Chapter 5

5

CHLOE

I'm here – and ready to go!

I just pulled up and was hoping you'd say that. I'm in a green pickup truck.

Changing outfits several times, Chloe finally decided to text J.J. because she couldn't stand the wait anymore. It had been years, and they knew each other. It didn't matter if she was wearing a pretty dress or jeans and a cardigan… this was J.J., and he would accept her without hesitation. She unwound her hair from the bun she always wore at the back of her head so it fit easily under her helmet and smiled at the large curls cascading down her shoulders.

Walking out the front door of the barracks, she didn't have to wonder or look around for where he might be waiting. J.J. was there, standing in front of his truck, holding a bouquet of deep red roses for her. His smile was brilliant, and it felt like home. Immediately, without hesitation, she began jogging in his direction, crossing the small expanse between them, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Oh gosh, I've missed you," he breathed against her shoulder, hugging her close. Closing her eyes, she made no motion to move away as she stood there in his arms, just holding him tightly, needing this. "I brought you some flowers."

"I saw," she whispered, realizing he wasn't letting go either.

"I wanted our reunion to be special."

"It's perfect," she began, choking out the words at his slight chuckle, thick with emotion. They were both overcome and afraid that if either let go, this precious bubble might burst, letting this dreamlike moment fade away. "Hi," she said simply.

"Welcome home," he breathed, dropping a kiss against the side of her head, hugging her once more. "Are you hungry? Do you want to see a movie, or maybe we could drive around and see the northern lights at the beach."

"I don't care, so long as we're together."

"I'm not letting you go again."

"Good," she chuckled tearfully, pulling back slightly and smiling at him as she touched his cheek. "Just hang on tight and never let go."

"Done," he uttered softly, taking her hand and laying a kiss on her palm. "Come, my beloved queen. There's so much I want to show you."

"J.J.?" she began as he moved to open the passenger side door of the truck. "Take me somewhere where we can dream and be alone. I want it to be just us."

"As you wish."

Taking a seat in the truck, J.J. handed her the bouquet of roses and then closed the door, moving to the opposite side. As he climbed in, she couldn't help but marvel and stare at the man she loved. Gone was that boy who liked to pick and goad at her, replaced by something so recognizable, so spectacular that people would never understand the draw and pull between them.

He gave her a shy smile, starting up the truck before pulling out of the parking lot on base. She wasn't sure how long they drove or even where they were until she realized they were facing the ocean in the distance, and the sunlight was edging down in the clouds. The truck was in a gravel parking lot near the beach, and he turned off the vehicle, nodding at her.

"Where are we?"

"One of my places where I love to go," he admitted. "When I feel lost or need to think, I like to come here and just sit. It gives me a chance to shut out everything and the space I need to relax."

"Do you want to get out and walk around?"

"It's up to you."

"You just come here and sit quietly?"

"Sometimes you can see the whales off in the distance or dolphins…" he began, looking a little nervous. It wasn't that she was judging him. She just assumed that they were going to go somewhere like a restaurant or dancing. "Here, we can go walk along the beach and…"

"If we stay here, could you hold me?"

"I would love to," he breathed, looking relieved. "But I wasn't planning on staying too long. I wanted to show you something else."

"Oh."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No. I just thought maybe we could, you know, snuggle?" she began unbuckling her seatbelt not bothering to wait for him. No, she was done with missing her chances and finally alone with the man she adored. Looking at him sideways, she met his eyes and practically crawled across the bench seat of the truck toward him… and smiled as J.J. backed up slightly, looking at her in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"Coming to snuggle."

"I think we have very real definitions of what ‘snuggling' is."

"Chloe," he stammered. "There's not really any privacy out here."

"We're just kissing," she promised breathlessly. She looped a leg over his as she moved to sit in his lap. He looked torn – almost like he was thrilled at how forward she was yet panicking that this was too much, too fast. "We've been interrupted, delayed things, and missed so many chances. I don't want to miss another chance, J.J."

"I don't either, but I just imagined something different."

"Like what?"

"That I'd kiss you at the end of our first date or…"

"Tell me the ‘or' so I don't have to wait so long," she invited in a husky voice, feeling like a siren beckoning a pirate from the safety of his ship into the waters below.

