Major Dad: An Older Man Single Dad Military Romance Page 8

On the one hand, he’s my best buddy, plus we’ve been through a lot of trials along with the proverbial tribulations together. On the other hand, I’d promised Rylie that we’d wait and give our new relationship time. Then, once we were sure the timing was right, we’d talk to him together.

  I enter the Lt. Colonel's office and wait for him to speak.

  “Sit,” he commands.

  “Sir,” I say sitting across from him.

  “You seem distracted. What’s on your mind?”

  I think for a moment and remember my promise to Rylie. “It’s this thing with Lisa,” I say. I know he understands this problem. His ex is tricky, mine’s just psycho. “She’s been extra flaky lately. It’s hard on Caden.”

  “We’ve got some major shit coming down the pike,” he barks, coldly. “Get your personal stuff handled.”

  “Sir, yes sir,” I gruff firmly. “Will do.”

  Frank’s always gruff even across a barbecue grill but this is like a sock to the jaw. He’s never shut me down like that. I can handle it but I’m surprised and a little concerned that, as Rylie mentioned, he suspects something.

  We discuss business, and for an hour the subject of his daughter never comes up.

  After work, I head out to meet a couple of buddies. In what seemed like a miracle, Lisa showed up and picked up Caden from school. That seems strangely out of the blue, but I know my little trooper missed his mother in spite of her continually letting him down. My ex-monster claimed the latest boy-toy is out of her life and she’s committed to being a good mom. Yeah, right. But for Caden’s sake it would be nice if for once it were true.

  I enter a small local bar, The Big Wave. There's a couple of pool tables, a row of old pinball machines, and decent music playing. A group of my cadre from Schofield Barracks is shooting pool and drinking cheap beer with half a dozen Navy SEALS from Pearl Harbor.

  “Yo, Ethan,” Gavin Reed says swinging a pool cue around his head. “Wanna lose a game?”

  “SEALS always cheat,” I say, “so no.”

  “I’ll spot you a ball,” he says.

  “Still no.”

  “I’ll spot you two balls."

  Sucker. “You’re on for a hundred bucks.”

  “Um,” he stalls.

  “Who’s showing fear now?”

  “SEALs don’t know fear,” he says, all puffed up. “I’ll take your bet.”

  He pulls out a crumpled hundred dollar bill and sets it on the edge of the pool table. I place a crisp hundred on the table next to his.

  “Fucking lawyers,” someone says.

  I turn around and see it’s one of the guys from my office, a recent transfer from back East, Blake Graham.

  “Well, takes one to know one,” I toss back.

  “I know myself,” he answers laughing. “I’m a douchebag. That’s why I became a lawyer.”

  “I’m a stud,” my opponent says, “that’s why I became a SEAL.”

  He racks the balls.

  “You’re a hulk of a man,” I inform him, then add right before I break, “but you lack intelligence.”

  With a powerful stroke, I manage to send two balls into pockets.

  Gavin groans.

  “Easy money,” Blake says. “I can’t believe you spotted him two balls.”

  “It’s not over yet,” the Navy guy proclaims.

  But I’m pretty sure he’s lost this battle.

  Our group of joshing guys lets off steam, a common military tradition. Stressful work under extreme circumstances leads to hard parties and sometimes trouble in the down time. They argue, cuss, and drink beer while I quietly kick Gavin’s ass. I pick up the two bills after sinking the winning ball with a well placed bank shot. “Thanks, sucker.”

  “Double or nothing?” Gavin asks.

  “No, I’d feel terrible taking advantage of such a weak minded individual. Besides, I’ve got to talk shop with Lieutenant Graham.”

  I grab a table away from the crowd.

  Blake says, “What’s up, sir?”

  “Not much,” I admit. “I just didn’t want to take any more of his money. How are you fitting in?”

  “Not too bad, sir. I mean, it’s Hawaii. I’m happy I got stationed here. A couple of years without snow and ice in the winter, lots of loose women, beaches, what’s not to love?”

