Page 68 of Stone

“Stand down,” he muttered, without even giving us a glance before nodding toward the two chairs opposite his desk. “Take a seat.”

We did as he ordered and sat, our backs ramrod straight and our expressions blank.

My throat tightened slightly as I wracked my brain for anything I could’ve done wrong. Maybe Spence was right, and Laska had somehow got wind that I’d screwed around on the shooting range. God knew I couldn’t bring any other fuckups to mind.

Finally, Laska looked up and lounged back in his seat. His eyes looked like chips of ice as his stare went from me to Spenceand back again. “Congratulations. You both passed your tests. You’re getting bumped up to Private First Class. It’ll be official by the end of the week. You got paperwork to sign, and of course, your pay grade bumps up, something I’m sure you’ll be happy about.”

I glanced toward Spence and saw his wide grin matched mine.

“Don’t get too big for your breeches,” Sarge continued. “Spencer, you scraped by on ballistics, and Stone, you scraped by on comms. The program you want requires top scores on both, so don’t assume you can relax. You’ve got six months before we put you both up for Lance Corporal, but the work’s only just beginning. If those weak areas haven’t improved by the time you take your next promotion test, I’ll cut you both for applying to Sniper school after that.”

His eyes flicked toward Spence. “The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is your leave. Spencer, you go home on December twenty-third, and you report back to duty on December twenty-eighth. Stone, you leave on the twenty-eighth, and you report back here on January third. I’ve tagged your leave days onto your Special Liberty time. You’re welcome.”

My shoulders slumped slightly.

I didn’t think I’d get my leave approved, seeing as I was so new to the unit. Usually, the greener Marines got the shitty hours, so to get five days off over the new year was a coup.

I decided I’d fly home. There wasn’t time to waste on the bike, and the closer I got to Wyoming, the worse the weather would be. Hambleton would probably have thick snow on the ground by now, and I didn’t relish wasting valuable time I could spend with Elise and my family being used up by navigating icy roads.

The scratch was there. I didn’t have any living expenses. My only outgoing was the money I put into savings each month. I could treat myself to a return flight.

My chest warmed at the prospect of spending New Year back at the club. I’d loved the Christmas holidays ever since I was a boy, and one day, I intended to make it as unique for my kids as Ma did for me. But at my age in the here and now, New Year was where it was at.

We said our thanks, got dismissed, and wandered two buildings down to our digs, Spence chatting all the way there. We climbed the steps to our accommodation and then more steps up to our floor and walked into our room.

“Can’t believe I got the holidays off,” Spence crowed. “Louise will be stoked. I’ll get to see my nieces and nephews, too. My folks always make a big deal out of it.” He dropped his ass onto his bed. “Need a favor, Stone.” He paused. “Actually, it’s more of a mutual exchange. A ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ kinda thing.”

Laying down, I folded my arms behind my head. “Shoot.”

“Can you help me learn ballistics if I teach you comms?” he asked. “It makes sense. We’re falling down in subjects the other excels in. We can help each other out.”

I jackknifed to a sitting position. “Fuck, yeah. I was gonna suggest it myself. I need someone who can explain shit, not point to a diagram and just expect me to know what the fuck the instructors are talkin’ about.”

“It’s no biggie,” Spence announced. “If you understand the electrical systems of a car, I reckon I can help you apply it to comms.”

“I can get you through ballistics, too, brother,” I assured him. “I’ll explain it the same way to you as my dad told me as a boy. It cuts out all the big words and complications.”

“Sweet.” He cocked his head. “We’ll start tomorrow. How about we ask the Sarge for extra classroom time tomorrow? If we explain it’s for the greater good, I think he’ll cave.”

“He’ll think we’ve gone doolally,” I muttered. “Poor fucker will have a conniption if we ask for extra work, but I guess it’s gotta be done if we wanna be Marine Snipers.”

The thudding of boots sounded from outside, along with laughter and somebody saying goodbye to somebody else. The door opened, and in sauntered Denton, holding some envelopes. “I collected a letter and saw something had come in for you.” He held a letter out for me.

“Thanks, Dent.” I took the envelope and smiled when I saw Elise’s neat, cursive handwriting. Bringing the letter to my nose, I caught a whiff of jasmine, and my cock twitched.

Christ, I needed to get on leave sooner than New Year if a whiff of jasmine made me wanna nut.

Laying back on my bed for a second time, I carefully opened the letter, unfolded it, and began to read…

John,

I hope you’re okay.

Everything here is good; it's still the same, really. As you know, nothing much happens in Hambleton.

I saw your mom on Sunday. I sat with her during Sunday Service. It was hilarious because Monica had a party the night before—which I wasn’t invited to. Not that I would’ve gone if I were—and she felt sick. Kelly said she was green around the gills. (Probably self-inflicted.) When the pastor began discussing how Jesus turned water into wine and multiplied the loaves and fishes, she had to run outside and puke.

Your mom said—loudly—'That girl wouldn’t know Jesus if he came down and built a cross on her front lawn. Jesus saved loose women, but that one’s a long way past redemption.’

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