Christmas was three weeks away, and Erica was starting to panic. What the hell was she supposed to buy for Linc?
Deciding that she needed help, she called her best friends and asked them to meet her for lunch. If anyone would know what a man wanted for Christmas, it was Cory and Veronica.
Erica was the first to arrive at the restaurant, but her friends weren’t far behind. After they traded hugs, they followed the hostess to their table.
“Okay, Erica, what’s got you in such a panic?” Cory asked.
“I need help figuring out what to get Linc for Christmas.”
“Fur covered handcuffs are one of my personal faves, but they’re probably out of the question with Linc.”
“Don’t start.”
“Sorry, but this is what you get for marrying a guy you don’t know.”
“I know him better than anyone.”
“Is that why you don’t know what to get him for Christmas?”
They were interrupted when their waiter came to take their orders. Erica and Veronica traded eye-rolls at the way Cory flirted with the man.
“Why don’t you just wrap a big bow around your boobs?” Veronica suggested when the waiter moved on.
Erica grimaced. “That’s lame.”
“Tell us all about your husband.”
“What?”
“If we know a little more about what he likes, maybe we can come up with some ideas.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Favorite color, favorite book, favorite movie, favorite sport, stuff like that.”
“Okay, his favorite color is blue, book is the Bible, movie is Platoon and he likes baseball.”
Cory raised her eyebrows. “Platoon, really?”
“Maybe not now,” Erica conceded.
“Okay, my turn,” Cory said. “That was all basic. Let’s get down to the hard core.”
“What do you mean?” Erica asked, though the sly grin on her friend’s face should have been enough of a warning.
“What’s his middle name? How old was he when he lost his virginity? Favorite sexual position? Number of past sexual partners?”
“How will this help me decide on a Christmas gift for him?”
“We’re the experts here, unless, of course, you don’t know.”
“His middle name is James.”
“And?” they chorused in unison.
“I’m not telling you anything about sex with Todd, that’s private,” Erica said.
“You just called him Todd.” Cory smirked. “I’ll bet you a hundred dollars he likes it when you call him Todd during sex.”
Erica’s face grew hot, but she didn’t respond.
“Come on, Erica, don’t be a prude.” Veronica laughed.
“I don’t think she’s being a prude,” Cory said, still smirking. “I think she’s trying to protect her husband’s pride.”
“How so?” Veronica’s eyes were wide with interest.
“Think about it,” Cory said. “Linc is a good Christian boy, so he probably lost his virginity to Erica on their wedding night. Therefore, no other sex partners, and I’d bet my car his favorite position is good old missionary.”
Erica was amazed that Cory had Linc so pegged, but she kept quiet, hoping her expression didn’t betray her thoughts.
Veronica shook her head. “There’s no way any of that’s true.”
“And why not?” Cory demanded.
“It’s the good Christian types that are always the most wild and crazy.”
“Maybe, but I would like it noted for the record that Erica has been noticeably silent during this entire discussion.”
They both stared at her, and Erica stared back, not sure what to say.
“Oh my God, it’s all true,” Veronica said. “No wonder the boy follows you around like a lost puppy.”
“Maybe you should get him a blow up doll and a stack of pornos,” Cory suggested.
“Or maybe a subscription to Playboy,” Veronica offered.
Erica just rolled her eyes. They were no help at all.
Before Erica left for work the next morning, Linc had shoved an envelope at her, telling her she needed to read its contents at lunch.
Erica could barely contain her excitement when it came time for lunch. She declined the lunch invitations of her coworkers, choosing instead to take her lunch to the park where she could sit alone to read Linc’s letter.
Dear Rikki,
Feels weird to be writing to you again. When I told Dr. Beeman this is how I felt close to you when we were apart, she said I could try this during the day. I did this one after church last night though, so I guess I’m not exactly doing it right. I promise you’ll have a whole stack of these next week since no one is coming to babysit me anymore.
Dr. Beeman says I’m doing really well. She says most PTSD patients are very detached and unable to feel real love. She says in my case the opposite is true since I’m so fierce in my devotion to you. She did say something that kind of pissed me off. She asked what my dependence on you is doing to our marriage. It reminded me a lot of what my mom said a couple of weeks ago. Got me thinking though. Doc was amazed when I told her we’ve only had one fight since I got back from Iraq. I’m not sure she really believed me. She says it sounds like we’re old souls in our love. It sounds bad when I write it, but I think it’s a good thing.
I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been talking to Dr. Beeman about sex with us. Nothing too detailed. Just how scared I was until the time finally came. She says because of what they did to me it makes sense that I was scared. The one thing that bothers me is that she’s so blunt. She’ll just come right out and say things like, ‘Do you think about the times you were forced to sodomize yourself when you’re making love with Erica?’ Jesus Christ, no! I’m thinking about how perfect and amazing you are. Remember a long time ago when I told you I feel most like a man when we’re making love? This is still true, which is why you’re amazing. I’m beginning to realize how broken of a man I was when I first came home.
Christmas is coming and I’m working on something special for you. It won’t be what I really want you to have, and you’ll understand when you see it. Still, I think it’s something that will mean a lot to you.
I want you to know I love you with all of my heart. You’re my best friend. You’re my soul mate. And, according to my brother, you’re totally hot! I prefer to be a little more romantic and say you’re incredibly sexy and beautiful. I’m alive with you.
