CHAPTER 7 #2
Robert imagined Lainey still wearing a brightly colored sundress she’d worn to church, sipping lemonade and sitting on a porch swing while talking to him. “Spent time with my mom and dad yesterday. Then made a grocery run and got a head start on paperwork for tomorrow.”
“About that,” her tone turned somber. “You’re really completely off-grid for ten weeks while you train these recruits?”
“There’s me and two other DSs. We rotate, but I work fourteen to sixteen hour days. I’m lucky if I get a solid five hours in the sack.”
He heard a small sigh on her end.
This is why he hadn’t dated anyone since taking this post. He was reluctant to be set up by Emma and Jake for this very reason.
His schedule was brutal. “Listen, for the first three weeks we really lay it on ‘em, then after that I’ll have some days off,” he said, hoping this appeased her concerns.
“Sometimes I’ll get a Saturday and Sunday, but I have to work out the schedule with the other two round-browns. ”
“Are you really mean to the recruits, like they say drill sergeants are?” she said, concerned.
“You’re such a mother,” Robert laughed. “I have to prepare them for war. I’m not nice doing it, if that answers your question.”
“How do you find the energy if you’re not sleeping that much?”
“I’m used to dealing with fatigue and stress better than a young soldier in training. My level of discipline has already been developed. But ...” he chuckled.
“What is it? What’s so funny?”
“I’ll tell you some trade secrets. But you promise you won’t tell anyone I told you?”
“Of course! I want to know.” He imagined her smiling.
“Seriously Lainey. This is top secret stuff,” he teased her a bit more.
“Scout’s honor. I won’t tell a soul.”
“Were you even in Girl Scouts?” He instantly had this vision of her in pigtails earning a merit badge for baking.
“No, I didn’t make it that far. My sister and I were Brownies, though.”
“Mmm. Okay. I guess that counts,” he chuckled.
“Tell me. What is it?” The excited tone of her voice made him feel the same age as the trainees he was about to whip into shape.
“I have ten uniforms already pressed and five pairs of boots shined and ready to throw on. I have a bed and a private shower in my office too. The DSs do a lot of rotating in and out with each other. After PT, one of us takes the platoon to chow, while the other goes and showers. Also, napping helps when we can sneak back to our office under the excuse of having to do paperwork.”
“Really?”
“Are you really interested in this, because we can talk more about you...”
“No, I’m fascinated, go on,” she said.
“For road marching. We have one seventy-pound rucksack the trainees see and handle. But after about two miles, we sneak on another one that’s filled with pillows. We keep it in the fallout vehicle, which drives behind the company.”
Lainey started laughing.
Maybe he’d said too much. “It still sucks, though. I carry painkillers and energy bars. I have to do something to keep up with these eighteen-year-olds coming off the buses.”
Lainey giggled at his omission.
He sighed, “No matter how fast they run, the drill sergeant always needs to be faster.”
“I feel so privileged to have the inside scoop. But it sounds grueling.”
“It is, but I have it down to a science.”
“Well,” her somber tone returned. “It doesn’t sound like we’ll be going out again soon...” He hated that she wanted to see him sooner rather than later. He wanted to see her too. “But there’s something I wanted to discuss before we do... that is, if we do go out again.”
Hell yeah, he wanted to go out again. He wanted to feel those soft lips on his again or wherever she wanted to plant kisses on him.
But he had absolutely no idea what she wanted to talk about. His heart sped up a notch. Had he said something wrong? Had she realized she was far too good for him? “Okay?” he said with restrained curiosity.
Lainey took a breath. Here we go. “I think it’s only fair to both of us if I tell you I’m not just looking for a good time.
I believe the goal of courtship, in its essence, is ...
marriage.” Why did she sound like a Jane Austen novel all of a sudden?
“What I’m trying to say is I need to know if you’re dating for ...
fun or if you’re dating to marry? I’m not asking for any commitment.
I know we’re still getting to know each other, and if we come out friends, that’s fine by me. ”
She heard herself rambling, but this train had left the station.
Might as well get it to the destination.
“I know you might be stationed somewhere else in four months. But I need to know what your goals are here.” You’ve said too much, you freaking idiot.
You’ve definitely scared him off! Why on earth did you think now was the right time to ask these questions?
There was a long pause on Robert’s end. He either was collecting his thoughts, contemplating to hang up, or dodge the question, and politely say goodbye as quickly as possible. He probably thought she was a lunatic.
Finally, he spoke. “I’ve been married before.” His voice was tender, yet serious. “There was a time that I told myself I would never do that again. But if the right woman came along...I can’t say never.” He’d given her an honest answer and a good one for being put on the spot.
“I’m sorry, I know that was an uncomfortable question, especially so early in our ...
well, whatever this is. But it’s not fair to you or me if our intentions moving forward are not aligned, you know?
” she said confidently. Thank goodness this was happening over the phone.
If she had to stare into those piercing green eyes, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get these thoughts out so coherently.
“I get it. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to waste time when there are other guys champing at the bit to make you an honest woman.”
Did he really understand? And he truly thought other men are lined up for her? She hoped he wasn’t only telling her what she wanted to hear.
“Thank you for being honest.” She wasn’t going to deny or address the other guys comment. Maybe a little mystery after such a heavy topic was good.
“Is that it? Or should I be expecting a call from your father asking what my intentions are?” he chuckled, lightening the mood.
She giggled, “That’s it.”
“I need to get through a checklist of stuff before tomorrow. But can I call you ... say Wednesday evening?”
“Sure. That’d be nice.”
“You can tell me about Brownies and why you flunked out of the Girl Scouts.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
“Wednesday, then?”
“Yes, I look forward to it,” she smiled. She truly was looking forward to talking more. At least they’d be able to get to know each other, apart from the temptation to touch one another.
No woman had ever cornered him like that before. Not his high school girlfriend he’d knocked up. And not his ex-wife.
Lainey was different. She wasn’t a na?ve, ditzy plaything he’d walk away from in a few months.
She was a good woman with dignity and morals.
She deserved a good man who’d want to plant roots with her.
He wasn’t sure he’d be able to fulfill those expectations.
Though he was determined to keep swinging for the fences with her until he struck out.