Nerd and the Marine (23 page)

“
I don’t know,
Ben.”

“
Lain, I think you’re
making this harder than it is.”

Lainy scowled. “How is that
possible?”

“
He’s a man, you’re a
woman. It’s that simple.”

She thought about that. Was
that how men viewed relationships? As male/female with no other
complications?
Was she making this harder
than necessary
? Did she stand a chance with
Mitch? If that’s how men viewed life, she and Mitch might be okay.
But then her ex’s had viewed life that way and....

“
I’d say you’re a good
match. But the rellys are going to overwhelm him.” Ben broke into
her thoughts, thankfully.

“
Probably,” she said and
sighed, grateful for the conversation shift.

“
I think you have to be
born into this family not to be overwhelmed.”

“
You weren't, well, you
were.”

“
You know what I mean. I'm
adopted, but I still fit.”

“
Exactly. You and your
sister’s are all adopted and you fit. You do look like
Granddad.”

“
Mitch isn’t going to have
the advantage of having gone to school with us like most of the
in-laws.”

“
K.C. didn’t go to school
with us, and she fits.”

Ben cocked his head. “True. Is there
something going on with her and Max do you think?”

“
They’re business
partners.”

“
Yeah, I know.” But his
frown made her stop and think about the situation.

“
I have gotten the vibe
that he wouldn’t mind making their partnership personal, but I
don’t get that same vibe from her.”

“
No, I don’t either.” Ben
nodded. “So I suppose some can fit in, even if they’re not an
in-law. But I still think Mitch will need time.”

“
Yes. But lots of the
rellys e-mail him, so I don't think that'll be a problem, so long
as we don't have a huge reunion.”

“
I think the key is to ease
him in. He's met Melly but doesn't remember her. He knows me
now.”

“
I think you were the best
for him to meet.”

“
You got feelings for
him?”

She'd been waiting for that question.
“You know, the girls have already jumped me on this,” she warned,
trying to avoid the issue. She didn't know how much men talked, but
figured Ben had the best idea of any of how Mitch felt about her
and if he wasn't interested, she didn't need to know that right
now.

“
All of them?”

“
Yep,” Lainy answered. “We
had a chocolate fest.”

“
Sounds... interesting.
What'd they say?”

“
I should enjoy this
courtship and not stress over things moving so slow.”

Ben grunted, and Lainy figured that
was a man's way of processing information. Like the sounds a
computer made computing data. “What's that mean?”

“
What's what
mean?”

“
The grunt?” Lainy cocked
her head to the side, and spread her palms.

“
Nothing,” he responded
oh-so-helpfully.

Lainy waited.

“
I think Mitch has feelings
for you, but you haven't met in person. I agree with the girls to
enjoy your time getting to know each other. Figure out the rest
when he comes home.”

“
When's that going to
be?”

“
I don't know Lainy. I'm
sure he doesn't either. I doubt his bosses know. If we had magic
answers, we'd give them. But we don't.”

“
I hate this.” Lainy wanted
to pound something. The situation kept her from knowing Mitch for
sure. Knowing about them. And not knowing was driving her crazy -
her stomach burned. This love ulcer wasn’t helping
either.

“
But you don't hate Mitch,”
Ben pointed out.

Not wanting to extend this
conversation any longer, Lainy changed the subject with a tidbit
that would distract him. “I saw Treeny a few days ago.” She glanced
at him from the corner of her eye.

“
How was she?” She didn't
miss the intense element in his voice.

“
She's fine.” Lainy
deliberately didn’t offer more details.

“
Good, I'm glad.” He took
another swig of his cola. “Did she look stressed or beat or
anything?” Lainy picked up some strain. She smiled to herself. If
she had correctly interpreted Treeny’s despair during their
chocolate fest, Lainy suspected the man sitting in front of her was
the cause, and the cure.

“
Got feelings for her,
Ben?”

Ben crushed the can in his fist and
slowly looked up at her. She'd never seen his eyes so intense.
“Yes, Lainy, I've had feelings for her since I took her into Will's
closet all those years ago.”

Lainy rocked back and stared at him.
“I had no idea you still felt that way. Ben, why didn't you tell
me?” She was incredulous at his expressing these very private
feelings and happy to not worry about her own romance at the
moment. She preferred helping with his - it made a nice
change.

“
Treeny was too young. I've
known all along how much she's wanted to be a doctor. And I've
wanted to be a SEAL for as long as I can remember. You know
that.”

“
Yes, I do.”

“
I also figured there'd be
no way to combine both careers.”

“
Ah.” Lainy raised an
eyebrow. “But...?”

“
But there are other guys
who manage just fine. I've been watching them, some of the older
guys have been married for ten years, have kids, lead normal
lives.” Ben yanked a hand over his hair.

“
As normal a life as a SEAL
can have.”

Ben looked her in the eyes. “You know,
Treeny's finished with her residency. She’s probably thinking about
settling down.”

“
Probably. What are you
planning to do about it?”

“
I'm also going to be away
a lot this next year or more. Well, for however long this state of
affairs lasts.” He shoved back in his seat and glanced out the
window.

Lainy cleared her throat but before
she could comment, he went on. “I hate the idea of Treeny with
someone else. I always have.” He cracked his knuckles and Lainy
watched with interest. Ben and Max were the most self-contained men
she knew. To see Ben lose his control over a woman was incredible
to behold. Idly she wondered what it would take to see Max lose it
over a woman.

