Pulling into Rhea’s driveway, Daisy starts to bark, the deep vibration of it is almost deafening inside my small car. Ellie’s German Shepard, Caliber, is the first to peek around the corner from the backyard and I just let Daisy out, letting them run off playing towards the barn. I know they won’t go far.
“Cici!” I hear the two little voices cheerfully great me as I grab the container of salad from the trunk and I round the back of my car to Charlie and Marisol running into my legs and wrapping their little arms around me. It’s only for a moment because when the dogs run around us, the toddlers screech and run off after them, making me laugh.
The smell of barbeque sauce and cherry wood smoke hits me in the face when I make it to the backyard, a unison greeting from Chad, Reno and Bobby of “Hey.”
“Hey guys. Sorry I’m a little late, I had to stop and get gas in the beast.” I hand the salad to Bobby and he sets it on the table with everything else.
“Eh, no problem Chels. Jus’ get your but in there and help my wife. She forgot to cut up the fruit.” By the look on his face I can tell I just missed a little freak out by my friend and I push open the sliding door.
“Oh am I glad you’re here!” Rhea says, giving me a one armed hug while handing me a knife. “Can you cut the watermelon please? Ellie is working on the strawberries, Rosa has the kiwis, and Kendall is bringing the cantaloupe and honeydew, which they should be here in a few they were running to town for more beer. I need to go check on my son and Marisol.”
“They were chasing the dogs when I walked up.” She’s so frazzled she just nods and walks away. I finally turn and Ellie and Rosa are sitting at the kitchen table, with smirks on their faces. I grab the watermelon and join them. “What has her all over the place today?”
“They have their first meeting with the fertility doctor tomorrow afternoon.” Rosa sighs, and I know all too well what she’s thinking. We are all stressed for our friend, knowing the last six months has seen them trying and trying to get pregnant with no success. All of this came to a shock at first to us since we had no idea they were trying, but they wanted to keep it hush-hush until it happened. But when they started realizing it wasn’t happening, Rhea just had to talk to her friends. So on her doctor’s recommendation, they researched all of the clinics in the area. “Hopefully they’ll tell them they just need to relax and it isn’t something more serious.”
“Yeah let’s hope.” Ellie smiles. “But she can always borrow one of mine, that’s for sure.” We all laugh and I spot the twins straight ahead in the living room, both asleep with pacifiers in their mouths. They look snug and comfy in their vibrating bounces that I bought for them.
“You’re lucky, Ell. You got a boy and a girl.” Rosa chimes back in. “Reno really wants a boy but he has four older sisters so we’d probably have another girl and two is my max.” We all laugh knowing they both came from very large families. “No, really. If we do have another one and it comes out as sassy as Marisol then I think I’ll lose all my hair.” This makes perfect sense because Marisol is a very sassy toddler, already starting to dress herself in crazy outfits and giving gibberish attitude when she’s told not to do something and we all laugh about it.
“But you can’t expect her to be any other way, can you?” I add. “Like, come on. You are her mom.” Ellie lets out a loud laugh and then hushes when one of the twins stir, and we all freeze as if they are a T-Rex who can sense our movement. When the whining stops and silence falls the three of us resume cutting our fruit and Rhea rejoins us.
“Again, sorry about being so crazy today, guys.” She gives us all a stressed smile. “I think I need a beer.” She pulls a bottle from the fridge, flicking the cap into the sink and taking a long drink.
“Hey when you’re done, bring us one too.” She nods and joins us, twisting the top off of mine as I still have the knife in my other hand. Scooping the last bit of watermelon into the bowl, I take my utensils to the sink and start wiping off the table. Rosa and Ellie add their fruit in, Rhea takes the bowl and I make quick work of the rest of the cleanup. It’s weird, my friends and I can go days without seeing each other or even talking to each other because of work but when we get together it’s like we never spend time apart. It’s an automatic thing to help out and that’s why we are more like a family and it makes me glad that I found them.
