A waiter dressed in black pants and a white shirt stood in the corner. A white Lacroix engraved towel was draped over his left arm. Seeing that we were ready, he walked our way, escorting us to a table that seated four. He welcomed us, pulling two of the place settings off the table. Lucas and I sat.
“Riley’s friends with the chef. Chef Lacroix will be preparing our meal today. She says he's very good. I took the liberty of asking him to prepare a couple of porterhouse steaks for us. I hope that’s okay?”
“Sounds good to me. Man, I’m hungry enough to eat the whole cow. The drive down from Virginia was tedious, lots of traffic. I didn’t want to stop to eat, because I was so eager to get here. Porterhouse steak sounds perfect.”
“Good. I ordered yours medium well.”
“You remembered?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t forget a fact as important as how a man eats his cow.”
Sitting erect in my seat, I nodded in agreement. “I hear congratulations are in order, Commander Cook,” I said casually.
“Thank you. Thank you,” Lucas beamed. “I hear congratulations are in order for you as well, Commander Dunham. You’re pinning it on next month right?
“That would be so, sir. At least I hear the paperwork is in play. You beat me to it by a few months, though. Not sure how I feel about being second this time.”
“Get over it. Either way, it’s awesome news. You beat me to the last promotion. Or did you forget, Mico?”
“How could I? We’ve been on this race to the top for what seems like the longest time. But I must say Lucas, commander suits you too, brother. You’re wearing it well.”
“I just ought to, Mico. I’ve got a couple of military brats to support. They’re eating me out of house and home. This promotion came at a good time.”
Lucas grinned his million-dollar smile, his ocean blues looking me over slowly, giving nothing away. But I knew something was gnawing at him.
The sommelier paused in front of us, interrupting. He was holding a black and gold leather-bound wine list, which he handed to Lucas. Lucas skimmed the list quickly, ordering a 1996 Louis Martini Amarone.
“What? No vodka martinis today? You getting soft on me, Lucas?
“My wife says we should drink this. Bear with me.”
“You sound totally hen-pecked,” I laughed.
Lucas grinned. We both knew it was true. The sommelier returned with the bottle, flashing the label under Lucas’s nose. He nodded and the sommelier poured slightly more than a mouthful into Lucas’s glass for him to taste.
Lucas swirled, sniffed, and then tasted, nodding his approval. We both waited in silence as the waiter filled our wine glasses before we began speaking again.
“Riley’s becoming quite the wine connoisseur,” I said, taking a swallow from my own glass.
“Yeah. I hardly know how she does it. She’s been vigorously building her brand. She’s raising our two kids. She’s taking care of me. I don't know how she does it all.”
Lucas wore an expression of amazement on his face.
“She is indeed a remarkable woman. Unlike me, you hit the jackpot Lucas when you got married,” I nodded in agreement.
Lucas ignored my slight against Casey. We agreed years ago, after my divorce, not to bring up my ex-wife's name. Lucas was keeping to his word to our pact.
“Not to mention I had to add a kick-ass wine cellar addition to our home. I can’t wait for you to see it, Mico.”
“I can’t wait to see it either.”
I smiled back at him. This small talk was making me anxious. Whatever was bothering Lucas, I wanted him to come out with it.
“Yeah, and to top it off she wants another baby.”
“Yeah, so make another one,” I add casually, as the waiter arrives with two large plates of sizzling hot porterhouse steaks covered in Portobello mushrooms and small pearl onions. A dollop of chimichuri rests on the side of the plate against a pile of red potatoes and asparagus. It smelled delicious.
Lucas’s fork with a bite of steak on the end stopped abruptly short of meeting his mouth at my last statement. He stared at me, his face blank.
“What? Motherfucker, you forget how to make a baby?” I asked. I was pretty sure I was looking at him as if he had two heads, perplexed as to why he suddenly stopped eating, acting as if he didn’t understand English.
