Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) (49 page)

Chapter Twenty-one

William sat at the table, waiting for his date to return from the restroom. The lighting was low, the walls decorated with repurposed antiques, and a jazz band played at the far end of the room. The perfect place for falling in love. Or for charming the socks off a married woman.

Christie Patel reappeared, the orange sherbet-colored dress complimenting her hazelnut skin. Her dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders, which he wasn’t used to since on the base it was always pulled back for practical reasons. She smiled demurely as she sat down.

“I love my family,” she said, “and don’t you dare laugh, but I haven’t felt this liberated since prom.”

William laughed anyway. “It’s not like you and Max don’t get out on your own. How many times have I babysat Jenny over the years?”

“True, and don’t take this the wrong way, but I spend most of those dates worrying about her.”

“Hey!”

“I knew she would be safe with you,” Christie added hurriedly. “I was more worried that she missed me, or resented us for having fun without her. That she’s at home with her father allows me to enjoy myself. Speaking of which, where’s the waiter with that wine?”

William was eager for him to return too, since alcohol would help soften the blow. Over the past two years, he and Christie had become a team. They didn’t always work the same shift, but when they were on missions together, they understood each other’s needs without having to voice them. They were often teased about this—that they were either long lost twins who looked nothing alike, or that they were having a secret affair. Neither suggestion was taken seriously, but the connection they had together was real. And it mostly took place on the base. Considering their homes were there too, this might be the first time they had both been away from it together.

Christie eyed him and sighed. “I hope I’m wrong.”

“About what?”

“The reason for this meal. Four years is up. For us both. I’ve been talking about my plans nonstop, and you’ve been awfully quiet. You’re going reserve, aren’t you?”

The waiter arrived. William made a grumpy face at him when he was busy filling Christie’s glass. He made sure his expression changed when the waiter turned to fill his. Christie laughed, but she was shaking her head by the time they were alone again.

“Your plan was to get me drunk before telling me.”

“Damn right,” William said, lifting his glass. They clinked them, then took sips before setting them down again. “Are you drunk yet?”

“You worked so hard to get where you are!” Christie said. “Too hard to leave after so few years. You could easily make chief petty officer, get that C added to your title. Zimmerman is retiring next year, did you know that?”

“No,” William admitted. “And I agree, it’s way too soon for me to leave, but if I don’t, I’ll miss out on other things.”

Christie took another sip and leaned back. “Is there someone I don’t know about?”

“Jason.”

“Your guy in Austin?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t have to explain further. He had long ago confided their entire history to her. “He’s the main reason I want to go back. The only one, really.”

Christie betrayed her opinion with a shake of her head. “Is he still single after all this time?”

“I think so. He visited my mother recently and was asking about me. He wanted to know if I was coming home.”

“Really? That’s so sweet!”

“I know. So yeah. I’m going home.”

Christie considered him over another sip. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but how long were you together?”

“Hard to say. Either a few weeks, a few months, or more than two years. We were together before we should have been, and it took a lot of tries before we managed to really break up.”

“Right, but you haven’t really been in a stable relationship with him for a significant amount of time.”

“I guess not, but—”

Christie raised a hand to stop him. “I’m not questioning your feelings for each other. Look at this though.” She picked up her purse and pulled out her phone. After poking at the screen, she showed it to him. The picture was from boot camp. A group shot, two other recruits standing between Christie and him. Her hair was short and she looked awfully lanky. As for him, his build was bigger, not at all optimized for the job he did now, and he appeared a lot younger.

“Your baby cheeks were so cute!” Christie teased. Then she swiped at the screen until it displayed a photo of them together from last week. The difference was significant. “You’re a man now. I’m sure Jason has changed a lot too. I’m not saying you shouldn’t find out if you still have potential together. Just don’t shut down your career to do so. Take leave, and if the spark is still there, bring him back with you.”

William wasn’t convinced. “A lot has changed for the better, but he still wouldn’t have the right to live on the base with me, and I wouldn’t be allowed to live off of it. Would you be okay if Max and Jenny had their own place and all you could do was visit them?”

“Of course not!” Christie scowled, but her anger wasn’t directed at him. “When is this country going to wake up and start treating everyone equally?”

“I don’t know,” he said, “but I’m not going to wait around until it does.”

“Just…” Christie took a deep breath. “Just don’t burn all your bridges yet. Treat this like any other SAR. Examine the intel, assess the situation, and formulate a plan. Do you need me down there with you? I’ll be your wingman!”

William imagined himself being lowered from a helicopter until he was dangling outside Jason’s bedroom window. “Tempting, but I need you to hold down the fort here.”

“It won’t be the same without you,” Christie raised her glass, “but I hope you find everything that you’re looking for.”

And William hoped that someday he would no longer need to say goodbye to the people he loved, because his heart broke a little more each time.

* * * * *

Home. As much as William had begun to think of Cape Cod that way, standing on the doorstep to his mother’s house proved just how wrong he was. So many memories had been made here. Crying in the living room when he didn’t want to return to kindergarten. His father teaching him to ride his bike, his mother setting up a tent in the backyard and camping with him, his brothers helping him climb onto the roof so they could pretend they were kings of the neighborhood, ruling from on high. So many happy times. Plenty of tears too. Even though the house had changed over the years, and not as many people lived there anymore, this place was his home.

