Wait For Me (A Military Romance Book 1) Read online

  “Bullshit,” he said.

  Erin’s eyes rose in surprise. “Excuse me?”

  Caleb attempted to reign in his anger by taking a deep breath.

  “In case you forgot, I don’t belong to you, Caleb. Haven’t for three years now. So, if I want to date Jason, I will.”

  Erin didn’t know that what she was saying was killing him, more than being on the battlefield ever could. When Caleb spoke again it was in a soft whisper.

  “You never loved me…”

  Erin's eyes lurched. “What?” She said her voice elevated.

  “You said you’d wait—”

  “You son of a bitch!” Erin fumed. Now her madness was turned up tenfold. “How dare you accuse me of-of…” Her mind whirled. “Get out!” She screamed.

  Caleb took a minuscule step back and swept his eye over her as if for the last time, then he turned and left the room.

  When Erin woke the next day, last night’s events were still at the forefront of her mind. What the hell happened? One minute she was surveying the crowd, the next she was standing in a room with her ex-fiancé and Jason. She’d thought about Caleb’s last words and his parting glare.

  “You never loved me.”

  Erin let out a heavy sigh. How could he fix his lips to say it? That, Erin couldn’t understand. Sure, she’d taken things a little too far by making it seem like she was dating Jason, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Actually, Jason had been wearing her down trying to get a date, for the full two years Erin had shown her face and owned the club. There was a multitude of times she told Jason no. But Erin had to admit, Jason wasn’t one to give up. She also knew he had some sort of strange hard-on for getting what belonged to Caleb.

  It wasn’t the only reason she turned him down time and time again, but in a desperate need of help at Nocturnal Encounters, Erin had reached out to Jason when they were short staffed. And Jason ran to her rescue, not without making sure to get something out of it, of course. At the time, Erin didn’t care about agreeing to the date. She only wanted him to help her before she had to close the club down because there were just not enough eyes on the place that night. Now she regretted it fully, and not just because dating wasn’t something she was interested in.

  Erin was still in love with Caleb. Although she told herself she was over him, it was only a mantra she tried to speak enough times, so she would believe it. But truth be told, Erin was only fooling herself. If the kiss she shared with Caleb was any indication, Erin certainly wasn’t over him. And what a kiss it was. Erin quivered thinking about the heat pouring over her skin. The wetness of his tongue. The undertaking of his claim. Her heart sped up and Erin sat up in bed. She was getting worked up all over again, and for what? Erin’s eyes found the clock on the wall and even with only a shadow of the morning sun peeking through the blinds, she could read the hands. 8:15 am. Erin let out a sigh. Maybe she should move out of town. How could she ever stay knowing Caleb was back?

  She loved him too much and being without him was something Erin never imagined she’d have to live through. The few years hadn’t been enough to convince her that she could and seeing him now, touching him, tasting him, only further proved her point. Just as those thoughts scattered through her brain, Erin dismissed them. She couldn’t very well leave everything she’d built. And she loved her home here in Pensacola, so somehow, she’d have to make it work.

  Tossing her legs over the side of the bed, Erin’s feet sank into her plush carpet and she padded across the room to her master bath. Inside, she ran a hot shower and shed her clothes with thoughts of Caleb still lingering. A whimpering sound caught her attention and Erin turned to the door and smiled.

  “Good morning,” she said. “I love you, but today, I need this shower to myself. You understand, don’t you?”

  The Labrador retriever whimpered some more, and he sat back on his haunches and dropped his golden ears.

  “Okay, so you may be upset with me now, but you won’t after I feed you breakfast.”

  As if the lab knew what she was saying, his ears lifted, and he barked once.

  “In a minute,” Erin said.

  He barked again.

  “George, if you keep that up, I’ll take my sweet time.”

  George whimpered again and ducked his head then stretched out across the floor.

  “Hmmm, good boy.”

  George whined one last time and Erin chuckled.

  “You couldn’t go down honorably, could you?”

