She groaned and looked to Dakota. “Your sister’s going to kill me.”
“Not tonight,” he said with a devilish smile that made her melt.
The next morning, she woke up about eight thirty, and not knowing what she was supposed to do, she went in the kitchen and started breakfast. She put everything on a tray and took it back to the bed where her new husband was lying awake.
“Hmm, breakfast in bed. I can get use to this,” he teased.
It wasn’t a big deal, just something she was used to doing, so she shrugged. Then he said the words that hit the deepest part of her heart. “This is just the beginning of our forever.”
Yes, this is, she thought as she leaned down and kissed him.
The weekend went by as fast as the next week. Annalise wasn’t bad company, and Savannah and Jay had stopped by a few times. But even when Dakota came home on Saturday night, she felt strange; it all felt right, like this was how it was supposed to be. This was how her life was supposed to work out—happy and content.
It wasn’t until Monday morning when reality started sinking in again. “We have to get you a military I.D. before we go to housing.”
“I don’t have my birth certificate or even my social security card,” she thought out loud, knowing that they would need those before they could do much else.
He chuckled. “Your mom gave them to me after the wedding. I told her I needed them to get the housing application done.”
They had been driving for nearly an hour, and she was just now thinking about how much time it took for him to come all the way down to see her each weekend. He really must have loved her to make this drive so many times. And when winter set in, it would be icy and more dangerous for him to come down. She wasn’t sure why the guilt was setting in, but it was and it didn’t seem right.
Cally looked out the window as they passed a school and realized that school started in two weeks. Everything left her mind. “School starts in two weeks. We have to change all my records and fill out whatever they need done before I start.”
“We can stop there on the way back. We should be done with this by eleven,” he offered before asking, “What do we have to do?”
“I don’t know. But I’m thinking we should have my name and address changed and whatever else they want done.” She was totally guessing at this point, because she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
When they turned into the base, they were stopped at the gate. She handed over her I.D. card, and the guy just nodded. She was impressed they weren’t questioned. “He didn’t say anything about me coming on the base.” Last time she was there, she wasn’t permitted on the base and had to wait for him at the gate.
“It’s daytime, and you’re on the list because we have two appointments.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
Now that was a first. “You said we had one appointment to get the housing application done.”
“We have to get you an I.D., and that is another appointment,” he answered, and she looked to see it was now almost nine thirty. They were stopping in front of a very intimidating building. She looked over at him wearing his fatigues and she had on the second nicest dress she owned; the nicest being her wedding dress was still in its sealed bag hanging in the back of the closet. She was so not ready for this. She groaned inwardly to herself.
He opened the door for her and she nearly stumbled getting out. Dakota took her hand, offering the support that she greatly needed at that point because she wasn’t all that sure of what they were doing at such an imposing place. They went in and down the hall, and he whispered, “Just remember that woman that told you we shouldn’t be married and don’t be afraid to let them know how you feel.”
“Oh, no, I wasn’t in my right mind that day. I was scared to death, and the only reason I even got out of the car was because of your mom.” That moment started flashing through her mind all over again. “You so don’t want me to go there.”
They walked into an office with several desks and smaller offices before he had a chance to answer. The woman at the desk asked, “Can I help you?”
“We have an appointment with Sergeant Mallory,” he said in the most formal tone she had ever heard from him.
They woman looked at a sheet. “Name?”
“Dakota?” a woman called from behind them before he had a chance to answer.
They both seemed to turn at the same time to see another woman wearing a uniform, looking right at them. She had her hair up and was coming toward them.
Dakota seemed to know her. “Cally, this is Katharine Mallory. Kate this is my wife, Cally.”
Kate just smiled. “Come in, and let’s see what we can get done.”
Well, he half-dragged her into the office with this tall muscular she-demon that made Savannah look like a weak newborn bunny. Cally wanted to run when the office door shut behind them. But she just followed Dakota’s lead and she sat down next to him.
“Did you bring the papers?” Kate asked, looking at something on her desk.
He handed over a folder asking, “How’s John?”
The woman had a breathy laugh as she spoke. “He’s crawling everywhere and into everything. Some days I’m just glad to have to come in so I can get a break from chasing him.”
Dakota looked at Cally. “Her husband and I work together,” he explained.
The woman looked up. “Everything seems in order. I just need to make a few copies, and we can get your picture.”
Kate ducked out, and when she came back in, she handed over a stack of papers. “I need you to go through that and sign it if it’s accurate.”
Dakota seemed to glance over it and signed it twice, and then handed it to Cally. She was looking over the papers when Kate said, “We haven’t seen much of you lately. Is that going to change soon?”
Dakota laughed. “As soon as we get housing. Right now, she’s staying with a friend near my parents’ house.”
“From what I’ve heard, the waiting list isn’t as long as they say it is. We have nine families that are being transferred in the next few months, so with any luck, you won’t have to wait that long, and we can see you more.”
“I know it will be nice not to have to go back and forth,” he said, making her heart ache even more knowing that she was the reason for him having to come down so often.
Kate handed the papers over and smiled. “It’s official. You’re now an Air Force wife.”
Cally had no idea what to say to that. She wasn’t ready for any of this and didn’t even know what this was. She was still trying to figure out what being a normal wife was. How was she supposed to know what an army wife did? Were they trying to kill her or just scare her to death?
Dakota laughed. “Don’t mind her, she likes to hassle all the new faces. But she’ll grow on you.”
“Let’s get her cards made up,” Kate offered, heading out the door again.
Cally just followed Dakota and didn’t say a word. It wasn’t long before she had two new I.D. cards, and they were walking out with Kate saying, “Bring her around sometime, and don’t be a stranger.”
“I will. And thank you.” He waved as they headed out the door and down the hall to another set of offices. He leaned over and whispered, “Breathe.”
She looked at him and lied. “I’m fine.”
This time, he didn’t know who they were meeting, and everything was a little edgy, but when they left, the man said, “It should be about six to nine months before something opens