Command: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Amélie S. Duncan

  We drove toward the airport and took the Miner’s Airfield exit, passing the sign and revealing Nate’s date-night surprise: Wings Out Skydiving. Had he planned for the two of us to skydive? Anger rose, but then I saw the sign next to it: Wings Out Skydiving Airshow. We drove in, and the parking lot was packed. It took a while, but we finally found a parking place.

  Taking off my helmet, I scrunched up my face. “Airshow?” I mocked with a yawn.

  He poked my side and laughed. “It’s more of a continuation of yesterday. We’ll eat more and hang out with friends. Besides, Maeve made her famous homemade custard, the sky walkers will do their thing, and they’ll play a lot of cheesy music we can make fun of.” He embraced me.

  “And then what?” I blinked at him, and my heart warmed at the spark in his eyes.

  “We can lie all over each other.”

  I grinned. “This is a kid event.”

  “They have to go home sometime.”

  Maeve appeared with a cooler. “I need you two to get the rest out of the car. I left our spot up front.” She used a move it or else tone.

  “Hey, Maeve.” A man with wavy brown hair and cobalt-blue eyes came by.

  Maeve tossed her hair over her shoulder and gave him a toothy grin. “Hey, Chad.”

  He checked her out from head to toe. With the bright, wide grin he sported now, it was obvious he liked what he saw. “Good to see you were able to come; you cooked too?”

  “Yes. We have plenty if you would like to have something. I made homemade custard,” Maeve said and held up a cup. “I have enough for you to try.”

  He touched his stomach and groaned. “You’re spoiling me. Do you need a hand?”

  “No, I’ve got it.” Nate took the cooler and gave Chad the stink eye.

  Chad glimpsed Nathan, and his mouth turned down at the corners. “I’ll catch up to you later, I hope.”

  “Yes, Chad. I hope so too.” She blushed.

  He winked at her and gave Nate a smirk before strolling off.

  I covered my mouth to suppress my laugh. “Jesus, Nathan. What’s your problem?”

  “Did you invite him?” he asked Maeve.

  “No, but I told him I was coming here. So what?” She poked his shoulder.

  He furrowed his brows, and I patted his back. “Please let Maeve have fun.”

  “It’s not like that. He’s too young and gets around. He keeps it up, he’ll have gone through all the single women in town. You should be with someone serious and stable, not some playboy. He didn’t even introduce himself to Dad and me.”

  “Sure, old man. Should Chad sit in the drawing room and wait for you and your dad to give him your blessing?” I gagged.

  “Says the guy that wants sex first. Patriarchal double standards,” Maeve added.

  Nathan shrugged. “I don’t care. I don’t want some jerk messing my sister around. Our family is a package deal.”

  “If that’s the case, then Aidan doesn’t like me, so I shouldn’t see you either.”

  “He does like you,” Nate and Maeve said at the same time.

  “And Shana’s right, Nate. Stop scaring Chad off. I made up my mind. I want to be caught by him.”

  We both laughed at Nathan’s frown.

  We passed a DJ and a row of booths with food and games before reaching the spot where Maeve had set up our picnic. We waved at Grady and Sidney, who were busy entertaining and feeding children. Nate dropped over to help and swung a few kids off their feet into the air.

  I laughed with Maeve, who handed me a cup of her custard. “He’s great with kids, isn’t he?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” she said, smiling at her brother. “It’s hard to stay mad at him when he does stuff like that.”

  I waggled my brows. “Chad’s hot, and he wants you. What are you waiting for?”

  Her face turned red. “I’m not exactly waiting.”

  “What’s going on, Maeve, or do I have to find Chatty Cathy?”

  “Things are going okay, but we only run into each other at work. The airshow is outside of work.”

  I looked her over, she had on a fitted, V-neck shirt and wedges with a little gloss on her lips. She was the ponytail, jeans, and sneakers type.

  “Your big signal you want to get asked out: fitted top and custard,” I teased.

  She giggled. “I’m rusty. You’re with Nate?”

  I ate the custard and moaned. “This is pure heaven. I’d skip dating and marry you . . . We’re taking things slow.”

  “Good,” she said and stretched on her back on the blanket with her arms folded behind her head. “I won’t accept anything but you becoming my sister and having his babies now.”

