Joy and Tiers (42 page)

Tyler pokes me in my right breast. “Hey Sleepyhead, did I bore you to sleep. I have to admit, I kinda had bigger plans for tonight.”

“No, I’m not bored. I’m just processing the day,” I admit. I shake my head slightly in an effort to clear out my maudlin thoughts. “But, I think I’ve done enough serious thinking for the day. I can think of more exciting ways to entertain ourselves.”

“Is that so?” he challenges with a smirk. “Care to share your nefarious plan?”

I reach down to unbuckle my stilettos and send them flying across the room. I sigh with relief as I flex my arches.

Tyler’s bottom lip slides out in a mock-pout. “I have to say, I’m a little sad to see those go; they would have dressed up my fantasy nicely.”

I snicker as I reply, “First, I’m not sure if I think that’s sexy or a tad on the weird side. Secondly, it’s very clear you’ve never worn those stupid things. Because, if you had, you would never equate them with pleasure.”

“Why do you wear them then?” Ty asks, his brows drawn together in confusion.

“We wear them so big tough guys like you nearly swallow your tongue when we walk by. Some days it’s even worth the effort when men like you fall under our wiles,” I tease.

Tyler snorts with laughter. “Oh is that what happened? I could have sworn you fell for my overwhelming charm.”

“It was overwhelming something, that’s for sure,” I mutter under my breath. 

Ty grabs me from behind, rolls me over on the bed and starts to tickle my ribs. “I’ll show you a whole lotta something, if you don’t stop sassin’.”

“Okay, Okay,” I plead with tears of laughter streaming down my face. “Will you stop if I promise to use my feminine wiles on you?”

Immediately throwing his hands in the air, Ty declares, “Hey, I know a good deal when I hear it. Wile away.”

Taking him by surprise, I push him onto his back and straddle him. “Are you sure you’re up to all this?” I ask as I drop a line of scorching kisses down his chest. “It’s been a long day.”

“Gidget, no day is that long,” he half moans as his hips buck against mine. 

We were able to hide in our cocoon of lust and desire for nine hours before the real world starts bleeding into our bliss. As corny as this sounds, my wedding night was everything that I hoped it would be even though it was spontaneous. Sometimes, Tyler’s intense focus can be a really, really good thing. Quite simply, the man knows how to pay attention to small details. So, it took a great deal of restraint for me not to conveniently misplace Tyler’s phone when I heard the ringtone he associates with all the numbers tied to his military service.

I knew from the look on his face our reprieve was over. I try not to resent the fact that I’m on the world’s shortest honeymoon as I’m throwing our belongings into suitcases.

Tyler yells at me from the bathroom as a pair of shoes makes a decidedly loud bump when it hits the bottom of the suitcase. “Are you okay in there Gidget?”

“Yeah, I’m just packing,” I respond. “I hope you’re not picky, I’m not as anal-retentive about this stuff as Tara is.”

Tyler comes out of the bathroom with his toothbrush in his hand as he remarks, “You know what’s cool?”

I shake my head as I reply sardonically, “I can’t imagine anything being cool at this time of morning.”

“Don’t you have to get up this early to work at your shop?”

“That’s just the point. This is my day off. If a girl can’t sleep in on the day after her wedding, I don’t know when she can. But, no, I don’t know what’s cool—” I reply with a fair amount of snark.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about the coffee thing, were you?” he quips. “I’m sorry you’re tired. I had planned far more creative ways to wake you up. Anyway, I was just sayin’ that it’s cool we can pack joint suitcases now.”

I groan and cover my head with the pillow. “Don’t remind me. I still have to figure out what I’m going to do with my place.”

“Yes, but you don’t have to do it today. That was my CO returning my call. Today, we have to get all of your ID changed to Mrs. Colton because the military has reserved its own tree worth of paperwork to sign before I go. After all, in the eyes of Uncle Sam, we’re not married until we’ve signed everything in triplicate.”

“Does your CO know you’re on your honeymoon?” I ask, unable to keep the whiney undertone at bay.

Tyler smiles wryly. “He’s aware, Gidget—and on a personal level he’s extremely sorry about that. But, officially, the Army doesn’t give a rat’s ass about our marital bliss.”

“I really wish they did. It might get you home to me sooner.”

“I’ll do my best, but I’m not really in charge of scheduling the war.”

The look of frustration on Ty’s face makes me immediately regret my words. I feel like such a shrew. “I’m sorry. This is harder than I thought it would be. I was thinking that I would be able to think about your deployment like one big long undercover assignment. But, my mind and heart know better. So, I’m having a mini-meltdown. I understand that you have to go, I just wish you didn’t have to.”

“As much as I’ve been waiting to even the score, it’s much harder for me to leave this time. You have become as important to me as the air I breathe and I’m not looking forward to figuring out how to function again without you by my side.”

