37. Jack
We bask in the sunshine while the tranquil shore fills our senses with peace. Thanks to my stint at the Marine Corps Base in the Kaneohe Bay community, I have discovered some hidden treasures known only to the locals. One of these gems is a little island that is only accessible by boat from a remote jetty. Today, it has become our own private paradise.
“It’s beautiful here, Jack,” Ava’s voice merges with the afternoon breeze. The palm trees that dot the pristine shoreline sway in unison as if disturbed by the same breeze.
“Not a bad detour, is it?” I remark.
With Quinton cradled in my arms, we both marvel at the colors of the coral reefs beneath the crystal-clear water. Occasionally, I take him down to let his tiny feet glide through the calm ocean.
As the afternoon progresses, we find a seat on an old tree log, awaiting the sunset.
“Could you see yourself living here?” I ask.
She rubs her arm. “Maybe. If we do move here, I’ll need to work on my tan.”
“Uh-uh. Your tan is perfect.” I kiss the spot she just rubbed. Her skin is fair and smooth, dotted with soft freckles that make it flawless. My lips linger on her arm as my eyes trace the curves of her bikini-clad body. She looks hot and stunning!
“I think I still prefer Montana,” she affirms.
“So, maybe a Montanan wedding and a Hawaiian honeymoon?” I hint.
“That’s an idea!” she responds with a grin as Quinton squirms on my lap, reaching out for her.
“All right. You want Mommy.” I give in and let the munchkin go.
Ava coos, taking him in her arms and showering him with kisses, delicately removing tiny leaves that have found their way into his hair. “So, what did your captain say?” she asks, sluggishly kicking the white sand with her feet.
I smirk. “He gave me the usual farewell speech. He said my legacy would live on through the next generation of Marines I had led. Well, actually, he said ‘shredded to pieces.’”
“You were that tough, huh?”
“Those guys will surpass me,” I reply confidently.
“I don’t know about that, Jack.”
“It’s all part of the Corps’ evolution. The captain was disappointed, understandably. Especially that he wouldn’t see me in the next USMC marathon. Apparently, he’s been training hard. And oh, he also blamed you,” I confess.
She laughs. “It was his loss, I’m sure. But it was time for the Corps to let you go. Quinton and I need you more.” She plants a tender kiss on Quinton’s rosy cheek. “Isn’t that right, Quinnie-Bear?”
I pull them both into my embrace, still in awe that these two incredible beings are a part of my life.
“Jack…” She trails off, contemplating. “I want you to meet my parents. ”
“Okay,” I tentatively respond.
“They had sided with Willem, as you know. But it wasn’t entirely their fault,” she explains slowly. “Willem was just too manipulative for them to see through. I think it’s time I made peace with them. After all, they’re my mom and dad.”
I flash a smile at her, my fingers playing with the tip of her chin. “I don’t know how it works with in-laws, but I would love to meet your parents.”
She steals a kiss, full of joy. “Although I prefer to introduce you as ‘my Marine boyfriend’ rather than ‘my former Marine boyfriend.’”
I shake my head, giving her a teasing glare. “Well, Ava Belle, there’s no such thing as a former Marine. Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
In the fading light of the sun, I witness her figure standing before me. Her whispered voice says, “I feel honored.”
“Well, I’d feel honored if you would call me your Marine fiancé.” Without giving her a chance to react, I drop down on one knee, my palm cradling her left hand.
She’s in disbelief while Quinton laughs, witnessing a pose he’s never seen before.
“Ava West. They say love takes time. But there’s a love that defies the ordinary. It’s so powerful that it cannot wait. That’s what we have. Because I’ve loved you since the first time I saw your eyes—ardent and kind—and your magnificent curls framing your face.”
I gulp, composing myself while caressing her ring finger. It’s more than just flesh and bone, with a part of it made of synthetic material. But there’s nothing artificial about what it represents. It’s her strength and tenderness in one.
Ava caresses my cheek, and her smile penetrates me.
Continuing, I say, “Back then, I offered you my jacket. But tonight…” As I hold out a ring, I declare, “I offer you ev erything I am. I will always be yours, Ava. Will you be mine and marry this man?”
Quinton squeals in excitement as if understanding this moment. Ava, overwhelmed with emotion, fails to hold back her tears. “I will, Jack. I will.”
I slip the ring onto her finger. She wasn’t born with that prosthetic, but it has become a part of her. It’s perfect. She’s perfect.
This is a defining moment in any man’s life, one that I had only hoped for from a distance for a long time. Now, I’m living it, and I have an amazing woman to spend the rest of my life with.
Ava wipes away my tears, then quickly takes my hand to help me stand up. She slings her arms over my shoulders, then gradually, her hands make their way down my arms, passing the scar on my left bicep, caressing the forearm that was once covered in bruises. Her lips quiver as she finally rests her palms on my bare chest. We share a kiss, and this time, we both let our tears flow freely—there’s no distinction between hers and mine. They all cascade down our cheeks.
