Love Unexpected (Navy Love Series Book 2) (31 page)

Hunter sent a text to Tessa letting her know to head straight to the restaurant instead of coming home. We all load up into two vehicles and take the twenty-minute drive to the restaurant.

About fifteen minutes after we arrive, Tegan and Tess show up.

Sitting in the U-shaped table, I look around at both of our families laughing and getting along like they’ve known each other forever. Ma is holding the wide-eyed Madison while Dad smiles and talks to her in an animated voice. Tanner and Marsh are comparing battle wounds from the paintball match. Hunter and Tess are talking while he feeds Parker a bottle of formula. And I sit here with Sawyer on my lap while she chats Tegan’s ear off.

It’s great to see them already forming bonds. I hoped they would all get along well; this is the first of many family get-togethers we’ll have.

“Weed, awre you my untle now?”

I look from Tegan to Hunter and Tess, hoping for some sort of backup. Thank God Tegan answers her question.

“He will be one day, Sawyer.”

Being a five-year-old and not understanding what has to happen for me to become her uncle, she seems satisfied with Tegan’s response.

“Yeah, sweet girl,” I place a kiss to Sawyer’s temple, all the while keeping my eyes glued to Tegan. “One day soon.”

Tegan smiles shyly at me and mouths the words, “I love you”.

I pull her into my side and lightly whisper them back to her.

Tegan

3 Months Later

We love having all of our friends over to the apartment. We’ve started a tradition that began when our parents were here visiting: game night.

Ever since moving here, we’ve always had get togethers at Hunter’s house, now we’re having some over here too. With the kids having their own space and all of their necessities, it’s easy and somewhat of a break for my sister and Hunter to come here. They get to relax and hang out for a while and don’t have to worry about cleaning up after everyone leaves or having everyone quiet down when the kids go to sleep.

Jo has only made it to a couple game nights—she’s flying home every chance she gets now. And when she is here, she’s not her usual self. Seems as though J.C.’s deployment is affecting her more than she wants us to know.

Tessa and I both have tried talking to her, but she refuses to open up to us. All we can do is be on standby for whenever she finally does decide to tell us what’s going on with her.

She was supposed to be here tonight, but no one has heard from her. Marshall and Tessa both sent her texts that went unanswered.

Halfway through a game of Uno, Marsh’s competitive side emerges.

“What?
You can’t do that!”

“Oh, get your four cards and hush,” I say, slapping the “Draw Four” card on top of the pile. “You’re such a baby when you’re getting your ass kicked.”

“Charming, get your girl,” he teases.

“Hey.” I look between the two of them. “Where did that nickname come from?”

They look at each other and share a small laugh.

“I, uh, may have called Reed your ‘Prince Charming’ and it just stuck afterwards.”

“Uh huh...and when was this? I’ve heard you call him that for a while now.”

Reed finally chimes in.

“Right about the time I got my shit together and claimed you, babe.” He kisses my cheek making a loud smacking noise.

I rack my brain trying to remember when the first time I’ve heard that name used.

“Oh my God! You mean when you decided to not pick me up from his house that time I called you?” Marshall looks at his half-empty beer, chugs the rest, and gets up from the table.

“Look at that, time for a refill. Anyone need another?” He avoids answering me, but shoots me a wink as he walks away from the table.

Marshall is still just as nosy as ever, but luckily he’s moved on to meddling in whatever is going on with Jo and J.C. instead of Charlie and me. He claims his work on our relationship is done for now, unless Charlie needs another kick in the ass in the future.

We’ve all known he’s had an ongoing fling for a while now, but he’s actually opening up and mentioning the guy a little more now. After we all learned that Charlie had damn near walked in on Marsh and this guy, all of our interests have been spiked.

“If I recall correctly,” Charlie whispers in my ear, “you weren’t complaining that he ditched you that day.”

Everyone around the table carries on with their own conversations.

“This is true.” I place a kiss to his lips. “Plus, you kinda are my Prince Charming. You’re handsome, sexy, caring and you have a motorcycle.”

“Is that right?” He smiles.

“Yep.” I pop the ‘P’ sound.

Tessa’s voice knocks me out of my Charlie-induced fog.

“Hey, I think we’re about to head out.”

Marshall comes back with a bottled water in one hand and his cell phone in his other, claiming tiredness all of a sudden.

Charlie and I share a look, both thinking the same thing.
Booty call.

We start gathering up all the games and picking up the last of Sawyer’s toys when there’s a sudden knock at the door.

Reed

I look around the apartment at everyone picking up and smile to myself; I’m finally part of my own family.

We may be a dysfunctional one, but this group of friends is a dream come true to a guy like me. Each of us have our own issues, but together we all work through them.

I’ll be glad when J.C. gets back so him and Jo can fix their mess of a relationship.

No one else knows yet, but Jo left this morning for emergency leave; it seems her mom’s health is rapidly declining. I know Jo, and the only person she’d want there with her through all of this has no idea what’s happening.

J.C. should be home any day now. He sent me an email asking if he could crash at our place for a week or so while he gets his living situation sorted out again. He was living in the barracks on base and gave up his room while deployed.

