Finish the Course (The Barnes Family Book 1) (14 page)

The general laughed, “I did, but if I hadn’t, I would have made Judah hold. . .what is her name, Esther?”

“Crystal,” Esther didn’t sound thrilled with the idea of another girl.

“Where did he meet this one?”

Esther shook her head, “I think her son is a patient.”

Slater had been rubbing the fabric of Anna’s dress between his fingers. She was certain it was unconscious, but the action was pulling her hem up a bit. She took his hand in hers.

To her surprise, he grinned. Not a grin that said he was happy to be there but the kind that said he realized what he had been doing and that he had been caught.

Anna laughed softly and shook her head at him.

They waited at the restaurant for ten minutes before Judah showed up. Anna introduced him to Slater and was introduced to Crystal.

“So,” Esther turned to her son’s date after they were served, “what is it, exactly, that you do?”

“I’m a cheerleader.”

Anna saw her mother’s eyes widen.

“Like for a football team?” Anna thought she should intervene.

“Yep,” she smiled, “the Cowboys. But we’re in the off season right now. I have to keep training, but there’s a little bit of time to come see my family.”

“With your son?” Slater wondered how that worked.

“Oh, he doesn’t live with me. He stays with Mom and Dad while I’m working,” she looked at Anna, “It’s hard to have a career and a little one, you know.”

Anna wondered how often she saw her little boy.

Judah could obviously see his mother disapproved, “Mom had to leave us when I was about Darryn’s age, I think. How old was I?”

“You were seven,” Esther provided the answer, “Nathaniel was two, and Anna was four. It was five of the hardest months of my life. How old is your little boy?”

“He’ll be four in October.”

The general looked up over the steak he was cutting, “And you are away during the football season and back home with him after the season is over?”

Crystal cut her lettuce into tiny pieces, “I’m only back for about one month a year. Sometimes my parents bring him to Texas to see me, though.”

The general opened his mouth again, but Esther shook her head, and he closed it again.

“I admire your ability to eat that,” Crystal turned back to Anna. “Aren’t you afraid it’ll going to go to your thighs?”

Anna glanced down at her broiled chicken, “Not really.”

Judah spoke around his food, “Anna doesn’t make her living by looking good.”

“I suppose that’s why you can carry a little more weight,” Crystal smiled at the other woman.

Anna saw Slater’s jaw tighten. She glanced at him and winked, indicating it wasn’t a problem.

“Slater,” Crystal turned her baby blues on him, “are you in the Army with Anna?”

Anna narrowed her eyes. Her brother’s date making a pass at Slater was definitely a problem.

Slater spoke up before Anna could warn the woman away, “Anna’s not in the Army, Miss Frye.”

Crystal glanced back at Anna briefly before returning her attention to Slater, “Really? I thought Judah said she followed after their dad.”

The general spared an irritated look at his son.

Judah intervened, “She’s in the Air Force.”

Crystal shrugged, “It’s all the same to me.”

Anna wondered if freedom or slavery was all the same to her as well but didn’t bother asking.

Esther must have realized that tempers were beginning to simmer, “Our family has a long line of history in the military, Crystal. Each of us is proud of our branch. Where did you say your parents live?”

Anna had to smile at her mother’s not-so-subtle shift in conversation. The diplomatic tactic got them through the meal and to the theater.

“You know,” Slater said as he walked to the theater with Anna, “I would be happy to hold you in my lap if it turns out there are not enough tickets after all.”

Anna felt a bubble of pleasure growing in her belly, “You mean you wouldn’t be crushed by my massive thighs?”

He was silent until they sat down. Then he leaned in to her ear, “I’ve gotten a couple glimpses of those thighs, and I’ve never seen a pair to rival them.”

Anna felt heat creeping up her neck.

Slater took her hand and pulled it into his lap, holding it there for the duration of the program.

Despite Crystal’s suggestion that the four “young people” go find some fun for the rest of the evening, Anna and Slater left with the General and Esther.

