Chapter 54
The grocery cart squeaked obnoxiously every few feet.
Aria had noticed it exactly twenty two minutes ago. Chase, however, had somehow not noticed it at all. Mostly because he was too busy being an absolute menace.
"You're ignoring me."
"I'm studying."
"You've looked at that same page for ten minutes."
She sighed softly without glancing up from the anatomy flashcards spread awkwardly across the shopping cart.
"I'm memorizing."
"See I was right you're ignoring me while memorizing."
A grin tugged at his mouth as he reached over and stole the highlighter directly from her hand.
Her eyes lifted slowly. "Chase."
God, the look she gave him was half annoyance mixed with half affection and it was entirely too pretty for a Saturday morning in the middle of a grocery store... a place were he had to behave.
He leaned lazily against the cart handle, broad shoulders relaxed beneath a faded gray t shirt that stretched tight across his chest, ball cap backward and his dimple on full display.
"Baby," he said, entirely too amused with himself, "you cannot bring homework with you while we are grocery shopping and then be mad I'm flirtin' with you... you know how sexy I think you are when your all nerdy."
She reached for her highlighter and he held it out of reach.
"You're a grown man Chase Hale, so behave like one."
"I'm your grown man sweetheart and right now your man could use some of your attention."
"You're impossible."
"Yet somehow..." He leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to make warmth crawl up her neck. "You still find me irresistible."
Her cheeks warmed instantly.
Unfortunately, he was correct. He smiled like he knew it too, because of course he did.
Captain Chase Hale had never lacked confidence in his entire life. The man walked through his life like the world itself had personally owed him something and the only time he was relaxed and playful was when he had Aria's attention.
Chase was cocky, sexy, and physical perfection all meshed together in the body of a man who could have gone through life as a conceited player, instead he became her whole world.
Yes, he may sometimes act entirely too charming for his own good, but he was also a hero who stood up for the weak and protected his wife with all he had. Chase had become her literal rock at the age of seventeen when she had protected him first.
When she hid him, bandaged him up and let him sleep on the floor of her bedroom so he had a safe dry place to wait out his mother's drunken rage.
Her protection had earned her the love of a boy and the absolute love and devotion of the man he would become.
No body was in any doubt that he was absolutely obsessed with her.
The worst part? He didn't even try to hide it.
At all.
He finally handed her highlighter back after she narrowed her eyes hard enough to threaten violence. Then he immediately tossed three more bags of chips into the cart.
Aria glanced up at him with her brows pulled together in question. "Chase."
"What?" He asked, giving her his full attention.
"You bought seven bags of chips."
"Yeah."
"For what reason?"
He looked genuinely confused. "The cookout?"
She stared at him, then at the cart and then back at him.
"You also have six packs of hamburger buns, forty burgers, three family size bags of fries, enough soda to survive a small apocalypse and..."
She lifted a package from beneath the chips.
"Why do we have fourteen steaks?"
His brow furrowed slightly, like maybe this was somehow a trick question.
"Because Parker eats more than five guys alone and Kellen will be there too."
She tried not to laugh and then she failed.
A smug grin spread across his face. "See, now you are getting it... do you think I need more steaks?"
"No, Chase we do not need more steaks."
"Okay sweetheart, I trust your judgement on this."
"You're insufferable and Parker better be paying for the beer if we are buying all the food."
"He is." Chase promised, then he quickly shot off a text that she knew without seeing was to Parker warning him to bring the kegs.
He reached over and casually tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before pressing a quick kiss to her temple like they weren't standing in aisle six surrounded by strangers.
"Need vegetables," she muttered quietly, already steering the cart toward produce.
A dramatic sigh escaped him. "Baby..." he pouted, now wearing a disgusted look on his face.
"Grown men require nutrients."
"We fought terrorists, in a foreign land, I think we are done growing."
"Your losing this argument no matter how many dumb facts you give me... grab the corn on the cob and shut up."
He looked deeply offended.
"That feels disrespectful... do you love me at all?" he joked, still doing as she said.
"You're buying enough sodium to kill a horse."
He followed behind her, hands shoved into his pockets now while she started grabbing more vegetables. Bell peppers, potatoes, pasta salad ingredients and tomatoes.
