“Jew. L.”
That sounded like two words, which couldn’t be right. “Jewel? She’s the other woman?” She cranked the wheel and tried to control her heartbeat, knowing they’d see if she checked her teeth in the mirror.
“Yes.” His grin was as big as the curves on the second woman. “Best bud. Wife.”
Once the car’s movement stopped, the kids swarmed the passenger side before Grace switched off the ignition.
Rey opened his door and levered himself upright. By now she was nearly used to the miracle, but the two women cheered and cried in a rush of hugs and cheek-to-cheek kisses. When the blonde passed her baby to Rey, the group’s love for him made Grace blink. The tight threesome on the grass surrounded by kids was his home.
Then Rey pulled her into the circle. “Grace Kim.” He hugged her, but she didn’t think he needed help with balance. Since it was too awkward to stand stiff under the weight of his arm, she slid closer to his hip and wrapped her own arm around his waist. Somehow being held tighter to him was more comfortable than standing alone.
“My husband told me what happened last April, how your life got hijacked by this bonehead’s plan and that picture.” Jewel shook her head and smiled.
“You know?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or shrug, because she hadn’t thought of the concocted photo in months, except when she’d noticed it on his bulletin board. After she’d sent the smartphone, Rey had explained about the Afghan who had offered his daughter in marriage, but she didn’t realize he’d told other people about their false engagement. Other than Jenni, she hadn’t told anyone.
“Didn’t expect you to tolerate the man for this long,” Jewel continued.
“Ouch,” Rey said, covering his heart with his free hand. “Cold.”
“Uncle Rey.” The biggest girl grabbed his hand. “Can we sit in your car? Please?”
“Here’s your keys.” Kristin tossed him a metal ring as he followed the kids to a garage. In a quieter aside, she said, “We want to thank you, Grace. You’ve been amazing for him.”
“I didn’t do anything special.” She hadn’t visited him a second time at Walter Reed, one of those good intentions swamped by summer work cruises.
“You paid attention. Our husbands are overseas a lot, and we tried our best—” the blonde broke off to remove her earring from grasping little fingers.
“He told me about the packages you both sent.” Cookies and brownies, so she’d opted to stick with books and postcards.
Kristin jiggled the littlest child before she continued, “Is Rey really letting you drive his 442 across the country?”
“His car’s that important?” What, was it gold-plated?
“Hoo-yeah, he calls it the Perfect Ten.” Jewel laughed. “Don’t be jealous, though. I think you’re the first woman older than eight to ride in those fancy vinyl seats.”
They talked while Rey and the kids horsed around, until everyone drooped with cold. Kristin swapped the baby to her other hip and fished in her pocket. “Rey!”
He pushed his chair toward them with the children stacked on the seat and each other’s laps like Russian nesting dolls.
“I left a casserole on the counter.” The baby started squawking at the same time Kristin retrieved her car door opener. “I still have your power of attorney for household goods, so I’ll sign when the movers come next week.”
A girl who looked to be kindergarten age tugged on Kristin’s coat. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”
“I know, honey, so say goodbye to Uncle Rey.”
Jewel squeezed Rey so hard she lifted him. “Good to see you. And Grace seems nice. Don’t blow it.” Then the two women and five kids loaded their vans and left faster than she’d ever seen her coworkers’ families do from the ship.
“That was quick,” she said.
“Army hoo-ah.”
“It worked.” She didn’t need to addnow we’re alonebecause she saw a smile reach his eyes. The building was a four-plex, two up, two down. Of course Rey had a second-floor unit. He slung his duffel over his shoulders, she grabbed the other bags and, without words passing between them, she agreed to stay with him instead of at a motel.
With one of Rey’shands cradling her head, and the other stroking her back, his arms blocked Grace from easily reaching her phone when the alarm set for five minutes to nine blurted from her purse.
“Crap.” Her whisper breezed past his lips as she jerked out of their embrace.
By the time she scrambled to the low coffee table and thrust her hand into her bag, she knew red had crept from her neckline to her hairline. Maybe he would assume her heightened color was from kissing, which it was, because he kissed like a god. His whisker-roughened skin had rubbed amazing sensations across her throat and cheeks, and his lips had brushed everywhere from her temple to her clavicle and spent some significant time at her earlobes and, damn, that alarm was freaking loud in this quiet room.
