Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

HOUGHTON

“ S ay something…” Jill wept openly, staring at him. “I’m trying not to freak out or panic. I’m nearly forty years old, and I didn’t think I could have children. I mean, after all these years, we’ve never been careful, and nothing has happened… so why now?”

“Are you sure?” he asked hoarsely, his mind racing.

“Yes. There were two pink lines. I was taking a pregnancy test when you showed up with your face looking like a plucked chicken in the mirror’s reflection.”

“Thanks a lot,” he chuckled nervously. Shaving his face had been a moment of inspiration, wanting to make his sweet Jill happy. Their anniversary was coming up, and he knew it meant a lot to her – well, it did to him too, but she was more apt to a bunch of frippery in celebration and wouldn’t expect it from him. Boy, did he have a surprise in store for her! he mused, listening to her distractedly, his mind whirling.

“Well, it’s true. You’ve worn that beard for at least fifteen years, if not longer. What do you think Logan or Griffin will say? Can you just picture me pregnant – I mean, I’m a hefty woman. My butt is gonna be the size of Wyoming and…”

“Don’t say garbage like that. You know I think you're pretty,” he interrupted, rubbing the back of his neck in disbelief. “I’ve gotta think and need to get some stuff done around the place before we have a bunch of nosy guests showing up.”

Jill was staring at him in disbelief with this hurt look on her face – and keeping his mouth shut was proving to be a problem. It wasn’t time yet, and he couldn’t blow this. No, she would just have to understand and get over it.

“Yeah, that other pilot that’s here, the one with PTSD, and I want him as far away from you as possible if he has a breakdown. Plus, Griffin is coming with his little twerps. Next thing you know, Logan will be up here eating my food and dragging his own DNA-monster with him,” he grumbled, trying to throw Jill off the scent. “I gotta go.”

“Don’t you want to talk about… the pregnancy?” she whispered, and he could hear the indecision, fear, and need in her voice. That insecurity nearly brought him to his knees, but his secret had already been in the works for two months now.

Be strong, you big dummy, he thought to himself as he steeled himself against those eyes that had kept him strong for so long. I love you, Jill, and please forgive me.

“Nah,” he began and saw her flinch, feeling it like a stab to his gut. “It’s done, and we’ll figure it out.”

And with those words, he nearly ran from the house – and her.

A month later, Houghton was still avoiding his wife at every turn.

Today, he was sitting in the barn hiding. He had never run away from anything in his life, but he was running now. The idea of Jill being pregnant, knowing that Logan was trying to buy a house in Texas so he could be near Griffin so their children could grow up together, all of that hit hard – harder than he ever imagined.

His child would not grow up with them, with people he considered family, if they kept Jill’s dream home. Those memories, those images of her star-struck face as they had toured the cabin together, seeing the land, the undeveloped property had been daunting, along with the orders to go to Afghanistan.

They had sat down and talked frankly about what could possibly happen, and he insisted on buying the cabin for her. The idea of her being alone out here hadn’t set well with him then – and still didn’t – but if he died in Afghanistan, his beloved wife would be set for life.

And it nearly happened.

He nearly died there and had never told her. How could you tell the one you were trying to care for and protect that you nearly got yourself killed? It wouldn’t have changed anything. He would have been stuck there for a few more years, and she would have fretted – alone. No, he had swallowed back those fears, buried them deep down inside, and unburdened his soul to Logan and Griffin during those silent evenings when neither of them could sleep.

There had been so many raw discussions between the three of them under the stars, talking about things they never imagined they would share. He knew of Juliet’s suspected infidelity and how it tore up Logan – only to find out it was a vicious lie years later. He knew about Griffin’s girlfriend dumping him not long after arriving in Ghazni and how sickened the man was at finding out it was his cousin. They had been through so much together, all of them, and lived. So why was he struggling now?

Hey – when are you two knuckleheads getting here?

Miss me?

Let me answer for Houghton – NOPE.

Ouch, Logan. Thanks, buddy.

(and I use the term loosely)

What’s up, Houghton?

I need to talk – and a swift kick in the butt

I volunteer as tribute!

OMG – I’m telling Lily, ‘No more television for you!’

How do you know what it’s from? Hmm? I bet you are doing the infamous whistle right now, ya big Pansy. We all know Jules rules the roost.

Only because I let her

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Now, that is priceless! Lemme screenshot this.

NO! Don’t you dare, Houghton! I like my nuts in my pants, and she’ll kick me so hard that they’ll dangle from my nose.

Nostrilcles?

How does Lily even put up with you? It’s a serious question we’ve both been wondering for the last few years that needs answering.

I think he’s been hanging out with Luka for too long.

Or Hody…

COOPER!

COOPER!

The two text messages came through at the same time, causing him to chuckle gratefully at his friends. He had really been blessed in this life, even if it walked a fine tightrope most of the time. Sucking in his breath, he typed the phrase he never imagined he’d say aloud.

