Sidelined: A Sports Romance (31 page)

* * *

“
K
nock knock
. I’m home.” Skye called into the apartment. She heard laughter around the corner. She followed the sounds to see Ben and her mother chopping vegetables on the counter.

“Oh honey, you’re home.” Patty skirted around Ben and pulled Skye into a hug. “Ben here is helping me make chicken stir fry. You still like that, right?”

“Of course.” Skye nodded. She watched as Ben sliced into a red pepper. “Hey.”

He winked. “Patty was telling me all about your favorite foods. You must be the only kid in the history of kid-dom who didn’t like macaroni and cheese.”

“Oh no. What else did she tell you?” Skye noticed how happy her mother looked. Her eyes were clear.

“Nothing that embarrassing. She promised some baby photos later.”

Skye groaned. “I’m going to go change. I’ll be right back.” She left them in the kitchen, slicing and dicing. Skye returned in a pair of yoga pants and a long tank top. It always felt good getting out of heels and her suit.

“Can I help with anything?” She peered over the counter.

Ben waved a knife in the air. “We’ve got this under control. Why don’t you take this glass of wine I poured for you and sit in the living room until it’s ready?”

“Yes, sir.” She giggled.

Skye took the glass and retreated to the couch. This was nice. Coming home to dinner on the stove, a glass of wine, a somewhat sane mother, and a hot guy in the kitchen. This was something she’d like to get used to.

B
olt was exhausted
. He landed on his bed fully clothed. He didn’t want to tell Skye she was right. Her mother was more than a handful. He had lost her twice in the grocery store. Once he found her behind the glass talking to the butcher, and the second time was in the parking lot. While he loaded the groceries, she had started up a conversation with a homeless man. Luckily, he found her before he had to call Skye. There was also a situation with an ice cream truck driver in the park. She accused him of being part of a covert operation. Bolt had convinced her his ice cream wasn’t any good any way and steered her in a different direction.

For the most part he thought the day went ok. Considering he and Patty Stephens had only met the night before, he thought he handled it well. After an entire day with her he realized the struggles facing Skye. Patty was calm and easy to get along with, but in an instant she’d start spouting conspiracy theories or looking around her as if someone was watching her. It made him wonder what made a person start thinking things like that.

What was Skye going to do? If Patty’s illness meant she had to move back to North Carolina everything would change. San Diego without Skye in it suddenly didn’t seem like such a sunny place to live. He couldn’t worry about that now.

He’d be back at work tomorrow. Back to flying. He would call Skye to check on her before he took off. He fell asleep with his shoes still on his feet.

* * *

T
he skies were clear today
. Sometimes the cloud layer was thick around San Diego and he had to climb to four thousand feet before there was any blue sky, but today was different. As soon as he and Eagle took off they could see the endless stretch of the Pacific. The city sprawled beneath them as Bolt broke hard right.

“It’s a good day to fly, man.” Bolt spoke through the headset in his helmet.

“Sure is. Everybody should be up here today.”

They soared through the sky in silence. Sometimes it was nice to enjoy the air and the quiet. However, the F/A-18 wasn’t the definition of quiet.

The engines roared as Bolt took them farther over the ocean.

He had only been flying four years, but days like this he couldn’t remember when he did anything else. When he and Riggs joined the Marine Corps becoming pilots wasn’t the plan. The military was a way to travel and to get farther from home. Flying fell into their laps, like rain from the sky.

Their first day in flight training they looked at each. “We are in way over our heads, Ben.” Riggs’s eyes were wide.

“What are you talking about? We can do this.” Bolt looked at the stack of manuals in front of him. They were supposed to not only memorize the contents, but also know the material front and back.

“I don’t know how you talked me into this. I just wanted some cush officer job, pushing paper. Now look what I’m doing.” Riggs flipped through the first few pages.

“Just think how proud Faith will be. She’ll be married to a pilot. What’s sexier than a pilot? She’s going to love that.”

“Don’t try to sweet talk me using her.” Riggs laughed. “But you’re right. She’s going to love it.”

Bolt didn’t have to wonder whether Faith loved it now. She was a pilot’s widow, and there was nothing wonderful about that.

Eagle called through the headset, “Looks like we’re getting low on gas. Ready to head back?”

Bolt didn’t want to leave the high altitude, but gas was a problem. They couldn’t fly more than two hours at a time without having to refuel. They weren’t scheduled to meet up with a tanker today, so refueling back at base was the only option.

“Alright man, let’s go.”

They flew straight to Miramar.