“Of course I know how to make a baby. It’s not that, Mico,” Lucas said with hesitation. “I’ve signed up for another tour of duty. Riley’s not happy about it.”
“Get the fuck out of here, dude. I signed up for another tour, too. I’m headed to Yemen.”
“Yemen, Really? That’s where I’m going. The USS Cole. We’ll be on the same carrier, Mico.”
“Well, rock the fuck out wingman," I answered with glee.”
“Rock the fuck in wingman,” Lucas answered back.
“This is best news I’ve had all day, Mico.”
“We should celebrate. This will be like old times. We’ve talked about everything else these last few weeks. I can’t believe this never came up.”
“Me either Mico, but its all good now, my brother.”
Lucas happily stuffed more steak in his mouth, chewing quickly. No doubt we were both ecstatic about this news. It was starting to feel like old times.
“Actually Mico, Riley’s got her panties all in a bunch. She knows I’m leaving soon. She’s not liking the fact I’m leaving again. She worries more these days about my not making it back home.
“What the fuck?” I ask, though this is a natural concern for military spouses. “Of course you’ll make it back Lucas. Besides, I’m your wingman. No fucking way you won’t make it back. Making it back home is what we do.”
“Riley’s got my head all fucked up. I need you to promise me that if anything happens to me on this tour, you’ll take care of Riley and the kids for me. There’s no one else I trust to watch over everything I hold dear. Riley, Xavier, and Samantha mean everything to me.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you, Lucas. I’ll be with you, dude. What’s wrong with you? I won’t let anything happen to you. I'll be damned if either of us will be coming home in a box.”
I rest my fork for a minute. “What’s with all this doom and gloom shit?”
This conversation was making me lose my appetite.
“Sometimes shit happens, Mico.” Lucas looked as if he were in pain. Something was missing in this conversation. There had to be more pieces to what was starting to feel like a puzzle.
“Look, man. Stop tripping. We do the tour. We come back home. This ain’t rocket science Lucas. You know how this works already.”
“Right. You’re right, Mico. I think I’m just all over the place. Riley’s got me on the ledge. She and I are in the same book. We’re just not on the same page right now.”
“Pull yourself together Lucas,” I ordered.
Lucas took a deep breath.
“I know you're playing it straight with me, Mico. I can’t tell you how many times I wished you were closer by.”
“I’ve missed you too. Keeping it real between us is what we do. Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“Well if anything were to happen, promise me you’ll watch over my family.” He rubbed a hand across his jaw, his eyes searching mine.
Good Lord. It wasn’t like Lucas to get paranoid because of another tour. This was was we did. We were career officers. Death could knock on the door any day of the week. We would just slam the door on the fucker’s face. Lucas needed to get a grip.
“Look man, if it makes you feel better, I’ll say the words out loud. I promise you on the Dunham name, on everything that I love, I will take responsibility for your family."
"Promise me, Noah."
Oh this was serious. He was back to calling me by my government name now.
"I promise you Lucas. If the tables were turned, I know you would do it for me. But I need for you to knock this shit off. You sound like a scared bitch. And we both know
that is not who you are. You're not some minor-league rookie. We're major league. Commanders in the United States Navy.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.”
“Uh huh. Good. Can we be done with this conversation now? Death and dying is bad for my digestion.”
Lucas smiled his million-dollar smile. I was glad we were off this subject. But part of me felt like there were still more layers yet to be peeled. I went back to eating my steak.
“Listen Mico. Changing the subject. There’s something else I need to discuss.”
Here it comes, I thought. Now we were down to the real conversation.
“Yeah, what?”
“You recall my time in Malaysia right?”
“Yup. Your last tour. What about it?”
I took a gulp of the Amarone. Umm. It was good. Good choice Riley. I could get used to this.
“You know sometimes shit happens man.”
“Shit always happens. So what Lucas? What else is new?”
“This is hard for me, Mico.”
