Sweetest Goodbye (Navy Book 3)

Chapter 25

Monday came much to swiftly. Lee and Kate had spent Saturday and Sunday enjoying the sights and sounds of the Low Country, they had spent a day at the beach and had a picnic in the park. It was a romantic whirlwind. It was what Kate had always dreamed of experiencing, and Lee had made it come true

Sam and Penny had given them a key to the house and told them to come and go as they wished, but otherwise they had barely been seen. They knew that Lee and Kate only had a short time together and didn't wish to intrude.

And Kate fell even harder for Lee.

Kate was in the hall waiting for Lee, saying her farewells to Penny and Sam early Monday morning. She had insisted that they take a taxi to the airport. It was going to be hard enough to say goodbye and she didn't want to prolong it, or make it even harder than it needed to be.

She was hugging Penny when she noticed movement at the top of the stairs. She looked up to see Lee as he descended wearing his Navy Working Uniform with is duffel over his shoulder and his hat crushed in his hand.

Kate froze. Suddenly it had all become so real. She knew he was in the Navy, but here was her proof. He looked even larger and more powerful, he looked like a fighting man.

Lee paused watching her closely as he reached the bottom step. There was a tense silence as the two of them looked at each other, the silence was eventually broken by Sam, as he reached out to shake Lee's hand. Penny was quick to follow his lead, giving Lee a hug just as they heard the horn of the taxi.

Lee reached for Kate's bag and headed for the door while she and Penny embraced one more time as he made quick work of loading them up in the taxi, and they waved as the car pulled away from the curb.

They sat in silence, the tension between them growing as the taxi easily wound its way through the empty streets of the early morning.

"Why the uniform?" Kate asked, was he trying to make a point, remind her of who he was, of where he was going?

"I'll be going back on duty almost as soon as I get back to base, and I find traveling a bit easier when I'm in uniform."

"And it was a helpful reminder?" Kate cleared her throat, trying not to sound bitter. He had sounded so distant, so unlike Lee.

"For both of us." He agreed quietly. They rode in silence for the rest of the trip to the airport.

They were scheduled on the same flight to Atlanta's airport, and from there they would catch different connecting flights. Lee's flight left before Kate's did, she had a two-hour layover and Lee only had an hour.  If their flight to Atlanta was late he would be cutting it close. Thankfully, everything went as it should and, the one time she would have welcomed a delay, the flight actually left early.

In Atlanta, when they got off the plane, he took her hand and they walked together to his gate. Kate was doing her best to pretend that it wasn't really goodbye, he had come to mean so much to her, he had given her a reason to hope; she had to let him know. She knew she had to tell him how she felt.

When they reached his gate, the flight had not been called and it looked as if it was packed. Kate couldn't help but notice the looks of admiration that Lee was getting from the women and even some of the men.  She felt jealousy rear its ugly head once again, and she started to wonder which of the pretty girls he would be sitting next to on the plane. She let her eyes scan the crowd for the prettiest girl, and when she found her she shot her a death look. It was totally uncalled for, uncharacteristic, and unrealistic but she didn't care.

"What was that look for?" She could hear the confused amusement in his voice as he caught her mid-look.

"She'll probably be sitting next to you on the plane and I'm jealous, alright?"

"Alright." He laughed pulling her close.

She couldn't help it, the tears started and she buried her head in his chest and held him tight.  This was another goodbye that she wasn't ready for. She wanted to beg him to stay but she knew she couldn't.

They called his flight and she jumped, holding him tighter. One of the airline personnel told him that he could board first, but he waved the woman away holding tight to Kate.

"People are staring, aren't they?" she grumbled into his shoulder.

"A little bit," he said, lifting her chin and looking down at her. He wiped her tears with his thumb, "Please don't cry Kate."

She nodded and cried harder so he kissed her.

It seemed to last forever but not long enough, and when he broke away the line for boarding was almost gone. "Why did this flight have to be on time, now mine will be late." She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

"It's probably for the best that it's on time."

She nodded watching as he bent down to pick up his duffel.

She had to tell him, she had to say it.

"I love you Lee."

His back was still turned towards her and he froze. "Kate," he warned as he slowly turned around to face her.

"No, Lee. Please let me say this. I know what a goodbye means, probably better than most people. I know that this is goodbye, I accept it, and I want it to be a sweet one, like my goodbye was to Colten. I want you to know what you mean to me."

She walked towards him and took his face in her hands. "Thank you, Lee. You gave me hope again, you made me whole again. I know that we can't be. You have to go help save the world and that's bigger than both of us, I get it. But I do love you."

She kissed him hard. "I might be able to find someone else to love because of what you have done for me. Maybe someone will come along who can give me all of themselves, and because of you I now have something to give in return, so I thank you for that."

"Sir, I can't give you and the lady anymore time," the airline employee insisted softly.

Lee was looking at Kate hard, he was about to say something but the woman called out again, so instead of speaking he pulled Kate tight against him, one last time.

She had one more kiss and then she watched him walk away, he didn't look back.