  I rolled my eyes. “No pressure then.”

  “Oh, the pressure just started. I can see Nate’s madly in love with you again. Don’t break his heart this time. I’m saying that out of love for you both.”

  I chewed my lip. I didn’t want to. My phone buzzed, and to my surprise, it was my mom.

  “Hi, Shana. I’m calling to check to see if you’re coming to the event for Jackson?”

  “Oh, I . . . yes. Sure,” I stammered.

  She was silent on the line for a moment.

  “Is there something else?” I asked.

  “I’d like to know if you can help serve the guests. Just for the first couple hours. I mean, I hired staff, but I’m not sure I have enough . . . you can have a guest with you, but it’s black tie.”

  My heart sank. “Okay. Just let me know what I need to do.”

  “Okay . . . oh, and thanks for going over to help Loren. She was really gracious about it,” she said and hung up.

  Maeve moved closer and put her arm around my shoulder and squeezed. “I didn’t hear, but you look like you could use a hug.”

  I stared down at my lap. “I’m fine, really. Mom asked me to help serve at an event she set up for Jackson’s memorial.”

  “He’s your twin. You should be there as an attendee, not a server,” she said.

  I shrugged. “I’m not bothered. The memorial is for Jackson, and I’d do anything to help support families going through what we did.”

  She hugged my side. “Taking the high road, are you now? Well, if you were my daughter, you wouldn’t need to. I’d already know you’re hurting.”

  I didn’t answer because I couldn’t speak.

  Kenny Loggins’s Danger Zone blared out of the speaker, announcing the beginning of the airshow, and Nate returned. Maeve kissed her brother’s cheek, and he rubbed the gloss she left and laughed. He sat behind me, and I moved between the gap in his legs. “My mom invited us to the memorial.”

  “All right.” He opened his mouth, and I laughed as I spoon-fed him the rest of the creamy custard while listening to Emerson. She read off a list of sponsors and acknowledgments for the event. Afterward, she introduced the announcers who would present the show airplanes soon.

  While everything around us was different, the memory of Jackson, Nate, and me here to skydive and celebrate our eighteenth birthdays came to mind. Jackson had to jump first. Of course, he’d expected me to follow.

  “Let’s do this, Shadow,” Jackson screams by the airplane’s open door while strapped to his flight partner for the tandem skydive. He gives me the hang-loose sign and leaps.

  I stick my tongue out at Nate and jump right after, screaming and laughing into the air as I ride the sky.

  Even on that day, Jackson was fearless, and as his Shadow, I lived fearlessly too. He never hesitated to do anything. He lived fully every day.

  Nate rubbed my arms and eased the tension I hadn’t known was there.

  “I’m thinking of him too,” he whispered against my ear and kissed my temple. “We had an awesome day.”

  “We did,” I murmured.

  With him, I didn’t have to push away the memory. Nate helped me cherish it.

  I pulled his arms tighter and relaxed into him. Chad came over and sat by Maeve and ate custard. I glanced around at the Malones on
their blankets and their kids playing with bubbles. We were all just sitting around together, and I hadn’t felt so content in years. Yet, it could all end if I return to LA—something I wouldn’t have hesitated to do a couple of months ago. But now, it brought tears to my eyes. This could be mine. Summer nights like these. Picnics. Family get-togethers. Inclusion.

  “You okay, baby?” Nathan cuddled me closer and kissed my forehead. I wanted this. I wanted his arms wrapped around me. Wanted him. “We can go home soon.”

  Home.

  He was . . . Nathan’s love was boundless. His kindness and concern were so genuine that the more time we spent together, the harder it became to let him go.

  Shana

  I started the car, and my phone buzzed. My old investor Zander again. I couldn’t keep avoiding him. He treated me like a pariah when I couldn’t raise the money, but now blew up my phone. Then again, avoiding him was flaky. So, I ovaried-upped and answered.

  “Shana. Finally. Why haven’t you contacted me about the offer on your app company?”

  “My mom is sick and needs a bone marrow transplant.” I cringed at my excuse.