Meanwhile Chase looked vaguely inconvenienced by all healthy choices.
"You know," he muttered, "when I pictured adulthood, I definitely thought there'd be less lettuce."
She smiled softly to herself,because this... this right here was her man in all his glory. He was grown and he now led men and women into active combat arenas but could and would whine like a man child over being made to eat his veggies.
Looking up from her shopping she saw two women looking him up and down, practically stripping him naked with their eyes and she could not blame them because again he was entirely too handsome while standing beside tomatoes looking dejected while scratching his side and absently showing off those rock hard abs that she loved to touch.
"You know," she said quietly while scanning over avocados, "you don't have to overbuy every single time people come over."
He shrugged one shoulder and didn't answer right away.
Then quieter, almost to himself he said, "I just like makin' sure everybody's got enough."
Something softened in her chest instantly.
Because she knew what he meant. Both of their childhoods had been filled with empty cabinets, broken homes, and parents who made survival feel uncertain.
His hand found the small of her back automatically, warm and steady.
She loved how he wanted to make it known that she was his everywhere they went, this also allowed her to let those two greedy eyed witches see her claim on him so they would back off and not waste their time.
"I dunno," he said casually, though something quieter lived underneath it. "Kinda nice havin' people over at our place."
Our place, he loved their house. Loved it in a way that made her chest ache.
The backyard was his baby with his grill, the garden he swore he was gonna learn to maintain and now was growing their own herbs and flowers because when he set his mind to do something he achieved it.
He had fought for this house, worked ridiculous hours for it, because somewhere deep down, Chase Hale had decided neither of them would ever feel unwanted in a home again.
"You really love our place," she said softly.
His expression shifted instantly warmer. He glanced toward her, then down at the ring on her hand that was still holding flashcards.
"Yeah," he said quietly the he paused. "Feels like the kinda place kids should grow up in."
Her breath caught but the moment was ruined when he tossed two boxes of cookies into the cart.
Her eyebrows lifted immediately. "What are those for?"
He grinned. "Bribery."
"For?"
He leaned down closer. "Gettin' my smart girl to stop studyin' long enough to kiss me."
By the time they pulled into the driveway, Chase had somehow managed to feed her half a sandwich, stolen three kisses at stoplights, and successfully convinced her to quiz him on anatomy terms he absolutely did not know.
He had still tried but failed as expected, badly.
"So if the pancreas does pancreas things..." he started thoughtfully around a french fry.
She looked up slowly from her flashcards. "Pancreas things?"
"Yeah."
"That is not remotely medical."
He shrugged, completely unbothered.
"Baby, I jump into warzones for a livin'. I never claimed to know body science."
"You literally have a body."
"Barely. It's government property now days."
She laughed despite herself.
And God, the way he looked at her after that, like he had personally won something, like making her smile ranked embarrassingly high on his priorities.
The second they turned onto their street, music drifted faintly through the open truck windows.
Country music and it was followed immediately by the sound of laughter.
Aria frowned, then looked toward Chase.
He frowned too. "What the hell?"
The backyard gate stood open. People. Lots of people were already there.
Cars lined the driveway and spilled halfway onto the street. Someone had apparently started without them.
"You invited people over early?" she asked.
"No."
He killed the truck and grabbed the grocery bags, already looking suspicious.
"I specifically said four."
She climbed out slowly, textbook tucked against her chest.
The moment they rounded the side gate chaos hit them... it was complete chaos.
The grill smoked beneath the late afternoon sun while laughter bounced across the backyard. Somebody had dragged speakers outside. Coolers sat open near lawn chairs. Half the team already occupied the patio like they paid bills here.
And standing near the grill was of course, Parker.
One hand holding a beer while the other flipping burgers like he personally owned the property.
"Brother!" Parker called immediately, completely unapologetic. "You're late!"
Chase stopped walking and slowly looked around his own backyard, then at Parker, then back at his own backyard.
"...This is my house."
"Community house today." Parker yelled, back over the chaos.
"No, I bought this house for Aria and you fuckers better take care of it and clean up after yourselves."
