Chapter 7 #2
Kawehi looked at the paper before she met his gaze again.
“Is that an address on base in Jacksonville?”
Paul smiled and shook his head. “No. He has an apartment off base.”
Kawehi took a step or two back to lean against the counter. “So I can finally have him served.”
“Do you have a service that has connections there?”
She smiled at him. “All fifty states and territories. As long as he’s not deployed, I’m good.” She wiped at her eyes, but this time they were happy tears. “Thanks.”
She saw one of the high school students trying to get her attention. “I need to help with something on the bowling side. Are you okay?”
He smiled and gestured at the burger. “I’m great!”
Stepping around the counter, she heard him call out to her.
“Are these fresh cut fries?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m going to have to come back.”
Kawehi found that she was smiling ear-to-ear even though the credit card machine was eating the roll of paper.
She could handle crumpled paper. She was finally getting a chance to move on with her life.
Thanks to Dom.
PALLAS
Stepping onto the tarmac at the KBAY airstrip felt like home. Wolf stepped down behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I bet I know what you're doing as soon as you get a private moment."
Pallas looked at Wolf with a big grin. "I can't wait to talk to her."
"How many days did you tell her you'd be away?"
"I told her I didn't know." Pallas sighed. "I doubt her husband ever told her the truth about anything. I didn't want to give her even a ballpark of when we'd be back."
"You think she's been worried?" Wolf's expression was calm, but Pallas could see that he was concerned.
"I think so. I... I hope so. If she wasn't a little worried about me-"
"Then this thing between you doesn't stand much of a chance, hmm?"
Pallas didn't know what to think or say. "I just know I've been thinking about her, hoping she's okay."
Wolf nodded. "I bet she'll be excited to see you." He looked up into the night sky and then at his watch on his wrist. "You think she's still up?"
Pallas looked at Wolf's watch and grimaced. "It's late, but if she worked tonight, she's probably home now."
Looking over at the side of the hangar, Wolf lifted his chin to a bench along the edge of the building. "Why don't you go over there and give her a call? I bet she'd be happy to hear from you."
"I know I'll be happy to hear her voice." Pallas hiked his bag up higher onto his shoulder. "Thanks, Wolf. I'll see you in the morning."
Wolf nodded and gave him a wave as he continued on into the hangar.
Pallas picked up his feet, jogging over to the bench. He dropped his bag down onto the bench and sat down beside it. He fished out his phone and leaned back against the side of the building. Pallas powered on his phone and tapped the screen, ready to make the call, but second guessed it.
If she hadn't worked that night, she might be asleep and knowing how much running around she did at the bowling alley, he didn't want to wake her up. It would be hard, but he could wait until the morning.
Pallas switched to messaging.
PALLAS: We're back
PALLAS: Are you up, gorgeous?
He sent his message, but nothing happened on the screen. No reply. No action on the other end.
Tipping his head back, he closed his eyes, remembering her beautiful face.
PING
He wondered if it was a dream.
PING
He looked down at his phone and smiled.
KAWEHI: Welcome home!
KAWEHI: Aloha!
He was smiling and almost laughing to himself. It had never felt so good to be back at base. He touched the screen to switch to the phone when the screen lit up.
[INSERT IMAGE OF INCOMING CALL]
Pallas connected the call. "Hey, beautiful."
"Hey, handsome."
He heard her soft laughter and smiled even more. "Are you making fun of me? Or do you mean it?"
"You know I mean it," she sighed softly. "I'm just so happy you're home I can't seem to stop smiling."
Hearing her thoughts and words made his whole chest swell. "Same here. Wolf said I should call you, but I wasn't sure if you were awake. If you were sleeping, I wouldn't want to disturb you."
"Disturb me!" She laughed out loud. "It would be the best wake up call. I've been worried about you since you've left."
He stretched his legs out and didn't mind the ache in his back. "I'm sorry you were worried, but it's nice to know you were thinking about me."
"Of course I was! The hard part was that every time the news came on, I was listening in to see if there was a news story about the Marines. It's strange. I was listening to the news, but I was hoping I wouldn't hear any, because I feel like news could only be bad news."
He nodded, knowing that she couldn't see him. "I wouldn't want you to hear bad news that way, but I'm also hoping there will never be bad news for you to hear."
