Erica had a moment of panic when she opened her eyes. Not at the sight of her naked husband. That was something she could happily wake up to every day.
Husband, she had a husband. Erica took a moment to enjoy the sound of the word playing in her mind.
Looking past Linc, she squinted at the alarm clock perched on the night stand and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t quite eight yet. Thank God for that internal alarm clock she normally hated since she needed to call work and let them know she wasn’t coming in.
“Morning.” Still gravelly from sleep, Linc’s voice was even sexier.
“Sorry if I woke you.”
“Nah, I’ve been in and out for a while, but I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You should have. I need to call in to work.”
Linc grabbed the phone off the nightstand and passed it to her.
Erica dialed the number to her office, dreading what she was about to do. She hated to call in sick, especially when she wasn’t sick. Not that her boss ever gave her any grief. Anna was always sweet the few times Erica had to call in sick, but that didn’t make her feel any less guilty.
“Northern Medical Group, Anna speaking. How may I direct your call?”
“Anna, its Erica.”
“Oh, no, honey. Are you sick?”
“No, but I can’t come in, family emergency.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, but I had to go out of town. I should be back in a few days.”
“No problem. You do what you need to, and I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“See you Wednesday,” Erica echoed and hung up the phone.
As Erica leaned over him to place the phone back on the receiver, Linc held her against him. “You know, Rikki, you could quit your job if you want.”
“Did you just call me Rikki?”
Linc grinned. “You like it? It’s my special name for you.”
“It’s cute, and I’m not quitting my job.”
“I’m not saying you have to,” Linc explained. “I just meant that I make enough money to support you. And my check gets direct deposited into my account so you don’t have to mess with checks if I give you our ATM card.”
“Our ATM card?” Erica smiled.
Linc shrugged. “My money is your money.”
“It’s not about money. You’ll be gone, and I’ll be alone. If I work I won’t worry so much about you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I made you a promise.”
“I know,” Erica whispered.
Linc pulled her tighter against him. “Let’s make love and then go shopping.”
“A man who wants to shop?” Erica forced aside thoughts of their looming separation. “Am I really that lucky?”
“We need clean clothes.”
“And toothbrushes.”
“Got that covered.”
Letting go of her, Linc reached into the night stand to retrieve his package. Inside the bag was a tube of toothpaste and two toothbrushes.
As much as she appreciated his preparedness, she almost laughed out loud. Yesterday, while she was thinking about sex, Linc was thinking about the morning after.
They were going to have an interesting life.
“You ready to do this?” Linc asked.
Erica didn’t move from her place in the truck. The house that looked so warm and welcoming two short days ago suddenly loomed over.
“What do you think your parents will say?”
“They’ll be disappointed they weren’t there, but they’ll be supportive. What about yours?”
“Oh, they’ll probably kill me.” Erica tried for levity, but it fell flat.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” Linc reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Are you ready?”
It didn’t matter if she was ready or not. It had to be done. Taking a deep breath, she emerged from the truck. When Linc came around to take her hand, Erica marveled at the strength she could feel, not just in his grip but radiating from his body.
While she was shaking down to her core, Linc was the picture of calm. It should have made her feel better, but it only added to her nerves.
“Mom, Dad, you home?” Linc called as he pushed open the door.
His mother smiled as she looked up at him from where she sat on the couch watching television. “Well, Linc, I see you decided to finally come home.”
“Is Dad home?”
“He’s in the study working on the sermon for tomorrow.”
“Do you guys have time to talk?”
“Of course we do.” Meredith’s brow creased with worry as she got to her feet. “Excuse me while I get your father.”
“There’s our missing Marine,” TJ boomed.
Though Meredith’s expression was still a picture of concern, TJ was all smiles.
“Hello, sir,” Linc said.
“Let’s take a seat, Linc, and you can tell us what’s on your mind,” TJ suggested.
Linc’s parents sat on the couch while Linc and Erica sat on the love seat opposite them.
“What is it, son?” TJ asked.
“Well, you see, I—”
“Todd James Lincoln the Third!” Meredith shrilled. “Is that a wedding ring?”
Erica tried to hide her smile at his mother calling Linc by his full name.