Jill is pregnant.

What?

Are you serious? You freakin’ stud!

I thought you said you were shooting blanks?

After being married for nineteen years – I thought so!

You never got checked?

Sure - BY YOUR MAMA

Hey, now, don’t cross that line, bro.

What’d Jill say?

She’s panicking because of her age.

Is it yours? (Sorry! I hate to ask!)

Obviously, you’ve never met my wife – and yes, the baby is mine.

Is she ugly? Houghton, are you married to an ugly chick? Bro, really? Is she a two-bagger?

She’s a freakin’ saint to put up with me – and hotter than the sun, which is why you never met her in person before this trip!

(And you’re an idiot!)

Griffin’s too pretty?

Hey! I am good-lookin – or at least Lily says that.

Jill is extraordinary, and I’m completely ga-ga over my wife and scared to lose her.

Hold up - why would you lose her?

Because he can be Houghton?

I can be a royal jerk – and again, thank you, Griffin. Remind me, why are we friends?

Because we tell it like it is, bro, and you know I love ya.

Whatev’s (love you too)

Are y’all finished? I swear I taste vomit and can hear a violin playing in the background.

Houghton chuckled thickly, grateful to have people like this in his life sometimes… only to look up and see Ortega standing there, smirking at him. Ortega was one of Logan’s ‘matchmaking schemes’ that he, himself, had been a part of.

Logan’s matchmaking wasn’t something they discussed often, but he supported the man’s secret endeavors because it had worked for him with Jill. The dude had a gift and had somehow conned him, Lily, and Griffin into helping him pair up other soldiers with pen pals over the years – until this year. No, this year the romantic twerp had decided to help single wounded vets, pairing them up here in Laramie – and Ortega was one of them. The man had been discharged after a career-ending injury… which affected his body, not his mouth.

Greaaaat, the biggest smart alec in the world was witnessing him giggling like a twerp and texting his buddies, while hiding in the barn?

“What do you want?” Houghton said bluntly.

“In on the joke,” Ortega retorted, grinning. “Look at you. You’ve been sooo purdy with that clean-shaven face for a few weeks now. Got a hot date or something?”

“Shut up.” And looked up to see the dawning awareness on Ortega’s face. The man barked out a laugh, fist-pumped the air, and did a little jig.

“I knew it,” Ortega crowed in delight. “It’s the ‘Or Something’, isn’t it? A man only giggles like a dork for a few reasons and you’re not naked – cause if you were, then Larry-the-Cow might not be the only one screaming in fright, wanting to gouge my eyes out with a rusted fork. I mean, we’re all built the same, but I have no reason to ever wanna see the…”

“ORTEGA!” Houghton snapped, jumping to his feet. “Do you ever shut up? I mean, seriously, do you? ”

The man shrugged indifferently before giving him a sideways glance and shoving his hands in his pocket, smirking.

“Sooo… what’s the big secret?”

“What secret ?”

“Well, if you aren’t diddling Larry-the-Cow…”

“Oh, heaven help me,” Houghton muttered, interrupting the sarcastic man and dragging a hand down his face. The man had no boundaries in the slightest, and it made him wonder how Lena ever found her way around falling for the guy and not choking him to death in his sleep. Ortega was annoying, bordering on harassment.

“Then you must have something pretty big planned for Jill, which explains why she’s been moping and avoiding talking to Lena. And you know if it affects my girl, it’s now my problem.”

And Houghton peered through his fingers on his face in disbelief. The man had guessed immediately that he had something up his sleeve.

“What? I might be a jerk – but I’m a smart jerk. So, spill the beans, or I can start guessing again until I figure it out and can fix it. Lena wants girl-talk and with Christine in Texas, Daphne off doing who-knows-what with Collins; that leaves the new chick due to arrive any day now, right?”

“Lyndsey?”

“Whatever,” Ortega shrugged. “Griffin’s ‘ Po-Po-Princess’ is probably some goth chick with weird fetishes – and you are putting her in the cabin with the Boy Scout who has PTSD? I had no idea you were so twisted… and I love it.”

“You realize ‘Po-Po’ is derogatory, right?”

“So is calling a girl ‘Princess’ to some women, the term ‘chick,’ ‘goth,’ and sooo many more words I use on a daily basis. I’m just a derogatory kinda guy, I suppose.”

“You are, but you are also pushing to try to get your way.”

“I could help you get your way if you trusted me with this big ol’ secret,” Ortega grinned playfully – and Houghton sighed, looking at the man and realizing that this wasn’t going to be a secret for very much longer. No, he needed to handle this, start putting his plans into motion, and repair whatever was broken with his wife.

“It’s a huge secret…” Houghton said guardedly.

Ortega clapped his hands together gleefully, rubbing them with delight.

“I’m in, dude – what can I do to help?”