Parker pointed with the spatula. "You said backyard cookout."
"At sixteen hundred hours."
"Military time confusion, my bad." Parker lamely apologized.
"You are military and understand it perfectly... no confusion."
"Blame this one on yourself big guy, I'm off duty and an off duty Parker only speaks civilian."
Aria bit down hard on a laugh and that was when she noticed, the blonde at his side.
Standing beside Parker like she was nervous to be there.
She was very pretty and tall with her sun kissed blonde hair pulled into a messy ponytail, aviator sunglasses pushed onto her head. She wore jeans and boots like somebody who looked entirely too comfortable around soldiers.
Confident, she was the kind of woman who somehow had a very loud presence without having to saying anything.
She stood close to Parker too, close enough that her shoulder bumped his every few minutes.
Close enough that Parker unconsciously angled toward her, like gravity. It was obvious to Aria that he didn't even realize he was doing it.
Interesting, because Parker never brought women around.
Ever.The blonde glanced up and caught Parker stealing something off her plate. She slapped his hand immediately. "Touch my food again and I'll break your fingers."
Parker grinned. "Violence." A pause. "My favorite love language."
Her eyes narrowed. "You wish." The smile she fought looked suspiciously fond.
And Parker...
Parker looked lighter around her, younger somehow, and he was definitely more relaxed.
Which felt strange considering the man usually operated somewhere between emotionally unavailable and professionally chaotic.
Chase followed Aria's gaze, then blinked once.
"Oh." His mouth twitched. "...That's new."
Aria looked up. "You know her?"
Before he could answer, the blonde spotted them and immediately brightened.
"Oh thank God." She pointed directly at Chase. "Please tell me you're in charge because this idiot keeps trying to commit crimes against grilled meat."
Parker gasped dramatically. "I am literally feeding America."
"You burnt six burgers."
"It's called char babe, you don't understand flavor."
"Charred, is still just burnt" She taunted him.
"You wound me."
Aria smiled despite herself, because whatever this was for Parker for her it was entertaining.
The blonde wiped her hands on her jeans before walking closer.
"You must be Aria." Her smile came easy and warm. "My names Demi."
A quick glance back toward Parker. "He talks about y'all enough that I feel weirdly parasocial."
Parker immediately looked offended. "I do not talk about Aria and Chase a lot."
Demi laughed outright. "Baby, you absolutely do."
Baby. Oh. Oh. Aria noticed the way Parker's expression shifted.
Subtle and quick, but there like he tried not to smile and failed anyway.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Before she could think too hard about it, Chase's hand landed automatically at the small of her back, it was warm and possessive.
Protective.
"Alright," he said, looking around at the growing crowd in his backyard. "Which one of y'all idiots started the drinkin' before I got here?"
Three people raised hands immediately.
Parker pointed toward Demi. "She made margaritas."
Demi lifted her beer proudly. "And I regret nothing."
Somewhere behind them, someone yelled for Chase as another teammate started laughing.
The house Chase had worked so hard for buzzed with life.
People were eating and laughing all around them, and for a second Aria looked at him.
Really looked at him.
Her husband standing in the middle of the backyard he had fought to build for them and he was confident, happy and whole. Nothing like the boy he had pretended to be in highschool.
By the time the sun dipped lower and the backyard glowed gold beneath string lights somebody had absolutely not been authorized to hang, the cookout had settled into that comfortable kind of chaos military people somehow perfected.
Music drifted low through the backyard and beer bottles crowded tables.
Somebody had started arguing over football while someone else had definitely lost at cornhole and taken it personally.
Parker still manned the grill like he had been born there, Demi hovering nearby with a beer in hand and a running commentary about his complete inability to cook meat correctly.
"You're overcooking it."
"It's medium."
"It's cremated."
"Flavor."
"Let me guess... charred again."
Aria smiled to herself from her spot at the patio table, anatomy notes spread open while voices blended around her.
She hadn't gotten nearly as much studying done as she'd intended.
Mostly because Chase refused to stop existing near her.
Touching her shoulder when he walked by, stealing bites off her plate, leaning down to kiss the top of her head between conversations, and every so often she'd glance up and find him already looking at her.
