by Laura Acton
Dan coming in with a teammate made him happy. A positive sign like when Dan started coming to the dining facility with Brody, Blaze, Winds, Mason, Patch, and Ripsaw instead of taking all his meals in his barracks when he was recovering. Progress.
Gesturing to a table in an alcove set apart from the main dining room, a spot he reserved for special guests, Jarmal said, “Come this way. I have a quiet table for my VIPs.”
Lexa followed Jarmal. “Do a lot of VIPs come here?”
Chuckling, Jarmal confessed, “Yeah, my brothers constantly come in for dinner. They like to be called VIPs.”
As they sat, Jarmal handed Lexa a menu. “Your usual tonight, Dan?”
“Yeah but substitute a Molson for root beer tonight, but water too, please.”
“What would you like to drink, Lexa?”
“Beer sounds refreshing. Same as Dan’s is fine.”
“Two Molson’s coming up.” Jarmal strolled towards his bartender.
Lexa studied the menu. “What’s tasty?”
The choice of words caused Dan’s brow to arch slightly recalling the bar burger. Not allowing his thoughts to go there, he said, “If you like hot and spicy, my usual, the Five Alarm Burger, is excellent. If spicy isn’t your thing, any of the others are delicious, too.”
Pursing her lips together Lexa read the description of all the burgers.
Dan stared at her lips wanting to kiss her. Shades of July fourteenth rolled into his mind, evoking memories of the night in the hotel bar when he offered her a bite of his burger, and she whispered in his ear, which unfortunately caused stirrings in body parts now which shouldn’t rise in public places.
When Jarmal returned with the beverages, it gave him a welcome diversion. He tore his eyes off Lexa’s lips as he picked up his drink. Dan listened as Lexa inquired about a few of Jarmal’s offerings and settled on the BBQ burger.
After she ordered, Lexa lifted her ice-cold lager and took a sip. She gazed at Dan, smiled, and searched her mind for a neutral subject. Dan did not appear to be much of a talker and rarely initiated conversations. She would have to start the chat. “You got plans this weekend?”
Giving Lexa a slight nod, Dan lifted his mug.
“Care to share?” Lexa asked when Dan only nodded.
What can I say? I don’t want to lie, but I can’t her tell the truth. He settled for, “Gonna spend some time with JD.”
Lexa grinned. Outstanding, Dan has a friend. Is JD a female or male? Could be either. My best friend in Cold Lake, Julianna Draper, went by JD and so did our friend Jason Dearborn. A bit confusing sometimes. Wanting to discern the gender of Dan’s JD, she probed. “What are you going to do?”
Dan snorted. “Get drunk.”
The wheels in Lexa’s head began turning. “So you and JD are drinking buddies. Have you been friends with him long?”
Yeah. Taking a draw on his beer, Dan said aloud, “About ten years.”
Awesome. An old friend, and a guy because Dan didn’t correct me when I used ‘him’ in my question. “Does he live here or is he visiting?”
“Visiting,” Dan told the truth, but also misdirection. Jack Daniels might be considered a drinking buddy. He got drunk off his ass once a year since he turned seventeen and pilfered bourbon from Bella’s kitchen. His eighteenth birthday, vodka—also appropriated because he was not of legal age. On his nineteenth birthday, he consumed a ton of beer, tequila, and after finishing them started in on Brody’s Jack Daniels. Ever since then, except for the year he was held captive, Brody secured him a bottle of JD.
Lexa read a small flash of pain and sadness in his eyes. She decided to change the subject. “I plan to work on my renovation project this weekend. I’ve got two days to hang drywall. If I’m lucky, I’ll have it all taped off by the end of the weekend.”
Dan latched on to her subject, and they discussed her latest project until Jarmal delivered their food. The conversation became more sporadic as they each dug into their meal. Amazed at how fast Dan ate, Lexa noted he devoured everything on his plate and leaned back after setting down his water glass by the time she consumed only half her burger. She also took note, he barely drank any beer, choosing to drink two full glasses of water.
After she finished a bite, she said, “When you and Bram stayed in the hospital after the crash, Bram said you told him you grew up in the Yukon. Was that the drugs talking or did you indeed grow up there?”