He turned to consider the neighborhood, then the driveway again, which was filled with cars. Most of them he didn’t recognize. What was up with that? He went inside to find out. The door was unlocked, the aroma that greeted him reassuringly familiar. He saw someone dart from the living room to the kitchen. Smiling to himself, William followed and found a small crowd gathered there.

“Welcome home!” they chimed in unison. So many familiar faces were present—his mother, his brothers, even his father and his new wife. Lewis had married Gina. This made it easier to forgive him. If it had just been an affair, a mere fling that tore their family apart… Then again, William didn’t hold a grudge about any of it anymore. Both his parents were happier, even if part of him still wished they could have felt that way while together. He barely got a word out before he was being hugged by one person after another. Then someone stood in front of him that he didn’t recognize. Or did he?

She was tall. The tan skin and athletic build implied she spent a lot of time in the sun. Her brown hair was short, a pixie cut, and the freckles… those he definitely remembered!

“Lily?” he said disbelievingly.

“Surprise!” she said, brown eyes twinkling.             

“Where in the world—”

“I ran into her at the grocery store,” his mother said. “I was buying ingredients for this very cake!”

He glanced over at it, seeing blue frosting shaped like waves, a toy boat riding them. A little figure swam below yellow words that said
Welcome Home, Willy!
The cake was both impressive and embarrassing, but he was more interested in the woman standing before him. “Where have you been?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she said.

They had lost touch years ago. After he had left for the Coast Guard, they traded a few emails, but he had been so distracted. More likely than not, he had been the one to stop replying. “It’s good to see you again!”

“I knew you would be happy to see each other!” his mother said. “What were the odds? Shopping for your welcome home party, and there she is. Of course I invited her!”

“I’m glad you did!”

They didn’t have time to catch up yet. His mother wanted him to cut the cake, taking photos while he did so and crying with happiness. Lewis put an arm around her, and Kate didn’t push him away. Gina seemed fine with this too. So much had happened while he was gone. Peace had been made and old friends had grown up. Spencer was engaged, proudly introducing his fiancé, a shy girl with bright red hair. Not everything had changed. Errol slipped him a small baggie and winked. “For later,” he said. “Now that you’re free from the system.”

“Thanks,” William said, pocketing the weed and making plans to flush it down the toilet later.

More than cake awaited him. Food, music, laughter… He was definitely home again. As good as it was to see his family all together like this, he kept looking across the table at Lily. All grown up. That she had become a beautiful woman was no surprise. She’d been gorgeous when they were younger. They managed to exchange a few sentences here and there, but only once the party had wound down did they sit on the living room couch to talk.

“Where to begin,” he said, chuckling nervously. “I can’t believe my mom ran into you like that. What were the odds?”

“Slimmer than you realize,” Lily said. “I live in Houston these days, so I’m only here on vacation. And before you make fun of me like everyone else does, there’s something to be said for returning home for a couple of weeks and letting your parents baby you.”

“That’s how most of my off time was spent too.” William stared at her in wonder and shook his head. “This is so wild.”

“I know,” she said. “God… You’re a man!”

“You’re a woman!” he echoed.

They laughed again.

“Okay, the basics,” Lily said. “Who’s the lucky guy? No way are you single.”

“Hopelessly,” William replied. “Hey, do you remember Jason? The guy I was dating before I left for the Coast Guard?”

“Of course! He was sweet!”

“Well, I’m hoping he still remembers me.”

“Very nostalgic,” Lily said. “Any time I see one of my high school boyfriends, I run the other way.”

“Speaking of which, I don’t see a wedding ring.”

Lily reached for her left hand, touching an empty spot there. “I have one. It’s in a jewelry box at home.”

“I don’t get it.”

“We got divorced a few months back.”

“Oh.” William grimaced. “Sorry.”

“I’m not!” Lily said. “Dave wasn’t a bad guy. We had chemistry. Just not the kind that lasts.”

“How long were you together?”

Lily jutted out her bottom lip and blew, the air moving her bangs. “Three years? I think that’s right.”

“Wow. Do you have kids?”

“Nope. Corn won’t grow in this field.”

“Oh. Uh. I…”

Lily laughed. “It’s still ridiculously easy to make you blush! I’m fine. Not being able to have biological children just means there won’t be any surprises. When I’m ready, I can adopt and give a home to a child who needs one. That’s nothing to feel sad about. Although, if I could have had children with one person, it would have been with Dave. They would have been so pretty.”

“Someone’s full of themselves,” William teased.

“Not me. Him.” Lily took out her phone, navigated to an image, and held it up.

William stared. When she moved the phone away, he almost grabbed it so he could look longer, because the guy was gorgeous. “Model?” he asked.

“Elementary school teacher.”

“Aw!”

Lily sighed. “I know. He was a dreamboat. Most of the time. At others he was a garbage barge.”

William laughed.

“I thought you’d like that joke,” Lily said. “Mr. Coast Guard! Tell me about that.”

He did so grudgingly. William was proud of helping other people, but he never felt like boasting about his rescues. Instead he felt honored to be of service.

“You really jump out of helicopters?” Lily asked.

“Only when I feel like showing off,” he joked. “What about you?”

“Financial advisor. Glamorous, I know.”

“It sounds impressive to me,” William said. “Is that what brought you to Houston? Or was it—”

“Dave? No, I met him there once I relocated for the job.”

“I’m terrible with numbers, but I do have a little money saved up. Can you make me rich?”

“Maybe.” Lily cocked her head and smiled at him. “Are you really back for good?”