Silent Ranks

by USMC Best Friend

  “Oh I’ll be there because I’ll get to see you in your dress blues” I nodded

  “And out of them” he chuckled. I looked at him it was going to bug me now what the hell was going on.

  Chapter 60

  The horses aren't the only uneasy ones

  Ryne linked his fingers with mine and pulled me with him down the stairs. His parents were sitting on the couch talking with Ryder.

  “Hey Sis” Ryder looked up as we walked into the room I could feel my cheeks beginning to turn red as they looked at me.

  “Mom, Dad this is Aly” Ryne smiled “My girlfriend” I felt my stomach tighten as he said girlfriend Ryder was grinning at me

  “I’m glad you pointed that out son” His Dad smiled getting off the couch and walking over to me I almost didn’t recognize you with clothes on” Ryder snorted Ryne’s Mom groaned and hung her head

  “Dad” Ana shouted from the kitchen

  “Yeah well I thought not everyone wanted to see the tattoos” I shrugged Ryne started to laugh at the comeback.

  “We should have knocked Aly we’re so sorry for just walking in” His Mom walked over and smiled at me I could tell she was still weighing me up.

  “Yes Mom you should have” Ryne stood behind me and wrapped his arms round me “But you’ll have to catch up with Aly later she’s taking me riding”

  “What again?” Ryder laughed “Alyssa Tess Tanner what happened to the No Marine Policy” we all looked at him

  “Ryder what happened to Staying safe and not getting your dumb ass shot” I batted my eyelashes at him

  “Hey not my fault” He pouted “Oh By the way Dad called and wants to talk to you about Something he’s going to try to call you back later today after he’s been on patrol” I nodded. It was written all over his face that he wished that he was still out there with the rest of his Platoon.

  “Okay” I nodded “Sorry we’re running out” I looked at Ryne’s parents

  “We understand he has to be on duty later” His Dad smiled his Mom was still looking at me a little unsure; I was obviously some floozy trying to tempt her baby into a life of lust. I grabbed the keys for my truck from the side. I just wanted to be in my truck and out of there.

  “That wasn’t so bad was it?’ Ryne chuckled as I left rubber on the asphalt pulling away from the apartment.

  “For who?” I shot him a look “You’re Dad is okay but you’re Mom hates me” I groaned turning the truck to head to the stables that Brody had sent Semper and Fi to. “You can see it in her eyes she was hoping that her Marine wasn’t with some Tattooed hussy” Ryne stared to laugh.

  “A tattooed Hussy?”

  “Yes” I nodded “Did you even tell them you were trying to date me?”

  “No… I didn’t because I wanted to get you before I bragged about you”

  “Bragged?”

  “Hell yeah look at you… when will you believe you’re hot even if you are a tattooed hussy” he chuckled “And Mom will come round she’s just a little over protective where her kids are concerned “ He put his hand on my leg and rubbed. “She’ll get to know you and love you”

  “You going to tell me about what was going on with you and Aly”

  “It’s nothing” he shrugged “She never thought I’d jump ion to a relationship” he looked at me “didn’t I just tell you this”

  “Yeah but it feels like you’re holding back on me” I turned into the driveway of the stables

  “Do you love me or were you saying it because it was the heat of the moment sexual thing”

  “You doubting me?” I stopped the truck and looked at him

  “No I’m asking you to trust me and can we have one afternoon where we don’t fight or argue?” he reached his hand up and touched the side of my face “So do you love me?”

  “Yes” I smiled at him there was just something with the way he smiled that made me feel like a kid at Christmas. “You ready to be ridden hard and put away wet” I laughed.

  “I thought I was last night” we both got out of the truck “I think you mean am I ready to ride”

  “Something like that” I nodded I walked into the stable to a barrage of stomping and whinnying from the two furthest stalls Semper and Fi both had their heads over the door.

  “So where’s your horse?” Ryne put his hand in the back pocket of my jeans.

  “Over there” I pointed to Semper who was now kicking the stall door like a two year old having a temper tantrum. Ryne raised his eye brows at the snorting Tan mustang.

  “That thing doesn’t seem safe” He swallowed taking his hand from my pocket and stopping where he was. “He’s a little pissy”

  “Oh yeah” I laughed I carried on walking “Ooh Rah baby Ooh Rah” Semper stopped kicking and snorting and waited for me to get to him

  “Be careful what..” Ryne stopped mid sentence as I put my hand on Sempers soft nose and rubbed it

  “I’m sorry it’s been a couple of days” he snorted again “I know you want to devil dog it” Semper kicked his door again

  “Okay why all the Marine terms?” Ryne asked as he watched me walk over to Fi and do the same thing “And I thought you said that thing…” he waved a nervous finger at Semper “was you’re horse”

  “He is” I nodded looking back at him “This is Ryder’s horse… I’d like you to me Semper” I poijted to him “and Fi”

  “Semper Fi?”