* * *

H
ollywood slapped
Bolt on the back. “How are things with Skye? Good to see her out the other night.”

“Shit.” Bolt mumbled. He unzipped the side pocket on the sleeve of his flight suit to retrieve his phone.

“What? Forget about her already?” Hollywood planted himself on the bench next to Bolt in the locker room.

“No, I was going to call her. Give me a minute.” He walked past the lockers in search of someplace quiet. He tapped her name on his phone.

“Hey.”

“Hey, I just landed. How did it go today with your mom?” He ducked into the ready room.

“My aunt arrived about an hour ago. Once we convinced my mom we were not committing her to an institution, she agreed to drive back with Aunt Rose in the morning. They said they would make it like a Thelma and Louise kind of thing; I’m hoping with a completely different ending.”

“That sounds good. You must feel better.”

Skye sighed into the phone. “I do, but I feel just as guilty. I should have driven her back, shouldn’t I?”

“No, you have responsibilities. You have a job. You took days off of work this week to spend time with her. You’re doing a good job taking care of her.”

“Thanks for saying that, Ben. There’s nothing easy about it, and I have no idea what I’m going to do if she keeps getting worse.” He heard her sigh into the phone. “I think we’re going to order pizza. Want to join us?”

Bolt adjusted the patch on the front of his suit. “I think you should hang with your mom and aunt tonight. Make sure she’s all packed. But I did want to ask you something.”

“And what’s that?” Her voice sounded lighter.

“Do you have any plans Saturday night?” He waited for the response.

“This Saturday? As in this weekend?”

“That would be the one.”

“Hmm…I think I’m free.”

He smiled. “Good. Because I want to take you somewhere special.”

“Would this have anything to do with a certain thirty-day timeline?”

He laughed. “I’m not saying.”

“You have to give me a clue.”

“Pack an overnight bag and be ready at four. I’ll pick you up then.”

Skye sighed playfully. “You’re not going to give me anything else to go on?”

“Pack something pretty to wear for dinner. I’ll give you that much.”

“I know just what to bring. It’s only Wednesday, you think I’ll see you before that?”

He had forgotten to mention his overnight trip to Yuma this week. “Actually, we have a low-level reconnaissance training mission. I’m going to be in Arizona for two days, but I’ll be back for Saturday.”

She paused. “Oh, is that normal to take sudden trips like that?”

“Sometimes. It depends on what the squadron has planned for training. I don’t go on all the trips.” He wondered if there was more to her question. He wasn’t used to having someone at home waiting for him when it was time to go.

“Ok, well just tell me if something else comes up.”

“Hey, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later, ok?” He waved at the guys who walked in the room. He needed to clear out.

“Ok.”

Ben slid the phone into his arm pocket. He had waited almost thirty full days for Saturday night and it was only two days away. Maybe there was something to the saying good things are worth waiting for.

S
kye shook
out her hair and looked at her reflection. Ben said four o’clock. It was almost time. The bag was packed and ready on her bed. Kari had gone over the packing list with her: lingerie, condoms, and a cocktail dress that would make him want to get to the lingerie and condoms.

She thought about the first night they met. She was ready to sleep with him then, so why was this such a big deal? Thirty days had come and gone. Thirty days had brought them closer together. Thirty days had prepared her for tonight.

Her phone vibrated on the counter.

R
eady to go
? I’m outside.

S
kye smiled
and suppressed the bundle of nerves that had been building all day. She was more than ready. She strolled to the door and opened it.

Ben leaned against the doorframe. His eyes sparkling brighter than usual. There was a mischievous look brimming in those baby blues.

“Hey. I’m all packed.” She stepped to the side, allowing him into the apartment.

“Great. I’ll get your bag.” Ben was already hunting for it. Skye thought he might be nervous, but she realized she might have been projecting all the butterflies tumbling in her stomach.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Ben returned from the bedroom, bag in hand. “You’ll see in about ten minutes. I have to keep my man of mystery status as long as I can.”

Skye giggled. “Ok. But you’ve built this up so I hope you can live up to the expectation.” She covered her mouth and shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.”

A smile spread across Ben’s face. “Don’t worry. I’m not worried I’ll disappoint you.” He planted a kiss on her mouth. “Come on, we have reservations, and I want to see whatever dress you’re going to put on.”

Skye followed, locking the door behind her.

* * *

“
S
o
, what do you think? Surprised?” Ben searched her face for a reaction.

“We’re eating dinner here?” Skye marveled at the famous hotel.

“Not just dinner. We have a suite.” Ben raised his hands. “But whatever we do in the suite is up to you.”