Dan took a long draw of his lager. “Yeah, I lived at the Arctic base with the general from nine to sixteen.”
Lexa desired to ask about his mother, but she didn’t want return questions. It had been eighteen years since her mother died, and she still didn’t like to talk about her death. With Dan’s more recent loss of Brody, talking about death wouldn’t be pleasant dinner conversation. So, she decided to tease him. “I guess that’s how you developed such a terrific swimming style in frigid water. Were you part of the polar bear swim team?”
Despite his mood on this day, Dan chuckled and grinned. Lexa smiled at him, and something glinted in her eyes. Mesmerized by the golden flecks dancing in the light as she took another bite and a bit of BBQ sauce stuck at the corner of her mouth, Dan fought the urge to kiss it off. He clamped down on the emotion. Sexy Lexie is off limits no matter how much I want to lay her down and kiss every inch of her body.
When her pink tongue darted out and licked the sauce away, he grew hard. Damn. How the hell can I be friends with her when all my body desires is to sleep with her again? After clearing his throat and shifting to make himself more comfortable, he blew out a breath. “I should be going. JD is waiting for me.”
Lexa enjoyed making him chuckle and smile at least a little tonight. “I won’t keep you. Thanks for grabbing something to eat with me. It was pleasant having a friend to chat with over dinner.”
About to stand, Dan remembered his stuff was in her Jeep. She had eaten only half of her meal, so although he needed to go before things became embarrassingly hard, he said, “I have a bit more time. Don’t rush.” He took a small sip of his beer willing himself to deflate a particular part of his anatomy.
“Oh, right, your helmet and bag are in my Jeep.” Stuffed, Lexa put down the burger. “I’m done. The portions are huge.” She took the last drink of her beer and said, “I’ll box this up, and I’ll be ready to go whenever you are.”
Jarmal came over, and Dan and Lexa pulled out their wallets to pay. Jarmal set two bags of cookies on the table. “On the house tonight. So is the little treat in the bags. I only had two oatmeal raisin walnut cookies left. They’re my biggest seller. So, I put in a few double chocolate chunk cookies for you to try. I concocted a new recipe I’m going to introduce on Valentine’s Day.”
“Thanks, Jarmal.” Dan picked up the bag and stood.
Jarmal pulled Dan into a quick hug. Releasing him, he turned to Lexa. “Don’t be a stranger. Come in anytime. There will be a special table for you. Drag this guy in here more often, he shouldn’t be eating alone so much.”
Dan rolled his eyes. Jarmal meant well. “We work long hours. I eat and crash afterwards.”
Jarmal patted his back. “Eating with someone is better, but I’m glad to hear you’re sleeping. Someday those raccoon eyes of yours will disappear. I look forward to that day.”
Lexa took in the information and filed it away. “Thank you. The burger was fantastic. I’ll certainly be in again. And I love chocolate anything.”
Engulfed by the hulking man’s hug which took her by surprise, Lexa smiled when he pulled back. Yeah, I like Jarmal. He is warm, gregarious, and a talented chef, but most importantly he appears to care about Dan and look out for him. That makes him tops in my book.
After boxing her food, Lexa followed Dan out, and couldn’t help but stare at his firm ass in his impeccably fitting jeans. Part of her wanted to reach out and squeeze him, but she resisted. However, her mind went where it shouldn’t as she ogled him. Dan is a hunk and extremely skillful in bed. Too bad we’ll never exper
ience mind-blowing sex with each other again. Lexa sighed heavily. If only …
February 9
Dan’s Apartment – 1:00 a.m.
In the corner of his small, darkened apartment, Dan sat with his knees drawn close to his chest. A four-fifths empty bottle of Jack Daniels sat on the floor next to him. The tears flowed freely as did heart-wrenching sobs. He held nothing back. Massive amounts alcohol unlocked all his emotions from the constraints he placed on them. Eventually, it would dull the pain, but first, it helped him to release his agony and experience his pain full force.
