Redemption - Chapter 18/?
Despite their initial reluctance to have a party, Ed and Heather found themselves having a fantastic time. They squeezed in a lot of dancing between accepting congratulations and well wishes from their friends and colleagues.
After a few hours, they started getting tired. Neither of them had gotten much sleep the previous night. They went to pay their respects to Gail.
“Gail, thank you so much for everything. It was all truly amazing!” Heather said as she embraced the older woman.
“Sorry to strong arm you into it. Hopefully you enjoyed it and created some great memories.”
“Absolutely!” Ed said as he also gave Gail a big hug. “We really appreciate everything you did for us.”
“It was fun. Are you two leaving now?”
“We hoped to quietly slip away.” Ed said.
“Don’t worry. I won’t blow the whistle on you! You two certainly deserve some alone time.”
Jake drove them the few blocks home. Both Heather and Ed thanked him for everything.
As Ed was getting out, Jake said to him. “I’ll try not to bother you during your honeymoon - All one day of it.”
“I appreciate that. But I’m here if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll see you on Monday morning. And Jake, thanks again for everything.”
Heather and Ed went up the front walk. Heather opened the front door and was about to step inside when Ed stopped her.
“I’m going to do this right.” He picked her up and carried her over the threshold and into the house. “Welcome home, Mrs. Heather Lisinski Beck!”
He gave her a big kiss before putting her down.
“Thanks.” She laughed. “I guess that name is quite a mouthful. I’ll have to figure out what I’ll use...”
Her words trailed off as she looked around the room. Somebody had been there while they were gone.
Logs and kindling were arranged in the fireplace, ready to be lit. A bottle of champagne was chilling in an ice bucket on the coffee table. Next to it was a platter of crackers, fruits, and nuts. Near the platter was a note saying ‘LOOK IN FRIDGE’. A big card was propped up on the mantle.
Heather and Ed looked at each other in wonder and shock.
They went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Heather squealed in delight. It was filled with cheeses and meats and other gourmet delicacies.
She looked into the cabinets and found more treats - cookies, candies, and other sweets.
“Wow! I can’t believe they did this for us.” Heather said.
“I agree. Even with access to the Texas supply sources, this stuff couldn’t have been easy to obtain.”
They opened the card. It was signed by all of their friends and most of Beck’s officers.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WEDDING WITH US. THESE ARE JUST A FEW SMALL THINGS FOR YOUR OWN PRIVATE CELEBRATION!
They were both overwhelmed by their friends’ generosity.
“We have to call them and thank them.” Heather insisted.
“Do you really feel like talking to anybody else right now?” Ed asked as he put his arms around her and started nibbling on her ear.
“Uh….I see your point.” Heather pushed herself to focus. “But I don’t want to be rude, especially since they went to all this effort.”
“I’ll send Jake a text saying we appreciate all of this. We can then thank them more fully later.”
A short while later, they had changed out of their formal clothes and were laying on a blanket in front of a roaring fire. The remains of a picnic lay around them. Both of them had realized they were famished. Between dancing and socializing, neither of them had really eaten anything at the reception. (The champagne had been put in the fridge for another day. Ed wisely decided to pass on any alcoholic beverages for the time being!)
As they talked, they relived the highlights of the day.
“Your CO seems like a decent guy. It was nice that he was able to attend the wedding.”
“He’s a good guy. He’s a fair and decent commanding officer. I was just hoping he’d leave before Jake’s toast, since I had no idea what to expect. ”
“His toast was actually very sweet and funny.”
“I agree. I was pleasantly surprised.”
“Although I disagree with one thing. I am NOT bossy.”
Ed wisely refrained from saying anything. Instead he chose to change the topic by engaging Heather in a very passionate kiss.
As they finally pulled away, Heather had a hint of mischief in her eyes. “So now that we’re a stodgy married couple, do we need to worry about losing the spark?”
Ed smiled. “Trust me, that one thing we don’t need to worry about.”
“Well maybe you need to prove it to me.”
“Your wish is my command.”
It was awhile later before they surfaced for air.
“Wow!” It took a few minutes for Heather to catch her breath. “That was mind-blowing!”
Ed smirked. “Well, you made me feel that we had something to prove!”
“Okay - I take it back!
They both dozed off in front of the fire. They woke up an hour later, as the fire was dying down. They cleaned up a bit, then retired to their comfy bed.
This time their lovemaking was more gentle and sweet. Afterwards Heather fell asleep in Ed’s arms.
Ed lay awake for a few minutes. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this at peace or content.
Much of that feeling was due to the woman who lay cradled in his arms.
Jake was right. He’d fallen for Heather from almost the moment they laid eyes on each other. He’d never forget that first meeting, as she was eating a burger and fries in Bailey’s. Part of it was obviously a physical attraction. But it went a lot deeper than that. He was also drawn by her courage, compassion, and tenacity. She ‘got him’ like nobody else ever had. He’d never felt that close or connected to anyone in his entire life.
As he thought about the day, he couldn’t believe the outpouring of affection from everyone there. When he first defected, he’d hoped that the town would eventually forgive him and tolerate his presence. In his wildest dreams, he’d never thought they’d accept him as a friend and neighbor.
Jericho was no longer just the place he was stationed. It was now his home.
Unfortunately, his plans to settle down with Heather and start a life together in Jericho would have to wait. He had just learned that the troops under his command would be leading the Cheyenne offensive. He and his men would be the proverbial tip of the spear.
While the momentum of the war had shifted in their favor, he was under no illusions that the ASA would gracefully fade away. If anything, like a cornered animal, they would be even more dangerous. His only relief was that Jericho was becoming farther away from the front lines. He wouldn’t have to worry about Heather’s safety.
They wouldn’t be deploying for at least a month. There was still a lot of preparation to do. Ed had no intention of ruining their honeymoon. There would be plenty of time to tell Heather in a few days.
He knew she would worry - mostly about him, but also about Jake and their other friends. He appreciated that concern. But this is what he did, what he had trained for. Hopefully she would understand. He had a job to do. God wiling, he would do it successfully and return safely to his wife, his friends, and his home.