Spring Break

When she went back downstairs to check on Khloe, she was more than a little surprised to see her daughter wearing a dress—the nicest dress she owned.

"You uh, you look very pretty, honey," he mom said without mentioning that a dress was a little much to go look at cars.

"Do you think Trevor will like it?" she asked so sweetly it nearly made her tear up.

"I'm sure he will, sweetheart. But he'd like anything you wear, and maybe something a little less fancy would be better?"

"No, that's okay. I really like this dress," she informed her mom who only smiled understandingly.

"All right. Then that will be just fine," she said moments before the doorbell rang.

"Do you want to get it?" Kim asked with a smile as her daughter's face lit up.

"Okay!"

She watched her baby, who was experiencing her first-ever crush, open the door.

"Hi, Trevor. Won't you please come in?" she said, trying to sound like an adult.

"Why, yes I will. Thank you very much, Khloe," he said with no hint of laughter even as Kim did her best to suppress a smile.

What didn't occur to her until much later that day was that, for the first time since the FBI came to their house, she didn't have a single thought about...that. It was just...sweet...and seeing her daughter so happy made Kim happy, and she was already very happy herself.

"Hi," Trevor said as Khloe shut the door. "These are for you."

He produced a bouquet of a dozen red roses, and Kim's heart skipped a beat.

"Trevor. You...why did you..."

As he handed them to her he leaned in a little and softly kissed her. It was only a peck, but it sent chills through Kim's body.

"I'm still working hard to impress you," he said very quietly before stepping back.

"Did you just kiss my mom?" Khloe asked, her hands behind her back as she looked up at him.

Trevor squatted down and asked if that was okay.

"I guess," the young girl said with a hint of sadness.

Not sure what to do, Trevor stood up and looked at Kim.

"I'm gonna go change," Khloe said as she walked toward the stairs.

"Did I do something wrong?" Trevor asked once Khloe was upstairs.

"No. She just has a little...crush on you. That's all."

For obvious reasons, Trevor was immediately concerned.

"Kim. I had no idea. If I ever said or did anything..."

She moved closer, put her free arm around his neck and said, "You haven't done anything wrong. She just...really likes you."

"So you're not upset?" he asked rather gingerly.

"Not at all. In fact, I'm just the opposite. I'm very happy that my daughter knows someone who's a gentleman in every respect. Someone she can trust. Someone...I trust. Completely."

"You have no idea how good that makes me feel," Trevor told her as he smiled at her. "And you look absolutely fabulous, by the way."

"You look quite nice yourself."

He was wearing an untucked, light-gray shirt that had no tail with a pair of dark-blue shorts and sandals that made him look...yummy.

"The weather's pretty great out there," he told her as she led him to the kitchen.

"So do you know what you want to look at today?" Kim asked as she began trimming stems.

"I do. But I want to tell you what I was thinking about."

"Oh? Okay," she said as she set the first one aside and reached for another.

Trevor gave her the gist of his thoughts about the minivan, and it made Kim laugh.

"They're very practical, but I think they're..."

She put one hand up to the corner of her mouth as though she were telling a secret and said, "Ugly as sin!"

Trevor laughed, and as he stood across from her asked how she felt about trucks.

"I grew up on a farm, so this girl loves trucks. Why? Is that what you're thinking about getting?"

He smiled again then said, "I knew you were awesome, but you just shot straight up to amazing!"

Kim also laughed, and suddenly felt like she'd known him forever.

"I love horses, too. Does that count?"

"You uh, you got me there. I've only ridden a horse once and don't really have an opinion. I mean, they're beautiful animals, but I've never given it much thought."

"There's a riding stable not too far from here. I may have to take you there one of these days."

"Yeah? I think I'd like that."

"What what you like, Mom?" Khloe asked, now dressed in jeans and a top appropriate for her age.

"We were just talking about going horseback riding sometime."

"Do I get to go?" Khloe asked in a way that seemed like she assumed she wouldn't be asked.

"Of course you do," Trevor answered for her mom. "Wherever we go, you go."

"Okay!" she said as she looked up at the tall Marine, a big smile on her face.

Trevor waved her closer and when she moved next to him, he put his hand on her shoulder and kind of around her neck.

"After all, you and your mom are my two favorite girls in the whole world," Trevor told her.

Kim not only didn't feel sick to her stomach, she smiled when Khloe put her arm around Trevor's waist and leaned into him. She told herself this was how it was supposed to be and felt grateful to have met someone like Trevor for yet another reason.

"Are you ladies hungry?" he asked.

"Oh, right. I promised lunch. Let me get going on that right now," Kim said as she cut the last stem and dropped it in a vase.

"How about we go out again?" Trevor suggested, causing Kim to give him a 'what are you talking about' look.

"You eat here three times a day every day, right?" he said, looking first at Khloe then her mom.

"We never go out," Khloe told him.

"That's not true," her mom said. "We go out."

