Page 65 of Welcome to Forever
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Micah pointed a finger at Ben as he reached for Aunt Clara’s doorknob.
“I know, Dad. Listen to Aunt Clara and Uncle Rick. In bed by nine-thirty.” Ben looked at Clara with a small smile that Micah wasn’t supposed to be able to interpret. Yeah, he remembered being a boy at Aunt Clara’s house. She’d always let him stay up at least an hour later than he was supposed to. And she’d never made him eat his dessert after dinner—he got to have it first.
Micah pointed a finger at his aunt, whose eyes widened a little. “You. Thank you.”
Her expression softened. “Anything for my favorite nephew. Stay out late. All night. I’ve got Ben until tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Yay!” Ben squealed from the kitchen table where he was supposed to be doing his homework. Micah knew the pen would stop moving as soon as he closed the door, though.
He nodded, slipping on his dark navy jacket. It was adorned with golden medals that he’d earned during his three tours in the desert. “How do I look?”
Uncle Rick entered the room as he posed the question. Pulling off his John Deere ball cap, his uncle nodded. “You look like a man who’s been wrapped so tightly around a woman’s finger, you can’t hardly see straight.” He chuckled under his breath, eyeing his wife. “I know this from experience.” He pointed at his glasses. “I haven’t seen straight since her.”
Clara tsked. Then she shooed Micah out the door. “You look great. Just remember what I told you.”
Micah nodded, even though he didn’t need his aunt’s advice in the dating arena. “Yes, ma’am.” Glancing at Ben, he said, “ ’Bye, son.” Shutting the door behind him, he headed toward the Jeep. Kat should be ready by now. He didn’t want to keep her waiting too long. But if she wasn’t ready, he didn’t mind. Tonight was about her, not him. Kat deserved to be treated right. What had Aunt Clara said? Treat her like one of his roses? Not that he planned on watering her, but he understood what Clara meant. Handle Kat with care. Admire her.
Micah smiled to himself. He’d always liked the idea of having family nearby. Being a military brat, he and his parents had moved throughout his childhood. He’d never gotten to know his cousins. Not really. And he’d never had a friend long enough to want to buy a school yearbook.
He sat behind the wheel and drove the short distance to Kat’s home. He noticed two other cars as he pulled into her driveway, recognizing one as Val’s. She always parked next to Kat in the school parking lot. He guessed the other car belonged to Kat’s sister, Julie.
Great.There would be three females greeting him when he rang that doorbell. He sucked in a deep breath, reminding himself that the night was about Kat. That was his mantra. If she was happy, the date would be good. But Kat deserved better than good. Going to a military event wouldn’t be easy for her, and agreeing to be his date was above and beyond her principal duties. At this point, if she had backed out of going to the ball, he’d still be helping with the after-school program. He liked the kids and it was something he wanted to continue doing after he was out of the Marine Corps.
He pulled on the collar of his dress blues jacket, making sure it was in place, then pressed the doorbell, hearing a scurry of female commotion inside.
The night is about Kat. About Kat. About—
She opened the door and his mind went blank. She was all he could see. All he could think about. Yeah. He definitely wouldn’t have a problem following his aunt’s advice. The night was definitely all about Katherine Chandler.
“You, um…” Words stuck in his throat. Julie and Val were staring at him. That didn’t make this easier. “You ready?” he asked again, getting his thoughts out this time. All three ladies nodded, which brought a smile to his face. He was only taking the one. His gaze moved back to Kat. Whatever her female posse had done tonight, they’d somehow improved upon perfection.
She stepped forward and turned as Val stuffed a glittery clutch bag in her hand. “Have fun.A lotof fun.”
Emphasis on “a lot.” Micah reached for Kat’s hand. Yeah. He was going to take his aunt Clara’s advice on revolving the night around Kat. He couldn’t divide his attention at this moment if he tried.
“You look amazing,” he said as he helped her get into the Jeep.
She pulled her dress safely inside, then looked up. “Thank you. But it’s not me. It’s Julie’s and Val’s handiwork.”
“It’s you,” he said, closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. As they drove, he listened to Kat’s nervous chatter about her sister’s and friend’s efforts to get her ready for the ball.
“I’ve never been good at dressing up,” she said. “I skipped my high school prom.”
“Yeah?” He glanced over. “Why is that?”
She shrugged. “No guy. No dress.”
“I find it hard to believe you couldn’t find a guy to be your date.”
She laughed. “I didn’t say that. I just couldn’t find one that I wanted to spend an entire night with.”
They entered Camp Leon and the conversation suddenly lulled.
“You all right?” he asked, wondering for the millionth time if this was a bad idea. Yes, he’d needed a date for tonight, but asking Kat to be here with him was asking a lot. His gaze went to her hands, wringing absently in her lap.
She looked over and nodded unconvincingly. “Yes.”