"Or I'd wait to kiss you when we got married… someday," he added nervously. "Someday I think about getting married and…"

"Why, J.J., are you asking me to marry you?"

"We're on our first date?!" he nearly strangled out as she leaned toward him, not willing to give in.

"If you won't kiss me here because there's not enough privacy for you, where would you like to kiss me?"

"Home," he croaked, his voice breaking as her lips hovered over his. Her eyes looked up to meet his and saw the yearning in his gaze, making her heart turn over in her chest. "I made us something for dinner so we could be alone – and I really want us to be alone, Chloe. I'm sick of being interrupted or delaying things too, believe it or not."

Both were breathing erratically – and she realized at that moment that he was right. He'd promised her a slow kiss, wanting to savor it, and just the way he'd talked about it, she knew it would be something that she would never forget.

"Then take me home…" she whispered softly, pulling herself from his lap and she heard his sigh of relief, causing her to glance back at him. Was he glad she'd moved? Maybe she was reading things wrong, and she was moving too quickly for him? Were all guys like this – or just him?

Without a word, J.J. started his truck. He didn't meet her eyes as they drove away from the beach that she'd barely noticed. They didn't speak as he drove through town, and Chloe was pretty proud of herself for recognizing the main turn-off to head toward the base as they continued. He drove for what felt like another ten minutes as the world around them thinned out, and a small village on the outskirts of Juneau appeared in the distance. He continued, passing a municipal airport, a diner, a coffee shop, and several other places and finally, he spoke, pointing at an inconspicuous building just up ahead.

"That's the butcher shop."

"Ahhh, okay. Nice. You're in town and close to things."

"Yes," he agreed, sounding almost nervous. "And we'll turn here."

Their relationship, their friendship, had always been strangely settled between them. There was no question of whether they liked each other or even cared for the other person – it was simply a matter of placement or ‘how' to make things work. This wasn't something either of them had planned on, but somehow, the pieces fell together, almost like the teeth of a zipper. A text, a picture, an email, and whispers stolen over the phone, all of it had led them to here, now.

He had her attention because he was taking her home.

Their home.

She might not live with him now, and it might be years down the road, but this place he was taking her was where they would build and grow together. They would share laughs, smiles, and moments that would never be forgotten. Someday, they would discuss dreams, plan things together, and welcome a child. Sliding a sideways look at him, she marveled at his profile and how familiar he was to her soul.

Something in her recognized a part of him – and that's what people didn't understand. Her parents, his family, and all of their friends knew that it was crazy to think that a broken relationship long ago could lead to their descendants somehow finding their way through it all when their parents couldn't.

"I love this place," J.J. whispered, pointing as he slowed down. "I thought we could put Christmas lights on the large pine tree in the yard for the holidays... and the stoop has three large steps on the side of the house where we could put pumpkins. There's a formal entrance, but it's not as warm and welcoming. I always enter through the kitchen."

"Show me…" she breathed, feeling her heart turn over in her chest as she could see the picture he was painting before her. It was a tiny blue frame house with white trim that was so simple yet sweet. There was a line of little shrubs, almost forming a fence of sorts. The wooden porch on the side of the house was the more inviting of the two; she mused as he pu lled up onto a gravel driveway beside the house, putting the truck into park.

Chloe started to open the door to the truck, but J.J. was already racing around to her side to get it for her – holding out his hand.

"Come," he whispered breathlessly, his eyes nearly glowing from his face with a warmth that rivaled the sun. They walked up the steps to the porch for the first time together, and the sense of ‘home' was stronger than anything she'd ever felt before, causing her to look at him again only seconds before he scooped her up into his arms.

Neither said a word.

Neither looked away.

J.J. carried her over the threshold like a groom bringing his bride home for the first time – and she felt it deep down inside. He set her down slowly, letting her get her feet underneath her as he wove his fingers with hers, holding her hand. It was like he was urging her to look around without saying a word, and she wanted to.

Turning slightly, she saw the ‘L' shaped kitchen that lined two walls. There were cabinets above and below, with a window over the sink. At the end of the counters, there was a cabinet to hide a trash can or other things. A picture window was in the distance looking over the front yard and the street in the distance – and she smiled as a small table was set directly in front of it. There was a wooden rocking chair in the corner of the kitchen that caught her eye, along with a washer and dryer. As she continued looking around, she realized that there was no living room on this end of the house, but she saw three bedroom doors and a hallway.

