Chapter 18 #2
Lynn blinked, visibly startled at the revelation, before her expression softened into calm and reassuring. “Weird, but okay. If that gives you peace of mind, then I promise.”
Lance grunted and pressed his lips to hers in a lingering, too-short kiss.
Then, because he had nothing else to offer her by way of his own reassurance, he pulled the tags he’d worn almost every day for seventeen years off his neck and draped the chain around hers.
He didn’t actually have to keep wearing them, and it was a piece of him she could keep while he was away.
Her hand immediately lifted to curl around the metal. “Come back to me, boyfriend.”
Lance dipped his head in a nod, rubbed his thumb along her cheek one more time, and forced himself to follow the rest of the guys across the hall and into the kitchen.
He’d never had such a hard time switching gears to focus on jumping into the fray.
Most of the time he’d been eager for it, but even when he hadn’t, he knew how to compartmentalize and which parts of his brain to switch off and on.
The things Lynn had him feeling were entirely new, wholly different, and utterly uncontainable.
For nearly an hour, Jenna’s kitchen was crowded with intimidating men in some variation of tactical gear, go-bags at their feet, all quietly discussing a strategy aimed toward ripping the infection of a cartel out of the state Lynnette wasn’t sure all of them even called home.
Which, to her mind, only emphasized the brotherhood she’d always seen between servicemen.
Men who’d served together, specifically, tended to share a bond few could match.
She’d seen it when her father met up with his old friends.
Her fingers clutched at the tags hanging around her neck. They felt more momentous than any ordinary piece of jewelry could have, and she found herself wanting to weep.
Lance kissed her one more time before the group of them headed out, taking Jon’s truck and the sturdy-looking Jeep that apparently belonged to Alex. She remembered having seen it parked down from Jenna’s apartment, but other than being unfamiliar, she hadn’t thought much of it.
Once the men were gone, the apartment fell into a brief lull of weighted, emotional silence.
Wind pushed at the plastic taped over the hole that was Jenna’s kitchen window.
Jenna sighed. “Do you want some hot chocolate?”
Lynnette let out a choked laugh. “Yeah, sure.” She rarely indulged in the drink, but it felt like a nice balm in the moment.
Together, the women ambled into the kitchen. Lynnette kept Jenna company while Jenna pulled out some cream and a pan in order to prepare the treat. Jenna moved carefully, favoring her still healing ankle, but she didn’t complain. Not about the pain, anyway.
“I wish I had my ovens,” Jenna said after putting the cream away, the amount she wanted already heating on the stovetop. “I want to bake so badly right now.”
Lynnette smiled. “Still no word on that, huh?”
“I mean, I’m pretty sure Drew was holding it up just to be a dick.
That doesn’t mean the department can immediately return it to me now,” Jenna said with a sigh.
She was quiet for several long seconds, occasionally stirring the cream as it heated, before finally removing the steaming pan from the burner.
With a half-step turn, she poured the hot liquid into the waiting mug.
“Did I tell you that the same day I was abducted, Deputy Dennison also informed me there had been some kind of break-in at the bakery?”
Lynnette’s eyes widened. “What?” She had to assume Dennison was the name of the one Lance had described as being ‘given some rope’, but she definitely knew nothing of the news her friend had just dropped.
Jenna bobbed her head and set about stirring the steaming drink. “I don’t even know if the story is true. But my bakery has been left sitting neglected, unprotected, for days and now might have been robbed, all on their watch, and it pisses me off.”
“Can’t say I don’t understand.” Lynnette accepted the mug when it was passed to her and took a moment to breathe in the chocolatey aroma. “Have you talked to Lilia about it?”
Jenna nodded again and moved to haul herself up onto the nearest bar seat.
“Basically, while they may be out of line, if I overstep in my attempts to reclaim my property, I risk negating my own defense. I make myself look bad. So, I have to wait, at least until she can pressure someone enough to get that part sorted.”
