Remember Laughter

by Ginny Sterling

  There was nothing here for her anymore.

  Opening the garage door, she avoided looking to the right and seeing where his beloved BMW was missing or his cursed project car. Instead, she climbed into the jeep that was distinctly hers, backing out of the garage quickly. Leia was feeling like she was primed and ready to run away from this world she barely knew anymore.

  Oh, everything still hurt deep in her heart.

  She didn’t want to be a part of this world, this society, and his circle of friends. Her own circle was back home where she grew up. She would just contact a realtor to make the arrangements and liquidate everything.

  Leia didn’t even have a job. She hadn’t worked in the years they’d been married. She had no idea who they banked with or what to do with her husband’s things. She only knew, deep down inside, that she could not sleep under that roof without it crushing her soul over and over again.

  She needed a chance to pick up the broken pieces of her life.

  She was heading back to Tyler.

  Chapter 2

  January 2017

  Ghazni, Afghanistan

  Jason Hody grinned at the absolutely idiotic expression of joy on Mike Cooper’s face as he talked about his new bride back in Texas. He was happy for the man and shook his head as he prattled on and on about Cora.

  “We get it, Coop. She’s perfect and you snatched her right up.”

  “Hody – don’t be a hater.”

  “Oh, trust me – I’m not!” Jason exclaimed in mock horror, laying a hand upon his chest for dramatic effect. “I don’t plan on letting any one woman settle me down. I like a bit of spice on Mondays, a little something sweet on Tuesdays, a little something more refined on Wednesdays…” he drawled and winked at Luka, who was lounging on his bunk playing solitaire with a well-worn deck of cards.

  “I’m on the Luka-plan when it comes to chicks.”

  “No comment from the cheering crowd,” Luka quipped lightly, getting up and snagging another bottle of water from beside his bunk.

  “Dang, Puka,” Jason teased, making fun of Luka’s name and watching him with a questioning look on his face. “You are gonna make yourself sick at this rate. Don’t you have to use the restroom all the time, sucking down water like that? I swear, buddy, you should be floating by now.”

  “I’m just a little dehydrated from maneuvers yesterday. It’s nothing.”

  “If that was beer, your liver would have crawled from your body in fear for its safety.”

  “If it was beer, I wouldn’t even care at that point – and neither would you cause I know you’d be right beside me tossin’ them down.”

  “Touché my friend,” Jason acknowledged, holding up his own bottle of water in a mock toast. “Boys, hold up your waters! A toast to Mike’s new wife. She must be a saint to put up with his corny hide and obviously blind as a bat.”

  “To Mrs. Cooper!”

  “To Mrs. Coop!”

  “Just promise us all that you two will put out a warning if you start breeding, so the rest of society can have a chance to prepare for the onslaught that is sure to come,” Hody joked, getting up and hugging the man he considered his twin in camp.

  Both had dark hair, dark eyes, and liked to goof off in order to garner a few laughs and keep spirits up. The only difference between the two was that Mike seemed to be a little more outspoken, getting in trouble all the time, and Jason was more of a playful sort with hardly a filter to his mouth.

  “If you think I’m going to report in to you all when I finally get to celebrate my wedding night with the woman of my dreams – you are certifiably insane,” Mike snorted, elbowing Jason hard.

  “I’m working on a plan to get myself back home as quickly as possible.”

  “You runnin’ away?”

  “It’s more like running towards my pretty bride.”

  “I hear that,” Jason said with a grunt. “I guess if you’ve got focus, and a direction in your life, I should be a little jealous of how good you have it right now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing,” Jason said quickly, glancing around.

  He didn’t want to ruin morale when things were just starting to pick up after Ethan’s accident and Colin’s court martial; they’d even lost their mentor recently due to retirement. Everyone on the team looked up to John Griffin. With Ethan losing a leg when he stepped on a landmine, it had been quite a blow to the team – excuse the pun, Jason thought to himself. Then Colin had been suspended for a month, as a result of the accident. It was one thing after the other, and they were waiting for the next event to occur.