"Here," he invited softly, moving over to a door and opening it. Her breath caught as inside there was a single full-sized bed and a dresser that was obviously being used. Her eyes met his as he slowly backed away, pulling her to the next doorway and opening it.

"A guest room for your parents if they come to visit…" he murmured quietly, his eyes holding hers. He'd set this up deliberately, planning for the future – with her. Her eyes stung as it hit her like a ton of bricks, marveling at this man before her. Clearing his throat, he continued backward down the hallway to open another door before pointing at the opposite wall. "This is another guest room… and that leads to the basement. We've got a formal living room over here, but I don't have any furniture in it yet. The basement is actually a walkout with a small mudroom. Let me show you."

Following him, they went down the stairs into the basement and she saw it was dimly illuminated by small windows dotted around the room with a door in the distance. J.J. walked over, opened the door, and gestured her through to take a look. As she opened the other door, she saw it looked out on a small garden nearby and chuckled.

There were deer grazing from the feast that he'd obviously planted, trying to grow something to harvest. They exchanged a look as J.J. frowned in frustration before uttering something under his breath, before hollering out the door and shaking his fist at the deer watching him with boredom.

"You're gonna end up mounted and stuffed, ya' mongrels!"

"J.J.!" she exclaimed, laughing in disbelief at his response – as he joined in. They stood there in the alcove beside each other, smiling, sharing a look that suddenly changed.

"Welcome home," he whispered.

"I'm so happy to be here. "

"I want you to feel like this is home, so if you see something you want changed… say the word."

"You know what I'd like to change?"

"What's that?"

"I'd like you to finally kiss me," she said softly, holding his warm gaze and waiting. "We're together, we're home, and…"

"It would be my honor," J.J. whispered tenderly, interrupting her and stunned her completely as he stepped into a ‘circle' that she didn't know existed. There was such a thing as personal space – but this crossed that line and felt downright intimate. His fingers caressed her cheek before sliding into her hair, sinking in and clinging to cup her head and pull her toward him.

"Ohh…"

That single word escaped her as she fell under his spell, practically gawking at him at the intensely masculine side that he was revealing. This wasn't ‘just J.J.' but her man claiming her, possessing her… and he hadn't even kissed her yet!

"Close your eyes," he urged softly, seeing his own half-lidded, heated gaze as his thumb brushed against the ticklish side of her mouth. "I've dreamed of this moment."

"Me too," she breathed, her heart hammering in her chest as she stood there immobile and anticipating whatever was coming next. This felt better than anything she'd ever imagined, and it was humbling to think that he thought about her, too.

As his head descended toward her, she felt his breath warm against her lips and made a small noise in her throat – only to hear his knowing chuckle. Oh gosh, she nearly whimpered aloud, her fingers grabbing his upper arms almost mindlessly as her fingertips dug into the muscles she felt there. The Army had changed him, toughening him, yet that soft gentle man she'd fallen for was still there encased within.

"J.J…"

"Shh…"

His lips brushed against hers softly with a tenderness that made her knees weak – and then it was over. Right before she could protest or open her eyes, he was dropping another soft kiss on her lips.

And again.

And again.

It was like he was toying with her, dropping soft kisses against her lips, and doing exactly as he'd promised. He was taking his time, savoring this moment between them. Her hands released his arms and slid around his back, holding him close to her only to feel things change with the next kiss.

There wasn't another sweet, soft, gentle kiss – but this time, he pulled at her lower lip before tasting her. She felt his tongue meeting hers, and there was no helping it. She made an insane, almost snorting noise as everything in her brain, mouth, sinuses, body, and all form and function suddenly went haywire. They both hesitated out of surprise and mortification – looking at each other in confusion before bursting out laughing.

"Oh gosh, I love kissing you," he blurted out, not holding back. "I love how open you are."

"I'm dying on the inside right now, and you think it's cute?"

"Heck yeah, I do – best thing ever."

"You licked me. What was I supposed to do?"

"My love, I haven't even begun to show you what I want to do – and I never want you to hold back. If you snort when you like something, I wanna hear my sweet piggy squealing on our wedding night."

