9. Jason
9
JASON
I was on my second set up pull-ups when the doorknob twisted. That was weird, I thought. Mel was out on her date, and she hadn’t mentioned anyone stopping by.
I dropped down from the bar that was braced at the top of the closet door frame and went to check my phone.
No new messages.
A second later, the door opened. Mel walked in, disheveled and tired. She threw her bag down by the front door before slamming it shut.
“What are you doing home?” I asked, wiping my face with a sweat towel.
I hadn’t expected her home until tomorrow. She seemed confident that this one was a slam dunk.
I hated that. I hated the idea that she was out, getting dressed up for a guy who probably didn’t deserve it. The idea of her going out with other guys at all made my blood boil, but I wasn’t ready to admit that .
“Are you okay?”
“Well,” she began in an ill-tempered tone. “I stabbed my date. I know I haven’t had much luck with dating, but that was a first for me.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I’d ask if we’re burying a body, but I’m more curious as to why you smell like the hospital. Did you take him straight to the morgue?”
She didn’t smell like the sweet floral perfume she spritzed on right before she walked out the door. The perfume I went back into her room and sniffed like a goddamn addict after she left for her date .
Now, she smelled like sterile antiseptic and stale coffee.
Mel plopped down on the couch and closed her eyes. “The idiot didn’t bother mentioning that he’s severely allergic to seafood when I suggested we go eat at—you know—a seafood restaurant. ” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “So, yours truly got to stab him with an EpiPen. Not his EpiPen, by the way. He didn’t think he needed one. Figured he’d outgrown a severe allergy. For a smart guy, he sure was a dumbass. And then I got to take a ride in the back of an ambulance. I stayed with him in the ER until one of his friends could get there.”
I laughed. Only Melissa.
“It’s not funny!” she exclaimed, though she couldn’t help but finish it with a laugh of desperation.
“It’s a little funny, Goose,” I said as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
She shot me a glare. “All that happened after I told him about finishing The Murph back in May. He basically said I catfished him with my dating profile by making him think I was feminine.”
My demeanor turned deadly. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I growled. “Please tell me you’re losing his number.”
She nodded. “I’m far too clumsy to be around fragile masculinity. ”
I snickered and sat down beside her, draping my sweaty arm across her shoulders. “I’m sorry it was a bust.”
I wasn’t sorry in the slightest.
“The worst part is, I didn’t even get to eat dinner,” she groaned. “I’m starving.”
I picked up my phone. No way should her night be a complete loss because of some idiot who wasn’t even worth her time.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Ordering dinner.”
An hour later, Mel and I sat on her couch with takeout boxes of lo mein and cashew chicken. I had showered, she had changed clothes, there was a six-pack of beer between us, and The Mindy Project on the TV.
“Now this is a solid Saturday night,” I said as I shoveled noodles into my mouth with a pair of chopsticks.
She hummed in agreement as she sipped her beer. “Way better than my night began.”
I smiled down into my takeout box. “I, uh, I’m gonna go look at a rental tomorrow.”
Her face fell. “Really?”
I shrugged, trying to ignore the way my heart ached at her crestfallen expression.
I liked being around Mel, but I was sure she hated me sleeping on the couch.
I wouldn’t blame her for wanting her space back. Still, I’d miss her. Even though I knew I’d see her around, it wouldn’t be the same.
When she offered me her couch, I had been expecting a few awkward nights of dancing around each other and keeping to ourselves.
But it felt like we had never been apart. Like somehow, without skipping a beat, our adolescent swing-set days had turned into sitting on the couch, eating takeout, and drinking beers.
I leaned forward and set my lo mein on the coffee table, then grabbed the remote and lowered the volume on the television. “Yeah. I figured I shouldn’t overstay my welcome.”
She used her chopsticks to pluck a cashew out of the box and popped it in her mouth. “Admit it. My couch is giving you back problems.”
I smirked. “It’s actually pretty comfortable. I might have to get one like it. I think I’m gonna miss it.”
