First Class Hero (First Class Novels) Read online

  *****

  Paul sat at the computer in the communications center on the military base in the middle of the desert in Kandahar. He had just replied to Nic’s email. She had told him about sorting through her household items and boxing up her belongings. She would be moving in just a few weeks. Her email had been full of optimism and hope and he liked this side of her. Since he had met her over four months ago, she had been somewhat of an enigma. He knew he was attracted to her physically. She had the most beautiful soulful eyes that sparkled when she smiled. He had found himself lost in them at times. And his body inevitably responded to her when he was near her. On numerous occasions he’d had a difficult time pushing inappropriate thoughts from his mind. But more importantly she was intelligent and articulate and when she let you in, she had a great sense of humor. She was brutally honest and he found that incredibly attractive. She was also extraordinarily difficult to read. She walled off all emotion. She had obviously been hurt and after hearing about her childhood and her mother, he was starting to understand those deep bruises a little more. She was wounded and scarred and he felt very protective of her. She had not asked him for anything; quite the opposite in fact. She was keeping him at arms’ length. Her emails were very friendly and full of information, but rarely included emotion or sentiments of anything more than friendship. Yet he was still drawn to her. He knew in his heart that if he could break down the walls she had fortified around her heart she would be so worth it. He had to earn her trust, something she obviously did not give easily. But he would do it. He had to. His future depended on it.

  *****

  Heather Stewart sat in the coffee shop tapping her manicured fingernails on the table waiting for her daughter Nicole to arrive. She was already seven minutes late and Heather was a bit irked by her daughter’s rudeness. She didn’t have all afternoon and Nicole should be more considerate of her time.

  Finally, a couple of minutes later, Nic rushed through the door and all but ran to the table with her mother.

  “So sorry,” she panted. “I was dropping some stuff off at Salvation Army and it took much longer than I thought. Sorry,” she pleaded.

  “Oh Nicole! You know I work for a living! I don’t have all day to waste away like you do.”

  Nic bit her bottom lip and wondered if there would ever come a time when her mother would consider her worthy of her precious time. Not today, she thought.

  “Have you ordered?” Nic asked.

  “No, I was waiting for you!”

  “Well let’s get a drink then, shall we?”

  “I’ll take a grande iced skinny hazelnut latte.”

  Nic looked at her mother. She didn’t move. Apparently I’m paying, too! Nic placed their orders and paid for the two drinks. She stood at the counter and waited for the barista to make their coffees and then she handed her mother her drink. Nic sat opposite and played with the straw poking out of the plastic cup lid.

  “Well, you called me!” Heather snapped.

  Nic attempted a smile but couldn’t make it happen. She took deep breath and tried to remember she was an adult, a grown-up, and not an eight year old child still desperate for her mother’s attention and approval.

  “I wanted to tell you that I have been offered a great teaching position.”

  “Oh? Still in kindergarten?” Heather asked.

  Nic sighed. “I am a kindergarten teacher mom. That’s what I went to school to be. It’s what I love and I have been hired to do what I love.”

  “It’s a glorified daycare provider, Nicole. I think you could be something really important, like a lawyer. Why don’t you try to do something with your life? You didn’t have all of the disadvantages I did. You don’t have to work as hard as I did to get somewhere.” Heather shook her head in disgust.

  “Well, I believe that a kindergarten teacher can change a child’s life and I want to make sure that every child feels loved and cherished. The job is in New York. I’m moving in three weeks,” she added quickly.

  “New York?”

  “At a private Catholic school.”

  “Oh Nicole. Really? Couldn’t you be a stripper? That would be less embarrassing.”

  Nic fought mightily to hold back the tears that were close to the surface. She wouldn’t let her mother see her cry.

  “Mom, I’m sorry you don’t approve.”

  “He was a Catholic, you know!” The disdain dripped from her tongue.

  “Really? I didn’t know that,” Nic said, totally surprised her mother revealed something new about her father.

  “Yes. He wore a cross and everything,” Heather smirked.

  “What was his name?”

  “Well for the last thirty years I’ve just called him the bastard.”

  “Yes, I know,” Nic sighed. “But he did have a name. What was it?”

  “Greg.”

  “Greg?”

  “Greg Wilkins.”

  Nic was stunned. She had asked her mother a million times to tell her about her father and she refused every time. And now she had a name.

  13.

  Almost Done!

  From: Lathem, Paul R. LCDR (lathempr@nav...

  Date: Wednesday, August 08 05:05 AM

  To: Nic Stewart (nicas821@out...

  Hi Nic!

  Thanks so much for the last email. I am thrilled to hear all about the new apartment. Sounds perfect! And I’m glad to hear you’ve made some new friends already at your new school. My offer still stands btw. I’ll fly down to you and drive the moving truck back. I know how nervous you are about doing that. And no, you won’t miss your car once in the city. Public transportation is excellent. Don’t stress over that. I’ll call you when I get back to San Diego and make the final arrangements with you. :)

  So I get back to San Diego on the 11th and my parents and a couple of my brothers are flying in for the ceremony on the 12th. It’s nothing fancy. Just the unit having a little goodbye thing. I’m sure my mother will cry and who knows, I might too. Hahaha.

