Page 16 of The Gunnery Sergeant's Ready-Made Family

“Gran,” this time Stevie’s voice held a warning tone.

“The death of your parents was a tragic accident, two lives cut short well before their time, but don't you dare imagine for even one second that they would not have wanted to have love in their lives. They loved each other, they loved the Lord, and they loved their children. Their lives were rich with love. I have no doubt that they both died happily, do you think the same would have been true had they not loved and had love in their lives?”

Stevie fell silent, thinking about her grandmother's question. Her parents had been happy, in fact, Stevie couldn’t recall them ever being unhappy or mad with each other, not throughout her entire childhood. Her parents had been made for each other, high school sweethearts who had married right out of college. Stevie had never once thought that they had regretted marrying or having children. Why then, did she think it wasn’t an option for her? She knew it was because she did not want to get hurt, but her grandmother was right, as she usually was, her parents had died happy, they were grateful and blessed that they had loved, that they had each other. The remainder of the drive home was quiet, Stevie and her grandmother both lost in their own thoughts, Stevie thinking about Chase and her true feelings for him, and her grandmother thinking of ways to matchmake her stubborn granddaughter.

Chapter Eleven

Chase was starting to feel like an old man. The past couple of days had been hectic, starting with the arrival of Nikki on Sunday. She meant well, and Chase loved her as he loved his own Gran, but she certainly seemed to be up to something, Chase had caught her watching him or Stevie on several occasions, a funny look in her eyes. Then there had been Ranger and Finn, and work, all of which needed, and deserved his attention. Although only Wednesday, Chase felt as if a month had passed, and despite the early hour, he found himself flopping down onto the sofa, drifting off to sleep as the happy sounds of Finn and Ranger playing in the backyard washed over him.

The sun was so bright it hurt, Chase’s eyes squinting in protest. He wondered when he would be free of this endless dust and heat. He had another three months of this deployment left, and then who knew where he would be sent, maybe they would keep him here, they did that sometimes, particularly if a mission was going well. He sighed as he scanned the horizon, seeing nothing. Where were they? They had to be around here somewhere, their intel was good, Chase knew that. Chase gave the order for the men to stop. Water bottles came out, faces were cooled down, and maps were checked. Chase leaned against his backpack and stretched his legs out in front of him, wriggling his toes inside his boot.

“What I wouldn’t give for a nice, long, hot bubble bath,” he sighed. “When I get home, that will be the first thing I do.”

“The first thing I’m going to do is tell my girl that I love her,” his youngest platoon member said wistfully. It had been a hard tour on his relationship. The comment sparked an impromptu round-robin of answers, each of the men admitting what the first thing they were going to do when they got home was.

The answers were surprising to Chase. There were a few who longed for the chance to repair their relationships with loved ones, something Chase saw on each tour. Others wanted to eat a particular food, see the sun set over the ocean, go on an exotic holiday, or learn how to juggle. Chase wasn’t entirely sure the last answer was genuine.

“I want to build a cubby house for my sons.” Kyle’s answer was just what Chase expected him to say, devoted as he was to his kids.

“How are they?” Chase asked quietly.

“They’re fine, Stevie has them, I just wish...” Kyle didn’t finish his sentence, he didn’t have to, Chase knew how he felt, how hard it was for him. He was lucky he had Stevie, although Chase didn’t tell him how lucky, as close as Chase and Kyle were, Chase didn’t think that Kyle would appreciate knowing he was crushing on his sister and had for years. Besides, nothing would ever come of it, Chase was certain, Stevie deserved a life better than the one he could offer her, no matter how he felt, even if she had felt the same way, which she didn’t.

Break over, they fell into line again, Kyle offering to take the lead while Chase brought up the rear. If they didn’t find their target soon, they would head back to base and get fresh intel tomorrow. Chase agreed, he knew a pair of fresh eyes were better than his weary ones, no matter how well trained. They had been walking for less than twenty minutes when the shout to take cover came, the sound of a bullet whistling through the air. Men scrambled around him, seeking whatever cover they could, setting up their weapons, taking their shots. Chase shouted orders throughout the chaos, never letting up. He saw a pair of boots in the dirt, the body face down.

“Cover me!” Chase ordered, crawling over and dragging the body back to the relative safety of the cover his men had secured. With a heave, he flipped the body over, staring down into the face of his best friend, his brother, Kyle, his blood on Chase’s hands.

