Page 24 of Be With Me
Mooney looked at Mackey and Kevin before turning to Spook, who held his hands up.
“Don’t look at me. I’m the newbie here.”
Mackey shared a look with Kevin then cleared his throat. “So Kevin, Danny and I had lunch the other day and were talking about you and Debbie. You drive down there every chance you get. She’s visited you a few times. You subjected her to a military ball and all that comes with attending one of those.”
“She even met the sergeant major,” Spook threw in, causing Mackey and Kevin to stare at Mooney.
“You introduced her to the sergeant major? Didn’t know you were on first name basis with him.” Kevin seemed torn between being impressed and shocked.
“How’d you know she met him, Spook?” Mooney knew that Spook hadn’t been at the ball, at least he didn’t think he’d been there and if he had, he could’ve said hi.
“Sergeant Major Hall told me about the ball and that he got to meet you. Thanked you for helping the Delta guys out.” Spook took a drink of his beer and shrugged.
“Back on track,” Mackey directed. “When are you going to man up and ask Debbie to marry you?”
Mooney looked down at the table. His beer was quite bubbly tonight. Maybe if he just sat here long enough they’d change the subject. He was full of self-doubt. Voicing it wasn’t going to do anything except make him want to have another beer or seven.
“Mooney, you have to know that she loves you,” Mackey offered, snapping Mooney’s attention from his beer.
“How would I know that? Really, why would she want to marry me with the future she has in front of her. Why would she give up all she could do specializing in pediatrics or emergency or cardiology to follow me around? What do I have to offer her?” Mooney knew that his voice got louder as he asked his questions but he couldn’t control it. When he finished, those that he thought were his friends just sat there looking at him.
“He totally doesn’t get it, does he?” Kevin sounded almost pissed.
“I don’t think he has a clue,” Mackey added. “Do you want the honors or shall I?”
Kevin slapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Oh I’ve got this. Do you know what I would do if I found a woman that looked at me with even half the love in her eyes that Debbie has for you? Do you not realize how lucky you are? When I watch the two of you together, it’s like you’re one unit that operates separately just fine but when you’re near each other it’s amazing. I think, and Mackey and Danny agree, that you need to march yourself to the jewelers, find a stunning ring that while it’ll be gorgeous will pale in comparison to Debbie. Then you need to get in your car, drive to Wilmington and drop to one knee asking that woman to be your other half for the rest of your lives.”
Mooney stared at Kevin for a minute, then looked at Mackey, then Spook. He could feel tears forming and looked down at the table.
“Well?” Mackey asked.
“Who’s going with me to find the perfect ring?” Mooney looked at these three and knew that he’d made the right decision as they all raised their hand.