Khloe stared at her until her mom admitted, "Okay. It's been a few...months."

"So come on. Let's live a little, shall we?" Trevor suggested as he squeezed Khloe's shoulder and smiled at her mom.

"Yeah, Mom. Let's live a little!"

"Um...okay," she said, knowing she'd lost the battle—a battle she wasn't really fighting as going out sounded a lot better than making lunch for three. "Let me grab a sweater so I won't be cold, and I'll be ready."

"How about you, Miss Khloe? Do you need a sweater?"

"No. I don't get cold. Just old people get cold," she told him, unaware of her mother's concern about her age.

"I believe I was just called old," Kim said, bending down to almost touch foreheads with her daughter who came very close to giggling.

"You're not that old, Mom."

"See?" Trevor said, as though that settled the issue once and for all.

"That's easy for you to say," Kim replied.

She looked at both of them then said, "Both of you."

"We resemble that remark," Trevor said with feigned indignance.

"You sure do," Kim said as she tried not to laugh.

"What does that even mean?" Khloe asked, a confused look on her face, causing her mom to laugh and Trevor to pull her toward her hard enough that she made a happy shriek before he picked her up and swung her around.

Rather than ask to be put down the eight-year old girl hugged Trevor, and once again, her mom felt a lump in her throat and a flutter in her tummy.

Kim took Trevor to the Toyota dealer first. But after looking at each of the Tundras they had on the lot, he told her he wasn't quite as excited about a big rig.

"I hope we're not to blame for that," she said with a little laugh.

Trevor didn't even smile as he replied.

"Blame? No. But I just have this feeling we're going to need something more practical than a truck."

"We?" Kim replied, her mouth suddenly dry.

Trevor smiled, touched her arm and gently ran his hand up and down in once, then said, "I'm an optimist."

"Did you say...masochist?" Kim said, trying to sound funny.

The younger man laughed and told her that wasn't the case at all.

He moved a little closer, took both of her hands in his, then said, "In fact, I can't think of anything that would make me happier than that."

Kim's heart was pounding in her chest as she spoke.

"Wow. You uh, you've really set the bar low, haven't you?"

She laughed that nervous laugh again, but Trevor just moved closer.

"Hey," he said quietly as he touched her face. "You promised not to put yourself down anymore, remember?"

Kim couldn't even think let alone remember as she felt him squeeze her hands. It got far worse when he leaned closer and softly kissed on her lips.

"So no more of that, all right?"

"What?" she asked, having no idea what he meant.

"Come on. I want to see some another cars."

"Oh. Okay. Sure," she told him never taking her eyes off of his.

After checking out the RAV-4 and the Highlander, Kim asked a question.

"Do you like Jeeps?"

"I do. Why do you ask?"

"I...I've always wanted to go off-roading and I...we'd love to go camping. But our car barely drives on pavement, so..."

The look on Trevor's face was priceless.

"Khloe? You wanna go look at Jeeps?" he asked after bending down and looking at her.

"Sure!" came the reply.

As he stood up, Khloe grabbed his hand and this time her mom didn't choke up. She only smiled and held her out which Trevor took and squeezed as he did.

"This is my lucky day," he said as they headed toward his rental car.

"How come?" Khloe asked.

"Because I'm holding hands with two beautiful girls."

Kim almost mentioned that she hadn't been called a girl in some 20 years, but when she thought about who was saying it and why, as well as her promise, she only squeezed his hand.

Khloe smiled then said, "Mom? Isn't Trevor nice?"

He looked at Kim as she said, "Yes, he is, honey. He's very nice."

He leaned Kim's way then quietly said, "You forgot handsome."

She made a spurting noise as though what he said was absurd but ended up saying, "Okay. You're kind of okay looking."

Her teasing words came with a look that said, "I think I'm falling in love with you," but Trevor couldn't be sure. What he did know was that he was falling fast and hard for this beautiful older woman with a daughter he would happily and willingly raise as his own were he given the chance to do so.

As they headed down the road to the local Jeep dealership Trevor said, "Do you like any Jeep in particular?"

"I love the Grand Cherokee, but the Wrangler is my favorite."

He glanced over at her, smiled, then said, "You're trying to make me fall in love with you, aren't you?"

After what she'd just been thinking his comment stunned her. Not in a bad way, it just caught her completely off guard.

Her brain disengaged again, and the first words she thought of came out.

"Is it working?"

Horror struck, she went to cover her mouth before apologizing, but as she raised her hand, Trevor grabbed it and squeezed it again.

"In a big way," he told her, sending her into a dizzying mental spin that lasted until they got out of the car.

Ten minutes later, the young salesman asked if they'd like to take one of the Wranglers out for a test drive.

"I think your wife's partial to the 4-door Sport," he said the way sales folk often do, accompanied by a little chuckle.

"Oh. She's..."

Before Trevor could tell him they weren't married, Kim said, "You saw correctly. We'd love to drive it."

When Trevor looked at her, she knew it was okay and added, "Right, honey?"

