By Honor Bound (9 page)

My darling Abe,

You’re not even gone yet and I miss you already. I keep thinking about the honeymoon we’ll have when you get back.

Sometimes during the day when I miss you, I close my eyes and pretend you’re close by. I can just about feel your arms around me and you lips against mine. That’s what I’ll do while you’re away. At night, when I’m in bed, I’ll close my eyes and imagine you beside me, stroking my hair, touching my face. I don’t know if you’ll be able to do the same. I’m sure you’ll have too much else on your mind while doing your job, but if you can, think of me and know you’re in my heart.

Miles can physically divide us, Abe, but our souls are joined forever.

I love you with all my heart.

Your Angela

He gazed at the letter and ran a fingertip over the words.

I think of you more often than you know, darlin’. I wish more than anything to be with you again, but the only way to do that is to concentrate on my job. That way I’ll come home to you.

* * * * *

North Carolina

Angela gazed out the kitchen window from where she sat at the table with one of her students. The boy was busy working on math problems and it was a good time for Angela to daydream.

Always, her thoughts drifted to Abe. What was he doing? Was he safe? She hated to think about how tough life must be for him and the others over there.

The only person she trusted to discuss her fears was Rosemarie. She knew her parents wouldn’t be difficult intentionally, but her father would just tell her to bear up because she married a Marine while her mother would go on about the lists of people killed and missing in action.

“Honey, even other veterans are protesting the fighting,” she said one afternoon when Angela dropped Polly off to visit. “If not for the damn war, your brother would still be alive.”

“Ma, don’t talk to me about protestors. You know how I feel about it. No one wants Abe and the others home more than I do, but not supporting the troops and spitting on them—”

“Who’s talking about spitting on them? I’m talking about ending this madness!”

Angela stormed out and took a long walk before stopping at Rosemarie’s diner. The two women talked about Abe for a long time. Rosemarie even told her stories about him as a skinny young private with a hotshot attitude that made Angela laugh when she thought she’d forgotten how.

When Angela picked up Polly that night, she and her mother seemed to have gotten over their bad feelings, or at least buried them. She’d eaten dinner with her parents then she and Polly drove home.

She and Polly had written to Abe often, knowing that the letters might not get through. Still, it made them feel better talking to him in the only way they could.

Mail from Abe had been scarce. Still, a few letters had gotten to them.

Angela reached into her apron and withdrew the most recent one, several months old. She gazed at his bold writing and felt somewhat comforted.

My Sweet Angela,

You know I’m not a man who finds it easy putting my emotions into words, but I want you to know how much I love you and Polly.

It’s not too pleasant over here to say the least, but I won’t get into that. I don’t want to waste the time when I can be telling you how much I want to be with you again. Remember that honeymoon you mentioned in the letter you gave me when I left? You plan on it, honey. It’ll be the best.

I know it’s not like the real thing, but let me try giving you a kiss on paper. I’m taking you in my arms now and I can feel yours sliding around me. You’re soft and warm. Our lips our touching. Moist, tender. Everything is dark and still. Our hearts beat together. I don’t want it to end, Angela, but it does, everything must, but that’s a good thing because it means eventually this will end and I’ll be home with you again. Then we can have a real kiss and make new memories that I carry with me like the ones I have of you from before I left.

Give my love to Polly and tell those parents of yours I will be back.

I love you with all my heart.

Your husband,

Abe

“Mrs. Forbes? Are you all right?”

Angela blinked back tears, pocketed the letter, and turned to her student with a forced smile. “Sorry, Ronny. Did you ask me something?”

“Can you help me with this problem? I don’t get it.”

“Sure.” She picked up a pencil and leaned over the paper, focusing on her pupil though thoughts of Abe floated in the back of her mind.

God willing, he’d be home in a few months.

Please, God. Please let him come home safely.

