Chapter 26
The scenery on the drive to the islands off the east coast of North Carolina reminded her of Parris Island and her first few months as a Marine. At one point, she laughed, and Link glanced over with his eyebrows raised.
She laughed more. “Just thinking about recruit training on Parris Island.”
“This area does kind of look like the island.”
She nodded. “Yeah, the pine trees are taller in South Carolina.”
He glanced around. “I guess they are.”
“But yes, this area reminds me of my time there. We had fun, kind of. I mean, it was very formative, and it wasn’t so terrible that I wanted to die.”
Link let go of a bark of laughter. "Boot camp sucked."
“It did, but I made some great friends. And it made me stronger.”
“Oh yeah, it makes us harder, but damn, that was a rude awakening.”
"True. God, when we first rolled up, I thought I'd gone to hell. It was so hot, and the sergeants hated everything about us, from our clothes to our hair. They bitched about everything. I think that cemented our friendships."
“I totally understand. Some of the friends from my time at boot camp are forever friends. I’ll never forget them. I don’t get to see them or talk to them as much as I’d like. I’d like to spend more time with them, but you know how it is. The military tells you where to go and what to do.”
“Yeah. That’s going to take some getting used to.”
“I bet. I don’t know what I’ll do once I get out. I feel like the Army has shaped my life for so long, I don’t know if I could figure it out on my own.”
She understood what he was saying, but he was wrong. “I don’t believe that. I think you’d figure it out just fine. It might take you a few weeks or months, but you’d find your footing fast.”
He didn't say anything for a long moment. The trees opened up, and she could see the sea grass blowing in the wind. There was a bridge, and she could see sailboats along with other boats in a small marina.
“We’re almost there.”
Link nodded. “We are. Do you really think I’d adjust to civilian life?”
She reached over and squeezed his thigh. “I do. I think you’d figure out what you needed to do to be at peace.”
He nodded as they crested the bridge. She glanced out at the waterway below. It was less intense than her first trip to Parris Island had been, but somehow this was more beautiful.
“It’s wonderful. The white boats, the dark water, the green grass, the restaurants, all of it is so beautiful.”
“It is nice here. Peaceful. Everything runs at a slower pace. The condo isn’t too far from here, so maybe another twenty minutes once we get onto the main road.”
“I can see why you like this area.”
“I like the low population, the clean beaches, the slow pace. I will say that I never come here in the height of the summer. It’s too packed.”
"I get that. I loved California beaches and the mountains.
The outdoor activities were great, but there were way too many people.
I couldn't take the traffic even to get to a grocery store.
If I wanted to go to the mountains to hike, it would take hours, not because of distance, but just the number of cars on the road. "
“Yeah, that area of the country is packed. Kind of like New York or Boston.”
"Oh goodness, that would be too much. I mean, at least Boston and New York have subways that get you to more places than the one in LA.
I tried doing the Metro, and it sucked compared to the subway in New York.
The trams they have in Europe are much better, too, even though those are on surface streets. "
“Yeah, big cities aren’t my thing, but I do appreciate a good tram system. Out here, the traffic is only bad on crunch weekends like Easter, summer holidays, and Thanksgiving.”
“I think I’ll like living where there are fewer people.”
The car slowed, and Link turned on the blinker. The condo was painted in pastel blue and yellow with white accents.
“Is this it?”
Link nodded. “Yes. I think it looks good.”
"Absolutely. It looks so nice." Across the street from the condo were a few restaurants and a small grocery store. Everything was within walking distance. She could tell they were going to have a good time here.
Link was proud that he’d been able to purchase the condo in such a great location. He didn’t have to drive to get food or go out to a restaurant if he didn’t want to. If he decided to put the place up for sale, he knew he would make top dollar.
"The management repainted a few years ago. It made a difference. Also, the restaurants opened four years ago, and the grocery store opened last year. This area is great now."
“How close is the beach?” Ansley asked as he parked the car.
"Just over the berm. So not far. It's a short walk." He wove his fingers with hers and kissed the back of her hand. "Let's get everything inside, then we can go out there if you like."
She nodded. “Sure, that sounds great.”
The condo needed a little airing out and dusting. He should have had someone come to clean. Not that he minded cleaning, but he didn’t want Ansley to think she had to dust his place or pull out the vacuum.
They set their bags down in the entry, and he moved to the windows and opened the first one.
“Want me to get the ones in the bedroom?” Ansley asked.
