by Susan Stoker
“She must have been mentally ill,” Aimee muttered. Then asked louder, “Why do you keep it long? All the military guys I know had short hair.”
Tony shrugged. “I’m essentially lazy.”
“Now that I don’t believe,” Aimee protested. “No one who teaches first grade can be lazy. It’s not in your DNA.”
“Lazy might not be the best word,” he conceded. “I just got used to it being this way when I was in the Special Forces. Helped me blend in over in the Middle East. In some ways, it’s easier to hide behind it now than to cut and shave it off.”
“I didn’t know you were in the Special Forces,” Aimee said gently. Out of all the women he’d told since he’d gotten out, Tony knew Aimee understood more than most what that meant.
“I was.” He didn’t elaborate.
Aimee put her hand on his knee and squeezed briefly. “That puts the situation you told me about earlier today in a whole different light now. Thank you for all that you did. I know you can’t talk about it, but seriously, thank you.”
Tony swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He’d seen and done some horrible things that he’d never tell another soul as long as he lived. He hadn’t lied to her earlier, that little boy lying dead in the middle of the road with his school books strewn around him had been the catalyst to make him want to change his life, but it certainly hadn’t been the worst thing he’d seen. Not even close. He’d gotten out because he couldn’t handle the nightmares and violence he saw long after the missions ended. He changed the subject. “So…now that it’s out in the open that we like each other…would you like to go out sometime?”
“Yes.”
He smiled at her, loving that she didn’t play games.
She continued, clarifying her answer. “As long as you don’t expect me to put on a dress. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t own one. I think I might have a pair of nice jeans I can pull out from the bottom of my closet, but anything more is pushing it.”
“Deal. I was thinking dinner at a steak house sometime soon.”
“In the mood for filet mignon, huh?”
Tony burst out with a laugh. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I? There’s nothing wrong with filet mignon every now and then, but as I told you…I’m perfectly happy with hamburger every day of my life.”
“I think you’d better stop while you’re ahead,” she told him, smiling to let him know she wasn’t offended in the least.
Feeling on top of the world, Tony ate some chips and changed the subject. She’d said yes. He’d figure out the details later. It was enough to know they’d be going on a date, soon. “So, an obstacle course huh? How’s it work?”
Aimee settled back onto her elbows next to him, looking out on the gym floor. Pointing as she spoke, she explained, “They start with the tires, getting through them how they can based on their age: hopping, walking, jumping, whatever. Then they head to the cones and weave in and out of them. Next is the balance beam, I borrowed it from a friend across town who runs a gymnastics club. It’s only three inches off the ground, but I told the kids to pretend they were crossing a stream and so far they’ve loved it. There’s a sit-up and push-up station, then they have to pull weights twenty feet, run three suicides, and finish up by climbing up and over the giant mound of mats.”
“It looks fun.”
“It is fun,” Aimee returned. “If you weren’t all buttoned up and stuffy looking, I might challenge you.”
“You think you can beat me?”
“No, but I do think I could give you a run for your money…especially if you gave me a ten-second head start.”
“Deal. Some day this week after school we’ll do it.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Aimee tilted her head and looked at him, obviously trying to gauge if he was telling the truth or not. Finally she just shrugged. “Okay.”
“But we have to bet something on it.”
“I didn’t think, with the rumors going around, that you’d want to bet. But I’m game. What’re the stakes?”
Tony ignored her snarkiness regarding the bet about him and Marci and pretended to think about it, but he knew just want he wanted. “A kiss.”
Aimee’s eyebrows went up and she answered him in an over-the-top English accent. “Why, sir, are you trying to ruin me, you scoundrel?”
“Yes.”
They both laughed.
Dropping the accent, she agreed. “It’s a deal. If you win, you get a kiss. If I win, you’ll clean the entire gym floor.”
“Ouch, woman. I was hoping you might want to claim a kiss if you won as well.”
She leaned into him and whispered, “I’m just giving you more incentive to win.”
Tony couldn’t remember a time with a woman that he’d had more fun. Aimee was down-to-earth, funny, and he admired her. She might only be five-two, but she had the personality of one of his drill sergeants back when he’d joined the Army. That woman was a bit taller than Aimee, but she was the scariest sergeant in the bunch, and not one of the men ever wanted to cross her. “Today after work?”
“Do you have different clothes?”
“Damn.”
Their banter was interrupted by the sound of the end-of-lunch bell. They looked at each other for a long moment.
“I’ve enjoyed this,” Aimee told him, completely candidly.
“Me too. I’m looking forward to our date.”
Aimee nodded. “I’ll see you in an hour?”
“Yup. Good luck with Mrs. Brown’s class.”
“Thanks, I might need it. They’re always riled up right after lunch.”
“I’ll see if I can’t get my kids here a bit early. Since she’s usually late picking them up, it’s good for the younger kids to play with the older ones every now and then.”
“Cool. And I think the fourth-graders really enjoy being the ‘experts’ with your crew.”
