Meagan's Marine (Halos & Horns)
Page 5
He shook his head, clenched and unclenched his jaw before continuing. “At one point, I thought that if I closed my eyes, I would have been back there, in the heat of it. I could practically feel the sand on my skin, the grit in my teeth, the all-encompassing grime that accumulates on anything exposed to it. It was Afghanistan.”
He gazed into her eyes, knew she believed him. “If Warren flippin’ Buffett had offered me a million bucks to close my eyes in that room, I’d have turned it down. That’s how serious that shit was for me, Meagan.”
She swallowed loudly in the ensuing silence.
“So, it’s not just me. I’m not crazy.” A statement, not a question.
“Hell no.”
She nodded several times. Stopped. Nodded again before releasing a nervous laugh. “You have no idea how…liberating…it feels to let someone else in on this. My God!”
“The question of the hour is what the hell can you do about it?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I can’t exactly call in Ghost Busters.”
“Hey, there’s always Deep South Paranormal. I was watching a little bit of that on the tube last night. You know that oldest guy used to be a technician for NASA?”
“You lost me. I’ve never seen it.”
“Seriously? That’s some funny stuff!”
“No time, remember? But Niki has a friend who’s supposed to come over when she gets back from vacationing in the Bahamas. Nik claims she’s a medium or empath or something.”
“An empath?”
“Someone who’s hypersensitive to spiritual occurrences, I’d guess.”
Before Mitch could open his mouth to speak she put up her hand to stop him.
“Don’t say it! I know. I don’t put much faith in people claiming to be psychics either, but it can’t hurt at this point.”
He thought about it, realized he couldn’t argue with her reasoning. “Can you call me when she goes? I’d really like to be there, and not to make fun of her.” He raised a hand and slapped it over his heart. “I promise, and when a Marine makes a promise, he keeps it.”
The bittersweet smile she sent him nearly broke his heart.
“Unless it’s beyond his control,” she whispered.
Mitch realized, too late, that her Marine must have promised to return. “Meg. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Mitch. I’ll call you.”
CHAPTER 7
Two Jarheads and a Cowgirl
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Mitch jumped at the pounding and spewed a steady stream of curses as hot coffee spilled down the front of his bare chest.
“Hold on!” he yelled, jumping up to wet a paper towel and wipe his chest. Growling under his breath, he grabbed a white tee shirt off the back of the chair and slipped it over his head.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
“I’m comin’ dammit!” He ran one hand through his hair to smooth it down and jerked the door open, fully prepared to chew somebody’s ass out. The sight of a pretty, young thing, a woman in her late teens or early twenties, had him swallowing the curse he’d worked up. She stood there, one hand on her hip, her long, honey-brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail, and staring up at him with big, beautiful, brown eyes.
He finally managed a feeble response. “Oh…Um. Yes ma’am, can I help you?”
She crossed her arms, cocked her head to one side. “It depends.”
Mitch weaved a little from one side to the other, trying to make sure no one was hiding behind her. He sensed a set-up, sure as shit.
“Depends on what, little lady?” Her right brow lifted delicately, just as he caught the sparkle in her eye.
“I’m looking for a Jarhead. You happen to know where I can find one around here?”
By the time she posed the question, he knew who she was. Her voice, dripping with east Texas drawl, one he’d heard every day for over a decade, had been the deadest give-a-way of all. Tex’s sister, Haley, had been out of town for her brother’s coming home party, but he remembered that pixie grin of hers from years earlier.
“Yes ma’am, but only if you tell me where that no-good brother of yours is.”
Her left forefinger straightened to point to the area off to her right as she gave him a small nod. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Jarhead.”
As expected, Tex stepped into sight. “What’s up, Cajun Heat? How in hell did you recognize my baby sister? You’ve only seen her once, and that was nearly ten years ago.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve heard that distinctive twang a lot longer than that. What’s up Tex?” He clasped the arm Tex offered and pulled him in for a brotherly hug and good-natured slap on the back. Mitch released him and gave his sister a good look. “This can’t be Haley. She’s far too grown up.”
“It’s me, all right. How ya doin’, Mitch?”
He lifted the girl and swung her around in a circle. “Man, I can’t believe it!” He put her down and stood back. “Look at you, girl. No freakin’ way can that ugly SOB have a sister this damn good looking. Last time I saw you, you had a face full of freckles and a mouth full of metal.”
“Yeah, and back then I wanted you to wait for me so I could marry you. Sooner or later we all have to grow up.”
Mitch gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Really? You still up for that? I’m not that crazy about having Tex as a brother-in-law, but I could get past it for someone as drop dead gorgeous as you!”
“Watch it, asshole,” Tex growled from behind him. “No way are you gonna contaminate my fine Texas bloodline with that cur lineage of yours.”
“Excuse me, but your last name is Broussard…I think it’s already been contaminated.”
“Yeah, but that was decades ago and we’re still tryin’ to breed that Crazy Coonass out of us,” Tex snorted.
“Every bloodline can do with a little Cajun spice, don’t you agree, Haley?”
