Page 8 of Salvaging My Heart
After action reviews normally bored Leif, but this one… he wasn’t sure why this one seemed different besides doing it virtually. As Commander Palway made noises about being done, Leif looked at the time. How had two hours passed so quickly?
“Chief Hansen, if you can stay on for a minute?” Commander Palway asked.
“Not a problem, Commander. I don’t have to get Nick for another two hours,” Leif responded. “See all you when you get back stateside.”
“We’ll be back by the beginning of November, Chief. I’ve got your gear stored for shipment. Grabbed your belongs and put them in with mine,” Fuzzy told Leif. “You take care of your family. We’ve got this. The Seebees are under control.”
“Didn’t have any doubts you’d kept things moving forward, Fuzzy. Thanks.” Leif watched at the men left the conference room, leaving his commander alone. “What can I do for you, Commander?”
“Got an email regarding staffing the other day—” Shit, had he forgotten to do an eval?
“Sir, I apologize for—” Leif snapped his mouth shut as the commander talked over him.
“What are you apologizing for? Forgetting that you were up for reassignment? That’s on me,” Palway interrupted. “Now, here’s the big question, are you retiring? Am I requesting an extension to your posting? Or are we putting out feelers for your next assignment?”
Leif blew out a breath. Nothing like the big questions. “Umm…” He honestly didn’t know the answer. “I’m not sure, sir.”
“Let me guess, being back reminded you of all you’ve missed,” the commander suggested.
“Got it in one, sir. Must be why you’re in charge,” he teased, glad that he had the rapport with his commander.
“You’ve seemed a bit… lost? No, that’s not the right word. Unsettled?” Palway paused and nodded his head. “That’s the word. Unsettled. Doing your job but not completely happy. Not that you haven’t been giving your all, just that something seemed to be missing.”
How much should he share with his commander? Leif wasn’t sure but started talking anyway. “I’ve been in twenty and other than a good personnel record, what do I have to show for it? My nephew knows me because of videoconferencing. This is the longest that I’ve been around him since he was born. My sister was shocked when I walked into her hospital room. My mom cried.”
“So you’re retiring?” the commander asked.
“And do what? I’m a diver, sir. I know how to calculate a bottom time. How to control a deck. How to repair a berth or salvage a ship. All good skills in the Navy but not so much in the civilian world.” Maybe he’d given retirement more thought that he realized.
“Your family is near Groton, right?” Leif wasn’t sure where Palway was going with that question but nodded. “Let me reach out to a few people and see what I can do. What do you think about teaching?”
Teaching? Wasn’t something he’d thought about but maybe?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Okay, Friday. He had this. Leif stood barefoot at the counter in his PT shorts, watching the coffee machine drip the liquid life into the pot. Almost enough to pour a cup. Nick would be up soon and then after he got him to school, it was time to figure out how to make Kim comfortable downstairs until her cast came off or she killed someone. Easy as pie.
Pie. Just the thought brought a smile to his face. The date the other night with Aaron had to have been the sweetest and most innocent time he’d spent with another man since puberty. It wasn’t like he was picking up a stranger. Leif had the feeling that if he fucked it up with Aaron, Nick would never speak to him again. He wasn’t sure how much Nick understood about Leif being gay. He was sure that there wasn’t any issue with that as Kim and his mom wouldn’t allow that in their houses. Leif definitely didn’t want to be the one to have “the talk” with his nephew. Of course, if he ended up drafted by Kim he would but still…
A loud bang from outside had Leif turning toward the front and frowning. Giving the coffee machine a forlorn glance, he went to the door and looked out the window. Seeing the big truck coming down the street had him saying enough words that he owed the swear jar his next dive pay. Garbage day. Moving like his ass was on fire, Leif stepped into his boots — he was going to the store for sneakers after dropping Nick off, damn it — and ran out the door and around to the shed to grab the trash can.
Pulling the can to the curb, Leif shivered. Definitely not Virginia today. He could feel the goosebumps on his goosebumps. New England in October was cooler than he remembered.
“Hey Aaron, get a look at the eye-candy for you,” Ben called out the window. Yup, it was Aaron’s day to haul the cans and dump them into the truck. Normally, they swapped every other day but Ben had ended up with a hairline fracture the other day which trumped Aaron’s bruised ribs so he was behind the wheel until he got cleared.
“What?” Aaron called back as he put the can back onto the curb. He looked around to the driver’s window as he pulled the lever to compact the trash.
“Take a look at the guy in front of two-twenty. Not my type, too many muscles, not enough boob. Should be just your type,” Ben answered. What was he talking about? Aaron moved to the other side of the truck as Ben moved it forward to the next cans.
Holy hell! Nice abs, man. Aaron tried not to be too obvious as he checked out the man wearing only shorts as he pulled what looked to be a full can to the curb. Wait, the man looked familiar. Granted, they were a driveway away, but it looked like Leif.
The man turned to head back into the house and looked down the street, meeting Aaron’s gaze. It was Leif. Aaron waved and he could see the moment that Leif recognized that it was him. His shoulders straightened and he turned back to the street, waiting.
Well, he’d told Leif that he was a garbage man. Let’s see how he deals with it up close and personal. Aaron slapped the side of the truck, letting Ben know that it was safe to move forward.
“Morning,” Aaron called out as he walked behind the truck.
“I thought that was you,” Leif said back. “Didn’t think I’d see you before tomorrow’s game.”
