Chapter 11

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

Chad

Faith looks at me like I've grown a second head.

"What?" she whisper-yells, her eyes as wide as the plates we ate off of last night.

I can't help but smile. "Marry me. I know I don't have a ring, but I'll get you one. Me too."

She shakes her head as a bubble of nervous laughter spills from her lips. There's also a slight tremble to her hand as I take it in my own. "You're nuts."

"Maybe, but it's one of my most endearing qualities," I tease, flashing a charismatic grin her way. "In all seriousness, I'll do everything in my power to protect you, Faith. Everything. This is the perfect solution. You can take your dream job, and I'll be able to apply for married housing. Since I'm being sent away, I'm sure they'll grant it immediately. I know you'll be safe here. You'll have Hannah, and I'm certain making more friends in no time."

My heart is trying to beat out of my chest, because all I want to do is tell her how much I love her, but that's not what we agreed to. Friends . Okay, friends who get a little intimate from time to time, but our relationship is based on a solid foundation of friendship. I will do everything in my power to make her happy, and that includes marrying her.

It's definitely not a hardship.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it feels right," I confess, a small smile curling my lips. "We can get married by the chaplain on base tomorrow, and I'll make sure all of the paperwork is taken care of. You'll be added to my insurance, and I know you don't want to hear this, but you'll receive death benefits if something happens to me."

She whimpers, her eyes filling with tears.

"It's the best way I can both protect and honor you, Faith. Don't be scared, sweetheart. Marry me."

There's a mixture of hope and fear swirling in the depths of her eyes. "This is crazy," she whispers, the faintest grin on her lush lips, and I know I have her.

"Maybe, but I think it's right. It feels that way here," I tell her, tapping my chest where my heart pounds like a drum.

Faith exhales and closes her eyes. She gives her head a slight shake, and when she looks down at me again, she says, "Marry you for four to six months?"

I know what she's thinking. She knows I want to protect her while I'm deployed, in case something happens to me. What she doesn't realize is I want it all. With her. I nod and reply, "For starters."

The truth is there's no way in hell I'll be able to ever let her go.

She'll always be mine and own my soul.

"My parents are going to kill me," she blurts with a laugh.

"Does that mean…?"

Grinning widely, she offers me the most breathtaking smile I've ever seen. It reaches into my chest and calms every wild and unsettled piece of me. She's the missing puzzle piece I didn't even know I was searching for. "Yes."

A loud whoop flies from my mouth, and I jump up, taking her in my arms. The moment she's settled against my chest, I slide my hands into her hair and gaze down at her. "You're really going to marry me?"

She giggles and nods. "I am. I don't know if we're doing the right thing or not, but I can't let you go overseas worrying about me."

I snort. "I'll always worry about you, sweetheart. Always. But having my ring on your finger will go a long way at soothing some of that fear I have over being away from you."

She swallows hard. "I understand, and all I want to do is keep you from worrying more. The last thing I'd want is you to be distracted and get yourself blown up or something."

"You're the best kind of distraction," I state, speaking the truth even when she thinks I'm joking.

She wraps her arms around my waist and leans against my chest. I'm certain she can hear the thundering in my chest. "I can't believe we're getting married," she murmurs softly before turning to look up at me. "And I'm going to accept that job," she adds with a giggle.

"Hell yes, you are. You're going to be the most kick-ass kindergarten teacher this school has ever seen. I have complete faith in you, no pun intended."

She shakes her head as if she's still trying to process everything that's happened in just a short amount of time. "I feel like we have so much to do."

I step back and slide my hands along the column of her neck, up her jaw, and into her hair. "We do, but first, I want to kiss my fiancée."

Nervously nibbling on the corner of her lip, she whispers, "Your fiancée would like that."

Keeping my eyes open as long as I can, I finally close them and just revel in the first brush of our lips together. The kiss starts slow, as if we both want to savor the magnitude of this moment. And it's pretty fucking big. I asked her to marry me, and she accepted. As far as kisses go, it doesn't get much bigger than this.

I coax her lips apart with my tongue and slide mine inside against hers. Her hands fist my T-shirt at my sides as she leans forward and presses her chest to my own. I can feel her nipples through the layers of material, and my cock starts paying closer attention.

As much as I want to just keep kissing her for hours on end, I reluctantly pull back, slipping a little distance between us so I can get my raging libido under control. The truth is we have a lot to do and very little time to do it.

Faith opens her eyes and gives me a shy little grin. Her lips are swollen, her hair a bit tussled from my hands, and all I want to do is reach for her and continue that kiss. "Well, my to-do list between now and Wednesday morning just got a bit longer."

