Coming Home: Book 2 The Wakefield Romance Series Read online

  His brown hair is longer, wet-looking, and his beard is thicker, with more grey being prominent in the front; but God damn he is hot and my heart flutters at the sight of him. I let out a long, loud sigh, and I see a wide smile cross his face.

  "Hi, Baby," he says, and his voice echoes through my soul, bringing warmth to my skin and making my pulse race. Ugh, if only I could feel his warm breath on my cheek as he says that close to my face; being snuggled behind me. My skin tingles at the thought and I can’t stop a hot rush of desire that runs through me, causing goose-bumps to rise on my skin.

  "Hi, Babe," I almost whisper, a blush running up my neck and filling my face, the heat spreading out over my arms. Even now, after being in love with this man for twenty years, he still makes me nervous. I miss him so much, and seeing his face makes it hurt a little more.

  "I miss you, Chad," I say and I can’t stop the tears from coming now even if I had a freight train full of cement, so I let them fall. They run down my cheek faster than I can swipe them away with a tissue, ripped from a box on Brad's desk.

  "Don't cry, Rhea," he says, leaning to the camera on his end and bringing his face closer on the screen, and I wish that I could reach through it and grab him, pulling him to me for a long kiss. Lord, I need one. "Tell me about what's been goin' on, Baby,” he says in a sweet voice, and I can't help but laugh a little, wiping my hand across my cheeks to get rid of the last tears.

  "Doc says I'm looking good; I saw her last week." I can see a sly grin break out across his face, and it makes me smile with a blush. "Don't look at me like that, Chad," I scold him, holding my finger up to the screen as if he is standing before me and I am going to poke him in the chest.

  His laugh makes me shiver as it echoes through the little speakers on my cell. Leaning back from the camera, he crosses his massive arms over his chest and I can just see the muscles bulging out from underneath the navy blue material. It makes my mouth water. Damn these hormones!

  "I can't help it, Rhea," he laughs, "I like imagining you getting bigger; filling out with my baby." His grin makes those damn dimples appear, and I can feel my legs get weak. It is a good thing I am sitting down.

  "I wish I was there," he says quietly and a somber look comes over his handsome, bearded face. All I can do is nod my head in agreement, because if I try to reply to him with words, I will start sobbing like I had when I was with Rosa last weekend. "Reno and I are trying our hardest to be sent home before the babies come. Reno would have to be there in late August, I believe he said."

  "Yeah Rosa is due September twentieth." I have the date circled on the calendar, along with her doctor appointments and breathing classes she has already scheduled. To say she is nervous is an understatement. Although, as every week passes I feel as if I am becoming more and more like her, feeling anxious and nervous. The other day I had to occupy myself with something, so I washed every single article of clothing in the entire house, including clothes that I had stored in totes in the basement. At times I feel like I've gone insane.

  "Mine is the 25th of October, but I think it'll probably be on Halloween," I add, not really looking at him as a wave of uncertainty runs through me. I’m not sure if I can do this.

  Chad laughs. "Why do you think that?" His hand scratches through his beard and then rakes through his hair, and I can’t help but want to do it myself; to feel his hair between my fingers. He is some sort of drug that I love to overdose on and I feel as if I'll never get enough of him.

  I shrug. "I don't know, I just have a feeling," and I do. I can't explain it. When the doctor had told me that based on my last period they judged my due date for the 25th, in my head I immediately thought, "Nope, it'll be Halloween." Weird, I know, but just call it a 'mother's intuition' for now.

  "Alright I'll take your word for it, but I'm still trying to get them to sign the retirement papers for September." That makes my heart go crazy. Please, please, please let them okay the papers for September, I silently pray.

  "I spoke with Rosa for a minute with Reno earlier; she's really happy you’re there for her." I lean back in Brad's office chair, relaxing my back against the leather and hold the phone above me as I stretch my legs out under the desk.

  "Don't do that, Baby," Chad says with a wide grin again on his lips, and I give him a questioning look. "I can see down your shirt." My face turns red and I sit up. "I don't wanna have to walk outta here with a hard on; they already make jokes about me enough."

