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.
Allie looked up questioningly at Jill. “Are you sick?”
Jill laughed. “No, Allie, I’m fine. Hey, that’s a great job coloring. I don’t think you went out of the lines once. I couldn’t stay in the lines until I was four.”
Allie held her book up for Jill to take a closer look. Jill checked it over closely. “Yep, not a single stray mark. Nice work, Allie.” “I’m glad you’re feeling okay,” Allie smiled.
“Who’s sick?” Peace asked, as he popped his head into the kitchen on the way to wash up with Dan and his son.
Jill blushed. “No one. Becky and I were just talking about a hypothetical illness.”
“Yea, so mind your own business, Pauley,” Becky chimed in.
“Yes Ma’am,” Peace saluted, and went to wash up, a puzzled smile still on his face.
“They take orders pretty well too, I see,” Jill observed.
Becky started laughing suddenly, holding onto the chair in front of her for support. “I get Dan every once in a while. He’ll be engrossed in a book, or some project, and I’ll yell, on your feet mister. It gets him every time. I don’t do it often, because payback can be bad, and he has a long memory.”
Jill nodded knowingly, and the two women finished the table preparations. Becky put out the serving dishes with spaghetti, corn, and fresh Italian bread. “This looks really good.”
“I’m glad you like simple, because when you have kids, the plainer the meal, the better they like it. I used to try and make these masterpieces of culinary delight, but gave it up real quick. To Dan, food is food, but…”
“Hey, plain is good to me too,” Dan interjected, as he and Danny led Peace back into the kitchen. “If I want a fancy meal, I’ll take you all out to one, right Allie.”
“Yea,” Allie piped in solidly on cue, evoking laughter from the adults, as they sat down to eat.
“Allie,” Becky said. “Remember what we said about agreeing with Daddy.”
“Oh yeah,” Allie replied, turning to her Father. “You’re out of line, mister.”
This brought another burst of laughter, with Dan laughing the hardest, as he reached around to tickle his daughter. “I’ll teach you who’s out of line.”
__
Becky, Danny, Allie, and Jill were out by Peace’s car. Allie had just helped Jill get in the passenger side, and handed her cane in to her. Peace had held back with Dan for a moment at Dan’s request.
“I don’t claim to be an expert on women,” Dan began, “but my friend, that is a lady.”
Peace nodded. “You say that, Lieutenant Dan, like I’m blowing her off.”
Dan laughed at Peace’s Forrest Gum
p reference, which Peace pulled out whenever he felt like Dan had assumed something not in evidence. “I know that, Pauley. I just wanted you to know I thought she was real nice.”
“Thanks, I think she’s incredible,” Peace smiled. “I better get going before Jill talks Becky into giving her one of your kids.”
“Just as a warning,” Dan laughed. “Ed told all the guys about your escapade in the bar, so watch out tomorrow.”
“Damn,” Peace sighed. “I should have known he would pull something like that. Thanks for the heads up, Dan. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Pauley.”
Dan watched Peace walk down to the car and give Allie a hug. He then shook hands solemnly with Danny. Becky gave him a kiss on the cheek when she had her turn, which surprised Peace a little. Jill waved at Dan as Peace went around to the driver’s side and started the Buick. Dan gave her a little salute as Peace pulled away. Becky and his kids walked up towards him. Becky grabbed his hand when they drew near.
“I like Jill a lot,” Becky told him immediately.
“So do I, babe, so do I,” Dan acknowledged. “There’s no question Pauley does too.”
“I wish…”
“There were some way you could meddle in this and make it come out with a good ending?” Dan finished for her.
Becky laughed. “What have I told you about finishing my sentences for me.”
“You’re out of line, Mister,” Allie piped in.
“Does Uncle Pauley have a girlfriend now, Dad?” Danny asked as Dan and Becky laughed at Allie.
“We hope so, Son,” Dan replied.
__
“I felt like I’d known them all my life,” Jill said, looking over at Peace.
“They’re the best,” Peace agreed. “In a lifetime, you sometimes find one or two real friends. I’ve been blessed with many more than that.”
“Want to stop at the restaurant over by my motel?”
“You don’t want a cheeseburger and fries on top of the meal you just had, do you?” Peace asked, pretending shock.
Jill laughed and slapped his arm. “No, I don’t want anything else to eat. I thought we could have some coffee, and you can sing to me again.”
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