Angels & Whiskey

by Kimberly Knight

  “No!” This couldn’t be happening. Alyssa wasn’t dead. We were going to get married. She was going to take my last name. I was going to wake up next to her every morning—I was counting on forever.

  But we weren’t.

  Alyssa died in my arms on the way back to base and worst of all …

  I didn’t get to tell her how much I loved her.

  Chapter One

  Autumn

  Two years later…

  Valentine’s Day.

  The most romantic day of the year.

  Like most girls, I’d fantasized about receiving candy and roses on this day and being treated to a nice dinner with the one I loved for as long as I could remember. For the twenty-six years of my life, that had never happened—until today.

  Rich and I had been dating for six months and he was the most romantic guy I’d ever been with. He took care of me. He made sure my car had enough gas to make it to work, he’d slip a note in my lunch bag when I wasn’t looking that always made me smile when I found it, and he always told me he loved me.

  He was perfect.

  I smiled as I read Rich’s morning text telling me that he loved me and couldn’t wait to see me for dinner. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through the day. It was like Christmas and the anticipation was killing me. This was my first official Valentine’s date and it wasn’t with a bottle of Pinot and a box of chocolates I bought myself. I was on cloud nine, to say the least. I’d even woken up before my alarm, wanting to hurry and get the day started.

  I changed out of my pajamas and into black slacks and a red blouse to celebrate Valentine’s Day for work. After all, red was the color of love. After making sure my makeup was just right and my long, chocolate-brown hair was straightened with a flat iron, I hung my little black dress on the shower rod. I didn’t want there to be any wrinkles in it for tonight.

  Rich and I met one afternoon in August. He’d walked into the bank I worked at to open a new checking account, and the moment I saw him walk in the door in his army uniform, I was love struck. What woman didn’t love a man in a uniform? Especially a military uniform.

  Sigh.

  I couldn’t tell he was nine years older than me at the time. He didn’t look it. He was gorgeous. The way he smiled a sly smirk as he stepped up to my desk when our eyes met, the way his piercing blue eyes checking me out, and the way his voice made me turn to butter … It made me forget how to speak.

  “I need to open a new account … Autumn.” He smiled, his gaze lowering to my nametag—or my boobs. I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure which, but I didn’t care.

  I stammered as I tried to find my voice, and his smile widened. “Y-Yes … Please, um, sit. I can help you with that—”

  “Richard. Richard Jones.” He stuck out his hand. Mine instantly became sweaty at the thought of touching him.

  I reached out, taking his hand in mine, silently praying to God that he wouldn’t notice my clammy palm. His hand was rough like a man’s should be, and I swallowed hard before speaking. “Nice to meet you. Have you had an account with us before?” I felt my smile widen a little too much as infatuation overtook my emotions. The way he was still smiling at me in return clearly told me that he could see the lust radiating from my body.

  I wanted to run my hands through his finger-length light brown hair while staring into his piercing blue eyes. He had just enough stubble on his face to frame his features that showcased his strong jaw.

  Down, girl!

  “No.” He smiled again, and my fixed stare took in his perfect teeth as he sat in the chair in front of my desk. “I haven’t been in town for seventeen years.”

  “Right.” I gestured to his uniform. “Thank you for your service.”

  “Anything to protect beautiful women like you.”

  I sucked in a breath. Holy shit. Men flirted with me sometimes, but not usually men I wanted to see naked. I cleared my throat. “Thank you. Let’s … uh … get started.”

  I opened the checking account for Rich and before he left, he took my business card, telling me he’d be in touch. The rest of the week I thought about him—sometimes with the help of my battery operated friend. But the longer I waited for his call, the more I thought he was just flirting with me to be nice. I was starting to give up hope until the following Friday when he called me on my direct line and asked me to dinner. We’d been together ever since.

  His parents had been killed in a hit and run accident while he was deployed during his first tour, so he spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. My parents took him in like a son and instantly fell in love with him, especially my dad.

  “We should go shooting sometime.” Dad beamed then took a sip of his beer as we waited for the turkey.

  “Do you go to the range often?” Rich asked.

  “A few times. I’m not a marksmen like you, but I’d love to see what you could show me, Major.”

  “Sir,” Rich smiled his perfect smile, “please just call me Richard or Rich like my close friends.”

  Dad smiled in return as if he’d won the lottery. “Rich, you can call me Dan.”

  Dad never liked any of my boyfriends. No one was ever good enough for his baby girl, but an American hero was perfect and I couldn’t agree more. Of course my mother agreed.

  “He’s so handsome,” Mom praised while staring at Rich.

  “I know.” I sighed, leaning on the kitchen counter, my chin resting in the palm of my hand as I also stared at Rich from the open kitchen into the living room where he and Dad watched football.

  “Better hang onto that one. A man who takes care of you like he does is worth keeping.”

  Still staring at Rich, I responded, “I plan on it.”

  As I drove to work, I remembered the last six months. I couldn’t believe how happy I was. I never thought I’d find the perfect guy. Most of the guys I dated only wanted me because I had a pretty face. They’d stop at nothing until they got me into bed. Most of the time they’d fail because I wasn’t that type of girl, so they’d move on, looking for the next piece of ass.

