Out of Time: A Military Romance Read online

  The answer was far simpler than he could have imagined. It was Asha. All his life he'd been waiting on a love like theirs. Everything he did, every action he made—all of it led him to the Christmas Eve where he met his little church girl who liked to suck on butterscotch candies. And he'd cut out his own heart to keep her. So why couldn't he step down and honor her one request?

  "You miss me?" she asked. She stared into his eyes.

  "I did," he said. “Let me show you.”

  She cupped his face. "I want a family, Ice. I want babies."

  "We can't make one if you don't give me any," he smirked.

  She smiled. "You know what I mean. I want babies that we raise together."

  "I know what you want, Asha. I want the same thing. I promise."

  "But—?"

  "Soon, I promise," he said.

  "Okay Ice," she agreed.

  He looked down at her breasts. They were prettier each time he saw her. "I missed you so much, baby," he said for the hundredth time. “Gee Whiz, it’s Christmas” played out of the television. He'd never heard it until he met Asha. It was one of her favorite songs. She smiled. He pulled her by the thighs so half of her butt cheeks remained on the edge of the couch. Her legs parted, with her feet flat on the floor. He remained kneeling between them with her thighs on either side of his. Ice fisted his cock and aimed it at her entrance and slowly entered her warmth and tightness. Asha leaned back on her arms and pushed her hips forward to further his glide into her. She dropped her head back and her dark berry nipples peaked. Ice licked his lips, tasting traces of her sexual juices on them. The heat from her pussy was so moist, so welcoming, it demanded that he stroke forward until he was balls deep. He ran his hand over her flat tummy to her breast and squeezed. He dragged down a long breath to maintain control. Ice started fucking before he began loving her. And she reached one hand to grip his shoulder while balancing her weight on her elbow to fuck him back. Her inner walls clamped hard around his muscle. A constant release, clasp, and release again.

  "Does that feel good?" he asked.

  "Mmm, yes, yes."

  "What about this?" he asked and pumped with hard thrusts as he pressed his thumb to her clitoris and wiggled it.

  "Yes! That feels good, Ice. Oh God, yes! Please, yes! More!"

  The phone rang.

  Ice froze. Asha put her arms over her breasts as if she had been caught doing something obscene. "Who is it?"

  He groaned, knowing full well what a call at that time of night could mean. She would too if he hadn't lied to her and said that he'd been released from duty this holiday. He pulled out of her. She scooted back on the sofa. The phone kept ringing.

  "Ice? No. You promised me. It's our anniversary. It's our time."

  He got up from his kneeling position and went to the phone.

  3.

  Asha waited. She chewed on her thumbnail and listened. Her heart sank with every grunted response from her husband. And then it was confirmed. He had that look in his eye. That wild excitement she dreaded.

  "Gotta go, baby." He grabbed his things and started suiting up. "A fishing vessel in distress. We’re talking over two hundred miles at sea. They've already sent out the C-130 ahead of my crew."

  "Let another crew go." She stood. He was dressed, with his keys and backpack, headed for the door in seconds.

  "They need me, over 50 people. Love you!"

  "Ice!" she yelled after him, but he was running for his truck. The cold winter rain blew in over her and she slammed the door. She shivered. Naked. He promised her Christmas. It was the one holiday that meant the most. And she'd already missed last year with him.

  Then it dawned on her.

  If he had signed those papers and accepted his promotion, he wouldn't have gotten that call. Ice lied to her. Asha went to the sofa and wrapped the afghan blanket around her nudity. “Lonely at Christmas” played from the television. She wanted to throw something through it. She put her face in her hands. She couldn't cry or feel sorry for herself. So after a few minutes she grabbed the remote and flipped to another station. The weatherman was in the middle of his news update.