The sound of a door slamming had Chase bolting up off the sofa, legs spread wide, stance firm, ready to defend.

“Chase?” The sound of Stevie’s voice reached his ears, and he shook his head to clear the foggy remnants of sleep that lingered there. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, I guess I must have dozed off for a minute there.”

“I do wish you’d sleep in my bed.” Chase watched as Stevie’s face bloomed into a delicate blush. “I mean,” she continued, “I wish that you would sleep there, alone. I can sleep down here, you need your rest.”

“I’m fine, I promise.” He lied, not wanting her to know the real reason why he would never sleep in her bed or even set foot in her room. It wasn’t right, especially not when he had remnants of feelings for her, the last thing he needed was anyone getting confused over his intentions, himself included. No, he would honour his promise to her and keep his distance from anything that may lead to his thoughts becoming anything but platonic.

Despite his nap, Chase was still tired, and he found himself unable to concentrate that evening as he sat with Stevie and Nikki, helping Nikki to complete a jigsaw puzzle that she had brought with her. he was beginning to think that Stevie had been right, maybe he should speak with someone about his recurring nightmares. He felt as if he couldn’t get away from them, his sleep was constantly being interrupted, used as a battlefield in which there were no winners. He couldn’t let this affect his work, a moment of inattention on the rifle range could be catastrophic. It was something that Chase was still thinking about long after Stevie and Nikki had said their goodnights and gone upstairs to bed.

The sun was so bright it hurt, Chase’s eyes squinting in protest. He wondered when he would be free of this endless dust and heat. He had another three months of this deployment left, and then who knew where he would be sent, maybe they would keep him here, they did that sometimes, particularly if a mission was going well. He sighed as he scanned the horizon, seeing nothing. Where were they? They had to be around here somewhere, their intel was good, Chase knew that. Chase gave the order for the men to stop. Water bottles came out, faces were cooled down, and maps were checked. Chase leaned against his backpack and stretched his legs out in front of him, wriggling his toes inside his boot.

“What I wouldn’t give for a nice, long, hot bubble bath,” he sighed. “When I get home, that will be the first thing I do.”

“The first thing I’m going to do is tell my girl that I love her,” his youngest platoon member said wistfully. It had been a hard tour on his relationship. The comment sparked an impromptu round-robin of answers, each of the men admitting what the first thing they were going to do when they got home was.

The answers were surprising to Chase. There were a few who longed for the chance to repair their relationships with loved ones, something Chase saw on each tour. Others wanted to eat a particular food, see the sun set over the ocean, go on an exotic holiday, or learn how to juggle. Chase wasn’t entirely sure the last answer was genuine.

“I want to build a cubby house for my sons.” Kyle’s answer was just what Chase expected him to say, devoted as he was to his kids.

“How are they?” Chase asked quietly.

“They’re fine, at least I think they are, I just wish...” Kyle didn’t finish his sentence. Chase’s eyes snapped to Kyle’s face, but he wasn’t there. It was no longer the face of his friend that stared back at him, but rather the face of Stevie, looking at him with those soulful eyes of hers, her expression unreadable.

Break over, they fell into line again, Stevie offering to take the lead while Chase brought up the rear. If they didn’t find their target soon, they would head back to base and get fresh intel tomorrow. Chase found himself agreeing, even though inside his head he was screaming no, screaming for Stevie to go, to run, to get away, to go home, to get the boys and run. They had been walking for less than twenty minutes when the shout to take cover came, the sound of a bullet whistling through the air. Men scrambled around him, seeking whatever cover they could, setting up their weapons, taking their shots. Chase shouted orders throughout the chaos, never letting up. He saw a pair of boots in the dirt, the body face down.

“Cover me!” Chase ordered, crawling over and dragging the body back to the relative safety of the cover his men had secured. With a heave, he flipped the body over, staring down not into the face of his best friend, his brother, Kyle, who he had expected to see, but rather Stevie, her blood on Chase’s hands.

“No!” Chase screamed, gathering Stevie’s body close to his, “I need help, please, somebody help me, somebody get the medic.” No one moved. Chase didn’t understand why no one looked at him, why no one was running to help him. Didn’t they see her get shot? Didn’t they see her bleeding in his arms? Why was she even here? How did she get here? Where were Finn and Ranger? “Stevie? Stevie, open your eyes and look at me, please, Stevie, I need you to open your eyes.” Chase shook Stevie gently, then harder when there was no response.

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