"No shit," I reply with a snort. "How about this? I need to go to the base and apply for married housing and talk to the chaplain. You need to accept that job offer immediately."

"I need to do more than that if we're getting married tomorrow," she states.

I prepare to head for the door, when something causes me to pause. "Your parents."

She gives me a sad smile. "Look, as much as I'd love them to be here, I don't think it's possible. It would cost so much for an immediate flight out here, and it just seems like such a hassle. I know I've only had a few minutes to think about this, but what if we just did it and asked for forgiveness later?" She bites down on her bottom lip nervously, and I almost lose my ability to keep my groan from flying from my mouth.

"I want whatever you want."

"I'd want your parents to be here too. And Ford and Shayne. It just seems like the best step here would be to elope and tell them afterward."

I don't miss the sadness flooding her eyes as she says those words. "How about this?" I start, taking a step toward her and reaching for her hand. "What if we FaceTime with them? We can have Erik and Hannah serve as our witnesses, and they can hold the phone. Maybe even two phones. Whatever we have to do."

My words seem to flush any unease right out of those green eyes. "That might work," she says eagerly, yet it doesn't completely erase the hurt I see at knowing her family won't be in attendance at our wedding.

"Good. I'll be back shortly. We can call our families tonight, if you want. In the meantime, if you think of anything else, text me."

"Okay." She nods as I turn to head for the door once more. "Wait! What are we supposed to wear? I didn't exactly pack a wedding dress in my luggage."

"You'll be beautiful in anything you wear," I tell her honestly.

She swallows thickly and blushes. "Uhh, okay. What are you going to wear?"

A smile tugs on my lips. "My full dress uniform."

Her eyes widen just a bit. "I can't wear jean shorts if you're in your dress uniform," she mutters.

"You can wear whatever you want, darlin'."

"There's that secondhand place on the main drag in town. Maybe I can find something there," she says, almost absently to herself.

"I'm serious, Faith," I tell her, returning to where she stands and placing my hands on her upper arms. "Wear whatever you want."

She nods once, and my lips find their way to hers once more. This kiss is chaste, though, and not nearly long enough. But we have a lot to do this afternoon and the sooner I get back to the base, the sooner I set everything else into motion.

"I'll be back."

"All right. See you soon," she replies just before I shut the door to her hotel room.

I can't believe this is happening. I'm going to marry Faith. Tomorrow. And not entirely for a sense of duty.

I want to marry her, make her mine, and even though she insinuated it would be for four to six months, I have no intention of ending it. Once I have my ring on her finger, I will do whatever it takes to ensure it stays there for the rest of our lives.

What once was friendship has grown into something more.

Something great.

This is only the beginning.

I'm smiling as I leave the chaplain's office with the paperwork we need to complete for tomorrow's ceremony. He ensured me he'd be ready at noon but requested we arrive by eleven thirty to finalize the paperwork with the administrative assistant, Lois. Knowing that I'll be marrying her in less than twenty-four hours has added an extra spring to my step.

My next stop is the administrative office where I will take care of adding Faith as my wife and apply for married housing. I walk to the building and give my name and reason for being there to the security team inside the door. They direct me to the correct office, which is just a short walk down the main corridor and to the right.

"Good afternoon," I greet as I enter the office.

"Hello. How may I help you?"

I go through my reason for being here and earn a wide smile from the woman at the desk. "Wow, congratulations. There are several forms you'll need to fill out, and some that cannot be submitted until after the wedding ceremony tomorrow," she informs me, pulling different folders out of a filing cabinet and placing them on the desk.

"Can I turn them all in tomorrow?" I ask, wanting to get back to Faith as quickly as I can.

"Sure can. Just bring these all back, along with your pretty new wife. I'll get the ball rolling for your application for married housing. In light of your deployment on Wednesday, we can expedite the process and get you into a unit as soon as possible. It might not be before you leave, though."

"That's fine. I'll make sure she has help moving," I tell the woman, making a mental note for when I leave. I'm certain Hannah will be able to assist her, but it would be helpful to have extra aid.

Especially with me out of the country.

"Thank you, ma'am," I reply, gathering the newest stack of papers and exiting the office.

"You're welcome."

When I reach outside, I pull out my phone and fire off a text message.

Me: Two more stops and then I'll be back to the hotel.

Faith: Hannah is picking me up in ten minutes. We're going shopping.

A smile spreads across my face at the thought of Faith purchasing something to wear to our wedding.

Me: No rush. Have fun. I'll see you soon.

Faith: Be safe.

Me: You too.

I decide to add purchasing a car to the list, but know that might not get done before I leave. There's a used lot in town which caters to members of the military living on this base and their families. Faith is going to need something reliable to get around town, and everyone recommends buying from Lon's Used Cars.

