Finally Home (Home Series) (23 page)

After lunch, just as after dinner, the guys all got up to clear the table and clean up, leaving Lainey and all the women to talk.  They followed Melissa outside and sat on the back porch watching Cam teach Petey to play catch with a Nerf football. 

"I can't tell you how awesome it is to know that all my boys have someone now," Melissa said, sitting on the rail of the porch, her back to a post so she could see the girls and Petey and Cam.  "Especially Mike.  I didn't think that man would ever find someone," she said to Lainey.

"Not for lack of you trying, I hear," Jenna said.

Melissa smiled. "Oh, man, I set him up with every friend I could find.  And I do have normal, non-Goth friends," she said with a wink.  "Mike was always polite, would go on the fixed date but never see anyone beyond that first date.  I finally got the hint and stopped trying.  He did tell me once, of a girl he met briefly, and he stressed that she was a girl...but I do believe I am looking at the personification of his description," she said to Lainey.

Lainey felt all eyes shift to her.  "We met very briefly at the Founders Day Ball when I was seventeen and he was twenty-six or twenty-seven.  He and Riley were there in their dress whites...had every female in the room from nine to ninety panting after them," her eyes shifted to Jenna, "Riley didn't even tell me his name.  I never have understood that."

Jenna smiled, "I can help you there.  Riley told me that he always wanted Mike for you but you were too young and they were too wrapped up in their job...and then you started dating Kevin Adtkisson and he got worried that he'd waited too long.  But then Kevin took care of that on his own and then Riley wasn't too concerned about it any more."

Melissa nodded.  "He told me he wanted Mike to fall for his cousin, too."

Lainey thought her eyes would fall out of her head.  "Get out!  Really?  Riley actually said that?"

"You have to understand, when the guys were stateside, they lived here with me and Zig.  They all had places of their own, but they were more comfortable with us.  Mike bought this place for us," she said, holding her hands out to encompass the house and grounds.  "Zig and I fought it at first.  We knew he came from money but we had no clue how much until he showed up one day, loaded us up in his truck and drove us to three properties and told us to pick.  Zig was flipped the heck out.  Mike told us about his family then, about the law firm and
the connection to the Chandlers and the Adtkissons.  I mean, come on, who hasn't heard of the Adtkisson family?  Even outside of Texas they are famous.  After that, we didn't question it any more.  I picked this place because even though I'm Goth at heart, I love being near the water and I love this big wrap-around porch. And I love that I have enough room for all my boys to crash out here if they want to."

Lainey's eyes sought Mike out when the guys came outside.  She'd known when they pulled into the neighborhood that this was more than an enlisted could afford.  Cam and Petey took off toward the guys, Cam hurling the football to Riley.  Mike joined in and Lainey delighted in seeing him enjoy himself with his friends.  Again, he wasn't as loud as Colt and Riley but he wasn't withdrawn the way he'd been around his family.  Cam and little Petey joined in with the guys who were all very mindful of the fact that the two kids were running between them.  Several times she saw Colt vault over Petey when he got in the way but he always did it safely.  It touched her heart when she saw Petey constantly running to Whit for safety.  It was clear that Whit cared for the little one as much as he did Melissa.

Lainey turned her attention back to Melissa, studying her a moment.  She was talking with Claire laughing at some of Coop and Colt's antics. 

"What about you, Melissa?" Sarah asked.  "Are you dating again?"

Melissa's eyes darted out toward where Whit held Petey on his shoulders, then looked back at Sarah.

"Not really."

"No?" Lainey pressed.

"I've been thinking about it, but...Zig and I started dating in high school.  He was my second real boyfriend, but the only man I ever loved."

"He's been gone almost three years now?" Claire asked.

"Yes."

"My husband died not long before Zig...and I understand what you're saying.  I didn't think I could ever love anyone else...and then Coop came to visit Colt and I looked into those grey eyes and I felt my pulse race.  I hadn't felt that in ages...and I won't lie to you, the first time Coop kissed me...I loved it, even though there were tears streaming down my cheeks the whole time."

Melissa's eyes again drifted over to the yard toward Whit.

"He's been so sweet," she whispered.

"Whit?" Lainey asked her. 

Melissa nodded.  "He calls or texts me every day.  Comes out to visit at least once a month, does all the things around the house that Zig would have."

"And has he made any advances?" Claire asked.

Melissa shook her head.  "He's too sweet, afraid to make a wrong move."

"Do you want him to?" Lainey asked.

"Yes."

"Then you make the move," Jenna said, then shifted her eyes to Lainey.  "And you make the move, too."

Lainey laughed.  "I have."

"And?" they all cried in unison.

"And, we kissed and then he walked away."

Melissa smiled then.  "That's just Mike being Mike.  Don't let him walk away next time."

"Little easier said than done," Lainey said on a sarcastic laugh.

Melissa glanced over at Mike then back at Lainey. 

"Unless something has changed that I don't know about...that man hasn't been laid in over ten years.  I'm thinking it wouldn't take much to tip the scales in your favor."

"Ten years!?!?" Jenna, Claire and Sarah cried.

"His last girlfriend left him for his brother...and married him...his twin brother."

"Oh, my gosh!" Jenna gasped.

"That's awful," Sarah said.

"His twin??" Claire cried, clearly horrified.

A squeal of laughter drew their attention and they saw the guys tossing Petey back and forth between them.  Lainey heard Sarah gasp and say something about what she had to look forward to when her son was born.  She tuned out the conversation, focusing on Mike as he started walking toward the porch, his eyes shining with mirth.  Her breath caught watching him.  It was like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders while they were here, away from his family, away from the threat of Conroy.

