Page 24 of Something Borrowed

She couldn’t help the bubble of elation that burst withinher.

“That’s amazing. Are you coming home? I mean, to New Orleans?”

She didn’t know what she would do if he said no; going to Germany just wasn’t an option at the moment and she hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted to see him until it had become a possibility.

“I have that option. It’s standard to have leave time after a deployment. I’d use it to come there, if you were okay withthat.”

“I would absolutely be okay with that. I know you probably can’t say for sure when, but if there’s a way for me to meet you at the airport, I’ll be there with bellson.”

She heard a small, gruff laugh.

“I can’t think of a better coming home party – and once I reach Germany I will book the first flight out and you’ll be the first toknow.”

“I know it’s for the wrong reasons, but I’m glad to be seeing you sooner.” She looked around for Kailey. “I’ve missed your touch.” She shuddered as an unbidden streak of desire raced throughher.

“I promise you, there will be plenty of it so you won’t ever miss it again.” He sounded like a cat purring as he spoke.

She strained to fight off the wave of desire that coursed through her. For weeks she’d gone to sleep only to dream of him and the sensual promise was almost more than she couldbear.

“It will be nice to not talk to you through technology too,” she joked, forcing herself to calmdown.

“I look forward to that almost more than anythingelse.”

She heard noises in the background.

“I’m keeping people up. We just heard and everyone wants a chance to call home and get back to sleep.”

She wanted to ask what had happened that the decision seemed to have been announced in the middle of the night, but she knew it was likely nothing that could be shared withher.

“Thank you for thinking of – of coming here Imean.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now. These past three months have been dragging on as I’ve waited to see you again. I won’t lie and say I’m not a little happy things have changed on this deployment.”

She smiled, knowing he must be as well. “Go, let someone else make their call. I’m guessing your email will be taken down to pull apart the equipment soon, so just let me know when you get home. I missyou.”

“I miss you too. Bye, Aid.” He hung up right after.

“My brother’s coming home?” Kailey called from the top of the staircase.

“You listened?” She wasn’t shocked in the slightest.

“Only when I realized you weren’t going to have phone sex,” Kailey said as she plopped back down in the chair. “Do I get to be ridiculously excited that he called you before anyone else? Because you know I am, right?”

Laughing, she shook her head. “This is not us getting married, Kailey. It’s us having a few more dates.”

“Yea, yea,. Whatever, Aid. Trust me. I know you and I know my brother. If he called you and volunteered, no asked, to come here on his leave, he’s in it for the ring. One day soon you’re going to finally be my sister.”

“You’re certifiable.” She laughed anyway. “I do think I’m falling in love with him though. Every time I see his email I get these stupid butterflies. I don’t dwell on him being gone a lot, but I do think about him right before bed almost every night. It doesn’t feel like some vapid childhood fantasy, it feels like I’m inlove.”

Kailey squealed and turned a few shades of red as she neglected to breathe during the length of her noise. “I’m telling you, just you wait andsee.”

“Are you ready to go jog or what?” She asked, deflecting the comment even though she really did want far more than she should with Jaxon.

“Fine. Fine,” Kailey tossed her hands up in the air. “Let’s go walk. Just tell me you think you’re falling in love with my brother and then not let me talk to you aboutit.”

Grinning, she stood up. “Good. Because I’m not going to. It’s just wrong now that it’s your brother. Come on, let’sgo.”

Kailey uttered something that sounded like a cross between a sigh and a snort and she just smiled. She was falling in love with Jaxon, and he made it easier to do with every communication they had – she just hoped those feelings remained when they had the chance to be more like a normal couple.

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