“It is,” Linc answered. “Erica and I got married in Las Vegas.”
“Las Vegas?” Meredith gasped while TJ chuckled.
“Yes, ma’am,” Linc replied.
Meredith’s panicked gaze shot to Erica. “Are you pregnant?”
“It’s not about that, Mom,” Linc answered for her. “Erica and I didn’t have sex until after we were married.”
Erica didn’t know whether to be grateful for the intervention or run screaming from the house. A simple no would have been sufficient.
“Well, at least we know there wasn’t any fornication,” TJ said, still smiling.
“Be serious, TJ,” Meredith snapped. “Our son just ran off and got married.”
“A fact that hasn’t escaped my knowledge. However, I don’t think we should overreact.”
“Overreact?”
“Mom, Dad? Where is everyone?” Sarah called as she walked into the living room. “Hey, Linc. What’s going on?”
“Your brother got married,” Meredith said.
Sarah broke in to a wide smile. “You did not!”
“I did,” Linc replied.
“And Linc was just about to tell us all about it,” TJ added.
Linc frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I thought you could explain why you married a girl you’ve known three days.”
Erica’s face grew hot. She should have known this wouldn’t be as easy as Meredith flying off the handle and TJ stepping in to be the voice of reason while Sarah welcomed her with open arms.
“All I can say is that I love Erica,” Linc answered. “I feel like a better person with her. It’s like I found what I was missing in my life when I met her.”
“Wow,” Sarah breathed. “I never knew my little brother was so romantic.”
Linc blushed before he continued. “Erica and I understand what this means. We’re committed to each other, and we’re not playing house.”
“What about the fact that you’re being sent to Iraq?” Meredith asked.
“Being married doesn’t change that.”
“Exactly, and what’s going to happen to your marriage while you’re in Iraq?”
“What do you mean?”
“A marriage takes work, son,” TJ interjected. “I think your mother is asking how you’ll be able to work on it when you’re so far away.”
“I think Linc and I will have to work harder because he’s in Iraq,” Erica spoke up. “And I think we’ll appreciate each other more when he comes home.”
“Perhaps,” Meredith said, the word sounding more like ‘Yeah, that’s not going to happen’.
“I think the bottom line here is that your mother and I have two choices,” TJ said. “We can support you, or we can’t.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me, Linc, what would happen if your mother and I got angry and tried to talk you in to getting an annulment?”
“I’d fight you on it,” Linc replied without hesitation. “Sir, I don’t mean to sound disrespectful when I say this, but when I married Erica I made a vow before God and man. Nothing anyone says will make me dishonor God and the woman I love.”
“Well, that settles that.” TJ nodded. “We support you one hundred percent.”
With those words, Linc offered his parents a broad smile. Though Meredith still looked doubtful, she nodded along with her husband. Sarah was the only one who didn’t need convincing. The smile she wore, bigger than Linc’s, said she couldn’t have been happier.
“I promise my parents won’t take it that well,” Erica warned.
They were on their way to her mother’s house, and Erica was more nervous than she’d been sitting in Linc’s parents’ house. Though her own mother didn’t make an imposing figure at only five feet five inches tall, she could be meaner than someone twice her size.
Sure enough, as soon as she opened the door Carolyn Wallace bounced her shrewd gaze between Erica and Linc.
“Hi, Mom,” Erica said, forcing a smile.
“Erica.”
It was one word but so telling. Though all she said was ‘Erica’, so much more was implied. ‘Erica, you’d better not be here to tell me what I think you are.’ ‘Erica, what kind of stupid thing did you do this time?’ ‘Don’t tell me you’re pregnant, Erica.’
Erica loved her mother just as she knew her mother loved her, but they’d never been close. A long time ago, Erica remembered her mother being a different person. A person who smiled more and sang made up lullabies to her when she was little. Then the divorce happened, taking smiles and songs with it and leaving behind what Erica and Aaron used to call ‘Mean Mama’.
“Can we come in?” Erica asked.
Carolyn pulled the door open wider, giving them silent permission to enter.
Clinging to Linc’s hand, Erica led her new husband to the living room. Feeling her mother’s heavy gaze on her back made those few steps feel more like the journey of a thousand miles.