She took another bite and chewed slowly as if she was contemplating the possible meanings of what I had just said. Was she trying to play it down, or was she going to miss me too?
“Well,” Mel said, swallowing. “Don’t feel like you have to leave on my account.” She stifled a smile. “I kinda like having a roomie.”
I grinned and ran my hand back through my hair. It was getting longer. Not quite so military anymore. My old CO would have had a field day if he saw me.
It was closer to what I looked like when I was younger. What Mel still called me.
Flyboy.
Mel took another bite. “Have you been down the airfield since you’ve been back?”
I shook my head.
“You should,” she clipped cheerfully. “I bet Pops would love to see you after all these years.” She looked up at me and grinned. “He still talks about you, you know. I ran into him at the bar a few weeks ago, and I swear he talked the paint off the walls, telling me and Bee stories about when you worked for him. ”
I was downright floored. “Pops is still running the airfield?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think he’s doing much other than keeping the hangars open for planes coming in and out. He had to give up flight instruction years ago. Getting old sucks.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “He’s gotta be what—in his eighties now?”
I was quiet for a while, lost in thought. Pops had been like family to me. He wasn’t my actual granddad. He was better.
“Maybe I’ll head down there next week.”
“You know, he’s still got that old biplane in the hangar.”
“Seriously?” I laughed. “Damn, he used to fly that thing all the time. He’d take me up and show me how to do aerobatics in it.”
“I remember that!” Mel squealed. “Bridget and I would watch from the roof of the office at the airfield and pray you made it back to the ground in one piece.”
The ear-to-ear smile on my face couldn’t be erased. We had so many good times back then. There were some not-so-good times too, but the good outweighed the bad.
“I bet Pops would love to hear all your stories, Casper .”
I looked over to see her roll her lips together, biting back a laugh.
“Oh,” I grinned as I inched closer. “You think you’re funny.”
Mel scrambled back to the armrest. “Maybe,” she giggled.
I fought the urge to prowl toward her, making her squeal as I pinned her down. “Hey, even the Blue Angels have terrible call signs,” I said as I leaned back and grabbed another beer. It was a solid defense when all I wanted to do was fuck those melodic giggles right out of her.
She giggled again, and it made my dick flex. “I know. I’m a little obsessed with the Blue Angels. It’s kind of on my bucket list to do a ride-along with them.”
I stored that tidbit away for later while she sat up and jabbered on about wanting to experience the rush of G-force .
God save me, but the sound of her laugh was going to be the death of me. I fucking loved that sound.
She was so full of life. That giggle. The smile that stretched all the way across her face and made her eyes crinkle at the corner. Her deep throaty laugh when she tossed her head back. The coils of raven hair danced across her shoulders and spilled down her back.
She was everything I’d ever wanted. Everything I had worked for.
Melissa didn’t know it, but she was the reason I became the man I was today. I left this town so I could make myself into something worthy of her goodness. Worthy of her.
“Jason!” Maddie exclaimed as she whipped open a set of French double doors. “You made it!” She threw her arms around me and squeezed. “I’m so glad you came.”
I didn’t even have to bring up Bridget’s suggestion of going to poker night. Melissa invited me, and who was I to say no?
“Good to see you, Mad Dog,” I said, hugging her back. “Nice place.”
And holy shit, it was. When Mel told me to pull into the waterfront mansion off Davis Bay, I thought she was pulling a prank. I played along and pulled in behind the row of cars in the driveway.
As we walked through the yard, I gawked at Melissa’s ass in those painted-on jean shorts she was squeezed into. The denim wrapped around the tops of her thighs like a second skin.
The CrossFit tank top she threw on before we left the apartment was ripped down both sides and tied in a bow at the hem. She had a lacy bra in light pink peeking out underneath.
Her hair was down tonight in smooth layers. I noticed that she rarely wore it like that. She had spent an ungodly amount of time sitting in front of a floor-length mirror wielding a flat iron this afternoon, but it looked cute. Always did.