“It would have been okay with us if you wanted to go, dear,” Esther spoke again on the matter as they drove back to the Langley compound.

“Thanks, Mom,” Anna leaned back against the leather seat, “but I’m not sure I’d like their kind of fun.”

General Barnes laughed, “What is it you imagine they were going to do?”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” Anna’s pious tone made Slater laugh.

“Do you think it’s serious?” Slater hoped not, but he didn’t know Judah and couldn’t say.

“Our son has a knack for searching out and dating silly girls,” the general was quite open about it. “He hasn’t really been serious about anyone since his senior year of college.”

Slater didn’t ask what happened to that one.

He helped Anna from the car and thanked the general and Esther for the fun evening.

“Thanks for not asking about Greely,” Anna said as they walked back toward their rooms.

“Greely?” Slater frowned. “What’s Greely?”

“Not what,” she corrected, “Who. Greely was Slater’s fiancée in college. She decided to take a job in Paris and just left him behind. He took it really hard.”

“What was she going to do in Paris?”

“I’m not sure exactly. She’s some sort of buyer for a fashion house.”

“And he still loves her?”

She nodded, “That – or he’s afraid of risking his heart because he got hurt.”

Slater put his hand on Anna’s cheek, “Are you afraid to risk your heart, Anna?”

She stared up at him, the warmth of his brown eyes heating her throughout her body and soul.

“I’m very afraid,” she whispered.

Slater leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips, “More afraid than you are of losing the chance of a lifetime?”

She slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in answer.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Anna awoke the next morning, fully aware she had only two more days with Slater before he was going to leave for his next assignment.

She dressed in gym shorts and a Big Benny t-shirt and knocked on his door.

“Do you want to play some basketball?”

He was dressed in uniform, “I’d love to, but I have to change. Do you want to wait a couple minutes or meet me down there?”

“I’ll wait.”

Now that Anna’s foot was fully healed, they were able to play one-on-one. Anna knew Slater was faster and stronger than her, but he didn’t make as many shots as she did, so she took advantage of that whenever she could.

“Ugh,” she flopped down at the end of their second game, “two losses for me in a row.”

He sat down next to her, “Care to go three out of five?”

“Yes,” she didn’t stand up, “but not now.”

He chuckled.

“Tell me something, Slater.”

She brought up a topic that had been coming and going all month.

“Does all your family believe like you do?”

He swiped at his brow, “About God’s plan for our lives? Yes.”

“And you all believe that it is okay to be soldiers?”

“We believe that our talents are God-given. We also know that God gave us the opportunity to serve our country, and we have to take that responsibility seriously.”

Anna nodded, “My mom always tells me that God has a plan for my life.”

“Not your dad?”

Anna thought about it for a moment, “He kinda just agrees with Mom. He doesn’t have all the verses memorized like she does, but I know he believes the same things.”

“What happened to you, Anna,” Slater turned slightly. “What made you leave your faith?”

Anna refused to be offended by his question, “Nothing happened. It was just kind of gradual.”

He pulled her hand into his, “And do you think you’ll find your way back?”

She laughed softly, “I think someone just told me a few days ago that I couldn’t find my way back – that I needed supernatural help for that.”

He smiled.

“If there was ever any evidence of God working all things together for good, it has this,” she conceded. “Getting to know you has been. . .good, and it came from something terrible.”

He nodded.

They sat in silence for a while before Anna finally got up the nerve to ask him what she wanted to know, “Do you think you’ll have time to write to me while you’re off saving the world?”

“I’d love to write to you,” he threaded her fingers through his own. “I suppose you don’t know the address yet?”

“Not off the top of my head, but I can get it for you when I go back to my room. Or I can call you once I get there.”

He looked down at her, “Do you think you’ll write back? I know training is a lot different than being deployed.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder, “I’ll write so often you’ll get sick of mail call.”

Slater laughed, “Has that ever happened to anyone?”

“Not me, but it could happen.”

