CHAPTER ELEVEN
The next day, Eileen had a rehearsal scheduled with the band. They were adding new material and tweaking some of their old stuff to reflect the changes in the band, and it required a few solid hours of actual work. Something they hadn’t had to do in a very long time.
Progress was slow at first, but before too long, they were getting a lot accomplished and polishing their sound and taking it to the next level. Since it was late by the time they finished, they all got dinner together, then headed over to their venue for the evening’s gig. Although she hadn’t been able to see Alan, the day had been well-spent and very satisfying musically.
Alan texted her a few times during the day, which he’d spent tied up doing family stuff. Every time he’d told her he missed her, a little pang of longing had gone through her body. And when he called her that night, right before she went to bed…she almost experienced her very first episode of phone sex right then and there.
Circumstances conspired against them the next day, as well. He had family obligations, as did she. Along with two private parties—one in the afternoon and one at night. Alan texted her during the day again and called her that night.
“I wish I was with you right now, sweetheart,” he whispered into her ear, through the phone.
“I do, too.” She couldn’t play coy. Alan’s honesty deserved honesty in return.
She wanted to invite him over, but he wasn’t even on Long Island at the moment. He’d explained how his family had a cabin upstate, and he’d gone up with his dad and the twins to check that it was closed up for the winter. They were staying up there overnight then would return in the morning. He’d be home in time for their date that night, but not too long before.
“If you were home, I’d invite you over,” she whispered to him, deciding to be bold.
“If I were home, I would be with you. You’d have to kick me out to make me leave,” he whispered right back.
*
The angel watched the two of them talking, pleased with the direction things were taking. If that wasn’t true love blossoming between their battered hearts, she’d eat her halo.
*
On Monday, Eileen and Alan had dinner together at a fancy restaurant. He didn’t let her pay. Again. It was becoming a running joke with them. She’d try to pay, and he’d beat her to it every time. It was getting easier for her to accept that the hundred-dollar bill he’d given her two weeks ago was just going to stay in her pocketbook, unspent.
She might keep it as a lucky charm. Or frame it. Put it on the wall to show their grandkids someday.
Whoa. She was definitely getting a little ahead of herself. Before getting too carried away, she had to know if they had a future at all, much less one in which they married and had kids…and grandkids. The fate of that hundred-dollar bill was still very much up in the air.
“What are your plans for Christmas?” Alan asked her over coffee after one of the most scrumptious meals she’d ever eaten.
“Our family tradition is to open our presents at midnight on Christmas Eve,” she told him. “I don’t think we’re doing anything too elaborate. Just getting together at my brother’s house for dinner—probably catered, if I know his new wife at all. Then, we’ll hang around and open gifts, then I’ll go home.”
“We open our gifts on Christmas Day, right after breakfast. When we were little, we did them before breakfast, but over the years, we’ve learned a little bit about restraint.” Alan smiled as he settled the bill with a credit card. She’d tried to take the check, but he’d slid it out from under her fingertips and beaten her to it.
“Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow,” Alan mused after he’d handed the folder with the signed bill back to the waiter. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”
“Spending it with you,” she dared. “If you’re free, that is.”
“I’m free. In fact, my time is all yours. As much of it as you want.”
Did he mean? Eileen’s breath caught. Was he talking about forever? Or just tomorrow?
“My family has all been placated until my next command performance, which I’ve been informed will be Christmas morning. I’m all yours until then. If you want me.”
His voice had dropped low, but her spirits drooped a bit. He hadn’t been talking about more than just the next day or two. Rats. But there was still time before he had to make his decision. He might still choose civilian life…with her.
“I definitely want you,” she told him. “If you don’t watch out, I’ll invite you to go with me to my brother’s for Christmas Eve.” She was only half joking. Having Alan there as a buffer would be a great help to her emotional state, but she knew it was a lot to ask.
“I think I’d enjoy that,” he said, surprising her. “I’d like to meet your family.”
“Seriously?” She couldn’t quite believe he was telling the truth.
“I mean, I don’t want to intrude on the family gathering if it’s some kind of tradition, but if they don’t mind you bringing a plus one, I’d enjoy meeting them.” He held her chair for her as she rose from the table.
That’s it. He was the perfect guy. He actually wanted to meet her family and was willing to spend the evening at her brother’s with her. He deserved a medal for that alone.
“Then, consider yourself invited. I’ll call my brother tomorrow and tell him I’ll be bringing a guest. I just hope you know what you’re in for.”
“They can’t be any worse than my family,” he told her as he helped her into her coat. “In fact, why don’t you join us on Christmas morning? This way we can compare notes and see who’s got it worse?” He was laughing at his own suggestion, even as she was floored by the invitation.
“Are you sure your mother won’t mind?” she asked. She’d never been invited to meet a guy’s family during such a special celebration. That had to mean something important, didn’t it?
“The more the merrier is what she always says. You might get the inquisition, but if you’re willing to take that chance, I’d love to have you there. My family is a bit overwhelming when I’ve been away from them for a while. I need a buffer,” he told her with a grin.
“I’m the buffer?” She gave him a sideways glance. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be insulted by that thought, but if it’s any consolation, I might just have invited you to my family’s get together for a similar reason,” she admitted.