  The coastal storm we're tracking has the potential to disrupt holiday travel up and down the East coast this week. Our pinpoint weather team coverage continues live now with eyewitness news reporter Dennis Perry. The screen switched from the news desk to a reporter out in the storm. The sleet and stormy rain were brutal and the reporter fought to be heard over the gusts of wind. A surprise freak storm that was expected to blow over had received a surge. And it was strengthening. Shannon and Mike, this is bad. If you are thinking of leaving out of Port Smith tomorrow, cancel those plans. The roads are out. Fishing boats are being called in. The weather is predicted to worsen. Emergency responders are securing homes as the tide comes in, and flooding has been reported...

  Asha turned off the television. To listen any further would send her into distress. They were supposed to leave tomorrow. Now it looked like they would spend Christmas in Maine. She got up from the sofa and went to his bedroom. She dropped the blanket. She chose his robe because it was thicker and warmer than hers. She was disappointed but not totally. As long she had Christmas with him she could deal. She just wanted him to be safe. She said a silent prayer that he would be.

  Chapter Two

  Past - 11:55 P.M. December 23, 2012

  USCG Auxiliary IN-71 - Outpost

  Ice lived about a five-minute bike ride from the outpost. He'd had barely put his truck into park before he was out of it and running toward his crew with his gear. The Jayhawk helicopter, an orange and white bird that resembled the Black Hawk choppers he flew in combat, waited for him, along with his flight mechanic, copilot, and an expert swimmer by the name of Thatch. He put on his helmet equipped with night goggles and marched straight for his men.

  "Aye, we could have handled this one without you, Ice!" Thatch, his best friend and one of the most respected swimmers in the District, chuckled.

  "Not a fucking chance. You see that storm? That's my storm brother," Ice yelled back over the howling wind. He climbed inside. His crew got in with him. Thatch took the left wing.

  "Semper paratus!" Thatch yelled, which meant always ready in the USCG.

  Ice strapped in and so did his co-pilot Nicholas. They lifted off the ground before he could confirm his flight mechanic and swimmer to the back were secure. The wind gusts tried to drag the bird east but he hovered and rose without issue.

  "C-130 will probably beat us to the scene, so hopefully they will have some good information for us before we get there," Mike, his flight mechanic, said.

  "Roger," Ice said. "Indigo Nancy Seven-One, Indigo Nancy Seven-One, this is Echo Golf Niner-Three. We are en route, rendezvous at 51 degrees 37.0N, 001 degrees 49.5W. Read back for check. Over."

  "Roger, C130 is on scene, reporting multiple people in the water and on rafts. Visibility for rescue limited due to 50-foot surges. Two cutters en route, over."

  "Roger that, over," Ice said.

  "Holy fuck. This is going to be a nasty one," Thatch said.

  Ice nodded in agreement. His copilot was manning the scans for the sinking vessel. Thatch moved over closer. "Did Asha make it here ahead of the storm?"

  "Yeah, she did. She's pissed right now. I got her something sweet for our anniversary, so it'll be all good between us today."

  Thatch chuckled. "You haven't told her yet?"

  Ice glanced over. "Why the fuck do I need an appointment? A fucking desk job. I got a desk job. It's not like I'm at sea every other day. I spend more time doing administrative work than I do flying."

  "She's talking about the personal time, brother," Thatch said. Mike looked up. They all knew the sacrifice. Ice was the only one that pretended there should be none. "You get a better rotation, you can be a family man. That's what wives want. Family."

  "I'll talk to my wife. Make her understand. This is the rotation, for the both of us. I'm going to give her what she needs, fuck what
she wants."

  "So next year you're going to re-enlist. You need to be honest about that too, Ice. Take it from someone who knows." Thatch warned.

  "Shut up lieutenant. That's an order."

  Thatch smiled. "Roger that!"

  4.

  Asha sat on the sofa sucking another butterscotch candy. She glanced down to the floor, where her panties and jeans were. She had barely enough time to love on her man before he disappeared like a puff of smoke. She told herself it didn't matter. But deep in her heart she knew it did. Asha wanted to be selfish. After all, it had been four years since they married. He'd already served two tours in Iraq and had been in the USCG for six years. He would be thirty next year.

