Close to Home Ch. 08-13

Tears were rolling down her face as she looked at me so tenderly and she sobbed softly. Finally she spoke. Reese told me how guilty she had felt about leading me on prom night and the loneliness of Bobby being gone.

"You know that Bobby was my first. And I never planned on another." Reese was again sobbing, "It was good but not perfect, and we had to make ourselves defy the odds of military marriages. Bobby loved the Marines and wanted to retire as a Marine."

She sat in the passenger seat and sobbed. I felt like a heel for bring up those memories. Through her tears she continued, "But, I wanted to be with him and raise our kids together. It was hard waiting for him to move up and get a permanent station." She was finished for a while.

Then she told me about the night Bobby died. She told me how Bobby had whispered something to me as I hugged him just before leaving the room the last time I saw him. How that she had asked Bobby what he had said. Bobby told her that I had promised to take care of her and be there for her no matter what.

I was truly blown away by what she said next. "It's scary I know, but there are those that, I think, will be happy for both of us" she said, "When you left with Mr. Quinn the other day, as soon as the door closed your grandmother looked at me and said 'That boy looks at you just like Bobby did, maybe stronger. But that's OK'.

Her smile was so sweet that I nearly cried. "What could I say to your grandma?"

"Reese," I started slowly, "I don't know what to say."

"Andrew, I love you. I had fallen in love with you before I asked you to come on this trip. Not to trap you. You can go as soon as you drop me off at my place. I wanted to give you something that let you know how special you are. I wanted to give you that first night on the island but I chickened out. I saw how unfair it was to you." She was sobbing. "Then that second night it just happened. I couldn't believe how good it was with you, and every time since. Thank you for all that you have done for me. I love you but you do not owe me anything".

"I don't know how to react." I stammered, "I've had two girlfriends that I loved in my entire life. There was Janet in high school and the last few days with you. I love you too, and not like family. I don't ever want to be like 'just family' with you. How does this work?"

"Step by step, minute by minute" was Reese response. Always the philosopher I thought.

We rode on in silence. When I turned into Reese apartment complex the uneasiness was palpable.

As I stopped the car I looked to Reese and asked "When do you have to be back at work?" For the last few miles had been thinking and had decided on a plan.

"August" she answered with a smile.

"You don't have meetings or something?" , I asked.

Reese had a look of seriousness and resolve,"I have to call them by the last week of July to set up an appointment to sign an annual contract. The school wants me back but I am not obligated until a contract is signed."

"I am under contract until the team doctor's release me. That will be whenever I decide to take the retirement package or an office job with the team as a salesman or promotions or something." I added," but that could mean a move either up or down".

I sat looking into her eyes and I held her hand as I said, "I wanted to see if you would move into the house with me through the summer and figure out what we wanted". I asked a little apprehensively, hopefully. I did not want her to think I only wanted a 'shack up' for the summer so I added "We'll surely know each other better and what we both want by then."

I already knew what I wanted. I wanted to make a home there with Reese, marry and live there all of the time. We could make the renovations that Matt's parents had drawn and have a very nice place for the two of us and if there were more down the road we could even make it bigger. But, that was getting way ahead of myself as I hadn't gotten her response. I didn't have to wait very long for an answer.

Reese lit up like the sun, leaned over and gave a big kiss before saying "I'll have to throw some things into a bag for the stay and make a few calls so people will know where I am, and go by the post office and forward my mail, and then we can head out." To say she was agreeable would be putting it mildly. I was just as happy.

After packing both our cars full and gassing up we were headed right back down the interstate to the lake house by late evening. We got there just about time for bed so we piled everything into the living room floor and climbed into bed. It felt right. We drifted off to sleep in each others arms both too tired from the day for anything else.

I was awakened by a loud clap of thunder and a screech from Reese as a storm had come up over the lake. Putting my arms around her and holding her tight I whispered, "It's just a storm."

Reese looked at me with a sexy little grin while reaching her hand down my thigh, "I can never sleep through thunderstorms."