Page 18 of Believe in Me
Mike knew he couldn’t look at any of the others or they would all lose it. They’d gotten down to the restaurant before Kevin arrived with his bride-to-be and introduced Trish to the heptad. She seemed to fit right in with Debbie and Jeannine. The twins were all smiles and hugs for their “cookie lady”. Then Kevin entered the small side room they were in with his arm around a short female and they all fell silent. He was all smiles as he said, “Missy, this is the heptad and their wives. Everyone, this is Missy.”
Kevin had to be playing a joke on them all. There was no way that he could seriously be marrying that woman. She had to be an actress or well, another profession that he hired. Missy came up to maybe Kevin’s sternum, but her hair was at his chin, it was so tall, teased? Mike wasn’t sure of how to describe it. Her dress barely covered her breasts and lower regions.
“Is he serious?” Trish whispered in Mike’s ear. “I know I haven’t met Kevin before tonight but seeing yours and the other guys’ reactions, this is a joke, right?”
Mike bit his lip and leaned over to reply. “I hate to say this, but I think he is serious. I haven’t talked with Kevin in a few weeks, so I don’t know when he met her. Maybe Mackey knows something. They’re both stationed at Fort Drum.” He motioned to Mackey who nodded then walked over to Mike and Trish.
“Kevin really didn’t have to go to all this to get us together in one place,” Mackey said quietly as he stepped up next to Trish. “Thank God you’ve got taste in women.” Mackey smiled in Trish’s direction and winked.
“So this is a joke?” Mike asked, still hopeful that Kevin wasn’t really marrying Missy.
“I’d love to say yes but I think he’s ‘in love’. We’ve been on different schedules, so I haven’t seen Kevin in a month and a half. Guess I should’ve made some time.” Mackey made air quotations as he said in love. Fucking great. Kevin was marrying a slut.
“Wow, and Joe’s mother thought I was a gold digger,” Trish said, making Mackey and Mike burst out laughing.
“Share the humor?” Danny asked as he walked up behind them. “Oh wait, are you laughing at the bride?” he asked under his breath.
Kevin cleared his throat from where he was standing with his arm around Missy. “Now that I have your attention. Missy and I would like thank you for being here to share our happiness with us.” He paused then turned and looked straight at Mike, Trish, Mackey and Danny. “Mike? I hope you and… your girlfriend can be as happy as us one day. Danny? Will you be my best man?”
Mike could hear Danny sigh before he answered. “Of course, I will.” Mike could hear Mackey try and contain his laughter at Danny’s predicament. He was holding back his own but had to let it go when Danny elbowed him in the side.
§ § §
“Some welcome, huh?” Jeannine asked as she walked up to Trish and sat down beside her.
“You’re married to… Spook?” Trish replied. There was no way in hell she was going to voice an opinion on the soon-to-be newest spouse of one of the heptad. She was still feeling her way around being with Mike.
“I am. Spook told me that you know Beatle and Blade,” Jeannine answered, placing her wine glass on the table. Looked to Trish like she was getting comfortable.
“I’m sure that he told you how I know them too. Yes, I was married to a Delta soldier who was killed in action. Yes, he’s buried at Arlington. Am I ready to be a spouse again? I’m not sure but that’s something for Mike and me to work through, don’t you think?” If Trish had learned anything as a military spouse, it was to stop rumors before they began if she could.
When Trish finished speaking, Jeannine started laughing. “Oh I like you. You’ve got a backbone. Nothing like the spineless bitch that ripped Mike off during his last deployment. Lord help that woman if Debbie or I ever see her again.”
Mike had told her a bit about his former fiancée and the shit she’d pulled before they got here. He didn’t want one of them to say something to Trish and her be clueless.
“Let me know, I’ll help. Spouses or girlfriends that pull that need to be hurt. They’re protecting our country at least be respectful of that.” Trish hadn’t been married to Joe long, but she knew that soldiers didn’t deserve being treated as cash cows. Speaking of, Trish looked across the room where Missy was sitting with Debbie. “Should we save Debbie?” Trish asked Jeannine.
Jeannine turned her head in the same direction then shook her head. “Looks like Mooney’s got things covered,” she said as she nodded off to the side.
When Trish looked Mooney was squatted down whispering to his sons. Their heads were bopping up and down then turned and ran toward Debbie yelling for their mama. Debbie caught them pulled them into her lap and kissed them before standing, saying something to Missy they couldn’t hear and then walking away.
“Rescue mission a success,” Jeannine said happily. When Trish laughed at that, Jeannine turned back to her and smiled. “Yes, you’ll do just fine.”
Chapter 12
Even though the twins were four and Debbie had told him they were taking swimming lessons, Mike kept a tight hold on Cal. Tossing him in the air, Mike glanced to his right to see Mooney doing the same with Cam. Damn, these boys were getting big.
Kevin, Missy, Danny and the maid of honor, Kelly, were at a rehearsal for tomorrow evening’s wedding. Mike was relieved that Kevin and Missy had chosen to just have one person stand up with them. The rest of them were taking some downtime. Mackey, Brian, Spook and Jeannine were over at Hurlburt looking at some exhibit while Mike and Trish were at the beach with Debbie, Mooney and the twins. There was no way in hell that Mike was passing up a chance to see Trish in a bathing suit.
He’d almost swallowed his tongue when Trish had knocked on the connecting door and asked him to tie her top. She had on a bluish-purple two-piece bathing suit that tied behind her back and neck with a pair of the tiniest shorts riding low on her hips. He looked out to sea to get back under control before he embarrassed himself.
“Higher!” Cam screamed followed by a squeal as Mike tossed him up. The ladies were stretched out up by the dunes, close to the hotel property while he and Mooney tired out the boys.
“Daddy! Me too!” Cam yelled.
“Mike, you’re going to get me in trouble. Boys, time to make a castle,” Mooney said as he swung Cam through the water before depositing him in the soft, wet sand. “Where are your buckets?” Mike put Cal down so he could help his brother dig.
“Uncle Mike, help,” Cam demanded. Damn, he was going to miss being called ‘unca’ but the upside was he’d understand the twins better.