  “Yup.. My mom used to have one called Marine and all the jokes about riding her Marine hard and things like that we’re a little crazy so a few years ago when Ryder and I had out grown the horses we had Uncle Brody brought us both these for our graduation gifts from school”

  ‘Nice gifts”

  ‘He owns a horse ranch” I shrugged “we grew up riding when we could. He breeds Race horses but his real passion is Mustangs”

  “You love it don’t you?” I looked at him

  ‘Love what?”

  “You’re Family life I mean the Texan half and the Marine half” He walked over stopping far enough away Semper couldn’t get him “You get this smirk on your face when you talk about it”

  “I’m a proud half Texan girl whose Daddy I everything and then some because he’s all Marine and a lot of cowboy” I started to saddle up Semper much to Fi’s disgust “I head to Texas every new year to do the new year round up sleeping under the stars with people I love that I don’t see a whole lot and then I have my Marine life with everyone else that’s my world I have a damn near perfect life… well apart from the Deployments and the mental cowboys that are in love with me”

  “What about Hollywood Marines that are in love with you” he put his hands onmy hips and pulled me back into him

  “Well that’s good and I know I’m going to have to let you go at some point” I swallowed the sudden urge to cry as I thought about him leaving.

  “I hope not for a while” he murmured moving his hands to wrap his arms round me

  “Oh it’ll come” I sighed “I just know it’s going to be sooner rather than later”

  ‘How?”

  “Because I’ve lived this forever when one of my Marines leave the others aren’t far behind” I closed my eyes “now it’s so much harder because it just got too close fo4r comfort with what happened to Ryder”

  “I know” he pressed his lips to my head “Look let’s stop thinking about Deployment for now and you take me riding." The way he changed the subject made me uneasy something just wasn’t sitting right.

  Chapter 61

  Riding

  I went back to saddling up Semper who was keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Ryne. I went over to Fi and did the same to him I led them both out of the stalls I handed Ryne the reins for Fi who was the calmer of the two horses. Ryne looked at me.

  “You take hold of these and follow me he’ll come with you because he knows he’s getting ridden” I smiled pushing all fears to the back of my mind I tied Semper’s reins to the rail outside and turned to look at Ryne. “O
kay up you get”

  “Er… how” I pushed a step to him

  “Foot in the stirrup and throw you’re other leg over” I held onto Fi and rubbed the side of his neck. Somehow very ungraciously Ryne made it into the saddle

  “Damn it’s high” he tried to smile but looked more scared then anything

  “Oh yeah right” I laughed walking over to Semper who was already pawing the ground as I got on his back

  “See you make that look easy” Ryne complained

  “Ryne I’ve been riding since I was old enough to sit up” I shook my head “if after all this time I don’t make it look easy then I’m screwed” Semper pulled wanting me to give him is head to run. “Not yet baby” I soothed stroking his neck

  “Okay so where are you taking me?” Ryne asked as we moved off

  “To the beach”

  “Good soft sand to fall ion if this beast throws me”

  “Will you relax or I will put you in Semper and he will do everything he can do to get you off” I dropped back so we were side by side. “Enjoy this it’s a good way to relax”

  “Okay I feel more relaxed running the gauntlet in a warzone” he chuckled Fi snorted and pulled

  “You want to turn round and go back” I cocked my head and looked at him

  “No I promised you could take me riding and I’m a man of my word”

  “Okay but you did have the chance to go home”

  “The only way I want to go home is if you’re with me and we’re snuggled up together in bed” He smiled at me as we took the path to the beach “and with my parents there I don’t think that’s going to happen”

  “True” I nodded “You mind if I take this one off”

  “No as long as Fi doesn’t take off after you”

  “Hold his head and he’ll be good” I bent forward “Devil dog it” Semper reared a little before he kicked into high gear the sand was a new experience for him and he was loving the softness under his hooves I closed my eyes as we splashed through the surf the breeze whipping my hair this is how you feel free. I think Semper would have gone on forever if I hadn’t pulled him up and turned him to head back to where Fi and Ryne were specks in the distance. I kicked him back into full out fly mode I crouched low over his neck and everything that passé seemed like a blur. “You okay?” I asked as we stopped Semper snorting and breathing heavily.

  “Yeah we’re having a chat” Ryne smiled “Damn you’re good on a horse”

  “Thank you” I got down “You want to walk for a bit”

  “I’m scared if I get down then I won’t get back on” he laughed

  “You will… or we can head back because you look like you’re suffering” he opened his mouth to say something “I don’t mind before you protest”

  “How does this sound” he lent down “we go back put away the horses, you drop me at my place and I’ll get my things together for Duty tonight and I’ll come to you with lunch”

  “How about you go get your stuff and I’ll cook lunch” I got back into Sempers Saddle

  “Wow you cook as well”

  “Well my Great Grandma always said a Marines wife has to be a chef in the Kitchen, and a slut in the bedroom and the Col of the house” I laughed

  “When did she say that?”