Of course, I told him he’s welcome here. I didn’t okay it with Tegan, but I know she won’t mind him being here. It’ll be nice to have him back around now that it’s officially summer. We’ll still do all of our old traditions, trips to the beach, amusement parks, and fishing; only this time, I’ll have Tegan by my side as well.

A knock on the front door brings me out of my trance.

I call out that I’ll grab it and open the door to none other than J.C. standing there with a sea bag thrown over his shoulder and a shitty smirk firmly in place.

“Shut the fuck up!” I pull him by the shoulder into a man hug. “What’s up, man?”

“Hey, Reed. How the hell you been, man?”

Tegan and Tessa both squeal when they realize who’s just walked in.

I grunt when Tegan bolts into his open arms.

Of course, the asshole catches it and holds onto her longer than necessary.

“It’s about time you got your shit together, man.” He claps me on the shoulder. “Glad to see you finally set things right between you and her.”

He looks back to Tegan. “Hey, you know I’m here if he fucks up.” She laughs and swats his chest playfully as she wraps her arms around my waist. “Just sayin’, don’t act like you don’t want all of this!” He rubs his hands down his chest in provocative manner.

“Watch it, asshole, don’t think just because you’ve gained a few muscles means I can’t whoop your ass for fucking with my woman.”

He looks tired and but much more toned and muscular than before he left, but still the same J.C. We exchange insults and he makes his way through the house greeting the rest of our friends.

It doesn’t take him long to notice the one person missing. He looks from me, to Tegan, to Tessa.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know,” Tess and Tegan say at the same time.

“She was supposed to be here today,” Tegan pulls out her phone to check for a text or missed call explaining her absence. “But she didn’t ever call to cancel, and Tessa and Marsh both tried texting her and got no response.”

“She’s not coming,” I say quietly. All eyes go to me. “She got a call the night before last; it’s her mom.”

Tegan gasps and Tessa’s eyes fill with tears.

“What happened?” Marshall asks.

“She left on a flight yesterday for emergency leave; I volunteered to drive her to the airport during work. I don’t know all the details, but whatever’s happened, it isn’t good.”

“I can’t believe she didn’t text me or anything,” Tessa says. “She’s dealt with all of this by herself so far.”

We all stand in silence, unsure of what to say. It’s an uncomfortable situation already between J.C. and Jo. They were close friends before whatever happened ruined their friendship, the past few months have been a back and forth battle between them. Neither admitting what happened or coming clean that their relationship changed.

And now this happens.

“Tessa,” J.C. breaks the silence. “I need her mom’s address. She’s dealt with all of this alone for long enough.”

“Okay, I’ve got it in my phone.” She walks off to grab the info J.C. requested.

“You’re going out there?” Tegan inquires.

“You bet your ass, Bug.”

“Good. She needs you, whether she wants to admit it or not,” Marsh chimes in. “It’s way past time for you two to get your shit straight and be there for one another.”

“Bug, can you book me a flight? As soon as possible, I don’t care about the cost,” he says, handing Tegan a credit card from his wallet.

She walks away, leaving the four of us men standing in the living room.

“You mind if I crash here until my flight?” he asks me. “I’ll call work first thing in the morning and change my leave paperwork. I already had two weeks of leave approved. I was planning on goin’ home to Georgia, but that can wait.”

“Not at all,” I say. “There’s a guest room down the hall you can use for as long as you need.”

“So, what’re you gonna do?” Hunter asks.

“I’m going to help her through this, and then I’m claiming her stubborn ass,” J.C. states with conviction. “She loves me; she just doesn’t want to admit it. I’ve let her hold the reins on our relationship for too long. It’s time for me to take over.”

“You’re gonna have your work cut out for you,” Marsh teases.

“Oh, hell yeah,” Hunter throws in.

I pat him on the shoulder. “You’re really doing this, man?”

“Fuck yes, I am.”

I nod my head. “Go get your girl then, man.”

Tegan comes back holding his card out. “I got you booked. The flight leaves in two days.”

“Thanks Bug. That’ll give me time to get my change of leave situated with work.”

Tessa slides up to Hunter’s side, slipping a piece of paper to J.C.

“There’s the address. You know she’s going to be pissed we helped you with all of this, right?”

“Oh well. She needs someone, now more than ever,” Marshall states.

“He’s right. And Jo is part of this family, we stick together and are there for each other through the tough shit,” I say.

I look at Tegan and smile as she mouths the word
family
back to me.

Everyone leaves shortly after and J.C. is settled into the guest room, leaving just the two of us together in the kitchen. I pull Tegan into my arms, guiding her away from the pile of dirty dishes she’s trying to clean.

Her hands are sudsy, but I couldn’t care less.

“I love you, babe,” I whisper in her ear.

“I love you too, Charlie.” She turns and wraps her arms around my neck before locking her lips onto mine. She pulls away and steers the mood in a completely unexpected direction. “Do you think J.C. will get through to Jo?”

“Babe, J.C. is determined. And Jo is stubborn as hell. It will be a battle of wills between the two of them, that’s for sure. But, I’d rather not talk about our friends right now. I don’t know if you’re aware, but we’re alone and I want nothing more than to take you to bed.”