by Pj Fiala
“Tell me about your family. You mentioned that your father passed away and you have a brother, Paul. Any other siblings?”
“No, it’s just the two of us. Paul, he’s so smart. He’s a veterinarian in town now. He’s married to Grace and they have a baby on the way. Mom still lives in town, close to here, actually.”
“I want to talk to you about your injuries. When did you know you lost your leg?”
Danny took a deep breath, flicked his gaze to Tammy and swallowed. “I knew almost right away. I couldn’t hear my buddies because of the ringing in my ears and didn’t know if any of them were hurt.” Fidgeting in his chair, he ran a hand across the back of his neck. “I passed out initially but in the helicopter, on the way to base, they told me it was gone. I lost a buddy, Reed, and another buddy, Janus, lost both of his legs and one hand.”
Tammy found herself mesmerized by his voice, his eyes and his story. He didn’t feel sorry for himself and he actually seemed humbled and overwhelmed with the support he was receiving from Rolling Thunder and the community as a whole. The amount of people who’d donated food, materials, tools and their time to help out was astounding. Danny teared up several times talking about everything. Tammy’s heart melted.
After they finished the interview, Joci and Molly walked over to the food table. Danny and Tammy were left on the porch. Danny was trying to calm himself down before speaking to Tammy. Reliving that was rough. His heart raced and he was sweating. He hated talking about that day. That mission. And, he didn’t want to look weak; not in front of Tammy. Weird. Why was she different?
Finally able to move, he stood. “Should we get a bite to eat?” he asked Tammy. She nodded and they walked silently over to the food table. Danny pulled himself and Tammy between Joci and Molly.
He leaned down and hugged Molly. “Thank you, Molly, for taking the pictures. I’m going to keep an album of them.” He leaned close to her ear and said, “I hope everything will be ok with Ryder. I’m sorry I said anything.”
Molly looked up at him and smiled. “You’re welcome for the pictures. I’ll make you a digital photo album. Don’t worry about Ryder; I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. And, if it’s okay, I’d like to mention that Tammy couldn’t stop talking about you last night. She’s smitten.”
Molly stepped back a few steps to take pictures of the women gathered around the food table. She took a few pictures of Danny as Tammy stood next to him. They looked good together. Tammy was a little sandy-haired, brown-eyed woman. Danny had sandy hair, eyes the color of dark chocolate and stood about a foot above her. He looked down at her just as Tammy looked up at him and smiled. Ahh, what a great picture. Molly snapped a few more of them talking.
“There she goes, snapping away again.” Danny chuckled.
“You’ll get used to it. I’d like to help today. What can I do?”
Danny looked over the yard full of people and the men helping out. He looked back at Tammy and smiled. “I was just going to go and relieve Gus from the chop saw. You want to help me with that?”
Tammy nodded as she looked into his eyes. She had to stifle the giggle that threatened to escape. Danny took her small hand in his much larger one and they walked over to the chop saw station. He looked down at their joined hands and glanced over at those gorgeous brown eyes to see her looking at their hands as well. He gave her hand a squeeze and looked straight ahead.
His heart beat furiously and his head was getting way ahead of him…them. He wasn’t whole. He still struggled, every day with issues. Physical and, emotional. The PTSD took over sometimes and even though he never missed a session with his therapist, he still had so much to overcome. Then, of course, physically, he wasn’t whole. Sure, days like today he looked normal, but eventually if things progressed, she would see him without his clothes. He had scars and while their bright pink tones were fading to deeper brown hues, they were still very prominent on his body. Tammy was perfect, she should have someone perfect.
“Hey, you’re quiet. What’s up?” Tammy smiled up at Danny and his breath caught.
“Aah, nothing, just…thinking.” He smirked and looked at the saw station up ahead of them.
“Hey, Danny, how’s it going today?” Gus bellowed. He was a stout, good-natured man currently wearing a red plaid flannel shirt tucked into jeans held up with suspenders.
“Good, Gus, how are you? Thanks so much for coming today and helping out, I’m speechless. And appreciative.”