  She got up and went for the phone. She knew it was late but her sister was always up. Asha was the sixth child of eight, Amy was the seventh. She dialed her and sat back on the sofa, staring at the television, barely watching.

  "What are you doing up, Asha?" Amy asked between deep yawns.

  "Ice. He's out, and I'm bored," she sighed.

  "Everything okay? Isn't there a storm up there with you guys?"

  "Yeah, I guess. Oh shoot, I don't know. I don't want to think about what he does when he goes out there."

  Amy laughed. "Are you serious? Ice is invincible. And you should be used to this by now."

  "No one is invincible," she sighed. "And no one is as stubborn as him. I don't think he's going to take this appointment, Amy. I think he wants to re-enlist. He won't even be honest about it. Every time I ask he kisses me or changes the subject."

  Her sister went quiet. She talked to her often about her fears, the ones she didn't worry Ice with and couldn't share with her parents. She talked and talked, to the point she hated to hear her own voice on the subject.

  "You two had a deal. He won't break it," Amy said.

  "I can't force him into that. I don't think it's fair," Asha said.

  "Then what is the alternative?"

  "I want to leave New York. Move to Maine. I got some job leads in Providence. That's only forty-five miles from Port Smith."

  "Huh? Whoa, wait a second. But you're almost done with school. You’ve got so many offers."

  "I'm not interested in working for some big law firm. I want to get into civil law. I can do that here."

  "In Providence? Girl, stop!"

  "I can do it. I think I'm going to tell him tonight, or in the morning. Yeah, I've decided. I'm going to sacrifice. I really want a baby. I can't have our kid by myself in New York. I need to be close to Ice. This is the best idea."

  "Asha? Talk to Mom about this first."

  "I'm grown. He's my husband. He should come first. If he wants to re-enlist then I need to support him. I'm going to tell him when he comes back. If being a pilot is who he is, then being a pilot’s wife is who I am."

  "You sure?"

  "I'm sure," Asha smiled. "Now tell me what Mama's cooking."

  5.

  The ocean waves stretched taller than an office building. They rolled over the sinking boat that burned and crumbled into the sea. The good news was most of the crewmen had made it to the raft. The bad news was they could spot two who were adrift and going under fast.

  "We got two in the water that I can see, Ice. I repeat, two survivors," said Mike.

  "Thatch? What do you think?" Ice called back. The frigid rain was relentless and the storm seemed to be growing stronger. Ice and Thatch were the most fearless on the crew, and both men were always first to take the biggest risks.

  "I'm going in," Thatch said without hesitation. The flight mechanic was up to handle the operation. He would provide all the maneuvers to the pilot. From Ice’s position in the cockpit he could not see the rescue. His job was to keep the bird in the air and bring in his men and the survivors.

  "We need to get lower!" Mike said.

  "Fuck!" he heard his young co-pilot Nick mumble. The rain blew in through the open door, and so did the frosty chill. The survivors would not last long in these conditions.

  "Where are my cutters?" Ice asked command.

  "EG93, cutters en route. Twenty minutes," command reported. Ice hovered. The constant whirl and whip of the Jayhawk blades forced the water to brush smoothly over the surface of the sea. Thatch made a clean drop, or so Ice suspected. He glanced back and Mike gave him the thumbs up. The rescue basket went out after him. The wait was no longer than 30 seconds for Thatch to surface.

  "Survivor found," Mike reported. "Survivor in the basket. First survivor on his way up. Thatch is going for the next."

  'Altitude! Altitude! Altitude!' The internal monitors on the Jayhawk beeped. Ice checked the readings.

  "Altitude check, slipping to 30 feet," Nick the co-pilot warned him. They needed to pull up. But Ice would not. Not with his best friend in the water. Fuck that. Ice kept the bird steady. It was then he saw an even larger swell coming straight at them.

  "Survivor at the door," Mike, the flight mechanic, announced. "Survivor inside... basket disconnected... preserver out the door for next survivor... It's on its way down."

  Ice lifted the Jayhawk a few feet and then lowered back in.

