by Aliyah Burke
“I thought we’d have more time.”
“So did I.” She licked her lips. “Take care of yourself, Stone. I…I’ll never forget you. Good bye, Stone.” She broke the connection and shut off her phone. With an angry jerk she erased the evidence of any tears and double checked her belt before focusing back upon the crosswords in her hand. When they reached cruising altitude she remained in the same position, staring sightlessly at her puzzle book.
Chapter Eight
I don’t. Good bye, Stone.
Stone hardly noticed the chair he sank upon, his legs no longer able to hold him. He hurt. There was no other way to describe it. A deep, raw, powerful hurt.
“Jasira,” he muttered.
“Sheriff.” Rayne buzzed in. “Call for you on two.”
“Take a message, Rayne.” How can she just leave like that?
“Sorry, I thought you were done with your other call.”
“I am. Take a message anyway.” Life without Jasira in it didn’t seem bright. In fact, it seemed very bleak.
“Sure thing.”
He could hear the uncertainty in her voice. And he didn’t care. Stone ran his hands over his face. How can she just be gone? That isn’t how this was supposed to work. Part of the circle can’t leave. It’s not complete then. And neither am I.
“Sheriff?”
“What, Rayne?!” he snapped.
“Security at the casino called for you. There’s trouble.”
Shoving to his feet, Stone slammed his hat on his head and headed from the room. “Tell them I’m on my way.”
Without slowing, he grabbed his coat and headed out into the day. Stone pulled up by the entrance and hurried inside, ignoring the snow falling. Spotting the floor manager and the security supervisor, Stone adjusted to meet them.
“Bill. Archie,” he said upon reaching them.
“Hey, Stone,” Bill the floor manager said. “Sorry to bring you out here.”
“What’s the problem?”
“She’s in the back.”
The way it was said told him all he needed to know. Carla Littlehorn. Wife of a man on the tribal council who thought his position gave her a free pass on being a drunk and an idiot. Not to mention a bitch. Keeping the groan contained, Stone gestured ahead. “Let’s go.” Not how I wanted to spend my time. I need to figure out a way to get Jasira back in my life.
He walked with them to a room on the side. Stone could hear a loud feminine voice through the walls. Hand on the handle, he took a deep breath and entered.
“Jeez, Carla. What are you doing?” he demanded the second he laid eyes on the other occupant in the room.
Red-rimmed eyes stared at him. “Oh good you’re here. Those…those idiots are telling me I can’t have any more to drink and I’m causing trouble.” She pushed to her feet and waved her hands around. “Do they not know who I am?”
“It doesn’t matter who you are, Carla. You can’t act like this. Come on, you have to leave. I’ll take you home.” He picked up her coat. “Let’s go.”
“No!” she screeched. Carla flew before him and struck out.
Stone dodged it and swore. “Damn it, Carla. I don’t have the patience for this.”
“What are you going to do about it? You can’t make me leave.”
The hell I can’t. He narrowed his eyes and had her in cuffs before she could move again. “Actually I can. I was going to just take you home and let you sleep it off, but you know what? Not now. You’re going to sleep it off in jail.”
“No,” she gasped.
“Carla Littlehorn, you have the right to remain silent.” Stone continued to mirandize her while he draped her coat around her shoulders and led her out the back to his Jeep.
“You’re in so much trouble, Stone!” she screeched.
“Stuff it, Carla. I am so not in the mood. So shut it or I’ll gag you.”
At the station, Rayne stared in silence when he led Carla through the door. Before the cell, he removed the cuffs and pushed her inside the holding pen and closed the door.
“Call her husband, Rayne. He can come pay her bail n’ get her or leave her here. I don’t care.”
“Damn you, Stone! You can’t—”
“Enough, Carla! You’re a goddamn drunk. You were the one creating a problem at the casino. I am more than within my rights. Now sit down and shut up unless you want me to tack on assaulting a police officer to the charge.”
