……….. I walked back into the house and grabbed my purse Mom smiled at me.
“How’s Ben feeling” She asked.
“Better considering he had another shot this morning” I shrugged “And I think he’s actually becoming less scared of Grandpa” she started to laugh.
“Last night you do know he official became one of the guys” Auntie Dannie said coming over “We always wondered if any guy you dated would manage to break into that club”. I looked at her and smiled “Oh I think we need to go Bridezilla is pacing on the porch” we all got to the spa Chelsea disappeared to have the works done while we got Manicures and pedicures so actually quiet relaxing my phone rang I picked it up laughing as Dawn, Dannie, Mom, Grandma and Adam’s Mom were telling stories about their wedding days.
Me * yep
Skye * Tess don’t hang up.
Me * give me one damn good reason not to
Everyone looked at me.
Skye * Tess please I could do with a friend right now.
Me * you should have thought about that before you dumped my brother and took off with a guy old enough to be your Dad.
Skye * he’s only 34
Me * Skye that’s still 16 years older than you.
Skye * I don’t want to fight with you
Me * well big mistake calling did you not get it the last time we spoke, with friends like you who needs enemies.
Skye * I’m pregnant
I dropped my phone Adam’s Mom picked it up and handed it to me I smiled at her I looked at Mom she mouthed “everything okay” I shook my head. I carefully got up so as not to smudge my toes and walked outside.
Me * Well karmas a bitch that bit you in the ass didn’t it.
Skye * I didn’t know who else to call
Me * Jezz you must be desperate if you ended up calling me.
Skye * I need to see a few familiar faces.
Me * go see you dad then.
Skye * I meant maybe you and Ben; I’m on my way to Lejeune.
Me * you won’t find us there we’re in Minnesota.
Skye * Tess I don’t know what to do
Me * that’s something for you and the guy to decide
Skye * he deployed 3 weeks ago to The Middle East, I actually drove past your house after he’d gone and almost stopped but there wasn’t any cars.
Me * yeah well like you we just have to get on with life. Sucks sometimes but you get what you’re given.
Skye * when will you be back, I know Ben has to be back on the Island next Tuesday to finish training and get his attachment.
Me * we’re back on Sunday but leaving for the Island Monday and stopping with Adam.
Skye * please can we meet up
Me * I don’t know look I’m about to get my nails done I need to go.
Skye * I’ll call you next week.
I hung up the phone and leaned against the wall and closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I opened the door and walked back inside.
“I take it that was Skye” Mom sighed as I put my phone in my bag and sat down for the woman to start on my nails. “Is that the first time since she dropped out of boot camp”.
“Well the first time since I ripped her apart and told her she had as much loyalty as her Mom” I shrugged. “She wants to meet me next week”
“She has the guts to do that after what she did to Nick” Aunt Dannie said I nodded.
“She was on base a few weeks ago when her new guy deployed and she was going to try to see me then but we weren’t in”.
“So is she feeling lonely” Mom sneered.
“Yep that and pregnant” Mom and Dannie looked at me “I don’t know how far along she is or anything let’s hope she doesn’t screw this up like everything else she touches”.
“Did I hear you right when you said the guy she’s with is 16 years older than her” Dawn asked I looked at her and nodded.
“Yeah he was doing something on the Island and she met him and quit boot camp for him oh and dumped Nick by mail”
“Oh nice” Dawn said shaking her head “I knew about what happened to Nick but not the rest”
“You know I think I’m going to go find an island somewhere where no one can find me; it seems like one thing after another at the moment” I sighed “I’m going for a run when we get back to the house”.
“No you’re not” Chelsea said walking out “we’re all going for lunch then an afternoon of shopping” she giggled I looked at Mom………………
……………………….We finally got back to the house 6 hours after leaving the spa the guys still weren’t back Dawn walked past my room as I was changing into my running stuff.
“You need to watch that Bridezilla doesn’t catch you” she laughed I rolled my eyes and laughed.
“You can come with me if you want”. I said sitting down to tie my running shoes.
“No I’ll pass I hear you give your Dad a hard time when you run together” she said leaning on the door frame and “I need to go to the grocery store you want anything”.
‘Yeah a big Hershey bar I think chocolate maybe the only thing to keep me sane” I smiled as Mom walked in with my I-pod.
“Found it on the kitchen table” She smiled. “Stick to the lake road it goes round in a big circle”
“I will see you guys later” I walked out onto the porch Chelsea was sitting talking with Grandma and Adams Mom and her Mom.
“You still want to run in this heat” Chelsea asked fanning herself with a magazine.
“Yeah that doesn’t bother me” I shrugged as I started to stretch.
“But you’ll get hot and sweaty and the boys are on their way home” she shrugged.
“If they don’t like it then they don’t need to come near me till I’m showered” I laughed “How far is the lake road round” I asked looking at Adam’s Mom.