  “You’ve got a point,” I say. We’d become friendly over the last couple of weeks while working on a case, so I say, “Look, off-post, call me Ethan.”

  “Sure thing.”

  We bullshit about work, finish a beer, and he orders another round.

  “Wow, that bartender has a great ass,” he observes as she walks away from us.

  I hadn’t noticed her, but I agree out of politeness, and then add, “Have you met any women since you got here?”

  “No, not yet. Lay out the land for me.”

  I shrug. I’m sure not gonna dish on my sacred connection to Rylie.

  “So you won’t talk?” he pushes me, with a wide smirk. “’Cos I sure noticed you and Cole’s daughter sneaking each other more than looks earlier,” he declares, surprising me with the information.

  I act surprised. “Really? She’s just an old friend’s daughter.”

  “That right? Well, the two of you weren’t very discreet if that’s what you’d been thinking.”

  Rylie had come by to see her father this afternoon. She found me at the other end of the building. Using a pretense, we’d snuck into an unused hallway. Holding hands for a few minutes, I thought we’d been secretive. Apparently, we hadn’t been careful enough. “Shit,” I say.

  “What’s the old friend going to say when he finds out?”

  “I’m not—”

  “And by ‘finds out’ I mean cuts off your nuts?”

  “We’re going to talk to him,” I say mostly to myself. “Soon.”

  “Crap, dude,” Blake says. “You like to live dangerously. I hope she’s worth it.”

  “She is,” I state without thinking, then; “Truly.”

  “You’ve got a thing, then?” he pushes for more.

  “You could say that.”

  “You’d better figure out an exit strategy fast,” he says. “I’ve heard he sends people to Afghanistan simply for asking her out for a drink.”

  “I think he’ll understand this one.” Do I really?

  “Sir, can I speak frankly?” he asks.

  “Sure, of course.” No.

  “You’re nearly forty, and she’s what? Twenty-two?”

  “Twenty-four. And she’s highly intelligent.”

  “Highly intelligent…that’s a good one.”

  “It’s true.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” he says. “Or that that’s all you see of her copious attractions.”

  “Watch it, soldier,” I grit. My fists ball on the table.

  “Yeah well, that’s still not going to get you off the hook.”

  “You’re probably right. It’s shaky ground.” I force myself to relax, he’s only trying to have my back.

  My phone vibrates. I pull it out eager to see if it’s Riley, although I know she has plans tonight. It's Lisa, texting me that she wants to talk to me about Caden’s future.

  “Yeah,” I say to the phone sarcastically. “Sure.”

  I put it back into my pocket, ignoring her second text message as well.

  Blake gives me a weird look. “You talking to your phone now?”

  “Oh, it's drama with the ex. I’ll deal with it later.”

  “I don’t envy you,” he says. “Not the psycho or the high intelligence.”

  “I don’t envy me either at this exact moment but it’s worth it. She’s worth it. I’ll take care of it.”

  15

  Rylie

  My father asks me to meet him for dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, a place he chooses for having private conversations. By asks I mean orders, so I suspect something’s on his mind. Something I’m going to get drilled and grilled over. He seems distant and a lit
tle cold when I slide into the booth at his favorite steakhouse.

  “Your mother called me again,” he snaps. I know he hates dealing with her, what he calls, nagging.

  “And?”

  “And she’s insisting you join her in Boston. She wants me to support her decision.”

  “It’s not her decision, it’s my life,” I say adamantly. “I’m not a child.”

  “You’re still being helped and supported by me – us,” he points out.

  “True, but I’ll be passing the bar soon—”

  “And she wants you to go and study for the bar exam there. Boston’s a great place and there are lots of opportunities there you won't find here."

  “I’m not going,” I say, flat out defying my father for the first time.

  “I’ve noticed you’ve been coming to my office a lot more recently,” he tipturns on me, a favorite move to dislodge me.

  “Not that I’ve noticed.” I wonder where this is going. My body stiffens, and I prepare myself for another ‘father-knows-best’ lecture.

  “I suspect you’ve been sneaking behind my back,” he states as if he’s acting as a commander and not my dad.