Taking a seat on the worn rocker, Carolyn looked at them. “I’d offer you something to drink, but something tells me this isn’t your average social call.”
Erica gave her mother what she hoped was a confident smile. “Mom, this is Todd Lincoln.”
Carolyn didn’t return the smile. “Todd.”
There it was again. Only her mother could make one word carry so much weight. ‘Todd, I assume you’re here because you’re sleeping with my daughter.’ ‘Todd, you’d better not have knocked up my only daughter, or I’ll cut off your nuts.’ ‘I’m sure you’re just like every other man, Todd, a worthless piece of shit’.
“Todd and I got married a few days ago,” Erica blurted out, holding out her left hand.
“You did what?” Carolyn shouted. “What did your father say?”
“We haven’t told him yet.”
“Oh, then I have to see this. Let me call him over here.”
It wouldn’t do any good to object, but at least she would be able to get it all over with at once. Erica avoided meeting her mother’s no doubt disappointed gaze as Carolyn shot to her feet and stormed into the kitchen.
“Earl, it’s Carolyn, I’m calling about Erica.”
Linc turned to face Erica. “Your mom is…”
“Scary? Angry? Bitter since her divorce? Yeah, I guess I should have warned you before springing her on you.”
“What about your dad?”
“I’m sure he’ll be surprised, but he’s nothing like my mom.”
“So, I’m not in danger of getting the crap kicked out of me?”
Erica wanted to say ‘no’, but she just didn’t know for sure. Until about two minutes ago, she would have bet money that her mom’s reaction would have been shock and disappointment but not fury.
So, who knew what her dad would actually do?
Less than ten minutes after walking into her mother’s house, the doorbell rang.
“Okay, where’s the fire?” Earl demanded.
“Hey, Dad,” Erica said when her father stepped into the living room.
Unlike her mother, her father offered her a genuine smile. “Hey, baby.” Earl gave her a conspiratorial wink. “What’d you do to piss off your mama this time?”
Erica couldn’t help but give in to a small smile.
“Earl, say hello to Todd Lincoln,” Carolyn said, a note of superiority in her tone. “Todd is your daughter’s husband.”
Earl glanced from Erica to Carolyn and back to Erica. “Is this a joke?”
“Oh it’s no joke,” Carolyn said.
“I was asking Erica.”
“Sir, I realize this is a bit of a shock, but I promise you that I love Erica,” Linc spoke up.
Earl eyed Linc up and down. “Is that so?”
Linc didn’t flinch nor did he break eye contact with Earl. “Yes, sir.”
“Tell us a little bit about yourself, Todd,” Earl said. Before Linc could reply, he turned to look at Carolyn. “Carrie, what do you have to drink in this house?”
Carolyn furrowed her brow. “What?”
“What do you have to drink? If we’re going to get to know our new son-in-law, we may as well enjoy something cold to drink while we do it.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I can’t?” Earl asked, winking at Erica once again.
“You always do that,” Carolyn said. “You always take their side and play the good cop so I have to be the disciplinarian and play the bad cop.”
Earl’s expression sobered. “There aren’t any sides here.”
“Bullshit!”
“Okay, don’t get us anything to drink. Let’s just sit here parched while we wade through this waist high river of tension.”
Carolyn threw up her hands as she got to her feet. “Fine, I’ll get some damned iced tea. We wouldn’t want you to drown in that river or anything.”
“That’s great.” Earl beamed at her. “Bring some sugar packets too, if you have them.”
Carolyn’s back stiffened, but she didn’t turn to acknowledge the request. Erica wanted to tell her dad to be careful or he was going to end up with arsenic in his tea, but she was afraid her mom would overhear.
“You’ve really done it this time,” Earl told Erica with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve seen your mom that angry since we were your age and I told her that polka dotted skirt made her ass look flat.”
Erica clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. She didn’t know if her dad was serious or not, but if he was then she could almost understand why her mom detested what she used to call his ‘over the top’ sense of humor.
After a few moments of banging around in the kitchen, Carolyn returned to the living room with a pitcher of tea in one hand and a stack of plastic glasses in the other. The sugar packets were noticeably absent, and Erica waited for her father to point it out, but he didn’t.