* * * * *

July 1970

Vietnam

This is it!
Abe thought, running through the clearing toward the chopper hovering in the distance. Pumped with adrenaline, he scarcely felt the weight of his gear and the injured man he supported. He’d feel it soon, that was for sure, when he tried climbing into that chopper. He was keenly aware of his men around him, all heading the same way, and even more conscious of the enemy fire that suddenly erupted around them.

One of the men turned to cover him and fell at his feet, his chest blown open. Abe and several others returned fire and one of the guys picked up the dead Marine. They were almost to the chopper but they sure as hell weren’t safe.

This is it. All I have to do is make it to the chopper and I’ll be with Angela and Polly again.
His family.

The thoughts of them were fleeting, as he concentrated on survival. They sent the injured up first.

Abe’s heart pounded as his turn finally came. He was the last man up. The gear weighted him down as he climbed upward, swinging in the wind as the chopper hovered.

He was going to make it! Pain erupted in arm. He was hit but didn’t have time to think about it. He finally reached the edge of the chopper and felt helping hands pulling him in.

As he and one of his men tried staunching the flow of blood from his arm, Abe said a silent prayer of thanks. He’d made it. Again he’d escaped with his life. Angela would be waiting for him at home. He laughed in spite of the pain.

“Sir, are you all right?” the soldier helping him asked, concerned at the sight of a wounded man laughing.

“I’m fine, son.” Abe drew a deep breath. He was better than fine. He was going on a honeymoon.

* * * * *

July 1970

North Carolina

The phone rang and Angela cursed softly, climbing down from the cabinet she’d been rearranging. It seemed whenever she had her hands in water, went to the bathroom, or climbed into some strange position for housecleaning, the phone rang.

She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Angela, darlin’, it’s Abe.”

Abe! Just the sound of that deep, sexy drawl sent her pulse racing. He was alive!

Angela laughed, giddy with pleasure. “Sweetheart, God, it’s so good to hear you! Are you all right? Where are you?”

“I don’t have long to talk, baby. I’m fine. I’m coming home. Friday morning.”

Thank you, God!
Angela felt happy enough to jump up and down like a love-struck teen.

“How’s Polly?”

 “She’s fine, Abe. She’ll be so happy to hear you’re coming home. You don’t know how happy I am. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, darlin’. There’s so much I want to tell you, but I can’t now. I have to go.”

Go! It was too fast. They’d scarcely said anything to one another, yet it was enough. It would have to be. He would be home in a short while and they could talk for as long as they wanted to. Better than talk. They’d be in each other’s arms.

“Bye, baby. I love you,” he said again.

“Goodbye. I can’t wait until Friday.”

“Neither can I, Mrs. Forbes.”

The receiver clicked as he hung up, but Angela held the phone for a moment. Tears stung her eyes and she told herself to get a hold of herself. Maybe someday she would grow accustomed to their forced separations, or maybe she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter. Angela had already learned to appreciate what was happening
now
instead of thinking about what might happen
then
.

* * * * *

Angela’s heart pounded as she and Polly waited for the returning soldiers to step off the plane. Abe should be there. He’d phoned. She’d actually talked to him. Hearing his voice over the phone had been like the best gift she’d ever received. Until now. This was even better. In a few moments, she’d be in his arms.

Panic set in when other soldiers stepped off with still no sign of Abe. Then she saw him. So tall and handsome, even from a distance, though thinner than she remembered. He turned and her stomach tightened when she saw his arm looked a bit stiff at his side.

“There he is, Aunt Angela!” Polly beamed.

Abe turned to them with a broad smile and waved his good hand.

“Abe!” Polly reached him first. He stooped and hugged her tightly. “Look at you, darlin’. You sprung up like a weed. Pretty soon you’ll be as tall as your aunt.”

“She did get big,” Angela said, unable to contain her tremulous smile. She felt like laughing and crying at the same time. “You’re hurt, Abe?”

“It’s nothing, Angela.” He stood and pulled her into his one-armed embrace, holding her close to his broad chest and kissing the top of her head. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“Oh, Abe.” She stood on tiptoe, took his face in her hands, and kissed him with all the love she felt. “I love you so much.”

