Page 49 of Stone

The last of the men marched in and lined up, following the bellowed commands of the officers who accompanied them. The drumbeats stopped, and the officer in charge walked down the line inspecting the soldiers, stopping occasionally to ask some of them questions. After he’d spoken to a few men, he nodded toward one of the sergeants, who turned to the men and bellowed an order.

Every soldier took a deep step back in perfect time and pivoted until they faced us. With a loud “ooh rah!” they were dismissed.

Without thinking, I grabbed Connie’s hands, and we rose from our chairs. I rolled up on my toes, trying to catch sight of John through the crowd of men who were surging toward us. “Can you see him?” I asked in a panicked tone. “Where is he?”

The throng of soldiers seemed to part, and suddenly, John was right there, striding toward us, his golden eyes burning into mine. The sun beamed down on him, lighting him up, and my heart fluttered, compelling me to press a hand to my chest.

My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes prickled at the mere sight of his beautiful face. John seemed taller, broader, and more mature as if being here had somehow made him grow up. He’d always carried himself confidently, but a new air of capability oozed from him.

My feet moved toward him without me even noticing. Just being in his orbit made me feel like I was walking on air. My pace quickened, and I ran toward him and flew into his arms.

John went onto his backfoot, catching me as if I weighed nothing. “Duchess,” he murmured, burying his face in my throatand inhaling me as his muscular arms banded tightly around my back.

I nuzzled my face against his chest. Tangy cologne, mixed with the masculine musky scent that embodied everything John, made my stomach do a backflip, and for the first time in months, my insides settled.

John’s grip on me loosened, his chest rumbling as he croaked, “Ma.” One arm flew out to touch Connie’s arm as he drew her toward him.

Reluctantly, I stepped back, watching as his mother reached up and lovingly touched his face. “You’re more handsome than ever, John. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown up.”

John took off his white dress hat and rubbed a hand over his shorn hair. “The officers whipped me into shape. It took a few weeks, but I got there in the end.” His eyes fell on me again, and his smile widened. “I can’t believe my two best girls are here. It’s so fuckin’ surreal.” John turned and slid an arm across my shoulders while keeping his mom under the other arm as he steered us toward one of the buildings. “Let’s go get a drink and talk. Need to catch up with everythin’ from home.”

“How are you?” Connie questioned. “You look so well.”

The arm around my shoulders tightened as we began to walk. “I’m good, Ma. I’ve been exhausted for weeks from all the physical shit we’ve been doin’, but somehow, seeing you both has given me more energy than I’ve had for weeks.”

I slid my hand across his stomach, my heart filling with pride as we walked. I marveled at his new washboard abs, which were more defined than before. “You’re stronger,” I declared. “And you seem stronger mentally, too.”

“It’s this place, baby,” he explained. “Thought I was tough before, but I wasn’t. I’m still learning and probably will be for my entire military career, but my attitude’s done a one-eighty. Being here’s taught me I can do anythin’ I put my mind to—”

“Stone!” a deep voice called out.

I looked to my left and noticed a soldier making his way toward us. He was tall and built with dark skin and had a swagger that Bandit would’ve been proud of. He suddenly smiled, and my breath caught at how it lit up his handsome face.

“Who’s that?” Connie asked, gazing at the man as he approached, her eyes going soft and gooey.

“Ma!” John barked. “Behave yourself.”

“And who are these beautiful ladies?” John’s friend drawled. He took Connie’s hand with a flourish and kissed it. “You must be Stone’s sister?”

I raised a hand to cover my smile at Connie’s coy giggle.

“Jesus,” John muttered, looking to the heavens. “You know it’s my mom, Isaiah. I told you she was coming today. Should’ve known you’d fuckin’ suck up.” He shook his head frustratedly. “Leesy, Ma, this is my bud, Isaiah Jones. Isaiah, this is my mom, Constance, and my girl, Elise.”

I stuck my hand out. “Hey! John told me about you in his letters. It’s nice to meet you.”

He took my fingers and raised them to his mouth. “John said you were pretty, but he didn’t tell me you were gorgeous.”

My face heated.

John rolled his eyes. “We’re going to get a drink. Coming?”

“Try and stop me.” Isaiah slipped Connie’s hand through the crook of his arm before leading us through a set of double doors and down a corridor. “There’s a place through there we call The Diner, though it’s really a small mess hall. It serves the best coffee, though. Me and John caught wind of it on our first week here. Whenever we got stuck on guard duty, we’d come here to fill our canteens, so we had a supply to keep us awake during the night.”

We went through a set of double doors into a large room with a counter at one end selling sandwiches and pastries. Isaiahled us over to a table. “I’ll get the coffee,” he announced before turning for the counter.

“What a nice boy.” Connie beamed.

John pulled out a chair for his mom. “Just as well Dad wasn’t here. He’d have shot Isaiah in the dick.”

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