Silent Ranks

by USMC Best Friend

  Me * I was working?

  Ryder * what as a cheap pirate hooker

  Me * no at the pool hall some guy had his birthday party and it was a costume one

  Ryder * your kidding you went to a kids party dressed like that and Brit was in the rubber nurses outfit

  Me * okay calm down there was no kids he was 23 I think

  Ryder 8 oh so some perv then

  Me * oh stop… no you right I think he was a little oggly

  Ryder * okay that’s not even a word… and see you shouldn’t go out looking like that especially to the pool hall we know the sort of guys that go in there and if they ain’t Military they’re college guys after one thing

  Me * Jeez you’re worse than Dad

  Ryder * yeah well when you find out some douche things it’s okay to screw my sister in the barn after she said no

  Me * okay enough. I handled him

  Ryder * I’m sorry I just…

  Me * I know and don’t’ worry you’ll be home soon bossing me around. Oh and was it okay that I used your Motorcycle to come to the beach

  Ryder * say what… Aly you’d better not or I’m telling Dad… hang on you can’t hold it up

  Me * got you off the other subject though didn’t it

  Ryder * yes… Okay I’ll call you when I can… the nurse that I swear is half man half woman is glaring at me Say hi to brit for me

  Me * I will do… love ya Marine

  Ryder * what no stay safe

  Me 8 dude you got shot twice I’m not going to say stay safe you dork

  Ryder * love ya too

  I laughed as I leant round and threw the phone onto the driver’s seat though the open window.

  “You know I really didn’t hold out much hope that you’d show up” Ryne laughed walking over and planting his surf board in the sand in front of my truck

  “I wasn’t going to but…”

  “You were too attracted to me” he put his hand over his heart and smiled

  “Yeah right” I scoffed “I don’t know why I came” I shrugged.

  “Okay you want a surf lesson”

  “How colds the water because you have a wet suit on”

  “It’s not to bad he looked at the ocean… I wear it more from habit that’s all” He offered me his hand to get down I just smiled and jumped into the already warming sand. “Still being on guard I see”

  “Er… I’m here meeting a guy that less than 12 hours ago I had in a choke hold… I think on guard is a huge step forward” Ipulled phh my t-shirt and my shorts and looked at him.

  “Nice” he bit on his bottom lip “But if you come in the water with me aren’t you trusting me with your life” Damn I hadn’t thought about that. “I mean I don’t even know if you can swim”

  “I was born and raised as part of the Nay being a Marines kid we’re all born swimming” I smiled walking back to my truck and putting my things inside. “But I’m sorry you have to lose the wet suit you look like a seal” I had to smile remembering the conversation with Brit in the kitchen the night before.

  “I might be” he looked over his shoulder at me as he pulled his surf board out of the sand to lay it down

  “Just get the damn wet suit off unless you’re too much of a pussy to stand the water temp without it” I laughed folding my arms across my chest.

  Oh and you think you can stand it” he turned to face me

  “I know I can” I shrugged

  “Okay then” He moved fast hauling me over his shoulder and sprinting as if I weighed 10lbs to the ocean He bounced once on his feet and dropped under the next big wave. Okay it was colder than I expected even for the Atlantic I came up to the surface and looked round as the next wave began to crest I ducked back under and swan with it back to the shore line and waded out.

  “You’re a fucking jerk” I shouted as Ryne waded out laughing . I swept my leg round catching him behind the knees he fell back still laughing

  “Okay I’m sorry he held up his hands as I went for his neck he knocked mine out of the way wrapping my own arms round myself bringing me down on him so my back was against his chest “Look we can do this all day I know you’re a tough cookie… but it’s a waste of perfectly good energy” he rolled with me and got to his feet bringing me up with him “Right I’m going to let go of you so now getting me back okay”

  “I’ m not promising” I snapped he was doing it again he let go of me and stepped away and started back to where the trucks were reaching behind himself and tugging the zipper on the back of his wet suit down and pulling it to his waist I stopped walking my mouth hanging open at the sight in front of me.

  Chapter 33

  A Marine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Ryne looked back over his shoulder a smirk playing across his lips as I came back to my senses.

  “Wow I think this is the quietest that you’ve ever been” He chuckled turning round and walking backwards.

  “You’re a Marine”

  “You disappointed I’m not a Seal” he laughed “Shit” he tripped over his surf board and cracked his head on the bumper of my Truck

  “Hey don’t you damage my truck” I hurried over as he sat up and pulled his hand from the back of his head with blood on it “Oh great blood on the bumper and I didn’t have the pleasure of mowing you down I walked to the passenger side and pulled a first aid kit from behind the seat and a bottle of water I knelt down in the sand “Let me take a look” I moved his hand again “Nothing to bad”

  “How do you know?” he hissed through his teeth as I poured water on it.

