“What’s that for?”
“I don’t know” He shrugged “I just…”
“Aly are you okay?” Justin asked concern edging his voice there was the sounds of running footsteps
“Alyssa Honey” Uncle Brody skidded to a stop I turned my eyes from Justin to him I could tell Dad had called him his eyes were pooling with tears.
“It sucks Brody It sucks” He pulled me up and hugged me to him
“I know honey and you’ve had him home so long”
“I have to home on Sunday” I pulled back from him and fought back the tears “Ooh Fucking Rah” Uncle Brody Looked at me and smiled
“And there’s your Daddy’s temper… Come on Marine tough, cowgirl tough” he clipped my chin. “We’ll get you home and I’ll come with you Long time since I was on the base” I hugged him tight it was like having Dad here but not quite as good of a shot. “You boys can go back to dinner” he looked at Garret and Justin
“Yes Sir” they both walked to where the other hands were all sitting under a tree on a long table eating. I walked into the house with Brody everyone looked at me.
“Sucky summer so far Huh?” Milo nudged me
“Yep” I sighed I sat down to dinner with the rest of the family chattering round me trying to Keep my mind off of Dad but when a deployment was coming up nothing would make the hurt go away nothing ever could part of you is gone and not replaced until they get home safe. I pushed my plate away. “Can I be excused Please”
“Yes honey” Grandma smiled warmly at me I took my plate into the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher. “Alyssa”
“Yes Ma’am” She walked over to me
“You’re not yourself honey what’s wrong?”
“I’m scared like always when My Marines leave it’s harder now Ryder is one of them” I smiled a little “but don’t tell him I said that” She laughed and shook her head.
“Okay that’s part of it what’s the rest?”
“I’m trying to work that out myself Grandma, right now I don’t’ know what’s right for me” I took a deep breath “But Lejeune doesn’t let me think like I can here” She nodded she could never last more than 3 days on the base when she visited
“Well you have a lot of hard work in front of you while you’re here you know that”
‘Yes Ma’am” I nodded
“But sweetheart have fun” She patted my cheek you’re too pretty to waste your life and get tied down like…” I tipped my head
“Grandma there was nothing wrong with the way the Marine side of the family does things” I said flatly
This was the one thing she never agreed with, that the women that married Marines in the family did so before they were all 22 where she’d waited till she was 25 to marry grandpa and they’d dated since high school.
“I didn’t say anything?” she held up her hands and looked away
“You have to live it to understand why?’ I sighed “I’m going to go for walk”
“Hey wait up” Jordan rushed in and put her plate away “I’ll keep you company”
‘You girls remember we’re heading to the back pasture at 5 in the morning” Uncle Trey called out
“Yes Daddy we know” Jordan grumbled I opened the door and we walked across the yard there was a sound of chatter and laughing coming from where the hands were all sitting. “You want to go over with them?” Jordan tugged on my arm
“I thought we were going to walk” I sighed looking at her.
Jordan had had her heart broken by a guy when she was in school when he took some pictures of her one night and sent them round to his friends. Needless to say the kids literally crapped himself when he came out from Football practice to find My Dad and Uncle Flynn waiting with Uncle Brody and Jordan’s Dad. Dad and Flynn were both in full Uniform and when they stand side by side it’s like a brick wall of camo. He strangely moved schools after that.
“Yeah but…”
“You know what your Dad will do if he catches you” I shook my head “and I’ll end up shipped back to North Carolina”
“Live a little Aly” She chuckled.
“I thought we were all heading to the pond?”
“You go and I’ll meet you there” she pushed her hands in her pockets and started to walk backwards “You Marine kids remember how to start a fire” she teased.
“I know how to kick your Texan ass” I laughed
“Yeah sure” I walked to the barn the sound of the horses breathing deeply as the slept was the only sound there was a dull thud as I walked toward the Stall with Ryder’s horse in it.
“Okay don’t get pissy with me” I pulled a mint from my pocket and fed it to Fi and rubbed his nose “Blame the Marines” there was a snort from the next stable as Semper put his head over “I can’t ride both of you and you went out this afternoon I held out a mint to him as well “So it’s Fi’s turn” Semper stomped his hoof and kicked the door “Hey Ooh Rah” I smiled he nudged me “Tomorrow okay” I kissed his noses and went back and fetched Fi from his stall and put on his reins and lead him back out to the yard.
“Okay now do you need a hand with out Stirrups to help” I jumped and looked round Justin was standing in the shadows he pushed off the wall he was leaning on and came out into the light.
“Okay creeping up on me will only get you hurt” I said trying to slow down my heart beat.