  So this will be my last email. I pack up and start the trek home tomorrow. It still feels pretty surreal. BUT, I will see you soon!

  I want you to know that your emails have been great to read. They have helped to make the time fly by and I’ve loved getting to know you better and I really feel like we will be friends for a very long time. Thank you!

  Love, Paul.

  *****

  Nic closed the lid of her laptop, a smile plastered to her face. He was coming home still in one piece and he wanted to help her move to New York. What a generous offer; one she wasn’t going to refuse. The thought of driving a moving truck for the four hundred plus mile journey made her palms sweat and the idea of driving in Manhattan in a car made her sick, so a truck was positively nauseating. She would be eternally grateful to him for this one!

  Paul had invited her to San Diego for his last day as a Seal but she had declined…for several reasons. First off, she couldn’t afford it. The cost of living in Manhattan was considerably higher than what she was used to, and even though her salary was considerably higher than in the state of Virginia, she needed to be as frugal as possible. And if truth be told, she wasn’t at all comfortable with the idea of being there with Paul’s family. How would she explain her relationship with him? She didn’t even know what it was so how could she articulate it to others? She considered Paul a friend…a very good friend. She couldn’t let herself think of him as more than that, although sometimes when he signed his emails ‘Love, Paul,’ her heart skipped a beat and her breath hitched in her throat. But she wasn’t even close to ready to have a relationship that was anything more than friendship. She had tried very hard to make sure she in no way led Paul on. She didn’t want him assuming things that she was not ready for. She knew she was emotionally screwed up. Her mother had made sure of that. And she wasn’t going to saddle anyone with her issues. That wasn’t fair.

  But then the thought entered her mind that made her smile again. He would be here in just a fe
w days!

  *****

  The Lathem family did nothing on a ‘small scale’! The first class cabin of the aircraft was full of Lathems. Peter and his wife Maureen were the first to board. Maureen was so thrilled at the thought of her son leaving the Navy she could hardly stand it. As proud as she was of her son for serving as honorably as he had, she was glad to have him finally out of harm’s way. Peter held her hand and smiled at his wife. He was as happy as his wife, just not as vocal.

  Matt, Paul’s oldest brother, and his wife Janie were also headed to San Diego with their two young children, Ella and Christopher. With them stood Matt’s younger brother Mark and his wife Katy. To round out the trip was Andrew, the third Lathem son, and his husband Rory and their four month old daughter, Isabelle. It was quite a group and the flight was full of fun and laughter and they landed in Los Angeles in no time. Just a quick flight on to San Diego and they would be reunited with Paul. It couldn’t come soon enough for Maureen.

  *****

  Paul sat in his tiny apartment for the last time. His entire life in San Diego fit into six boxes that UPS had just picked up. They would be shipped to his parents’ house where he would arrive tomorrow. Paul stood and straightened his dress whites, grabbed his hat and locked the door behind him. This chapter had closed.

  He walked to the waiting car and slid into the back seat. The door was shut and the driver pulled away from the curb, heading for Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, his home away from home for the past eleven years. He looked at the buildings and the people milling about. The gate was opened and the black SUV took him all the way to the front of the building he had spent thousands of hours in, planning and preparing for hundreds of missions. He stepped on to the curb and took the steps, two at a time, up to the front door. He was escorted to a large conference room and heard his mother before he saw her.

  “Paul!”

  He hugged her tightly and then his father. His brothers shook his hand and hugged him too, Matt last and taking a little longer as he choked up a little. Then Janie, Katy and Rory each embraced him and he marveled over his niece and nephew that were just weeks old the last time he saw them. His attention was interrupted by the pulling of his pants.

  “Unca Paw! Pick L’Ella up, pease!”

  Paul scooped Ella into his arms and she threw her little arms around his neck and knocked his hat right off his head. She refused to let go, so Paul greeted his fellow Seals with a three year old locked to his chest.

  Out of the corner of the room, a movement caught Paul’s eye and as he turned his head, Ed stepped towards him. Janie pried Ella from her uncle and Ed and Paul clasped each other’s hands and then hugged firmly.

  “What are you doing here?” Paul asked, astounded at his friend’s appearance.

  “You want me to go?” Ed laughed.

  “NO! No, I’m thrilled. Just surprised.”

  “I’m not here as your friend. I’m here on assignment.”

  Paul was about to ask what was going on when Captain Banks came forward and the Seals came to attention.

  “Lieutenant Commander Lathem.”

  “Sir,” replied Paul.

  “Let’s get this going shall we?” Captain Banks stated. He directed the civilians to make themselves comfortable and Rory stood at the back of the room with a video camera, capturing it on film. The Seals all stood at the front of the room until they were directed “At ease” and could sit in the chairs around the walls of the room.