  “I’ve been round enough idiot men my whole life to see if you need stitches and it’s not as deep as when I got thrown the other week” I pointed to the still slightly pink scar over my eye brow “I have some medical glue you’ll be fine now suck it up Marine” I had the perfect view of the huge ink on his back I held a pad to his head. “You knew I was a Marine brat and you didn’t say anything”

  “Why would I I’ve had girls just because of what I do”

  “Okay so what was the whole Navy Seal line?” I took his hand and put it on top of the pad “hold that”

  “It’s a standing joke between me and Ana… she likes the Marine thing but since some dumb movie she thinks seals are hotter… so I use the line every now and then to see if I get more girls with the… okay that really sounds bad doesn’t it” he turned his head to look at me

  “Like I keep reminding you born and raised round Marines I’m used to the look at us swag until they find the right woman” I turned his head back and took off the patch “This might sting a little” I put the medical glue on it and pinched the skin together.

  “Oh fuck that hurts”

  “Damn baby” I muttered “Right there all done” I got up and dusted the sand from my knees and put the first aid stuff away I came back from the truck “Here for being an okay patient” I handed him a tootsie pop he started to laugh “I have to keep them handed it shuts up Brit and Ryder when they’re on form”

  “Thanks” he unwrapped it and put it in his mouth “So much for the surf lesson”

  “You want me to let you into a secret” I chuckled sitting back on the sand and leaning back against my truck letting the sun warm me. I closed my eyes

  “Okay?”

  “I lived on base in Hawaii for 5 years from being 9 we took surf lessons”

  “Oh so you would have shown me up or let me be like some hick trying to teach you”

  ‘Something like that” I opened my eyes and looked at him “So Mr. Marine how long have you been in the Corps?”

  “Since graduating high school so going on for 5 years”

  “How was the Island?”

  “What Island?” he shrugged

  “Okay are you sure you’re a Marine”

  “Oh Parris Island… I was at San Diego” he smiled pulling the sucker from his mouth

  “Oh god you may as well be a Seal” I groaned

  “What?”

  “You’re what
we affectionately call a Hollywood Marine” I laughed you get warm oceans where our guys get the Atlantic “You guys get the bleach blond overly plastic girls… no offence to Ana” I held up my hands “Yes you’re Marines but my Marines are South Carolina Marines”

  “So you won’t date a ‘Hollywood Marine’ then?” he smiled

  “I didn’t say that I was pointing out the difference…” I trailed off “I mean look wait” I hung my head “Okay so what’s the Base commander like there? I mean I know what the one is like at the Island” I looked out to the ocean

  “He’s okay I guess I’ve seen him run the course in a faster time than some guys half his age” Ryne shrugged “I wouldn’t mess with him he demands the best of the best… one of the guys I was with made some comment about he was only here as a stop gap between Boot camp and officer training” he looked at me “so Col Richardson took him down a peg or two personally pushing his limit till after 9 weeks he quit that’s one tough son of a bitch”

  “Yeah that because he’s a Parris Island graduate” I laughed getting to my feet

  “How do you know?” Ryne got up and dusted himself off

  “Oh Every Marine kid knows” I laughed walking away toward the ocean “Oh and you see my tattoo” I pointed over my shoulder to the one in the middle of my back “He’s one of those” Ryne chased after me and pulled me round

  “What a Marine?” it’s obvious he’s a Col”

  “No he’s one of mine” I smiled “He’s my Uncle” Ryne’s eyes got wide “At least you didn’t bad mouth him, he’s Brit’s Dad”

  “Oh that’s mean” he shook his head. “Wow so you really are connected in the Corps then”

  “I guess so” I nodded

  “Okay so now you’ve come here and I sort of class it as a date with a Hollywood Marine” he smiled a little “You mind if I take you to dinner”

  “I came here today I didn’t say anything about a date” I folded my arms over my chest “Now I know what you are things are a little clearer” I walked back past him.

  “What does that mean?”He called after me

  “I have to talk to Brit thanks for the surf lesson” I laughed. I climbed back into my truck and looked at him he was standing looking totally confused. Ha I wasn’t going to let him in that easy well not till I ran it by Brit the fact he was a Marine after all… if I was going to let him in at all. He’d still managed to irritate me today, but now I knew what I was handling now he wasn’t so much of a mystery. Lets see if after revealing about Uncle Flynn he’d come anywhere near me.

  Chapter 34

  What to do???

  I opened the door to the house.

  “So you went and met him then?” Brit smirked at me “I knew you would… so let’s see” she got in my face and pouted “Okay no razor rash…Why?” I pushed her away “Please tell me you didn’t get in to a fight with him… OMG” she grabbed my hand “Is that blood? Oh what did you do to him this time?” she dropped my hand.

  “It wasn’t a fight as such as a slight disagreement” I smiled walking into the kitchen and washing my hands “Yes it’s blood and I didn’t do anything he tripped over his surf board and split his head open on the bumper of the truck” I wiped my hands and turned and faced her “I fixed him up”

  “Who with?” she pulled a face

  “His head dumbass” I reached for a soda from the fridge “Oh and he’s not a Navy Seal”

  “He promised me he wasn’t a cowboy” she leant against the wall.

