Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) (42 page)

That couldn’t be true. William considered the people surrounding him. Errol was present and trying to flirt with Lily, getting a cold shoulder in return. Lewis had met them at the airport, insisting on seeing him off, which felt like a miracle and a gift because Kate was also there, and so far, they had remained civil to each other. His family and friends gathering around him made William realize just how lucky he was. He wanted that for Jason too, and hoped that Ben and Tim would take care of him in his absence.

“Knock em’ dead, baby brother,” Errol said, giving him a hug.

“Come back to us,” Lily chimed in, doing the same.

His mother clutched him tightly, her tears leaving wet marks on his cheek. His father was misty-eyed too. “I’d rather you joined the Marines,” he teased, “but other than that, I couldn’t be prouder.”

His mother insisted on another hug. “If there’s one thing I did right,” she whispered, “it’s you. Go help people.”

Great, now he felt like crying, which sucked because the most difficult goodbye was yet to come. Jason shuffled forward uncomfortably, searching for the right words. When he found them, they weren’t meant for William. “Could you guys look away for a second?”

Everyone suddenly became interested in their surroundings. After winning that small bit of privacy, Jason embraced him, his kiss meant to express how he felt inside. William understood, but in case he hadn’t…

“I won’t stop loving you,” Jason said, face hard with determination. “Even if we never see each other again, I won’t stop. Ever. I swear.”

William stared at him, unable to speak, certain it would make him cry. Jason took a step back, hand sliding over him and down one arm until only their fingers were touching. Then he let go and turned away. William did the same, knowing if he didn’t go now, he would never find the strength. He looked back only once—at the same time that Jason just happened to. He took some reassurance in that. This wasn’t the end of their story. He wouldn’t let it be.

_________

Part Three

Cape Cod, 2011

_________

Chapter Eighteen

Transitioning between vastly different worlds was never easy, but over the past two years, William had become something of an expert. The first return home to Austin was accompanied by a sense of pride. Basic training was behind him, and thanks to his ASVAB score and hard work with his first unit, he was officially an E-3 and on the waiting list for “A” school. Even just relaying these most basic of facts was enough to confuse most people back home, including his mother. By the time he explained it all, she was past excitement or surprise, but she managed to be proud of him anyway.

Seeing Jason again… That felt good, although the communication problems only continued. They were in a familiar environment—Jason’s bedroom—but they might as well have been speaking a different language.

“I had this amazing conversation with a petty officer,” William said, “and he assured me that if I keep going the way I am, I’ll make rescue swimmer. He says the biggest obstacles are psychological and that I’m determined enough to see it through.”

“Sounds like a nice guy,” Jason replied.

“He is.”

“Then why’d you call him petty?”

William laughed. He couldn’t help it. “Chief petty officer, actually. That’s just his rank. I know it sounds weird, but this guy is an AST and thinks I can be too.”

“AST?”

“Aviation Survival Technician.”

Jason shook his head. “I thought you wanted to be a rescue swimmer?”

“I do! That’s just the name of the rating.”

“Ratings like movies have?” Jason grinned. “Rated R for restricted! Rated AST for awesome sexy tankman!”

“Tankman?”

“I made it up on the spot. Give me a break.”

“I’ll give you something!” William said, leaning closer.

“Again?” Jason asked, but he clearly wasn’t averse to the idea. Regardless, after a few kisses, he pulled back. “I was worried I’d never see you again. I barely even heard from you.”

“Sorry. They keep us busy.
Very
busy.”

“Did you get all my letters? I only got one from you.”

“Yeah, sorry. But when I’ve got liberty, I mostly just want to sleep.”

“Liberty?”

William tried not to smile. “Time off.”

Jason looked exasperated. “Then why don’t you just say that?”

“Because active duty means never having time off.”

“But you just said—”

“I know, but if they need me now, I’m expected to respond.”

Jason scrunched up his face. “Better put your pants back on then.”

“No time. When the call comes, I’ll have to make a beeline for the airport, even if I’m buck naked.”

This had earned him a laugh. “Let’s talk about something else. The Coast Guard already gets most of your time. I’m tired of sharing. Within the confines of this bedroom, the Coast Guard doesn’t exist.”

