Page 52 of Stone

Roars went up from the crowd, and the air was filled with hollers and claps. The sound made so much raw emotion fill my chest, that my throat tightened with all the feelings coursing through me.

I’d succeeded. I was a United States Marine.

“We did it, Stone!” Isaiah came in for a man hug, his biceps squeezing me tight.

I clapped him hard on the back. “We did, dude. Couldn’t have done it without ya.”

“Ditto.” He pulled back and nodded toward the bleachers. “Let’s go see our girls.”

I nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth as we pushed through the sea of uniforms. The cheers and shouts of congratulations from my platoon seemed to fade all around me as I focused on finding Elise among the crowd.

Suddenly, she was there, neck craning, trying to spot me. Her green eyes locked with mine, and her face lit up as she began to run toward me.

I went on the back foot as she leaped at me, catching her in my arms and holding her tight. “Baby,” I whispered into her neck, inhaling her familiar scent until it settled around my heart.

“I’m so proud of you,” she breathed, her tone filled with emotion. “You looked amazing out there, John, so handsome. I knew you’d do it.”

Holding her tighter, I pulled back slightly and kissed her forehead. “I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for standing by me, Leesy. Thank you for making everything so easy.” I caught a flash of blue from the corner of my eye as a hand rested on my shoulder.

“Congratulations, Son,” Mom murmured from beside me. “I’m so proud of you.”

I released Leesy and turned to Mom, gathering her in my arms for a tight hug. “Thanks for being here, Ma. And thanks for bringing my girl.”

She pulled back and reached up to stroke my cheek. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, and neither would Elise.” She held up a small video camera with her other hand. “Dad bought me this so I could record it all for him. He can’t wait for you to get home. The silly old man’s invited Abe and Iris around for dinner this week for a watch party.”

I deadpanned. “That’s what Dad tells you. It’s more likely he’s invited Abe round to get drunk and talk about guns and shooting shit up.” I let Mom go and slid an arm across Leesy’s shoulder. “Gotta admit, though. Can’t wait to get on my bike and ride home. I’ve missed it.”

“Take a coat and scarf,” Mom instructed me. “It’s warm here, but it’s cooler in Hambleton.” Her eyes lifted over my shoulder, and she smiled. “Isaiah! Congratulations.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched my bud approach, holding the hand of a tall, pretty woman. “You must be Bianca.” Keeping Elise tucked under one arm, I extended my other hand.

“Hi,” she murmured, taking my fingers in hers. “Isaiah’s told me a lot about you.”

“Bianca’s staying in the same hotel as us,” Elise told me. “Your mom suggested we go to dinner tonight.”

“We’re not flying out until tomorrow,” Isaiah explained. “Dinner sounds good.”

“I was gonna set off for home tonight,” I told him. “It’ll take me a couple of days to ride back to Wyoming. I wanna get home ASAP so I can make the most of the time I have with my girl before I head off to the School of Infantry.”

“But John,” Leesy protested. “I was looking forward to spending some time with you. It’s been so long.”

I dipped my chin to catch my girl’s eyes. “You want me to stay until after dinner?”

“No,” she said, jutting her chin up. “I want you to stay until tomorrow morning. We’ve already arranged it. Your mom will sleep with me in my room, and you can sleep in hers.”

My lips twitched because I wouldn’t have minded staying if I could bunk down with Elise, but the thought of getting on my bike and feeling some freedom for the first time in three months made my gut tug. “Nah, baby. I’m gonna head back tonight. I need to ride. My body’s having withdrawal symptoms.”

Elise paled slightly, her eyes shuttering.

“John,” Mom interjected. “Elise has come all this way to spend time with you.”

I waved her off, taking Leesy’s hand in mine. “My girl doesn’t mind. She understands how I need to ride. It’s one of the reasons I asked her to be my ol’ lady.” Elise let out a tiny squeak as I tugged her into my body and kissed the top of her head. “How about I go back to the dorm, get my shit, and we head out? We can spend a few hours together before I jet.”

“John—” Elise began, but I cut her off by taking her face in my hands and kissing her softly.

“I need this, Leesy,” I murmured, my eyes darting between hers. “I haven’t done it for months. Ya know I need to ride free.”

“Right,” Elise said flatly. “Don’t worry about dinner.” She turned to Mom. “I’ll meet you at the hotel.” Then, after saying goodbye to Isaiah and Bianca, she gave me her back and walked away.

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