We're back to Mico now. Now I'm gonna hear it.
“Get on with it, Lucas,” I snapped.
I was starting to get irritated. I knew Lucas well enough to know that whatever he had to say, if he didn’t come out with it soon I was going to take a crowbar to his ass and pry it out of him. This back and forth circling around the merry-go-round of what ifs was wearing thin on my patience.
“It’s like this Mico—“
I listened intently to Lucas for the next fifteen minutes, taking in everything he had to say. He was spilling his guts. His words branding my heart, challenging the depth of my love for him. How far could we go? How far would we go?
When Lucas was done, I rested my fork yet again. I exhaled loudly, feeling as if he had knocked the wind out of me. I took a long deep breath. Then I took another big gulp of the fine wine Riley suggested we drink. I rose out of my chair and walked to Lucas’s side of the table. Then I knocked him the fuck out of his chair with my fist. I watched him as he hit the floor. The waiter came running towards both of us at lightning speed as I stood over Lucas in disbelief.
Lucas rose halfway from the floor, raising his hand up at the waiter to shoo him off, holding his jaw with the other, his white napkin still hanging out from under his collar.
“It’s okay,” Lucas said to the waiter, waving him off, crawling up to his knees, then sitting back down. Lucas dropped his eyes to his plate, unable to look me square in the face. He swallowed the lump of food in his mouth, then took a large gulp of wine.
I could not believe my lying ears, and the waiter stood paralyzed, not sure what he should do next.“This is what we do when we’re having a meeting of the minds,” Lucas said to the waiter who was rightfully nervous. “Bring more wine please.”
“Bring a bottle of Jack,” I huffed.
You would have thought we were a couple of mafia dons right then. Our shit looked weird, I know. I sat back down, working overtime to calm myself. I couldn’t form words yet. I needed a minute to collect myself. The tension in the air was thick as we both sat in silence. Lucas made the first move to get us back on track, like he always did whenever we argued.
“Okay Mico. I deserved that. Did anybody ever tell you that you think with your fists first, your brain second?”
“Yeah motherfucker. You did.”
“You can be a jackass sometimes.”
“Yup. And that’s why I keep you around. You’re the jackass whisperer, remember?”
“That hurt you know,” Lucas sighed, rubbing the side of his jaw, taking another swig of wine.
“My hand hurts more. Your jaw is made of rock.”
We drank some more. And then we devised a plan. Our secret plan.
For the next six years, Lucas and I were embedded in the war zone. We were stationed in the Persian Gulf heading up two squadrons in Yemen. The advancements in technology were such Lucas that was able to Skype back home to Riley and the kids more often than not. We both cherished his connection to the family.
Our missions came with their own level of danger. Lucas had saved my life once while we were out on an assignment with the allied coalition. On one mission, I was almost shot down. Lucas was flanking me, taking the rebel forces out in the nick of time. A split second off, I might have been gone. Thankfully, we both made it back to the carrier safely. I was never so grateful as to have Lucas as my wingman. It was combat straight out of one of those Tom Cruise movies, except I was the best friend that came back alive. I was shaken emotionally once we both landed, grateful my friend had been there in the nick of time. But that was who we were. That was what we did. Brothers always taking care of each other. Lucas stepped down from his fighter jet, screaming like a wild man. He was yelling “Rock Out Wingman,” as if he were some kind of crack-head on a high, happy as shit.
Once again, we had lived up to the meaning of our tattoos and were proud of it. Lucas had saved my life. He was beyond thrilled. And of course, I was even more thrilled to be alive. But beyond that, we both understood the gravity of that moment. Because once upon a time in Philadelphia, I too had saved his life.
Except the threat to his well-being was of a different nature. We were both indebted to each other. We didn’t have to say any more words. The bond of love was there.