  “Christmas at lunch” I shrugged

  “Oh I so like you’re family”

  “Oh my Grandma would scare the living crap out of you” I smiled at him “They don’t take any messing from anyone you don’t mix up you’re rank with their authority or they will take you down”

  “So now I know where you get it from”

  “Something like that” I nodded. “Ryne?”

  “Yep” he was concentrating on holding on to Fi.

  “What’s the big deal with you being in love?” he looked at me

  “I’m the wild one in the family I guess…” he looked back at Fi “They thought the Marines would calm me down”

  “Oka so they’re really way off base if they think Marines are calm” I laughed

  “I don’t know… I’m not looking for the one night stands like I was, or the couple of week things”

  “So what are you looking for”

  “Someone that can handle me, the Corps, the job” he shrugged “I was really surprised how many people couldn’t…” he looked like he was far away thinking.

  “Not everyone is cut out to be part of a Marines life” I sighed as we put the horses away the stable hand telling us he’d take care of them. “I mean think about it who in their right mind would allow the people they love to go away for months at a time with limited communication to a place where people will shoot at them for fun for not the best pay?”

  “You understand?” He looked at me

  “If I wasn’t raised this way I don’t think I could handle a Marine… I know what it takes and it’s still a struggle, I’ve seen the bodies come home, hell my own Sniper brother is at home with holes in his leg” I shook my head.

  “You still have doubts?” Ryne rubbed my arms.

  “I don’t’ know if it’s doubts but I told you earlier. I’m more nervous and scared my heroes are Human not Immortal and I’ve found myself falling in love with another one” I touched the side of his face “I don’t want to lose any of you” Ryne looked down and swallowed before wrapping me in his arms and hugging me to him a couple of times he took a breath like he wanted to say something and then changed his mind, something was going on with him and I was hoping to God he hadn’t got a secret wife like Dad did when he got with Mom.

  Chapter 62

  WTH?

  I dropped Ryne off at his place and head to the base. I hit call on my phone.

  Marek * hello

  Me * Okay so she has you answering her phone

  Marek * Brit’s in the shower… er who is this?

  Me * it’s Aly

  Marek * sorry I didn’t recognize your voice

  Me * it’s okay you’ll get to

  Marek * you want me to get Brit for you

  Me * no will you ask her to come over after 8 tonight… you’re more than welcome as well

  Marek * I’ll tell her

  Me * thanks

  I hung up… I wanted to ask someone opinion of what could be wrong with Ryne but I know if I called Mrs. To the point A.K.A. Mom she’d either call him herself and ask or tell me to hold out on him till he told me her and Dad had done enough dancing around when they got together that now they told each other everything as soon as it happened or as soon a deployment would allow. I got in and quickly pulled out one of Mom’s Lasagna’s from th freezer and threw it on the oven and went to get showered and changed to wash off the sweaty horse smell, I couldn’t seem to turn off my thoughts. I got out of the shower and pulled on shorts and a tank. I walked down the stairs as my phone was ringing. I picked it up.

  Me * hello

  Dad * finally I thought you were avoiding me

  Me * hey Dad no I was in the shower and I’ve been out of the house a bit lately

  Dad * anything to do with a certain Marine?

  Me * Ryder tell you did he?

  Dad * and your Mom… So what’s his name? How old is he? How long’s he been a Marine?

  Me * his names Ryne Stockwell he’s 23 and I think from school

  Dad * you think?

  Me * Dad

  Dad * I’m sorry Baby he one of the good ones

  Me * I hope so

  Dad * okay honey you don’t sound so sure

  Me * I was but it feels like he’s keeping something from me

  Dad * Uh-Oh not good I got punched my you’re Mother for doing shit like that…

  Me * I know he really likes me we saw Justin on the board walk

  Dad * that cowboy?

  Me * yes, and please Mom doesn’t know and she’s looking after Uncle Flynn in Cali right now

  Dad * did he touch you?

  Me * Ryne beat the living hell out of him

  Dad * okay he just got bro
wnie points for protecting my little girl

  Me * There’s something not right though his family are surprised he’s said he loves me

  Dad * Damn that was fast

  Me * not the point Dad he dismisses it to a point and changes the subject

  Dad * Baby if you like him you have to tell him you need to know about him or it’s not worth it.

  Me * I know but we have this sort of head to head toe to toe type of deal

  Dad * oh is this the Marine you put in a choke hold