Duty(36)

I give her my street address and tell her the nearest gate on post to use to get there easily. I hear Lindsey writing, then she hums. “Okay. Aaron, I can't promise you all the answers. And you may not like the ones I give.”

“I know. But I can’t wait anyway.”

“That helps me a lot, hearing you say that. Even if we know that could be more difficult than we want to admit,” Lindsey says reassuringly. “Okay, I'll see you Saturday. Good night, Aaron.”

“Good night, Lindsey.”

I hang up, smiling to myself. I'll have a busy Friday night, but that's okay. There's a twenty-four-hour Walmart down the street from me, so even if work runs late, I'll be good. I can pick up all the supplies I need to make a decent barbecue that any three-year-old would enjoy.

Right now, though, my green girl is looking very comfortable, and I could use an early bedtime myself. Time to get some rack.





Chapter 12





Lindsey





Pulling up outside Aaron's house, I can't help it, I'm feeling nervous. I don't feel like I dressed up too much, just some jeans and a blouse, but still, I did take a little bit of time to put on some light makeup, something I don't normally do in uniform. Even Lance notices, and as he looks out on Aaron's house, he's fidgeting in his seat. “Mommy, is this where we're having lunch?”

“Yes buddy. Now remember, Aaron's an officer, but he and I knew each other before you were born, and he was really interested in meeting you. So we're going to be on our best behavior, right?” I ask, getting out of my seat and going around, unbuckling him. I shoulder his diaper bag, just the quick one since the rest of his stuff is staying here in the car and lift him out, setting him down to wait for me. He's wearing his big boy pants now anyway. He's very proud of keeping them clean. He'll be good.

Lance takes my hand and we walk up the short curved pathway to Aaron's front door, where I ring the doorbell. It's twelve forty-one, and I hear footsteps inside the house. “Lindsey?”

“It's us,” I say, opening the door carefully.

“Come on in,” Aaron says, coming out of what I guess is his kitchen. He's wearing an apron and a t-shirt, I can't tell the type, along with jeans that are nearly an exact match for mine, and I can't help but marvel at how handsome he looks. He's a bit more muscular than before, he's probably gained some weight with not doing triathlons all the time anymore, but it's good weight, all in his arms and shoulders. “I was just getting the burgers together.”

“Burgers?” Lance asks, his eyes twinkling. “Really?”

“All beef, premium grade-A Angus burgers,” Aaron says, squatting down and offering Lance a fist, the two bumping moments later. “I was just about to put the cheese on each of them before taking them out to the grill. Want to lend a hand?”

“Yeah!” Lance says, charging into the kitchen. Aaron lets him by before looking at me, and a smile comes to his face.

“I'm glad you came,” he says softly, stepping closer. His eyes widen, and he sees the chain around my neck. “Is that?”

“Yes,” I answer, touching the chain. I made sure to wear a shirt that lets it be visible all the time, a sign to him even before we've asked question one. “And before you ask . . . no, I don't take it off. Come on, the rest can wait until after we get some burgers.”

We go in the kitchen, and I'm shocked to see Lance with two slices of cheese half-stuffed in his mouth, a guilty look on his face as we come in.

“No worries, that's why I bought a whole pound block,” Aaron says with a laugh. “I love good cheese too.”

To say that Aaron is preparing a feast is an understatement. Six burgers, all the pre-formed type but still thick and juicy-looking, wait on the platter, along with a plate of cheese and other fixings all ready. “Nice spread.”

“When I invite a big guy like Lance over, I gotta do it with style,” Aaron says, his eyes twinkling. He gives me a knee-quivering look but then turns his attention to Lance, and for the next forty-five minutes, I'm able to sit back and relax, watching as my son and his father meet each other for the first time. Lance doesn't know it, of course, but that doesn't affect the way he reacts to Aaron. And while Aaron and I haven’t had the talk yet, it’s pretty obvious he knows, or at least has a strong suspicion.

Lance, for his part, adores Aaron, feeling included and needed as an assistant in cooking all the burgers up. He even gets to put the cheese on, Aaron using the gas control to make sure he doesn't get burned while Lance carefully puts one slice on three of the burgers. “Can you go get me the buns too now?”

“Sure,” Lance says, hurrying inside the house. It leaves me and Aaron alone, and he looks at me, smiling. His eyes are still smoldering, but it's different now. He's truly happy to be spending time with us.

“He's a good little boy,” Aaron says, keeping his voice low. “You've done a great job with him.”

“Thanks. And thank you for focusing on him,” I tell Aaron, looking over my shoulder. “It's nice to see.”

He smiles but gives me that we need to talk later look. While most of the guys who have met me have just ignored Lance to directly focus on what's between my legs, a few have tried to use him as a prop to work their way into my bed. Needless to say, it didn’t work. “Come on, these burgers have about two minutes left.”