Tony put the empty bags from his lunch into his Frozen lunch sack and stood, holding out his hand for Aimee. She grabbed it and stepped down from the bleachers. He leaned down a couple inches and said softly, “Thanks for lunch, and for agreeing to go out with me.”
Aimee blushed, but nodded in agreement. She stood up on her tiptoes; Tony had no idea if she was doing it because he’d mentioned it earlier or not, but she brushed her lips against his cheek, above his beard. “Me too.”
He took a step back from her, wanting nothing more than to grab her in his arms until her feet weren’t touching the ground and ravish her mouth, but knowing it wasn’t the time or the place. “See you later, Aimee.”
“Bye, Tony.”
Tony walked out of the gym smiling from ear to ear. He didn’t think he could’ve ever been thankful to Marci for anything, but her uncomfortable flirting was the impetus he’d needed to get his butt in gear and ask Aimee out. He walked toward his class, trying to think about what they might do after their steakhouse dinner. He wanted to impress her and find something she’d enjoy. He knew it would need to be something different, something he hadn’t done with any other woman. Aimee was one of a kind and he wanted her to know it. He’d have to think more on it, but was thankful for the chance. Something in his gut told him she was the woman for him, he wasn’t going to screw it up now.
Chapter Three
Jones Thompson sat across from his good friend, Cormac “Fletch” Fletcher. They were hanging out in Ruby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, after finishing their meal. Jones had come up to Texas for a conference on hostage negotiation from Tampa, Florida, where he lived. The meeting was held in Austin, but when it was over, he reached out to Fletch, eager to spend some time with the friend he hadn’t seen in way too long.
“How’s civilian life treatin’ ya?” Fletch asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Overall, good.”
“I know you were more than ready to get out…was it the right decision?”
Jones thought about his answer. He’d worked with Fl
etch while he was in the Army. They were both Delta Force, although Jones was stationed out of Colorado instead of Texas. Their missions frequently required more than one team, so they’d fought side by side many times over the last few years.
The stress of the missions had gotten to Jones though, and he knew he had to get out, or have a greater-than-average chance of becoming one of the homeless veterans on the street who couldn’t hold down a job or live a normal life because of the shit going on in his head.
“It was. Thank God for Tex. If it wasn’t for him putting me in contact with Grey and Athena down in Tampa, I’d probably be camped out in the apartment over your garage being a bum.”
Both men laughed at the mental imagery Jones’s words evoked.
“First of all, it’s already rented, so you’d be out of luck, but I have no doubt you would’ve found something that fit you. This Omega group—they’re good?” Fletch asked, the skepticism he was trying to keep out of his voice leaking through anyway.
Jones nodded. “Hopefully you found a good renter this time. Remember that one guy who thought he could grow pot in the apartment without you knowing?” They both chuckled at the memory.
“What a douche. This time I think I’ve got a good one. Woman and her kid. They shouldn’t cause too many problems. And I can pretty much guarantee she won’t be trying to start up a drug business,” Fletch said wryly.
“Good. Glad to hear it. And to answer your question, yeah, The Omega Team is good. I had my doubts at first as well. I mean, Tex vouched for Grey. Hell, he was a Delta before his best friend got killed and he wanted to take down the guy who was selling illegal weapons to the terrorists. But I wasn’t sure about working with a woman. Athena Madero knows her shit. She hasn’t ever been in combat like we’d call combat, but she went through hell in the police station down there. Corrupt cops and politicians were circling like insurgents around a lone tank. I’ve learned a lot from her about hostage negotiation and interrogation and was thrilled to be able to come up here for more advanced training.”
Fletch chuckled. “Yeah, us Deltas tend to blow in first, and negotiate later.”
Jones laughed with his friend. “Yeah, I’ve been accused of being a bit heavy-handed myself sometimes.”
“You got a case waiting for you when you go back to Florida?”
“There are a few things in the queue, but generally we work bigger investigations…things like terrorist threats and hostage situations.”
“No domestic disputes and checking into allegations of affairs?” Fletch joked.
“Fuck no. Grey doesn’t waste our time with that shit. There are enough private investigators down in Florida that can do that stuff. Athena and Grey met because they wanted to take down a corrupt politician, and they did. They want to make a difference in the world, not deal with men who can’t keep their dicks in their pants or women who want a sugar daddy on the side. I enjoy working for them. It’s kinda like working on the teams.”
“How so?” Fletch asked with genuine curiosity.
“When I was in Delta, we worked as a team. All information was shared, we moved as one, we had one objective, and we conquered that objective. One man wasn’t better or more important than the others. That’s how it is with Omega. No one is trying to outdo the other, no one wants accolades over someone else as sometimes happens with private security groups. It’s a true team. Our meetings can run through the night, but no one bitches about the long hours, no one complains about overtime. It’s just what we do.”
“I’m happy for you man, seriously. I know we’ve all been through hell, but we could all see what it was doing to you. Ghost, Coach, Blade, and all the others on my team saw it just as clearly as your own teammates did. You’re a good man, and anytime you need backup, I hope you know all you have to do is ask and we’re there for you.”