  A few of the guys had begun to whisper that they’d been cursed and that was the reason for the run of bad luck and tragic events. Jason didn’t believe in curses. It was usually the result of something else. Carelessness, stupidity, lack of planning, or simply going with the flow until you hit a dead stop.

  “Jase - something going on?” Mike questioned quietly.

  “Nope.” Jason said brightly. “I just think it’s cool you found someone that you think is really special and she turned out to be your online Candy Crush buddy . That’s a little weird, but really cool, man.”

  “Want me to set you up with someone? I’m sure Cora’s got a…”

  “What? NO!” Jason snapped, backing away from his lovesick friend. “Luka-diet, remember? I don’t need some woman sending me tokens on a game to win my heart. I’m not sure what I want in a woman, so setting me up is a sure-fire failure for both of us. Do me a favor and leave my love life to me. Okay?”

  “You got it.”

  Three weeks later

  “Dude? Are you alright?” Tobin questioned aloud, leaning away from where Luka was weaving on the bench opposite of them in the convoy truck. It struck Jason as odd to see the man acting so ‘off’; maybe Luka had picked up the flu or some sort of contagious disease.

  “I’m fine,” Luka replied, shaking his head lightly. He was obviously trying to focus and clear his thoughts. “I think I got something bad for dinner last night in town.”

  “What was her name?”

  “Ha ha. Very funny, Tobin. Hody? Watson? Anyone else want to chime in?”

  “Nope. That was a good one,” Hody grinned, elbowing the no-nonsense man sitting beside him, giving Jason a nasty glare. Even Watson’s dog, Paladin, seemed to be giving him the same look. He’d heard that animals often mimicked their owners, but this was taking things to the extreme. Both were arrogant, hard-headed, spoil-sports when it came to having a little fun.

  Luka seemed slow to realize that the truck had come to a stop. Men began climbing out of the truck like ants filing out of a disturbed mound, one right after the other. Looking around, Watson immediately stepped forward to take command. Jason practically rolled his eyes as he was ordered to search the caves off to the right of where they stood.

  There was evidence that two vehicles had been here and one of them was obviously the convoy truck. The tracks were quickly blended with another, showing that they drove off together. Was Post being followed? Jason noticed the smoldering remains of a bonfire. This was all too reminiscent of when Ethan lost his leg. The memory made him freeze, not wanting to take a step.

  “You think there’s anyone waiting in the caves again? Remember when Ethan lost his leg in this valley…” Hody finally said quietly, looking around.

  “Shut up, Hody. I’m already on it with Paladin. Y’all check the caves and watch your steps. First one that finds them, radio in,” Watson barked out.

  “Did anyone try the radios already?” Tobin ordered.

  “Yeah, there’s nothing.”

  “Luka, are you sure you’re okay? You can wait in the truck, buddy.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Jason watched Luka pick up his rifle and head off towards the direction that Watson had pointed. They were already scaling the cliffs and inspecting the area for signs that someone had been there. Luka slung his rifle over his shoulder and began to pull himself upw
ards along the cliffs. He immediately started off towards his own designation, watching the sand carefully for any signs of disturbance.

  The sun was getting higher in the sky and the temperatures seemed to be climbing quickly. He’d been assigned to the hill facing the sunrise and had been in the sun for quite a bit now, moving from cave to cave.

  This was a lost cause, Jason thought morosely.

  If Post was actually out here instead of being taken hostage by the rebels, the man had to be injured or dead. He would prefer that they didn’t end up the same way! Emerging from another cave, Jason noticed that there was a woman descending the rock face on the opposite side.

  “I’ll be darned,” Jason breathed with a wide grin, realizing that Luka had found Post - and the female reporter! Post had been tasked with giving a tour to her, when they came up missing. He hadn’t seen her yet, but had heard about how pretty she was from Luka.

