Danny ran straight into the house, as Dan motioned everyone to the table and chairs set up on the porch. “Have a seat. What can I get you, beer, soda, juice?”
“A soda sounds good,” Jill replied, settling into a lawn chair. “Any kind you have.”
“Diet Pepsi, okay?”
“Perfect,” Jill replied.
“Same for me, Dan,” Peace said, moving a chair next to Jill, and setting down, with Allie contentedly on his lap.
Becky sat down across from her guests, and held up three fingers. “Me too, Hon.”
Danny ran out of the house, narrowly avoiding a collision with his Father. He had a black felt marking pen in his hand. He ducked under the table, as Jill laughingly turned sideways with her cast to allow Danny to write his name. The boy looked at his work speculatively, before glancing up at Jill.
“Would you like me to draw a house too?” Danny offered.
“Uh… no…” Jill laughed. “I think the signature will be sufficient.”
“Oh… okay,” Danny said doubtfully, as his Mother signaled for him to get out from under the table.
Allie signaled her brother for the black marker, and when he handed it to her, she leaned over, and drew a smiley face on the upper part of Jill’s cast. She then handed the marker to Becky, with an explanation for Jill.
“Not allowed to have marker,” Allie pronounced solemnly.
Jill patted her hand. “You did real fine, Honey.”
Dan came out with a tray of diet Pepsis, and juice for Allie and Danny. Danny took his with him into the front yard, along with his ball and glove.
“Peace told me about how you both got together,” Jill said.
Becky laughed. “It was Peace, who finally broke the ice between
Dan and me, right Honey?”
The couple exchanged a long smiling look before Dan replied.
“Yea, Peace busted up my romance with a Foxy Cheerleader, and Becky here caught me on the rebound. She practically threw herself at me, right Peace?”
Peace burst into laughter, and Becky gasped, before reaching over to push on the side of Dan’s head.
“You brat,” Becky stated, shaking a finger at her grinning husband. “I rescued you from a life of misery with that floozy, and this is the thanks I get?”
This pronouncement made Peace laugh even harder, with Allie giggling and clapping her hands too. Dan lost his composure next, with Jill chuckling appreciatively. Becky looked at Jill with a knowing look.
“You see what we go through, Jill?” Becky asked smiling. “We spend our lives subordinating ourselves to these chauvinist pigs, saving them from their baser instincts, and do we even get a modicum of recognition for it? I think not.”
Jill reached over and ran her hand up Peace’s bare arm, before looking back at Becky to answer. “I’m looking forward to saving Peace from a few of his baser instincts in the future too.”
Dan watched Peace and Jill exchange a look of longing, which surprised him. He grinned over at Becky, his eyebrows lifted questioningly at his wife. Becky shook her head minutely, warning him to hold his tongue in a way no one else on earth could do to Dan. Dan nodded appreciatively.
“We hope you can curb this wild man too, Jill,” Dan said, looking authoritatively at Peace, who had not looked away from Jill’s eyes. “Lord knows we’ve tried to help him avoid his sinful ways, but he’s simply out of control.”
Becky had begun laughing halfway through Dan’s statement, as Peace finally tore his gaze away from Jill long enough to grin and nod his agreement.
“Yes, Jill,” Peace added. “Please rescue me from my life of debauchery.”
The four adults laughed together, as Allie bounced up and down happily, looking from one adult to the other. Dan took another gulp of his soda, and stood up, motioning for Peace to follow him.
“Come along Bacchus, we need to do some ball playing before my son starts lobbing rocks up at us.”
Peace chuckled, and gave Allie a hug before handing her off to Jill, who scooped the little girl into her arms enthusiastically.
“You stay with us wiser womenfolk, Allie,” Jill said enticingly.
“Am I a wom… womenfolk?” Allie asked seriously.
“Oh yes,” Jill answered as the men retreated with a final laugh.
Becky stood up with her Pepsi in hand. “Come on in the house, Jill, and we’ll rustle up the vittles.”
Jill laughed, using her cane to boost herself up. She allowed Allie to slide down. “Give me your hand Allie, and I’ll gimp on in with you.” “Gimp?” Allie laughed in delight at the word.
