The Cure - Ch. 08
by Ghostwalker
After three glorious days of making love to Gail, I'd hoped it would continue for the rest of my leave. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be. The instant Jen arrived, everything shifted from talking about a possible future for us to preparing a wedding for her and Gavin.
So each day, we spent scurrying from one shop to another, and back again until I was sure we'd visited every shop at least two or three time before heading back to the beach house. And each night, we were so tired that neither of us had any energy to do what we really wanted. More than once I heard Gail say, "I really want to, sweetheart, but I'm just too tired."
After 4 agonizing days, and 4 equally frustrating nights, I had to return to base. Gail tried to make up for everything the night before I left but fell asleep wrapped in my arms. After that, it was a game of phone tag as we went round and round trying to catch each other for even a few minutes.
I got one more weekend pass before she was due to return home. We were able to slip in 'a quickie' in the bathroom which only succeeded in leaving us even more frustrated than if we hadn't even bothered.
And then she was gone, back to the mainland with Jen. In the beginning, I got daily e-mails from her and occasionally 'candid nudes' but over time even those slowed and stopped. It wasn't until a week before Gavin was due to be released, that I received a flourish of e-mails from her, all saying basically the same thing. She was sorry for not writing but all her time had been taken up by Jen's wedding and 'personal issues'. She'd see me at the wedding, or sooner if possible.
"Yeah, sure,"
I thought.
The day that she and Jen were due to arrive came,... and went, and I didn't hear a word from her. My world felt like it was slowly crumbling in on itself. Then, the day Gavin was released, Jen showed up at the base. But Gail was still nowhere to be found.
"Hey, Jen."
"Hi, G," she said, with a smile on her face, as she threw her arms around me, giving me a hug.
"How you been?"
"Going crazy. Trying to get everything ready for the wedding and..." she faltered. "And some other stuff."
I didn't ask about Gail, afraid of what she would say. Typical of most men in my position, I imagined her living a care-free life or worse yet in the arms of another guy. "Well, I'm glad to see you. And I'm sure Gavin will be even happier."
"I hope so," she blushed. "You're coming to the rehearsal dinner tonight, right?"
"Of course. Where else would the Best Man be?"
"See you then," she waved as she turned back towards the Base HQ.
I was still watching her when I saw Gavin exit the building. He carried himself like someone who'd spent 90 years in prison rather than 90 days in the stockade. The glimmer in his eye was gone, replaced by a dull, lifeless stare.
"Sweetheart!" Jen called as she ran towards him.
The twinkle returned to his eye briefly as he wrapped her in his arms and buried his head in her shoulder.
I walked back to the barracks figuring that the two of them needed some time alone. I was still sitting there when he entered a little while later. He saw me and cocked his head for me to follow. We walked leisurely to the obstacle course and found a place to sit where we couldn't be overheard.
"I'm done, bro."
"What do you mean?"
"Through, kaput, finished. My time in the military is over."
"I thought you and the Skipper worked everything out!"
"I thought so too, but it turns out those two armchair warriors from Regional filed reports even after they said they were gonna leave everything up to the Skipper. They recommended I be charged with desertion instead of AWOL. So, right now, my options are to leave the service with a 'Less than Honorable' discharge or try to plod my way through. The problem with that is this stupid mistake will always be on my record so my chances of a decent assignment or a promotion in the future are somewhere between zero and none."
"So what are you gonna do?"
"I'm not sure. The one thing I do know is I need to talk to Jen and explain everything before the wedding. I want her to know how hard this might be whichever way we decide to handle it."
"At least you're not considering backing out of the wedding."
"I love her too much to do that," he said and then halted before continuing, "But I also love her too much to hide this from her. So I'm gonna give her the chance to bail out."
We sat there, each lost in our own thoughts until I noticed how late it was getting.
"Come on, bro. Time to get you ready for the rehearsal."
"At least I'll be able to wear my dress uniform for the ceremony tomorrow," he quipped.