“Danny, I’ve known you since you were born. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t come to help out one of our finest soldiers.”
Danny’s cheeks turned bright red at the praise and he ducked his head in embarrassment.
Laughing so hard his rotund belly shook and holding his hand out, Gus said, “Name’s Gus, little lady. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, my name’s Tammy. We came to relieve you so you could grab a bite to eat while the food’s hot. What’s the routine here?” Tammy smiled her brightest smile and Gus let out a low whistle.
Looking at Danny he said, “You better be careful, Danny, this little one will wrap you around her finger so fast your head will spin.”
Tammy shrugged as her cheeks burned. Gus continued laughing. “Well, the guys will bring you boards marked up where you cut them. All you need to do is cut them and give ‘em back. It goes quicker if one person mans the saw rather than everyone lining up to use it and that way, we also eliminate accidents.” Lowering his voice he said, “Not everyone here should be using a saw, if you know what I mean.” Laughing at his own joke, he patted Danny on the back and headed toward the food table with a quick, “Holler if you need help.”
Tammy watched Gus waddle to the food table as Danny reached into a bag lying on the ground and pulled out two pairs of safety goggles.
“Put these on. Have you ever used one of these before?”
“Of course I have. My dad taught Molly and I how to use his when we helped him and his friends fix the fence at Molly’s house.”
Danny raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Okay. Well, sexy and uses power tools…”
“Hey, I have a few boards to cut.” And that was the end of conversation as one by one men lined up to have their boards cut. Tammy and Danny took turns cutting the boards, each taking a moment to speak to the person bringing the board to ensure they understood what was needed. The afternoon passed quickly and six o’clock whizzed up to greet them.
“Hey, Tammy, I have to get going.” Molly said as she strode towards them.
“Okay.” Tammy took off her safety glasses and set them in the bag. Dusting her hands off on her jeans, she looked back at Danny, “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Danny slid his safety glasses up on top of his head as he wiped his hands down his thighs. Not knowing what to do with his hands and itching to touch Tammy’s face, he slid his fingers into his front pockets and smiled. “Yeah, see you tomorrow. Thanks for all your help today. You too, Molly, thanks.”
Molly nodded, “Happy to do it and I’m stoked for you to see the pictures.”
Sensing a little tension, Molly turned to Tammy and said, “I’ll wait for you by the car. I’m going to go and say good-bye to Joci.” With a wave she was off.
Tammy’s cheeks flamed bright pink as she looked at the ground and Danny’s shoes.
Placing his finger under her chin, Danny gently pulled Tammy’s face up catching her gaze with his. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Thank you for everything.”
Tammy swallowed the large lump in her throat and willed the wild butterflies in her tummy to slow down. Tilting her lips at the corners she whispered, “I look forward to seeing you, too.”
Wrapping one arm around her shoulders and one around her waist, Danny pulled Tammy in for a hug. He just couldn’t let her go without at least this.
Feeling his heart hammer next to hers Tammy wrapped her arms around Danny’s waist and hung on, because her knees were shaking and she didn’t kno
w if she would be able to stand on her own. His warmth surrounded her and his scent, part Danny and part the wood they’d cut all afternoon and wholly sexy. His muscles contracted under her arms and she could feel how firm he was. She laid her cheek on his chest and listened to the strong heartbeat beneath his impressive chest muscles and she let out a sigh. This felt good. No, great. This felt great. Who knew a hug could feel so…right.
Pulling away she looked up at him and smiled. “See you in the morning.”
Danny swallowed as the loss of her heat against his body left him cold. He watched her perfect lips form the most beautiful smile and she told him she’d see him in the morning, and all he could do was nod because his stupid mouth wouldn’t form words.
CHAPTER 8
“DID YOU ASK HER out?” Paul asked Danny as he reached forward and filled his taco shell with meat.
Grace busied herself sprinkling cheese on her taco as she discreetly looked through her lashes at Danny, waiting for him to respond.
Danny chuckled. “Yeah.” He wasn’t entirely comfortable with this conversation.