They were both kidding themselves if they thought either of them was wavering on where the night was headed. Just being in front of the Hotel del Coronado, made Skye want to rush to the room and give herself over to be Ben. This was incredible.

A bellman took their bags and led them into the grand lobby. “I can’t believe you got us a room here. Did you know this was my favorite place in San Diego?”

“I thought the zoo was your favorite place.”

She squeezed his hand. “My favorite
indoor
place.”

“I must be a good guesser, but it is one of my favorite spots. I thought it would be special.” He led her to the elevator.

“Don’t we need to check in?” Skye looked over the shoulder at the reservation desk.

“I already took care of it before I came to pick you up.” He tapped the elevator button. The doors closed behind them.

Skye started to think he had put more thought into this than just a room and dinner reservation. “I—I don’t know what to say.”

He smiled. “That’s all I need to hear.”

She followed him along the corridor and watched as he inserted a key into the lock and pushed open the door.

There was a bottle of champagne and roses on the counter. The suite overlooked the ocean.

“This is amazing.” Skye walked to the window. She had never stayed in the historic hotel, but had always wanted an occasion to reserve a room. She and Kari had brunch in the restaurants on site, but there was never a reason to pack a bag. Not until tonight. Not until Ben.

She watched the waves crash on the beach.

“You want to go down there?” Ben asked.

“On the beach?”

“Yes, we’ve got plenty of time before dinner. We can come back up and change later. Let’s go.” He held out a hand.

“Ok.”

It was cool on the beach. It was something Skye never got used to with the California coast. Growing up in North Carolina she was accustomed to warm sand and water, but the Pacific was perpetually chilly. Even on the hottest of summer days. Today they were enjoying the perks of Coronado Beach, an April evening on the shore.

They left their shoes on top of a rock and let their toes dig into the white sand. They walked southeast, away from the busiest part of the beach. The water always looked different to her on this side of the country. It didn’t have the emerald and aqua hues of her home beaches. There was a sullenness to the ocean that overwhelmed her every time she saw it.

Skye felt a lightness in her step and in her heart as they let the tide lap around their ankles. She knew she was falling for Ben in more ways than one. He was gorgeous, sexy, incredible when the lights went down, but this week she saw what he was truly like when the lights were on.

After a few minutes, the water had numbed her toes and tops of her feet. Walking through the water with him felt refreshing. She clutched his hand.

“I don’t know if I ever really told you how much I appreciated what you did for me Monday. Taking off of work for my mom, was—”

“You already thanked me. It wasn’t a big deal.”

Skye watched as a plane soared overhead. “It was a big deal to me. So, thank you.”

“How are they doing on the drive back?” Ben’s eyes were fixed on the plane too.

“I talked to my aunt this morning, and she said they’re in Texas. I think they are going to stay in Dallas a couple of days. They’re really making a trip out of it, which is great for my mom. It’s exactly what she wanted.”

“I’m glad I got to meet her.”

“Honestly, I was worried.”

“Why? You thought she’d scare me off?” He laughed and kicked a wave at her legs.

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“That’s crazy. She’s a sweetheart.” Ben stopped and retrieved his phone from his pocket.

Skye’s expression changed involuntarily when he answered it.

“Faith, hey. Everything ok?” He turned his back to Skye. She remembered the last time he had answered a call from the same person. It was the night of the fight. She could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation. Ben covered the phone with his hand.

“Ok, I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.”

He walked a few paces to Skye, tucking the phone into his pocket. “That was Faith.”

Skye scanned his face for an expression. Anything that would give her a clue as to who Faith was. She was obviously important. “Ok.”

“What’s wrong? You don’t look happy with me.” Ben tried to lace his fingers through hers again, but the mood had changed.

“I know this is going to make me sound suspicious and jealous and we haven’t had this discussion, but is Faith someone else you’re seeing?”

Ben’s eyebrows rose to the top of his forehead. “No. You think—” He shook his head. “No, Faith is my best friend’s wife.”

Skye relaxed her shoulders. “Oh good.” Skye felt more relieved than stupid for prying. But on the night she was going to sleep with him, she didn’t want any other women in the picture. That wasn’t too much to ask.

Ben’s hands grasped the edge of the silver necklace he wore and he revealed the dog tags from his shirt. “This is her husband. Riggs.” He held out the bottom tag.

“Why do you have his tag?” Skye had a sinking feeling, but didn’t want to jump to any more conclusions. Maybe Riggs was deployed.

“Let’s sit over here.” Ben led her to a rock formation, sticking out of the sand. He kept a firm grip on her arm so she didn’t slide on the slippery bottom rocks.