"Me, too." Her voice was softer than it had been a moment before. "I was on eggshells when I wasn't working myself harder to keep myself distracted."
"I'm sorry, 'Wehi."
"No. No." He heard something that sounded like an ache in her tone. "Please don't be sorry. I'm so thankful that you're back safe, that my aching feet don't even ache anymore."
He couldn't stop himself from chuckling, just a little. "Why do I think that's not quite the truth? I mean, I bet your feet still hurt, relieved or not."
"Okay," she grumbled, "my feet still hurt, but I don't think I'll stop smiling anytime soon."
"I like the image I have in my head now."
"Oh?" She laughed. "I hope that means you're thinking of me looking amazing and smiling about you."
"You always look amazing, Kawehi. Don't ever doubt that."
"Ahh... Well, you've never seen me first thing in the morning. Wait until you've seen me with bedhead and my clothes all twisted."
He spoke before he thought about his words. "I can't wait."
"That's sweet for you to say, but-"
"I mean it." He decided to say what was on his mind. "I'd rub your feet."
"Oh, that's low down and dirty, Dom."
He laughed at the longing he heard in her voice. "I mean it. I've got strong hands."
"Oh god..." She groaned. "You can't say something like that."
"Oh? I can't?"
"Because now I'm thinking of what it would feel like and I'm going to go to bed thinking about it."
"I'm not that far away from you." He wasn't sure how far he should take this, but he'd been apart from her for over a week and his willpower was lower than he'd like. "If you're not already in bed I could meet you on the porch. Rub your feet before you go to sleep."
Another soft groan reached his ears and he had to exhale his own breath to keep his voice steady. It didn't help that her voice was breathy now.
The images in his head were changing, looking more like some of his dreams.
"You're so mean."
"I'm not mean." He loved talking to her. Her playful words and soft, sweet voice made him happy. Happier than he'd ever been.
"You're putting that idea in my head and now I'm going to have to climb into bed wishing you were here."
"I wish I was there, too."
There was a moment of silence on the phone, and he knew he couldn't push things. Not with her. He wanted her to be right there with him on every step, because he wanted this to last. He wanted to be with her however she wanted him. And he'd do what he could to make her feel the love he had for her.
"You're on base," she was almost whispering, "I couldn't ask you to come into Kailua just to rub my feet."
"It wouldn't be just rubbing your feet," he felt his skin go hot, "I'd get a chance to see you. Touch you."
"And we can talk for a while if you're okay with that."
"I'd love to talk to you." He filled his lungs with air and let it back out again. "Even if it's just for a few minutes. I'd like to see you and hold you."
"If it's not too late, come on over, Dom."
"It would never be too late to keep me from coming to see you if you want me there."
"I do," her voice was stronger. "I want you here."
"Then I'll be right there."
She was waiting for him when he pulled into her driveway, parking his car behind hers.
He pushed open the driver's door and got out, barely getting it closed behind him when she was in his arms.
Nothing had ever felt so good as having her in his embrace, her arms around his neck.
He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he knew it was too soon for her to hear it. The trouble was, he'd never been more sure of his feelings before.
"This is the best welcome home I've ever gotten."
She tightened her arms around him. "Well, I'm really happy you're home. I don't know if you can tell me where you've been or what you've been doing, but I don't care. You came home and that's all that matters to me."
He meant to take her hand and find a place to sit her down, but it didn't happen that way. He leaned in and kissed her.
It surprised her almost as much as it surprised him. It was magnetic, bringing them together. She melted against him, and he knew if he didn't make a move to stop, he might just end up carrying her inside. He knew it wasn't the time for that.
Not yet. They still had some growing together as a couple before he took her to bed.
"I love kissing you." He murmured the words against her lips and rubbed his hands up and down her back in a gentle, comforting motion. "But I think we need to find a place to sit so I can get your feet in my hands."
Her hands moved over the back of his head, rubbing against the back of his neck. "It's okay if you don't. You just got back from... wherever you've been. I'm not expecting you to rub my feet. I'm just happy to see you. To feel you, alive and well."
Those were magic words for him.
He didn't mind if she wanted to feel him all over.