He winked at her then told the salesman, "Happy wife, happy life, right?"

He kind of tapped Trevor's lower arm and said, "I'll be right back with the plates and keys."

Khloe also loved the Sport. So much so that was inside it when the conversation took place. When she hopped out she saw her mom and Trevor with their arms around each other kissing and smiled. She walked over to them, and when they noticed her, they each lowered an arm and pulled in close.

Khloe put an arm around each one of them and as he head was pressed between them she couldn't ever remember being happier since the day her world fell apart.

When the young man returned, he attached the plates then held out the keys to Trevor.

"Honey? You wanna drive it?" he said, a smile on his handsome face.

"Are you kidding?" she replied as she grabbed the keys.

"Happy wife, right?" the younger man said to Trevor with a big smile.

"Yeah. You got that right, my friend."

After a trip around the block, Kim said she loved it and asked Trevor to take it for a spin.

"That's okay. We'll take this one," he said, making the salesman's day.

"Great! I'll wrap it up for you guys and meet you back inside."

******

Sometimes people just know. Most of us needs months or years to be sure we love someone, but occasionally, two people just know. That was the case for Trevor and Kim.

As they drove back to her place, Kim in the new Jeep and Trevor returning the rental car to the nearest location, both of them knew they loved the other person. During the next three weeks while Trevor was still on leave, they spent as much time together as they possibly could. When they couldn't be together they sent texts. Texts that made Kim smile and sometimes tingle inside.

After he reported in, Trevor was often in the field trining with his Marines. Within 60 days of his arrival he was given a rifle company, and between the new job and his new love, he couldn't ever remember being happier. Kim needed a little time to be sure this extremely attractive, much-younger man really loved her, but once she knew it, she gave herself to him and their relationship completely.

Trevor lived in the Bachelor Officer Quarters or BOQ for those first two months, but once Kim was certain of his love, he asked her to move in with him. They found a very cozy two-bedroom apartment off base, and the 'two Ks' left Beaufort for good.

It was hard to know who was the happiest among them, but most people's money would be Khloe who now had a father figure in her life again. This time, she had a man who was honest, honorable, and loving, and who made her feel like the most special girl in the world.

Kim's happiness was off the charts because she not only believed she'd found the most wonderful guy on earth, but she marveled at how he and her daughter had bonded. She often recalled the first time Khloe called Trevor 'Dad' after asking him if it would be okay.

He'd taken her over to the couch and told her that nothing would make him happier, and when Khloe heard those words she hugged her new dad as tears of joy formed in her eyes. Kim saw them and teared up, too, as her heart swelled with love and gratitude.

Five months later Trevor proposed one evening when the three of them returned to Miami for a four-day weekend. He wasn't sure of the exact spot where Khloe had been making sand castles, but he knew he was within a few feet when he asked her.

He waited until the sun was setting then got down on one knee and opened a small, fuzzy, blue box as Kim gasped and teared up, her hands shaking as Khloe smiled, her arm around her daddy. The three of them stood up after Kim said 'yes' and held one another as the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean.

"This is where it all began," Kim said, Khloe between them, their arms around her shoulders.

"I remember," Trevor said without mentioning the reason why they met.

But Kim couldn't help but say something as she took her fiancé's hand.

"I can't help but think that my being so overprotective was a good thing," she said as she smiled at the man she loved.

"Listen you you!" he replied as he smiled back at her.

"Perspective really is everything, isn't it?" Kim observed.

"You know, I loved Spring Break when I was in college," Trevor mused. "But I never once thought it would be the kind of event that would change my life forever."

The last of the sun's disc disappeared as the three of them stood there looking out over the water.

"Dad? Do you wanna build a sand castle?" Khloe asked.

"You got a bucket?" her dad asked.

"No, but there's a big can right over there."

"Then what are you waiting for? Go get it and we'll make one."

"Let's make the biggest one ever!" Khloe said as she ran off to get it.

Kim turned to her husband-to-be and put her arms around him.

"I love you so much, honey."

Khloe returned just as Trevor said, "I love you, too. With all my heart."

"And I love both of you!" Khloe said as the new family hugged one more time before she scooped up a can full of sand.

"Pack it down tight!" her dad told her.

"I know!" Khloe told him as she smiled at him and did just that.

*****

Six months to the day after returning from Miami they were married in the Base Chapel on Camp Lejeune. The officers in Trevor's battalion were out front forming a sword arch as the newly-promoted captain in his dress blues walked under it with the beautiful, older women in white who was followed by a smiling, nine-year old girl in a pretty white dress.

A limo was waiting to take them to start their new lives together; a life that would see another life begin just nine months later.

Khloe got to hold her baby brother a few hours after he was born, and her mom couldn't ever remember seeing her daughter so happy. But as Trevor held her hand while she lay there watching, she couldn't remember ever being that happy, either. And all of it was due to them meeting during Spring Break under the most unusual of circumstances.