Just as the four of us are gathering the last few food items needed to head out into the backyard, Kendall and Harlan arrive with Brad and Garth in tow. Kendall looks stunning as usual, her skin perfectly tanned and her blonde hair recently cut into a Pixie style, making her look even skinnier than normal. But she has this new glow to her, probably due to that nicely sized princess cut diamond on her left hand, put there a week ago as we all sat around a bonfire just down the street.
Carrying a bowl, I follow outside, my thoughts fading away with my friends’ excited talk about the ring and whether or not the newly engaged couple has any idea when they will tie the knot. Suddenly I’m back at my parents dining room table, the tiny diamond on my ring finger and five or six wedding magazines strewn all over the table. My mom is droning on and on about caterers, flowers and guest lists while in the back of my mind I just want to run away and be with my Tom. But as the memory plays on, Tom’s image slowly fades into the familiar face of Austin. The boyishly smooth feel of my high school sweethearts’ cheek under my fingertips turns to the rough, manly five o’clock shadow that the SEAL sports almost all of the time.
“Earth to Chelsi!” Breaks my dreaming and I snap out of it realize I’m just standing off to the side of the sliding door, the bowl still in my hands and Brad is in front of me, staring at me. “You’re thinking about something naughty, aren’t ya Chels?” he laughs, pulling the bowl from my grasp and placing it on the table.
“And why the hell do you say that, ass-hat?” I smartly reply, elbowing him in the side. Even though he’s right I don’t have to admit it.
“You were biting your lip. You’re just like Ellie and Rhea. You have a tell-tale sign when you are thinking about a man wrapping his fingers into your hair and roughly kissing you.” His voice grows gruff and he pulls me into him making me look up, gripping my upper arms and staring down at me with his big brown eyes. If I didn’t know he was totally making fun of me I’d punch him in the nuts right now, so I slap him in the chest when he starts to smile. “No, but really. What were you thinking about?”
“None of your goddamn business.” I throw an elbow at him but Garth blocks it, stepping in between us. His eyes roam from his laughing boyfriend to me and he shakes his head. “What?” I ask, practically throwing a Styrofoam plate at him. “Are you going to come over and pick on me too?”
“No.” he smiles and scoops some potato salad onto my plate. “I’m jus’ hungry as all get out.” He takes a handful of chips from a bag and shoves a few in his mouth, nudging me down the table. We make it through the entire table of food, scooping helpings on one another’s plate, along with making a plate for Rhea at her request since she’s tending to Charlie, and I plop down in a wicker chair beside him. “Plus, I’ll learn all about it when I ask what you two were talking about when Brad and I get home.” He chuckles lightly at my expense and I roll my eyes at him.
“Stop bothering her, you jerks.” Ellie defends me and sits on my other side, her baby monitor secured to the back pocket of her shorts. Garth and Brad try to make excuses but she just waves them off, telling them that they don’t want to see the Mama Bear come out right now and I almost choke on a piece of watermelon because I laugh so hard.
“Where’s Jack?” I ask her, the meal noticeably missing her outgoing and loud brother. When you put Jack, Bobby, Chad and Reno in the same room sometimes it’s like a contest of ‘who can tell a story the loudest’, which almost always turns in to a ‘who can pin who’ to the floor the fastest contest.
“Oh he’s in town. Said he had somethings to do so who am I to pry?” She smiles but I know she worries about her older brother. She kno
ws all too well the silent way these men try and deal with the horrible things they’ve seen.
“Gotcha,” is all I say and settle into my plate of food, knowing full well she’ll tell me if she wants to.
The Payne yard quiets down into a peaceful murmur of light conversation and good food, Charlie and Marisol only eating for a few minutes before screaming to get down and running off with the dogs again. Our conversation runs over our work weeks and I can’t help but giggle at Brad’s story of a drunken girl having to be pulled from the bar by police because she refused to believe that she was too drunk to be served any more drinks. By his recounting, she kicked off both of her heels and attempted to strip off her clothes as the officers tried to drag her out, so they had to hog tie her and carry her out as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Why do we always miss the crazy ones?” Ellie smiles to me and I shrug my shoulders. “Nothing exciting like that ever happens when we are at the bar. The most we get is a fight between two idiots that lasts three punches before one of them falls over because they can’t see straight.”