  As if to answer her question silently, George moved his ears and shut his eyes. “You’re as dramatic as your father was last night.”

  George had been a part of Erin’s life since junior high. Unfortunately, Erin wasn’t the only one left behind when Caleb decided to enlist in the Army. George grew up with Caleb. The lab had known Caleb since he was a pup, but when Caleb and Erin became a couple, George grew to love her and became Erin’s best friend while Caleb was away.

  Erin slipped into the shower. Immediately, the beads of warm water massaged her bones. She turned her back then dropped her head to the downpour and held her position. It was exactly what she needed. Another whimper came from the doorway.

  “What did I tell you George?”

  The Labrador went silent again and Erin smirked. “Men, she mumbled, “they want what they want.”

  Erin lifted her head and tossed it back to allow droplets to rain down her face. The water soaked her red strands of hair, and without trying, her thoughts shifted to Caleb again. She saw them at prom, dancing to Kelly Clarkson’s, “A Moment Like This.” Erin smiled unknowingly. She’d actually worn a ballgown made for Cinderella. Her hair was in a simple updo with flowers stuffed throughout her bun. The shoes were glass slippers with a four-inch heel that lit up the color of the rainbow every time she took a step.

  “How awful,” Erin said to herself as the memory roamed.

  Caleb, on the other hand, had been dressed like her Prince. In a white tuxedo with a red bow around his collar, Caleb’s moves on the dance floor were careful and slow. Though he didn’t have the muscle then that he had now, Caleb was still charming in his suit that fit his frame perfectly. His blonde hair had been trimmed down and slicked back, and a red rose sat in the pocket of his suit jacket. Erin smiled, and her thoughts skipped to prom night, when she was supposed to give up her virginity.

  They sat in the back seat of the rented limo on Honeycove Hill; the popular hangout spot where high school students were notorious for going to make out. Erin was as nervous as a jitterbug. But Caleb was sweet and understanding.

  “Relax,” Caleb said.

  Erin looked up at him. She sat tucked under his arm with one leg bouncing in a nervous rhythm.

  “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he promised.

  Erin bit down on her lip. “But you’re the senior basketball player. You’re supposed to get lucky tonight,” she said with a light-hearted smirk.

  Caleb tipped the edge of her chin with his finger. “You mean more to me than getting ‘lucky’ in the back seat of a car. I want your first time to be special. Memorable. In fact, I’d have it no other way.”

  Erin’s heart tugged. How she’d manage to end up with a guy like Caleb was a mystery to her.

  “I want to,” she said. “With you.”

  They stared at each other and Caleb brought his lips down to hers in a sparkling kiss. His hands cruised down her dress and sat warmly on top of her thigh.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, their breaths bated.

  Erin swallowed. The nervousness had not gone away, but still she acquiesced.

  “Yes.”

  Her voice had been barely above a whisper and Caleb kissed her again. That night ended with them changing from the limo to Caleb’s Dodge Durango. They went back to Honeycove Hill but were met with police who’d shown up to break up the high school goers party. They could’ve easily gone to a hotel since Caleb worked at the local grocery store part-time. But he
’d decided that night wasn’t the night for them to become physical, and since then, Erin was still waiting. That was six years ago right before graduation.

  The sound of the doorbell pulled Erin from her memories. Whoever it was would have to wait since she wasn’t ready to be yanked from her shower or her musings. George left the bathroom and trotted down the hallway where Erin could hear him barking at the door. Grabbing her Dove body wash, Erin applied the cleanser to a washcloth and leisurely took the soapy fabric over her body. She’d just covered her feet when the doorbell rang again, this time more urgently.

  George was barking louder. The knocker wouldn’t be ignored, but Erin had a mind to disregard them anyway. She sped up her shower, then rinsed and jumped out. She took her time, drying, and tossing on a clean pajama white shirt and pants. Her steps weren’t rushed as she strolled down the hallway of her two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom townhome.

