CHAPTER 19
As soon as they walked into Lainey’s kitchen after returning home and the kids were settled in front of the TV, Cora said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize what I’d said until I'd said it.”
Lainey gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes in response.
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think it bothered him.” Cora smiled. “Seems to me he was flattered by being called, THAT Robert,” Cora wasn’t softening Lainey’s anger.
Lainey plugged in the coffee pot and jiggled the cord. She’d discovered that if she got the connection in just the right spot, it would work.
“What are you doing?”
Lainey swiftly wiggled the cord more. “This is how I get this thing to work,” Lainey said with frustration.
“If you’re making a pot, make enough for yourself.
It’s three o’clock in the afternoon. If I drink a cup a coffee now, I won’t be able to fall asleep tonight,” Cora said.
“Plus, you said he was good-looking. You never said he was H-O-T, hot!” Yes, Lainey could tell Cora had noticed Robert all too well by her staring.
Lainey yanked on the cord some more. “It really doesn’t matter, because I’m not seeing him anymore. We broke up,” she sighed, leaning against the counter, giving up on the coffeemaker.
“Wait a minute,” Cora shook her head. “I didn’t even know you went out with him again after the Salina date.
Did you invite him over for dinner? I thought you'd chickened out.” Cora smirked.
“Let alone having a relationship significant enough to break up?” Cora chuckled, opening the cabinet and retrieving two wineglasses.
“We don’t need coffee, Lain, we need wine. ”
“We can’t start drinking this early. What about dinner?” Lainey said.
“We’ll order pizza. That’s all the kids wanna eat anyway.” Cora twisted a corkscrew into a bottle.
“Sister. Sit,” she ordered, nodding at the kitchen table. “You’ve been holding out on me, and it’s time to bring me up to speed. Especially now that I’ve met the man, the myth, the legend,” Cora giggled, pouring the rosé.
After emptying a bottle of wine and devouring a veggie pizza between the two of them, while the kids scarfed down a cheese and a pepperoni in the living room, Lainey had told Cora everything...everything.
“Grandma’s poor delicate china. What would she say?” Cora said, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.
Lainey rolled her eyes at Cora’s sarcasm.
Cora burst out laughing. “Seriously? And you thought Geoff’s ghost made the smoke alarm go off,” her cackle calmed a bit.
“Oh Lain. Ghosts aren’t real, only the ones in your head.
” She patted Lainey's hand and took her dish to the sink. “Let’s get the kids cleaned up and in their jammies. I want to watch that special tonight on ABC. And YOU need to call Robert.”
“What special?” Lainey asked, ignoring her suggestion to call Robert.
“That senator from Virginia. His daughter was kidnapped and held hostage in Afghanistan three years ago.” Cora started rinsing plates.
“She wrote a book about the ordeal and the special Army Unit that saved her. She hasn’t released the book yet, but she’s giving an exclusive interview that airs tonight. ”
“I kind of remember it in the national news,” Lainey said, folding up an empty pizza box.
“You were dealing with Geoff’s passing about that same time, so I’m sure it was a blur. But Lyla Payne, the senator’s daughter, was with a humanitarian group. Her fiancé was in the group too. Apparently, since they were Americans, they were targeted. They raped and tortured her.
“Oh, that’s awful,” Lainey said.
“I know. And some people say she was rescued only because she was a senator’s daughter. But...everyone died.”
“What?”
“Yes, except for her and one of the special ops soldiers who rescued her. His entire unit, her fiancé, and the other two young women they tried to rescue, all died. It blew up all over social media at the time. All the conspiracy theorists had a field day with it. And now, she has this book coming out.”
Lainey poured dish soap into the dishwasher.
“Plus!” Cora said. “She became pregnant.”
“Oh no,” Lainey grimaced. “From being raped?”
“Well, that’s the thing. Lyla Payne wasn’t sure if it was her captors or if it was her fiancé’s child. Since he died, and she wasn’t sure... she kept it!”
Lainey gathered the empty wineglasses. “So, whose kid was it?”
Cora shrugged. “Lyla Payne hasn’t said, but she might reveal it in tonight’s interview.”
“Okay, you’ve piqued my interest. What time does this thing air?”
“Right before or right after you call Robert and smooth things over.” Cora winked, “You decide.”
* * *
He picked up on the first ring. “Hey you,” he answered. Lainey heard a grin in his voice. There was music and commotion in the background too.
“Is this a bad time? I can call back another....”
“No, it’s perfect timing,” he said, slightly slurring his words.
Lainey had stepped into her bathroom after Cora had finished her shower. Lainey had yet to take hers, though. “Where are you?”
