Nerd and the Marine (32 page)

She wanted this man.

And he wanted her.

She’d given up on men. She always
figured she'd end up one of the old maiden aunts. Content in her
house and with her family, but not ever marrying or having
children. It wasn’t like the family name was about to die
out.

And she’d nurtured her independence.
Could she give up that hard won victory? Was being in love enough
to relinquish her solitary life? Was love worth the
risk?

Lainy finally settled down enough to
return to the computer. There was a firewall to repair and she
needed to author another virus, since the attacks hadn’t
ceased.

While she worked, she glanced at
Mitch’s company picture she’d reprinted, since someone had swiped
hers again, and something warm and sweet uncurled inside. That man
in the back, second in on the left, wanted her. He considered
himself hers, just as she considered herself his. Lainy intended to
take him for as long as she could hold onto him. Maybe being in
love could be fun.

Too restless to stay in the house,
Lainy took Bentley for a walk. It was cold and started to snow,
hard, but Lainy didn’t care. She laughed as Bentley frolicked. He
chased flakes and their antics brought out the herd. She started a
snowball battle and they ended up making a snowman and then trooped
into her grandparent’s house for hot chocolate and cookies before
parting ways.

Her grandmother sent her a secret
smile when she left and Lainy figured that lady must have seen
something on her face to elicit that smile. Thoughtfully, Lainy
strolled to the mirror when she returned home. Her eyes sparkled
behind her glasses and her face looked flushed. She smiled easily.
She looked like a woman in love.

Which was appropriate.

*****

She and Mitch e-mailed every day, as
promised, sometimes several times a day. Each message was precious.
They had a bit of a respite, since he stayed on the base for ten
days. She savored each message.

Lainy was as happy as she could be,
for a woman thousands of miles away from the man she loved. Mitch
gave her little indications he loved her, too. That he shared her
feelings. She didn't care if he realized his yet or not. Just so
long as they felt the same way. She’d be crushed if he changed his
mind.

His concern for her safety was a
wonderful indication. As were certain words he used, and the way he
said things. Her sisters and mother all claimed only a man in love
would say things like that. Lainy didn’t want to voice her thoughts
over e-mail. She needed to tell him to his face.

How she’d work up the courage was a
completely different story, but she’d have to try. Sending her
wants, needs, and desires electronically felt wrong, even to her,
and must have to him, too, because he never voiced his feelings
either. Except to tell her he missed her, and wished they could be
together.

He told her he dreamed of her nearly
every night and this made her cry. Even now, while he was gone
again and they couldn’t speak for the next three months, she felt
an unfamiliar longing rise within her. He dreamt about her. Only a
man in love would do that, right?

Lainy filled her time with more
inventions. She didn’t know what it was about being in love, but
she’d thought up several new very promising items. The only bad
thing was that she kept having to update her firewall. And her
locks had definitely been tampered with. Even the outside cellar
door had scratch marks.

Now she’d taken to securing the laptop
she used for her projects every night. As well as encrypting the
entire contents. Someone wanted something from her. After seven or
eight months of unusual happenings, this someone struck her as
foe.

She’d gathered her latest patent
applications and sent them in the hopes that would stop matters.
She was wearying of updating her security systems every month.
Tired of feeling hunted. Ed was as tired as she about her fight
with the firewall. A cousin, a cop, investigated on the side, and
she figured her brothers all made excuses to pass by her house
regularly. Glancing down at Bentley, she was grateful for her last
line of defense.

She played with Bentley in the snow
and signed up at a gym with her sisters. They wanted to get into
shape for swimsuit season, which they claimed was very close. She
didn’t quite believe them, since February had only just begun. But
they understood these things, so she went along.

Valentine’s Day arrived, and Lainy
knew Mitch was in the desert and wouldn’t have any idea as to the
day. She thought of him often, and hoped he thought of her. That
would have to do for this year. Besides, she'd never been anyone's
Valentine before. Why start now?

A knock sounded at the door and she
hurried to open it. Steve stood on her doorstep. She stared at him
in bemusement. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“
School’s over for the
day.”

“
Oh, right.” She glanced at
the clock in the living room.

“
This is for you.” He
handed her something wrapped in notebook paper.

A heart shaped woven basket made out
of red and pink construction paper fell into her hand. A slip of
paper peeked out of the top.

“
Thank you, Stevie.” There,
she had gotten something from a male on Valentine’s Day. So what if
he was her nephew?

“
It’s not from me, Aunt
Lainy. Uncle Mitch asked me to make the heart, and told me how.
Then he sent me an e-mail attachment to print out and put inside. I
didn’t read it,” Steve assured her and Lainy blinked back tears and
swallowed her heart.

“
Oh, Stevie,” she
whispered.

Steve gave her a quick, awkward hug,
patted Bentley and slipped him something before he left with a
wave.

Lainy floated into the living room and
sank onto the nearest chair. She plucked the sheet of paper from
the heart and carefully unfolded it. Tears threatened to spill
again. Mitch was in the middle of a desert across the ocean, but
he’d thought of her.

He’d remembered Valentine’s
Day.

My Dearest
Lainy,

If you’re reading this,
it’s Valentine’s Day and I didn’t want the day to pass without you
getting something from me. I can’t send you flowers or candy, as
I’d like to, or take you out for a romantic dinner, as I’d love
to.

I want to hold you close,
too, but since I can’t do that either, I enlisted Steve to assist
me. He was very eager to help. What a great kid.

