Coming Home (2 page)

Dearest Stefan,

I am so glad I finally found you. I know that you have been out fighting in the war to protect our country and I couldn’t be prouder. It’s time you came home though.

I recently found out that I have breast cancer and that it has already spread. I am blessed with good health so the doctor gives me a year to live. I do not tell you this to make you sad. I only tell you so that you understand that time is short.

I would like for you to come home for Christmas this year. I want to have all of the people I love the most in one room with me again while I can still enjoy the company.

Please come home.

With all my love,

Grandma.

I have read the letter so many times that a hole is worn through in the middle. It reminds me that I do have family that cares about me. It might not be of blood but definitely of the heart. My heart starts racing as I realize that I will be seeing her again. I never stopped thinking of her or wanting her. Alone in my barracks I would stroke myself as I thought of the way her lips tasted.

I tried dating a few times but all I did was compare them to her and they fell short. After the third try, I gave up. I have never been with a woman and at the age of twenty that is just pathetic. I know it is but how can I be with someone if I can’t be fair to them. They can never be her. Why try? I wonder if Trevor ever moved on. I hope so. I still feel guilty for beating him up. That is the reason I tried to stay away from her. She had looked up at me through her lashes with so much warmth that I couldn’t control myself.

Her large eyes were slightly hidden by her thick red lashes and she looked at me as though I was the man she loved. It was either I kiss her or slowly lose my mind. I remember reaching for her and next thing I know our lips are touching. I would like to say that I acted like a complete gentleman and just brushed my lips across her, but that would be a lie. I devoured her lips. As soon as our tongues touched and frenzy started. I still think about that night and get hard as granite.

I didn’t know at the time that Trevor saw us. We had plenty of time to talk things out, while she avoided us both. Not that I blamed her. I acted like an animal when I caught them kissing. It was completely out of my hands, as though I couldn’t control what my body was doing. I just knew I had to destroy the image of her in his arms.

I am lucky that Trevor forgave me. We decided that day that if ever given a chance to be with her that we would have to share her. She means too much to not be with her and I couldn’t lose Trevor to my jealousy. Then, I was still pissed at the thought of him touching her even after our talks and I knew it needed to be that way. Now, the thought makes my cock so hard it could break brick.

Too bad she never forgave us. I went away to join the military and Trevor got a scholarship to college. He was always the smart one. I still write him once a week. We do not talk about Sammy. It’s too difficult for both of us. I have never seen Trevor write about another woman so it makes me think that he is in the same boat I am. I will soon find out as soon as my plane lands.

There was no way I was going to deny grandma her last request. How could I. She has meant so much to me for so long. I have to be there. Trevor sent me a letter saying he would like to coordinate our arrival so that we can talk before we see Sammy. I agreed. I have a feeling I know what he is going to say. The same thing I want to say. I want Sammy. I do not care what we have to do to make that happen.

I feel a jolt as the planes wheels touch the black runway. I hope Trevor is already here. We are supposed to meet at the airport lounge and talk before we head to grandma’s house.

The plane stops and I jump up and pull my duffle from the overhead compartment. I am wearing my military suit and men either ignore me or salute me. Today they keep telling me ‘thank you for your service’. It makes me proud to be an American when I see this kind of patriotism. They stand back so that I am nearly the first person off of the plane. I say thank you over and over as I pass each person who waited.

I exit into a tunnel and follow it until I come out into the terminal and see all over the happy smiling facing of the people waiting for their loved ones to come out. I see one face I haven’t seen in two years. I grab his shoulder and pull him in for a hug. He chuckles but returns the hug. I have missed him the last couple of years. He and Sammy are never far from my mind most days.

“I thought we were meeting in the lounge?” I ask him as I step back so that I can see him clearly.

“I got bored and a woman in there was not wanting to take no for an answer. I thought I would just come meet you rather than offending her.” I roll my eyes. Trevor is pretty compared to me. I am six foot and two inches tall. I weigh in at about two hundred and twenty five. I am built like I could knock down a building with my bare hands. I have brown hair that is military short. My eyes are hazel green and what some women have told me are bedroom eyes. Like I know what that means. I just know I am more handsome than pretty.

“Shocking.” I tell him. He could have any woman he wanted in high school yet he only wanted one. The woman we both love. He rolls his eyes back at me like he always does. He never liked the attention. I hope he has gotten more used to it. I doubt it stopped since I left. I look him over. He still looks the same only older. His black hair is combed back and his blue eyes are pale and large. His suit is tailored and that is the major difference.

His first year in college he discovered a way to make some extra money. He created an app for android and apple phones, for gamblers. He made sure it was legal and launched it last year. It made two point five million in one year. They project that it will triple that this year. Trevor switched his major to computer engineering and is currently working on another app.

This is on top of what his parents left him. His father killed his mother and then turned the gun on himself, last year. They were selfish even in the way they took their last breaths. Trevor will never have to worry about money. I am comfortable but I am no rich man. I am happy with what I have. The only thing missing from both of our lives is the wife and kids. I am hoping to change that.

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask as though I do not already know. I start walking and he stays by my side. He sighs and I look over at him.

“You know what I want to talk about.” He shrugs his shoulders before continuing.

“I want Sammy and I want your friendship. We need to decide how we are going to handle this.” I can tell that he is nervous about talking about this.

“I want Sammy too. That never changed and will never change.” I let him know where I stand.