"Dear God, if you're listening, you can yank me off this plane of existence now… yup. Anytime now."

"Chloe, I love you – and I love how intense you respond," he grinned, cupping her embarrassed and mortified face. "I love that our first kiss made you snort."

"This never leaves this alcove."

"Honey, I would never utter a word of what we do, how we react, or how we feel when we are alone – and I promise I will be just as free. You are my heart and soul, so let me see that beautiful being… snorts and all."

"Okay, ya' gotta stop with the snort and pig comments. Not sexy or wonderful in the slightest. No, in fact, I feel horrid just thinking that…"

And J.J. immediately silenced her panicked rant, capturing her lips once more with a passion and ferocity that she didn't realize he had. Her eyes widened, and her hands flew up almost in surrender – only to clasp him into an embrace once more as she met him kiss for kiss. She had no idea how long they stood there kissing, but at some point, he backed away, staring at her.

"My phone is ringing," he whispered numbly – and she felt something primal within her as she took in his appearance. His hair was mussed up, his lips pinkened from her lip gloss, and his pupils were wide with passion. He stepped back, opening the alcove door, and yanked out his cell phone, quickly calling whoever it was back.

"Yeah?" he barked into the phone. "Dad, really? No. Well, yeah, I'm out of breath… no. We're having dinner, and I'm nearly twenty-seven. Dad… Dad… no, I don't have a tone – WHAT? "

His shocked eyes met hers, full of anger and an unspoken apology – before he hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?"

"My parents brought over dessert," he bit out angrily, obviously fuming. "They are upstairs, waiting on the side porch."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"J.J…"

"Chloe, I am so sorry that…"

"It's fine," she urged tenderly, moving to his side. "They're trying to be supportive and worried at the same time."

"Why would they be worried?"

"Because some horribly wicked girl might take advantage of their precious baby boy…" she chuckled thickly and saw his eyes widen as he yanked up his phone.

"Then I'm calling them back!" he retorted, dialing immediately – and Chloe grabbed his phone, laughing as she pressed the disconnect button, smiling at him… as a knock echoed in the background once more. "They reeeeally need to go away so their ‘precious baby boy' has a chance."

"You should let them in. Let's enjoy the evening, and then that will satisfy their curiosity so we can continue seeing each other," she said playfully, holding the phone away as she met his eyes. "I don't plan on going anywhere, so the sooner everyone gets used to there being an ‘Us,' then the better off we are."

As J.J. started to walk toward the stairs, he turned and looked at her.

"This is against my better judgment," he began, smirking ruefully. "Let me apologize now for anything they say because they do mean well."

"I know. I'm the ‘enemy'…"

"Hardly that. You will never be my enemy – ever."

Thirty minutes later, Chloe was answering all sorts of questions from J.J.'s parents as they sat at the small table in the kitchen. The table was only designed to seat two, but somehow, four chairs were crowded around the thing. Four plates were squeezed onto it, and there was hardly any room at all for cups or utensils— even worse yet, there was no space between them. J.J.'s mother, Lucy, was directly across from her, watching her with a curious kindness and avid worry. His father was sitting to her left, frowning and silent.

"So, tell me when all of this changed?" Lucy said simply, folding her hands in her lap. "I'd love to hear all of the details… and I do mean – all of them."

"Mother…"

"Don't interrupt your mom, J.J. – this is important."

"Dad…"

"Shhh."

"If my sister shows up too, I will officially ask you all to leave. I mean, you do realize just how badly ‘Mommy' and ‘Daddy' are cramping my style – right? This is our first date, and you've both barged in on us."

"Barged in? What was happening that your family coming over is considered an interruption?"

"Well, Lucy, um…" Chloe began nervously and J.J. interrupted.

"Mother, would you have wanted your parents to be there when you were dating Dad?"

"I had nothing to hide."

"Because we were adults," his father chimed in.

"If twenty-seven isn't an ‘adult,' then when do I get to officially grow up in your minds? You realize that I am an adult, right?"

Things were getting tense, and Chloe knew she wanted there to be an easy comfort between them all. She didn't want to be the cause of a wedge between his parents. This was his family, and if they were talking about a future or settling here together, then his family would be a lot closer than her own. She reached under the table and took J.J.'s hand in hers, causing him to look at her quickly.