This whole thing with this David guy coming on to you really scared me at first. He’s this great looking whole guy who oozes confidence. I mean, he made his move in my own house, if you know what I mean. I was totally humiliated when the guy called you my nursemaid. It’s not so far off the truth, you know.
I have nightmares every night and can’t go back to sleep unless you hold my hand. I have flashbacks of my torture that you have to talk me out of. If I’m not in my chair I have to use a walker. It took almost a month for me to be able to make love to you, for Christ’s sake. I wanted to punch that guy when he said you were obligated to stay married to me. Then I heard you say you were in love with me, and I knew I won. I have your love, and he has nothing.
I want you to know how excited I am to be spending Christmas with you. It means so much that you opened your heart to Christ to make our first Christmas even more special. I think you have as much faith as I do now. Between our love and our faith, there’s nothing we can’t do.
Loving you forever,
Todd
Erica was glad she’d chosen to be alone to read his letter. Tears were sliding down her cheeks. It didn’t matter to her that his body and spirit had been broken because both were on the mend. It didn’t make a difference to her that he had to use a walker and a wheelchair. One day, that would end too. All that mattered to her was having his love.
As she walked back to her office, Erica realized what the perfect Christmas present would be for her perfect husband. Taking her cell phone from her purse, she called Linc’s father for his help.
Just as Erica was preparing to go to lunch on Friday afternoon, one of her coworkers came to tell her there was a totally gorgeous guy at the front desk asking to see her.
“What are you doing here?” Erica’s smile turned to a frown when she spotted David.
“I was hoping to take you to lunch,” David explained.
The man may have thought he was charming, but the smile he gave Erica turned her stomach.
“I think you know the answer to that,” Erica said.
“Don’t be like that. I came to make peace.”
“You should make peace with Linc. He’s the one you owe an apology to.”
“Let me buy you lunch and I promise I’ll apologize to Linc first thing Sunday morning.”
“Fine,” Erica relented, tired of the scene he was making in her office.
“Where would you like to go?” David asked as they left the office.
“I don’t care.”
“You don’t make it easy for a guy to tell you he’s sorry.”
“You said I was Linc’s nursemaid, that I was married to him out of obligation.”
“Is it true?”
“No.”
“Then why do you care what I think?”
“I don’t care what you think,” Erica snapped. “I care that you would say such hurtful things about my husband in the church where his father preaches, in God’s house.”
“I was out of line.”
They came to a small Mexican restaurant and decided to stop walking. He held the door for her to enter, but it didn’t melt any of her anger.
The restaurant was small and nearly filled to capacity. When they had to squeeze into a table in the corner, Erica wished she hadn’t agreed to come.
“Erica, I’m not the kind of man you think I am.”
“Oh no?” Erica didn’t bother to hide her sarcasm.
“I would never set out to take another man’s wife, but something about you got under my skin.”
“Not very Christian of you.”
David reached for her hand. “I know you feel it too, you’re here with me.”
“I don’t feel anything.” Erica jerked her hand away.
That wasn’t entirely true. Erica didn’t feel anything romantic for David, but she felt plenty of disgust for his deceit. She also felt a tiny bit sorry for the man’s desperation, but that didn’t mean she was going to betray her husband.
“Let me show you that Linc isn’t half the man I am.”
“You don’t know anything about love, do you?” Erica asked. “To be in love with someone so deeply that you share each other’s pain? You don’t know about the friendship that comes with being soul mates? About the connections a man and woman share when their bodies and hearts are joined?”
“And you know all that with Linc?”
“Linc is a good, Christian man, a P.O.W. who survived ten days of torture at the hands of the enemy. He’s my best friend. He’s my soul mate. He’s my husband, and he’s twice the man you’ll ever be.”
Without bothering to say goodbye, Erica stood and walked out. From her car she called Anna and told her that lunch had made her ill, and she needed to go home.
Erica knew she was risking a rumor since a few people had seen her leaving with David, but she didn’t care. She needed to be with Linc.
When she got home, she found him sitting at the kitchen table hunched over the journal Dr. Beeman had him keeping.
“You’re home early.” Linc turned to smile at her, the smile fading instantly. “What’s wrong?”
“David Beale came to see me today,” Erica said.
Linc’s eyes hardened. “What did he want?”
“He said he wanted to take me to lunch to apologize, but that’s not what happened.”
“Did he try something with you?”
“Not exactly, but he said all this horrible stuff about how I was under his skin or something like that. He said I needed to give him a chance to prove he’s twice the man you are,” Erica answered, tears filling her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Todd. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing by trying to forgive him.”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. This guy took advantage of you.”
His understanding was exactly what she needed. A small part of her had been afraid he would think it was her fault, and she wouldn’t have blamed him. Linc had warned her about David’s intentions the first time he met the man, and he’d been right all along.
“Tell you one thing though. I’ll lay him out if I ever see him again,” Linc warned.
Erica smiled through her tears. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. David’s right about one thing.”
“What?”
“There’s definitely something about you that gets under a man’s skin. You got under mine the minute you asked me to dance.”
“I love you so much, Todd.”
“Show me, Erica. Take me to bed and show me how much you love me.”
Brushing away her tears, Erica smiled before leaning down to whisper in his ear, “Try and stop me, Marine.”