  No one saw me for who I was on the inside until Rich. He made me feel like a lady. On our fifth date, he told me he was in love with me and had continued to tell me every day since.

  “Someone’s a lucky girl,” my co-worker and best friend, Brandi greeted as I walked through the lobby toward my desk.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She gestured to my desk that held a vase with two dozen red roses. I smiled instantly.

  “Why couldn’t I have been the one working that day instead of you?” she pouted.

  “You’re married, silly.”

  “I know, but damn …”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault your hubby doesn’t wine and dine you anymore,” I joked, picking up the card that sat between two rose buds.

  “Like he ever did that. Once he got me in bed on our third date, he stopped all the romance.”

  “And you still married the guy.”

  “True. What does the card say?”

  She stepped closer, trying to read the card. I held it to my chest and grinned. “Why are you so nosey?”

  “I’m living vicariously through you. Let me pretend the major is my lover.”

  “Let’s not and say we did.” I shook my head, laughing as I pulled the tiny two by two card from the envelope.

  Princess,

  I hope you’re ready to never spend Valentine’s Day alone again. I love you.

  -Rich

  XOXO

  I smiled again as I read his words and held the card to my chest, looking at Brandi with love in my eyes.

  “Well?” she prompted.

  “It just says that he loves me and we’ll always be together.”

  “I hate you.” She snickered and walked off.

  I sat at my desk staring at the roses. Ten hours and counting until my first Valentine’s Day date.

  My little black dress was paired with my black Louboutins with
the red sole. I saved up for a year to buy them. They were my go-to heels and perfect for Valentine’s Day.

  When I got off work at five thirty, I rushed home to get ready for my hot date. It was by no means my first date with Rich, but the butterflies in my stomach thought it was. I was nervous and I had no idea why.

  I put a fresh coat of makeup on my face, gave my hair a few curls to highlight my face and slathered my whole body with vanilla lotion. At seven o’clock sharp, Rich knocked on my apartment door. I opened it with a smile.

  “Hey, princess.” He smiled back and pulled another two dozen roses from behind his back.

  “More?”

  “I wanted to buy you the whole flower shop, but I thought that’d be overkill.”

  I took them, smelling the sweet fragrance. “Just a little, but my apartment would smell especially good.”

  “Not as good as you.” He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. His tongue parted my lips, the faint taste of mint lingered in his mouth. I moaned as his hands slid down my back, resting on the curves of my butt. After a few seconds, he pulled back. “Let’s go or we’ll miss our dinner reservation.”

  I grabbed my purse and overnight bag and he led me to his sleek black Mercedes. After he’d opened the passenger door for me, I slid in and he took my bag, placing it in the trunk before getting into the driver’s seat.

  “I missed you today,” he confessed, starting the engine.

  “I missed you, too. And you made Brandi jealous.”

  He grinned. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. Her husband didn’t send her flowers.”

  “That’s a shame. I need to show my woman how much I love her.”

  “You do. Every day. You don’t need to show me with flowers though.”

  “You didn’t like them?” He took his eyes off the road as he looked over at me.

  I smiled, reaching over and placing my hand on his muscular leg. “Of course I did. I’m just saying that every day I know you love me and not just because you gave me roses.”

  “I do.” He lifted my hand and kissed it before linking our fingers together.

  I looked out the windshield, the sun setting behind the surrounding mountains and the sky painted with a gradient mixture of red, pink, orange, and blue. “Where are we going for dinner?”

  “Paris.”

  “Paris?” I asked, quickly snapping my head toward him.

  He laughed. “Well, not Paris, France.”

  “Oh … right.” I chuckled.

  We arrived at the Paris Hotel and Casino and gave our key and car to the valet before walking through the smoky casino floor to the elevators that led up to the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. “I’ve never eaten here,” I commented, watching the numbers count down, indicating the elevator was descending. I’d always wanted to eat at the lavish restaurant, especially at night as the fountains at the Bellagio shot water into the air, and danced to the music, but I could never afford it.

  “The chef’s a personal friend. You’ll love it.”

  Rich placed his hand on the small of my back as he led me into the glass elevator with the other diners who were also going to spend their romantic evening eleven stories above the strip.

  We were escorted through the kitchen, then led to the dining room where the panoramic view of the strip spread across the large windows around the entire room. The sun had fully set by the time we sat at our table and the glittery lights lit the view in the most breathtaking way.

  “I haven’t seen the fountain show in years. I rarely come down here,” I mentioned, not taking my eyes away from the view of the Bellagio fountains.

  “Really? I’m down here all the time for work.”

  Since moving back to Vegas, Rich had opened a loan office, trying his hand at being an entrepreneur. He had several clients who he’d loan money to for business startups or gambling debts.

  His family was well off and when they died, he was left with their money, plus the money from his service in the army. I wasn’t used to having money. My parents were middle class. They owned their own photography studio and while it paid the bills, we didn’t have thousands of dollars saved up. We made it through even if it was paycheck to paycheck.

