Whiskey Tribute: A Trident Security Series Novella - Book 5.5 (4 page)

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Curt took a sip of his
coffee. Ryan was outside with Amanda, feeding the chickens and retrieving any
eggs that’d been laid, which would be used for breakfast tomorrow morning.
Today, the kids and he had all eaten cereal while waiting for Dana to shower
and get dressed. After everyone was finished, he’d sent Ryan and Amanda out to
the barn, and the other two boys to their room to make their beds and grab
whatever they wanted to bring to keep them busy on the road.

He hoped Dana had slept well, because he sure as hell hadn’t.
When she’d fled to her room, he’d been tempted to chase after her, but knew it
would be the wrong thing to do. She needed some time alone to think about what
happened between them. He was as surprised as she was about the kiss, but she’d
felt so right in his embrace that he hadn’t been able to resist. For a full
hour later, he could still feel her against him and taste her on his lips and
tongue. He knew she’d been aware of the hard-on he’d gotten while eyeing her
ass. It had been a normal male reaction to a woman he was attracted to, and it
would’ve gone away on its own, had it not come in contact with her soft,
feminine body. After that, all bets were off.

After tossing and turning on the couch until midnight, he’d
known if he was ever going to get any sleep, he would have to take matters into
his own hands, which he’d done in the shower. Imagining her on her knees in
front of him, sucking him off, it hadn’t taken him long to shoot his load into
the shower spray. And damn, just thinking of her now, was making his dick
twitch.

Down the hall, he heard her bedroom door open, so he
retrieved a clean mug from the cabinet and was pouring her coffee as she
entered the kitchen. The dark circles under her eyes told him she hadn’t slept
any better than he did. “Good morning.”

She took the steaming mug he handed her, bringing it to the
table where the milk carton still sat next to the sugar bowl. She avoided
looking him in the eye. “Morning.”

“The kids are all fed. Ryan and Amanda are out collecting
eggs while the other two are in their room. Do you want cereal or something
else?”

“No thanks. I’m not hungry. I’ll just drink this and bring a
granola bar with me for the road.”

“Dana…” He grabbed her elbow and tried to turn her to face
him, but she pulled out of his gentle grip. Still refusing to look at him, she
began to put away the boxes of cereal and milk. Curt had already placed the
dirty bowls and spoons in the dishwasher.

“Can we not talk about this now?” At least they were both
thinking about the night before, but whereas he wanted to discuss it, she
clearly did not. “I would rather we both forget it happened.”

Stepping toward her, he boxed her in by placing his hands on
either side of her hips as she spun around in surprise. “Look at me.” He
waited, but her gaze was pinned to his chest. “Damn it, Dana. Look at me.”
Slowly, she tilted her head back until he could see her eyes. “What if I don’t
want to forget about it? What if I’ve been dreaming about kissing you for weeks
now?”

She brought her hands to his chest and tried to push him away
as she shook her head, but he wasn’t budging. “Please. Not now. I-I think it
was a mistake.”

“And I don’t.” The sound of Ryan and his sister climbing the
back porch stairs had him taking a giant step away from her, but his eyes never
left hers. “We will be talking about this later. For now, though, I’ll drop it
so we can have a fun day with the kids. But don’t think for one minute I regret
kissing you.”

Before she could respond, the back door opened and Curt
pasted on a tense smile, which quickly became relaxed and real as he listened
to Amanda chatter about how many eggs they’d found.

* * *

A little after seven-thirty that evening Curt carried a
sleeping Amanda from the couch into her room and tucked her into her bed. The
cute pixie was exhausted from all the fun she’d had during the day with her
friend and family. Closing her door behind him, he passed Justin and Taylor in
the hallway, yawning on their way to their room. Ryan was already in his own
bedroom on his Xbox. It wouldn’t be long before the entire house was sleeping
soundly from the long day. But before that happened, Dana and he were having a
talk about the kiss, whether she wanted to or not. He had to let her know he
was interested in taking a forward step to a closer relationship with her, but
only if she was ready. He wouldn’t push, but he also wouldn’t wait forever.
Patience may be a virtue, but even the most patient man on earth had a breaking
point.