"We creamed Colt and Coop," Cam said, coming up on the porch ahead of Mike and Riley.

"You did?" Jenna asked.

"I still say you should have been on our team, kid," Colt said, "The 3 C's.  Would have been epic, man."

"Mike and Riley kick butt.  I wasn't getting off their team."

"Cameron," Jenna cautioned.

"Sorry.  But it's true."

Mike chuckled, then picked up three apples from the bowl on the table next to Lainey and began juggling them, distracting Cam.  La
iney had to admit, she was impressed.

"You are such a fraud, Michael Casiano," she laughed, watching him.

He smiled, dimples flashing in his cheeks, making her heart accelerate. 

"Why?  Juggling was part of BUDs training, didn't you know that
?  Toss me another apple."

Her eyes widened.  "Another one?"

"Yeah."

"OK, here you go," she said, tossing him a fourth apple, amazed when he easily caught it and continued juggling without missing a beat.

"Whoa!  That's so cool!" Cam exclaimed.  "Can you do that, Riley?"

"Nope.  Mike's the only one of us who can."

"Really?  Colt?"

"I can, but not as long as he does."

"Toss me another one, Cam," Mike said, "Same way Lainey did."

Cam grabbed a fifth apple and tossed it.  Mike again caught it easily without breaking his rhythm.

"Color me impressed," Lainey said, and she was.

"So, why am I a fraud?" he asked, still juggling.

"Because you portray yourself as this cold, no-nonsense military guy when you're really not."

He stopped juggling, tossing the apples one at a time to Cam to place back in the bowl.

"That's exactly what I am."

She rolled her eyes.  "Yes, but
you know how to smile and have fun and laugh, too."

"Never said I didn't."

"You aren't this relaxed back home."

"Lot going on back home," he replied, stepping past her to go inside.

Seeing that everyone was settled outside, Lainey got up and followed him in, finding him pulling a bottle of water from the fridge. 

"Shutting back down on me, Commander?"

"Needed water."

"Of course," she said, leaning back against the opposite counter from where he stood.

"How does Melissa seem to you?"

"She wants Whit but is scared to move on her feelings."

"Do you think she'll agree to come to Springfield?"

"I think it will depend on Whit.  What's his full name, by the way?"

"Derek Whitten."

She glanced toward the backdoor, seeing Whit sitting on the rail next to Melissa. 

"I think you need to talk to Whit and ask him to ask her to come.  If she thinks he wants her there, she may agree."

"Good to know," he said, starting to walk past her, but she stepped into his path.  "What?"

"Why are you throwing your walls back up, Commander?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She narrowed her eyes at him.  "You are the most...exasperating man I've ever met!  You really are!  I mean, really, I -"

Later, Lainey would swear he never moved.  One minute he was by the refrigerator and the next he was on her, lifting her up onto the counter and
taking her mouth by storm.  She gasped, allowing his tongue entry, her hands fisting in his shirt.  His hands forced her knees wide so he could settle in close to her then his hands cupped her face to angle her head to deepen the kiss. 

Her heart was pounding;
she could feel her hands trembling.  He was slightly sweaty from playing football and she found she loved the smell of him and his tongue was driving her insane.  A whimper sounded in her throat when he captured her lower lip, licking and sucking it before releasing it to trail his lips down her neck.

"Mike," she whispered.

"Shh,
cara
," he said, returning to her lips, "don't talk."

He kissed her again, this time so painstakingly tender she felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes. 
His hands delved into her hair, tilting her head to give him better access.  Lainey slid her arms around his shoulders, her fingers sinking into the hair at his nape, resulting in her breasts being crushed against his chest.

When the door opened, he slowly pulled back, shielding her from whoever had just walked in with his body.  Lainey looked up at him, feeling dazed and not quite sure what had just happened.

"Just me," Melissa said from the doorway, "sorry to interrupt."

"It's OK," Mike said, helping Lainey down from the counter.  Her legs were weak and she had to clutch his arm to keep from falling. 
He glanced down and saw the dazed state she was in and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close into his side. 

"Riley and the others said that you wanted me to move to Springfield and run the offices from there."

"I do.  We need you."

She nodded and glanced around the kitchen, then back at Mike.

"I wanted to stay here where we lived with Zig...but, I've missed all of you.  You're my family."

"Will you come then?"

She took a deep breath, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I will."

Mike released Lainey and embraced Melissa, kissing her cheek and speaking low into her ear.  Lainey pressed her fingers to her lips as she watched them, happy for them both but desperately wanting more time with him.  Heart racing, she quietly left the kitchen in search of a bathroom to try to regain her composure.  She'd no sooner found one and stepped in when a hand on the door prevented it from closing and Mike stepped inside behind her, then closed them in together.

"Mike, what are you..."

He backed her against the wall, towering over her.

"Wasn't done," he said, leaning down to skim his lips over hers.

She stared wide-eyed up at him then decided to throw caution to the wind, standing on her toes to twine her arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss.  Mike groaned and lifted her into his arms.

"Wrap your legs around me," he said, then braced her back against the wall so he could kiss her without having to lean down so far. 

She did as he asked, reveling in the feel of his body between her legs, his lips against hers.  The passion between them was unlike anything she'd ever felt.  No matter where he touched, it wasn't enough.  His hands worked their way under her shirt, her stomach quivering beneath his fingers.