Page 117 of Forever Fascinating

That was a good sign at least.

A man didn’t run without his wallet, watch, and shoes…

Dragging in a shaky breath, she poured two cups of coffee and opened the microwave to remove the pumpkin bread she’d made for him. She had the loaf cut into little slices with cream cheese frosting spread along the top. She put a slice on a saucer, grabbed a fork, and set it down on the table as he took a seat. Returning to the counter to grab her cup, she heard his quiet ‘Thank you’…

Pulling out a chair opposite of him, she sat down and took a deep breath.

“Talk to me.”

“I’m coming up for orders,” he said quietly, and her breath escaped her as she realized that was not what she was expecting in the slightest. “And it affects us.”

… But that was,she flinched.

“You have a lovely little home, Jana,” he said evenly. “You seem so happy here, and you’ve made everything so personal. I saw the little painted stencils on the kitchen cabinets and your herbs in the garden window. The welcome sign on the door and little pumpkins on the stairs to the deck, all make it so inviting…”

“I wanted you to feel like this was your home, too,” she whispered thickly, not looking up from her hands clenching the stoneware mug he’d sent her long ago.

“That’s the problem,” he started. “Youhave a home here.”

“I’ve always had…”

“And…” he interrupted firmly, causing her to look up and meet his eyes. “The orders that are coming for me to select from are Ghazni again, three billets for Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, five billets for Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, and… there is one billet for Hanscom Air Force base, here, in Massachusetts.”

“Hanscom? There’s an order for Hanscom, here, in this state?”

“It’s almost fifty to sixty miles away,” he warned grimly. “Traffic maps show it could take almost two hours to get there sometimes… and I cannot be late for work.”

Matthew took a deep breath, reaching across the table to take her hand, hoping he didn’t feel how bad she was shaking in relief right now.

She had thought he was going to leave her, request a divorce, or jump at the chance to keep things like they were… but instead, he was reaching out to her to discuss a future for the two of them.

Together.

“Barksdale is about two hours from your brother, so that was an option too, Jana. We could visit Jace in Texas if we were stationed there… but you have the house here, so I don’t know what to do with that or if you could even sell real estate in Louisiana.”

He frowned again, looking away from her, as his thumb rubbed her knuckles distractedly.

“Either choice, my pay is cut significantly because I lose my hazardous duty pay and there’s a huge waiting list for base housing. We’d need a second car, because of the commute… if I can even do that long of a drive. I mean, it could end up being two hours there and two hours back, but if I had a twelve-hour shift? I couldn’t do sixteen hours away from home only to turn around again the next morning. I wouldn’t be in any condition to fly.”

He let out a ragged breath, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand and staring, looking up at the ceiling, as if he was thinking aloud.

“I don’t even know how base housing works if we own property elsewhere, you know? Technically my name isn’t on the papers, but if someone found out – it could be considered using the system and…” he looked at her, his eyes pained. “There’s no guarantee I will even get the Hanscom billet. If someone chooses it before me? I’m up a creek.”

She nodded silently.

“I understand…” she finally said aloud, not sure what he was asking yet, but he kept mentioning housing, talking about pay, and getting a second car, so he was planning for a future somehow with her.

“The government would move us, once base housing opened up, wherever we went… or we could keep you here, in your home, in your normal life, and just do visits between us again,” he said gently, his voice softening.

“I guess what I need to know is what order you would prefer I select, because I really need you in my life and I’m scared, darling,” Matthew uttered, his voice full of need, as if he was just as concerned as she had been.

Smiling tearfully, she nodded at him again.

“I’m in, remember?” she told him, again, just like she’d said repeatedly to him since they’d met… and finally saw a smile touch his lips. “Hanscom would be best, of course, and we would figure out how to handle things with the commute. We could rent this place or sell it… turns out I know a fairly-good realtor,” she teased tearfully.

“I wouldn’t want to force you to sell your home,” he interrupted, looking guilty and full of regret.

“My home is withyou… and we can figure out this adventure together,” she whispered tenderly. “Hanscom, then Barksdale, third choice would be Keesler… and Ghazni would be my last choice for you. I want you home, stateside, so I can at least see you.”

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