Like even surrounded by people, his attention somehow still lived with her.
She had just highlighted something for the third time when a familiar shadow stretched across the table.
"C'mere."
Her eyes lifted.
Chase stood there with one hand shoved into his pocket, beer in the other.
His cap still sat backward which had a dangerous effect on her ovaries, it was entirely unfair.
"What?" she asked softly.
He tilted his head toward the house. "Need you for a second."
"Why?"
A slow grin tugged at his mouth. "Because I miss my woman."
She laughed quietly. "You've seen me all day."
"Still." He reached down, plucking the pen right out of her hand. "You've been ignorin' me for body science."
"That is not what anatomy is."
"Sounds right to me."
"Chase."
"Baby." The look he gave her was completely shameless, like he already knew she was going with him, he always won anyway.
She sighed dramatically and stood. "You're ridiculous."
"Yes, yes now get to movin' sweetheart."
Behind them Parker called out, "Y'all better not disappear too long!"
Demi snorted into her drink. "Oh my God, let them breathe."
Chase flipped them both off without turning around.
The house felt strangely quiet after the backyard noise, it was cooler and still.
The second the bedroom door shut behind them, Chase exhaled hard like he'd been holding something in all evening.
"Well," he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair, "I love every single one of 'em..."
He turned toward her slowly.
"But if one more man looks at you like he's interested in your sexy nerdiness, that is only mine, I'm gonna lose it."
She laughed immediately. "Oh, poor Captain Hale."
"I'm serious." He stepped closer, entirely too close and she loved it.
"One of 'em looked at you with what I swear were lustful eyes."
Her eyebrows lifted. "Lustful?"
"Deadly lust."
"That's not a thing." she giggled at his words.
"It is real babe because his looks are gonna get him killed." He deadpanned. "Unfortunately."
She laughed harder now. "They're too scared of you, to try and talk to me."
"That's true." His hand found her waist automatically. "Thank god, they know better... I am way to pretty for prison." He leaned down, forehead brushing hers lightly. "They know how possessive I am."
The quiet honesty in it made warmth bloom low in her chest, because he always said things like that so casually. Like loving her was his entire purpose in this life.
His thumb brushed absently against her side.
"C'mon," he said softer now. "Got somethin' for you."
She blinked. "What?"
He stepped aside, and only then did she notice it.
The bed, the candles flickering softly around the room, her laptop already plugged in, her textbooks spread neatly across the comforter, her flashcards stacked in order, and her favorite blanket folded near the pillows.
She stared at it all in awe as tears filled her eyes, then slowly looked back at him.
"...Chase."
His expression softened immediately. "Hey." One shoulder lifted. "You made time for me today." A pause. "For my people." Another. "I know how hard you're workin'."
He nodded toward the books. "So you sit here and study."
His hand brushed lightly against her arm. "I'll go tell the idiots outside to quiet down."
God, her chest hurt because this man... this impossible man, loved her like breathing.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.
"You're gonna be amazing someday, sweetheart. I'm just here to help make it happen."
He had always been like this, he believed in her even on the days she didn't.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He smiled. "Always." Then he pointed toward the bed.
"Now sit your cute little ass down and study before I gotta start quizzin' you on pancreas things again."
She laughed despite herself. "Please never say pancreas things again."
"No promises." And then he was gone, back outside, back to laughter and smoke and music.
Aria settled onto the bed slowly, textbook opening in her lap.
But after a while, she found herself drifting toward the window.
Just for a second.
Outside, Chase stood near the grill laughing at something Parker said, beer in hand while he pointed dramatically toward somebody losing at cornhole.
He looked so unbelievably happy.
Her phone rang just as she sat back down, Aria frowned at the unfamiliar number lighting up the screen. For half a second, she considered ignoring it.
Then answered anyway. "Hello?"
A pause. "Is this Aria Hale?"
Her stomach tightened automatically. "Yes?"
"Mrs. Hale, this is Command."
The room suddenly felt too quiet. Too still.
Her eyes moved instinctively toward the backyard window, toward Chase.
Laughing near the grill, completely unaware.
"We've been trying to reach Captain Hale," the voice continued. "Unfortunately, due to updated orders, his teams deployment has been moved up."