Becky sighed. “You’ll soon see you must be careful about anything you say around our two, or you’ll be answering questions for the rest of the night.”
As Allie led Jill toward the door, Jill looked back at Becky. “That will suit me just fine.”
Although there was not much to do in the kitchen other than stir some dishes, Becky gave Jill a tour of the small, neat kitchen. With Allie leading the way, the tour took in the rest of the three-bedroom house, with Becky pointing out each flaw as if to beat Jill to it.
“I love your house,” Jill said. “I thought everyone in the service lived on base, and they provided the housing.”
“We have a choice, and Dan wanted a place off base. It costs more, of course, but we make due. He’s up for Lieutenant Commander, but he doesn’t know how it will affect his Seal Team status yet,” Becky explained. “That’s all of it. C’mon, and we’ll drink our sodas at the kitchen table while I keep an eye on the spaghetti.”
On the way back to the kitchen, Allie ran off to get her coloring book and crayons. She waited until Jill sat down, and then motioned to come up on her lap. For the next few minutes, Allie showed off her artwork, which Jill enjoyed immensely. Becky put her dinner into serving dishes, placing them all in the oven on warm, before sitting down across from Jill and Allie.
“I heard about your rescue in South America,” Becky began. “Is the cast from your experience?”
Jill nodded, as she colored with Allie. “They’ve had to reset it a couple of times. I think they finally set it the way they wanted. The cast comes off in a couple of weeks.”
Jill looked up. “Your husband was the first man I saw of the Seal Team, and I don’t believe I was ever as glad to see anyone in my entire life. You must be very proud of him.”
“When Pauley came back from Iraq, and told us of his time with Dan, it was the first time I had ever heard about anything he did. Most of what the Seals do remains a secret, even from us wives,” Becky smiled, and sipped her Pepsi. “I am very proud of him. Being a Navy Seal’s wife is not for everyone, though.”
“Did Dan tell you how I met Peace… I mean Pauley?”
Becky laughed as she nodded. “Keep calling him Peace. Dan and I slip up once in a while; because we’ve known him since we were kids, and Dan knew him from when he was around Danny’s age. I know Peace carried you out of the jungle. Something clicked between you two, huh?”
“Something happened,” Jill admitted, coloring another figure in with a blue crayon, Allie handed her. “I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I used the pretense of wanting to thank them as a smokescreen to find Peace.”
Jill laughed suddenly, shaking her head. “That idea was so thin, I could tell your husband, and the rest of the team, saw through it in about ten seconds.”
“They get paid to be suspicious, and careful,” Becky sighed. “It makes it extremely difficult to pull anything over on my Seal Team member. You’re really serious about a relationship with Peace?”
“As serious as he’ll let me be,” Jill said, blushing and looking down at her coloring work. “He wouldn’t stay with me last night.”
“That’s Pauley alright. Did he explain why?” Becky smiled.
“When I talked Mr. Polasky into taking me to the base at Coronado, I could tell right away his friends were giving him the business over it, and he hadn’t even told them anything.”
“He
’s the team anchor. Dan can’t be one of the boys. They’re all like brothers, but Peace is the one everyone jokes around with, and comes to if they have a problem. He always knows a way to smooth it over. I’ve never seen him lose his temper, and when he first came out here to train with Ed, the Seals were merciless. They figured he was like a groupie, and he’d go away after a time.”
“Mr. Polasky told me he never expected him to actually make it,” Jill added.
“Dan was afraid he’d die trying,” Becky laughed. “Dan figured if Ed told him Pauley could make it, then they’d give him a tryout with the team. Anyway, he made it with flying colors. I’ve never seen anyone as happy as Peace when he finished Seal training. I don’t even pretend to know how Dan managed to get him transferred to Seal Team Six.”
“I feel like I’ve known the three of you all my life,” Jill said simply.
“I don’t have many women friends, other than Ed’s wife, Nancy. I’ve met the other guys’ girlfriends, but I’m more at ease with you than I’ve ever been with any of them. Even though I’m not much older, marriage and kids ages us mentally as well as physically,” Becky replied, reaching over to pat Jill’s hand. “I hope you and Peace can find a way to stay together. I could use a friend.”
