Rescuing Casey

by Susan Stoker

  The other not-so-great thing happening was the videos of the jungle that each of the Delta men had taken hadn’t been reviewed by the Army yet. Apparently, the techs on post were too busy and just hadn’t been able to get to them.

  Casey found she now had a morbid curiosity to watch them. To see more of the village where she’d been held hostage. She certainly hadn’t seen much of it when she was there.

  Time seemed liked it was going by at the speed of light—the start of the fall semester at the university would be here before she knew it—but it was also going slow too. It felt as if she’d been in Fletch’s small apartment forever. That she’d known the men and women in the Special Forces group her entire life.

  Emily had broken down and told Casey about her pregnancy. She said she was just too excited and that she might as well spill the beans because everyone would know soon anyway. That very afternoon, she was having her “pregnancy reveal” party, although she wasn’t advertising that was what it was. She’d used Casey’s arrival as an excuse to hold a barbeque.

  Casey had been helping her cook all morning. Emily had planned all sorts of finger foods. Deviled eggs, potato salad bites, mini corn dogs, caprese bites, fruit skewers, pesto pinwheels, and lots and lots of cookies.

  She and Emily had been giggling all day about the announcement and what everyone would say and, as a result, Casey was almost as excited about the party as Emily was.

  “Are you good?” Casey asked Emily when they’d plated the last of the cookies. The table in the dining area was filled to the brim with food. There were chairs set out all around the living room, and as soon as Fletch got home, he’d start up the grill in the backyard.

  “Yeah. I appreciate your help so much. I don’t know that I could’ve gotten it all done without you,” Emily told her.

  “Yeah, you would’ve…it might’ve taken longer though,” Casey teased.

  Emily sighed, but smiled all the same. She put her hand on her belly. “I hope this little guy doesn’t make my life miserable.”

  “Uh…I don’t know much about it, but isn’t it early to know what gender your baby is?” Casey asked.

  Emily laughed and nodded. “Yeah, but both me and Fletch have a feeling he’s a boy. I’ve been calling him a boy from practically day one.”

  “Will you be disappointed if it’s a girl?”

  Emily shook her head. “Nope. Boy, girl, twins, whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

  Casey smiled. “If Annie had her way, you’d have a dozen more. I’ve never seen a child want a sibling more than her.”

  “Right?” Emily said. “I felt bad about not telling her she’s getting her greatest wish the moment me and Fletch found out, but I know the second she realizes she’s going to be a big sister, she’ll drive me crazy with questions. She’s also the worst at anticipation. You should see her around Christmas. Lord.”

  Casey grinned. “She’s amazing. You’re very lucky.”

  “I know. Now…go get ready. Everyone will start arriving in about an hour,” Emily informed her.

  Casey wiped her hands once more and headed for the door. She walked across the driveway and yard to the apartment. When she reached the stairs leading up alongside the garage, she paused and looked up. The sky was a brilliant blue. She could hear birds singing and the remarkably loud sound of cicadas in the trees around them.

  She vowed right then and there never to take her freedom for granted. There was a point not too long ago when she didn’t know if she’d ever see the sky again. Standing in the yard of a family who was fast becoming close friends hadn’t been something she ever would’ve predicted.

  She shook herself out of her thoughts and hurried up the stairs. The cell phone Beatle had gotten for her was ringing when she unlocked the door, and Casey ran to the counter and clicked on the icon, hoping she wasn’t too late.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello? Casey?”

  “Marie?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. I’m so sorry to be bothering you. I just wanted to call and tell you in person how happy I am that you’re okay. I mean, I know I said it in an email, but it’s different hearing it out loud. You must be having such a hard time assimilating back into society after what happened.”

  Casey grimaced, and her friend’s words made her feel guilty. Because honestly, she hadn’t thought about what had happened to her all day. She and Emily had laughed, joked, and talked about normal girlfriend stuff.

  “I’m doing okay, thanks. How’d you get this number?” Casey asked.

  “From Jaylyn. She said she’s called you a few times, and I asked if she’d give me your number so I could talk to you too.”

  Casey sat on the edge of the couch and nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry to hear she and Kristina aren’t coping very well with what happened to them.”

  “It’s such a shame,” Marie agreed sadly. “Jaylyn said the last time you talked to her, you asked if she remembered seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary when you guys were first taken, or later when they were in the hut?”

  “I did,” Casey confirmed. “The men who rescued me have been trying to figure out who in the world would want to kidnap us, and we all agreed that maybe we heard or saw something, but with all the trauma we went through, maybe we’ve been blocking it.”

  “That’s possible,” Marie said. “The psychological damage the four of you suffered could definitely be blocking some of the details. Were you raped?”

  Casey suppressed a gasp. Jeez, even the Deltas had been more tactful than Marie was being. And she was supposed to be her friend. “No,” she responded a little curtly.

  “Well, that’s good,” Marie said, oblivious to Casey’s brusque response. “Jaylyn and Kristina say they weren’t either. But isn’t that weird? I mean, a bunch of women were kidnapped in South America and not raped? Maybe they just weren’t attracted to you or something.”