Rayne stared at him in shock while Carla clamped her mouth shut and sat on the cot. He headed to his office and closed himself in.
“Stone?” Rayne asked, slipping in the room and shutting the door behind her.
Lifting his head from where it sat cradled in his hands, Stone met her concerned gaze. “Go on home, Rayne. I’ll stay here overnight.”
“What the hell is going on? Is everything okay with you and Jasira?”
Just the mention of her name was like a steak knife through the heart and he couldn’t contain the wince. “Fine,” he forced out. “So well in fact she’s left the state. Hell, the country. And she’s not coming back.”
“What?”
Stone shook his head. “Let it go, Rayne. Go home.”
He didn’t look up when her hand settled upon his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Stone. I know she meant a lot to you.” One more squeeze and seconds later the door clicked again.
“She meant more than just a lot to me.”
The phone rang, and he picked it up with a groan. “Sheriff Black Hawk.”
“Stone, it’s Nathan, I hear you have Carla in there.”
“Yep. She’s here.”
“I’ll be by for her in the morning.”
“No problem. Anything else?”
“Just that I’m sorry.”
Stone nodded. “It’s done, Nathan. I’ll see you in the morning then.” He hung up and left the office.
Carla stared at him through the bars. Stone crossed his arms and glared back. “Nathan called. He’ll be by in the morning. Enjoy your night, Carla.” He turned around and headed back to his office, closing the door on her screeching.
Picking up the phone, he called his home and listened to the messages. His heart lurched when he heard Jasira’s voice.
“Hi Stone, it’s me. I have something I need to tell you. If you could call me and let me know when I could swing by and see you I’d appreciate it.”
There was a couple more then another one from Jasira.
“Hey Stone. I’m out of time and I really wished I could have done this face to face. I’m leaving Rapid City in less than eight hours. I don’t know if words can really describe how special you have made my last year here, just know…it was something I’ll never forget. Thanks for everything, and I do mean everything. I’ll try calling you at work to at least hear your voice one more time. Good bye, Stone. I’ll miss you.”
“Jasira,” he uttered. Okay, so it’s not like she didn’t try to get in touch with me. For a moment, Stone hated his job. Hated that it had kept him from holding her in his arms one last time before she left and stopped him from kissing her full lips and making love to her.
So where did that leave him? In love with a woman who had vanished before his eyes and was on her way to the other side of the world. “Stay safe, waštelakapi. I fully intend to tell you I love you to your face.”
Stone walked to his couch and stretched out on it. His dreams were disturbing and filled with images of Jasira being hurt. His mood had soured greatly when he rolled off the old lumpy piece of furniture. Standing over the coffeemaker, he scowled when the front door opened.
Jack walked in, his arm in a sling but looking much better.
“Jack? What are you doing here?” Stone asked.
“You need to go home. I’m fine.”
Home. “Are you sure?” He drank some coffee.
“Yes. Get some shuteye. I can…” His voice dropped away when he noticed who was in the cell. “What is she doing in there?”
“Sleeping off her
drunkenness. Nathan should be here later to bail her out.” Stone put down his mug and grabbed his jacket. Shrugging into it, he added, “If she gives you any grief, tell her I haven’t made up my mind about the assaulting a police officer charge yet.”
“Will do, boss. You sure you’re okay, man? Rayne said Jasira is gone.”
“Rayne has too big of a mouth,” he snapped. Holding up his hands, he sighed. “I’m sorry. I just need some decent sleep.” And Jasira back.
“Go on. I got this covered.”
Stone waved over his shoulder as he trudged through the snow to his Jeep and headed home. Although he was exhausted and wanted nothing but his warm bed, he went to the barn and took care of his horses first. His shower was fast and with a grunt, Stone fell face first onto his bed and fell asleep.