  I had heard them ripping on him at the cabin that one weekend, and hey, they weren't lies. Chad is a well-endowed man, and I love it. It is only a bonus to this wholly perfect man, a very nice bonus, but one all the same. I can't help but giggle and he laughs along with me.

  "How is everything else goin’?" he inquires, adjusting the camera on his end so that I can see him a little better.

  "Well, Harlan and Kendall are gonna help me pick out paint and such for the small bedroom upstairs. Your mom has already bought a crib and basinet." I roll my eyes, and he laughs again, knowing his mother is overjoyed at the idea of finally having a grandchild. "You should really tell her to let me buy some of the big items," I try and scold him.

  "My momma is her own woman, like you, and she'll do any damn thing she pleases." His half a smile practically reaches up to his ears as he pushes a loose lock of his hair behind it. "Let her buy you what she offers to buy you. It makes her happy." I let out a strangled sounding sigh, and he laughs again, shaking his head. "What else is new?" he changes the subject.

  "Duke is being weird, but Harlan and Garth have that under control; they watch me like hawks." That isn’t a lie, because they seem to be everywhere I am. If it isn’t one of them it is Kendall. "He's being.....nice." Chad lets out a strange noise and I see him shake his head and lean back in his chair again.

  "Yeah, nice." I can tell it bothers him as he scratches more vigorously at his chin. He goes to say something, but I speak first.

  "Don't worry," I say, resting my chin in my palm with my elbow on the metal top of the desk, "I don't trust Duke as far as I can throw him." That isn't saying I'm going to be mean to him unless he provokes me, but I'm not going to go out of my way to hang out with him or anything. He sighs and rubs his hands over his face, and it hurts to know he's worried. "Chad, please don't worry. I've got lots of good people here who will help me if needed, you know that."

  "I know, Baby, I just hate not being there to look after you myself." He leans back toward the computer and his features look strained and stressed, and it pulls at my heart strings. "I love my job. I love these guys. But, I love you more and I want to be there, not here." I nod again in agreement as a small tear slips down my cheek. A little buzzing sound goes off behind Chad and I know our time is close to being up. "Two minutes, Baby," he whispers.

  "I love you," I say with a desperation that hurts my chest. "I love you with all my heart."

  Actually, I love him with every cell of my existence, but that isn’t as romantic. "I have a doctor’s appointment next week, Thursday. Kendall and Rosa are going with me, and then Rosa is gonna stay at our house."

  "Our house," he whispers to himself with a smile, and I can't help but mirror it. "I like it when you say that, and I love you too, with all my heart and soul." The buzzer goes off again and tears rim my lashes. It’s coming to an end all too soon. "I'll be seeing you, my lover." His blue eyes lock onto mine through the miles, as tears stream down to hit my hand resting on the desk.

  "I'll be seeing you, Baby." I try to smile as the words choke out, but it’s hard. He smiles wide one last time before the screen blanks out and I'm left alone in Brad's office. My chest tightens as I try and take calming breaths, wiping at the moisture on my face with a shaky hand.

  Kendall's voice rings out through the kitchen, yelling out orders, and I can tell she's stressed, so sucking up my pity party; I straighten my apron and stand, shoving my phone back in my back pocket.

  "Please, Please, PLEASE," I pray silently, my eyes closed as I
reach for the door handle, "let them approve their papers for September." Not only for me, but for Rosa as well.

  CHAPTER FOUR:

  April 22, 2012

  Rhea

  It is pleasantly warm today, about 68 degrees already, and I am glad I chose to wear a cotton sundress as I sit here in the warm church. The pastor's sermon is almost over and the breeze from Dana's fanning is cooling me off just fine. I sit close to her because she has her right hand intertwined with mine; a new side to my future mother-in-law that I am coming to enjoy. I have been listening on and off to Pastor Williams, his sermon today being about new beginnings, and I’m drifting between his voice and daydreams about Chad and I, and the baby.

  I shift my legs around so that my knees rest against Dana's. I fix the bottom hem of my white and blue sundress, pulling it as close to my knees as I can, and let out a slight sigh as I hear the pastor start to conclude his message.