"We began as friends," Chloe said quietly, looking at his mother. "This was not something that either of us intended to happen. In fact, for a while there, we argued quite a bit." – and she glanced at J.J. only to see a warm smile touch his lips as the memories flowed between them within a second as they held each other's eyes.

"I think I finally woke up when I realized just how much I missed Chloe," J.J. began, giving her hand a slight squeeze, not looking away from her eyes. "We began texting, talking…"

"It's taken a long time, but we've finally found our way here," she finished his sentence as he raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. He was openly showing how much he cared, not hiding a thing from his family, and it was humbling to see such love and dedication in his gaze.

"I love you," she whispered softly, forgetting that they were surrounded by his parents as his eyes widened slightly and then melted with awareness. She had never uttered those words aloud before – and didn't intend to before anyone else.

Only to hear J.J.'s father clearing his throat pointedly .

"Oh, um," Chloe stammered, realizing they had an audience – only to feel J.J. kiss her palm as his voice was strong, clear, and unwavering before everyone.

"I love you too – and nothing will ever change that."

"Jamie," Lucy began and there was a slight warble to her voice that caused Chloe to look at her. The woman's eyes were shining with happiness, love, and pride as she looked away from her son to Chloe, then turned to look at J.J.'s father. "I'm more than satisfied, and it's time to go."

"Wait… what?" his father began – and then sighed. "Nice to meet you, Chloe – and please call me Jamie, not Mr. Post. That just sounds so darn stuffy, and I have a feeling things are going to be a little bit more casual around the family."

Chloe couldn't help the smile on her face as his parents rose to their feet, making their way to the front door. She and J.J. joined them, saying their goodbyes in a most awkward fashion that was setting up a precedent that they were guests in J.J.'s home… their home.

"J.J., I suppose we'll see you Sunday night for dinner – and bring Chloe, dear."

"I would love to come to dinner," Chloe volunteered, nodding to them.

"Be good," his father grumbled, looking J.J. in the eye. "I don't want her father crossing me – if things are as serious as you two are implying."

"I'm staying on base," she admitted, looking at J.J., who spoke softly toward her, not hiding his intentions.

"For now, she is."

"That's good," Lucy agreed quickly, nodding. "There's no rush, and this is the smart way to go about things. You are going to need support and family around you – there is no reason to cause problems or rehash old memories. "

"Memories that aren't ours," J.J. added pointedly as Chloe moved to his side, putting a hand over his heart as she looked at his mother.

"We both know that there's a past, but it's not ours to mend or handle. It's between the four of you - not us. I mean this in the best way, Lucy, but the sins of the father…"

"Are not the sins of the son," his mother finished softly, staring at her with respect and understanding. "You're right. You weren't there, and it's not fair for us to hold our grudges or try to steer you away from making the same mistakes."

"If we make a mistake, Mom… then it's our error to handle," J.J. added quietly, looking at his parents before looking at Chloe. "But this is no mistake."

"No, it's not," she agreed as J.J.'s arm wrapped around her shoulder in a show of support. His parents made their goodbyes and left a moment later, leaving them alone. Turning, she looked at J.J. once more and met his eyes. "I should probably go, too."

"One more kiss," he invited softly, already leaning toward her. "Then we need to plan our second date, third date, and figure out a way to get all of our parents in the same place so we can have a real discussion of what the future is going to look like."

"Oh? You want to tackle that battle?" she chuckled against his lips as he hesitated, looking at her. His eyes searched hers, and while he'd never popped the question, the big question , it was always kind of assumed between them that they were going to be a couple, eventually getting married.

Neither had dated anyone else nor had they ever wanted to. It was like they had spotted each other in the chaos, grabbed on for dear life, and held fast to their little bubble of happiness. He was hers, and she would never let him go, and she knew that J.J. felt the same way.

"We'll need to at some point – won't we?" he whispered, looking insecure for the first time ever, and it broke her heart. This man loved her with every ounce of his being, and he was right. Their families would need to know, need to accept and understand this was inevitable between them. They were happier than either could have ever imagined and had waited long enough for their moment that was finally here.

"We do indeed," she whispered, touching his cheek and closing the gap between them to kiss him softly.