Mel led me around the side of the house to the man cave, as she called it. Maddie held the door for Mel and me, and gave an order for me to make myself at home.
“Hey, man.” Luca grinned from behind the bar. He was busy mixing a complicated cocktail for Kristin, who lingered nearby.
I offered a head nod. “How’s it going?”
Will, Kristin’s fiancé, offered a handshake. “Good to see you again. Jason, right?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer before Bridget launched off a circular couch. “Hey!” she said with an ear-to-ear grin.
Now that was my Bumble Bee , I thought to myself as I hugged her tight. Whatever had put Bridget in a funk earlier in the week must have passed because she was back to her usual, bubbly self.
“Are you finally done ghosting me?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
Bee rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic. I had to work. You’re the one who decided to pop into town without so much as a heads up.”
While Bridget was beside me at the bar, talking my ear off about all the things she and I were going to do while I was back, my gaze drifted to Mel.
She was curled up on the couch, talking to Maddie. Her flip-flops were on the floor, and she had her feet tucked underneath her ass.
They were laughing about something, but all I saw was the way her bottle of beer dangled from her fingertips as she dragged it back and forth against the front of her calf. The condensation on the bottle left drops of water glimmering like diamonds against her dark skin .
Mel was so goddamn sexy. Gone was the cute girl next door with her perky ponytails and pink elastics on her braces. In her place was a strong, confident woman that I had to fight tooth and nail to keep my hands off of.
Maddie sidled up to the bar, and Luca passed her a glass of club soda with a slice of lime on the rim. Mel followed, opting for a bottle of hard cider from a local brewery.
“So, how’s the house hunt going?” Bridget asked between sips of wine. “Find anything better than Mel’s couch?”
I shrugged. “Not yet.”
Mel laughed as she popped the cap on her bottle. “And by not yet, he means he hasn’t actually looked at any properties.”
“Jase!” Bridget exclaimed, swatting my chest. “You’d better hurry and find somewhere, or she’s gonna get tired of finding your nasty underwear on the floor and kick you out.”
“ Pshh —” I slung my arm around Mel’s shoulders and pulled her into my side. She fit like a missing puzzle piece. “Please, I’m a great roommate.”
Mel giggled and looked up at me. “It’s true. He even bought me consolation takeout after that nightmare of a date on Saturday.”
I felt her arm slide around my hips, right on the waistband of my jeans. The hem of my shirt fell over her hand, and she pressed her fingertips against the skin on my lower back. My body was primed and ready, like a jet itching to go full throttle for takeoff.
Steve and his wife came down the stairs. Erica had a baby in her arms, and Steve was holding the hand of a little girl. He had a diaper bag on his shoulder and a grin on his face.
“Hey,” Erica said. She had tired eyes and a spit-up stained shirt. “Sorry, all of our sitters were out tonight, so it was either skip poker or bring the crotch goblins.”
The little girl broke away from Steve and beelined to Mel, launching herself off the ground and into Mel’s arms. “Aunt Mel!” she squealed.
Mel let go of my waist and caught her, spinning around before propping her up on her hip. “Hey, kiddo!” She held up her hand for a high-five, which the little girl returned with fervor. “Whatcha been up to?”
“Daddy played Pretty Pretty Princess with me today!”
Mel’s eyes widened, and she laughed. “He did? Did your mom take pictures of him wearing all the earrings and bracelets?”
She nodded with extra gusto, then turned her attention to me. “Who are you?”
Bridget laughed. “This is my brother, Jason. Jason, this is Aly Pelham.”
“You have a brother, Aunt Bee?” Aly exclaimed.
Bridget nodded. “Mhmm. Just like Eli is your baby brother, Jason is my big brother.”
At the prospect of even more attention, Aly reached out and tried to wiggle out of Mel’s arms. Mel gasped dramatically as I scooped Aly up and propped her on my hip.