Forty-five minutes later we stood at the altar, waiting for Jen and her Bride's Maids to enter. That was when I saw 'her'. Gail stood at Jen's arm escorting her up the aisle. For those that didn't know them well, they could have easily confused them as sisters rather than step-mother and daughter since Gail was only 9 years older than Jen.
Gail looked absolutely gorgeous! Her 'bob' cut had grown a bit but was swept back over her ears, revealing a set of pearl, dangle earrings and her grey-green eyes seemed to sparkle the instant she saw me. She wasn't wearing any make-up except a modest pink lip gloss that made me want to run down the aisle and kiss her even after everything that had happened.
She was dressed simply, yet elegantly, in a loose-fitting, white silk blouse, a knee-length blue skirt, and a pair of white wedge-style sandals. The only thing that seemed slightly out of place was the pearl necklace that wrapped around her neck twice before disappearing into her cleavage.
For the briefest of moments, I wondered if the necklace had hoops on the end that were wrapped around her nipples. Then real-time surged back in.
Jen and Gail walked up the aisle together and I got the second surprise of the evening. Gail was also Jen's Matron-of-Honor which meant she was my 'date' for the event.
The rehearsal went off with just a few minor mistakes, after which we all headed to the hall where the reception would take place the next night. As was expected, Gail sat next to me.
I was polite but withdrawn as we ate prime rib, small 'Irish' potatoes, and a salad with a house dressing. We talked in generalities until the meal was over, That's when she leaned over and whispered, "You're eyebrow's raised."
Reflexively, my hand moved up to hide the 'tell'.
"What's wrong? You've seemed distant all night."
"Hmmmmm, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you started 'ghosting' me almost a month ago," I snarled, softly.
"Didn't Jen tell you?"
"Tell me what? That you're too busy planning this wedding and 'personal stuff' to be able to call once in awhile? Yeah, she told me."
Her smile faded, replaced by look of pain.
"Can we find someplace to talk? Someplace private."
"I don't think so. It's our job to make sure everything works out tonight for Gavin and Jen."
She sat quietly, looking down at her lap before she stood up and extended her hand. "Will you at least dance with me?"
I realized I didn't have much of a choice so I stood and walked to the dance floor with her. A slow, romantic tone replaced the blaring dance music that had been on and I tried to pull away.
"Na-ah. You said you'd dance with me," she said, quietly.
I took her in my arms, trying to keep some distance between us, as we moved around the floor.
She laid her head on my shoulder and whispered, "Notice anything different about me?"
I hadn't noticed anything when I'd seen her at the rehearsal but now that she was in my arms she felt larger, 'fuller', I think is the politically correct term, but what guy in his right mind is gonna tell the woman in his arms that? So I lied.
"Not really."
"Hmmmm... so you didn't notice that my breasts are a bit bigger... or that the clothes I'm wearing are a bit looser around the stomach?"
"Not..." And then the light bulb lit up in my head. I looked down at her. A tear was forming in the corner of her eye. "Did I... I mean... are you... we...?" I stuttered.
"Yes, You did which means I am and we are. And in case that doesn't answer your questions... I'm pregnant."
"I don't understand! How? When?"
"If I have to explain that to you then you're not the man I thought you were," she teased, light-heartedly.
The rest of the people in the room probably thought we were nuts as I wrapped her in my arms, lifted her off her feet, and spun her around and around in circles as my lips met hers. "
The 'personal stuff' that Jen had told me about... she's pregnant! The woman of my dreams was pregnant with OUR baby!!"
Gail laughed almost hysterically as she pleaded with me. "Put me down, you idiot! People are gonna thing you're crazy!"
"I don't care! Right now, I'm the happiest guy in the world!" I said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Shhhhhhhh," she whispered into my ear. "People are staring at us."
Realizing what I'd just done, I glanced around the room, my eyes settling on Gavin. He returned my look disapprovingly until Jen leaned over and whispered in his ear. His face suddenly turned to one of surprise, shock, and happiness. He nodded his head as he smiled at us.
"Now, can we go someplace and talk?" Gail asked, softly, as she took my hand and led me away.