"I want to get my hands on your feet, gorgeous. So where are we going to sit?"
She looked up at the sky overhead and he tipped his head back to look at it too.
The moon was only a crescent over their heads, casting its silver light over them and the garden.
"The grass is dry," she looked down and his gaze dropped down to her feet, bare and pale against the dark, spongy grass. "We could sit out here if you'd like. Enjoy the moonlight."
"Anything to spend time with you."
"You say the sweetest things," she smiled back at him, "but the crazy thing is... I think you really mean it."
"I do." He copied the words she'd said earlier, but he knew that the words had more meaning to him. She'd been burned once before, but he'd never do that to her. He'd never let her wonder where his heart was.
Because it was with her.
He gestured at the Bronco. "I think I have a blanket in the back."
Kawehi reached out and took his hand in hers. "We don't need a blanket unless you want one."
KAWEHI
When he didn't say anything else, she smiled and drew him along with her as she moved to the expanse of grass under the front windows of the house. She only let go of his hand when she sat down on the grass.
He sat down beside her, his fingers gently moving over the hem of her nightgown. "This is beautiful."
"It's just a nightgown."
He turned his hand over and brushed his knuckles against the fabric where it lay over her thigh. "It's almost ethereal."
He continued, moving his fingers over her knee and down her calf.
Oh wow.
She'd dreamed of his hands on her like that. Of course, they were usually in a bedroom, but this was nice, too.
No, this was amazing.
When he slipped his hands under her foot and her ankle she had to bite into her bottom lip.
Dom must have seen her expression change.
"You don't have to worry, Kawehi. I'm not going to hurt you."
She shook her head. "I'm not worried about that." He turned and laid her calf across his thigh. Dom turned his hands and used his thumbs to dig gently into the bottom of her foot. "That's what I was worried about."
His smile said he knew exactly what he was doing. "It feels good?"
"It feels," he pressed his fingers deeper into the bottom of her foot, "sinful."
"Looks like I've found a way to make myself invaluable." He laughed softly as she bit back a groan.
"Even if you never rubbed my feet again," she sighed, "I still want you around."
"Yeah?"
She nodded and groaned as he found another place that needed his attention. "Absolutely. I worried about you while you were gone, hoping and praying that you'd be okay."
"I missed you, too."
Her gaze met his. "Yeah?"
"The guys said they've never seen me smile so much."
"Oh, yeah?" She didn't know why tears were gathering on her lashes, but she couldn't stop them. "I didn't want to distract you."
"You didn't," he moved his hands and found another magical spot on the bottom of her foot, "I was focused... Focused on coming back. Focused on seeing you again. The guys had a bunch of questions about you, so I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind..."
She smiled, her eyes drifting closed. "If you keep doing that, you can ask me anything and I'll say yes."
"I'm still planning on taking you to the beach on Monday, but would you be okay if some of the guys came along to meet you."
Kawehi sat up, smiling. "Really? I'd love to meet them."
"Yeah?"
She nodded, her heart swelling in her chest. "That sounds like a lot of fun. Maile's going to be so jealous, though. She thinks you're too hot for words."
"Why doesn't she come, too? I can have one of the guys pick her up and bring her if you'd like."
"Like? Well, I'd certainly like some time with you alone."
She couldn't help but marvel at the dark perfection of his eyes, the chiseled lines of his face. Dom really was too hot for words. It was all she could do to keep herself from inviting him inside for the night.
She wanted to, but she just wasn't sure if she was ready for that.
For what it would mean to lay herself bare before him after feeling like she was nothing more than an afterthought for Nick?
"Then we'll find some time to be alone, just you and me, Kawehi."
She swore she heard something in his voice that made her whole body come alive with hunger and light, too.
There was just something about Dom that was doing more than bringing her out of her shell. He was bringing her heart back to life.
"Yeah," she gave him a big, enthusiastic grin, "let's have the guys come to the beach. I'm really going to be looking forward to it."
"Me, too. I'll try to make sure the guys behave."
She laughed. "You can't make that promise, and I can't promise that Maile will either. Let's just have fun."
"That, I can do."
It turns out he could also make her feet feel like they were in heaven.
Dom certainly had skills.
She was a lucky woman.