Returning to the living room, he saw it was empty. From the
sound of things, Dana was cleaning what he already knew was a spotless kitchen.
Sighing, he picked up a heavy throw blanket from the back of the couch and
strode into the kitchen where she was scrubbing the table she’d wiped down that
morning before they left. Placing the blanket over her shoulders, he pulled her
upright.

“W-what are you doing?”

“We’re going to sit out on the porch for a little bit and
talk,” he told her, taking the damp sponge from her hand and tossing it across
the room into the sink.

“Curt, I can’t. I have cleaning to do.”

Steering her toward the back door, he gently pushed her
forward, his hands cupping her shoulders. “The house is spotless, as always, to
the point I’m wondering if you’re a little obsessive about cleaning. It won’t
fall down if you leave a crumb or two on the table.” He reached around her and
opened the door. “Outside…please.”

Huffing, she grasped the edges of the blanket and pulled it
tighter around her body. Following her out the door, he pointed to the bench
swing when she leaned against the railing. “Please, sit with me. I promise—all
I’m going to do is talk and hold your hand. Nothing more.”

The wariness on her face deepened, but she didn’t argue.
Taking a seat, she got as close to the armrest as she could, trying to keep as
much distance between them as he sat next to her. He rolled his eyes and took
her hand in his, resting them on his thigh. “I’m not going to attack you, Dana.
Please, relax.”

Using his foot, he started the seat swinging. He gave her a
few minutes for the tension to ease from her body as he stared out at the
darkened bluff, which started its incline sixty or so acres from where they sat.
Brushing his thumb over the back of her soft hand, he took a deep breath. “Do
you know what I first thought when you were walking toward our table that night
at The Clamshell?” He didn’t wait for her to respond, nor did he look at her.
“I was kinda pissed Eric had seen you first because I would’ve loved to have
hit on you.” Beside him, she snorted in disbelief. “No, really. It’s true. You
were smokin’ walking across the bar. Every guy was checking you out, not just
me. Then I got to know you and saw how much Eric was in love with you…I think
it was love at first sight for him. I’d never seen him as nervous as he’d been
with you. It was like he knew already that you were ‘the one’ and he didn’t
want to fuck it up.

“I was more than happy to have you as a friend…there were
plenty of other women out there and I wasn’t the kind of guy who would hit on a
friend’s girl. You became like a sister-in-law to me…note I said ‘in-law’. You
could never be a sister to me. A guy like me doesn’t have dreams of a woman he
considers a sister. I didn’t have them often, just every once in a while. I kinda
felt guilty about it, but since I would never act on it, it wasn’t a problem.”

He finally turned and faced her, even though she was still
looking out over the vast universe as if it held all the answers. “I can’t deny
my feelings have changed, sweetheart. At first, I thought it was because I
promised Eric I would watch over his family if anything ever happened to him.”
She knew all about the vow he’d made many years ago. “But then those dreams
started coming almost every night. You’re not just a friend to me anymore. I
force myself not to call you every day, just to hear your voice.” His gaze
returned to the horizon. “Hell, the last time I had sex with a woman was over a
year ago—”

“Get out of here, Conrad Michael Bannerman. Don’t give me
that. You date all the time.”

Chuckling at her incredulous tone and use of his full, given
name, he shook his head. “No, I’m dead serious. And, yeah, I
used
to
date all the time. I’ll admit it. I was a man-whore during my twenties and the
first half of my thirties. But then I realized I wanted what you and Eric had…a
family…someone to grow old with. I started going out on dates looking for ‘the
one’, but none of the women were her…now I think I know why. I wasn’t looking
for just any woman…I wanted a woman like you. Someone who made me laugh and let
me crash here anytime I wanted to visit…no questions asked. Someone who made
sure I had somewhere to go for every holiday. A woman who worried if I was
eating right, or booked a flight for my best friend to fly to Daytona when she
heard I crashed my bike and was in the hospital.” That had happened a few years
ago and that’s exactly what Dana had done while Eric had been on the phone with
Curt’s brother trying to get updates. Curt had broken a few ribs and his arm,
along with having a major concussion for which they’d put him in a medically
induced coma, but thankfully, he’d completely recovered. He’d awoken four days
later, when they’d eased him off the meds keeping him asleep, to find Eric
sitting in a chair, anxious to make sure he was all right.