“I thought I was your favorite?” Mel exclaimed, indignant that Aly had chosen the newcomer to be her chauffeur.
Aly giggled and patted my cheeks. I leaned in close and whispered, “I can be your new favorite. I’m tall.”
Mel’s lips turned to a frown, and she wrinkled her nose. “You take that back, flyboy!”
“Whoa!” Bridget clamored, turning everyone’s attention to the door.
Hannah Jane and Isaac walked in, dressed to the nines. She was in a pale blue dress with a fancy pair of heels, and Isaac was in a suit. But their fancy attire wasn’t the reason for Bee’s shock.
Both of them were caked in dried mud, and it looked like they had been drenched at one point. Hannah Jane’s dress was stiff and crunchy like it had air dried. Isaac’s suit had water stains all over it. And was that seaweed in her hair?
Maddie let out a raucous bark of laughter. “What the hell happened to y’all? I thought you said y’all were going to Charleston for a business meeting.”
Isaac grinned, completely unfazed by his appearance. He looked like he had been dragged through the bottom of a swamp. Hannah Jane didn’t look any better.
“We did,” Isaac said, beaming at Hannah Jane. “The offer was accepted, and we’ll seal the deal in a couple months.”
Mel peered up at me with a quizzical look. She exchanged the same look with Bridget and Maddie.
Erica spoke up from her spot on the couch. “Wait. Do you mean…”
Hannah Jane held out her left hand and showed off an obscenely large diamond ring. “We’re engaged!” she screamed, and her eyes squeezed shut with a wide smile on her face.
“There may have been a situation with a goose,” Isaac said. “Or sixty.”
“Sixty situations or sixty geese?” Mel asked.
Hannah Jane shook her head, wide-eyed and scarred from whatever the hell had happened during the proposal. “Geese. Those birds are evil fuckers.”
Mel elbowed me in the gut. “Told you.”
I leaned down to meet her ear and whispered, “If the feathers fit…” I reared back to my full height when she sneered and cocked her fist.
It was absolute pandemonium in the DeRossi house. The girls flocked around Hannah Jane. Luca took Isaac upstairs to get him some fresh clothes. That left Aly and I to find refuge in the corner with Chase and his dog, Luna.
All the excitement must have been too much for Steve and Erica’s baby boy. I watched Mel hurry over and take a screaming Eli out of Erica’s arms so she could have a break.
“Das my baby brudder,” Aly said from her perch on top of my knee, pointing at Eli. Mel had found a quiet corner and was feeding him a bottle. She cooed at him, smiling down as he chugged.
The whole scene burned in my mind like a flash-bang grenade. Mel cradling a baby. Rocking it back and forth. Little feet running around. Shushing them so they wouldn’t wake the baby. Surrounded by toys and empty bottles. Leaning down to kiss her. Cupping her cheek gently, whispering sweet nothings about how good life was—together.
Holy shit.
“Dude, you alright?” Chase asked, snapping me out of the daydream.
Aly had crawled out of my lap, and I didn’t even notice. She was on the floor playing with Luna, but I was too captivated by Mel to have noticed.
The whole dream had hit so fast I couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t escape it.
Looking across the room at Mel holding a baby was like looking into the future. A premonition. The force of the vision slammed into me like I was back at flight school, locked into a centrifuge for High-G training.
No amount of calculated breathing or straining maneuvers could stave off the intensity of it.
I’d always had a little crush on Mel when we were kids, but envisioning her as a wife and a mother?
Hell, I hadn’t seen the woman in damn near twenty years. What was I thinking? That wasn’t just skipping a few steps. That was skipping to the end.
Maybe I had hit too many Gs over my lifetime. That had to be it. The vision was probably a long-term side effect of almost hitting G-LOC too many times during flight school. It was vivid, like the dreams I experienced when coming back to the conscious realm.
Head trauma was the only logical explanation.
I cleared my throat and bent down to give Luna a scratch behind her ear. “Yeah, I’m good.”