  They were scrambling down the side of the hill towards the others in a fairly quick fashion. Jason was walking across the sand back towards where several of the men were regrouping to head back to base. He glanced at the woman walking beside Luka and grinned.

  The man had excellent taste in women.

  The reporter was just as lovely as he claimed. Long dark hair, tall and lithe, very easy on the eyes. There was a glimmer of uncanny intelligence in her gaze… until she looked at Post.

  Good gravy! Was everyone love struck around here?

  Whoever this reporter was, she obviously had a thing for Jamie Post. It was written all over her face when she met his eyes. They were practically fawning over each other! Jason chuckled for a second before he saw Luka collapse in the sand.

  Jason ran forward, yanking up Luka’s limp body from the sand. Watson grabbed his legs, and Tobin let down the tailgate of the truck.

  “Careful! Watch his head!”

  “Hurry it up!”

  “I’m hurrying – trust me! It’s not easy to carry a grown man on sand, ya’ know?” Jason grimaced. It wasn’t that he was a weakling, it was more the fact that Luka was completely limp – dead weight. His boots were sliding in the sand with each step and the last thing he wanted to do was dislocate something or injure his neck that was lolling off his arm.

  They slid him into the truck and climbed in quickly. Everyone flew into action, trying to give their friend and fellow soldier basic first aid.

  “Is he sickly?” the woman asked, climbing into the truck and feeling Luka’s forehead.

  “Not that we know of,” Post admitted.

  The truck lunged forward, engine roaring, as it raced forward. The woman took a seat at the front of the truck bed and quickly set Luka’s head in her lap, feeling his forehead and checking his pulse at his throat.

  “He isn’t flushed.”

  “Check for a bite. Maybe a snake got him during the climb.”

  “Could be a spider bite.”

  “Get his legs up above his head to keep blood flow going.”

  “No, he needs to lay flat.”

  “Noooo, yank his stupid legs up and hold them there.”

  “Are you a doctor?”

  “Are you?”

  “Both of you, shut your pie-holes and can it!”

  “You’re no doctor, either!”

  “Somebody dig out the first aid kit, please?”

  “Why are you taking his belt off?”

  “Heat stroke?”

  “From his belt?”

  “No dummy – I’m trying to loosen his clothing!”

  “Just spray him down with cool water if he’s overheated.”

  “Well, sure I will! I’ll grab a mister and a few rose-scented cool towels and just roll his LIMP BODY into the spa when we arrive,” Jason snapped angrily, throwing a roll of gauze at Tobin.

  “Is he breathing?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Could he be asleep?”

  “With Hody stripping him and screaming at everyone – I doubt it.”

  “Shaddup Tobin!”

  “Can’t this bucket of bolts go any faster?”

  “I’m going straight to Med,” Watson yelled back from the front seat where he’d taken charge of the driving. They were rallying around one of their fallen – brothers at arms, always.

  “No brother gets left behind,” Post said quietly, holding Luka’s limp hand, as the truck came to a stop. A massive roar of approval went up where they sat, as the other eight men chanted loudly in response. The back gate of the truck was flung open as they filed out, grabbing Luka. They put his limp body on a nearby gurney and ran into the building. As they entered, they were immediately stopped at the main emergency room by the nurses on duty. The nurses took Luka into a treatment room, shutting them out.

  Post was talking to his reporter friend and looked absolutely devastated. It was easy to imagine how he felt, how they all felt. This was the same room where they’d been when Ethan had lost his leg. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming as Jason looked around, and he saw it on his comrades faces.

  Taking a seat on a bench nearby, Jason saw Tobin, Watson, Cooper, Parker, and Post join him. The reporter, whose name was Lucy, sat at the very far end of the bench, right beside Post. They were all talking together as if to keep their worries at bay. The men discussed anything else, cracked several lewd jokes, and commented on what was on the menu for dinner tonight in the mess hall.

