Chapter 7
Bruiser: I'm sorry about this, sweetheart.
Olivia: It's OK, we both knew that you would have to leave from time to time. At least this time it wasn't during a date.
Bruiser: Yeah, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Do me a favor and take care of my girl for me, will you?
Olivia: Sure, what's her name?
Bruiser: Olivia.
Olivia: Wow, she has the same name as me. Who knew?
Olivia: Seriously, Please be careful and come home in one piece. I'm already counting the days until you come home.
Bruiser: Stay busy. It'll pass faster that way. I've got to go. Keep safe and feel free to leave me texts and emails. I'll let you know when I'm back. Take care.
Olivia: Take care and watch your six.
Olivia: I promised myself I wouldn't text you every day. Ha ha! It's been three. Aren't you proud of me? Stay safe. Come home soon.
Olivia: Jayden told me a joke today- Why did the elephant paint herself different colors? So she could hide in a crayon box. I know, it's lame, but I had to laugh. He was so proud of himself for remembering it correctly.
Olivia: One week. I think this is easier on the other side of things. It's hard not knowing where you are and what you are doing. I hope you are keeping yourself safe. What am I saying? Of course, you are keeping yourself safe. It's what you do. Keep your head down and come home soon. Miss you!
Olivia: I missed the bus today. Jayden is mad at me for being late. He wanted to go to the park, but by the time I got home, it was too dark. I promised him we would go this weekend. It reminds me of our time at the museum with him. Great fun! He's already asking when we can go again. I think he idolizes you a bit. Can't say I blame him - I think you are pretty great too. See you soon!
Olivia: You've been gone now for two weeks, and I'm missing you like crazy. I know we haven't had a lot of time to spend together, but the time we had meant a lot to me. I'll be so glad when you get home.
Olivia: I finished my enrollment today. I'm a bona fide freshman! One month and counting.
Olivia: Fifteen days since you left. Jayden keeps asking me when you will be home and where you went. I have been telling him you had to go out of town for a job. I didn't think he could handle much more. He misses you. I miss you.
Olivia: Seventeen. This sucks.
Olivia: Eighteen. This really, really sucks!
Olivia: Twenty days now since I last talked to you. I'm beginning to feel a little stalkerish. I know you told me to send texts whenever I thought of you, but I would fill up your phone in about a day. Yes, I think of you that much. I miss you more than that even. I picked up a part time job at the coffee shop. Philip was happy to have me back. It's only a few days a week, but it comes with free coffee. I figure I'll need the caffeine when it's time to start studying. And, no, not the monkey poop coffee. Just plain old regular house blend. I wish I could talk to you.
Olivia: Bruiser? Are you alright? I'm starting to get worried now. It's been three weeks today since you left. Art asked me to fill in with your self-defense class last week. I don't feel confident enough for the advanced classes, but I'm teaching the beginner and intermediate ones. I suggested he contact the base and ask them to see if someone wanted to volunteer for the advanced class but he decided not. Your job is safe! You need to come home soon before your students fall in love with me. HA! Seriously though, we all miss you. I can't wait to see you again.
Olivia slipped her cell phone into the pocket of her jeans. Three weeks since Bruiser and his SEAL team left on their latest mission. She knew from what he had told her he had no idea how long it may last. Sometimes they would be gone for a couple of days and others a few months. She grimaced. Just her luck. The first time he had a mission since they started seeing each other and it seems it's going to be the latter.
Leaving the little break area in the rear of the coffee shop, she tapped Janice on the shoulder. "Go ahead and get your break in." The older woman flashed her a grateful smile and moved to the side.
"Welcome to The Whole World in My Cup. We currently have fifty-three varieties of beans to tantalize your taste buds. My name is Olivia. What can I tempt you with today?" Olivia hated the little spiel they had to give, but it was part of the job.
The customer tapped her lip with her nail and glanced up at the board. "There's so many to choose from; I can't make up my mind." She sighed dramatically. "I'll just have grande latte macchiato soy."
Olivia took the woman's name, wrote it carefully on the cup and added the markings that would tell the barista exactly what went into the drink. Placing it to the side, she continued to the next one. For a Thursday afternoon, they were swamped. Olivia was glad for it. Staying busy helped keep her mind off Bruiser.
By the time they closed at 8:00, Olivia was bone tired. Gathering up her things, she waved to Philip and let herself out the back door. Three blocks to the bus stop and another six to Auntie's house before she could take off her shoes and prop up her aching feet. She groaned. While in the Army, she regularly did five-mile hikes. She was only a few weeks out of the service, and already her body was starting to slow down. Time to get a gym membership.
The deserted bus stop sat at the corner and made her skin crawl. Although not the worst neighborhood, it wasn't the best either. She looked around to ensure there was nobody waiting to jump her. Satisfied she was alone, she stepped out of the shadows and into the lighted shelter. Dropping gratefully onto the hard bench, she checked the time on her cell against the schedule posted on the wall. She had at least fifteen minutes to wait for her bus unless it came early. She snorted. The bus was either late, really late, or not coming. In all the years of taking public transportation, it had never been early.