“Ditto, Cowboy. Ditto”

Our last hours together flew by as if they were seconds on a stopwatch. I wanted to yell at the universe to simply stop time. It seemed like we were putting out one fire after another. Some of them were literal fires. One of the vents at the shop kitchen developed a short and started a small fire. Piper apologized profusely, but felt she needed to get me involved when the police started asking her questions about the business she simply couldn’t answer. The rest of the stuff we dealt with was much more mundane but frightening nonetheless. None of this was new to Tyler because he’s been deployed several times. But, signing the paperwork naming me as beneficiary in the event he’s not able to come home really brought things into focus. This was not the way I had hoped to spend my honeymoon, but sometimes, life happens.

We were mentally and physically exhausted by the time we climbed into his giant featherbed. I don’t even know if I can describe last night. It was a celebration of all we’ve become but an acknowledgment of what we’ll be missing. It’s difficult to feel so cherished and completely bereft at the same time.

As soon as I wake up, I realize something is not right as the sun hits my face. Tyler was supposed to set the alarm to some ungodly early hour. Yet, the house is completely silent except for Ethel’s snoring. I reach out to pet her and encounter something attached to her collar.

Fighting the sinking feeling in my stomach and blinking back tears, I open the card. I have to catch my breath when I read the front of the card. It’s a Bugs Bunny card that says, “Miss you already.”

I spring off the bed and run downstairs as I frantically look for Tyler. No! It’s simply not possible. He would not have done this to me. Could not. Should not. Yet, even as I fight the bile in the back of my throat, I cannot escape the conclusion that he did. 

White hot anger courses through my body as I try to understand what’s happening. Why did he make all those promises to me if he just planned to leave me high and dry? This is my worst nightmare. I start to sob gut-wrenching sobs. Ethel and Annie come rushing in to check on me. As I see the empty envelope hanging from Esther’s collar, I remember the card I left lying on the bed. In seeming slow motion, I creep back up the stairs and crawl in bed.

As I pick up the card, I’m having a huge debate with myself about whether I want to know what’s inside of the kitschy little card. I feel paralyzed with indecision. The minutes tick by as I sit in the middle of the bed waiting for my dreams to shatter.

The sound of my cell phone pierces through my private pity party. If it was anybody else, I would’ve just ignored it. But, it’s Tara. Knowing she’s on the road with the crazy paparazzi and reporters following her every move, I know I have to answer the call.

“Hello,” I say through tears, blowing my nose on a paper towel.

“So, now you know,” Tara states without basic pleasantries. “You know my policy and I hope this makes sense to you, because without context, I have no idea what this means.”

I can tell Tara is reluctant to divulge more. Finally, after a bit she continues, “I guess I wouldn’t be interfering with fate if I told you to look right in front of you before you make any big decisions.” 

“Wait! What does that even mean?” I demand.

Tara sighs as she wearily responds, “I’m sorry Heather, I’ve done all I can. You have to determine that on your own.”

“Can I just say, sometimes your so-called gift sucks?”

Tara chuckles wryly. “Tell me about it. You’re preaching to the choir, but someday you’ll thank me, I promise.”

“It’s a good thing you’re my best friend because I could really hate you right now,” I threaten.

“I know.” Tara concedes. “But, lucky for me, I already know you won’t stay mad forever. Call me when you have this sorted out, okay?”

“We’ll see,” I answer with a glower in my voice.

After I hang up a new wave of tears hits. It’s going to be impossible to be around my friends now. Everyone is so flippin’ in love. Why can’t it ever work for me? I flop back on the bed and my hand brushes the card from Tyler. Could it really be that simple? It
is
right in front of me—

Cautiously, I open the card, steeling myself against the heartbreak I know is coming. My mind is working a million miles an hour as I try to square what I’m reading with my expectations.

My Gidget (It seems like I’ve been waiting forever to call you mine):

Please don’t hate me. I had to do it this way. Remember when I told you I was building memories for my deployment? Well, this weekend has been so perfect that it’s exactly how I want to picture my memories of you. I couldn’t bear to see your stunning blue eyes be sad. Please know I will do all I can to come back to you in one piece. But, if I don’t, you have made me the happiest man on the planet. I love you.

Love,

Your-Stubborn-Cowboy-Husband

PS: I’ll check in when I hit the sandbox. But, it can take a bit to set things up so don’t panic.

Holy Cow! I’m not sure whether I want to laugh or cry at my own stupidity. When am I ever going to learn that Tyler Joseph Colton is almost always going to do the very last thing I expect?

A glint from the nightstand catches my eye. I notice that Tyler’s St. Michael’s medal is missing from its usual spot in my ring holder. In its place is a delicate silver necklace with its own St. Michael’s medal. There is another small gift tag in Tyler’s writing.

It’s not blessed by the Pope, but I hope it helps keep you safe and protected while I’m gone. I love you. --Tyler.

Trevor and Matt are trying to grab the package from my hand after mail call. “Back off! Don’t make me issue orders. These are not cookies,” I warn, trying to keep a straight face.

“Oh come on, man!” Matt complains, “You get better mail than all the rest of us combined. Share the wealth a little.”