Haley wrinkled her nose at the two men. “I don’t have a problem with the spice, but I do have some concerns with the age of the pepper.”
Mitchell’s jaw dropped. “Are you insinuating I’m too old for you?” He turned to stare at Tex, who stood off to the side hooting with laughter.
Haley raised one hand. “No offense, but if and when I settle down, it’ll be with someone a little less long in the tooth, if you know what I mean.”
Mitch coughed several times while pulling an imaginary dagger out of his heart. “No offense? Kind of late for that, don’t you think? Damn girl, you act like I’m ready for a retirement facility and I’m not even forty yet!”
She put her head back and giggled. “Sorry, Mitch. Besides, I will never fall for anyone in the military. I want a man who’s around when I need him, not on the other side of the world.”
Tex shook his head at his little sister. “I feel sorry for the poor son of a bitch already. I think somebody’s still got a little growing up to do.”
She flipped her ponytail with one hand and rolled her eyes. “That’s okay, big brother. I’d rather be on the needing end of growing up than the receiving end of growing old…like you guys.” She edged by Mitch to step into his apartment. “Nice digs, Marine. Needs a woman’s touch but it’s entirely livable and very spacious.”
“Thank you, ma’am. It’s so nice to have you approve of something pertaining to me.” He laughed as her brown eyes sparkled with amusement. “What brings you two to this area, anyways?”
“I’ve got a competition this afternoon.” Haley slipped her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and spun on her boot heels to face him. “And after that, I want my two favorite Marines to buy me my first beer in a reputable club of your choosing, here in Lake Coburn. As of 6:45 this morning I’m twenty-one!” She leaned in closer and whispered behind her hand. “Guess whose idea it was to throw in reputable?” She nodded toward Tex, who stood there, glowering at her.
“Well, Happy Birthday, Haley, but first beer?” Mitch chuckled. “Excuse me, but I find that a little difficult to believe.”
“You mean older, don’t you, big brother?”
“Yeah, well, with age, comes wisdom, Haley girl. You might want to keep that in mind.”
“I will, Matty, don’t worry. Besides, I’ve got a plan for my life that doesn’t involve DUI’s and barfing on cops.”
Mitchell’s bellow of laughter rang out through the room. “You hurled on a cop, Tex?”
Tex grabbed uncomfortably at the back of his neck. “Not one of my finest moments.”
Mitch choked back the laughter. “What the hell did he do?”
“He was about to arrest me, and I begged him not to. Told him I was having one last hoorah before enlisting in the Navy the next day. You know this story. He said if I made it the Marines he wouldn’t throw my ass in jail.”
“I know a story about a speeding ticket and DUI. This is the first I hear about you hurling on a cop! What’d you do? Barf on his feet and ruin a brand new pair of boots or something?”
“I’d say it was a little more serious than that.” Haley gave a throaty chuckle.
Mitch leveled a questioning gaze on his friend. “So, what happened?”
“Projectile…” Tex closed the gap between himself and Mitch. “That dude was about two foot from my face. When I spewed, it covered him…from head to toe. I’d lied like a rug about joining the Navy, but after that little incident, I was extremely glad to join the Marines. Hell, I’d have done anything to get out of Beaumont and away from that cop.”
“Oh man!” Mitch wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. “I wish I could have been around to see that. You ever see that guy again?”
Tex laughed and nodded. “Just about every damn time I come in. We’ve had some good laughs over it. I’ve thanked him for forcing me to make the best decision of my life, and he’s apologized. Said he’d always worried I’d bite the bullet in the Middle East and he’d be responsible. Truth is, considering where I was headed he probably saved my worthless butt.”
“You’re probably right. Now how long will you two be in my glorious state?”
Tex hooked a thumb toward his sister. “Annie Oakley here’s got a race tonight and tomorrow, so we’ll be heading out on Sunday.”
Haley spun around to face her brother. “Who the hell is Annie Oakley?”
Tex stuck his finger in her face. “Watch your mouth.”
Haley’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking, right? For saying the word hell?”
He flicked the tip of her nose. “Nope, for not knowing who Annie Oakley is. You being’ a horsewoman and all, you should know everything there is to know about her.”
“Oh please…”
“So!” Mitch interrupted the bickering siblings. “You’ve got a horse race at Delta Downs? You betting or riding?”
Haley’s brow furrowed in a pretty, little frown before she and Tex burst into laughter. “Not horse racing, Mitch. Barrel racing. The only thing I race against is the clock.”
“That’s right! I heard there was a rodeo at the coliseum this weekend. Barrels—Is that where they do that figure eight thing in an arena?” Mitch waved his finger in a figure eight pattern in the air.
“Three barrels, so it’s a cloverleaf pattern.”
He nodded, pointing at her. “I was watching some of that the other day. That stuff can get dangerous.”
“Not if the horse and rider both know what they’re doing. Barrels are Dakota’s favorite thing to race.”
“You ride a male horse?”
“A gelding, you mean? I have, but Dakota is short for Miss Red Dakota. She didn’t care for roping calves, and barely tolerated poles and break-a-way. But if she sees a barrel, I have to hold her back. My event starts at two o’clock, and I need all the support I can get.”
