TY
Sunday morning in Hawaii is nothing short of spectacular. Sure, there’s beauty in Brookside. I’d be a fool not to acknowledge that now that I’m old enough not to resent my hometown anymore, but it’s got nothing on the sun rising high in the azure sky, sending light down on the lush landscape, the rolling hills, and the crashing sea. Everyone said getting assigned here was a once in a lifetime opportunity and they were right. Hawaii is a place of mystic beauty rivaled only by the landscapes in some of my favorite books.
I have a list of places I want to take Lexi and Gabe, but today is all about showing my son off to my friends. I have six years of playing the proud father to catch up on and I’m going to tote this kid around to anyone who will give us the time of day, starting with my friend and neighbor Jack and his wife Tara. Their son Toby is about a year older than Gabe. The way I see it, introducing everyone will ensure Lexi and Gabe have something to do in case they get bored while I’m at work tomorrow, and somewhere to turn in case of an emergency.
We start our day earlier than I’d like. It’s four thirty in the morning here, but our bodies think it’s ten thirty. After some breakfast and lounging around as we wait for the sun to come up, we go back out to the beach where we lounge around some more. Gabe plays in the waves while Lexi and I recline in beach chairs, holding hands in the empty space between us. When we get hot, we tromp into the water, splashing and playing like children. Gabe and I throw a football and I swear, that kid gets better by the day. We come in just before lunch, tired, but smiling, and make a quick meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips.
“We’ll have to make a trip to the commissary before dinner,” I say as we sit down to eat. “But, I wondered if you’d be opposed if I invited some friends over for a cookout. I’d like to show you guys off. How often is it a man goes home for a week and comes back with a six-year-old son?” …and a woman I’m falling in love with, I finish in my head.
Lexi grimaces but quickly covers it up with a smile. It reminds me of the look on her face last night in my study. She obviously didn’t want to talk about whatever was bothering her in front of Gabe, so I dropped it and won’t pick it up again now, but I file it away as something to talk about later.
“Sure,” she says with a light shrug. “You lead and we’ll follow.” She grins at me and pops a chip into her mouth. “Well, at least until I get used to being out here and then we’ll see about that following stuff.”
I level a finger at her. “You forget who you’re dealing with. Here in Mololani at Kaneohoe Bay, I am Captain Tyler Reed, a highly decorated and respected officer of the United States Marine Corps. Most people discover things are better if they follow my lead.”
“Yeah, but you should know by now that I’m not most people.”
I wipe my mouth and drop my napkin on my plate. “Ain’t that the truth.”
She looks so beautiful, sitting at my table with her hair piled high on her head like it was the first day I saw her in Key West. She smiles at me and it’s the same smile I imagined all those years, writing letters to her, jacking off to her, imagining conversations with her when times were hard or boasting to her when times were good. The very fact that she’s here is surreal. She’s a miracle of flesh and fantasy, sitting at my dining table, laughing at my dumb jokes like she’s always been here.
“You feel like getting cleaned up? I know I could use a shower.” My mind goes straight to her body wet and covered in soap while I keep my gaze respectfully on her face in front of Gabe.
The gleam in her eyes tells me she’s fighting the same thoughts. “I’m feeling decidedly dirty right now.” She scoots her chair back from the table and stands. “Gabe, you feel like a bath?”
His eyes light up and we all trek upstairs. Lexi draws a bath for Gabe in the guest bathroom while I draw one for us in the master. Once the boy is safely out of the tub and playing in his room, Lexi joins me, locking the door behind her as she unhooks her bikini top and lets it fall to the floor. I watch her from my place in the tub. Her tan lines have deepened from our morning in the sun and she looks more and more like the girl I met in Key West. My Alexa. My dream girl. My dick stiffens and I shift as she lowers herself into the warm water across from me.
She drops her head back and sighs in pleasure as the water reaches her breasts. “Now this is what I’m talking about.” She lifts her head and meets my gaze.
“And just think, you could be back in Ohio right now.” I grin at her.
“I don’t think it matters where I am as long as I’m with you.”
Her words hit me in the chest and I lean forward, cup each of her cheeks between my hands, and kiss her. She closes her eyes and opens her mouth to me. I sweep my tongue along her bottom lip as she grips my dick and runs her thumb across the tip. I shudder and suppress a groan of pleasure.
“I told you I was feeling dirty.” Her gaze is heavy and full of desire. “Now, tell me. Just what do you plan to do about it?”
I know exactly what I’m going to do about it and instead of telling her, I skip a few steps and show her instead.
* * *
Laughter echoes through my house as the smell of burgers and steak waft in from off the grill. Jack and Tara brought our mutual friend Lucas as well as a slew of snacks, drinks, and side items. Lexi fits right in with the three of them, laughing and joking and teasing them as if they were old friends while Toby and Gabe disappeared upstairs an hour ago and haven’t been seen since.
“Who else but Tyler goes home a single man and comes back with a ready-made family?” Lucas holds up his beer in mock salute and then takes a long drink.
Lexi plasters on a fake smile and laughs, but something’s bothering her. I keep seeing it in her eyes but haven’t found the time to ask her about it yet.
“My sister was bugging me about a cousin for my new nephew.” I grab a spatula on my way to check on the grill. “Lucky me, I found a way to expedite the order.”
“I figured it would be me and you, single and stubborn to the end.” Lucas makes a face. “Now you’re one step away from these two.” He gestures towards Jack and Tara.
“And what’s wrong with being like us?” Tara leans forward, arching an eyebrow and giving Lucas a look that would give the most battle-hardened warrior cause to hesitate.
“Nothing,” says Lucas. “I mean, not if you’re cool with being boring.”
Laughter chases me outside and when I peek in to check on Lexi, she seems at ease. Maybe I’m imagining whatever it is I think I see. Maybe it’s nothing more than jet lag and the uncertainty of being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people.
When the burgers are done, I carry them back inside and put the platter down on the counter near the rest of the food. “They’re done,” I call out. “Get ‘em before they’re gone.”
The boys come racing downstairs as the adults stand and make their way into the kitchen. Lexi helps Gabe fill his plate while she chats with Tara. Jack and Lucas jostle each other, fighting over who gets the best burger, and Toby reaches up on tiptoes to grab a handful of cookies while his parents aren’t looking. For as long as I’ve lived here, I’ve joked that I have more house than I need. On most days it feels big and empty. Not today. Today, it’s filled with people and laughter and warmth and friendship. Today, my house feels like a home.