  Casey’s mouth hung open in shock. She didn’t just say that. “You did not just say that,” she told her colleague.

  “Oh…sorry. I didn’t mean to be insensitive,” Marie said, sounding apologetic.

  “Were you calling for a reason?” Casey asked, wanting nothing more than to hang up on the other woman.

  “Yes, I was. It’s the girls. You know I’ve been meeting with them every day to try to help them process what happened. We’ve talked, and think maybe some group sessions would do them good.”

  “Okaaaay,” Casey said, not understanding what she had to do with Jaylyn and Kristina talking to the doctor together.

  “With you, Casey,” Marie elaborated. “You were their leader. They told me before you were separated, they were doing pretty well. Sharing food, their spirits were high that they’d be rescued. But when you were taken away, and they thought you’d been rescued and they were left behind, they fell apart. I think it would be a good idea if you joined us.”

  “Oh, well…yeah. I could do that. If you tell me when you’re meeting, I could call in or something.”

  “No!” Marie exclaimed. Then, in a calmer voice, explained, “I don’t think the phone will work. The girls need to see you. See for themselves that you’re okay. And before you suggest it, Skype just isn’t the same as seeing you in person, and being able to hug and touch. I think they really need to see you, in person, in front of them, to know for sure that you’re all right. When are you coming home? You should be here among friends, anyway. It’ll help you heal.”

  Casey thought that she was healing quite well as it was. “I’m doing okay. I’m seeing a psychologist here on the Army post. He’s really helping.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What do you talk about?”

  Casey actually took the phone off her ear and stared at it for a moment, as if she could figure out what the hell was going on. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was being punked or something. “I’m not going to tell you what I talk to my doctor about, Marie. I know we’re friends and you’re a psycholo
gist, but that’s not cool.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be a bitch,” Marie said a little defensively. “I just think the girls would be progressing better if you were all together. If you could talk about what happened with one another. Maybe whatever it is you think you’ve forgotten would come to you easier if you saw Jaylyn and Kristina. A reenactment might even help.”

  “A reenactment?” Casey asked in disbelief. She was more than done with the phone call. She’d been in such a good mood, and now she was irritated and grumpy. “I’m not going to fucking reenact being kidnapped, Marie. I can’t believe you’d even suggest that!”

  “You’d be surprised how cathartic it can be, Casey. It’s obvious you’re upset with me, but I honestly just want the best for you and the girls. I want you to get past what happened, and I’m interested in helping you do that. Not only that, but if you let me help you, maybe what you went through won’t be in vain, and you can help other kidnap victims in the future recover from their experiences.”

  Casey simply shook her head. Marie didn’t get it. “I’m willing to call in when you meet with Jaylyn and Kristina. Just let me know when.”

  “They’ll be glad to hear that,” Marie said. “I’ll talk to them and we’ll figure out a time. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you remember anything you think will help the girls. They’re scared someone will hunt them down, you know. Anything you remember that will reassure them they’re safe would be a huge relief and a giant step forward in their healing process.”

  Casey nodded. She knew it would, because she felt the same way. “I will. If anything comes to mind, I’ll let you know.”

  “I’m really glad you’re okay. I can’t wait for you to come home. We’ll do lunch, okay?”

  “Sure,” Casey said, not really meaning it.

  “Talk to you soon.”

  “Bye.” Casey clicked off the phone and stared at it for a long moment. “What the hell just happened?” she asked aloud.

  No one answered, which was good since she was alone in the apartment.

  Casey closed her eyes and thought about the conversation she’d just had. Not only was it inappropriate, but it was weird as hell. She was friendly with Marie, but not friends with her. They saw each other at school functions, but hadn’t really socialized much outside of work.

  It was somewhat nice that the doctor was worried about her, but was she too worried? Why would she want her to come home if she was doing well where she was? Had her students told Marie more than the woman was letting on?

  A part of Casey wanted to go back to Florida to check on Jaylyn and Kristina. But honestly, she couldn’t really help them. They needed to keep seeing a psychologist. And why was Marie so interested in what she did or didn’t remember about the kidnapping?

  A shiver went up the back of Casey’s neck. Could the doctor have ulterior motives? But what? It made no sense.

  Just then, the door to the apartment opened and a male voice boomed through the room. “Casey?”

  She jumped a foot and almost fell off the couch in her panic. She whipped her head to the door and saw Beatle standing there. The relief was so great, Casey felt lightheaded.

  She felt his hands on her shoulders and relaxed into him. “You scared the shit out of me,” she said softly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She looked into Beatle’s worried brown eyes. “Nothing. You just scared me.”

  “Wrong. Try again. There’s no way me walking in would scare you as badly as it did if something else wasn’t up. I know you, Case. Talk to me.”

  “It’s nothing. Just a weird phone call from Marie.”

  “Your psychologist friend? Weird how?”

  “Just…weird. Can we drop it? I need to get ready. I haven’t showered yet.”