  "Our final prayer," his strong voice carries out and over the crowd as I bow my head. "Dear Lord, please watch over our community. Guide us as we try and follow Your path. Please watch over our loved ones who are not with us, especially Chief Petty Officer Chad Payne as he protects us from the evils of the world."

  I smile and squeeze Dana's hand, her fingers wrapping more tightly around mine. "And Lord, keep a watchful eye on his soon to be wife, Rhea, who, as You well know, is expecting their first child,"

  What?!? I look over at Dana, my mouth a gape, but she keeps her face down, a smile trying to edge her lips. "Lord, keep a watchful eye on them and all of their loved ones. In Your name we pray, Amen."

  I hear everyone issue the 'Amen', but my eyes are still locked on Dana, wide as they can be and my mouth probably ready to catch flies. I can feel eyes on me as the congregation raises their heads and eventually standing, following the pastor as he walks down the center aisle to open the doors and shake hands as we leave.

  "Don't look at me like that, Hon," Dana says, finally meeting my gaze. "I didn't know he'd include you in the final prayer."

  "Didn't you remeber that I didn't want anyone to know?" She knows I don’t want the rumor mill spewing my name again. In my mind I’m going over all of the possible things people are bound to say. ‘Oh I bet it’s Duke’s baby and not Chad’s’ or ‘I bet she did it on purpose to trap him’.

  She stands, ignoring all of the glances and whispers coming our way, and pulls me with her, the stares reaching me through the flow of people out the front doors into the warm early morning. "Dana, this is only the end of my first trimester, what if something happens?" Then I'm going to have to face a whole new round of rumors, that's what.

  "Don't think like that," she scolds me, her lips close to my cheek as she pulls my arm underneath hers and steers us toward the door. "Everything is going to be fine, and what better way to announce something than at church?"

  "Oh I don't know," I sarcastically add, "maybe when I want to." The stares feel like they are going to burn holes in my dress as we make it to the pastor. He is balding with thick glasses, the same height as me (five foot three-ish) with a slight pot belly, but Pastor Williams is a good man. Whenever someone in the congregation is in need, he’s there within a heartbeat.

  "Rhea, I'm very happy for you." He grips my hand, covering it with his other as his deep brown eyes roam my face. "I'll keep you in my prayers."

  "Thank you, Father," I say, resting my hand at my waist when he releases it. "Please keep praying for Chad as well. I don't think I'll be able to do this without him." Dana squeezes my arm and gives me a sweet smile. "His momma's a good help, though," I say resting my head against hers.

  "Oh I'll keep all of you in my prayers," he smiles, "especially that little one." He points to my stomach, and I look down. It's still not that visible, but I know it's there. The doctor tells me that in a couple more weeks I’ll definitely be showing. Rosa has a nice sized bump, and every time we’re together, my hands can’t help but rest there and wait; hoping I’ll feel something.

  "I'll be praying his Nana won't spoil him, or her, too much." He laughs heartily and Dana and I both join him, waving our farewells as we descend the wooden, white-washed steps.

  "Nana?" I ask, giving Dana a raised eyebrow as she climbs into her Malibu's driver seat. We haven't really discussed what she wants the baby to call her. Hell, I haven't even really thought of names. Not knowing the gender yet leaves too many options and I'm not a good decision maker when there are millions upon millions of options.

  "Yeah," she smiles, backing from our spot in the grass and turning out of the parking lot, heading for the grocery store to get ingredients for our customary Sunday dinners, "that's what I called my grandmother and what my mother called hers. Unless you had something else in mind?" She gives me the opportunity to disagree.

  "No, no, no." I smile as she pulls into the half empty parking lot of Channing's Chuck Wagon, our local grocery store and deli. "I like it."

  I grab her hand as she comes around the front of the car, and she hugs me tight; her long, cotton, sunflower-yellow skirt brushes my bare shins. I can tell she's happy, and that makes me happy. I kiss her on the cheek as my wedge sandals scuff on the sidewalk. The automatic doors squeak open, letting the smells of their deli waft right up to me.