  “I know this was going to be a little informal goodbye,” smiled the Captain. “But now it’s not quite so informal. Commander Branson?”

  Ed walked to Paul where he stood at the head of the table. He pulled from his pocket a piece of paper, which he carefully unfolded and began to read.

  “Attention to award.

  “The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Lieutenant Commander Paul Lathem, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as a member of Seal Team Seven, Naval Special Warfare Task Group in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM near Kandahar Afghanistan while serving with British Special Forces in the rescue of two American and one British hostage. Lieutenant Commander Lathem placed his body in between an explosion and the hostages in order to protect them from harm, saving two of his brothers in arms, two American hostages and a British hostage. By his bold initiative, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Lieutenant Commander Lathem reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

  Paul was speechless. He slowly turned to see his entire family wiping their eyes and blowing their noses. He turned back to Ed who shook his hand and his Captain who stepped forward, handed him a black box, opened and displaying the medal.

  “But…” he began.

  “You deserve this, Paul. You have earned the title of true American Hero. Congratulations.”

  Paul thanked Captain Banks and then one by one, his team, his brothers in arms, his buddies, all congratulated him.

  “We’re gonna miss you,” they said.

  Paul tried to fight the emotion sitting in his throat but finally gave up as his voice hitched as he said goodbye to the men that he had risked his life with over and over again. And then a tear, or two, rolled down his cheeks. The honor that had just been bestowed on him was enormous and he felt extremely unworthy.

  For a split second he wondered if he had made the right decision. But then the conversation with his wise older brother replayed in his head.

  Do I want to just walk away? he’d asked Matt.

  I guess that depends on what you’re walking to.

  14.

  Nic stood at the baggage claim of the Norfolk International Airport waiting for Paul. According to the arrival screen his plane had just landed so he would still be a few minutes. She walked over to the row of chairs against the wall and sat, pulling her phone from her pocket.

  “Nic?”

  Startled, Nic glanced up to see Jenny standing in front of her. “Jenny,” she mumbled and turned her attention back to her phone.

  “You have nothing to say to me?”

  Nic took a deep breath and lifted her eyes back up to see Jenny shooting daggers back.

  “No,” she said. “I don’t.”

  “Well I certainly have something to say to you! I got fired because of you!”

  That got Nic’s attention. “How so?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet, but I’m sure it was you!”

  Nic snorted. “You’ve got a nerve. You accuse me of something I am completely innocent of while you stand there having fired me!”

  “That was out of my control. There were budget issues that had to be dealt with. You weren’t fired, you were laid off.”

  Nic all out belly laughed at Jenny. She stood in front of her, hands on her hips, in the most ridiculous turquoise pumps Nic had ever seen. She really believed that Nic’s hand was in her firing.

  “I didn’t even know you weren’t at River Grove anymore. I did not get you fired.”

  Jenny sat down next to Nic and sighed. “I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine and then one day I get a call from the superintendent and at the end of the school year I’m out.”

  Nic was incredibly uncomfortable. She didn’t like Jenny and she certainly wasn’t interested in trying to make her feel better.

  “Well now you know how it feels.”

  “You were just a teacher, and a kindergarten one at that! I am a principle!”

  “Were,” Nic corrected her, a slight smugness in her tone she couldn’t quite keep out.

  Jenny sneered at her and then folded her arms across her chest. “There aren’t any jobs this side of the Mississippi. I may have to become a waitress like you.”

  “Oh, I’m not a waitress anymore.”

  “Have you been promoted to hostess?”

  Nic chuckled. “No. I am a Kindergarten teacher.”

&nbs
p; “Where?” Jenny asked, her unbelief obvious.

  “In Manhattan. Got my New York teaching license and everything.”

  That shut her up. Nic looked up to see an incredibly good-looking man in denim shorts, flip flops and a Navy t-shirt standing in front of them.

  “Hi,” he smiled as their eyes met.

  Nic jumped from her seat and stood next to Paul.

  “Hi,” she whispered. “It’s really good to see you.”

  “Likewise.”

  Jenny cleared her throat. Nic looked down to see her smiling at Paul. “Hello,” she purred and extended her hand.

  “Paul? This is Jenny, my old boss at River Grove.”

  Paul raised his eyebrows at Nic and she shrugged her shoulders. He took the offered hand and shook it quickly and released it. Then he snaked his arm around Nic’s waist and pulled her close to his side and kissed her forehead.

  “It’s really good to see you,” he breathed his warm breath onto her skin.

  Shivers ran the length of Nic’s spine, her body betraying her completely.

  “If you’ll excuse us, we have some catching up to do,” Paul dismissed Jenny and walked Nic in the direction of the exit.

  Jenny watched them leave, mouth open.

  Once outside, Paul let go of Nic and laughed. “Sorry about that,” he grinned. “I just couldn’t help myself. I had to wipe that…that smirk off her face. And…I think we did it.”

  “That we did,” Nic mumbled and tried to concentrate on walking to the car.