Page 38 of Peach

Chapter 25

A day spentat the beach and then the pool had worn Haisley out. She wanted a snack and sleep. It was good that Mel wanted to spend time with her this week. There were tons of questions about babies and birth she needed answers for. The birth thing scared her.

“I was going to make a sandwich. Do you want anything?” Peach asked.

“I could eat a sandwich. Would you like a slice of tomato?” Haisley asked.

“Sure, if you’re cutting one.”

She grabbed the tomato from the refrigerator and began cutting off thin slices. She grabbed a container to store the tomato just as Peach turned. They bumped into each other, but she wasn’t knocked off balance.

“Sorry,” Peach said. “I should have been looking before moving.”

“It’s okay. I should have anticipated you turning.”

Peach chuckled. “You couldn’t have known. The kitchen isn’t huge. I mean, the house is great, but it is small.”

“I like it. It’s easy to clean.”

“Yeah. And speaking of that, you really don’t have to keep cleaning. I can vacuum on the weekends or after work.”

“I know, but it’s easy for me to do. And I like it. I know that’s weird, but cleaning is calming.”

His chuckle raked over her nerves, leaving her feeling exposed. She needed to get it together and not read anything into his words or looks.

“Want to sit outside?” Peach asked.

“Sure. It’s in the shade, right?”

“Sure is.”

Haisley grabbed two plastic cups and poured herself some tea. “Would you like tea?”

“Yeah, tea is good.”

Peach opened the door and then helped her get outside. As they ate, they chatted about the day and his friends. She felt more confident about the names of the guys but knew it would take time to get them all correct.

After they finished their meal, they both went inside. She wiped down the countertops while Peach cleaned the dishes. It was weird having him helping so much. It was amazing to her that he wanted to help. This was so different from anything she'd ever experienced before.

As they finished cleaning, her heart filled with happiness. She owed this man so much, and he was offering everything to her without a cost.

“Thank you for helping me out.”

He glanced over, his lips quirking up in the corners. “Of course. I like you. You’re a good person.”

“People keep saying that, and I just don’t know. I mean, I’ve screwed up everything.”

"We all make mistakes."

“But not everyone has to pay for them long after the mistake happens.”

Peach wiped his hands on a kitchen towel as he leaned against the counter. He hooked one ankle over the other, and he looked relaxed at first, but then she noticed the pained look on his face. Haisley took a step closer to him as worry filled her.

"My first mission after becoming a SEAL, I wasn't on a team but was filling in, so I didn't know the guys as well, but we were going in on a moonless night. It was a jungle. Snakes, predators, and other shit that could kill us. But it was the pilot of the helicopter who made a critical error. Four guys died on the ground that night. I was last in line, following up on the rear to keep everyone else safe. Had I gone first, I wouldn't be here talking to you."

She closed the distance and put her hand on his arm, her lungs clenching as her heart thundered. “Oh, that’s awful.”

“The pilot made a mistake that took four men. He and his copilot died. Once we got home and the postmortem was done on the mission, they found that he made mistakes. If he’d lived, he probably would have lost his job. It was a hard lesson. I learned that you could do everything right and be taken out by the mistakes others make.”

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