“
So, what are you
thinking?”

“
I'd like to see her. Just
to determine if what I'm feeling is all about memories or something
more. That way, I can move on in either case.”

“
How do you intend to go
about this?”

“
I'm not sure. I probably
won't have time this visit. I'm due back on base in twenty-four
hours. I just wanted to run the idea by you, see if this whole
thing sounded crazy when I said it out loud. But it
doesn't.”

“
No, I think you'd be wise
to pursue it. Set yourself free or commit, which ever the case may
be.”

“
Do you know what she's
doing now?”

“
I think she’s working in a
doctor’s office.”

“
I thought Rachel said she
was starting new training.” A frown creased his
forehead.

“
She did, last year. But as
far as I know, she’s working fulltime now.”

“
Will she stay around here,
do you think?” Ben’s voice went thick.

“
Ben, the really nice thing
about being a doctor is you can go just about anywhere and find a
job. I doubt she’s going to worry too much about other employment
right now. I suspect she’ll remain around here, unless she’s
offered something better.”

“
Do you think she’d move to
wherever I’m stationed?”

“
I don’t know. If you show
her you’re serious about the two of you being together, I’m sure
she’ll be happy to go wherever you are.”

“
She might have to keep
building up her practice if she continues moving with
me.”

“
Ben, she can doctor
anywhere you’re stationed. I think you need to contact her before
you start worrying about all this,” Lainy concluded, exasperation
uppermost in her mind. “You could also settle here and commute. But
talk to her before you make plans.”

“
Right. That’s probably a
good place to start.” He rubbed his chin.

“
Good. I’m glad you finally
agree with me for once.”

“
Now, since we’ve got my
love life settled, let’s talk about yours.” Ben grinned at her with
all the mischief of their childhood. Lainy’s head banged against
the table. She let him hear her groan.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ben stayed the night but left in the
morning. He didn’t tell Lainy where he was going, and she didn’t
ask. He probably couldn’t tell her anyway, so no sense in making
him fudge an answer. They hadn’t progressed very far with her love
life, since she didn’t know where it would lead. All that could
change, too, with this e-mail she kept putting off. Or once she and
Mitch met in person.

“
I don’t know what the man
looks like in person. Ben, I haven’t even spoken with him on the
phone. I couldn’t tell you what his voice sounds like. You know
more about him than me. At least you'd know him if he came walking
down the street.” Lainy exclamation was infused with disgust. Which
wasn’t far from how she felt.

“
Calm down. We won’t
discuss your love life. How ‘bout we eat instead?” Ben answer had
been hasty as well as timely, so she agreed. She’d discussed her
love life, or whatever it was enough already and had no intention
of wracking her brain any more. She’d just as soon get on with her
work and try not to think of Mitch and Ben risking their
lives.

The least she could do was continue to
ease Mitch’s time in Kuwait and keep him company as well as she
could. At least with e-mails they had a limited connection. What
they’d have when he returned would have to wait until
then.

Providing he did return. Even if not
intact, she still prayed for his safe arrival home. Yet that wasn’t
guaranteed. She read the paper once in a while and saw the number
of men and women serving overseas who wouldn’t return alive to
their families. Lainy had to recognize Mitch could be among those
brave military heroes and she finally understood the adage of “it’s
far better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all”.
Was this love?

She still wanted a hug and she
wouldn’t say no to a round in Will’s lake cabin closet, either.
Forget the heartbreak, forget her previous experiences. How she’d
love to take Mitch to the lake. Have a food fight with him and
douse him in root beer for a fast trip into the water. She’d love
to see him return with the other men, fishy and smelly but happy
with the bounty he’d helped bring home for dinner.

She wanted to see him in all the
environments she’d always loved. To enjoy the sunsets together and
hear the sound of the herd laughing and the dogs barking. She
longed to watch him as the wind whipped through his hair on one of
her brothers’ boats. To laugh with her at Bentley’s exuberance and
insistence on riding in the very front.

She had so many things she wanted to
show him and so much she needed to learn about and with him.
Unfortunately, they’d be out of contact for the next thirty days,
at best. At worst, she wouldn’t hear from him until the end of
September, early October. Which seemed too long a time.

And this was only the beginning of
long bouts away from civilization. Lainy needed to fill her time.
She refused to go crazy with the waiting. Especially when she had
no idea what she waited for. “Enjoy getting to know him,” she
chided herself.

She did ping e-mails to him every once
in a while, of funny stories she didn’t want to forget, but still
fretted about that all important one.

She extracted the mail from the box on
her porch and flipping through, found a packet from Mitch. Excited,
she ripped the envelope open. She noticed his masculine, easy
script and felt a part of him. She liked his handwriting. And his
request made her feel wifely.

Dear Lainy,

Sorry to send you this
type of mail with this type of problem, but I didn’t know who else
to ask and I got this the day we pulled out for the next
assignment. I really need this mess taken care of. If you tell them
I’m in Kuwait with the Marines, I doubt you’ll have much problem.
(I did call them.)

I apologize for this in
advance. I hate sending my bank account information through the
mail, but you need access to my money, so here’s the
info.

Looking closer, Lainy saw another
letter addressed to the bank giving her authorization and
explaining to his credit union the problem and how he'd requested
she take care of his money matters while away. He’d written this on
very official looking paper and signed the page with a witness. An
admiral witness, it looked like. Beneath both names looked like
their military identification numbers.