  “Okay. You’ll be out of commission for what, a month? We can work around it. You work remotely and then come back full-time, or you sell. The investor isn’t going to wait forever. You know how these things go. Your app is LA interesting today, and tomorrow they don’t remember you. I want to sell, or you’ll need to buy me out.”

  “I understand. I’ll have an answer soon. I must go.”

  I hung up and huffed. Why was I dragging my feet? I understood opportunities didn’t come all the time. Having someone take my app company off me wasn’t a bad idea. I wouldn’t need my parents or my trust fund. Although if I sold, I’d make a smaller profit than it was worth after I paid him back. If I developed the app more, it could become something worth millions. Any option would take me away from Sunnyville and Nathan. I didn’t want to think of being without him. Our time together formed something new between us. I didn’t want to hurt him. Though he still worked as a cop, and I had a criminal case against me. Even if I stayed, could I honestly build a life here?

  My parents were divorcing, not that I could count on them. They still were the executors of my trust. Not to mention how most people in Sunnyville viewed me as a spoiled addict who sold drugs. Even with my progress, my reputation still suffered outside the circle of my friends.

  Pam seemed ready to believe me, but without clearing my name, no one else would. Should I continue to drag down Nate and his family’s good reputation? I tossed and turned in my head the rest of the drive.

  Pulling in at the group home, I stopped and frowned. The driveway had more cars than usual, and the activity van hadn’t moved to the street. In fact, there was no baseball equipment in view. Had the game been postponed?

  I hoped not. The girls worked hard. I’d been here for two months, and I’d gotten to know them well. There had been arguments and fights, but the game days had been the one day everyone stayed on their best behavior.

  A scream from inside had me running up the path. Closer to the house, the voices overlapped, and I couldn’t make out who was fighting. I quickly removed the key they recently gave me and unlocked the door.

  Ms. Quinn, one of the day-shift staff, held Lucy back by the arms in the front hallway of the home. Her face was red and blotchy with tears rolling down.

  “You . . . you stole the money,” she stuttered.

  Amy slouched against the banister of the stairs. She pushed back the icepack Kylie tried to hold to her face. “Stop it. I’m fine. You got a lucky punch. Next time they won’t be here, and you won’t be so lucky.”

  “You threaten Lucy, and you’re out of the program too,” Kylie told her.

  “She hit me, and now you’re trying to get me in trouble? Her crackhead mom comes here and breaks our shit and steals our Giants camp money. But I’m the problem? You fucking social workers are all the same. Get the hell away from me.” Amy threw the icepack on the floor and folded her arms.

  “My necklace is gone too. I did-didn’t steal. Mom was kicked out. Mrs. Wilkins said she didn’t go to the office. You took it,” Lucy sobbed into Ms. Quinn’s shoulder. “Please don’t make me leave.”

  “Too bad. You hit me, you go,” Amy spat at her. “My compact’s missing too, which you borrowed for prom. I didn’t report that, but it’s gone. I age out soon. I have nowhere to go, so why the hell would I ruin the baseball trip?”

  “Enough,” Kylie said, raising her voice. “You have no proof, Amy. We’ll find out soon enough.”

  Kylie eyed me coolly. “You should go to the office,” she said in a snotty tone.

  She was still angry about the night I crashed her “date” with Nathan weeks ago. Not my proudest moment, but I wasn’t sorry he left with me.

  “How much was stolen?” I asked, ignoring her.

  “Ten thousand dollars,” Amy said.

  Lucy snorted. “It wasn’t that much, dimwit.”

  “How do you know if you didn’t take it?” Amy lurched at her, and I stepped between them.

  “We’ll find out what happened. Please keep it together, Amy. You worked too hard to throw everything away. And that goes for you too, Lucy. We can’t lose our best pitcher and shortstop. We need you two to stop fighting,” I told them.

  “I hear ya, Ms. Shana, but seriously, what game do we have now anyway?” Amy asked, lifting her shoulders.

  Lucy sobbed loudly. I moved to touch her back.

  “Don’t touch her,” Kylie said abruptly. “She had a violent outburst, she’s not fully deescalated, and you could have something that’s not allowed in here in your bag.”

  I crossed my arms. “Fully deescalated?” She’s upset. But only Ms. Quinn can comfort her? Got it.