“I’ll never get tired of hearing from you, Anna.”

“Do you know how long you’re going to be gone?” she asked the question she had been avoiding.

“Eighteen months.”

Anna sat up straight, “Eighteen months – isn’t that a bit long for you guys?”

He shook his head, “No. We always train for eighteen months. Our time out varies somewhat, but we’re pretty solid about the eighteen months.”

She wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly, “Training?”

He nodded.

“Slater,” Anna was wondering if she had missed something, “don’t you train at Bragg?”

It was his turn to look confused, “Yeah?”

“Slater,” she straightened up and turned to face him. A voice behind her interrupted them before she could get the words out.

“Captain Reed,” it was General Merchan’s aid.

He looked up, “Yes, Lieutenant.”

“The general would like to see you, sir.”

He glanced at the pair’s attire, “You should probably change first, sir.”

Slater stood and pulled Anna to her feet, “Duty calls.”

Anna didn’t care. She was so excited to tell him that they were both stateside for the next year and a half that she didn’t care if she had to wait to give him the news.

Slater appeared at her door three hours later, “Are you hungry?”

She nodded, “Starving – why?”

“I’d like to take you out. Somewhere in town – not here.”

Anna’s heart leapt. Was this a date?

“Okay. Right now?”

“As soon as you can get ready. You could wear civies.”

She frowned. His tone held a note of foreboding that she didn’t like at all.

“Are you okay, Slater?”

He nodded, “I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

Slater had a cab waiting when they left. He took her to a quiet café, and they ordered.

“I’m leaving tonight.”

“Tonight?” it wasn’t as disheartening as she had anticipated because she knew they were going to end up in the same place.

He nodded, “General Merchan wanted to fill me in on all the details.”

She took his hand, “I’ve enjoyed this time.”

He pulled her hand closer to himself, “I never expected to feel this way, Anna. I’ve always been just about the training, the mission. I know some guys pray for the woman they’re going to marry someday, but I never expected. . .”

Anna knew how he felt. Her feelings had come as a surprise to her. She opened her mouth to tell him her discovery, but he was quicker.

“You’re the perfect woman, Anna.”

“What?”

More surprising than his declaration was the sound of defeat in his voice.

“You don’t talk about everything, you play basketball, you know when I need to be alone and when I just need you with me.”

Anna thought it sounded like she was his best buddy. Or a dog.

“I think it’s good we are going to be apart.”

That wasn’t what Anna expected to hear. It really wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

“I’m afraid of how I would train with you distracting me.”

Anna felt a wash of cold disappointment flood her being.

“When I’m with you, I don’t think about what needs to be done – I just want to be with you. I’m a mess, Anna.”

She nodded dumbly.

He didn’t say anymore. He didn’t need to. Anna got the picture. She was fun to have around as a companion in a time of boredom, but she wasn’t worth the distraction.

Granted, he didn’t know they were going to be practically neighbors, but wouldn’t that be a greater distraction? At any rate, it would have the potential to be a more frequent interruption to his life and schedule.

She didn’t know what to say. He was breaking her heart. They finished the meal – Anna hardly ate anything – and then went back to Langley.

Their parting was brief. She hugged him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning quickly to the seclusion of her own room.

“Mom,” she cried into the phone, “do you have time to talk?”

Esther did, of course, have time to talk. She listened to the whole story, and, while she did not come to the same conclusion about Slater’s feelings for her daughter, she did agree it seemed better to step back for a while.

Anna left for Pope two days later. She knew it was unrealistic to assume she would never meet up with Captain Reed, especially as the Army base, Fort Bragg, had taken charge of the former Air Force base earlier in the year. However, she hoped to avoid it for as long as possible and keep it to a minimum.

Her fellow officers were a hard working group, and she enjoyed her work among them. It was not difficult to become entrenched in her job and her training. Aside from those things, Anna had also begun classes again to complete her master’s degree. It seemed she could forge a life without Slater Reed.