“So we have two options. The first is unpalatable to me. We see who she wants and the other walks away or we learn to share.” He says and then swallows hard. I do the same. I will admit that I have fantasized about watching them together but that doesn’t mean that I will be able to handle it when it happens in front of me.

“I will try to share her with you if she agrees. I do not know how I will react seeing you touching her but I will try to remain calm and keep an open mind.” I tell him. He sighs with relief. He must have been worried about my response. I clap him on the back.

“We will work this out. I promise. I can’t lose either of you.” I tell him honestly.

“Yes me too.” He tells me honestly. I walk with him toward the luggage carrousel even though I do not have anything but my carry on.

“Do you have luggage?” He asks me. I shake my head.

“No, army issue.” I point at my bag.

“I only have one.” He points to the far left corner where the carrousel has already stopped and only a few items remain on it. I walk with him over to it. He lifts the largest of the suitcases out and pulls up the handle to roll it behind him. It is awfully effeminate to me but again this is Trevor and he has always been a bit metro sexual. He dresses nice and likes to keep up with fads where I never gave a damn.

“I rented a vehicle that way we don’t have to rely on cab service.” He tells me as he leads me over to one of the car rental companies. We may be in the city now but in an hour of driving will be in the middle of nowhere and taxi services are very expensive. We lived in a small town called, Rutherford, in the western slopes of Colorado. I love that town. I even loved it when my father was drunk and hitting me because it brought me the two people I love most in the world.

He signs papers and it only takes a moment before they hand him keys and we are walking out into the crisp Colorado air. I heard that we will be getting a foot of snow in the night tonight. I have missed snow. I have missed our stream and the seclusion the small town offered. Rutherford only has a population of seventy eight. Trevor and I graduated with only two other people. Two girls who of course wanted Trevor. Sammy’s class was six.

We climb into a silver SUV that I am sure has four wheel drive. A much needed necessity when traveling into the mountains as we will be. The traffic of Denver should be behind us in no time. We are beating rush hour traffic thankfully. If not then we would be adding another hour on to our travel time. As it is we should be pulling up at Grandma’s house at a little after six. I wonder if Sammy will be there.

“So, how is college life treating you?” I ask Trevor as we speed down I70 heading west.

“I graduated last week.” That stuns me. I had no idea he could graduate so soon.

“Seriously? In only two and a half years?” I ask in amazement. He shrugs his shoulders.

“It was a good distraction. I took all the classes I could to keep me busy. I didn’t want to socialize and I wanted to get it done.” He acts like it is no big deal. To him it probably isn’t. He has more money now than he probably knows what to do with. I am sure he knows exactly what he is doing. He always mapped out everything he wanted to do and planned on how to get there.

“How are things going in the Army?” He asks me. I look over at him.

“I have a decision to make by the end of the holiday on whether or not to reenlist.” It depends on how things go with a certain red head. He darts a glance at me.

“I think that is a good plan.” He knows exactly why I didn’t make that decision yet.

“I am hoping that you will stick around anyway. I don’t plan on giving up easily. I own the house that I grew up in, now that my parents are gone. I plan to move in there and continue to pursue her if things don’t go the way I hope they will.” Always the planner. I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of guy. I try not to plan too much so that I’m not disappointed.

“Let’s see how it goes.” I shrug and he starts laughing.

“I knew you would say that.” We have known each other long enough to be a bit predictable. If only I could predict what Sammy will do. I wonder if she ever felt what we did for her. Knowing my luck we will show up there and she will have a boyfriend. I can see myself staying with Trevor and fighting for her. I can’t go on the way I had been. I need to be with her. I know already that I can’t move on.

“Did you try dating?” I ask Trevor. He shakes his head.

“No. It wouldn’t have been fair to lead a woman on when I know there is only one for me.” He says and glances over at me.

“Did you?” He makes it sound like I was a dick to even try. Was I?

“Yes. It never went past the first date. None could compare.” He nods his head but doesn’t say anything. I would have been better off not even trying. It was a big waste of time. The guys in my unit were starting to think I was gay and I gave in to a couple of double dates. It did nothing to discourage their beliefs though when I turned the women down when they would throw themselves at me. I know it sounds a little crazy but I can’t imagine losing my virginity to anyone but her.

“We are probably the oldest virgins alive.” I tell him only half joking.

“Probably.” He laughs. I hope like hell Sammy is a virgin too. I am not sure I can handle her giving what belongs to me to someone else. To us. Shit I said to me. It has to be us. I have to get used to that or lose them both and I can’t do that.

“I was thinking that we should stay at my house so that she doesn’t have to make up beds for us or anything.” He says as he takes the highway that leads out to our old stomping grounds. It twist and turns as it climbs in elevation.

“That’s probably best.” I tell him honestly. It is for the best. Who knows what kind of reception we will get from Sammy. I know Grandma will want us to stay but I refuse to be a burden to her. She needs help and that is why we are all here now. I only hope she will let us. She can be a very stubborn woman. It is something that Sammy got from her and one of the many things I love about her. I hope she never loses that fire inside of her.

I look over at Trevor and know that we will both make sure that Sammy and Grandma have all they will ever need, that includes a shoulder to lean on. I also want to make sure this is the most kick ass Christmas that either have ever seen. If it is to be the last Grandma sees then it should be memorable.

We turn off on the dirt road that leads into the back of our properties. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t realize how much time had passed. My stomach bottoms out as Trevor parks by Grandma’s old Chrysler she still has. It is amazing the thing hasn’t broken down yet. She used to cart us all over the place in that thing as children. Some of my fondest memories took place in that car.