Love Unexpected (Navy Love Series Book 2) (23 page)

However, duty calls.

I was surprised my Leading Petty Officer texted me this morning saying he needed to brief us on the deployment. I didn’t think we’d know anything until after Christmas. To say my curiosity is spiked is an understatement.

Growing up, before I was adopted, Christmas was just another day. My mother didn’t buy me any presents, she didn’t even bother to not get stoned out of her mind on that day. After I was adopted, my parents tried to make Christmas a better experience for me, which they did, to an extent. But in the back of my mind, every year I found myself wondering what my birth mother was doing. If she cleaned herself up and if she worried about me and how I ended up.

Despite my inner, negative thoughts, I always had a good time. I consider myself one of the lucky kids—I found a family who took me in and cared for me unlike any of my foster parents did.

That thought process leads me to realize how lucky I am to have such close friends. They’ve become an extended family for me. Tegan was right at the hospital when she said I’m part of the family.

Marshall proved just how great of a friend he was when he met me at the mall a few days ago and helped pick out something meaningful for Tegan for Christmas. Having no experience shopping for women, I obviously called in reinforcements.

She was working so there was no need for a distraction. And it didn’t take us long to find the perfect gift for her.

My hand grips the small jewelry box that’s stored in my uniform pocket. I, unfortunately have watch until 1600 today. This small thing has been sitting in my truck glove box for the past few days. While I don’t doubt she’ll love it, I’m still nervous.

I’m ready to get out of here as soon as my relief comes to replace me on watch, but I have one more stop to make.

Nervous doesn’t begin to describe how I’m feeling as I walk into my Chief’s office. Reassuring Tegan this morning was just as much for my benefit as it was for hers. I don’t want to deploy. Hoping for good news, I knock on the door and push it open.

I’m not terribly surprised to see Jo and J.C. standing in the office, but I am surprised that they are the only ones other than our Chief and Lead Petty Officer here.

“Chief,” I stand at attention.

“Reed, at ease.” He focuses his attention on all three of us as I move to stand next to them. “I brought you three in today just to give you guys an update on the DET leaving in a couple weeks. I cannot say for sure how long you’ll be gone for, but I can say that this, another deployment will look good on any of your evals. I can tell you that this won’t be a standard deployment, so there is a chance of you coming home sooner—or possibly later—than the normal six-month timeframe. You three are all up to deploy, so I thought I’d see if anyone wanted to volunteer before I make the decision for you.”

“I’ll go, sir,” J.C. says all business-like. “I could use a getaway for a while.”

I hear a faint gasp out of Jo, but she quickly covers her reaction up.

“Okay, thanks, Collins. I’ll get your name on the work-up paperwork. Next time you report, they’ll give you all the details.”

“Thank you, Chief.”

Chief talks with us for a few more minutes before he dismisses us.

Jo rushes past J.C. and me in a huff while we talk.

“Really, man?” I say.

“I need to get away for a while. Things are crazy here.” He motions toward the direction Jo just ran off to by way of explanation. “Maybe a deployment will do me some good.”

“Alright.” I clasp my hand to his shoulder. “Just make sure you take care of yourself out there. Let’s get out of here and get over to Tessa’s for dinner, how about it?”

“Abso-fuckin-lutely, man.”

Pulling up in front of Tess and Hunter’s house, I’m anxious. I’ve already met Tegan’s parents, but this is the first time I’m meeting them as Tegan’s boyfriend. While they didn’t dislike me back then, that could change today.

I walk into see Hunter on the floor with the twins while Sawyer has both of her grandfathers on the couch reading with her. Marshall is chatting with our friend Miller.

“Hey, man,” Hunter says in greeting as he rises off the floor and shakes my hand.

“Charming,” Marshall winks. The bastard calls me that ridiculous nickname all the time now.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Did you see J.C. at work? He said the LPO texted him this morning and needed him to come in,” Miller asks. She works with us, so her suspicion is high like mine was that our LPO would call any of us in on a holiday.

“Yeah, long story, and not mine to tell. I’m sure J.C. will fill you in when he gets here.”

“Him and Jo should be here soon, I would think,” Marsh says. “He texted me an hour ago saying he was leaving work.”

I shake my head but don’t say anything. I’d be willing to bet that J.C. and Jo are probably together at the moment either fighting or fucking over what just happened in the Chief’s office.

I scan the room, searching for the one face I want to see more than anything.

“The girls are with their mom in the kitchen,” Hunter answers my unasked question.

With a nod, I head into the kitchen.

Tegan is sitting on a barstool with her back turned to me, listening to whatever her mom is saying. Tessa sees me sneak up behind her sister and a light smile graces her face. I wrap my arms around Tegan’s small waist and bring my lips to her cheek before she has a chance to see who it is.

“Hey, babe,” I whisper in her ear, “Missed you today.”

She giggles.

“It’s only been like five hours since you saw me last.”

