Welcome to Forever (9 page)

That was something that Micah couldn't control or change, and he hated that. He was Ben's father. He was supposed to protect him, and he couldn't. All he could do was stand by helplessly and watch his son learn yet another hard lesson of life.

Kat rested her hand on his shoulder as he returned to the bench with a heavy sigh and sat beside her. “If you think helping with the club will be too much for Ben, I understand. I'm sorry. I didn't know—”

Micah shook his head. “No. I think this is exactly what he needs. It'll be good for him to be here.” It just might break Micah watching. “He's staying.” Looking at Kat, he added, “We both are. And those kids will learn some respect.”

The next morning Micah was yawning before the day had even gotten started. He took a sip from his coffee as he watched the men in his squadron arrive for a little basic training. They'd jumped out of a V-22 Osprey a thousand times, but he still liked to do refresher trainings every now and then, especially when there was talk of another deployment coming up next year.

He'd be a civilian by that time. As much as he hated to leave his men, it was what was right for Ben. And he was excited about the prospect of staying on the ground, working in the green, and just enjoying his role of being a dad.

“Working two jobs is starting to take its toll, I see,” Lawson said, coming up beside him. “You make plenty of money, man. I don't know why you're helping out at the school.”

Because I am preparing to leave the Corps.
Lawson didn't need to know that just yet, though. Micah shrugged and took another sip from his coffee. “Maybe I like to stay busy.”

“Sergeant in the Marines. Single father to a son with special needs. Sounds pretty busy to me. Want to know what I think?”

Micah slid a glance in Lawson's direction. He usually didn't want to know what Lawson thought, but he cocked a brow anyway. “That it's time for you to get your hair cut again? And buy a new razor?” he asked, observing the shadow of growth along Lawson's jaw.

His friend frowned. “This afternoon, all right?” He crossed his arms at his chest. “I think you're high on Kat. And as a buddy, I have to tell you, it's a hard crash coming down.”

“I don't have time for romance, or whatever it is you're insinuating.” He took another heavy sip of his java. “And, if you remember, Nicole was your brilliant idea.” Micah's gaze sharpened on his friend. “And by brilliant, I mean bad.”

Lawson nodded. “Agreed. Sometimes that happens. Rare as it is. Besides, I never told you to date her. I told you to
date
her.” His voice dropped as he made air quotations around the word “date.”

Micah shook his head, unable to suppress a smile. “One of these days I'll learn to stop listening to you. Like today, maybe.” He straightened, the coffee's effects not yet meeting his tired voice. “Now go get your gear ready. We're doing dry runs on the floor this morning. We'll practice getting our gear on and then we'll review the flight manual.”

Lawson shook his head. “We all know how to get our gear on properly. We're not idiots.”

Yeah, but mistakes happened, and in their line of work, mistakes often cost people their lives. They'd both learned that the hard way. “Is that the way you talk to your superior?” Micah asked, keeping his eyes focused on the others. It was a low blow, pulling the rank card, but Lawson was under his command right now. Technically, Micah wasn't even supposed to be hanging out with him or having him over for dinner every week—not that he'd ever let a rule like that stop him.

“No, sir,” Lawson said, staring at him for a solid second. “I hate it when it's your time of the month, man. Just like a girl.”

Micah's jaw locked. A little respect at work would be nice, though.

Lawson offered a sarcastic-as-hell salute and started moving toward the adjoining room, where the other Marines were gathered. “I'll go get my gear,
sir
.”

“You do that, Phillips.”

A week later, Kat could already feel her heart pounding as she drove to the Veterans' Center with a box of John's things in the trunk to donate. One box. Baby steps.

Julie leaned forward in the passenger seat beside her and changed the music. “I hate that song.”

“Pretty strong word,” Kat mused, glancing over.

“What's a strong word?” Julie popped her gum and stared at her.

“Hate. You don't really hate the song. You just don't like it.” The silence that followed prompted her to look over at her sister again.

“Right. Okay. I really dislike that song.” Her sister rolled her eyes playfully, the corners of her mouth turning up. “But I really
love
this one, which is another strong word. I really just mean I like it a lot. Does that word work for you?”

“Perfectly.” Kat smiled to herself.

“This word stuff is really getting annoying, you know that? And the array of plants you've placed by the kitchen sink, the ones you talk to all the time, that's pretty creepy, sis.”

This made Kat laugh, and laughter was good. It eased the panic that'd been swirling through her all morning. Moving on in her actions and thoughts were one thing, but folding up John's favorite shirt to give to someone who was alive and could actually wear it, that was hard. There were memories tied to every single thing she had of John's—memories she worried she'd lose without them.

“One of the kids in my after-school group has been teaching us about talking to plants,” Kat said, trying not to think about the box. “It really works. You should see this kid's specimens.”

“Specimens?” Julie popped another bubble. “You're teaching kids to talk to plants? You know the parents will sue you when their brats all end up in padded cells.”

Kat tsked. “There's actually a science behind this stuff. There have been research studies proving that when you talk to plants, it affects their growth. And I think the kids are learning about choosing their words and actions wisely.”