“I appreciate that,” Jones told his friend. “I feel like I’m just where I need to be. I don’t know why, or how, but things are working out for me and I’m fucking thrilled.”
With that, Jones and Fletch stood up, ready to go, and shook hands.
As they headed out to the parking lot, Fletch asked, “You leaving today?”
“Nope. I’m staying the night here in Killeen, then heading back to Austin to catch my plane back to Florida in the morning.”
“Perfect timing. I’m having a get-together at my house with the team tonight, I hope you’ll come.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Jones reassured his buddy. “I can’t wait to catch up with everyone—and did I hear right that Ghost is in a serious relationship now?”
Fletch smiled. “Hard to believe, but yup. He met Rayne a while ago, but they hooked back up when he rescued her in that Egypt thing.”
“Lucky dog,” was Jones’s response. “I’m not ready to settle down yet, but I admire anyone on the teams that can make it work. They are making it work, right?”
“Oh yeah. She’s a lot of fun and brings a whole new dynamic to the group.”
“Ghost doesn’t have any problem concentrating on missions?”
“Nope. It actually seems to have made him more alert and focused. Guess it’s the whole, he-wants-to-get-home-to-his-woman thing.”
Both men chuckled.
“Anyway, I’ll text you my address. We’re putting the steaks on the grill around six-thirty, but you can come anytime.”
“Will do,” Jones told Fletch. “I appreciate the offer. Steaks sound much more appetizing than the fast food I was planning on grabbing later.”
They shook hands next to Jones’s nondescript rental car. “It’s great to catch up, Jones. Seriously. You look good.”
“Thanks. I feel good. Omega has been healthy for me.”
“See you tonight,” Fletch said, slapping him on the back.
“Later,” Jones returned. As he drove toward his hotel, Jones thought about how lucky he was to have a job he enjoyed while still retaining the friendship of the men he’d met during his time in the Army. It seemed that even though he’d been through a lot of shit in his life, he managed to be at the right place at the right time, and he knew the right people at the right time.
Chapter Four
Aimee swore she smiled nonstop throughout the next hour thinking about her lunch with Tony. In a million years, she never would’ve been able to guess that not only would the man she’d been secretly drooling over for months seem to like her back, but he’d ask her out on a date as well. There was no way, when they got around to it, that she’d beat him on her little obstacle course. First, he was obviously still in great shape, and second, because she wanted that kiss more than she wanted to win, and that was saying something, since she had always been über competitive.
Mrs. Brown might be interesting to work with—some days she was Miss Congeniality, and others she was Mrs. Grouchy Pants—but her class was amazingly fun to teach. Old enough to not follow blindly what someone in a position of authority did, but young enough that they still wanted to please her and they weren’t afraid to cut loose and have fun. They had loved the course she’d set up.
The weights they had to drag were heavier than what the younger kids used, and they were required to do more sit-ups and pull-ups, but overall the course was the same. Since the older students were faster at it, everyone got to go through it several times. Aimee had races, and gladly timed every single student, happy when no one seemed disgruntled when they were beaten by a classmate.
All in all, the thirty minutes had been perfect. Now the anticipation was kicking in…Tony should be by with his class any minute now.
Just as she had the thought, she saw him standing at the door to the gym, his class most likely lined up in the hallway, waiting for permission to enter. She blew her whistle to get the fourth-graders’ attention.
“Gather ’round everyone, come here.” When the twenty or so kids were all in a circle around her, Aimee squatted down and told them what the plan was. “For the last ten minutes of class, Mr. Santoro has brought h
is first-graders to join us. I want you all to buddy up with them. Everyone is responsible for one of his students. Since you’re older, I want you to show them how to go through the obstacle course. Remember to make it fun and remember that they’re littler than you. I’ll go and switch out the weights so they’re lighter, and please only make them do one or two sit-ups and push-ups. This isn’t the Marines. Okay? Any questions?” When no one raised their hand, Aimee motioned to Tony and he led his class inside the gym.
“Okay, go pick a buddy and line up behind the tires. Double up with each other when there are no more first-graders. Go one at a time. When someone is finished with the tires, the next person can start. Don’t bunch up, leave plenty of room. And go!”
The fourth-graders raced off, eager to show the course to the younger children. Aimee tried to have the different grades interact as much as possible, wanting to increase the feeling of camaraderie at the small school.
They watched the kids playing for a while until Tony leaned over and whispered, “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
“About going on a date with you?” When he nodded, Aimee was quick to reassure him. “No. Have you?”
“Nope.”
“Good, ‘cos I’ve been looking forward to it.”
He smiled at her, but it quickly disappeared when they heard an odd sound. Tony’s head cocked and they both froze. The kids continued to shriek and laugh as they went through the obstacle course.
“Did you hear that?” Tony asked her.
Aimee nodded. “Yeah, I think so, but what was it?”
Tony opened his mouth to speak when the sound came again. This time, both Army veterans had no problem discerning what the sound was.
“Holy shit,” Aimee whispered. Both adults stood stock still for half a second before springing into action. Amazingly, it was as if they’d done this before; they worked in sync to get the students to safety.