Most people he knew felt that way. They might not be open enough to say so, but when he spoke of the Coast Guard, the conversation quickly reached the point of polite interest. No follow-up questions, no shared excitement. Spencer was the only person he found it easy to talk to since they could compare notes. Being a Marine was different, but they were both enlisted in the service. Civilians simply didn’t understand the finer details of military life, so William drew a line in the sand. When he was home, he learned to talk mostly about whatever the big movies that year had been, or news events that everyone followed. This was hard though, because the Coast Guard
was
his life. Before too long, it began to feel more like home than Austin did. When he finally did start “A” school, entire weeks went by without a single thought of his life back in Texas. He no longer had time for pop culture or long emails and was too focused elsewhere to bother with texting.

Training to become a rescue swimmer nearly broke him. William gave all of himself—more than he realized he had—to graduate. He did though! He walked away from the experience feeling as though he had survived a war, especially considering that half of those entering the program didn’t make the cut. When he visited home again, he was greeted with celebrations, but once the parties were over, he found himself even more alienated from his friends and family. He didn’t care about Charlie Sheen’s simultaneous meltdown and comeback or that Oprah had broadcasted her final talk show episode. All he could think about was putting what he had learned to good use.

He didn’t stop caring about people though. When he did focus on the past, Jason was the first he thought of, and when making brief trips to Austin, the person he most wanted to see. As William settled into the routine of his new life, he began to miss what he had left behind. Such as now. He was at the place where he both worked and lived, Air Station Cape Cod, and while he had once imagined he would spend most of his rescue swimmer days dangling from a helicopter, currently he was engaged in the less glorious task of checking PFDs for flaws.

William smiled as he worked, imagining Jason’s response to this task.

“I thought a PDF was a type of file?”

“PFD,” William said out loud. “Personal Flotation Device, and no, that doesn’t just mean an airline seat.”

PFDs ranged from life jackets to ring buoys and even full-body flotation suits. One of William’s jobs was to make sure inventory was up to snuff, any flawed equipment either repaired or replaced by him. At the moment, he found himself hoping a cruise ship full of tourists would capsize so he would have something more exciting to do. After feeling guilty, he quickly amended his wish to a search and rescue drill, which would at least get him out into the warm night. Summer was here, and the last place William wanted to be was indoors. Maybe he could leave the PFDs for now and head back to the main hangar. There he could do a routine inspection on the aircraft assets, which gave him an excuse to be near the helicopters he loved so much. The hangar door would likely be open enough for him to step out briefly and watch the breeze shake the nearby trees.

A nice idea, but William remained where he was. His personal desires and his duty were two separate things, and the latter had priority. For the next hour, he systematically worked his way through the equipment and logged his findings. Only then did he leave the storeroom and go to the hangar. Despite all his training, he still felt a child-like glee when he actually saw the MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters. He wasn’t alone in his enthusiasm. A little girl was skipping around the nose of one and smiling up at it. Not far away, AMT Christie Patel was engaged in her own inspection, although her hands weren’t tweaking an engine. Instead they were moving down the back of her husband to squeeze one of his butt cheeks. William discretely moved out of sight, waiting until their murmured goodbyes were completed. He greeted Max and Jenny on their way out, then laughed when he saw how starry-eyed Christie still was over their visit. Her russet skin was a shade redder around her cheeks, her raven-black hair slightly mussed. She looked like a teenager who had just played spin the bottle, which only made him laugh harder.

“Shut up!” she said, punching him lightly on the arm. “You’re just jealous.”

“Hopelessly,” he confirmed.

“Are you hungry? There are leftovers in the mess hall. Don’t worry, Max cooked, not me.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not!” Christie said. “You’ve lost a lot of weight since boot camp.”

His weight wasn’t so different. AST school had simply atomized what little fat he’d had and made his muscles leaner. Not to mention he wasn’t a teenager anymore. He had thought he was in great shape when arriving at boot camp, but he and many others had learned otherwise. What surprised him more was that Christie still remembered what he looked like back then. They hadn’t been close, only interacting a few times. Ending up stationed together and on the same crew had changed that. William was grateful, since his mechanical skills weren’t the best, and she often helped him out. Christie came from a family of coasties, some of them very high up. If he had thought his knowledge of the Coast Guard was comprehensive, that changed when he met her. She was a virtual encyclopedia, and William was always asking her questions. As for what she got out of the relationship, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe she just needed someone to scarf down all those leftovers.