The kids that weren't teasing Ben mercilessly over his theories, at least.

“The kid is the son of the school's groundskeeper,” Kat continued. “He's also the guy helping out with the group.”

Julie cracked her window and tossed her gum, making Kat nearly swerve into the next lane.

“Julie! The gum will hit other people's cars. You can't just toss it on the highway.”

Her sister stared at her for an exaggerated beat and continued. “You know what I think? I think you're going gaga over this kid's science stuff because you've got a thing for his dad.” Julie waggled her eyebrows. “Perhaps, Mr. Rebound Guy?”

“You know I'm not ready for that kind of thing.”

“What kind of thing? Lust? Dating? Sex?” Julie asked, drawing out the last word in a teasing manner.

“All of it,” Kat said as Julie snickered.

“Come on, sis. Sex is the greatest physical activity God ever invented. Yoga and sex.”

“God didn't create sex for exercise. It's a bonding thing,” Kat argued. “An act of love.”
Geez, I really am Pollyanna.

“All I'm saying is, if you don't use it, you lose it.”

Kat's brain stuttered on her sister's claim. “If I don't have sex, I'll lose my female parts?”

This made Julie burst into laughter. “You can't even say the word. Vagina, Kat. It's called a vagina. And, yes. It'll rot and fall off one day, never to be seen again.”

Kat's gaze slid over. “Let's talk about something else, okay? What about you? Why did you and your ex break up?”

Julie redirected her attention out the window, suddenly quiet. “We just grew apart.”

“After three years? Did something happen?”

Julie shook her head, but Kat caught the subtle darkening of her eyes as she glanced over. Something had hurt her sister badly enough that she had left a job and man she loved. And badly enough for Julie to pack her bags and return to Seaside, which Kat never thought would happen.

They didn't need to talk about it now, though. They also didn't need to talk about her sex life, or lack thereof.

“Okay, another subject change.” Kat started on the first topic that popped into her mind. “So, there's a little girl in the Friendship Club, Shelby Cooke. She's had a rough life so far. Her father's in jail for abusing her and her sister, among other things.”

Julie was looking at her again, her shoulders relaxed. “That's terrible.”

Kat rolled her lips together, hating this topic as much as the last. But at least this one had a happy ending. “Shelby is safe now, but she's dealing with a lot emotionally. She's lashed out at her teachers and some of the other students. I don't like it, but I've had to ask her to stay after school several times already this year.”

Julie nodded, urging Kat to continue.

“Anyway, I overhead Shelby talking to one of the plants this week, just like Ben. The children are only supposed to say positive things, and she was, but I don't think Shelby has had a lot of experience with being spoken to nicely.”

“What was she saying?” Julie asked.

“Actually, she wasn't talking. She was singing a song her mother used to sing to her when she was alive.”

Julie shuddered as she rubbed her hands along her arms. “I just got chills. That's amazing.”

“What we're doing for these kids is going to make a difference.”

“Yeah. Sounds like it.” Julie pulled another stick of gum from her purse and popped it into her mouth. “And you're probably right.”

Furrowing her brow, Kat glanced across the seat. Her sister never admitted that she was right about anything. “Right about what?”

“You shouldn't have sex with this guy, whoever he is. Definitely not. The way your eyes light up when you talk about him, you'd lose your heart fast. He can't be your rebound guy.”

“John died two years ago. I'm way past a rebound guy.”

“But you're still wearing his ring.” Julie gestured at Kat's finger. “So you're actually not past rebounding. And this guy sounds like he's perfect for you. He's into teaching kids and saving the world. Right up your alley. So I suggest you stay as far away from him as you possibly can.”

Chewing her lower lip, Kat pulled into the Veterans' Center parking lot, noticing Val's car parked on the side. Val often baked goodies for the local veterans and dropped them off. It was the closest she got to representing the preacher's daughter that everyone expected her to be.

Kat parked and turned to her sister. “Micah, the school's groundskeeper, is the one taking me to the Marine Corps ball.” Her voice was flat, hammered down by the truth of Julie's words. Micah
was
the perfect guy for her.

“The lawn guy is also the Marine? The hot guy from the bar?” Julie clarified, pushing her neck forward in disbelief.

Panic rose in Kat's chest. “Yep.”

Julie snickered. “Sister, you are in deep trouble.”

Micah stared at the woman standing across the store for a long second.

“Earth to Mikie.” Lawson snapped a finger in front of him. “Who are you staring at anyway?” Lawson's gaze followed his and stopped. “Oh. Kat and that other girl from Heroes.” A wide grin spread across his unshaven face. “The one you're intent on telling me you're not interested in. Even though you were more than happy to take her home that night.”

Something protective rumbled through Micah and his jaw tightened. “I just dropped her off at her house. She'd had too much to drink.”
And she'd been an adorable drunk.
He jabbed a finger in Lawson's shoulder. “And didn't you end up taking Kat's sister home that night?”