“We’re working on it, or at least I am,” Jill smiled. “I always thought officers were forbidden from socializing with enlisted personnel.”
“We don’t advertise the fact,” Becky nodded. “We have social occasions we have to attend, or we’re expected to. Seals get a lot of leeway, especially team leaders. Dan has only one best friend, and that’s Pauley. They’ll get together on a night like this at the house and talk for hours. They are both so right wing, they make Rush Limbaugh look like a liberal.”
“Don’t any of the officers come over?”
“Dan’s had his commanding officer over a couple of times, but he doesn’t mix well with many people. When he wants to, he can charm anyone, but his tastes are pretty simple. I guess that’s why I love him, because I’m not much of a mixer either.”
“It doesn’t bother you any about what they do?” Becky asked seriously, after a moment’s silence.
Jill looked down at Allie, who had her face close to her coloring book as she worked the crayon inside the lines of a balloon she was coloring. The little girl was oblivious to their conversation. Jill looked up into Becky’s eyes solemnly.
“Should it?”
“That’s the spirit,” Becky laughed, nodding her head. “Did you ever see the movie, True Lies, with Arnold Swartznegger?”
Jill smiled questioningly. “Yea, I think so. It had Jamie Lee Curtis in it as his wife, right?”
Becky nodded. “Remember when they were both tied up in the hut to be tortured, and the torturer gave Arnold truth serum?”
Jill’s face brightened, as she believed she knew where Becky was going with her reference. “Jamie Lee Curtis asked him if he’d ever killed anyone.”
“Yea, and Arnold says,” Becky lowered her voice, and tried to imitate Swartznegger’s accent. “Yes honey, but they were all bad.”
Jill laughed in delight, with Becky joining her. Allie paused in her coloring long enough to glance questioningly up at her Mom, and Uncle Pauley’s friend. She giggled too, before returning her attention to her picture.
“Peace really hasn’t had anyone serious that you know of?” Jill asked gently. “He told me he hadn’t, but I was afraid he was just trying to make me feel better about making a fool out of myself.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Becky replied, considering the question for a moment. “It’s not that he doesn’t get the opportunity either. He’s real self conscious about the facial scars, even though you’d never know it by the way he acts.”
“To tell the truth,” Jill said. “The scars just make him look dangerous.”
Becky nodded in agreement. “Exactly. He has a way about him, and when he doesn’t smile, Peace can make you feel like you need a bodyguard. I guess he told you about playing music over at Ed’s, huh?”
“Yes, he did. I’m looking forward to hearing him play,” Jill replied, telling Becky about Peace singing in the restaurant the night before.
“He sang I’ll Be Home For Christmas at a party Ed had for everyone last Christmas Eve,” Becky said quietly, remembering. “Jill, there wasn’t a dry eye in the bar. Here was a bunch of lethal killers, and I swear to God, none of them could speak for a few moments or the big babies would have burst into tears. They just whistled and applauded like maniacs after he finished. Of course Nancy and I were in tears, and the girls the other guys brought wanted to throw their panties at him.”
“They did?” Allie asked, as the two women noticed Allie had stopped coloring. Both Jill and Becky burst into laughter.
“Oops,” Becky said finally. “It’s just an expression, honey.”
“…‘spression?”
“I mean it’s just a way of saying something without… ah…” Becky looked at Jill and shrugged. “It means the other ladies who listened to Uncle Pauley sing, liked him.”
Allie considered this for a moment. “Wo…womenfolk throw underwear when…”
“No… no…” Becky interrupted her daughter as Jill chuckled. “Mommy said a no-no, and now I can’t explain it. Can we keep it a secret, just between us womenfolk?”
“Sure, Mommy,” Allie said happily. “I won’t tell Daddy.”
“Thanks honey,” Becky sighed, as Allie went back to her coloring.
“I wish I could have been there,” Jill confided.