“Just over 4 miles Honey” She nodded “that’s a long way” Grandma put her hand on Adams Mom’s leg and shook her head.
“No Tess and Logan run about 6 a day” she sighed “Mad I know but you try telling them”.
“Yes Grandma” I teased “See you in a while” I headed down the drive and onto the road……………
………….. When I got home everyone was on the front porch as the guys were bragging about some of the shots they’d made.
“Tess you ran without me” Dad laughed.
“Yeah well you were taking forever” I smiled as Dannie threw me a bottle of water Ben smiled at me and came over.
“Hey you” he kissed me.
“Ew Ben she’s all hot and sweaty” Chelsea groaned we both looked at her.
“Just the way he like it” I laughed making Grandpa choke on his beer “Ooops sorry I actually said that out loud didn’t I” Mom had her head in her hands laughing. “I’ll go get in the shower” I walked away turning bright red as I did I showered and slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank and went back out everyone was laughing and joking even Chelsea seemed to have chilled out but that could have something to do with the fact Toby and Dad were spiking her drink with vodka Dawn pulled into the driveway.
“Did you get the steaks” Keith called over.
“Yes, Tess can I borrow Ben to help me with the bags” She grinned walking round to the trunk of her SUV.
“As long as you don’t let him have my chocolate I don’t trust him with that” I grinned.
“Oh charming you’d trust me with your life and not your chocolate” Ben laughed as he went down to help Dawn.
“Ben she’s a woman and where chocolate is concerned none of us trust our guys with our chocolate” Dannie laughed.
Ben took the grocery bags from Dawn, Dad got up and opened the door for him to walk in Adams Dad following him to start preparing the steaks for dinner while the rest of us got talking about Tattoos.
“Come on Chelsea” Mom laughed “I know you got one in your senior year” Chelsea’s Mom and Dad looked at her in shock “Oooo I let the cat out of the bag” Chelsea giggled she was so tipsy by this point.
“It’s okay” she looked at her parents “I got a butterfly on my ribs during spring break in Panama” she giggled lifting the side of her t-shirt to show a bright blue butterfly.
“I don’t suppose we can yell” he Mom sighed “but if you’d shown me that when you got it you’d have been in trouble”
“There’s nothing you can do when they have them” Grandpa sighed “I found out about Ambers when I got back from Iraq”. Mom groaned and rolled her eyes “And she hasn’t stopped getting them since, I swear you and Logan are in competition to see who gets more”
“Okay I want to see some of this artwork” Adams Dad laughedcoming back out and lighting the grill “Amber let’s see what you have I know about the hearts on your neck” Mom stood up and pulled up the back of her t-shirt Dad leaned over to her and pulled down the top of her jeans showing the “PROPERTY OF A U.S.MARINE”
“That’s the one she got while I was away before we got married” he grinned
“Okay Logan your turn” Chelsea Mom smirked.
“I think all the Marines should show us them altogether” Chelsea laughed as Ben and Dawn walked back Ben sat down next to be on the arm of the chair.
“You need to get your shirt off Baby” I smiled “There showing their tattoos off andsince you just got yours done” Ben, Dad Toby and Adam all pulled off their shirts I swear I thought Adam’s mom was going to faint.
“Oh it’s like when we went to the ladies night at the bar last week” she giggled Mom looked at me.
“I like Bens” Ben turned round and smiled at her.
“It was my graduation present from Tess” he smirked.
“Yeah he doesn’t know if he’s going to get another one” I giggled.
“Show them yours” Dad said pulling his shirt back on.
“You let Tess get one” Chelsea’s Mom said shocked.
“Well when between me and her Mom we have 19 tattoos we can’t really say a lot” dad shrugged I looked at Adam and Toby.
“You guys haven’t seen this since I had it altered” I lifted up the back of my tank and turned round
“Oh cool” Toby sighed Adam nodded.
“It’s okay guys it actually made me tear up when I saw it” Dad laughed as Rylan pulled into the driveway I pulled back down my shirt as Dawn jumped down the steps and ran over to him as he got out of the car the stood talking between themselves before he picked her up and kissed her.
“Come on we’ve been waiting to hear from you all dad” Adam yelled Chelsea was asleep in the swing.
“You’re now looking at a Viking” Rylan laughed the cheers that went up round the porch were so loud “I got the all clear on my physical and I’m good to go”.
“Awesome” Adam laughed, “Something else to celebrate. Excuse me though while I go put her to bed, she doesn’t drink normally”.
“Yeah well at least she was human for a while” Chelsea’s Dad sighed “and she took the stick from her ass” we all started to laugh.
‘I’ll go set out the table on the deck so we can eat” Adams Mom smiled Mom and Grandma got up to help.
“ I need to go do something I won’t be long” Bens said kissing my head.
“Okay,I was going to tell you about the phone call I got today but it can wait” I pouted.
“We’ll go to the lake after dinner” he smiled before going into the house……………………………
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