He wiped the snot which ran out of his nose on his sleeve—not caring in the least that he tracked it along his shirt—it merely joined the previous streaks. His other hand gripped the neck of the whiskey bottle so hard his knuckles turned white. Dan lifted the vessel taking a shot directly from the bottle. It burned going down, but again he didn’t care.
Dan hit the hard stuff only one day each year since he was seventeen after he stole Bella’s bourbon. On February eighth he got rip-roaring, snot-slinging drunk off his ass. The only one who knew was Brody—and he was dead now. For ten years, Brody kept his secret. Brody learned of it on Dan’s nineteenth birthday when they both got so hammered they crashed a tank.
Once a year, Dan held a private hellish birthday party. Brody usually left him alone to deal with the unrelenting agony but safeguarded him, so he didn’t die from alcohol poisoning. There were no governors or safety nets in place now, and Dan consumed nearly the entire bottle.
The words started to spill out. In Dan’s mind, they came out crystal clear, but if anyone heard him, which they never did, his words would be slurred. “Sara, I should’ve saved you. All my fault you’re dead. I’m to blame. I’m your big brother, and I failed to do my job. I didn’t protect you. I’m sorry. I wish I died and you lived.” Dan took another swig.
Pulling out his wallet, he dug out the picture he carried. His arm slung over Sara’s shoulders. She wore a yellow party hat and he a blue one. He was nine and she seven. The last joyful birthday Dan ever had, and Sara’s last.
Dan’s heart broke over and over as sobs racked his body while he stared at the snapshot. He took one last, long draw of whiskey. His emotions raged, and he threw the bottle at the wall. It smashed into pieces like his heart, and the contents dripped down as if weeping for both of them.
He slurred out, scarcely above a whisper, “Sara, I miss you so much. The agony grows every year instead of dissipating. I’m twenty-eight. You should’ve been celebrating your twenty-sixth birthday. I’m so sorry you’re not here.”
Curling up into a tight ball on the floor, Dan allowed the copious amount of alcohol to ease the burden of his loss and dull the searing pain he never shared with anyone. Still so agonizingly raw after nearly two decades, his guilt and grief ensured he would never again experience a happy birthday.
How could he? He couldn’t. He could never celebrate his birth when he held himself responsible for her death. Celebrating without his little sister was utterly impossible.
For nine years, February ninth had been a joyful day. For seven short years, the day was doubly joyful because Dan and Sara had been born two years apart on the same day.
However, for the past nineteen years, the ninth of February represented only intense, unrelenting pain at the loss of his precious sister.
Only on February eighth, he allowed himself a small measure of relief from that pain to survive the coming day. Dan slipped into an alcohol induced sleep. No nightmares ever invaded this sleep … as if he was dead to the world—which he wholeheartedly wished he was, and sweet Sara was not.
Cupid’s Arrows and Snares
25
February 14
TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 7:30 a.m.
Her mood disgruntled, Lexa stood and stretched. She finished her drywalling last night, a bigger job which took much longer than she originally anticipated. Maneuvering the bulky sheets of drywall into place left her with aching muscles. Which only made February the fourteenth more of a pain.
Lexa hated this artificial holiday. One she believed card makers, florists, and candy makers dreamed up to sell more junk. The emotional angst people suffered today ensured the day ended up one of the worst days of the year for TRF. She grumbled, “Dan, prepare to experience a non-stop crazy day.”
Munching on the heart-shaped bagel with homemade strawberry jam his ma made especially for his breakfast, Loki grinned. “Lexa, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”
Giving Loki a quelling look, Lexa huffed. “No, it’s Valentine’s Day. Not looking forward to the lunacy.”
“What’s wrong with Valentine’s Day?” Dan noticed Lexa remained in a foul mood during the pre-shift workout and he wondered about the reason. Her remark made him more curious.
Jon stood, his features serious. “Aside from running our butts off all day, nothing. I’m taking Jen out for dinner tonight. Reservations at that swanky French restaurant, Chez Larousse. The kids are with her parents for the night. It’ll be great having the house to ourselves for a change.”