  “Why do you think that?” I say, stalling.

  “So you don’t deny it?”

  “Please don’t put words in my mouth.” My nervousness increases. “We’re father, daughter not lawyer and defendant.

  “I’m going to ask you straightforwardly, Rylie,” he says coolly. “Are you seeing one of my men against my express wishes?”

  “I…” My mouth goes dry, and I can’t finish my sentence. I don’t want to lie, but at the same time, I think I’m entitled to my own life and privacy.

  “Rylie?” He stares at me sternly waiting for me to confess.

  “Am I on trial here?” I say trying to deflect his glare.

  “I’m not going to dignify that with a response. You’re my daughter, and you live in my home. My men have clear instructions that you’re not to be pursued. I won’t put up with their bullcrap. Or yours.”

  “It’s not bullcrap if I’m in a serious relationship.”

  “That’s it Rylie! You’re getting on that plane. I expressly forbade this kind of thing. How dare you go behind my back?”

  I begin to cry. “You’re treating me like I’m one of your privates,” I manage to choke out between bouts of tears.

  “Stop crying,” he says. “We’re in a public restaurant.”

  I continue to sob into my hands.

  “We’ll call your mother after dinner and confirm you’ll be on that flight. Now go wash up before our meals arrive.”

  I silently walk to the restroom. My eyes are swollen and red. I look like shit. Washing my face only makes it worse. My father has made it clear that he’s still taking control of my life. I want to stand up to him but if he finds out about Ethan, it’ll ruin their friendship. And worse, affect his career.

  None of this is fair. I don’t want to leave Hawaii. I don’t want to live with my mother. I have a job interview for an internship with an environmental non-profit. More than all that, I think I really am in love with Major Hayes. Why does my father have to be so cruel?

  I return to the table and we eat mostly in silence. At least he can respect that I'm agitated with him.

  After the table is cleared, my father orders a coffee. “Would you like a dessert, honey? It’ll make you feel better.”

  “Dessert isn’t going to fix this,” I say, pouting like a little girl.

  “You always feel better after some chocolate.”

  I frown and shake my head. “No, thank you.” I think of the last time I ate chocolate dessert. It only makes me feel worse when I remember Ethan feeding me with a spoon. I need to talk to him before he finds out my father is on a rampage. I sip at my coffee and wait. I know what’s coming and my mother will be ecstatic. It’s hard to fight against divorced parents when they gang up together in unity.

  We walk in silence to the car after my father pays the bill. He leaves an unusually generous tip and I get the subtle message he’s conveying to me. He’s got the power.

  As we pull out of the parking lot, he barks an order to the Bluetooth. “Call Mary.” The phone only rings once before my mother picks up. Her voice echoes in the car as her greeting feeds through the car’s speaker system. I feel a chill down my spine.

  It’s late on the East Coast, but she was apparently waiting up, expecting this call.

  “Rylie, honey, are you there?” she asks.

  “Yes, mom.”

  “You sound sick.”

  “I’m not sick, mom,” I say. I know I'm not convincing.

  “She’s been crying,” my father announces.

  “Rylie, you're not an adolescent any more,” my mother scolds. “Now let’s put all this unpleasantness behind us, okay?”

  My father clears his throat. “She’s agreed to get on that flight, haven’t you, Rylie?” He turns his head towards me and glares. His eyes are boring into me and demanding an affirmation.

  “I haven’t,” I manage to squeak.

  “Rylie, damn it!” He turns his head back to the road and then shakes it. “We went over this, several times.”

  “I never agreed to anything,” I manage to say through new tears streaming down my face.

  “Honey,” my mom’s voice bellows. “You need to calm down. We know this isn’t easy, but it’s for the best. You’ll see, I promise.”

  I look out the window and attempt to slow my breathing. With two parents against me, I don’t feel I can argue. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”

  “Hon, you can’t ignore this,” she says in a calming voice. “You’ll see, once you get here. I’ll introduce you to a few of my friend’s kids, nice boys. You’ll make new friends and pass the bar exam here. It’ll be a whole new life.”