“Next Christmas I’ll make the request,” Becky promised. “He’s talented, and those scars act like a magnet when he plays over there. When he jams with the band they get over at Ed’s, he plays sax and trumpet, but when he’s just over there fooling around by himself, he plays piano.”
“Then he’s not the backward wallflower he has professed to be,” Jill said thoughtfully. “I believed his aw shucks routine.”
“It’s no routine, Jill,” Becky said seriously. “The fact he brought you over here after seeing you exactly three times means he’s serious. Ed kids him all the time about being so glib with women, but always ignoring them if they try to get close.” “He’s never brought anyone here?” “Never,” Becky confirmed.
“I’m glad,” Jill replied, looking out towards the yard, where she could hear Dan and Peace laughing and kidding each other through the open kitchen window as they played ball with Danny.
Becky motioned for Jill to come to the sink with her. Jill eased Allie down off her lap, and repositioned the little girl at the table before joining Becky at the sink.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Becky asked in a whisper, a big smile forming on her face.”
“I… I don’t… I mean…” Jill stammered at first, surprised at the outright query. Finally, she just shrugged, returning Becky’s smile. “Yes, and I guess there’s not much sense in denying it.”
“I was in love with Dan from the first time I saw him, but naturally I had to play hard to get. It almost cost me everything.”
“Peace told me how you two finally clicked,” Jill replied.
“When Dan told that fluff with the pom-poms to take a hike, I knew I had to do something. Seeing him with her at school just about drove me insane,” Becky admitted, watching Dan through the kitchen window, pitching to Danny in the yard, with Peace playing catcher.
“Peace idolizes Dan.”
“I know. No one could figure out what Dan saw in Pauley. Dan could have been the most popular guy in the school, but he wouldn’t turn his back on Pauley,” Becky explained.
“Peace told me he was the most respected, and I’d say respect beats popularity any day.”
Becky nodded. “He was that, all right. Dan always knew exactly what he wanted to do, every step of the way. If you don’t know him, he appears remote or stand-offish. Pauley knows him as well as anyone alive. I think Dan saw everything in Peace, back then, we see now. Where do you go
from here, Jill?”
“Back to school for my last semester. Peace promised to come and see me there when he can, and I’ll come down here as much as possible. I’m going to arrange for my folks to meet him up at the college some day soon, I hope.”
“You’ve already met Pauley’s parents,” Becky laughed. “Ed and Nancy pretty much adopted him. He turned that Seal hangout into one of the topnotch restaurant operations in the area.”
Jill nodded in agreement, laughing along with Becky. “I saw them interact together.”
“After Ed dropped you off with Pauley, he told the rest of the team all about Peace’s run in with the college boys. I’m sure Dan couldn’t do the story justice, the way Ed probably did. Dan said Ed had the whole team howling in laughter.”
“It was amazing the way he handled that situation. That Dink guy was scary.”
“The college boys are just kids,” Becky replied. “Peace killed eleven men when they rescued you in Chili, from long range. You can’t tell Dan I told you something like that or he’d never tell me a single thing again.”
“I… I didn’t know all of it. I heard Bull say something about him when he had shot more guards by the time the team pulled us out of the hut we were held in.”
“Not all Seals can be snipers, and not just because of being a dead shot,” Becky explained quietly, keeping her voice down. “It takes a mindset different from anything else they do. The college boy, Dink, may look scary, but Peace is scary.”
“Only to the bad guys, right Becky?” Jill replied with a grin.
“Only the bad ones, Jill,” Becky agreed with a laugh. “Oops, it looks like the baseball camp is breaking up.”
Jill saw Danny listening to his Dad while Peace watched, nodding his understanding. Dan looked up and saw his wife in the window. He waved, and Becky motioned them to come in. Peace looked up as Danny grabbed his hand, and grinned at Jill who waved. Peace let Danny pull him towards the house, but he never looked away from Jill until he had rounded the corner. Jill sighed and turned to help Becky, who had begun setting the table.
“You’ve got it bad, girlfriend,” Becky chuckled a little, handing Jill the plates for her side.
Demon VII: Disciples of Darkness (Mike Rawlins and Demon the Dog Book 7) Page 28