  “Don’t sweat it, Ms. Shana. This is the crazy world we told you about. They bring their notepads and write up stuff for the judges. No touching. Everything needs to be approved to move. The second we slip . . .” Amy made a cutthroat gesture at her throat.

  I gritted my teeth. “I don’t agree with this at all. There has to be another way to work this out.”

  Amy smiled at me. “That’s why we like you. You’re the only good in my life I have left.”

  My heart panged. “Amy, that’s not true. You have many good things ahead of you.”

  “That’s enough. Mrs. Wilkins should be off her call with the managers. Go to the office, Shana. Now,” Kylie barked at me.

  Mrs. Wilkins came out of the office. “Shana, you’re here early. Good. Would you please come inside? Ms. Kylie, can you take Lucy with you?”

  Lucy’s body shook as she bawled into her hands.

  “It’s going to be okay, Lucy,” I said in a gentle voice.

  “Please, Shana, I need to meet with you now,” Mrs. Wilkins said.

  I walked past the sitting room. The rest of the girls sat there with Mrs. Uri in their baseball game T-shirts, and they called out my name and waved at me.

  I gave them a thumbs up, and they gave weak smiles in return. Lola laughed to bring up the other girls’ spirits, but after only a few light chuckles, she slumped back in her seat. I wanted to lift them out of their gloom, but I didn’t know what to do. They needed Nathan. He’d know how to make them laugh right now. He was the best at making situations like this not only bearable but hopeful.

  “What’s going on with Lucy?” I asked Mrs. Wilkins.

  “Please come inside,” she said and closed the door behind us.

  I took the seat across from the desk where she sat. She shuffled her papers in front of her.

  “What’s going to happen to Lucy?” I asked again.

  “She’s going to juvenile hall. Then she’ll be placed in a regular group home. As part of the agreement with the Children’s Court, social services, and this group home, we have a zero-tolerance policy for fights,” she answered.

  I grimaced. “No way. Come on. She’s been trying so hard. Surely there’s something that
can be worked out?”

  She lifted her chin. “Not when it comes to children. We have parents, courts, social workers, and state laws that govern every move we make. Besides the limited funds, we can’t make exceptions, or we could lose everything we have.”

  “The greater good.” I blew out my breath. “Lucy’s a great kid.”

  When I thought back to the first time I met her, it seemed like months ago now, she was so subdued, quiet, withdrawn. Yet, since she started playing baseball, she’d come out of her shell. Considering the horror that was her mother, she was incredible. Much stronger than I’d ever picked her to be. But what would happen to her now? Would she withdraw again? Hide behind her walls . . .

  She smiled. “She is a great kid, and I’m going to miss her. She has grown and matured. I don’t like the necessity for so many rules, but I have to follow them. I remind the staff and the children of the consequences daily. I’ll pray that when Lucy gets another chance, she does whatever she can to keep herself together.”

  “So, the game is canceled?” I asked.

  “Yes, postponed upon review,” she said.

  My stomach twisted in knots. I thought of Nathan and all the work he’d put into it. “The program won’t end, will it?”

  She shrugged. “Without funding, it will. We have two fewer participants now and no way to reschedule a game or afford the baseball camp cost.”

  I hunched my shoulders. “That’s awful.”

  “Yes, it is, so we’re trying to figure out how the box inside the safe disappeared. We always keep it locked,” Mrs. Wilkins said.

  “I don’t believe the girls would have ruined their chance to go to the finals, or to baseball camp with the Giants. They love playing baseball.”

  “But they also have a lot going on in the rest of their lives. It’s happened before. Sometimes parents encourage their children to steal with promises of them using the money to help them come home. Kids steal to run. Sometimes staff. We’re reviewing everyone.”

  “How much was stolen?” I asked. Maybe I can find a way to help anonymously.

  “About twenty-eight hundred dollars for the children’s personal needs, school, and group activities. That will leave a deficit for daily operations. Children’s identifications and insurance cards, that’s costly with rescheduling staff to help replace them. Of course, fewer numbers and children signed up for this group home means investigations, not to mention canceling the Giants sports camp in San Francisco. Did you know they give a discount for Officer Nathan’s relationship with the team?”