Her heart dropped. "What?"
"We were unable to get ahold of him directly. As next of kin on file, we needed to notify you immediately."
No. Tomorrow. Please not tomorrow.
"We need Captain Hale to report at oh six hundred."
Tomorrow morning, her hand tightened around the phone. Outside, Chase laughed at something Parker said,beer bottle still in hand.
God, he had looked so happy.
"Mrs. Hale?"
"Yeah," she whispered quickly, blinking hard. "I understand."
The call ended and she just stood there for a second.
Frozen.
The house suddenly too quiet around her.
Then, slowly, she walked outside where the music drifted across the yard as people were still laughing, someone yelling about burgers. Demi stealing food off Parker's plate.
Everything normal, everything fine. Until it wasn't.
Aria walked straight to the speaker and turned the music off.
The sudden silence caught everyone immediately.
Conversations slowed and people looked up. Chase frowned first.
Concern crossing his face immediately as he moved toward her.
"Baby?" He reached her fast. "What's wrong?"
Her throat tightened as she reached for his hand automatically.
Pulled him closer, then leaned up, whispering quietly enough only he could hear.
"Command called."
The change in him happened instantly. Gone was the easy smile, gone was the teasing.
Captain Hale stepped in so fast it almost hurt to watch.
"When?"
"Tomorrow morning... six am."
His jaw flexed once as along breath left him.
Then without saying anything, he turned and looked out across the backyard.
At his team, at his people, at the home he had fought so hard to build.
And quietly, he clapped once. Everybody looked up.
"Hey."
The yard slowly stilled, Parker's expression changed immediately.
Because somehow, he already knew.
Chase shoved his hands into his pockets briefly before nodding once.
"Looks like they moved things up." Silence. "We ship out in the morning."
The mood changed instantly, nobody said much at first because military people knew.
Knew how quickly life changed, how fast normal disappeared.
Parker looked down once before muttering, "Son of a bitch."
Someone near the cooler sighed as another muttered something about never getting one damn weekend.
But eventually, slowly, people started saying goodbyes.
And Chase, he stayed close to her the entire rest of the night.
The next morning arrived too fast.
The house felt quieter, his bags waited near the front door. The kitchen still smelled faintly like coffee. Parker's truck pulled into the driveway right on time.
Of course, because Parker somehow treated military departure with precision.
Chase stood in front of her wearing his Navy working uniform and boots, duffel slung over one shoulder.
He looked good in uniform sexy and not at all like someone who was about to be sent only god knows where for only god knows how long.
His hand curled gently around the back of her neck.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
No, not even a little, but she nodded anyway because she loved him, because military wives learned early how to smile through heartbreak.
"I hate this part," she admitted softly.
His mouth twitched. "Me too." A pause. "You know what to do?"
She nodded weakly. "Keep studying."
"Mmhm." His thumb brushed gently against her cheek. "Finish school." Another kiss to her forehead. "And every time you see butterflies?" The smallest smile tugged at his mouth. "Remember that's me thinkin' about you."
God, her chest hurt because he always said ridiculous things like that.
Sweet things, impossible things.
Behind them the truck horn sounded.
Parker.
Chase sighed softly. "Gotta go, baby."
Her fingers tightened around his shirt instantly. "No."
The word came out smaller than she intended.
His face softened immediately.
"Hey." He cupped her face gently. "I gotta."
She swallowed hard, then whispered, "Promise me somethin'."
"Anything, sweetheart."
Anything. He said it so easy. Like there was nothing in the world he wouldn't give her.
Her voice shook. "Just promise me you'll come back."
Something changed in his face then, because soldiers knew better than to make those kids of promises. They knew war did not bargain and that tomorrow belonged to nobody.
"Baby..."
"You always say not to ask." Tears burned now. "But this time..." Her voice cracked.
"Please... this time just promise me."
The silence stretched as morning sunlight caught at the edges of him.
He leaned down and kissed her once all soft and slow, like he wanted to remember it.
Forehead resting lightly against hers.
And quietly, like it was the truest thing he had ever said,
"I'll always come back for you, baby." A pause. "Always."