  When she got to the door, Erin leaned down and took a grazing hand up and down George’s fur. The Labrador calmed under her touch and sat at her feet. Surprisingly, the person on the other side was still there. Erin could tell from the shadow that seeped through the bottom of her door. Erin pushed her face against the wooden frame and closed one eye looking through her peephole. When she pulled back, Erin immediately unlocked the door and removed the chain. Swinging it open, she put a hand on her lean hip.

  “Why are you knocking on my door this early?”

  Amy Van Winkle held up a bag. “I brought your favorite, home-cooked apple pie.”

  George rose back to his feet and his tail stood upright. Erin’s mouth watered, but she kept her lips tight. She peered at Amy, something wasn’t right.

  “Did you make this?” Erin asked.

  “Of course,” Amy chirped. The corners of Amy’s lips lifted, and she smiled like a Cheshire cat.

  “You want something,” Erin said. “What is it?”

  Amy turned her head to the side and frowned. “So, I can’t just stop by to bring my best friend homemade apple pie?”

  “At,” Erin turned back to glance at the clock on her wall, “9 am, no.”

  Amy huffed. “Can I at least come in?”

  Erin stepped aside allowing Amy entrance. After Amy cleared the threshold, Erin shut the door. Slowly, Amy rotated on her heels and handed the pie over to Erin.

  “Hey George!” Amy greeted.

  George barked, and Amy patted him on the top of his head. “So,” Amy said looking back at Erin, “About last night.”

  5

  Erin traipsed through the open layout of the living room to her kitchen with Amy and George following closely behind. She sat the pie down on the island then turned and opened the bottom of the cherry oak cabinet. Removing a bag of Purina Beneful, Erin turned to George’s bowl and poured her happy companion some food. Immediately, George began eating and Erin returned the bag to the cabinet.

  “Would you like some coffee, or hot cocoa?” Erin asked, opening the top cupboard next searching for mugs.

  “Hot cocoa? It’s 84 degrees outside.”

  “What’s your point?”

  Amy pulled a golden lock behind her ear. “No, I don’t want anything but thanks.”

  “It’ll go great with a slice of this hot apple pie.” Erin glanced down at the pie. “How is it still hot anyway, did you pull it out of the oven and come straight over here?”

  “Something like that.” Amy leaned a hip against the counter and Erin took in her attire.

  “If it’s so hot outside, why are you wearing jeans?”

  Amy tugged at her spaghetti strap shirt. “It’s not my legs that bother me in the sun it’s my arms. Hence the tank top.”

  “Ah ha, I see.”

  Erin’s gaze fell to Amy’s lavish fingernails. “Got a competition soon? I see you’ve been to the nail salon.”

  “Are you seriously avoiding my question?”

  Erin crossed her eyes. “Everyone and their damn questions,” she said.

  “What is that supposed to mean, and who’s everyone?”

  “More questions,” Erin muttered.

  Amy arched a brow and Erin sighed.

  “What’s so special about last night that we need to revisit it,” Erin asked. “It’s not like we haven’t had a crazy night at the club before.”

  Amy laughed, tilting forward slightly. “You’ve got to be kidding me. We’ve been waiting what feels like light years for our men to return. We’ve had countless conversations about what it will be like to have them back home, safe. And you’re going to act as if there was nothing special about last night?”

  Erin moseyed around the kitchen making her coffee and wishing she could tune Amy out, but that wasn’t happening.

  “We stopped talking about that three years ago. You and Mariah have been the only cheerleaders since then remember? Or do I need to remind you that my boyfriend—”

  “Fiancé,” Amy corrected.

  Erin paused and stared at Amy. What was she trying to prove?

  “Yeah, well, ex-fiancé. We broke up, and I’d much rather forget about it, so can we change the subject?”

  Amy was quiet for a long moment, then she sighed and climbed on top of a barstool sitting at the kitchen island. Amy crossed her slim legs and brought her hands together linking her fingers.

  “Okay, I know you and Caleb went through a serious turn of events, but Erin, that can’t be the end of it. I know you still love him, and I know he still loves you.”

  “Oh yeah? How do you know that, Amy?”