“Sure. I need to dust a little and run a vacuum.”
“I can help.”
“You don’t have to.”
She moved to him and placed her hand on his arm. “Link, I can help clean. I don’t mind.”
He held her face in his hands. “I know. I just don’t want you to think you have to. You’re my guest.”
“I like a clean place as much as you do. And no, I don’t think you brought me here to clean up your condo.”
“I really didn’t.”
"Let's go out to the beach, then we can clean the place this afternoon before we get food for dinner."
He nodded as he studied her. This woman was much more down-to-earth than the other women he'd been with. Maybe it was because he wasn't just attracted to her body, but her personality.
“Do you want to slip on your sandals?” Link asked.
“Yes. Great idea.”
“Let me run up and open the window in the loft.”
“Oh, I’ll run up with you. I want to see it.”
“Sure.”
The stairs for the loft were a spiral in the back corner of the den, partially hidden by a bump out. It was a good space, in that it gave him more sleeping space, but getting the furniture up here had been hard.
“Oh, nice. I like that it has that solid half wall, but you can see out the window. That’s the ocean I’m seeing, right?”
“It is. The main bedroom doesn’t have a view like this, but it’s a better room.”
“This isn’t too bad. I like that you have a place to sit other than just the bed.”
“Yeah, it’s a big space, but not really practical for little kids. I mean, I know people who own these condos who pack kids in, but it could be dangerous.”
She glanced at him and raised her eyebrows. “I’m impressed that you considered that. Like most guys wouldn’t see the problem.”
He let go of a bark of laughter. "Weighing risks is part of my job. I have to know how bad things will be before I do them."
“Totally get that.”
Link opened the window and then headed for the stairs. "Come on, let's get our sandals on."
When she slipped on her sandals, he saw that her toenails were painted red. He liked that she had them painted.
“What?” Ansley asked.
“I like that your toenails are painted.”
Her laughter was like a warm jacket wrapped around him. She put her hand in his.
“I would have done my fingernails, too, but I didn’t have time before I left. Also, my fingernails get chipped way too easily, or they did while I was active. Maybe I’ll start doing it.”
“Either way, I’m happy. I get that fingernails may be more of a hassle than toenails.”
“I do like some girly stuff, but I’m not really into it like some women.”
“I like you dressed in combat boots or sandals. I’m more interested in you as a person, not what you wear.” In a way he was glad he hadn’t met Ansley until now. If he’d met her when he was younger, he would have blown it with her.
They made their way to the boardwalk that went up and over the berm. Ansley stopped at the top and gasped. He took in the view, thinking it really did look good.
“It’s beautiful,” Ansley said.
He nodded, glad that he’d bought here. “It is.”
"The beaches in California are wide, and there is so much stuff built up around them. This is great with the wide dunes covered in plants and the beach beyond. It looks great."
“They did that not too long ago, putting in the bushes to stop the erosion.”
“Oh yeah, this area gets hit by hurricanes often.”
"It does. This condo is higher than most. There are some buildings constructed in a pit. This one, they raised the land before building, so it's not so bad."
They walked out to the sand, and she slipped off her sandals, then bent to pick them up.
Link kicked off his sandals and grabbed her hand. “You can leave your shoes here. There aren’t enough people to steal them.”
She glanced around. “Yeah, looks that way.”
"So I guess in California, they would be gone in seconds."
“They would. It’s a population thing. Way too many people to control anything.”
They walked almost to the water line. He reached down and took her hand. Her chin tipped up, and their eyes met. The sun was still fairly high in the sky, and it reflected off the water, bouncing around them as birds flew above.
He leaned in and gently brushed his lips over hers. Kissing her was nice, sending jolts of electricity through him. He wanted to get her back to his place and get naked.
The cold waves lapped at their feet, and Ansley jerked back, a screech escaping her lips. They both laughed, her clinging to him as they moved away from the water.
He stopped walking, and she looked up again, intensity filling him. Her arms around him were exactly what he needed.
He lifted her, and her legs wrapped around his waist. Their lips met in a hungry kiss. After a moment, he pulled out of the kiss.
“We should get back to the condo.”
Ansley nodded. "Yes. We should. Maybe a shower to get the sand off, then some naked time."
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
He held her hand as they retrieved their sandals and headed back to the condo. His lust for Ansley felt insatiable. He needed her like he needed air. Thankfully, she was here with him, and if he was lucky, she would stay.