“Look. I know this is difficult territory for us…I’m sure
you’re worried about the kids and what would happen if things didn’t work out…but,
sweetheart, I can’t help but think this is the start of something beautiful
between us. Something that was meant to be. Not years ago…but now. Just promise
me you’ll think about it. I won’t bring it up again until I come back up in two
weeks. Then, if you want to leave it as friends, I’ll abide by your wishes. But
just know you’re special to me, more now than ever, and I’ve never wanted
another woman the way I want you.” Yeah, that was dirty pool, attaching that on
at the end, but he hoped it would lead her to start having dreams of the two of
them together. Why should he be the only one taking cold showers like the one
he needed right now?

Dana remained quiet for a few moments, clearly pondering all
he’d said. The silence didn’t bother him, instead, he found it comforting. He
continued to swing the seat, content to just sit there beside her. He wasn’t
sure how much time passed before she shifted a little closer to him. Letting go
of her hand, he put his arm around her and tucked her into his side.

“I promise I’ll think about it…about us.”

She paused and he thought she wasn’t going to say anything
more, but then, with a sharp intake of breath, she rested her head on his
shoulder. “I meant to tell you, it looks like I’ll be going back to teaching
next school year.”

He smiled. This was familiar ground they’d stepped back
on—chatting about everyday things. “Really? Wow, that’s great.”

She’d been working as a high school math teacher when she’d
met Eric all those years ago. After they’d married and Ryan had arrived,
followed by Taylor, she’d become a stay-at-home mom until the kids were old
enough to go to school. Her tutoring a few students after school had
supplemented Eric’s military pay. But then Justin and Amanda had followed, and
they’d all moved to Iowa when Eric retired from the SEALs. He’d put his combat
experience to good use, working for a company that trained men and women to be
bodyguards. Not the Hollywood type of guards, but the ones businessmen needed
when they went to foreign countries where it wasn’t uncommon for Americans to
be kidnapped for ransom. A retired SEAL from Team Two had started the business
about ten years ago in Texas, and Eric had contacted the guy about opening
another training facility about a half hour south of Stormville. The franchise
had been a success and was still operating with a new boss at the helm.

“Yeah. It’s time. The extra life insurance money Eric took
out won’t last forever, and I need to start working again, if only for my
sanity. One of the teachers is retiring at the end of the year at the high
school, and I applied for the job when I heard about it. They called me
yesterday morning and told me the position was mine if I wanted it. Ryan’s not
thrilled since he’s got one more year before he starts ninth grade, but at
least, he won’t be assigned to any of my classes.”

Figures. Most kids wouldn’t want their mother teaching in the
same school they attended. “I’m sure he’ll get over it.”

“Probably.”

She shivered and he tightened his hold on her. Although the
temperature was dropping and they would have to go in soon, neither one of them
made an effort to stand. What he wouldn’t give to have this time with her every
night.

Eighteen Months Ago

After he finished taping the parts of a bike that weren’t
being painted, Curt stepped out of the ventilated stall as his cell phone rang
on his hip. He was usually out somewhere on a Saturday night watching a ball
game or sometimes just vegging at home, but for some reason, he’d been uneasy
all day. Unable to describe the feeling or figure out what was causing it, he
couldn’t shake the sense that something wasn’t quite right. To get his mind off
of it, he’d taken his bike for a ride to the shop and started prepping the new
custom order for its paint job on Monday morning.