As he walked to the whiteboard to erase the briefing notes, Jon thought Nick might be right. Jon shared bits of his personal life in an off-handed manner to help Dan begin to see him as more than only a hard-assed tactical lead. Not a direct path as Jon preferred, but Nick believed this route would help him establish a better relationship with the rookie.
Bram leaned back, liking how Jon attempted to connect with Dan. Undeniably not Jon’s style, yet he did well so far. Bram also took the same course, nonchalantly sharing things. “Kellie and I celebrate on my days off before or after the fourteenth, whichever is closer. That way our plans aren’t hosed. You should probably do that, Jon. Jen won’t be too happy if we take a call at the last moment and end up in overtime like most years.”
“Jen understands. And if that occurs, I’ll make it up to her. Besides, I’m having a dozen roses delivered to her this afternoon just in case.” Jon finished his coffee and launched his paper cup at the trashcan. “Two points!” he exclaimed as the cup sailed into the can.
Lexa shook her head. “Poor murdered flowers. Perhaps you could buy her a rose bush instead. I mean, you give her flowers to symbolize an eternal commitment, but in two or three days they’re wilted and dying. What does that say about your love?”
Ray chuckled. “Lexa, Lexa. Not everyone shares your pessimistic view. Besides, roses die on the vine, too.”
“Our Lexa needs chocolate. I brought you a whole bag of heart-shaped ones. You want some now?” Waving a baggie in front of Lexa, Loki’s broad grin grew as mischief danced in his eyes.
Lexa eyed the guys. They loved to tease her about her attitude towards Valentine’s. She grabbed the bag, opened it, and popped a chocolate piece into her mouth. “Chocolate is the only good thing about this day.”
Dan sat back observing everything, logging information about each of them. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “How bad can Valentine’s be? We’ve had busy days before.”
Popping in another chocolate, Lexa answered, “You’ll see.”
“Kinda like a full moon on steroids. Drives normal people nuts. They go off the deep end,” Ray stated.
Loki nodded. “Yep, but it can be hilarious too. Remember last year when the daft woman crashed her car into the back of one of our SUVs?”
Everyone except Dan laughed and nodded.
Intrigued by their reaction, Dan asked, “What happened?”
Loki’s face became animated. “Well, we were wrapping up a call. Ray and I stood about forty feet from the SUV. At the crashing sound, we rushed over. We thought perhaps the driver suffered a seizure or something. I mean, not like anyone could miss an SUV with lights flashing if they paid attention.
“Anyway, we reach the vehicle and found a woman in the driver’s seat with her dress hiked up to her waist. Apparently, she was a bit distracted.” Loki stopped because he began to chuckle too much, blushing as h
e recalled what he witnessed.
Ray picked up the story. “Distracted is putting it mildly. She had been doing some personal grooming—down below if you catch my drift. Turns out she had a date and wanted to look terrific—everywhere—love rug included.”
Blushing a deeper shade of red, his mirth getting the best of him, Loki nodded at Dan, who stared at them with an incredulous expression.
Lexa shook her head with an amused mien. “The woman was crazy, totally nuts. She collided with our vehicle because she was busy shaving her bikini area. When these two broke into a fit of giggles, not very professional I might add, I went to take over for them.
“We discovered the demented woman continued to drive with a suspended license. According to the motor vehicle records, this was not the first time for personal shearing while driving. A few months before, she plowed through the tables of an outside café. Fortunately, the restaurant had closed for the night, and no customers were present.”
Loki finally got his snickers under control as the klaxon alarm rang.
Tia called out, “Alpha Team, critical call. Working on getting a location off GPS. Boss, patching in the 911 caller to you.”
As the team rushed out of the briefing room to gear up, Nick began to engage with the caller, and Lexa glanced at Dan. “It begins.”
Dan only arched a brow pondering how crazy of a day they were in for. TRF placed him in so many new situations … ones he never experienced in the military.
TRF SUVs En Route to Serena Grundy Park – 7:45 a.m.
The team listened to the woman on the phone. “I’m hidden, but she is near. She is screaming she’s gonna kill me, too,” Celine cried.
Nick used his negotiator voice, infusing his words with calmness, “Relax and stay quiet, Celine. We are on the way.”