Night had fallen when he awoke. He pushed to his feet with a groan and headed to his chest of drawers for some clothing. With heavy steps and a heavier heart, he moved down the stairs. He frowned at the smell of cooking food which reached his nose. Hurrying down the rest of his stairs, he paused as he stared in the kitchen and saw his baby sister, Tegeen, cooking, her black hair up in a ponytail and a smile on her bronzed face.
“About time you woke. I’ll have dinner ready in a moment. Instead of standing there you could come down and set the table.”
He grumbled under his breath and entered the open kitchen. Pressing a kiss to her cheek he said, “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, so now I need a reason to stop by and see you?”
Reaching for some plates, he chuckled. “Depends. You being here, is it going to cost me?”
She gasped. “I’m offended.”
“Uh huh.”
“You just think you know so much more than me.”
Turning his head, he met her gaze and arched a brow. “I’m your oldest brother. Of course I know more than you.”
“Whatever.”
She chucked a pepper chunk at him and he snatched it out of the air and shook it at her. “No throwing food in my house.”
“You do know your phone rang while you were sleeping, right?”
“What?” he hurried to the machine.
“I’m sorry. You were dead to the world when I got here so I turned off the phone in your room. I figured if it was work, they would call your cell.”
Pressing the button, he felt his knees wobble a bit when Jasira’s sultry Southern voice skated up from the black square.
“Hey, Stone. I thought I’d try one more time. Guess it’s just not meant to be. For what it’s worth, I’d really hoped things would be a bit different. Take care of yourself.”
“I’m sorry, Stone. I didn’t know you were expecting a call.”
Forcing a smile on his face he met his sister’s gaze. “I wasn’t. Not really.”
“Is that her? The great-great granddaughter of the man who saved our ancestor?”
He’d told his family about her and their connection. “Yes. That was her.”
“What happened? I thought you two were dating.”
“She got sent over to the Middle East.”
Tegeen laid a hand upon his arm. “Call her back, Stone.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m so sorry I messed it up for you.”
Stone sat down on the edge of his sofa and picked up the handset. He dialed her number from memory and held it to his ear. One ring. Two. Three.
“Hello?” A sleepy and hushed voice crossed the line.
“Hello, waštelakapi, I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“Stone? It’s good to hear your voice. How are you?”
“I miss you. How are you?”
“Sleepy. We’re in Germany, be leaving in a few hours.”
“Where are you going?” She remained silent. “Can you tell me?”
“Yes, sorry. I was moving to another area. I’m heading to Fallujah.”
He frowned. “I thought you were in the Navy.”
“I am. There are Navy personnel on the ground.” Her tone rang with an edge.
“I know. I know. I just don’t like picturing you in danger.”
“Enough about me. How is Jack?”
Stone leaned back against the couch and smiled, running a hand through his hair. “Jack is fine. Arm is in a sling but he’s fine. And no, it’s not enough about you.”
“No? Well, you know pretty much all there is to know about me. What do you want to know?”
He rubbed one hand along his thigh. “If we had had more time, would this be over?”
“I’d like to think it wouldn’t be. And I am truly sorry about how you were told but when the offer came, I just jumped on it.”
His contentment at her words vanished the moment the rest of it sank in. He sat forward and frowned. “Wait. Wait a second. You weren’t ordered over there, you volunteered to go?”
“That’s right. They needed a CTI, and I took the opportunity.”
“Why the hell would you volunteer to do something like that?” he shouted.
Anger flooded him. Shot out of nowhere and consumed him like a wildfire on the dry prairie with a wind behind it. To his side he could see his sister look over her shoulder at him, eyebrows raised in concern.
“I’m sorry?” Jasira’s tone was full of shock.
“Why would you choose to leave here, what we had to go over there?”
“I didn’t join the Navy to be a recruiter, Stone,” she snapped, her drawl thick and heavy with anger. “I didn’t bust my ass learning languages to sit in a small office telling people what benefits the Navy can give them. I’m damn good at my job, and I will go wherever I can to be of service. This has nothing to do with what we had. I would have been leaving anyway in a few months.”