  She could tell Beatle really didn’t want to drop it, but after a long look, he acquiesced. “Okay, but will you talk to me later? Tell me about what has you so rattled?”

  That, she could do. “Yes.”

  “Good. Emily sent me up here to remind you that this thing is casual.”

  “I knew that,” Casey said, confused. “Why would she send you to tell me something I already knew?”

  She eyed Beatle—and was surprised to see a slight flush move up his neck. He brought a hand up and scrubbed over the short hair on his head. “Okay, I lied. She didn’t. I just got back with Fletch and wanted to see you.”

  “You saw me this morning,” Casey said.

  “Yeah, but that was like, seven hours ago.”

  She knew the smile that spread across her face was probably goofy, but she didn’t care. “You missed me,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, sweetheart. I missed you,” Beatle agreed immediately.

  Without thinking, Casey leaned forward and kissed him. She meant for it to be a light, isn’t-that-sweet kind of kiss, but Beatle had different ideas. He immediately tipped them to the side and deepened the kiss.

  He devoured her mouth as if it had been months since he’d seen her, rather than mere hours. But Casey didn’t complain. The last ten days had been some of the best in her life. Because of Beatle. He made her feel pretty and strong. He’d invited her into his circle of friends without reservation. And when she’d needed his comfort and strength in the middle of the night, he’d been there with no strings attached.

  She knew without a doubt he was attracted to her, but she hadn’t felt ready to dive into any kind of relationship. But he’d slowly worn down her resistance, and right then, lying under him on the lumpy couch in his friend’s apartment, Casey’s libido flared to life.

  She wanted him.

  All of him.

  As if he felt the momentous decision she’d just made in her mind, Beatle pulled back. His hand had snuck under her shirt and his fingers had been teasing her nipple through her bra, but he froze as he looked down at her. “What?”

  “What, what?” Casey asked, trying for nonchalance.

  “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” she countered. “I think it’s actually really right for once.”

  Beatle’s pupils dilated and he licked his lips. “Tell me what that means,” he ordered hoarsely.

  “I want you, Beatle.” It was hard to say the words, but he deserved them. He’d been more than patient with her. Hadn’t ever made her feel as if she owed him anything. The more time she spent with him, the more he proved that he enjoyed being around her. That he honestly would wait as long as it took for her to want him back. And even if she’d decided she never wanted that, she knew down to her bones, he’d have never forced her.

  Troy Lennon was a good man. To his core. And she wanted him. All of him. Now.

  Instead of pouncing on her, which she’d hoped he’d do once she told him she returned his desire, he threw his head back and closed his eyes.

  “Beatle?”

  His head came back down and he had a grimace on his face. “Now, woman? You tell me I can have all of you now? When we have to go hobnob with our friends?”

  She giggled. “Bad timing?”

  “The worst,” he agreed. Then leaned down and put his forehead on hers. “But you know what? I’ve waited this long, I can wait until tonight. You realize what you just gave me, right?” he asked.

  Casey nodded.

  “What? What did you give me?” Beatle asked.

  “Me,” Casey said simply. “I gave you me.”

  “Damn straight. And you’ll get me in return. I know you didn’t declare your love for me and insist that we run away to get married, but you need to know this isn’t a fling for me. I’m in this for the long haul.”

  Casey nodded. She knew that. It had been one of the things that had been holding her back. She hadn’t been able to wrap her mind around how a relationship between them would work, with him here and her in Florida. But thanks to the call from Marie, she realized that she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to her job. Yes, she loved teaching, but like Beatle had said once upon a time,
there were universities in Texas. Or even through the Internet. She could teach online and live wherever she wanted.

  “I want to see what happens,” she told him. “I’ve heard the others talk enough that I know being with an Army guy isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I’d like to try. If you would, that is.”

  “Fuck yeah,” Beatle breathed before taking her mouth with his once again.

  Casey wasn’t sure how he managed it, but ten minutes later, he sat up with her in his arms and forced her to stand. “Shower, sweetheart. If I have you under me any longer, I won’t be able to wait.”

  She eyed his lap and the erection that had been torturing her for the last ten minutes. “Are you gonna be able to walk?” she teased.

  “I have no idea,” he said, wrinkling his brow.

  Casey couldn’t help it, she laughed. Loudly.

  When she got herself under control, she opened her eyes and saw Beatle smiling up at her with a goofy look on his face.

  “What?”

  “I love to see you laugh. I’d give everything I own to always see that beautiful smile on your face.”

  She sobered. “Beatle.”

  “No. No more sweetness. I can’t take it. Go shower. I’ll wait for you out here. We’ll walk back over to the house together.” He ran a finger up the outside of her arm. “Tonight, I’m making you mine.”

  “Only if I can make you mine,” Casey retorted.

  “I’m already yours,” he responded. “Go.”

  In a trance, she did as he ordered.

  Throughout her shower, she replayed his words.

  I’m already yours.

  How could she resist that?

  She couldn’t.

  And she was done trying.

  Chapter Eighteen