“Fried chicken and potato salad,” Christie said seductively.

That did it. His stomach grumbled and they both laughed. “Okay. Hook me up.”

They went to the mess hall—a glorified breakroom—where food from Max’s visit was still out. Her husband was a phenomenal cook. Crispy skin surrounded the fried chicken, and the potatoes were so soft that they had nearly dissolved into the mayonnaise.

“You’re so lucky!” William said around a mouthful of food.

Christie smiled from across the table. “That I am. You can be too.”

William shook his head. “I need to—”

“I know, I know. Focus on your duty, but we’ve been here almost two months. I don’t know about you, but I’m settling in nicely. I don’t feel so overwhelmed anymore.”

“Me neither,” he admitted.

“Then why not find a nice girl who will bring you food? You owe me leftovers. Believe it or not, it’s possible to get sick of Max’s cooking. It would also get you out of those horrible bachelor barracks.”

Now she was talking marriage! To a woman, naturally. Necessity had forced William back into the closet. He tried busying himself with the food, but only a few bites were left. “Maybe once hurricane season is over.”

“You have days off,” Christie pressed. “You have time.”

“I really don’t. I train every single day and still have so much to learn, especially if I’m going to make—”

“I’m sure you could spare a few hours in the evening. You have to eat. Why not do so with a nice… with someone nice?”

He didn’t like what her hesitation implied. Did she know? “I’m fine.”

“You have someone already, don’t you?” Christie continued trying to read him. “You’ve always got a spring in your step when you get back from Austin, and I don’t think it’s from kissing your mother on the cheek.”

William chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Christie tilted her head to one side. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Well, in that case, Sheila Banks was asking about you. Again. She’s not the only one.”

William stared at his empty plate. “Sheila isn’t my type.”

Christie remained quiet until he looked up. “I know we’re not supposed to ask—”

“Then don’t!” William snapped. He felt bad for doing so, not wanting to hurt her feelings or betray his training by losing his cool, but no other topic made him this uneasy. He had a secret weakness, an Achilles heel, and he hated how easily it could ruin everything. “I’ve worked really hard to get where I am,” he said. “We both have. I can’t throw all of that away for a relationship. Does that make sense?”

Christie nodded. “I think so. It’s not always easy balancing duty and a personal life, but sometimes Max and Jenny are the only things that keep me going. I want you to have that too.”

“Okay.”

“A support network is important.”

“I know,” he mumbled.

“You’ve always got us! My home is your home. And my family… I don’t think you’d want them, but we’re there for you. I hope you know that.”

“Thank you,” William said.

He thought the discussion was over, but as they were cleaning up, Christie had one more thing to say. To her credit, she did so as casually as possible.

“It sounds like DADT will be repealed soon.”

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the official policy allowing gay people to serve in the military while also ensuring they could never do so openly. If William merely spoke of his sexual orientation, regardless of all the time and money the government had invested in him, and no matter how much he had achieved, his military career could be over.

“I have a cousin,” Christie continued. “He’s gay, and he says he’ll enlist if that comes to pass. I hope it does. Not just for him, but for anyone serving who is forced to live a lie.”

William didn’t express his agreement. “If they’re smart, those people will keep their mouths shut until it’s official.”

“I guess you’re right.”

They walked side by side back to the hangar, Christie finally changing the subject. “You have some time off soon, don’t you?”

“Just a long weekend really, but yeah. I’m flying to Austin.”

“Better get that liberty in while you can! Like you said—” Christie nudged him. “—hurricane season.”

“I’m a little nervous about that,” William admitted. “As in I’m trying not to freak out.”

After a brief silence, Christie exhaled. “Yeah. Me too.”

* * * * *

William returned to his quarters after forty-eight hours of duty. His mother had practically fainted when he first told her of his weekly schedule, how he was often on the clock for two days at a time. It wasn’t as bad as it sounded. He wasn’t expected to go without sleep for two days. Bunk beds in the overnight berth provided a place to sleep during the late hours. He just needed to be on standby in case an SAR or any other emergency happened in the middle of the night. Still, it felt good to return home to his own bed. Usually.