  Time seemed to pass so slowly and they were hoping for any word on Luka’s condition. It was unusual to have one of them collapse for no reason at all. The door opened, and a doctor stepped out. The soldiers all jumped to their feet in unison, at attention.

  “He’ll be fine and is resting right now.”

  “What happened?” Post blurted out anxiously.

  “I’ll discuss it with him once he’s rested. I know you are worried, but I cannot say anything without discussing the matter with the patient first. He will be fine and you can visit with him tomorrow once he’s more alert and stable.”

  Jason saw something was going on between the two lovebirds about ten feet from him. He met Cooper’s eyes and saw the concern on his friend’s face. Neither one of them wanted to lose a friend and if something happened – it could have been any one of them, including the newly married man.

  “You are gonna get back to Cora,” Jason said quietly. “No one wants you to miss out on a wedding night, when you are the only one that has a shot in the dark at sleeping with a girl anytime soon.”

  “Don’t talk about my wife like that,” Mike said flatly, frowning at him. “The offer stands at setting you up with a girl back home.”

  “I can find my own girl,” Jason repeated once again. “Everything will be okay - just like we have to trust the doctors. Luka will be fine. Coop, you are going to get yourself back home to your little wife… and I am going to enjoy a nice, cool shower and a long nap.”

  “It’s all about priorities. Right?”

  “Absolutely, brother,” Jason said with a grin.

  Jason quickly turned away from the other soldiers, heading towards the barracks they shared. Truth was, this whole matter had him completely rattled. Luka was the third instance in a string of events and he was starting to worry that someone else was going to be the fourth!

  He wasn’t superstitious. It was a simple fact that things kept occurring to his team that seemed to result in life changes different from what they’d all been used to. All those changes pushed them to step up to the next level and he didn’t care for it.

  He wasn’t a leader.

  He had nothing to bring to the table, which was part of the reason he avoided relationships. He wanted to keep his head down, do his work, and forget about his obligations at the end of the day. He’d always been told that he ‘wouldn’t amount to anything’ and that he was acting dumb, or the class clown, when he was growing up. Despite what people believed, he was a hard worker and got to play with explosives on base now.

  Dumb grunts don’t get to do that, he thought angrily at th
e names he’d been called over the years. He’d always been overlooked and while most times it suited him, today it had frustrated him to no end to have Watson bossing people around. The man wasn’t Griffin in the slightest. Griffin treated them like he was an older brother, but Watson had something in his tone that made you feel like he thought he was above you.

  Everyone seemed to know what lot he was supposed to have in his life or seemed to be butting in where they weren’t wanted. Jason didn’t take it personally; he just sidestepped any chance for anyone to make a decision for him.

  He knew he wouldn’t be the leader of their squad, but then again, he hoped it wasn’t Watson, either. He also knew there was no way he was ever going to let Cooper try to set him up with some fly-by-night-woman on the other side of the world - especially one that Cooper picked out for him!

  Seriously? Who was dumb enough to fall for something like that? Jason thought and then froze as the answer hit him square between the eyes. He stood there for several seconds, frozen mid-reach, getting a towel from his locker.

  Griffin.

  Wilkes.

  Minter.

  … and now Cooper!

  All of them had found love where they least expected it.

  Shaking his head at the insipid idea of ‘happily ever after’ that these men had supposedly found, Jason sighed heavily, snatching the towel with vehemence. They were good men, decent guys, and probably deserved a little happiness in their lives.

  Jason didn’t.

  Chapter 3

  September 2017

  Leia eyed the dog in the kennel warily and glanced back at the blonde woman that her mother had referred her to. Supposedly Shamrock had the tamest animals around for a pet clinic… that happened to combine counseling at the same time. Her mother had told her for the last two weeks that she needed to find something to make her feel happy.

  “Get a kitten, Leia. Maybe something sweet like Mr. Snookums, honey?”