  “Oh he’s not He’s a Hollywood Marine” Brit’s face was classic deer in the headlights “He has a huge tattoo on his back”

  “Damn so all along the Seal thing was a lie”

  “Something between him and his sister” I shrugged

  ‘So what are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know I’ve never met someone other than family that and get under my skin like he can. It’s like having a mosquito bite that you can’t scratch” I sighed “He actually classed me showing up as a date” Brit started to laugh “and he asked me to dinner”

  “Oooo we have to have you looking smokin’ hot” she rubbed her hands together “Not Slutty pirate hot just look at me I know you want a piece of this Hot” she smacker her own ass

  “Oh we so need to get you to Marek” I put my head on the table “and I’m not going to dinner with him”

  ‘Next weekend baby” she giggled “what do you mean you’re not going to dinner with him… you can’t get crap from the family because he’s a Marine albeit a Hollywood one” she gabbled on “He’s got one hell of an ass and he’s inked so he’s already half way there”

  “I’m not going to dinner end of story” I walked into the living room “Oh one thing I did test him about was the Base commander at San Diego” Brit pulled her lips into a thin line, she was as protective and defensive of her Dad as I was of mine.

  “Okay so do I need to rip him a new one?” She ground her teeth together

  “No he passed that test with flying colors he has a lot of respect for Uncle Flynn” I sat down “So what do you want to do today?”

  “I want to go get some stuff for next weekend” she smiled “so a trip to Victoria’s Secret would be good and I’ve booked a hotel room for the night he graduates”

  “What about his Family?”

  “They live just off base so he’ll get to see them and then I’ll take him away for a night to…”

  ‘Okay I think I just threw up in my mouth” I groaned “Right let me shower and change and then we’ll head out”.

  We spent the rest of the day shopping and making plans for the drive to the Island the following weekend. We walked into one of the sports bars and sat down at a table.

  “So you think we have enough stuff for a weekend at the Island” I sighed looking at all the shopping bags we had with us.

  “I think so” she nodded as she read the menu “You think he’ll still like me?”

  “You and he are writing every other day. I swear to god he’ll be whisking you off to some romantic mountain top wedding with some of the things he writes” I laughed as the waitress brought over our drinks. “You need to be careful that you’re being safe… you only just graduated from high school”

  “Oh you sound like my Mom” She groaned “I promise I’ll be good” she put her hand over her heart and batted her eyelashes at me “I’m having fun”

  “Okay he’d better be on his best behavior, because I need to talk to him while Ryder and Jack are away” I laughed

  “He knows and he’s looking forward to meeting you” She looked up “I think you’re being stalked”

  “What?” I frowned at her she pointed over to the bar Ryne was sitting with two guys that had been at his party. “Oh God” Ryne Looked over his shoulder and said something to one of the guys and got up and headed over.

  “I’ll go to the bathroom” Brit smiled getting up from the seat “Hey Ryne”

  “Hi” he smiled at her. “Okay are you following me?” he sat down in Brits seat “Because you were on the beach this morning and now you’re here”

  “Okay you asked me to the beach and I’m here because we worked up and appetite shopping”

  “I see that and this is why I got blown out for dinner” He leant on the table

  “No you got blown out because I need to get things sorted for next weekend” I shrugged “and I didn’t want to go for dinner”

  “Oh you want to go right for breakfast damn Aly you know I don’t normally do things like that before I get to know someone” He pushed his tongue in his cheek “But hey if you want to move that fast”

  “You need me to put you on your ass again… what makes you think I’m even remotely attracted to you to want to be around to have breakfast?” I tipped my head

  “I have Ink, I’m a Marine, you came to meet me this morning and you’ll do anything to touch me even if it is a choke hold” He bent his head and looked at me the intensity of his steel blue grey eyes kno
cking my off my senses. I swallowed and composed myself.

  ‘Hey Hollywood you think too much of yourself and hold yourself in way too high of a regard” I grabbed my bags and got up “Let me know when you’re ready to get off you’re high horse because I’m more than ready to knock you off it” I walked away. God that man was driving me to distraction what the hell was wrong with me.

  Chapter 35

  Ryder

  Okay so Brit was pissed with me ditching her ass in the restaurant and heading home without her but she got a ride from Ryne again as he felt responsible. The next few days were just life as normal I worked a couple of shifts and I helped Mom get things ready for Ryder. We’d been told that he would have to go to the hospital but would more than likely be allowed home after the doctors had checked him over only going back to wound checks and the start of his Physiotherapy. Mom was pacing the floor in the hanger while Brit and I talked quietly, I watched as she chewed her nails she was looking drawn and tired with all the worry of waiting for her boy to be brought home to us.