“Or finding someone passed out in the parking lot with their pants around their ankles.” Ellie almost spits her lemonade all over me when I mention the Jarrod Rawlings incident from a few months back. It was only about seven o’clock on a Saturday and I had met Ellie and Bobby at the bar for dinner, but forgetting my wallet in my car, Ellie and I were talking as we made our way back across the parking lot. Coming around the back end of my car we both stopped dead in our tracks when we noticed a bare ass sticking up in the air. Jarrod had passed out trying to take a piss after drinking all day long, and ended up face down in the gravel. He was out cold, even snoring, so Brad had to splash ice water on him to wake him up and made sure he got a ride home.
“You know, Rawlings hasn’t been back in the bar since then. I heard he’s in AA or somethin’ like that.” Brad adds, shaking his head with a laugh. “But that was one for the books. I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance because he was out like a light.” We laugh about it again and Garth starts telling us about something embarrassing that happened at his job site the other day, but I kind of zone out when Bobby comes over, kissing Ellie on the forehead.
How I wish I had someone to share a moment like that with. And why is it that when I picture myself in that situation, I’m being pulled close by Austin, sinking into his embrace, but then my heart doesn’t want me to admit it? The guilt that sits in the back of my mind with the memory of Tom weighs on my mind with every turn.
“Well, look who the cat dragged in.” Bobby’s sarcastic jab brings me from my musing and I turn to see what he and Ellie are now looking at. The source of their attention steals my breath for a split second. He’s giving Chad and Reno friendly hugs, accepting a beer from Harlan and making his way towards me, a killer smile on his lips when his eyes meet mine.
‘Jesus, breathe Chelsi. Breathe.’ I have to tell myself.
~~~~
Austin
It’s been far too long since I’ve been in this backyard. Even when I stepped out of my Jeep I felt as if a weight was lifted off of my shoulders just breathing in the fresh air. It’s a total difference from the stagnant, warm air of where I was just ten hours ago, and I mindlessly swat at an invisible bug that I seem to hear buzzing by my ear.
Greeting Chief and Reno, I take a beer from farm boy Harlan and answer their normal questions. ‘How are ya?’ ‘Ya hungry?’ The usual courtesies from everyone along with a kiss on the cheek from Rhea, telling her like I do every time that everything looks delicious, as it does.
I hear the usual wise crack from Timmons, his skinny ass seated next to his wife across the yard and I spot the one bright spot I’ve been looking forward to, seated on their other side. Telling the guys we’ll catch up in a little while, I’m headed towards Chelsi, content with not eating yet as I need to just hear her voice. After spending weeks in deserts, jungles and shit holes I’d rather not think of ever again, her beautiful face is all I need right now.
“Slow down, ya geezer, or you might break a hip.” Bobby jabs, standing to shake my hand. I grip his tight and pull him in, slapping him enthusiastically on the back.
“Watch your mouth or I might break both of yours.” I reply. I’m not going to beat around it, I miss his smart ass ways on my Team. He was a great sniper and there is a part of me that will always blame myself for letting him go on the patrol that cost him his leg.
“Yeah…right,” is his reply and I turn to his wife, giving her a hug and a kiss. “Come on, Ell. Let’s leave the ol’ man to catch up with Chels.”
“Oh, you don’t have to.” Chelsi’s sweet tone chimes in and my attention goes straight for her. Her strawberry blonde hair is down, the slight curls telling me she didn’t do much to it after she showered, just the way I like it. Her green eyes dart from me to Ellie and then Bobby, telling me she might be a little nervous. But why? That’s usually not her. She seems to see me studying her and her eyes fall to her plate and she pushes her potato salad around, looking back up after a few moments but avoiding my gaze.
“Nah, we have to go check on the babies.” Ellie smiles, grabbing her plate and drink and they both make their way across the yard towards the house.
I sit down in the newly vacant chair beside Chelsi, still wondering why she seemed nervous a moment ago. I put my beer to my lips and say, “So, how have ya been, girl?”