Lawson nodded, a fond smile forming on his face. “I think she liked me. It's hard to say because she was too busy fussing at the brunette that I also took home.” He frowned as his gaze slid toward Micah. “I'd like to tell you they were fighting over me, but”—he shook his head—”the cowboy hat has lost its mojo, man. And unless they're actually clawing at each other and pulling each other's clothes off, it's not pleasant to watch two women fight.”

Micah chuckled, returning his attention to Kat, who was still browsing through the dresses, no doubt looking for one to wear to the ball in a few weeks. His heart sped up just thinking about holding her close against him. He imagined whispering how beautiful she was in her ear and watching her skin flush with each compliment. He liked that about her. She had no idea how heart-stopping she was, and no idea what a turn-on her dedication to her job was.

“I'm tired of looking. What do you think of this one?” Lawson held up a tiny white child's dress with lace edges. “Think Sabrina will wear this one?”

An image of Lawson's three-year-old niece came to mind. “She'd look adorable in anything,” Micah said, grinning at the boyish nature his friend took on when he talked about the little girl.

“And if she takes after her mother, she'll continue with that trend, and you and I will be kicking some teenaged ass in a few years.”

Micah raised a brow and returned his attention to Kat, who was now holding up a long, black dress with rhinestones accenting the collar. She'd look gorgeous in it. His gaze caught on the low-cut front. If she wore that, he'd be too busy drooling to speak that night.

“You want to go over there and say something, or should we continue being the creepy stalkers across the store?”

“I'm not stalking her.” Micah pretended to look through the dresses some more. “What's this dress for again?”

“Sabrina's christening. My sister elected me to stand beside her for the event.”

“Probably because of the hat,” Micah joked, knocking his hand down on the cowboy hat's rim.

Lawson readjusted it, and then his eyebrows rose. “Hats aren't allowed in church, man. It's because I am the favorite uncle.” A large grin spread across his face.

“Aren't you the only uncle?” Micah laughed as his friend's smile faltered.

Lawson's gaze lifted back to the women. “Don't look now, but you've been spotted.”

Micah whipped around and looked at Kat, who was still in the women's dress section, oblivious to his presence. A low growl of frustration emerged as he glanced back. “Very funny. I better go over and say hello before I end up strangling you.”

“Right. And I better say hello to Jewels,” Lawson said.

“Julie,” Micah corrected. “Her name is Julie.”

“Right.” Lawson walked ahead of him, taking the lead.

Micah prepared himself for when Kat turned around, knowing that her beauty and those expressive eyes of hers would make him feel like a hormonal teenager again. He'd never enjoyed being a teenager. He preferred to operate according to his head, not what was inside his boxer shorts. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and then she turned around, taking him by surprise. She really did get prettier every time he saw her, in contrast to his ex-wife, who'd only lost attractiveness with time because of her bad attitude.

Kat smiled as he approached, and that's when he knew the whole, indisputable truth. It wasn't his head or what was inside his boxers that he needed to worry about.
His heart was in deep trouble
.

“Don't look now,” Julie said, standing in Seaside's finest dress shop, “but your boyfriend is here. And he's walking straight toward us.”

“Boyfriend?” Kat turned and her heart skidded to a stop. “Micah.” She hurriedly placed the dress back on the rack and forced a smile, willing her breath to slow down. He was just a guy—an incredibly gorgeous guy, who just so happened to be another Marine. Some luck falling for two uniformed men in one lifetime.

Falling?
Had she really just thought that she was falling for him? Because that wasn't allowed. They may be going to the USMC ball together, but she absolutely was not going to give her heart to him.
Nuh-uh.
They weren't even really dating.

“Hi,” he said in that deep voice that gave her immediate hot flashes.

He'd gotten to her faster than she'd expected. Opening her mouth to speak, she prayed comprehensible words would come out. He was just a man. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice shrill. Just a man, she reminded herself—a heart-stoppingly gorgeous man with dark chocolate eyes that did funny things to her knees. Not only that, he was good with kids and a devoted father.

Micah grinned. “Dress shopping. You?”

“Me, too. But, um, why are
you
dress shopping?” she asked.

He gestured to his friend standing beside him. She recognized him from the bar the other night, and offered a friendly smile.

“It's for my niece, actually,” Lawson said, holding up a child-sized white dress. “She's getting christened on Sunday.” Then he gestured toward the dress that Kat had been looking at. “Looks like you're buying a dress, too.” He drove an elbow into Micah's side. “What do you think? Think it'll look good on your date?”

Micah cleared his throat and, if Kat wasn't mistaken, he looked a little embarrassed. “Of course.”

Kat looked back at the rack, taking a moment to regain her composure. Every time she saw him, he was way better looking than she'd remembered. How was that even fair? “Yeah? I'm not sure.” She ran her hand over the silky fabric.

“I am. I'm sure you'd look great in a heap of rags,” he said.

Nervous laughter tumbled off her lips, as clumsy as the rest of her body seemed to be when he was around. “I'll take that into consideration,” she said.

“Great pickup line, man,” Lawson teased. “I'm sure you'd look great in rags, as well, miss,” he told Julie, who responded with a cool look of disinterest.

Kat took the black dress back off the rack. “I guess this'll do. I'm tired of looking.”