“So why aren’t you with her now? When are you going out?” Grace couldn’t stop herself from asking.
Danny set his beer bottle on the table and sat back in his chair. He looked into Grace’s beautiful blue eyes and saw excitement in them. “Grace, don’t get too excited about this, okay? I don’t even know why she said yes. She was probably just feeling sorry for me. She may change her mind and cancel.”
“What on earth are you talking about, Dan? That’s crazy. She looked positively smitten with you today. Every time I looked over at the two of you she had ‘dreamy eyes’ on you.” She emphasized ‘dreamy eyes’ with air quotes.
Paul burst out laughing. “Dreamy eyes? What the hell are dreamy eyes, babe?”
“You know, she looked all…” trying to find the words Grace batted her eyes at Paul and folded her hands together under her chin. “Like all lovey-dovey and sweet.”
“She wasn’t doing that, Grace. That’s bullshit,” Danny admonished.
“Was too. I saw it. She’s definitely got it for you. Did you kiss her?”
“What the fuck, Grace?” Danny asked, face burning bright red to the tips of his ears.
“What? Gosh, Dan, you’re touchy on this subject. I’m just sayin’.”
Paul laughed again and, leaning across the table, smacked his lips against his wife’s. “Leave it alone, babe. Apparently this is a hot button.”
Danny swiped his hand down his face and grabbed his beer. He downed the majority of it, swallowed, and downed the rest. He stood and threw the bottle in the garbage basket next to the cabinets. Running his hands down his thighs he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed another beer. Stepping back he peered around the fridge door and looked at Paul. Paul shook his head no. Danny closed the fridge door and resumed his seat at the table. Suddenly, his stomach was knotted up.
“Sorry Danny. I wasn’t trying to make you mad.”
“I’m not mad at you, Grace. I just…” looking past Grace out the window Danny’s mouth formed a straight line. “It’s just, you know. I’m trying not to read too much into it. It’ll take someone super special to want to be with me now. I have PTSD, phantom pain, nightmares, the works. I’m not exactly whole,” he said motioning his hands toward his leg. “You know?”
Grace’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked at Danny. She blinked and a lone tear slid down her cheek.
“Fuck. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Christ, Paul, what am I supposed to do with this?”
Paul reached over and took Grace’s hand in his. “Babe, don’t cry. It’s okay.”
Paul gave Grace’s hand a squeeze causing her to look over at him. He raised his eyebrows and Grace nodded.
“Stupid hormones. I swear I can laugh one minute and cry in the next. Sorry.”
Grace wiped her cheeks and looked at Danny. “You’re whole. A missing limb or part of a limb is overcomable, if that’s a word. You have nightmares, I have raging hormones. You have PTSD. I pee every ten minutes. We all have something. Did you ever think that maybe she has something she’s worried about you finding out about?”
“No, she’s perfect.”
“Ha. See, you’re smitten too.”
Grace picked up her taco and bit down, causing a loud crunching sound. Danny grabbed his taco and looked at Grace, just before taking a bite, he said, “Am not.”
***
“Molly has a date tonight and I was outside working all day, so, I’m going to soak in the tub and go to bed early tonight. I’m going back tomorrow to work again.”
“Don’t get too wrapped up in this guy until you know he’s good, okay honey? I know I don’t have to tell you to protect yourself.” Tammy’s mom, Denise, said on the other end of the phone, while swiping her hand through her short brown hair.
Tammy, walking toward her bathroom froze when her mom brought up the painful subject of ‘protecting herself’. Letting out a long breath, she whispered, “Mom. Don’t. Please.”
“I’m not lecturing. I just want you to be careful. Not everyone is who they seem to be.”
Tammy walked into her bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her nose was rosy from being outside all day. Her eyes looked tired and her hair was a mess from blowing in the wind. But, overall, she looked…happy.
“I know you’re not lecturing, but, please stop reminding me. I’ve worked so hard to forget, though, I never will. I…just…please.”