  “I don’t want a whole new life!” I burst out. I press my lips tight to stop myself blurting what I do want. Ethan.

  While I sob quietly to myself, my parents discuss my future as if I no longer have a say. I feel doomed.

  As we pull into the driveway at home, I’ve already requested a Lyft on the app.

  “I’m going to see Alani,” I tell my father as we pull up and he sees the car outside the house. It’s a lie, but I can’t tell him my real destination.

  “Good night, honey,” he says warmly.

  I think he believes everything is settled. I don’t want to fight anymore, so I say, “Goodnight, Dad.”

  The Lyft driver is talkative, so I pretend to read messages on my phone. As we pull up to Ethan’s house, I ask him if he can leave the trip open for a few minutes.

  “Sure,” he says. “You want me to wait?”

  “Yes, please,” I say. I’m not sure what I’m going to do or say. I stroll towards the house, and that’s when I notice another car in the driveway. Ethan has a guest. It could be a soldier from his unit and the last thing I need is a report to my father about me being here. Then, I hear voices and stop in my tracks.

  “We’ve got so much history,” a woman says.

  “I know,” a man’s voice answers.

  Although he sounds strange, I can tell it’s Ethan speaking. I’m not sure if he’s angry or drunk, but something isn’t right.

  I’m frozen in place, like a lost and scared animal. Thoughts and doubts stream through me. I want to knock on the door and see what’s going on, but I don’t want to barge in unannounced.

  “I’m a good mother,” the woman says. “Our son needs us, together. You know I’m right, Ethan. Don’t deny it.”

  I can’t believe it. His ex-wife has shown up. I thought she was in Thailand or Vietnam or some shit. She’s always off with man-of-the-week, but now she’s here. I can hear Ethan’s wet sand voice, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. Maybe I’m invading their privacy, but I have something at stake here, too.

  I hear the woman’s voice say something I can’t quite make out, but it sounds like she’s complimenting him.

&n
bsp; “I think it’s best,” Ethan says.

  “I knew you’d see it that way,” she replies.

  There’s more, but hard as I strain, I can’t quite hear what’s being said. I look back to my driver and hold up my hand with five fingers spread out. I mouth, “Five minutes." He nods his head in understanding. I slowly walk towards the front door.

  My heart thounds hard on my ribs but I can’t back down. I have to know where I stand.

  16

  Ethan

  I listen to my ex tell me all the reasons we should get back together. None of them are convincing, of course, and I’m not fooled for a second with her empty promises. Lisa has done this a dozen times before. Every time she promises Caden something, he gets hurt.

  “You don’t really want me to leave?” she asks.

  “I think that’s best,” I say.

  She displays crocodile tears as if I'm naive. It’s an old strategy of hers, and not convincing. Through little sobs, she asks, “What about our son?”

  “I want you to see him,” I say. “But we need a schedule and consistency. You can’t keep running off.”

  “I’ll never do that again,” she says.

  I know she’s lying, even if she believes it at the moment. It might be a week, a month, or a season, but she always breaks her word.

  From down the hall, I hear our son open his bedroom door. “Dad?”

  “What are you doing out of bed, little man?”

  Caden rubs his eyes. “I had a bad dream.”

  I pick him up and give him a big hug. “Come on, Tiger. I’ll tuck you back in.”

  “Is mom going to stay here?” he asks, as I pull a light blanket up to his chin.

  “No, son,” I say. “She’s leaving in a few minutes.”

  “Is she going to get me from school tomorrow?”

  “I think so, bud.” I don’t want to build up his expectations too much.

  “Can I still go to the beach with Rylie?”

  “Of course,” I answer. “Why wouldn’t you be able to?”

  “Mom said she was going to take me, not anyone else.”

  “I’ll talk to her.” I rub his head.

  I want to assure him that everything is going to work out, but I can’t promise him things that aren’t fully under my control, like his mother's behavior. But at least I now know what she’s doing here with this latest begging for us to be together. Caden told her about Daddy’s pretty friend Riley and she is determined that I won’t have my chance at happiness.