He heard a male voice say, “Let’s get going, Lingo. We’ve got some chow over here.” Jealousy and worry consumed him.
“I have to go, Stone,” she said in a clipped tone. “Thanks for calling. I’m glad Jack is okay. Take care of yourself.”
She ended the call before he could say a word.
“Shit!” he yelled, throwing the phone across the room where it skidded to a halt against the far wall.
“Food’s ready, Stone,” Tegeen said in a soft voice.
He turned his head and watched her walk across the wood floor and pick up the phone. “I’m not hungry.”
“Doesn’t matter. Come eat.” She replaced the handset and held his gaze.
“She chose war over me.” Stone shoved to his feet and stomped to the table. He looked up when his sister sat down and began to eat. “Nothing to say, Tegeen?”
“Did you need me to add something to your pity party?”
“What?!”
“That’s what it is, Stone. You’re feeling sorry for yourself. I’m not helping with that.”
“Excuse me for wanting the woman I love beside me and not across the world. But then what would you know about it?”
Hurt flashed in her dark eyes before she composed her face. “Well for one, I would know that an honorable and duty bound woman who comes from such a long line of distinguished military veterans wouldn’t shirk the reason she joined. No matter what the cost. Just like I would know that it’s not all about you and your male ego, but her and the choices she makes in her life. To fulfill her own destiny. And I would also know that you can really be an ass when you want to.” Tegeen put her fork down and left the room.
Stone watched his sister leave and vanish up the stairs. Five minutes and I piss off two of the women who mean the world to me. He sighed and thought about what his sister had said. She was right. Jasira was all about serving her country, and he was all kinds of wrong for what he’d said.
* * * *
Iraq
The sweat ran down her body as she played football with her unit. The sun beat down upon them relentlessly. She was attached to a Marine unit and was the only woman. It hadn’t been easy, not at all, but she’d proven herself and now had earned their respect. Jasira had been here for four months and had settled in. Th
e nickname “Lingo” stuck, and she wore it with pride now.
Clad only in her white tank top, pants, and combat boots, she ran and tackled like everyone else there. Crouched waiting for the next snap, her head jerked up when a loud whistle pierced the air.
“Listen up, ladies,” Gunnery Sergeant Warwick hollered. “Wipe off the sweat n’ get into your best dress. We’re rollin’ out in five.” He vanished from view.
“Damn,” Sergeant Harris said beside her. “Just when I was about to tackle you, too.”
Jasira laughed. “Keep dreaming, man.”
Within moments, Jasira was adjusting the straps on her vest, ensuring the proper fit. Scooping up her helmet and M-16A2 she then left the shade of the tent. Jasira slapped her helmet on and with one hand affixed the snap under her chin before swinging up into the armored humvee. Leaning her head back against the seat, she stared out the window and listened to the jawing going on around her.
“What’s the matter, Lingo? You’re pretty quiet over there. Man troubles?”
She snorted and looked across the interior at the man who’d made the comment. Corporal Trent Locker. “Is that what you think every time a woman is quiet?”
“Well, it depends on what we just got done doing,” he replied with a smirk.
“So after the sixty seconds and she’s quiet you’d be right to assume it was man trouble, I’d be definitely thinking there was a problem.”
He flipped her off and she just laughed. The problem was that’s exactly what she had. Man trouble. More specifically Stone. Troubles she would not be sharing with these guys. She had worked too darn hard to be accepted as one of the guys and whining about a man wouldn’t help. The fact Stone ruled her thoughts was one she couldn’t help.
“I’m more of an all-day man, Lingo,” Trent said.
“Uh huh. If you say so, man.”
“Please, you’d know Marines are better if you’d just leave those swabbies behind.”
“Tell me how you really feel about the Navy,” she teased. “But if it’s any conciliation, I’m not dating a man in the Navy.”
“It does. So long as it’s not another branch.”
“Well, mom, he’s actually a cop.” If I can even call him a boyfriend anymore.