I head over to the barracks next to retrieve my dress uniform. Everything else, I'll pack up into two bags—the stuff I'm taking with me and what I'm leaving behind. Fortunately, the barracks is empty when I arrive, so I don't have to answer a dozen questions about why I'm packing up today and not closer to Wednesday's departure. I leave what I'll be taking with me on my bed and grab the small duffle bag with the items Faith will have to transfer to our new place. There isn't much in it, but I know I can only take the basics with me overseas.

Finally, I head out of the barracks. The sun is beating down on my head, but I ignore the way sweat instantly starts to form on my forehead and upper lip. I throw my bag and hang my dress uniform in the rental car and climb behind the wheel. The moment the car is fired up, I pull out my cell phone. Before I make my final stop, there's one conversation I need to have.

Ford answers on the second ring.

"What the hell are you doing calling in the middle of the day? Shouldn't you be working or with my sister?" he asks. A smile instantly spreads across my mouth at the sound of his voice.

"Had a few errands to run."

There's a pause before he asks, "Everything all right? Faith?"

Just the mention of her name has me grinning. "She's fine. Perfect, actually." Clearing my throat, I decide to rip off the Band-Aid. "I'm being sent overseas."

"Shit. When?"

"Wednesday. 0600."

"Fuck, man, I'm sorry."

"Thanks, but that's not entirely the reason I called you."

"Okay," he replies, drawing out that single word.

"I need you to try to rally the troops and get them here by noon tomorrow." I'm met with silence once more. "Are you there?"

"Yeah," he replies, clearing his throat. "It sounded like you want me in California in less than twenty-four hours."

"I do. You, Shayne, your parents, and my parents. Cassie, too, if she's able to get away. I know it's a tall ask," I start, letting him cut me off.

"You're asking me to get all these people on a plane to California first thing tomorrow morning?"

My heart is pounding in my chest. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm asking."

He blows out a deep breath. "That's… wow. I'll see what I can do. You know I'll have everyone there if I can. Mom is out of school still for the summer, so I'm sure she and Dad can make it. I'll email my boss now to request emergency time off, and I'll see if Shayne can rearrange her clients. I'm not sure about your parents and sister, but I'll try."

Exhaling in relief, I reply, "That's all I ask. Thanks, man. I owe you one."

"No, you don't," he states with conviction. Then he adds, "Can you tell me what this is about? It feels like there's something more than just wanting us all there to see you off."

I want to tell him everything, but I also don't want to risk Faith finding out what I've done. It's one of the few things I can do for her before I leave. I can give her a wedding with our families, as well as their support when I ship out Wednesday. "I'll explain when you get here," is all I say.

I can tell it's not what he wants to hear, but he eventually replies, "Fine. I have vacation time built up, and as long as Shayne can move clients to another day, we'll be there. I'm sure Mom and Dad will be too."

"My parents will agree. Cassie too."

At least I hope so.

She's finishing college, earning her teaching degree in art. Since it's the tail end of summer break, I hope she can find a few days to get away and join us.

"Text me a number and I'll get hotel rooms at the place Faith is staying," I tell him, checking the time on the dash.

"Give me an hour or so."

"Take the time you need."

"Chad," Ford says, seriousness and uncertainty in his voice. "You're sure everything's all right?"

I can't help but smile. "Everything's exactly as it's supposed to be."

With a sigh, he says, "Fine. See you tomorrow, man."

"Can't wait."

Hanging up, I set my phone down in the cupholder and slowly back out of the parking space. I have one more stop to make, and I hope Faith and Hannah don't catch me. The shop I'm visiting is about a block away from the secondhand clothing store they're going to, but I think I can slip in without being seen.

I park around the corner and keep my head down as I walk to the pawn shop. The bell chimes as I open the door and slip inside.

"Good afternoon."

"Hi," I reply to the older gentleman behind the counter.

"Are you looking for something specific?"

"Yes, sir. I'm looking for an engagement and wedding ring set."

He smiles widely. "I have a decent selection for you to choose from," he tells me, waving toward the glass case near the register.

The moment I start to scan the display, my eyes settle on a pair in the back row. "That one," I state, pointing to my choice.

Again, he grins, reaching into the locked case. "Excellent choice, young man. She's going to love it."

He places them in my palm and gives me a minute to inspect the two rings. My heart is beating wildly in my chest as I gaze down at the simple pear-shaped diamond set on a rose gold band with small diamonds set within both rings.

It's perfect.

It's her.

It's the ring.

And I'm going to love seeing it on her finger.

"I'll take it."