“Same shit, different day old man.” Her sassy self comes to the surface and when she finally looks at me, her green eyes reflect that fire that messes with me every time we’re together. “I see you’re in one piece. That’s good.”
“Good, hell I’d say that’s great.” I laugh. “How about an ‘I’ve missed you’ or somethin’ like that? Geez.” This time she scoffs, almost spitting out the piece of fruit she had just put in her mouth and we both laugh for a moment. She calls me an ass and punches my shoulder. I can’t hold in a grunt of from the pain that shoots through my arm and chest. My upper arm and shoulder are feeling the burn after a tussle that I got into last night with a target we detained. “Shit, girl. Remember I’m old, be nice to me.”
“Crap, I’m sorry, Austin.” She places her hand over my hand that’s holding my shoulder and just that simple touch it enough for me to go crazy. It only lasts a moment though because she hops up, running over to a cooler, and then sprinting back. She has a dish towel wrapped around some ice and she hands it to me. “You should’ve said something.”
“Oh, okay. Next time before I say hello, I’ll list off all the places that are sore so you don’t punch me there.” My sarcastic tone will make her prickle and sure enough, as I’m holding the ice to my shoulder, she pinches the skin on my side and I threaten her with an unexpected dip in the pond. She concedes, calling a truce for now and sits back in her chair, offering me a piece of watermelon on the end of her fork. I lean over and take it, asking “Where’s my dog?”
“Oh she’s off playing with Caliber. They were out by the barn just before you got here.” She points off into the distance just as Daisy and Caliber sprint through the one pasture and I see that they are chasing a rabbit. Not only do I love it here in this sleepy town compared to my apartment in Norfolk, but my dog loves it too. It’s like we can both stretch our legs here and be ourselves. I love that feeling.
We sit in comfortable silence for a long moment and Chelsi offers to go get me some food, which I accept because it gives me a second alone to get my thoughts together. I had made a vow to myself late last night as I held my palm to my Team member Lenny’s chest, trying to stay the bleeding so a medic could get to us. That vow was that I’m done beating around the bush. My life is too unpredictable and I can’t let this thing between Chelsi and I go on like it is. I feel as if she can be it, so I need to know if she feels the same and is willing to give it a go. And when Lenny reached up and grabbed my hand as he was being loaded into the helicopter he told me, “Go on, LT, live life. I’ll be fine.”
So as he sits in an ICU, I’ll do just that. Live my life.
A little while later and the sun is just starting to set. I’m in the garage with all of the other guys, talking about motorcycles and arguing with Chad over what color I think would look best on my Harley that he stores for me when I’m gone. He’s trying to talk me into keeping the original orange that it is now, but I’ve already picked out a cool metallic green that I just need to purchase and find the time to paint the sucker. Chelsi pokes her head in, yelling over all the noise. “Austin! Your phone is ringin’ out here!”
Standing from my seat on the running board of Chad’s ’52 Chevy, I curse at myself knowing that I rarely ever let go of my phone and I jog across the yard to retrieve it. Seeing that it’s Elliot Uclid I swipe the screen and put it to my ear. “French, here.”
“LT,” there is a lot of noise wherever he is and it’s a little hard to hear him. “I was sitting at Lenny’s bedside and he coded.” Through the commotion his tone is clipped and precise, not showing a lick of emotion. Just like we were trained.
“What’s happening now?” I calmly make my way to the far side of the house, away from the laughing women and barking dogs.
“They’re workin’ on him. His momma’s talking to one of the doctors, I can see her from where I am.” Tactical placement to see his objective. I’m about to speak when he says, “One moment, LT.” The phone is muffled against something and I hear heartbroken female sobs. I don’t need Uclid to tell me what has happened. I know Lenny is gone.
Hanging up, I take a deep breath and lean back against the side of Chief’s house. They’ve trained us to hide our emotions in times of strife on the battlefield, but damn it gets harder and harder every time I lose a Team member. There have only been a handful, but it’s been a handful too many. I can’t help but have flashbacks of the last mission that was less than 24 hours ago. What could we have done differently? What could I have done differently?
Somebody's Chelsi: Book 5 The Wakefield Romance Series Page 3
