Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
He was the type of guy who could fist-pump the air and go, “Fuck yeah!” when he’d beaten a record or excelled some other way. But not everything in life was about accomplishments.
Considering his upbringing, I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny felt he had to earn every compliment and reward by working hard. Which was effective in the military. That was how soldiers climbed ranks and stood out.
Unfortunately, up until he’d left, that was all he’d had.
On that note, it was kind of mind-blowing he’d actually left the service.
His one place of stability. He’d walked away from it. For what? To hunt me down and go private? Did he not realize how isolating my life was? That was the first fucking lesson I’d given to the twins. Get ready to be alone, ’cause we don’t travel in units. At most, we’d be two or three men. It all depended on the mission. For the most part, I was on my own.
River and Reese were different because of their relationship. They’d made me promise they would always work together, and I’d confirmed it with Terrance at Hillcroft.
As I got closer to the cabin, I rolled down my window. It’d gotten dark, so it was easy to see the glow from the grill between the trees before I rounded the last bend. I heard music too. Reese must’ve taken out his boom box.
Music and laughter were better than the boys fighting. With Danny, you never knew what would happen.
A motorcycle was parked outside my cabin. Danny’s, I presumed. He must’ve retrieved it from wherever he’d hidden it before.
I parked behind it and killed the engine.
“The Brit is back!” I heard Reese holler.
I assumed it was Reese. It was always Reese.
The twins had put on hoodies, so I wasn’t sure who was who yet.
I headed up the porch steps and took in the scene. Steaks were on the grill, along with foil-wrapped potatoes. They’d turned our cooler into a makeshift table, small as it was. The twins were crafty; they placed their chairs close together so they could use their armrests as a table for their plates. Huh, they’d prepared a salad too.
River looked at ease.
Reese was manning the grill.
Danny watched me in silence. He’d taken the seat on the right end, and he was smoking a cigarette.
“Don’t stop laughing just because I’m back,” I said.
“Danny thinks it’s funny we call you British,” Reese supplied.
I snorted softly and sat down in the empty chair between River and Danny, and I faced the latter. “I’m British to two Tennessee boys who’ve never left the South.”
Danny quirked a faint smirk.
“We’re not in the South now,” Reese pointed out.
Semantics. And the story of my life. I was Big Yankee in the UK and the Brit in the US.
“Anyway.” Reese poked at the steaks with the tongs and scratched his nose. “We were talking earlier, and it’s glaringly obvious you haven’t trained us half as hard as you once trained Danny.”
I withheld my smile and leaned forward, removing two plates from the top of the cooler. Then I flipped open the lid and brought out two beers. The twins had grabbed theirs, and Danny hadn’t. For some reason. I extended one in silent offering, and he accepted it.
It was a good time to go soft on Danny—in my own way. Baby steps and all.
“You’ve been in my care for five months,” I said. “The Army spent nine years and approximately two million dollars to turn him into one of the best soldiers this country’s ever seen. We’ll get there, Reese.”
I twisted the cap off my beer and took a swig.
Danny blinked and sort of froze.
Reese let out a low whistle and eyed Danny.
I hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true.
No matter how long Danny was here for, I wanted to show him I was more than an instructor. He deserved that, and it was for me too. As much as he could piss me the fuck off, we were both civilians now—technically—and maybe a fresh start could eliminate the hostility.
I didn’t wanna be the fucker who started being all nice because of what he’d been through. And with that said, another voice piped up and said I could at least treat him with more respect. We were equals after all. Besides, if I wanted to be more than an instructor, I had to remember that he was more than a soldier too.
So…yeah, my mind was still fucked.
I’d find a balance somehow. Once I figured out what route I’d approve for him. Because it was extremely difficult to consider preparing him for a life in the private sector. The thought made me restless. Who would hold him back when his temper got the best of him? Who would be his backup?
But in the end…it wasn’t up to me, was it? He was a grown man.