The phone continued to ring as he tossed the roll of trimming
tape onto the workbench. It was probably Eric calling him back. While Curt had
been at the gym earlier, his buddy had left a voice mail saying he needed to
talk to him about something, and to call back as soon as he could. Curt had
gotten the message after retrieving his duffel bag from his gym locker, and
left his own message on Eric’s voice mail when his friend didn’t pick up.

Plucking his phone from its belt clip, he glanced at the
screen.
Dana.
That wasn’t odd. She called him at least once a week. She
probably forgot to tell him something when he spoke to her yesterday morning.
Connecting the call, he brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s
up?”

“C-Curt…”

His body tensed. “Dana, what’s wrong?”

Her words came out in a rush. “He didn’t come home. I don’t
know what to do. It’s been three hours. I called—”

“Slow down, sweetheart. Slow down.” That feeling he’d been having
all day intensified. “Who didn’t come home? Ryan?”

“No. Eric.” She took a deep, trembling breath. “He went out
for his run three hours ago. I don’t know where he is. His cell went to voice
mail.”

What the hell?
He’d just assumed it was their oldest
son she was talking about and Eric was out searching for him. That kid always
lost track of time. “Do you have anyone out looking for him?”

“Phil Olsen is driving around trying to find him. Curt, I’m
scared. This is so unlike him. I have this feeling something happened to him
and I don’t know what to do.”

A heartbreaking sob came across the line, and it twisted his
gut. There was no way Eric would worry Dana unnecessarily like this, and that
just made the situation even more troubling. “All right, listen. Call Phil. Tell
him to make it official with the sheriff’s department and get every out looking
for him. I’m going to call Ian and see if his pilot can fly me up there.”

“You-you don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. If you hear anything, call me right away.” After
she acknowledged him, he hung up the phone and hit the speed-dial button for Ian,
then started locking up the garage while he waited for the call to connect.

“Sawyer.”

“It’s Curt. We’ve got a problem.”

He filled his former teammate in and requested the use of
their company jet. It would be the fastest way for him to get up there and join
the search. Some people might say it was only three hours since the guy went
missing, and to wait awhile. But in his heart, Curt knew something was
seriously wrong and he needed to be there when they found out what it was.

When Ian asked if he wanted anyone from the team to go with
him, Curt replied, “No. I have no idea what’s going on, but I do know the
people in that town and the sheriff’s department come out in droves when someone
is missing. If we need more help, I’ll call you.”

“You’re sure? I can move things around.”

“Yeah. But Ian, man…I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“So do I. I’ll have the pilot waiting for you at the
municipal airport. Call me as soon as you land and have info.”

“Will do…and thanks.”

Three and a half hours later, the private jet landed and Curt
found a sheriff’s vehicle waiting for him. He was grateful for the lift since
the rental car agencies in the small airport were closed for the evening. As
Deputy Phil Olsen drove, he filled Curt in on what was happening. There were
dozens of law enforcement personnel, firemen, and volunteers out looking for
the missing husband and father, but with the darkness of the night, they’d
failed to find any sign of him so far. “The last place anyone can confirm he
was spotted was about twenty minutes or so into his run. One of our neighbors
was driving through town and passed him going the other way on Main, just west
of Bluebird Drive. We haven’t found anyone else who may have seen him after
that, but at that time of the evening it’s dinner time for most folks around
here. Eric varied his routes all the time, so we can’t figure out exactly what
roads he took and where he was heading. From Main and Bluebird, there are way
too many side streets he may have taken, or continued out to County Road 32 or
turned left into the county park to run the trails.”

The deputy had barely stopped the car in the Prichard’s
driveway when Curt leaped from the vehicle and rushed up the walkway to the
front door. Finding it unlocked, he entered and, after a quick glance in the
empty living room, strode toward the kitchen where he heard low voices. He
hoped like hell he’d find Eric had returned within the last few minutes and it
was all a misunderstanding they would laugh about. But seeing Dana, her eyes
swollen and her cheeks stained with tears, his hopes were dashed. Ryan and
Phil’s wife, Peggy, were sitting at the table with her. When Dana saw him enter
the room, she jumped from her seat at the dining table and ran into his arms.
“Thank God you’re here. There’s still no sign of him.”