“So? It was a long five hours.” I bring my lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

A throat clearing snaps us out of our little daydream and into the realization that we have an audience.

I clear my throat as well and pull myself up to standing beside Tegan with one arm around her shoulder.

“Hey, Mrs. Daniels. How’ve you been?”

Tegan’s mom comes around the bar smiling with her arms wide open.

“Mrs. Daniels is my mother-in-Law, Reed. Call me Elizabeth. Just because you’re dating my daughter doesn’t mean things have to change since the last time we met. Although, I do hope you’re in a better mood now.”

I can’t help but laugh. Mrs. Daniels doesn’t beat around the bush.

“Yes, ma’am. Your daughter is to thank for that.”

“Good. She has a way of putting everyone around her in a better mood. You take care of her, ya hear? Don’t do her wrong.”

“Absolutely not.”

We hear the front door open and Tess and Elizabeth go to the living room immediately, knowing it’s probably Jo. Tegan and I stay back.

“Everything okay at work? What’d they say?” she asks.

“Everything is good, I’m not going on a deployment. J.C. volunteered, so I have a feeling Jo is going to need someone to lean on,” I say just as J.C. and Marshall come into the room.

They were in the middle of a conversation, but it ends just as they spot Tegan and me. From the very little I overheard, sounds like Marsh is giving some of his wisdom to someone else now.

I excuse myself and go change out of my uniform, placing the jewelry box inside my jacket pocket until later.

Everyone eats shortly after Jo’s arrival. I can’t say for sure, but she looks as if she’s been crying.

As soon as dinner is finished, Mr. Daniels pulls me aside to question my relationship with Tegan. I guess I should have spoken with her father before I hugged and kissed on her throughout dinner.

“Son, I don’t know what is going on between you and my Bug, but she seems happy. I’ve learned through Tessa that I shouldn’t be so quick to judge someone based on the past. I didn’t like Hunter before meeting him simply because of his single parent situation. And I don’t want to do that to you. Even though I met you at the wedding, I wasn’t entirely impressed with your attitude or the way you drank the entire night…”

“Sir, I can explain that. I was going through somewhat of a break up at the time, my drinking was the only way I knew how to handle sitting in the same room with a woman that already owned my heart. I didn’t want to admit that I cared for Tegan at that point. I was an asshole and I’m aware of that. I’m trying to make up for my behavior toward her every day now.”

“Do you love her?”

“I do, sir. She doesn’t know it yet, but I absolutely do.”

“Good.” He shakes my hand. “Don’t break her heart.”

“Never, sir.”

A little while later, after gifts are exchanged, Tegan and I drive to my apartment. We chose to wait on exchanging our gifts until we were alone.

Sitting on the couch, my nerves start to get the best of me.

Tegan holds a shirt box on her lap.

“Well, I guess we should just swap?” she asks.

“I want to give you your gift last. I need to explain it a little.”

She nods and hands over the box wrapped in red paper. I rip the paper off and open the box, revealing a 5x7 frame with a picture of the two of us from the first night we met.

“How did you get this?”

She shrugs her shoulder.

“I didn’t remember anyone taking it. Marshall texted it to me a couple days before you showed up at the coffee shop. I had it printed so we both have a copy of it.”

She wrings her hands together as I stare at the image of us. I’ll never forget that night. I knew within minutes of meeting her that there was something different about her. My head was too stubborn to realize it, but I’m certain a part of me fell for Tegan that night. She wore a pair of jeans and one of those damn flowy tank tops she loves so much. She wasn’t dressed up looking for a man like so many others were, but it was impossible to not notice her.

My silence must make her uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, it’s a cheesy gift. I didn’t think it—”

I cut her off by pulling her lips to mine.

“It isn’t cheesy. I love it, babe.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

I lean back and pull the small jewelry out of my jacket pocket that’s sitting on the arm of the couch. I sit it on her lap without a word.

Tegan gasps when she pops the box open.

“Charlie! This is beautiful!”

Knowing she likes it, my anxiety calms down. I smile at her then proceed to help her put it on.

She faces me again so I can admire it. The dainty anchor with one diamond looks perfect on her neck.

“So I know the anchor is a little cliché coming from a sailor, but I do have some meaning behind it. You are my anchor, Tegan. I know as long as I have you with me, I’ll never drift too far from the course I’m on. You keep me rooted. And you’re needed more than you’ll ever know.”

“Charlie, that’s beautiful,” she says as she toys with the charm. “I love it so much.”

I smile, too afraid if I open my mouth, I won’t be able to stop those three little words that are dying to come out.

“So, are you excited for our trip?” she asks after we’ve settled in bed.

“Yeah, it’ll be interesting to say the least.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never taken a woman, or anyone for that matter, home. And typically my mom tries to have a heartfelt conversation about my birth mother.”

“Well, I’ll be there to support you this time,” Tegan reassures me.

“I know, babe. I’m glad you will be.”

With that we both fall silent and drift off to sleep.