Lucas and I got to come home during the holidays that third tour. His family had grown. He had three kids now. Xavier was fourteen, Samantha was twelve, and baby Claire was three. Life was good for all of us. Lucas and I were still closer than brothers. Time and distance never changed that fact. But that third tour would be our last tour together. We never got to take that Mediterranean cruise.
6
~ If You’re Looking for the Ball, the Catcher Has It~
While the Navy had its own missions for Lucas and me, today I was on a mission of my own. A command performance. Years ago I kept confidences. Years ago I made promises. Eleven years is long past time for me to deliver on my word. A word that I gave in the name of love. A word that I gave in the name of loyalty. A word that I gave to my brother from another mother.
I stepped through the metal walkway boarding the American Airlines flight to Philadelphia. I pondered deeply the essence of this moment and what was to come ahead. I hoped Lucas would forgive me for my tardiness. I wondered whether Riley remembered me. Would she remember the day the stars aligned? The day when all providence moved? The day she met both Lucas Cook and me? A man whose life entwined with mine. With hers.
I had watched her now from a forced distance, keeping my silence. Eleven years. I trusted Lucas would forgive my timing. I had my reasons. Still, I’d been far enough away, yet close enough to act. It had been emotionally treacherous holding myself back all these years. She truly is irresistible. For I have loved her now almost as long as he did.
I’ve watched her grapple to build her own empire. Lucas would have been proud. She was a capable woman in so many ways. She was smart in the ways of business, yet naive to all manner of manipulative men. Men who would attempt to erase memories of Lucas from her heart. But Lucas was not erasable. I knew this because I too have loved him. Both of us loving her.
Now it was time for me to close the gap. I was keeping my word to honor and protect everything that Lucas held dear. Everything that I held dear.
I was coming for her. I was keeping my promise to Lucas. Except this time, I was not the catcher. I was not the pitcher. This time I was the hitter. And I was swinging for the fences. I was swinging in the name of loyalty. I was swinging in the name of brotherhood. I was swinging in the name of love.
Because when life throws you a curveball, you hit it out of the park.
~The End~
Click here as the story continues in Black Sequinned Bows And Champagne Nights.
A Word About The Author
I am Jude E. McNamara. Virtual adventurer. Keyboard ninja. Guardian of sassy romantic encounters. I am the alter ego of that other woman, Jude. You know, the one that loves snowy n
ights, is in a relationship with love, and looking for her own hero. While by day she’s off being the disciplined scrappy businesswoman with the mind of a shark, I gallivant her keyboard by night, running wild and free on the down-low. I figure she’ll have to catch up to me. Because once that blue power button turns on, I’m far too busy breathing life into those colorful characters that run around in her head, incessantly telling me their stories even if it’s at the break of dawn.
You can find me and my merry band of jet-setting girlfriends running from the paparazzi at the high-end cocktail bars in Manhattan, drinking Patron Silver. I’m the flashy one wearing the sparkly tiara on my head. Like clockwork, when she faithfully dons her track shoes to catch up with me, I usually have to listen to her lecture me about my behavior over a glass of champagne. She loves champagne. Actually I love champagne too—except I like mine with a side of tall, handsome hunk begging me to stop at the intersection of heartbreak hotel and romantic encounter road, demanding a happily ever after.
It’s an arduous race to “The End” before her blue button goes dark and I cease to exist. But once the blue light appears, the race is on, right up to the point when we two Judes meet on the same page, often in a book like this one.
For more about the author, visit:
@Judeemcnamara
Jude.E.McNamara
www.judeemcnamara.com
[email protected]
Acknowledgments
A special thanks to my fabulous beta readers Donna Nelson, Jeanine Hillesland, Nicole Arnold, Kaerissa Nelms, Karol Lynn Fischer Davis, and Iris Kelly. Thank you for taking time to read this novella and for providing me wonderful feedback and notes to deliver the best story possible. Your support has been invaluable. I'm a lucky gal to have you behind me in my writing journey as an indie author. Thank again for reading this prequel as well as my other novels.
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