Denise’s lips turned down into a frown. “I’m sorry. I won’t bring it up again. But, if you continue this relationship with Danny, you’ll need to tell him. It hurts to hide things like this and it usually comes out when you don’t want it to. Promise?”
Softly Tammy said, “Yes.”
“Okay, babe. Go soak in your tub and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
“Night, mom.” Tammy tapped her phone to end the call and set it on the bathroom counter. She turned to the tub and twisted the faucet to start the water. She sprinkled in her favorite bath salts and undressed. Gently easing herself into the warm water, Tammy leaned back and smiled to herself. Taking a deep breath and letting the tension float away on the water, she closed her eyes and smiled when visions of Danny floated into her mind.
CHAPTER 9
“WANNA TELL ME about your hot date last night?” Tammy smirked as she climbed in Molly’s car.
“Nope. We were both tired and didn’t go out. I made pizza at home instead.” Molly smiled as she stared out the windshield.
“Really?” Tammy looked over at her friend and waited for her to say something. Respond. Look at her. Nothing. “Really? That’s all?”
Molly’s cheeks bloomed bright red. She looked over at Tammy and they burst out laughing.
“Wow. Hot, right?” Tammy asked.
Molly put her car in gear and swallowed. All she could do was nod and smile. “What about you? Are you excited to see Danny today?”
It was Tammy’s turn to turn red. “I am. He asked me out for next week. It feels like it’ll take forever for next week to get here.” She sighed and turned slightly in her seat. “I just loved working with him yesterday, Mol. He’s precise, caring, and easy to talk to. We chatted little bits in between cutting boards. He’s smart, but not arrogant or full of himself.” Tammy sat back in her seat and stared straight out the windshield. “He’s…I’ve never met anyone like him, Mol. Never.”
Molly glanced over at her friend and saw the dreamy look on her face. She smiled and glanced back at the road. “Are you going to tell him about the video?”
Tammy curled her lip down and wrinkled her nose a bit. “I don’t know. It’s…ugh, I don’t know. It’s hard and I hope we can get to know each other a bit before I have to say anything. After all, maybe he’ll change his mind and not want to go out with me and then I won’t have to say anything at all.”
Molly bit the inside of her lip as she let those words roll around in he
r head. “I get it; after all, I’m doing the same thing.”
“It’s a different scenario Molly. What happened to you wasn’t your fault. Lancaster’s a pig.”
“What happened to you wasn’t your fault either. You didn’t know Scott was videoing you. Scott’s a pig, too.”
Both girls nodded and stared straight ahead.
***
Molly pulled her camera equipment out of her trunk while absently looking for Ryder in the crowd of people at Danny’s house again today. Things looked very different than they had yesterday, all the way around. Molly’s night with Ryder last night was, well, remarkable really. They fit together in a way she never dreamed she’d ever fit with anyone.
Tammy closed the car door and zipped up the hoodie she was wearing. She looked over the crowd finding Danny almost instantly. He stood next to Dog and Gunnar and he was watching her. Her heart fluttered and the butterflies in her tummy were flapping furiously to get out. Tammy walked toward Danny, leaving Molly to follow. As she approached Danny, Tammy’s lips quivered and then blossomed to a full blown smile. She thought she heard him huff out a breath, but wasn’t sure. But she did see him swallow a large lump in his throat, which gave her a thrill.
“Hi,” she said softly.
Danny smiled at her. “Hi.”
Two pair of brown eyes locked on each other, each feeling as though they were the only ones on the planet. Until they heard a throat clear and a male voice. “Ah, we’ll just run along and do something.”
Tammy blinked and looked over at Gunnar, who was smirking at her. She blushed profusely and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Sorry. Good morning, Gunnar. Dog.” Tammy leaned forward and shook hands with each of them.
“Morning, Tammy. Nice to see you again. Thanks for helping Joci out yesterday. We all appreciate it,” Dog said.
“Oh, I was happy to help her. She’s great. The interview at the end of the ride DVD is going to be awesome.” Tammy looked over at Danny, a broad smile splitting her face.