If she still startled at the sight of the men in Green Beret uniforms or watched for a certain familiar face whenever she walked among the Army officers, who could blame her. Slater had worked his way into her heart, and she missed him terribly.

Anna was so proud of him when she heard his name was on the list for promotion. Her father would be coming to the base for the ceremony. She was sure his men would be there – maybe a few of his brothers. Anna dared not go because of the possibility of seeing him.

She had changed her phone number because he called her three times in the course of two days. For being the one who wanted to avoid distractions, he certainly spent a lot of time looking for them.

Slater had come to base two weeks after the rest of his team. They had already begun their training, and were eager to have him join them. A month in, his friends were all beginning to realize there was something amiss with the man.

Hall was appointed to go find out what it was.

“What ever happened with Captain Barnes?”

Reed didn’t look up from his devotions, “What do you mean?”

Hall snatched the Bible away, “Don’t lie to me, man. There was something going on between you two, and now you’re walking around like the world spit in your MRE.”

“Nothing happened with her, Hall,” he stood up and took back his Bible. “We were stuck together because of some red tape, and hanging out with her was a good way to spend the time.”

Hall folded his arms across his chest, “I hear her dad is coming in for your promotion.”

“I’m sure that’s just a rumor.”

“But you’ve heard it too.”

Slater shrugged.

“Maybe, he doesn’t like the way you treated his daughter.”

“If he doesn’t like it,” Reed snapped, “he can call her and talk to her about it, ‘cause she doesn’t want to hear from me.”

Hall stood and watched Reed leave the building. He was no closer to finding out what had gone wrong, but he was now certain of the source of the problem.

Slater’s parents both made it to his promotion ceremony. He was surprised to see the rumors were not wrong regarding Thomas Barnes.

“Hello, sir,” Slater saluted the man after his own general had awarded the promotion.

“Major Reed,” General Barnes looked grim. “I was beginning to wonder if you were dead.”

Slater’s brows gathered.

Hall and the rest of the men were standing nearby, listening to the conversation. Slater wished he could easily dismiss them so they would not hear what was about to come out.

The general solved that problem, “Major, I have commandeered Colonel Anderson’s office. Will you accompany me there?”

“Yes, sir.”

The general only waited until the door was closed before speaking his mind, “I’m pretty sure you’ve lost contact with my daughter, Slater. As a ranking officer, I have no right to question you about this, but as her father, I gotta call you out.”

Slater remained rigid, “I don’t believe your daughter wishes to communicate with me, sir.”

General Barnes waited for him to continue.

Slater saw no help for it, “She changed her phone number, sir.”

The general nodded, “She changed providers and did it then.”

The younger man shook his head. There was no need to change numbers just because the provider had changed, but that was irrelevant information.

“She didn’t give you her number?”

Slater felt humiliated by this conference. He shook his head.

The general scowled, “I’d like to give it to you but Anna must have had a reason not to give that to you.”

Slater nodded. He knew why. She wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship.

“It wouldn’t be too hard to find her number, but she’s taken steps to ensure I not do that, and I don’t want to be stalking her.”

“I’ll talk to her,” General Barnes offered.

“Please, sir,” Slater shook his head, “I beg your pardon, but I would prefer she base her  decisions on her feelings for me rather than your feelings for me.”

The general inhaled slowly before speaking, “You give me more credit for influencing her than I deserve, Major Reed. Anna will make the decision on her own, but I feel she should have all the information.”

“I’m not sure what information you could give her that she doesn’t already have. She knows where I am, she has my number. I’m afraid the only thing you can tell her is how much I miss her, but I’d prefer you not do that.”

General Barnes grinned, “No. I suppose not.”

Slater didn’t respond in kind, “Is there anything else, sir? I’m scheduled to lead a run at oh three hundred tomorrow.”

“No,” the older man seemed distracted, “thank you for the conversation, Slater.”

“Yes, sir.”

Slater returned to his men.

“Was daddy warning you away from his little girl?” Turner was straightening his foot locker.