Matt's Family. Lynnette Kent

Jenny and me went with Daddy and Sarah to go to the mountains. We rode forever. Jenny fell asleep. I brought lots of books to read. Daddy and Sarah played some of my tapes and we sang songs. Sarah sings pretty good. Daddy doesnt but he makes up funny words for the songs.

      Jenny woke up for supper. We had pizza.

      It was almost dark when we got here so I dont know what mountains look like. Its cold and smells like trees. We have a little house like where Sarah lived before she married Daddy. A kondimium. Me and Jenny have a bedroom with two beds. She cried at bedtime coz Mommys not here.

      I didnt cry. I know this is just vakashun. We will get to go home. Mommy sent us off with Luke and Sarah so she an Daddy Matt could go away all alone. I keep tellin Jenny we have to get used to things this way. My frend Trina never sees her dad much. At least we can see Daddy sumtimes. An we have Mommy all the time.

      Only Mommy isnt happy now. She doesnt laugh much. Maybe she will be happy when she gets back from her trip.

      Im tired of writin. My eyes hurt. By.

      Your friend

      Erin Elena Brennan

      “READY, KRIS?” Matt called up the stairs Wednesday morning.

      “Almost. I have a few more things to pack.” Kristin waited with her eyes closed, praying Matt wouldn’t come to find her sitting on their bed, paralyzed with fear. She breathed a sigh of relief when his footsteps receded toward the family room.

      Vacation. Who knew the word could be so terrifying? The prospect of ten days alone with her husband should have been the fulfillment of a dream. Instead, she wasn’t sure she’d even survive the next hour. Her heart kept threatening to jump out of her chest.

      She drew another deep breath and stood up. This trip would happen whether she was ready or not. Best to be ready. A few more shirts, a couple of pairs of jeans, a sweater…oh, and her makeup bag, in the bathroom.

      Kristin fetched the bag, but stopped on the threshold of the bedroom. The pouch was too light. Turning back, she set the bag down on the counter and checked the contents. What had she missed?

      Oops. Birth control supplies. This was the first time she and Matt had ever been completely alone. Chances were good they’d be spending time together in bed.

      She smiled a little as she took the small pouch out of the drawer and added it to the bag. Thinking about making love with Matt eased her butterflies. Things worked between them, then. His smooth shoulders under her palms and his mouth taking hers…Kristin had no problem anticipating those hours in the dark.

      But she had a real problem figuring out what to do with the rest of their day. Talk? About what? Battlefields? War? It was, after all, Matt’s job.

      She recalled her mother’s advice—talk him into changing careers. Even if she could bring herself to ask for that sacrifice, she doubted Matt would agree. He’d worked long and hard to get assigned to a Special Forces unit. Instead, maybe they’d discuss when he would go back to regular duty, volunteering for the chance to get himself killed. Or just locked up in a foreign jail for five years, like last time…

      “Kris? Kris!”

      She jumped and whirled to see Matt standing in the doorway to the bathroom. “I’m sorry. Did you want me?”

      He grinned and gave her a sexy wink. “Well, yeah…but I’ll wait. Erin’s on the phone.” He held out the receiver.

      “Oh!” Kristin put the handset to her ear. “Erin, love? How are you?”

      “Good. Mommy, I got some moccasins!”

      “Wow! Are they comfortable?”

      “Yes. They’re red. Jenny got tan ones.”

      “Lucky girls. How’s Jenny?”

      “She’s okay. She keeps getting into my bed, though.”

      “Why?”

      “She says she’s afraid ’cause you aren’t here.”

      Kristin blinked back tears. “Poor Jenny. Can I talk to her?”

      “Um, sure.” The phone changed hands.

      “Mommy?”

      “Hello, sweetheart.” She bit back the urge to comfort and console—that would only give Luke and Sarah more problems. “I hear you have new shoes.”

      “Uh-huh.”

      “I bet the mountains are pretty.”

      “The roads are all twisty.”

      Kristin laughed. “I remember that from when I was a little girl. What’s your favorite thing you’ve done?”

      A long silence. “Can I come home?” Tears thickened the small voice.

      “Jenny, love, why would you want to do that?”

      The mumbled reply wasn’t clear, but Kristin got the message.

      “Your daddy is so happy to have you and Erin there, Jenny. He and Sarah would be sad if you left. You know that, don’t you?”

      Jenny’s reply was a small sniff. “Yes.”

      “That’s my girl. You’re going to have a great time.” She put as much conviction as she could muster into her voice, though she felt precious little. “I love you, sweetheart. Now, let me say goodbye to your sister.”

      Erin came back to the phone. “Mommy, when are we coming home?”

      “You’ve got so much to do, I guess it will be a while yet. Your dad’s got some great ideas. The time’s going to fly. And then we’ll all be together again.”

      This time Erin sighed. “I guess so. I love you, Mommy.”

      Kristin’s eyes burned. “I love you, too. Sleep tight.”

      “Bye.”

      “Bye, Erin.” She clicked the button to end the call and stood for a moment leaning against the wall, her eyes closed with her fingers. After just three days, she wasn’t sure she could bear this any longer. Maybe she and Matt should go get the girls, bring them along on the trip to Virginia. The drive from here to Banner Elk in the mountains was about eight hours…

      “I got your suitcase. Are you ready?” Matt stood in the bathroom doorway again. “Everything okay with Erin and Jenny?”

      “Yes, I think so.” Kristin straightened up and eased past him into the bedroom. “They miss…us…a little bit.”

      “Yeah, I imagine.” Only the slightest edge to his voice betrayed that he knew the truth. “And we miss them.”

      She nodded.

      He put a hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to go get them?”

      Her eyes filled up again. Matt gave so much, to the girls and to her. She couldn’t ask him to give up this trip.

      Taking a deep breath, she managed a smile. “No. They’ll be okay. Luke and Sarah will see that they enjoy themselves. And we’ve got some battlefields to visit, right?”

      His blue eyes searched her face. Kristin hoped she’d hidden her worries well.

      “Yeah, we do,” he said. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, dropped a light one on her nose and brushed her lips with his. He started to draw away, but his arms came around her hard and tight and he found her mouth again, in a kiss that started at a fast burn and only got hotter.

      Then on a shuddering breath, Matt straightened up. “There,” he whispered. He cleared his throat. “That’ll give us something to look forward to at the end of the drive.”

      His hand slipped to hold hers and lead her out of the bedroom. Comforted, aroused and suddenly eager, Kristin followed him without a backward glance.

      AS