  "Okay, halfway... it's down," Mike reported. "Hold," he instructed. "Easy. Back. Back ten. Easy left. Another five," he instructed Ice. "We're right over them. Survivor located."

  A larger swell of the raging sea swiped up and licked the nose of the Jayhawk. Ice responded in time. At his low altitude it could have sent him into a spin. He pulled up. The sea washed over Thatch and the survivor. The others on the rafts were watching, fearing the men were dead. But Lt. Bernard Henry Thatch was a tough motherfucker. He surfaced with the man in his arms.

  "I got a visual! He's up! Survivor with him," Mike reported.

  "We have a cutter, sir; they are moving in to get the survivors from the raft," Nick, his co-pilot, reported.

  "Let's get our boy and get the fuck out of this storm," Ice said.

  "Roger that!" Mike said.

  Down below in the rolling waves of the sea Thatch grabbed the preserver. He put the man in it and then looped it around himself.

  "We have the load, sir. Load at twenty. Load at ten. He is at the door. We have them both!" Mike reported.

  "I'm going to start transitioning forward," Ice said.

  "Dan! Dan's still out there!" the survivor said as he shivered after being wrapped in a foil thermal blanket. Thatch was inside. Ice looked back at the two men.

  "There's another man in the water?" Thatch asked.

  "Dan! My brother. Please! He's out there. We were just separated when you came. He's out there."

  Ice began to circle the raging waves. He and his co-pilot had to rely on their night vision goggles to visually sweep the water.

  "I think I see him, sir. There! Floating on his back! To the right," Nick reported.

  Ice maneuvered. The ocean swallowed the man but coughed him up. They could not tell if he was alive or unconscious. The roll of the waves was a relentless drag and toss.

  "We should turn back, sir. Let the cutter pick him up," Nick advised.

  "Thatch, how’re you feeling brother?" Ice asked.

  "Not sure on this one, man. It’s nasty out there, Ice. The surges are quick."

  "You can do it, brother. I'll get you low enough. Just one more."

  "I think we should turn back, Ice," Mike, the flight mechanic, spoke up. "Get these men medical attention."

  "One more! We got a visual. We could lose him. Let's do it," Ice said. His crew was hesitant. A good Lt. Commander would listen to the crew. Make it a democracy. But Ice knew his men. He knew what they were capable of. They would not leave a person to die.

  "I can do it," Thatch finally agreed.

  Ice smiled and radioed the cutter. "3-6-3-0-1."

  "Go," came the response.

  "We are transitioning forward. Another survivor located in the water, over," said Ice.

  "Roger."

  Ice worked against the wind and sea to get Thatch in position. And this tim
e, with the deep valleys and high swells, he would have to go lower for the drop. Thatch gave the thumbs-up and dropped in. Ice quickly pulled up and avoided another collision with the reaching tide.

  He could hear the soft panting of his young co-pilot. Fresh out of training, this was his first rescue for the junior grade Lieutenant. A good way to pop his cherry.

  "Left five..." Mike instructed, "Swimmers away...” he said in referencing Thatch. “Swimmer is going out at your four o-clock..."

  "Roger," Ice said.

  "Basket is going out of the cabin door..." said Mike.

  'Altitude! Altitude! Altitude!' The internal monitors on the Jayhawk beeped.

  "Sir! We are at 20 feet, sir," the co-pilot Nick warned.

  "I got it!" Ice said. He went up but the wind caught him from the left side and the ascent was a drag. The swell slammed against the nose of the Jayhawk. They were all startled by the force of the hit. The helicopter responded with a nose dive and then went into a spin.

  'Altitude! Altitude! Altitude!'

  Ice worked the controls but another swell hit the helicopter and within minutes he saw them going down into the ocean...

  6.

  There was a knock at the door. Asha stretched on the sofa. She blinked. There was an infomercial on the television. She looked around. Ice hadn't come home. The knock on the door came again. This time it was much harder than the first. She tightened her robe and went to the door

  "Morning, Asha."

  "Hi Chris, come in, Ice isn't..."

  "There's been an accident."