Even though she didn’t want any tea, Erica still poured a glass for her and Linc. If nothing else, she would have something to use as a weapon if her mom’s temper got the best of her. Not that she expected it to truly get that bad. Her mom was more the cursing and shouting type than the kick the shit out of you type.
“Now, then,” Earl said once everyone had a glass of tea. “Tell us about yourself, Todd.”
“Well, sir, I’m twenty-two years old, and I just finished boot camp.”
“Marines, I assume, given how close we are to Camp Pendleton?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you being shipped overseas?”
“Yes, sir, for at least seven months, but I’m on leave now.”
“So you married a boy who’s going to get killed in the war and make you a twenty-two-year-old widow?” Carolyn concluded with a shake of her head.
“Mother!” Erica gasped.
“For God’s sake, Carolyn,” Earl barked. “So, Todd, do you plan on taking care of my daughter?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I guess what’s done is done.” Getting to his feet, Earl extended his hand in Linc’s direction. “Welcome to the family, son.”
“What? That’s all you’re going to do?” Carolyn shrieked.
Earl turned toward his ex-wife. “What is it you suggest I do?”
Carolyn opened her mouth and Erica drew in a deep breath, steeling herself for what would come next. A few tense seconds passed, seconds that felt more like hours, and then Carolyn snapped her mouth shut, pressing her lips together in a tight line.
The breath she’d been holding whooshed from Erica’s lungs. Thank God that was over. Better yet, thank God that was over and they were all getting out of there with their lives intact.
Erica and Linc had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang. Figuring it was either Cory or Veronica or both, she furrowed her brow when she opened the door to her brother.
Aaron stepped inside and his gaze settled on Linc. “So you’re my new brother-in-law.”
“Todd Lincoln,” Linc said, holding out his hand.
“Erica, you’re crazy. Mom is furious. She called me to tell me all about how you ruined your life,” Aaron said and made air quotes around the last three words he spoke.
“That’s a little harsh.”
“Her words, not mine. Not to sound like an asshole, but why would you marry a Marine who’s about to be shipped to Iraq?”
“Because I love him.”
“Okay, okay, damn.” Aaron held up his hands in surrender.
The doorbell rang again, and Erica rolled her eyes as she huffed out a sigh. So much for thinking her and Linc might get any privacy tonight. Maybe get the chance to enjoy their first night in the apartment as husband and wife.
“I knew it!” Cory pushed her way into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. “I told you he had something to do with Erica’s disappearance.”
Erica frowned. “I didn’t disappear.”
“It’s not like we knew that,” Cory retorted. “Last we heard, you were going to have dinner with the guy and then the three of us were going to coffee the next day. Instead, you take off without telling anyone and come back married.”
Erica’s frown deepened. “How’d you know that?”
Cory rolled her eyes. “Well, duh! I called your mom. I’ve been calling your mom every day since you disappeared.”
Erica wanted to roll her eyes right back at her friend. Every day since she disappeared? They were gone a day and a half, but Cory made it sound like they’d fallen off the face of the earth a year and a half ago.
“Did you really marry that guy?” Veronica’s eyes were wide as she asked the question.
“That guy’s name is Linc, and yes, he’s my husband.”
“Excuse the hell out of us for forgetting his weird ass name, but we only met him once remember,” Cory said.
Veronica giggled, and Cory snapped her head around, pinning her with a murderous gaze.
“What the fuck is so funny?” Cory demanded.
“At least he’s really hot.” Veronica laughed while Linc’s face turned a shade of pink.
“He is much better in the light of day, but that’s no reason to run off and marry him,” Cory said.
“Would you stop talking about him like he’s not here?” Erica told her friend.
Aaron furrowed his brow. “I thought your name was Todd.”
“It is, but everyone calls me Linc because of my last name.”
“Would you mind explaining why you married a girl you met in a night club three days ago?” Cory glared at Linc. “The same girl that asked you to dance because of a bet and not because she was actually interested in you, by the way.”
Linc shrugged. “Seemed like the thing to do.”
“I thought you were a prick the minute I met you, and that answer just confirms it.”
“How can you even remember what you thought? You were drunk off your ass.”
