. Are we going stay at the house in Waverly or move closer?”
“Closer. An hour’s commute isn’t ideal. Plus, it’ll put us closer to Carson.”
“Okay. I’ll get Margot enrolled near the house, and we’ll look for something nearby.”
“Thanks, Mama.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
We hung up, and I sighed, looking around the house I’d rented for us not quite a year ago. It had done well for us. We’d filled it with memories. My favorite should’ve been one I hated, but Carson rescuing Margot that first day would be a core memory for the rest of my life—because that’s when my life started.
Grabbing my laptop, I printed out the checklist for changing stations and set to work.