A Christmas Call of Duty (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Colt

I 'm sitting at my desk in my quarters, sifting through a stack of paperwork when a ping from my laptop catches my eye. I open my official military inbox to find a new message waiting. Panic settles in as my eyes scan the contents. It's orders for a mandatory three-day inter-agency training seminar in Washington D.C. Apparently, they're wanting to improve coordination between military and civilian law enforcement K-9 units.

I stretch back in my chair and squeeze my shoulders together, trying to relieve some of the tension in my neck. This is exactly the kind of opportunity I need to network and gather more support for The Retired Heroes Project. Only, when I check the dates, I see that the training is from Wednesday, January 22nd through Friday, January 24th. That's next week.

I groan. The timing couldn't be worse. I'll barely make it back in time for the shelter's deadline, and Shay and I have just started to... I shake my head, trying to refocus on the positives. This could be good for the shelter too, in the long run. But how am I going to break the news to Shay that I won't be around to help out?

As soon as I'm off work, I drive down to Snowberry Creek, and my mind is racing with ideas for The Retired Heroes Project by the time I pull into the shelter's parking lot. I'm caught off guard by the sound of cheering coming from inside when I step out of my truck, and the parking lot is packed. I wonder what's going on.

The scene that greets me inside is an unexpected one. Margo, Tyler, and a few other volunteers are huddled together, smiling like they all just picked winning numbers for the Powerball. Tyler is the first one to notice me. "Colt! You're not going to believe this!" he shouts, bounding over to me like an overeager puppy.

"What's going on?" I ask, unable to contain the smile spreading across my face.

Tyler's words tumble out in a rush. "Remember how I was telling you about my cousins up in Syracuse? Well, they just secured us $100,000 from one of their startups! And that's not all. Jayden's been working on this grant from The Adirondack Community and Wildlife Trust, and they just approved us for another $50,000!"

My jaw drops. I was… not expecting that. At all. "Seriously? That's amazing! Congratulations, man. Looks like all that hard work is finally starting to pay off, huh?" Tyler and I join the rest of the group at the same time see Shay coming out of the bathroom. Her face practically lights up when she sees me. Makes me wonder what I ever did to get this lucky.

We're all standing around the whiteboard listening to Margo go over numbers when Shay slides in beside me. A part of me wants nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and plant a kiss on the top of her head, but I'm not sure how public she's ready to go with our relationship. And yes. I said relationship. Turns out Tyler's idea of showing up with Chinese food really was a power play because by the end of the night, Shay Mason officially became my girlfriend.

I focus my attention back on the numbers on the board. It looks like our group raised a total of $30,000 with our Bark in the New Year fundraiser and donations that rolled in after the event. Jayden's group brought in another $20,000 with their online crowdfunding campaign. The other two groups helped raise an additional $40,000 by way of local business partnerships and a handful of smaller community events.

I look down at Shay with a goofy grin, and her eyes sparkle with excitement. When she laces her arm around my back and gives me a side hug, I strongly consider lifting her into my arms and carrying her out the door like Zack does with Paula in An Officer and A Gentleman. But before I can act on that impulse, Margo's voice cuts through the celebratory chatter. "Alright, everyone. Now we need to talk about what's left."

The room quiets as Margo does some quick math with her dry erase marker. She writes a number on the board. Then, the air is filled with gasps and murmurs as she writes the next number and circles it in red. Suddenly, the room is quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Margo turns and clears her throat. "With our recent windfall and all our fundraising efforts combined," she says proudly, "we've managed to raise $240,000. Which means... we're still $110,000 short of our goal."

The air seems to leave the room all at once as she says the words out loud. I glance back down at Shay, watching as the joy fades from her eyes, and a familiar look of determination takes over.

"As you all know, we only have one week remaining to make our deadline. So, I'm asking each and every one of you to consider any other possible avenues we can explore. I appreciate all the hard work and time you've given to help this shelter stay afloat. Now, let's finish strong."

Whistles and cheers erupt from the crowd of volunteers, and I can tell they're more pumped than ever to see this thing through to the end. Too bad I won't be around to see it through with them. I glance around the shelter, looking for somewhere Shay and I can go and talk, then improvise when I don't find one. "I was hoping we could talk in private. Want to get some fresh air?" I ask, gesturing towards the front door.

She nods, following me with an expression I can already tell is worry. Once we're out of outside, I take a deep breath. "I know it's not the best timing, but I have to leave for D.C. next week. There's a three-day training seminar they want me to attend, and it's mandatory. I just found out this morning."

Shay's face falls, and I can see the stress creep into her eyes. "But... the deadline. When do you leave? When… will you be back?"

I reach for her hand, relieved that she let me take it. "I fly out Tuesday night, then I'll be back first thing Saturday morning, I promise. And if there's anything I can do to help from D.C., you have my word it will get done."

She bites her lip, clearly trying to process the new wrinkle in our plans. I squeeze her hand gently, hoping to reassure her, but it's hard to miss the tears she's fighting back. "Whoa, hey now. Come here," I say, pulling her tight into my arms. "I'm coming back, Shay. You're not getting rid of me that easy. You trust me, don't you?"

I feel her nod into my chest before she tilts back her head and smiles. And even with a mascara-stained face she's the most perfect thing I've ever laid eyes on. I lift my hand and use my thumb to gently wipe away any trace of makeup where it doesn't belong.

She laughs. "I swear, sometimes I don't know why you like me, Colt Ralston."

"You know… I don't just like you, Shay," I say, staring deep into her eyes. "I love you. You're my best friend."

Her expression changes as soon as the words leave my lips, and it's like watching a soldier suit up for battle. Her eyes harden through her tears as she lifts her chin. She's putting on her bravest face for me, and my heart aches at the sight. The moment stretches into an eternity, and I wonder if I've made a mistake when she buries her face back into my chest. But then, so softly I almost miss it, Shay whispers, "I love you too."

Relief floods through me, and I pull her in closer, savoring the warmth of her body against mine in the crisp winter air. When we finally break apart, her eyes are shining with a mix of emotions I can't quite decipher. "We should go tell Margo and Tyler," she says with a steady voice. "About the training, I mean. You know… before anyone else finds out and tells them first."

I nod, hoping she meant we should tell them about us. "Yeah. That's probably a good idea," I say, reaching up to run a hand across the back of my neck. "Ready to go back inside?"

I'm about to turn for the entrance when Shay grabs hold of my coat by the collar with both hands then pulls me back in. "Um, excuse me. Forgetting something, first?"

"Right," I say, letting the word draw out as my eyes zero in on her very smart, very sweet, and very kissable mouth. "How could I forget?"