  Erin took a sip of her coffee and tried to keep her frustration at bay, but this conversation was putting her on edge.

  “Did you see the way he charged into the club looking for you? Because I did, and so did everyone else. And although I didn’t see him greet you, I saw that kiss.”

  Erin squirmed, and a quiver fell down her body.

  “That doesn’t mean he still loves me and for the record that doesn’t mean I still love him.”

  Amy didn’t say anything for a long while. She just stared at Erin. In Amy’s mind, she attempted to put herself in Erin’s shoes just once, and each time, she saw herself demand Caleb give her answers. So, this nonchalant attitude Erin held was confusing to say the least.

  “I don’t understand. Three years ago, Caleb called you and told you to move on with your life. He didn’t want to hold you back and didn’t feel like it was right for you to tie your life up because of him.”

  Erin stared at her cup of coffee. Waves of heat drifted from the brew to her nose as her mind replayed the phone call and the surge of nausea that followed it.

  “I’m waiting for you to get to the point,” Erin said with her gaze still painted on the dark brown liquid.

  “And you just let it go, with no explanation of why he made that call.”

  Erin’s eyes snapped up to Amy.

  “What would you have me do, Amy? He knew how much I loved him. I went so far as to tell him I would join the Army too if his father could get the Lieutenant to allow me in his platoon! You see how that worked out?”

  “What?” Amy gave a quick shake of her head. “You would’ve gone to the military?” She screeched.

  “You bet your ass I would’ve. I was in love with Caleb. Anywhere he went I would go. Shit on the Titanic we would've been Rose and Jack.”

  Amy’s face dropped, and her lips curved into a smile. She laughed slow at first then with a burst of giggles. “Rose and Jack, really Erin?”

  Erin took another sip of her coffee, letting her stern look answer Amy’s question. Amy’s laughed simmered down.

  “Oh my God, girl. That makes my point even worse. Why didn’t you ask him what happened? Haven’t you wanted to know?”

  “Of course, I have. But you need to understand something Amy. It was a slap in the face when he enrolled without considering how it would impact me. It was a slap in the face when his father balked at the idea of me serving with his son. It was a slap in the face when Caleb made that call
. I can only handle so much. I won’t be rejected again. If that’s what he wants,” Erin paused, and Amy cut in.

  “But.”

  Erin glared up at her and Amy held out a finger.

  “But, last night, Caleb—”

  “Acted as if he had amnesia,” Erin said. “Accusing me of never loving him after everything…”

  Erin quieted down. “How could he?”

  Amy sighed. “You’re right.”

  Erin peered up at her friend. She knew that wasn’t the end of that statement.

  “You deserve an explanation. Consider this for a minute, Caleb wants to reconnect with you but he’s well aware of his mistake. He comes to hunt you down and finds out that your dating Jason, his nemesis—"

  “I’m not dating him.”

  “But you made it sound like you were and you have a date with him, right?”

  “Unofficially,” Erin added. “Still, he had no right to accuse me of never loving him. That, was just another slap in my face.”

  “So, tell him.”

  It was a challenge; one that Amy knew Erin couldn’t back down from. Since grade school, Amy and Erin had been as thick as thieves. Whenever either of them threw a challenge at the other, they were like men, always having to accept it.

  “I can’t.”

  Amy’s brows rose. “What?”

  Erin swallowed hard but repeated herself.

  “I can’t, Amy.”

  Amy was literally shocked.

  “Wow,” she said. “I never thought I’d see the day when Erin Sanders used those words.”

  Erin sealed her lips shut and her eyes slowly followed. The room fell silent and neither of them spoke for what felt like an eternity. The clock on the wall could be heard ticking as they both held on to their determinations.

  “Even if I were to ask him, he resents his father, he wouldn’t stay there. I don’t even know where to look for him.”

  A slow prowling smile spread across Amy’s lips.

  “I do,” she said.

  Erin’s heart beat sped up and it annoyed her that the thought of seeing Caleb again made her anxious.

  “Why did I know you were going to say that?”