Page 124 of Fatal Mistake
He picked up the bowls. “I appreciate all of your hard work.”
“I’m happy to do it anytime.” June rested a hand on his arm and smiled. “Now get going before my turkey gets cold.”
All told, he carried out salads, mashed and sweet potatoes, stuffing, two gravy boats, large fluffy rolls, and three bowls of vegetables that June had raised in her garden and preserved. On the final trip back to the kitchen, he retrieved the golden-brown turkey and placed the platter at the head of the table.
“You’ll sit here, Cal. I want you to carve.” June took off the apron and tossed it into the kitchen.
“I’ve never carved a turkey,” he protested as chairs were scraped against the wooden floor and his friends took their seats.
“I would think in all your SEAL training someone taught you how to use a knife,” June replied.
“They did, but this is—”
“Just a turkey.” She marched to the other end of the table to sit. “C’mon everyone. Take a seat wherever you’d like.”
Cal pulled out a chair for Tara and met her gaze. “Now I know where you get your bossiness.”
“Hey.” She gave him a playful punch. “I keep telling you, I’m not bossy.”
Cal opened his mouth to respond, but Kaci stepped up to them. “Before you say anything, Cal, ‘yes, dear’ is the right answer. It’s always the right answer and the sooner you get that, the sooner your life will be filled with bliss.”
Kaci and Tara shared a conspiratorial look as they sat, and Cal smiled over the way Tara fit in so well with his team. He took his seat at the head of the table and felt like a fraud with the big carving knife and fork in his hands. But if June wanted him to carve, and Tara hadn’t disagreed, he’d do his best not to mutilate the turkey.
Once everyone was seated, June clapped her hands to gain everyone’s attention. She bowed her head and the others followed suit.
“Thank you, Father, for this time together to share this meal. You brought these special people into our lives to save my precious Tara, and for that, I am so thankful. Bless all of them, keep them safe in their work and, Father, let them know how important they are in keeping our country safe. Amen.”
A chorus of amens came from the group, but no one moved.
“What’s everyone waiting for?” June asked. “Cal, start carving, and the rest of you, grab a bowl.”
While food was passed around, Cal stood to carve, and he didn’t actually mutilate the turkey, more like critically wounded it.
“Perfect job for your first time.” Tara took the plate of turkey and handed it down the table.
“Yeah, man,” Kaci said. “If we ever have a callout where turkeys attack, you can lead the charge against them.”
The group erupted in laughter, and Cal joined in.
“Hey, it’s not so far-fetched,” Shane said when they’d settled down. “Where I grew up in Florida, we had wild turkeys that roamed our neighborhood, and they didn’t like the mailman so they attacked him almost every day.”
“Seriously?” June asked.
Shane nodded.
June shook her head. “With all the hunters around here, those turkeys wouldn’t last long.”
When silverware clanked to empty plates, Cal patted his pocket again. For a moment he worried that he might botch this very special day, but then he let it go. He’d prayed about this decision, and he was confident that proposing to Tara was the right thing to do.
He reached into his pocket and palmed the ring box. Standing, he turned Tara’s chair to face him and got down on one knee. Her mouth fell open, and he heard June gasp, then clap at the end of the table. He waited a moment for his teammates to offer smart-aleck comments, but no one spoke.
“Tara.” He opened the ring box, revealing the diamond Brynn and Kaci had helped him pick out. “You’ve changed my world. Dramatically. I couldn’t be more thankful for having you in my life, and I couldn’t be any happier. Well, except if you agree to marry me. I love you. Will you be my wife?”
He expected her to take her time, to think about it, but she threw her arms around his neck. “Yes!”
He drew back and settled his lips on hers, putting every ounce of his love in the kiss. His teammates erupted in applause and congratulations, and he remembered the day when he’d stood on the porch watching June and Tara and wished for a family in his life. He didn’t have to wish any longer. This group was his family, and with them, June, and Tara, he’d come home at last.
* * *