Her body trembled as he hugged her tight. “We’ll find him. I
promise you.” What he didn’t add was ‘alive or dead’. But he knew with each
passing hour, the chances of finding Eric Prichard alive and well were
diminishing. The man would never walk out on his family, he wasn’t suicidal,
and from what Phil had told him on the way over, he’d left his wallet and
credit cards behind. They’d tried pinging his cell phone, but it was either off
or the battery was dead, and the last calls or texts he received had been
before he left the house.

Dana gave him a squeeze, then stepped back. The look in her
eyes was a combination of fear and determination. “You bring him back. I trust
you to bring him back to me.”

He knew right then that she feared the worst had happened…the
same feeling Curt was fighting in his own mind and gut. But until they heard
otherwise, he’d tear the county apart until he found his best friend.

“Uncle Curt, I want to go with you.” Ryan stood and
approached him, worry etched on his eleven-year-old face.

Biting his bottom lip, Curt grasped his nephew’s shoulder and
pulled him near. He leaned down so they were face to face. “I know, buddy, but
I need you to stay here and look after your mom for me, all right? I need to
know she’s in good hands. We have a lot of people out there looking for your
dad and we’re going to find him. Understand?”

The boy’s eyes, so much like his father’s, blinked back a few
tears and then he nodded. “Okay.”

“Good boy.” He turned back to Dana. “Can I have the keys to
Eric’s truck?”

She snatched the spare set of keys off a hook next to the
phone on the wall. “Of course.”

“Where are the rest of the kids? In bed?”

Shaking her head, she put an arm around Ryan, who was
obviously taking his new assignment seriously and sticking close to his mother.
“No. Amanda’s staying at her friend Nellie’s house and Justin and Taylor are up
the street, sleeping over at a friend’s house. They don’t know what’s going
on…I didn’t know what to tell them.”

Curt ruffled Ryan’s hair and kissed Dana’s forehead. “All
right. Let me hook up with the sheriff’s department and find out where they’ve
searched and what areas still need to be covered. Call me if you need me.”

“Just bring him home.”

Another wave of dread passed over him and he gave her a
somber nod. “I will.”

Fourteen hours later, Curt found his best friend. Eric had
been struck by a vehicle and thrown into a cornfield on the side of County Road
32. Volunteers had passed the area several times, but it wasn’t until Curt and
several deputies walked along the road that he noticed what the others had
missed. Pieces of a recently broken headlight, with what looked like blood smeared
on them, were found on the grassy shoulder. Eric’s battered body was located
about twelve feet into the rows of corn and hadn’t been visible to those
driving past.

Now, the deputies were keeping Curt from disturbing the
hit-and-run crime scene as they waited for the medical examiner to respond. The
sheriff was making sure the news didn’t reach Dana until Curt returned to the
house to tell her himself. It was his duty and he wouldn’t pass it off to
anyone else.

He paced back and forth on the dirt shoulder opposite from
where his buddy lay. How long? How fucking long had Eric laid out of sight as
his life faded away? Did he know what was happening? Did he suffer? Could he
have been saved if someone had seen it happen?
God damn it!
He was in
the middle of bum-fuck Iowa, where he should have been safe. They had survived
countless missions together in some of the most dangerous places on Earth, and
Eric fucking buys it on the side of the road in fucking Iowa, of all God-damned
places. “Shit.”

Wishing he had something or someone he could hit, Curt strode
back to Eric’s truck, climbed in the driver’s seat, and slammed the door. Anger
and sorrow coursed through his veins, as he pounded his fist on the dash. “Son
of a fucking bitch, Eric! It wasn’t supposed to be like this, you asshole…it
wasn’t fucking supposed to be like this.”