He laughed as they stood at the valet stand waiting for his car. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” he mused. “Tell you what. I’ll gladly be your buffer if you’ll be mine.”
“That sounds fair,” she told him before the car arrived and they went out into the frigid night air.
He drove them back to her place, and they went via a roundabout route so they could gaze at the Christmas light displays in various neighborhoods along the way. She couldn’t remember spending a more enjoyable evening in the entire year since her mother had died. Alan had brought the joy back to the season for her. Without him, she very much doubted she would have enjoyed anything this year. Not with all that had happened to reopen old wounds.
When they got to her place, she invited him in. She’d been dreaming of having him in her home—in her bed—for days now. Ever since their amazing sojourn in the snowstorm. She’d built it up in her mind so much that she wasn’t sure anymore if reality could live up to the fantasy of what had come before. That hotel room and waking in his arms had been magic, and everything after they’d made love had been bathed in a soft fuzz of enchantment.
She’d been walking on clouds ever since and was almost afraid she’d built up her expectations to something totally unrealistic. She needn’t have worried. Just seeing Alan again and being with him throughout dinner proved all over again that he was the perfect gentleman…the perfect man. For her.
He’d made her laugh. He’d made her think. And together, they’d talked of serious things she’d never talked about with anyone else. They’d touched on her losses…and his. He’d opened up to her about the friends he had lost and they’d grown closer, if that was possible.
Now, as he took her in his arms and carried her across the threshold of her bedroom, she just about swooned at his romantic gesture. Her insides quivering, he set her on the bed and proceeded to undress her…slowly. He nibbled at each inch of skin exposed, lingering longer in some places than others as her breath came in short gasps and her desire for him rose to new heights.
“Alan,” she gasped his name as he rid her of the last of her clothing, then made room for himself between her thighs. She felt daring. Breathless. Wanted.
It was a new feeling for her. Never before had she felt so totally at ease with a man and secure in her own femininity. Alan made her stronger than she was. Bolder than she’d ever been. Happier than she deserved.
Wait. Did she really feel that way? Like she didn’t deserve happiness? Something was wrong with that thought, but she couldn’t focus anymore as Alan started working his way down her thigh with nibbling kisses that paused, then zeroed in on a certain sensitive spot that made her fists clench on the comforter under her as her hips rose off the bed.
Little squeals of pleasure were wrung from her chest as Alan teased, then pleased her in turn. He knew just how to touch her. Just how to lick and fondle. She came hard and fast before he moved upward, trailing his hot tongue along her belly, pausing to circle around her belly button, then go higher.
“I really like the way you respond to me, Eileen.” His tone was deep, almost growly, and it turned up the heat within her another notch. The smile he sent her way as he hovered close over her straining breasts was pure deviltry…in the sexiest possible sense.
“Don’t leave me hanging, Alan,” she whispered, licking her lips like she wanted to lick him. All over.
With a groan, he rose up, capturing her mouth with his as his cock settled against her most sensitive place and sought entrance. Good. He wasn’t going to make her beg.
She kissed him deeply, giving as good as she got from him while doing all she could to encourage their joining. Finally, he reached between them with one hand and guided himself into her, pausing to rub the tight nub that nearly sent her to the stars right then and there.
He pushed inward and they were one. Alan groaned, as she squirmed beneath him, adjusting to his size and welcoming his warmth. Then, he began to move and thinking wasn’t required. Only feeling. Feeling so intense, that she was powerless in thrall to Alan’s desire and her own.
The pressure built and redoubled, then rose again as Alan pushed into her over and over. She was nearly incoherent with passion as finally, climax rolled over them, pushing her upward toward the stars, safe in Alan’s arms.
She never wanted to leave his embrace. She never wanted this pleasure…or this night…to end. They held each other tight deep into the night. There were still lots of question marks in her mind about the possibility of a future together, but she was willing to suspend all thought of that for the time being. The time she had with Alan was too precious to waste worrying about tomorrow.
The day before Christmas Eve dawned bright and cold. Alan woke to find himself in bed with the woman of his dreams. Life couldn’t get much better than this.
He’d come to a decision, and the time was fast approaching to share it with Eileen. He only hoped she’d respond the way he wanted. A lot was riding on what she’d think about what he’d decided. Now, he just had to find the right moment to tell her.
They spent the morning together, eating breakfast in bed and making love again in the lazy morning sunlight. Her house was charming, and he felt right at home, even if the color scheme was a little girly for his tastes in some parts of the house. The master bathroom was pink, for example. Not that he didn’t like pink as a concept, but it was a little hard to get used to after spending so much time in the Navy where pink as a decorating choice didn’t seem to exist.
They showered together, and the pink walls and towels didn’t matter. Only the walk-in shower and the little tiled seat that came in so handy, made an impression on him as he powered into her, making Eileen moan in the most satisfying of ways. He loved that he could do that to her. He loved that he could make her scream his name or growl with impatience for him to move faster or deeper, or whatever the situation called for. He loved that he could make her into a fierce lover who demanded what she wanted from him.