  I’ve worked since leaving home eight years ago at the age of eighteen. I didn’t attend college because I was ready to start making my own money and live my life. I also wanted to help my parents out by not needing to take care of me anymore, so I got a job at a bank as a teller and moved my way up to the new accounts department. If it weren’t for that job, I wouldn’t have met Rich and having my first Valentine’s date. Everything happens for a reason they say.

  “Yeah, there’s too many people,” I scoffed, still staring out the window as I answered Rich’s question.

  “That’s true.”

  A waiter walked over and explained the prix fixe menu to us. As we waited for the meal, we made small talk and watched the fountains continue to do their show every fifteen minutes. Everything was perfect and I was no longer nervous as we held light conversation and ate the best meal of my life.

  “Are you ready for dessert?” Rich asked.

  I was stuffed, but since it was a set menu, I’d been eyeing the crème brûlée that some of the other guests were already eating.

  “You bet.”

  “Good.” Rich grabbed my hand as we waited for the waiter to bring our dessert. Another waiter poured us more champagne and I took in the view once more, knowing the night was coming to an end.

  The waiter finally brought our desserts and Rich let go of my hand so we could eat. I was mid-sip of my champagne when I felt something hit my lip. Pulling the glass away, I examined it, noticing something metal inside the bubbly liquid. The realization hit as I saw Rich slide from his seat and kneel at my side.

  “Rich…”

  He reached into the glass, pulling out the biggest diamond I’d ever seen that sat on what I assumed was a platinum band with two smaller diamonds beside it. The three princess cut diamonds sparkled in the candlelight as the brut champagne dripped down his fingers.

  “Autumn Summers, since I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were meant to be my princess. I’ve wanted to ask you a question since I told you that I loved you on our fifth date. I know we’ve only been together for six months, but when you live your life in war, you tend to not take anything for granted. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I’m done waiting. Will you marry me?”

  I felt a tear roll down my right cheek as my hand covered my mouth in surprise. “Yes!”

  Everyone clapped in the restaurant while Rich held me in his arms and kissed me until I could no longer breathe.

  For twenty-six years, I’d envisioned how my first Valentine’s Day date would go and none of them played out like my day had.

  It was perfect.

  Chapter Two

  Gabe

  Three years later…

  Present day

  We continued to fire. I didn’t know how many enemy troops there were. I couldn’t see with all the sand in the air, but we kept firing until the wind wasn’t blowing and we saw all of the enemies down.

  “Everyone good?” I asked. I turned around to see one of my medics down. I couldn’t tell who, but my heart stopped.

  “Jackson!” I hollered as I ran to the down medic.

  When I reached her, I fell to my knees, flipping her over—Cochran.

  “No!”

  I woke up screaming, clenching the sweat covered sheets, panting and trying to catch my breath. It was always the same. If I didn’t consume enough whiskey to make me not dream, I dreamt of the day Alyssa died. It was like a movie on repeat. It played over and over and over and always ended the same.

  Glancing at my alarm clock, I figured I’d gotten enough sleep with the six hours I’d received and got out of bed. With my current job, I usually stayed out late, going to lavish parties, going on dates, whatever they wanted as long as I played my role.
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br />   After my final tour with the army, it took six months to take the required post-deployment health assessments and post-deployment resilient training exams. Somehow I’d passed even though I had nightmares nightly about Cochran. I thought about moving back to my hometown of Chicago, but a part of me knew that I’d miss the sand. Plus my best friend, Paul Jackson, moved back to Malibu at the same time and promised he could get me a job.

  Sure as shit he was able to get me one all right.

  When he first told me what he was going to be doing, I laughed. I laughed for hours. When I stopped laughing, I would laugh some more. I laughed so hard I cried.

  “I wouldn’t be laughing, Captain. You have no idea how much money you can make.”

  “You don’t need to call me captain anymore. That’s behind us.”

  “Habit.” He shrugged. “Look, haven’t you heard the expression ‘don’t knock it till you try it’?”

  I laughed harder, tears starting to prick my eyes. “Oh, I bet you’ll be knocking something.”

  “Hey, man, it’s a beautiful woman on my arm. What more can I ask for?”

  “What if they’re ugly?”

  He shrugged again. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I’ll fake it. Plus, Bobby said we’re escorts, not gigolos.”

  “What’s the difference?” I chuckled.

  “We don’t have to sleep with the ladies unless we want to. We’re not paid for sex. We’re paid to be a companion for a few hours. Saddles & Racks is a legitimate company.”

  I laughed again, tears rolling down my cheek. “Saddles & Racks?”

  “Come on…”

  “I don’t know—”

  “Just think about it, Cap. It might be good for you to—”

  I stopped laughing. “To what? To move on from Cochran?” The silence that filled the air could be cut with a knife as I waited for him to speak.

  “No… For you to be happy again,” he pleaded.

  “You think fucking a lot of women is going to make me forget her?”

  “God no.” He paused, thinking of what to say next as I felt my blood boiling. He didn’t know what it was like to lose the love of his life. “Look. We’re young. You’re what? Thirty like me? We have a long life ahead of us and you can’t use your hand forever.”