He took a deep breath and ignored the wary look on a deputy’s
face as the man walked past the truck on his way to his patrol car. Shoving his
outrage back down to deal with later, Curt pulled his phone from his pocket and
hit the speed dial button on his phone for Ian.

“Talk to me, Elmer.”

Fighting the quiver in his voice, he told his friend and
former teammate they had to bury one of their own.

* * *

The next two days flew by in a blur. Eric had always said he
didn’t want to be waked at all. He hated them. Dana and best friend knew they
would only be planning a funeral, followed by a party…not a morose reception,
but a fucking party. He’d wanted everyone to celebrate his life, not mourn his
death. Family, friends, and Eric’s Navy brethren began arriving in droves on
Monday while Curt escorted Dana to the funeral home to make all of the arrangements
for Tuesday’s service. SEAL Team Four was stateside and those who could boarded
a flight to Iowa, along with a Navy honor guard for the gravesite service after
the mass at the family’s church.

Curt stood by Dana’s side throughout the entire ordeal. He’d
been a godsend for her and the children. After barely getting through the
funeral without falling apart, they invited everyone to attend the
‘celebration’ at a local pub Eric and Curt liked to go to for a beer and a
ballgame every once in a while. There were many men dressed in their formal
Navy blue uniforms mixed in with the civilians. It was a testament to the
brotherhood Eric had belonged to.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please? Listen up!”

Dana glanced up from cutting Amanda’s chicken fingers into
little bits. Ian Sawyer was standing on a small stool so he could be seen by
everyone in the place. At the bar next to him, Devon, Brody, Marco, Jake, and
Boomer were helping the pub owner and bartender with a case of Jameson’s
whiskey. She knew what was coming, having attended several SEAL funerals in the
past. There would be two toasts. The first one included everyone—family,
friends, and teammates. The second would be later on, reserved for Eric’s
brothers-in-arm only. It was a team tradition which had started a long time ago
and was repeated, without fail, at every Team Four funeral.

There were a bunch of whistles and shouts of ‘quiet’ before
the crowd of one-hundred-plus people hushed. With the help of the waitresses,
dozens of plastic shot glasses filled with whiskey were passed out to everyone
over the age of twenty-one. For the minors and those who didn’t drink, a few
were filled with cola, so they could still participate.

Bringing a small tray of shots over to the table, Curt made
sure Dana and her kids had the appropriate drinks. As the glasses were passed
to those who hadn’t received one yet, Ian took the one Devon handed him. “For
those of you who don’t know me, I am proud to say I served with Eric for many
years—it was a privilege to have him on my team. We have a tradition on our
team to toast the fallen with a whiskey tribute, and I invite you to join us
for the first one. His teammates will have another one later, in private. As
the ranking retired officer here, I was asked to lead you in this first toast.
Does everyone have a glass?” When he was certain all had received one, he
lifted his own in the air. “Eric Prichard. Call sign, Wabbit. It was your
team’s honor to serve with you and to call you our brother. Your loyalty to
your country, your team, your family, and your friends will never be forgotten.
You served your country with honor and integrity, the same way you lived your
life. Today, we saluted you and then your fellow SEALs proudly slammed our
tridents into the top of your casket as a sign of our undying gratitude and
respect. Your family is our family and we will always be there for them since
you no longer can be. Take care, my brother, until we meet again.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the place when all the SEALs
shouted out ‘hoo-yah’ before they downed their shots.

A little over an hour later, most of the local folks had
left, and Dana was saying goodbye to those who remained. Her mother and Jenn
Mullins were gathering up the children so they could all head back to the
house. Jenn was Ian’s goddaughter, and her father had been on Team Four, as
well. The team had watched her grow since she’d been a baby and she called a
lot of them ‘Uncle’. Her parents, Jeff and Lisa, had been murdered six months
ago, and Jenn was just beginning to emerge from her dungeon of angst. She now
lived with Ian in Tampa, while going to college nearby. The sweet girl had been
entertaining the kids all day, and Dana was grateful.