Lynnette scowled. “That’s infuriating.” She sipped at her drink before turning to lean forward, resting her elbows on the peninsula between them. “When’s your window getting fixed?”
Jenna flicked a glance at the tarped-over hole in her wall. “Hopefully today. Apparently, the weather held us up.”
Lynnette snorted. “Right, because it’s totally cool to leave you with a hole in your home large enough for a grown-ass man to climb through.”
“At least I’ve had a grown-ass man with me to keep me safe at night,” Jenna returned, smirking despite the red that built on her face.
“As someone who loves you,” Lynnette said, smiling, “I can appreciate that.” She raised her mug as if they were toasting, then took another sip. Jenna always had the best taste in indulgent things, and her hot chocolate was no exception.
“Speaking of people who love each other….”
Lynnette nearly choked on her drink. “Uh-uh, don’t even start with me.”
“Why not?”
Heat rushed to her face and Lynnette turned to the side, clutching the mug with both hands.
Lance’s ID tags burned through the fabric of her shirt where they hung over her chest. And, suddenly, she had the most inane urge.
She gulped down too much of the still-hot drink, coughed against the discomfort, and faced Jenna again.
“I want to get a tattoo. How do you feel about coming with? You don’t have to be here for the window thing, right? ”
Jenna blinked at her. “I … I mean, no, I don’t.” She arched a brow and leaned closer. “Not that I have anything against tattoos, but why do you suddenly want one?”
“I just do. Honestly, it’s weird that I’ve never gotten one before.” Lynnette tossed back the rest of her delicious cocoa and moved to put the mug in her friend’s sink. “If you’re up for coming along, I’ll do the driving. You can keep a little pressure off your ankle, at least.”
“Sweet Jesus, this is not how I saw today going,” Jenna muttered as she hopped down and moved to scoop up her phone. Then she giggled. “I can tell you about the surprise I ordered for Jon while we’re out. I might have done something crazy.”
She had. She had done something crazy, but to Lynnette’s ears the story only confirmed that her friend was finally happy.
And it made the tattoo Lynnette decided on feel a little small in comparison, because some colored ink on skin that would be covered up more times than not was much less of a statement than taking the leap of ordering actual business signage that would stand out for the world to see.
On the other hand, Jenna had been included in brainstorming the business name and apparently even offered a little input when Jon had told her his vision for the company brand. It was his, but they were a team. Jen was clearly excited to help her fiancé achieve his goal.
And if it succeeded, they’d have roots in the area. Lance would have roots in the area.
They hadn’t had much opportunity yet to talk about goals and future desires.
If he stayed local, they might get that time.
The idea was as thrilling as it was terrifying, because it meant Lynnette needed to figure hers out again.
She wasn’t particularly interested in stepping back into the hospital circuit in Klamath County as a whole.
Nor did she love the idea of downshifting herself to some small clinic that probably couldn’t afford to match her prior salary.
Although at least her hours would be better.
She ran through a lot of thoughts while she laid on the reclined chair in Misty Glades’ only tattoo shop.
Everything from the surreality of her best friend being engaged—to a man they’d believed dead not long ago—to what her own father might think if the next time she paid him a visit, she had a diamond on her finger.
A diamond that came from a military man, who wasn’t Navy.
Yeah, that would be a fun introduction, regardless.
It also turned out she had severely underestimated how long it took to complete tattoos.
But she was stubborn. The guys were gone, probably would be for another day at least, and she wanted the hard part done so she could get started on the healing end before their return.
Not that she was really thinking about showing it off to any of them except one.
They grabbed food to go from LeeLee’s after and opted to ultimately retire at Lynnette’s, where all the doors and windows were secure Lynnette actually had a sleeper-sofa.
It was a thrift-store find, but it served its purpose.
And Lynnette hadn’t ever used the bed other than to occasionally air it out.