The contrast between the demure, polite façade she showed the world and the needy lover he brought out in her heated his blood and brought an answering growl from his inner caveman. He loved that he could be himself with her, no matter what mood was upon him. She seemed to like it when he let things get a little rough, as much as she liked it when he was more refined. He knew he loved it when she showed him her passion openly and in every way.
Flat out. He just loved her. Everything about her fascinated him. Every response. Every emotion. Every compassionate word. Every loving touch.
He couldn’t imagine his life without her in it, and as the day wore on and they spent it together, he realized the time had come to make his move. They hadn’t left her house all day, but he’d come prepared. What he needed was in his coat pocket, and it only took a moment to retrieve as she finished putting together the dinner they’d both helped prepare.
Alan set the dining room table, secreting what he’d need on a disused chair next to his place. He wanted to find the perfect moment to tell her of his decision, and he thought for certain the moment would come at some point during or after dinner. He was ready when she started putting dishes on the table, and he went back into the kitchen with her to help bring the rest out.
They ate the salad he’d chopped up with his own clumsy hands then moved on to the main course. She’d made chicken teriyaki, which was absolutely delicious, and he told her so multiple times. There were side dishes, too, a few of which he’d helped prepare by opening cans and mixing things in bowls before popping them in the oven or on the stove. All in all, it was a delicious meal that both impressed him and passed by all too quickly.
When she would have gone into the kitchen to get the pie she had left there, he stopped her, one hand on hers. She looked at him, seeming surprised by his action. She’d probably be a lot more surprised by the time he spoke his piece.
“Eileen, honey…” She sat facing him, watching him with a faintly questioning look. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you these past weeks.”
“I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, too,” she told him, looking a bit wary as he tried to find the right words.
“The thing is, you know the decision I’m up against. The decision I came home to mull over and make.” He wasn’t saying what he wanted to say, but he would get there. Eventually.
Eileen visibly swallowed, now seeming even more on edge. Dammit. He was screwing this up.
“I’ve made my decision. You helped me make it. I mean… I hope you’ll do that. Sorry. I’m not very eloquent tonight, it seems.” He blew out a gusty chuckle, nervous as hell.
Maybe actions would speak louder than words. He reached for the item he’d left on the chair next to him then got down on one knee next to her.
“Eileen, I’m not going back to the Navy. I want to come home. To you. I want to come home to you every day for the rest of our lives. I want to know if you’ll be my wife. Honey, will you marry me?” He opened the ring box and held it up to her, showing her the sparkling diamond he’d picked out over the weekend, just for her.
Tears flooded Eileen’s eyes as emotion took over. “Yes!” she gasped. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She reached out and flung herself into his arms. Luckily for the structural integrity of the chair she was sitting in, he met her halfway. They hugged and kissed, then hugged and kissed some more. The pie was forgotten as just being together became more important.
A long while later, they came up for air, and Alan’s blue eyes gazed down into hers. “I love you, Eileen. You helped me see the goodness in life again.”
“I love you, too, Alan. You made me laugh again, and for that, I can never thank you enough.”
*
The angel celebrated her one-year anniversary in heaven as she watched her beloved daughter crying happy tears in the arms of the man she loved. It had taken a little maneuvering to get them together, but the angel was pleased with the results. Alan would be good to her girl and help replace the last lingering bits of sadness in her heart with happier feelings of joy and love.
It was one of the last things she could do to help her daughter, the girl she’d had to leave behind when she passed into the next world. Eileen had been through so much. She deserved this chance at happiness with someone who could love her deeply and true.
“Lucky Eileen.” The restless spirit had arrived to watch over the angel’s shoulder. “She never would have bagged a guy like that if you hadn’t been looking out for her. That was a nice trick, with the snowstorm.”
“Mary, you still haven’t learned, have you? I may have helped fate along a little, but they were meant to be. Can’t you see that?”
Mary looked down at her friend and shrugged. “If I’d had a guy like that, I wouldn’t have ended up the way I did. Where was my guardian angel when I needed them?”
“Honey, they tried, but you were too intent on having things your own way. Every time the ones who loved you tried to intervene, you went the other direction.” Eileen’s mother, the angel, shook her head in despair.
“How could I have known that?” Mary snapped.
“If you’d been quiet and listened to your instincts, you might’ve realized, but you lost all those chances, and now, you’re stuck here, in the middle, between life and the afterlife. You can’t transition fully until you figure some things out, Mary.”
“What am I, like a ghost or something? And where do you go when you’re not here?”
“I only come here when I want to see how the ones I left behind are doing. Otherwise, I’m…well…I’m in a better place. A place that’s waiting for you, too, Mary, but you have to earn your entry there.” The angel sighed heavily. “Most people do that during their lifetimes. You didn’t. So, you’ll have to do it now, and it won’t be easy.”
“What do I have to do?” Mary was intent. No doubt she didn’t want to stick around in the half-world she was in now, forever.
“You left some people behind, too,” the angel reminded her daughter’s friend. “You’ll have to look after them. Maybe you’ll learn a few things along the way and earn your place.”
“That’s it? I have to be someone’s guardian angel?”
“You’re no angel, Mary. You’ve got a ways to go before you can claim that title.”