“I’ll take the chance and I wasn’t creeping I was trying to see how you manage to handle these horses. The only other person that can is your Uncle” He laughed offering me his hands. I put my foot in them and he boosted me on to Fi’s back
“Now if I told you that I’m afraid I’d have to kill you” I smiled
“Where you heading”
“The pond apparently my family has no faith in my making a fire” I rolled my eyes.
“Can you?” He raised one eye brow
“You as well Damn you Texan’s thin you know it all” I smirked
‘Yup and we pretty much do” He nodded stroking Fi’s neck as Fi pulled on the reins in my hands he wanted to run and I knew it.
“Oh Says the guy that didn’t know what Semper Fi was” I laughed.
“Now things that aren’t important I don’t’ know” Okay strike one buddy this is the Marine corps you’re talking about I thought.
“Really I think you should let go of my horse” I said through my teeth trying to be nice
“Technically it’s your Brothers” he smirked a lop side cute smile Okay Strike Two and with me strike two and you’re outta the ball park as a Devil Pup my hackles were up
“Oh You mean my MARINE Brother that Deployed this morning” I pulled Fi’s head round with ease as Fi knew it was time to run “I think you need to think about the guys that put their asses on the line fighting and dying so you don’t have to just so you get to sit you pretty cowboy ass in the saddle” the yard had fell silent and everyone was listening. “Come on” I nudged Fi he didn’t need much encouragement before we were both flying across the field.
“Damn Justin what the hell did you say for her to go off on” Jordan looked at him
“I think I insulted her brother” he pulled a face “I asked this afternoon what Semper Fi was and told her I didn’t know because it wasn’t important”
“Oh Shit you’re lucky she didn’t rip your head from your neck” Brody laughed “I guess someone should have warned all of you that my niece is almost as deadly as her Dad only he uses a gun she’ll take you down with her bare hands”
“I’d better apologize” Justin sighed “Sir is it okay if I take a horse?”
“On your own head be it son” Trey Laughed “I’ll have the EMT’s on stand by” Jordan started to laugh and followed Justin into the barn.
“We’ll all be heading out to the pond in a while” She smiled handing him a saddle “I’ll give you a heads up her Dad’s also getting deployed next week so she’s a little Marine rough more than tough right now”
“thanks” he
nodded
“The normal cowboy charms that work on most girls I don’t think work on my cousin” he looked at Jordan “But maybe you can prove me wrong.”
Chapter 10
Silent ranks
I warmed my hands by the fire as it leapt and crackled to life in the stone pit surrounded by chopped logs for seats. I sighed and tipped my head back and looked at the inky black sky. This was something I never got tired of when I was here the darkness of the sky and the sheer size and brightness of the stars. On base the sky never looked like this because there were way too many lights giving off a glow dampening the night sky’s brilliance.
“Beautiful night isn’t it?” I looked round as Justin got off a horse
“It was” I groaned throwing another log on the fire “The night just took a nose dive company wise”
“Ouch” he chuckled “anyone tell you that you’re pricklier than a porcupine”
“No but I’ve heard I’m a bitch” I snapped
“And you have an answer for everything”
“Well when I’m rubbed the wrong way by some jerk that thinks his cowboy ass is all that, then yes I do and I’ll go toe to toe with anyone” I stood up and faced him
“I came to say sorry” He pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans “For upsetting you and what I said about the Marine thing not being important” I cocked his head to the side and smiled a little “I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful”
“Have you ever given it a thought why it’s so easy for you to move around freely and do whatever job you want to do? I sat back down
“No Ma’am” I silently groaned at that reply “I guess I haven’t” Justin shook his head.
‘You’re free to do what you choose because there a men and women willing to fight and die for that right for you” I shot him a look “Like I said maybe you could spare two minutes to think about that” I looked back at the fire Justin walked over and sat next to me
“Make me understand”
“You can’t make people understand. You have to respect them for what they are and what they do” I shook my head “You don’t know what it’s like having to listen to ignorant comments like the ones you made” He pulled a piece of grass and pulled it between his fingers “I’ve defended the Marines my entire life and I always will… I’ve lived my whole life not knowing if the men I love the most in this world are going to come home wearing Camo or the Flag” Justin swallowed as I was blunt and to the point.
“I’ve never known anyone in the Military” Justin admitted
“I had to say goodbye to my brother and my cousin this morning” I turned back to face Justin “I stand with everyone else watching busses take them away for the next seven months, to some god forsaken hell hole on the other side of the world” He wanted to know what it was like and hell I was going to tell him. “I’ve seen caskets come home draped in the flag. I’ve known one of those guys. I went to high school with a guy that came home a month into his first tour, I stood by his graveside when six months earlier he’d been standing next to me in line when we graduated high school. Justin’s eyes grew wide
“How the hell do you live?” he reached for my hand the warmth of his felt good
“You have to push the ‘what could happen’ shit to the back of your mind and like I said I’ve done it since the day I was born” I shrugged “Just stop and give a thought to the people like my Brother and my…” the sounds of horses hooves and a truck cut the conversation
“You didn’t kill him then?” Brent laughed getting off his horse and helping down a petite red head.