  Grabbing a cart, I follow her through the aisles as she puts different items in; slipping in a few of my own when her back is turned. A bag of chocolate covered raisins here, and sour cream and onion chips there, won't hurt anything. I lose every ounce of self-control when we get to the freezer section, and I spy the ice cream

  While Dana gets what she wants for our dessert, I'm lost in the land of craving, surrounded by every kind of chocolate ice cream and fruit flavored sherbet that you can think of. Pulling a 'Heavenly Hash' half gallon tub out, along with a plastic tub of lime/raspberry sherbet, I turn around to Dana smiling at me with her hands on her hips.

  "What?" I ask with a laugh.

  "You should get something other than junk food, Hon," she grins, taking the cold items from my arms and putting them on top of hers in the cart. I really feel like finding a spoon and diving into the chocolaty goodness right now, but it’ll have to wait.

  "I still have plenty of food in the house!” I try to defend my choices because my fridge is full of food as I just did the grocery shopping with Kendall two days ago after work. "Even the freezer in the garage is full."

  Dana nods in agreement, dropping the topic for now, but I know she'll bring it up again, or she'll just snoop around when she's over. I'm okay with that, because I know what's in my fridge. I love my junk food, but I'm not a junk food slob. I love cooking meals for Kendall, Harlan, Brad, Garth, and I; a new Saturday afternoon tradition that we've started.

  Our cashier is Harlan's sixteen year old brother's girlfriend, Tracie Kindle, and she chatters away about how she just heard about my pregnancy. I look over at Dana, and she gives me an 'oops' kind of look and I just roll my eyes.

  "I know Kendall don't like me much," she says, her light green eyes looking up to me as she scans our items, "but I'd like to help with the baby shower if you'd let me." Tracie is a nice girl; her older sister was in my grade, we had been friends when we were younger. Something happened in middle school between Tracie's sister and Kendall that had ended our friendship, and Kendall made me promise not to talk to her and I had stupidly agreed.

  "Well, I would like that," I say with a smile, and her eyes light up. "Does your sister, Lindsey, still live 'round here?"

  "Yeah, she's in Virginia Beach and I bet she'd love to hear from you." She flips her straight strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and pulls a pen from her red apron. "This is her number; I know she'll be happy to help if ya contact her." She looks at me from the corner of her eye. "She still talks about when you guys were friends when you were younger, ya know?” She hands me the piece of receipt paper and resumes ringing our groceries as a young man bags them.

  "Lindsey still talks about me?" I ask, astonished. I'm surprised the
girl remembers me at all, being as we never really associated through high school because of Kendall's hatred of her. "Well, yeah, I'll give her a call," I say and mean it.

  Tracie finishes ringing up the cart load of food, and I split the cost with Dana. She argues with me about it for ten minutes, practically causing a scene and I am thankful that there are only a handful of people in the store.

  "See ya soon, Tracie," I say, giving her a small wave. "I'll call ya or get little Johnny to give ya a message." She blushes at the mention of her boyfriend, and I giggle, waving once more as I follow Dana and the bag boy out to the Malibu.

  We should have offered to tip the bag boy to come and unload the groceries, too, because as soon as we get the last couple of bags in the house, both Dana and I collapse on her couch, both of us exhausted. "Good thing we're only havin’ a steak salad," she laughs, slapping my knee as she leans forward to switch on the radio, "or I'd be passed out tired by nine." I can't help but laugh because it's true, probably for me too, and I get off the couch and help her put the food away.

  Taking my bag with the ice cream, sherbet, and other items I had sneaked into the cart, I tell Dana I'll be back in an hour; leaving out the side door through the garage I spot that familiar Dodge Ram in my driveway. I stop, seeing Duke on my porch with his back to me, and I take in a deep breath, feeling for my cell phone in the small purse at my hip just in case. Probably hearing my sigh, Duke spins around, his blue-green eyes finding me with a smile on his lips. Taking his camo cap off, he runs his hand through his blonde hair, sweeping it back before replacing the hat as I come to the bottom of the steps.

  "What can I do for ya, Duke?" I ask as politely as I can.

  He smiles at me, showing off his dimples. "I just stopped by to see if ya need anything done ‘round here." He hops down a few steps, making me crane my neck to look up at him. His smile wanes for a split second. "I also just happened to hear a very strange rumor." His head cocks to the side as if he is trying to appraise my reaction.