“Is everything ok, Ben?”

“No, it’s not.” He shook his head. “Riggs and I were college roommates. That’s where we met. Middle Tennessee State.” Skye didn’t want to interrupt a single word. “It was great. We both had the same kind of shitty family lives. We were supposed to be roommates. I have no doubt about that.” Ben’s eyes drifted to the waves. “After four years of it being the two of us, he met Faith and they got married. But, he still wanted to join the Marine Corps. We did that together, then flight school together, moved out to California, and went through the RAG together.” Ben took a long pause. “Anyway, one night we were out doing carrier training. That’s when we have to land at sea. It’s just part of the process to keep us fresh on all the skills.”

Skye wanted to put an arm around him or crawl in his lap, but it was like he was on autopilot telling the story. She waited for him to continue.

“I came in for a landing first. No problem. The winds were fine, it was clear. I landed on deck and went straight to the debriefing room. I was excited. I’d never had an easier landing at sea.” His eyes misted. “But Riggs, he never landed.”

“Wh—what happened?”

Ben used the back of his hand to wipe at his eyes. “I don’t know. He vanished. He lost contact with the tower. They never found him or the jet.”

“Never found him?”

He shook his head. “Gone.” He looked at the ocean.

“Oh my God.” Skye studied his face. “I don’t understand how that can happen.”

“There were a few theories floating around. Electrical failure may have led to his losing radio contact. Once that occurred there’s no telling what happened with the jet. One engine problem could lead to the other. If he was trying to deal with that, he didn’t have time to make the landing or find a divert. It was late at night, dark, and he was two hundred miles off the coast.”

“How long ago did it happen?”

“It’s been almost two years. Sometimes I think he’s still here. It doesn’t feel like two years to me, and I know it doesn’t for Faith either.”

“I’m really sorry, Ben. That’s awful. I can’t imagine something like that happening.”

He hung his head. “Me either. He should still be here. After we finished flight school, we had the RAG left to complete and then we were going to do our best to get in the same squadron. He only had one month until that. One month.” He shook his head. “He never got a call sign. Charlie Riggs flew almost two years and never got his call sign. Can you believe that?”

Skye stared in disbelief. “No, it’s hard to imagine any of it.”

“So, that’s why I wear one of his tags. Faith gave it to me. She has the other one.”

“Where is she now?”

“She decided to stay here. She moved out to California for the one-year stint while we were going through the RAG. Riggs was hoping we would both get on with the Rebels. After the accident, she didn’t want to move out of their house. She’s in San Diego. I’ve been trying to help her at the house when I can, but I’m not always around. I’m not the best substitute for Riggs.” Skye was surprised to see Ben smile. “That’s why she called. I thought something else had broken, but she just wanted to let me know that the garage door was still working. It got stuck and I ran over there this morning to fix it.”

“That’s so sweet of you.” Skye pictured Ben with a tool belt. “I bet it means a lot to her that she has someone she can count on.”

“I know that’s what Riggs would want for me to do. I think it’s good for Faith too.”

“Maybe I could meet her some time.” Skye rested her hand on Ben’s knee.

“That would be cool. I think you two would like each other. She’s artsy. Kind of like you.”

“You think I’m artsy?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen your sketches.”

“Wait, when did you see those?”

His hand clutched hers as if he was trying to draw strength from her skin. “You’ve left me alone in your place a few times.”

Skye blushed. “So you were snooping?”

“No, not snooping, but you’ve left a few of your drawings out by the spreadsheets.”

“Oh, that’s nothing. Those are doodles. It’s the way I clear my head when I’m trying to come up with campaign slogans.”

He grinned. “You are hard to give compliments to. I think it’s art. I like your doodles.”

“Thanks.” He was right. It was hard to take a compliment, especially after the weight he had shared. Her soul felt heavier than before.

Ben tucked the dog tags through the collar of his shirt. “What do you think about getting ready for dinner?”

She wasn’t quite ready to leave the rocks. She could stay and talk for hours about Riggs, but she didn’t know how much a heart could be pressed until it didn’t beat anymore. It seemed Ben struggled with the words to tell her about Riggs. It had to be hell to lose your best friend.

She smiled. “I think that sounds perfect.”

He led her off the rocks and back to the surf where the icy water circled their ankles. “I don’t know about dinner, but I’m pretty excited about dessert tonight.”

Skye kicked sea foam in his direction. “Someone’s pretty confident.”

“Always, baby. Come on.” He started to jog toward the hotel.