Only Aaron laughed. Apprehension stirred in Erica’s gut as she stared at Linc and Cory. She hadn’t expected her best friend to hate her husband or him to share that feeling. Wasn’t he supposed to turn the other cheek or forgive and forget or something like that?
“I wasn’t too drunk to know you’re an asshole,” Cory said.
“You don’t even know me,” Linc pointed out.
“Sure I do.” Cory’s laugh was bitter and angry. “You’re a hotshot Marine who thinks he’s a stud because he’s got a great face and an even better body.”
“That’s not me at all.”
“Then what is you?”
“Ask Erica.”
“Okay fine. Tell us all about your husband, Erica.”
“Cory,” Erica said, taking a deep breath. “Being mad about this isn’t going to change it.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know this doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t make sense to us either, but I’m asking you to support me on this.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re one of my best friends and you’ve been my best friend for the last nine years,” Erica reminded her. “And because I love Linc, and I’ll love him whether you decide to stay my friend or not.”
“Of course I’ll still be your friend, but he’s going to take some getting used to.”
“Cory, I respect your friendship with Erica, and I’m glad she has a friend who cares enough to be this mad,” Linc said. “But I promise you, I love her, and I’ll always take care of her.”
When Cory’s shoulders sagged, it was more of an acceptance of defeat than welcoming Linc with open arms, but at least it was a start.
In the quiet of the apartment, a heavy sigh escaped Erica as she sat on the couch, wrapped in Linc’s arms.
“We knew this wouldn’t be easy,” Linc said.
“I thought my friends would be more supportive.”
“We could pray on it.”
Erica’s knee jerk reaction was to dismiss the idea. Despite the fact that she’d grown up believing in God, neither of her parents had been regular church goers.
The last time Erica prayed for anything, she was a kid. First, it was to beg God not to let her parents get a divorce. When that didn’t work, she tried for the ‘please let them get back together’ prayer which also did not work.
After that, Erica gave up on prayers, figuring God had more important things to worry about.
“Do you think it would work?”
“Only one way to find out.”
“I wouldn’t know what to say.”
Still holding her close, Linc smiled down at her with more love and tenderness than she’d ever seen before. “Leave it to me.”
Taking her hands, Linc closed his eyes and bowed his head and Erica followed his lead.
“Lord, we come to you now and ask for your guidance to do what’s right. We humbly ask that you help those who love us to understand how much we love each other. We ask that you bless this marriage and give us the strength to serve you. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Listening to Linc’s eloquent prayer, Erica wondered if maybe her problem wasn’t the prayers but the way she’d said them. It reminded her of something her mother used to say when she would get irritated when Erica tried to talk to her while crying; I can’t understand you when you’re whining like that. Take a deep breath and try it again.
Maybe her problem with her childhood prayers was that God couldn’t understand the sad pleas.
Linc was still holding on to Erica’s hands, but his eyes were open, and he was grinning at her. “Oh and one more thing, Lord. Please give us the strength for another amazing night of sex.”
“Todd!” Erica gasped.
“I like it when you call me Todd.” Linc leaned in and kissed her softly.
“Why?”
“Sounds sexy, turns me on.”
“You’ve really gotten the hang of this sex thing.”
Linc’s grin slipped away as a look of concern shadowed his eyes. “You don’t think I’m a pervert, do you?”
“Maybe a little,” Erica said, doing her best to keep a straight face.
Color suffused Linc’s neck and face. “Christ, really?”
“Only a pervert would ask God to give him the strength to have amazing sex,” Erica teased. “Really, what would your father think?”
“I could ask him.”
Linc stood and sauntered into the kitchen. Erica watched, determined not to call his bluff. When he picked up the cordless phone from the kitchen counter, all bets were off. Erica was at his side in seconds.
“Todd, don’t you dare!”
Linc grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body in to his. “Say it again.”
“What?”
“Say my name.”
“Todd,” Erica whispered into his ear.
“Jesus, Rikki, I can’t wait any longer. I have to make love to you now.”
Sweeping her into his arms, Linc carried her down the hall and into their room. Erica smiled as he laid her carefully across the bed.
It looked like Linc’s prayer was about to be answered.