“I still can’t believe you did this,” Jenna said, for at least the third time, as she helped carefully apply the ointment to Lynnette’s tattoo.
Lynnette crossed her arms on the back of her dining chair and bit back a laugh.
Sleeping had been difficult, and though she suspected the tattoo was only half the reason, she had chosen to blame it entirely.
It was ridiculous to think she’d been so bothered without Lance wrapped around her, when they’d only spent one night together.
Right, and what tattoo did you get yesterday? She snorted at herself.
“Paging Nurse Garver,” Jenna said, raising her voice and pitching it with authoritative urgency. “Come back to the moment, Nurse Garver. We’re losing you!”
“Oh my God,” Lynnette said, letting the laugh out that time. “You’re such a dork.”
“Well, you started making weird noises, and all I did was state the obvious.” Jenna screwed the cap back onto the jar and set it onto the table.
“‘Property of MGySgt Lance Blackburn’ is a hell of a statement for a woman who’s avoided romance as hard as you have.
” She scrunched up her nose. “Is that really the acronym for his rank? It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. ”
Lynnette chuckled despite the way her face had definitely flamed at Jenna’s on-point accusation. “Not acronym, no. It’s the shorthand. Like how ‘Captain’ is abbreviated C-P-T. Same thing.”
Jenna blinked, rolled her eyes, and smacked her face with her palm. “Please never tell Jon I asked that.”
Lynnette stood and slipped her robe back on, but she made sure to tie the knot loosely.
“You could persuade me to keep your secret. If I can persuade you to steal my kitchen for literally anything sweet and chocolatey. Brownies, cupcakes, cookies, chocolate-cream pastries, I don’t care, rifle through my drawers and use whatever you need.
I went shopping on … Saturday, I think? I should have things. ”
It was Jenna who laughed next. “Is baking approved with my ankle situation?” She pointed at her re-wrapped ankle.
“How’s the pain?” The question was past Lynnette’s lips before she could even think about her response.
Jenna’s eyes danced with amusement. “Like a three, maybe. And I haven’t even taken anything for it today.”
Lynnette clicked her tongue and pointed to Jenna’s stash on the table. “Take your prescribed medicine first. If you’re really feeling better, then yes, you should be fine. And I’ll take a look at your ankle this afternoon to check the swelling and tenderness, see how it handled the extra strain.”
“Does that mean I could go wrap-free?”
“Maybe. After. Now, medicine, then baking, and my lips are sealed.” Lynnette mimed zipping her lips for emphasis.
Jenna shook her head, a smile on her face. “Yes, Nurse Garver.”
Lynnette turned to head back to her room and get properly ready for the day.
It went against her usual style to wear dresses, but that had been the advice suggested for the first few days while her tattoo healed.
Once it was past the most vulnerable stage, she could go back to at least loosely fitted pants and tops.
She wondered as she dug out a dress that didn’t still hug too tightly how long it might be before Lance and the others came home.
She wanted him to strut back through her door before Jenna was finished baking, but she also wanted to surprise him with her ink.
The latter was too fantastical and simultaneously horrible a thought.
It’d be weeks before the healing finished.
She couldn’t stomach the notion of him being gone so long.
“Hey, Lynnette!” Jenna called from down the hall. “You’re missing a couple things I need. Can we pop over to the store?”
Lynnette plucked out a pair of boots that didn’t look bad with the dress and an open-face sweater she could use to keep her arms warm, then hollered back, “No problem. Wanna swing by your place to make sure that window’s in place while we’re out?
” Jenna’s landlady had called the previous evening with confirmation, but a woman could never be too careful.
Jenna smiled at her, purse already in hand, when Lynnette stepped into the main space. “If you don’t mind. I have a mixer that’d make this go way faster, too. I can grab it to make the trip more worthwhile.”
“Then what’re we waiting for?” Lynnette scooped up her purse and Lance’s keys. “Grocery or apartment first?”