We chuckle when we break our kiss. She looks at Quinton and says, “For once, it’s the adults who are crying.”
“Your mom and I are going to get married,” I tell the little man.
“Mama!” he babbles. “Dada!”
I nod, filled with pride. It all started with him calling me ‘Po po po,’ then he briefly learned to say ‘Jack,’ which sounds like ‘check’ as he clicks his tongue. Recently, Ava has been teaching him to call me ‘dada,’ the best one he’s mastered. We have planned for his adoption, and obviously, Ava thought the preparation for her baby to embrace me as his father couldn’t come soon enough. One thing remains. Regardless of what Quinton calls me, he always laughs every time he sees me in my Ray-Bans.
Ava admires the ring on her finger, its ruby glowing brilliantly in the sun. “It’s stunning. When did you get it?”
“It’s my mother’s.” My voice breaks a little, remembering the woman I long to recall. But I smile, full of joy.
“It means a lot, Jack.”
“Only you can wear it. And I can’t wait to see you in a wedding dress.”
We take a leisurely stroll before darkness falls. The gentle lapping of warm water against our feet brings back memories of evenings I spent alone at K-Bay. I throw my gaze at the horizon. The sun is at its most beautiful when it sets, but its beauty pales in comparison to Ava’s radiance.
My phone rings. However, it’s an interruption that doesn’t bother us. It’s my brother, Sam. I put him on speaker.
“How did it go?” he asks.
“Well, the captain accepted my resignation,” I reply.
“Of course he did, but I wasn’t asking about your early retirement. I meant your proposal.”
“Of course she said yes!” I deadpan, which Ava laughs at.
“Congratulations, you two. I can’t wait for the invitation,” Sam says, then takes his time to clear his throat.
Ava cocks her head, mouthing, ‘Is he crying?’
I smirk. “Sam, Ava is asking if you’re crying.”
She pinches my arm, eyeballing me.
I laugh while my brother seems unable to respond.
After a moment, Sam restarts, “Now you know, I can get sentimental sometimes. I…um… I’m happy for you both.”
“Thanks, Sam,” Ava says.
I try hard not to get tangled in his emotions, thinking about what he has done for me. After years of solitude, I finally have a family again in Sam and my father, all thanks to that man. And now, because of him, I have a chance to have a family of my own.
Once more, Sam clears his throat. “Well, actually, Jack. Since you’re now officially unemployed, have you thought about my offer?”
Despite his provocation, I play it cool. “Maybe.”
“Comet says hi, by the way.”
That young man is something. I’ll be thrilled to work alongside him, learning from each other—whether it’s about rescue strategies or life.
“Let me talk to Ava about it,” I reply nonchalantly. I won’t hesitate to join Red Mark. I just want to make my brother wait.
“Should you decide to join, which I’m sure you will, you’ll have to get used to dressing up. Can you handle it?”
“Oh, I know how to dress up. I’m a Marine.”
“Excellent,” Sam says. “I’ll leave you to it. Semper fi, Jack.”
As soon as I hang up, Ava greets me with a smile. “So, you’re going to start wearing suits?” She runs a hand over the neckline of my T-shirt.
“It’s an unwritten rule of Red Mark I’ve got to follow. But I’ve known how to dress up since my first ball,” I explain.
“Aha. Speaking of which, are you allowed to wear your dress blues at our wedding?”
“What did I say, Ava Belle?”
“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” she replies with confidence.
She hooks an arm over mine, and I take the opportunity to caress Quinton. I hint, “So, didn’t you say you wanted a sibling for him?”
She hums with a seductive tone. “Siblings,” she emphasizes the ‘s.’
I murmur in her ear, nibbling her lobe. “What do you say? We go back to our room, put Quinton to sleep, and we can start?”
She grunts, a signature sound that indicates she can’t wait to tear our clothes off and ravage each other. Without wasting another moment, she ransacks my lips, gluing her breasts against my pecs. Her soft belly grinds against my abs erotically as if the bed were just inches away. “How about we do it there?” She gestures at a nearby shed.
“Ava…” I understand if she wants that thrill of getting caught, but not tonight.
She giggles, telling me she’ll let me get away with it this time.
We leave the beach in a hurry, hoping Quinton is tired enough that he’ll fall asleep easily. The fading rays of the sunset play with her hair as I imagine life in beautiful chaos, overrun by children and pets.
“I love you, Ava West,” I murmur.
“Jack Kelleher, I’ve loved you since the first night I met you.”
My fingertip glides along her lower lip. She has captured the very words I should have expressed first. I have loved her since that moment, too, but at the time, I believed in the power of my demons instead of in her, drowning my true feelings. But our reunion has proven how solid we are.
Faith is the life force of love, and Ava is the love that fills every fiber of my being. My body will tirelessly protect her, and my heart will stay faithful to her until its last beat.
Thank you for reading Her Faithful Protector .