I told him I didn’t know
what to do for you for Valentine’s Day and he came up with this
heart shaped basket they’d made a few years ago. I helped him with
the specifications and together we made it work.

So, I suppose the only
thing I need to do now is ask you a question.

Will you be my
Valentine?

Your Valentine,

Mitch (I’m taking this for
granted, I know. But you’re the only woman I want.)

Lainy clutched the paper to her chest,
bowed her head, and sobbed.

Chapter Thirty-One

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject: Bentley the
Hero

Hello Mitch,

Thanks for my Valentine's
Day surprise. I will most definitely be your Valentine. I've never
been anyone’s Valentine before. And I'm thankful. I'm very proud to
be yours. Thank you for that gift! I hope you're back soon. I hate
the time you're away. (I know I tell you that all the
time.)

We had a little adventure
here. Someone broke into my house the other night. I have bad
allergies and took some sinus medicine before going to bed.
Unfortunately, it dopes me out – the boys like to tease me about
being a moron... Whoever broke into the house chose a good night,
because I could barely function.

Bentley however had no
problems with this issue. He seemed to have chosen the “bite first,
ask questions later” plan of attack and his decision proved worthy.
He set up a ruckus so loud it woke Great Aunt Tilly, and she’d
taken her hearing aids out. Bentley was very ferocious.

I think he would have
protected me to the death. His behavior is
root-beer-every-day-for-the-rest-of his-time-with-me worthy. I
couldn't have defended myself. The police believe it was just a
random break-in by some local punks. (Fortunately not suspected to
be relations.) I'm not entirely sold on that theory.

But, we're fine, a bit
shaken, on my part at least, but fine. I feel... violated. I don't
believe they'll be back because one of them swore and then said
something like, “She has a dog.” And the other one yelled something
like, “It's a big dog!” and they both escaped through the window
they pried open. (Bentley wasn't feeling friendly at
all.)

Like I said, we're fine. I
just thought I should tell you before you heard exaggerated tales
from the family. Bentley saved the day!

Your’s,

Lainy

Mitch stared at the screen in horror.
Lainy tried to sound all tough and nonchalant, but her fear nearly
oozed from the screen. With an exclamation, he jabbed the
disconnect button and then lunged for the door. He needed a phone.
He mentally figured out the time difference. It wasn’t too late to
call, thank goodness.

Tapping out Lainy's number took only
moments since he'd long ago memorized it. The ringing on the other
end set his teeth on edge. He kept up a litany for the duration of
about four rings, “Answer the phone, answer the phone, answer the
phone.”

“
Morrison residence?” a
harassed sounding male voice said.

“
Is Lainy there?” Mitch
tried to sound calm. He was a Marine, for crying out loud, this
should not be difficult.

“
Yeah, who's this?” The
voice sounded suspicious.

“
Mitch,” he bit out,
wanting to drum his fingers on the man's head, but settled for the
table top instead.

“
Yeah, thought so,” the
voice said with satisfaction. “
Lainy
,” he heard the man
yell.

“
What?” He heard a woman's
voice, Lainy's, answer.

“
Yo, princess, the phone's
for you.”

“
Can you take a
message?”

“
I could, but I think you
want to talk to this guy.” Now the voice sounded
complacent.

“
Who?” Mitch wanted to
shout at her to pick up the phone.

“
Mitch.”

“
Why didn't you say that in
the first place, genius, he's calling from overseas.” He heard the
irritation and excitement in her voice and some of his tension
eased.

“
Excuse me,
princess
, your subject
heartily...”

“
Mitch?” Lainy's breathless
voice rushed over the line finally and he tuned out the voice still
heckling her in the background.

“
It's me. Are you okay,
Lainy?” he uttered in almost his normal voice.

“
I'm fine. I can't be
anything else. My brothers are taking turns staying with me. Tom's
here now,” she answered and while he detected some stringency, he
also thought he heard relief and affection in her voice.

“
I'm glad one of them is
with you.”

“
I've got Bentley, I don't
need them.”

“
I'm sure you don't need
them, baby, but please remember we need to know you're safe. Maybe
they're in the way, but it sure does make the men in your family
feel useful and protective. And it makes me feel
better.”

She must have caught something in his
voice because she said quietly, “Mitch, you're an ocean away, but
you still protected me.”

“
How?” he bit out,
disgusted he hadn't been there, angry someone had scared her,
disappointed he couldn't go to her yet, but relieved she had a huge
family.
What use was he
?

“
Bentley.”

“
What?” He wondered if he'd
missed something.

“
You loaned me Bentley and
if he hadn't been here...” The catch in her voice nearly killed
him. Closing his eyes, he tried to deep breathe to keep himself
from smashing something. “You had Bentley, and I'm proud of
him.”

“
Yes, I did. He was really,
really wonderful, Mitch. He saved me. I was so incoherent. I'm
never taking those pills again. I'd rather be able to defend myself
and be miserable than to be doped up like that with no
allergies.”

Mitch kept his eyes closed, wanting to
hold her so much. He bit down on his lip and tasted
blood.

“
Lainy?” he
whispered.

“
Yes?” she whispered
back.

“
Are you alone?”

“
I am.” The ache in her
voice threatened to undo him, because the pain sounded identical to
his. This woman touched his soul like no other woman had ever done
before.

“
Good. I can't be there
with you right now.” He hated that his statement was
true.