“I’m not that bad” I groaned pulling my hand away from Justin.
“Like hell you ain’t” Jordan butted in as she and Garret grabbed a cooler from the back of the beat up old pick they’d turned up in “You took a horse whip to a guy for saying the Marines weren’t all that tough last summer”
“Yeah well” I smiled to myself before taking a deep breath and getting up from the log “See I made the fire”
“Yeah you did good” Milo teased his arm slipping round a girl that I swear had stepped off the pages of a cowboy porn mag “Damn the Marine brat didn’t go soft” He poked out his tongue “Or did You do it for her Justin?”
“It was lit when I got here” Justin held up his hands. Jordan caught my arm and pulled me aside.
‘Did he apologize?”
“Yes and I gave him the blunt run down in to Marine Life” I shrugged.
‘So what do you think?”
‘About what?” I pulled a face
“Giving a hot sexy horny cowboy a chance” She giggled
"Okay have you been drinking?”
“No” she scoffed I raised an eyebrow at her “Don’t you think he’s hot?”
“Like I said before I hadn’t noticed” After the thing’s he’d said about the Marines it was easier to lie… hell you’d need to be blind to see he want’ good looking.
“And like I said bull shit Aly” she smiled looking over to where Garret and Justin were talking to Brent. “I’ve even sent a picture to Brittany”
“Oh you didn’t” I groaned
“Oh Yeah” Jordan laughed pulling me back to the fire “You need to loosen up and get laid” I stopped and looked at her.
“Hey Whoa this is me and I’m not the easy lay” I hissed at her”
“Oh come on you’re 19 and what’s the furthest you’ve got with a guy?” I caught a slight smell of something sweet.
“Since when did you smoke weed?” I grabbed her arms
“It’s nothing just at the weekend” She shrugged “we all do it”
“No we don’t” I was shocked “and it’s Wednesday”
‘We’re celebrating you being here” She hugged me “and Justin is so checking out your ass right now” She giggled in my ear.
“Are you…” my phone started to ring cutting the conversation dead
Me * what?
Ryder * oh nice thanks Al
Me * Ryder? What are you doing calling?
Ryder * I still have my cell and we’re held in Germany right now with bad weather, Was everyone okay after I’d left
Me * No but that’s what we do
I stepped away from Jordan and walked over to Fi and stroked his neck as he munched lazily on the grass.
Ryder * so I can hear crickets you out by the pond
Me * yup and discovering a whole new side to the family
Ryder * what?
Me * Let me find out more and I’ll let you know… Did you call home?
Ryder * no why?
Me * Dad got his orders, he leaves in five days
I hung my head as the ache returned to my heart
Ryder * where?
Me * Iraq, it sucks Ryder it really sucks
Ryder * I’m sorry Al… worst thing is we all thought he’d go before I did
Me * you think you can get a call into him before he leaves
Ryder * if I get off the phone to you then I can
Me * I’ll go
Ryder * Aly
Me * yeah
Ryder * Jack sends his love and I love you Sis and you love the Marines
Me * Ryder that’s not fair
Ryder * I was just making sure you don’t forget it
Me * I see the Marines every time I’m naked
Ryder * gee thanks for that sick thought
Me * I love you and Stay Safe Marine
Ryder * Yes Ma’am
I hung up and leant against Fi.
‘You want to go home?’ I mumbled into his coat He nudged me gently. I wasn’t in the mood for dealing with stoned relatives, today had been long enough.
“Hey you want a drink?” I was brought back to earth by Garret
“No I'm heading back to the ranch” I shook my head “I'm not much for company tonight and just as a word of waring cowboy” I turned to face him “You take advantage of my cousin and the whole state of texas won’t be large eough for you to hide in I w
ill take you down”
“Hey Aly” Justin walked over “You sing”
“Badly” I looked away from Garret “My Dad’s the one that sings”
“Hey we all sing badly join us” he smiled “another part of the apology”
“I’m going to go back to my bunk I’m sorry” I took Fi’s reins “See you tomorrow” I stood on the closest log and swung up on to Fi’s back
“I’ll make sure you get back okay there’s a lot of snakes around this season” He reached for his horse
“I think I’ll be okay” I smiled
Silent Ranks Page 4