 “I love you, too.” He kissed her again. His gaze held hers for a long moment. They had so much to talk about, so much affection to share. Glancing at Polly he said, “You, too, girl.”

“I missed you, Abe. I have lots of stuff from school to show you.”

“I can’t wait to see.”

Abe drew a deep, contented breath and released it slowly. It was the first time someone was actually waiting for him to come home. It felt even better than he’d dreamed it would.

Chapter Ten

After returning to the house, Abe spent time with Polly while Angela fixed dinner. They shared a meal of chicken, corn, and sweet potatoes cooked with brown sugar with blueberry pie for dessert.

Her parents phoned to welcome Abe back and asked the family to plan an evening at their house for dinner as soon as Abe was settled and rested.

Angela grinned. “Since you left, my father’s been bragging to everyone about his Master Sergeant son-in-law who’s just about the bravest Marine in the Corps.”

“That’s a shock.” Abe chuckled. “I thought for sure that man had it in for me.”

“No, Daddy just likes to talk a big show.”

The three talked for a long time, catching Abe up with all that happened during the past eighteen months. Polly had an array of pictures and papers from school and Angela had taken plenty of photos in his absence.

“That’s my best friend from school.” Polly pointed to a picture of herself with a little red-haired girl. “Her Daddy’s a Seabee but she’s living here with her grandma while he’s away. There’s a breakfast at school next week for kids and their daddies. Can she come with us, Abe?”

Abe glanced at Angela, feeling a bit surprised and happy that Polly thought of him as a father figure. He’d better get used to it, since the adoption would hopefully go through soon.

“Sure she can, if it’s all right with her grandma,” he said.

Angela smiled, her fingertips brushing his as she handed him another photo album.

Finally, he and Angela tucked Polly in and retired to their bedroom.

“How would you like a nice hot bath?” Angela purred. “With a very willing woman ready to soap you down and massage you all over?”

“Oh, God.” He grinned, his eyes slipping shut as she unzipped his trousers and slipped her hand beneath his briefs. His cock sprang alive in her hand.

“Hmm,” she giggled and whispered against his lips, “that’s one heck of a big gun, Sir.”

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pressed her close and wiggled his eyebrows. “How about later tonight I show you how good it fires, darlin’?”

“I can hardly wait.”

While Abe undressed, Angela changed into the black lace nightgown she’d bought especially for his first night home. She brushed her hair until it hung, thick and shiny, down her back.

 “You look so beautiful,” he said, caressing her bare shoulders and kissing her lips. “I almost want to wait on that bath.”

“Oh, you won’t want to miss it,” she grinned, taking his hand and guiding him to the bathroom where she ran the water in the tub and poured in a couple of capfuls of her favorite bubbles.

Abe’s lips curved upward slightly as the basin filled and he sank into the hot water. “If anyone ever suggested that Abraham Marley Forbes would be sitting in a tub of bubbles smelling like roses, I’d laugh in his face.”

“How does it feel?”

He glanced down, sniffing the water and brushing bubbles from his chest hair. “I think I kinda like it.”

Angela was torn between laughter and lust at the sight of the big-boned, hard-muscled Marine with a shaved head and rugged features seated in a tub just a bit too small for him.

“Girl, are you laughing at me?”

Her self-control snapped and she covered her mouth to stifle the giggles. “Sorry Abe.”

“Come here.”

She shook her head and he stood, extending his hand, bubbles clinging to his water-slicked skin, his hard cock and weighty balls a feast for the eyes.

“You promised me a massage or something. So collect yourself and get on over here,” he said, his face arranged in serious lines though his eyes glistened with humor.

“Sit back down.” Taking a step closer while repressing more chuckles, she reached for a bar of soap. Her gaze swept his partially healed wound. “How’s your arm?”

“Fine.”

He dropped into the tub and stared at her, his lips slightly parted. Angela stood behind him and bent, dipping the soap into the water and lathering it over his chest. The sensation of hard muscle, damp hair, and wet skin made her tingle deep inside. God, it felt so good just to touch him!