“Mavericks. You know the place,” he chuckled, referring to one of their dates.
“Are you alone?” Was Macy still with him? She wondered.
Again, his words were slurred as he said, “Yeah. I only stopped in here for a drink before heading back to base.”
A drink? “How many have you had?” she heard herself. She meant to sound concerned, but she may have come across as nagging.
“A drink, turned into two, then three... well. Yeah, more than one,” he confessed.
She sighed. It wasn’t like him to drink alone, nor this much.
The man was a pillar of health. He watched what he ate.
He exercised and took care of himself. This was out of character, and Lainey didn’t understand why.
“I’m coming to get you. You can’t drive like this.
” She’d only had two glasses of wine this evening, and it’d been four hours since her first glass.
“I’m good. As much as I want to see you. I don’t want to put you out. I’ve been able to operate heavy machinery under much worse circum-shtances and duresssss...” he slurred.
“No, I’m coming to get you, and that’s final,” her tone was stern. She wasn’t about to argue the point.
He chuckled, “Ooh. I like it when you lay down the law. It’s sexy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Stay where you are,” she sighed, ending the call.
* * *
The crowd at Mavericks didn’t surprise Lainey. It was a Saturday night after all. She squeezed through people, making her way to the bar. She looked down the length of the bar top, but didn’t see him.
“Honey!” A gray-haired man with an anchor tattoo on his forearm called to her. He was sitting near the end. She glanced at him but ignored him. She started scanning faces in the crowd.
“Honey!” he called again. This time she looked at him. “Yes, darlin’ I’m talkin’ to you,” he assured her. “You looking for a six-four Grunt with a Viking on his arm?” he asked.
Yep, Robert matched that description, she thought. She stepped closer. “Yes, I am. Where is he?”
“He hit the head, but told me to be on the lookout for you.”
How does this man know what I look like? “How’d you know it was me?”
“Your man told me to look for a tall, brunette Mamie Van Doren.” He took a swig of his pint, then looked her up and down. “He wasn’t lyin’,” he grinned, which accentuated his wrinkled, leathery face.
Lainey didn’t know Mamie Van...whoever she was, nor if she should feel flattered or appalled.
Without warning, a large arm wrapped around her shoulder. She flinched, but relaxed when she saw it was Robert. “Now Alan, don’t be puttin’ the moves on my woman. She’s too smart to fall for an old sea dog like you,” Robert chuckled, squeezing Lainey.
The weight of him felt better than she remembered. And calling her his woman? No one had ever claimed her publicly like that. Geoff definitely never did. It was very caveman of Robert, but she liked it.
“I can’t help it if the lady wants to trade up,” the old man responded.
“Never trust a sailor, Lainey,” Robert laughed. “They’re all wanna be pirates.”
Robert settled his tab, and they headed for the parking lot.
“Who was that man? A friend of yours?” Lainey asked.
“He’s an old Navy squid who fought in Vietnam. I met him tonight and bought him a couple of rounds. There’s not many of those old Vietnam Vets left anymore. I have a lot of respect for ‘em, they’re a different breed.”
Robert grabbed her hand as they walked outside. Lainey hesitated for a second, but then grasped his hand back. “I’m parked at the end,” she pointed.
“Let’s take my truck. The gate guards know it. If we take yours, they’ll have to search it inside and out.”
Lainey knew he lived on base, but she wasn’t prepared to pass security. “Are they going to let me on base?”
“You have your ID?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not a felon or on a terrorist watch list, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I’ll sign you in as my guest. You’ll be fine,” he assured her.
He opened the driver’s door for her, and she climbed in. Then he got in the passenger side.
She barely touched the pedals with the toes of her boots. “How do I adjust the seat?” she asked.
“Controls are on the left,” he said.
She started his truck and turned the heat on. Lainey took her time adjusting the mirrors, and though she was tall, she had to move the seat up quite a bit to reach the pedals.
Lainey glanced at Robert, and he was grinning from ear to ear watching her.
“What?” she asked, worried she had pizza sauce on her cheek or something.
“I like seeing you drive my truck.” His handsome smile made her heart flutter, but she shifted her focus, trying not to be affected.
“I’m not driving yet. I’m still trying to make sure I can see to operate this thing,” she said, positioning the rearview mirror one last time.
“Remember the last time we were in this parking lot?” he asked with a mischievous tone.
“Yes, we shared a pizza.”
“No,” he laughed. “That was inside. Here in this parking lot, you kissed me for the first time.” He reached over, gently brushing her hair back over her shoulder. He leaned in and started placing soft kisses on her neck.