“I’ll be there.” Mitch nodded, wondering if Meagan and Buck would enjoy watching something like that.
****
Mitchell watched Haley’s race, amazed at the speed and agility of both horse and rider. Haley and her Miss Red Dakota operated as a single unit, leaning and turning as one, building speed and slowing to circle incredibly close to the barrels, missing them by a hair.
Tex whooped loudly when his little sister rounded the last barrel and sped back to the starting point. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about, Haley girl! That was a clean ride and slick as a greased pig. Damn, that girl can ride, can’t she?”
“Yes sir. It looks like she’s been doing that all her life.”
“Close to it, I want to say she first got on a horse at two and they’ve been her life since then. I think if mom had let her sleep in the stables with them, she would have.”
Being that Haley was the last to ride in her group, they didn’t have to wait long to hear she’d won that round of the barrels competition. After rousing applause, he stood to follow Tex down the metal steps of the bleachers.
CHAPTER 8
Birthdays, Brawls, and Brothers in Arms
The three of them entered Red’s club around eight p.m. at Haley’s anxiousness to get her evening of legalized drinking started early.
Mitch led them straight to Meagan’s end of the bar, just in time to witness an unruly customer giving her a hard time.
“Come on baby, what other tricks you got up your sleeve?”
“I’d be willing to show you more but I have customers,” she said, sounding apologetic. He grabbed her arm, jerking her to an abrupt halt as she turned away from him.
She turned slowly toward him. “If you don’t want to be banned from this place for life, you will take your hands off of me right now.”
He released her immediately and raised both hands. “All right. No harm done!” He spun on his barstool and walked away, grumbling to himself.
Meagan shook her head and grinned at Mitchell’s approach. “I almost hate to start the bartender tricks. There’s always one guy looking for a little more than I have time for.”
Mitch’s gaze followed the dude she’d just chased away. “I think that one wants something more substantial than a flame throwing orange.”
“Oh yeah? Well, you should know.” A slight lift of one brow accompanied her comment. She shrugged. “Besides, he’s harmless. Who do you have here?”
Tex didn’t waste time on a third party introduction. He flipped his hat off with a flourish and reached for her hand. “Matthew Broussard, ma’am, and it is truly a pleasure to meet you, especially you having such a lovely accent and all.”
Meagan laughed, putting things together. “You’re Tex, Mitchell’s buddy from Beaumont! I’ve heard about you, but he sure as heck left out the fact that you were so darn good looking. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and dimpled, to boot…Good God all mighty, you must have to fight the women off with a stick!”
Tex winked at Mitch. “A woman with excellent tastes. I like this girl.”
Mitch felt Haley’s eyes on him and faced her. He could only assume his features revealed the sheer terror he’d felt at the sight of Tex towering over Meagan. Whatever she sensed had her stepping up to nix her brother’s onslaught of pure Texas charm.
“Haley Broussard.” She extended her hand. “I’m his sister,” she said, pointing at Tex.
“Nice to meet you both. What can I get you guys? And darlin’, if you’re ordering alcohol, I’ll need to see some ID.”
“Gladly!” Haley whipped her driver’s license from her pocket as though she’d been waiting all her life to do that very thing.
Meagan studied it for a second before her face lit up with anticipation. “We’ve got us a birthday girl!” she shouted out to the bar patrons. “You know what that means don’t you?”
“First drink’s free!” about a
dozen people shouted.
Meagan climbed the ladder behind the bar, bringing a large brass cowbell with her. She began clanging it loudly until she had everyone’s attention. “Not only is it this young lady’s birthday, but it’s her twenty-first birthday…and y’all know what that means don’t you?”
About fifty people shouted in unison. “Second drink’s free!”
“What number is that, Meagan?” a guy shouted from the back.
One of the other workers handed Meagan a small dry eraser board from behind the bar. She beamed as she erased the #99 from the board and wrote a big fat #100 then lifted it for all to see. The bar filled with whistles, cheering and hoots.
“What does that mean?” Haley called to Meagan over the din.
Meagan stood as tall as she could on the ladder and quieted the crowd. “She wants to know what it means. Shall we tell her? One…Two…Three…”
The entire club bellowed, “Free shots…all night long!”
Mitch had to laugh at the sour face Tex produced at the news. “Come on, bro! You know she’s earned it just for being your sister for twenty-one years.”
“I don’t want her sick as a dog. She’s got another race tomorrow.” He leaned over to address his sister, who was listening to Meagan. “You haven’t forgotten about tomorrow, have you?”
She turned on her brother. “Jeeze Matty, give me a little credit, would you? Meagan was just telling me that I get a complimentary bottle of my choice of whatever I want. I was just about to ask her if she’d hold it for me until tomorrow night since we’ll be back then and I don’t have to race on Sunday.”
“Absolutely! Just make sure you have a designated driver with you. Red has a strict policy that no one leaves here with keys if they’re too drunk to drive. We’ve got Big Man at the door to stop them if they try to leave.” She indicated the huge bouncer they’d passed coming in. “So, have you decided what you’ll be shooting tomorrow night?”