Sitting back, she placed her backpack on the bench beside her and closed her eyes for just a moment. A sound alerted her to another presence. Immediately, she opened her eyes again. A man stood there looking down at her.
"Sorry to wake you. Is this seat taken?"
His accent was an odd mixture of California and something foreign. Shaking her head, she scooted over. "Have a seat."
He dropped to the bench and stretched his legs out. He wore dark dress slacks and a blue pull over shirt. His skin was dark. Not quite as dark as hers but close. He wore his hair short looking more like scruff than actual hair. He had a strong wide nose, thick shaggy eyebrows, and high cheekbones. His jaw was strong and his lips thin. She couldn't see what color his eyes were on account of the dark shades perched on the bridge of his nose. Grinning at her, he held out a piece of gum. "Want some?"
"No, thanks," she murmured and drew her backpack closer to her body. There was something about this man that made her skin crawl.
"Jake," he said and held out his hand.
"Livy," she returned but didn't take his hand.
"You work at the coffee shop around the corner." It was a statement and not a question.
"How?"
He lifted his chin toward her. "Shirt. You like your job?"
"It's alright." She glanced up at the schedule again as if she could will the bus to get there faster.
"I hate public transportation," Jake mumbled. Standing up, he waved at a cab sitting down the street. Turning to Olivia, he said, "Who knows how long it will take the bus. Would you like to share a cab with me?"
She wrinkled her brow. "No, thank you. The bus will be here soon."
The cab pulled up to the curb. "Come on Livy. I'll drop you wherever you want to go."
She was about to decline again when the sound of an engine approaching made Olivia sag in relief. "There's the bus," she said as cheerfully as she could muster. She stood and draped the backpack across her shoulders. It was coming down the block like a vision straight from heaven. Jake frowned but got into his cab. The vehicle took off leaving her standing alone on the curb. The bus stopped in front of her as the cab disappeared around the corner. When the doors opened, Livy climbed on gratefully, used her pass and took a seat. Pulling out her phone, she noticed her bus was six minutes early. She thanked whatever guardian angel was watching out for her.
By the time she stepped off the bus in her neighborhood, she had dismissed the entire incident. Living in a city the size of San Diego, there were going to be a lot of strange people. The key here was to be vigilant. She shouldered her pack and hurried down the street toward Auntie's house. For the hundredth time, she considered getting herself a car. It would save the wear and tear on her feet. She sighed. On her very strict budget, she wouldn't be able to afford one. There were supplies to purchase not to mention fees her GI Bill wouldn't pick up. She had a good little nest egg saved from her time in the Army, but she didn't know what the future would bring. She had to be frugal with her money, and that meant the bus would have to do.
Crossing the road to the final block, Olivia heard a vehicle approaching from behind and slow down. Thoughts of the weirdo at the bus stop came to mind. Hurrying her steps just a little she curled her hands around her pack straps and prepared to run the last block if she had to.
"Livy!"
She whirled around at the male voice calling her name. Beside her, a vintage GTO hot-rod painted in metallic teal sat idling at the curb. Keeping her distance, she bent over and peered into the window.
"Hey, Livy. I'm Cowboy, Bruiser's teammate. You got a minute?"
She remembered the big man from her welcome home party. Like the rest of the men in their tight knit group, Cowboy was tall and ripped. He had his light brown hair clipped in a relaxed style that made him look as if he had just gotten out of bed. Laugh lines crinkled at the edge of his steel gray eyes and his full lips had a ready smile. Relaxing, she stuck her head in the window. "Hey, Cowboy." She frowned. "When did you get home? Bruiser didn't text me to let me know you guys were back."
He let out a breath. "We've been home five days." He threw his hand up. "Before you get upset with Bruiser, you need to know a few things." He unlocked the door. "Will you come with me?"
She hesitated a moment. Although she knew Bruiser, she had only met Cowboy one time. However, this was one of Bruiser's team, and from what he was implying, something was wrong with Bruiser. Making her mind up, she opened the door and slid in. Once she was safely buckled in, he put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb. Knowing Auntie would worry, she pulled out her cell and called home. Assuring Nat that she would be home soon, she checked the text messages one more time. Still nothing from Bruiser. Tucking the phone away, she tamped down the feeling of hurt that flared in her heart.
"What's going on? Is Bruiser okay?"
Cowboy's knuckles tightened as he gripped the steering wheel. "There were some problems on our last mission. I can't tell you what happened, but things went bad. Real bad. Hick got hurt. He's going to be alright but..." He frowned as he tried to pull the thoughts together. "Bruise is in trouble. He's under an official review because of what happened, and we're out of duty rotation. He won't ever come out and tell you himself, but he needs you. I've been trying to get him to call you but he won't so I took matters into my own hands."
A thought occurred to her. "Hey, how did you know where I was?"
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I know a guy back east who's good with computers. Took him about two minutes to find you. I went to the coffee shop, but it had already closed. I was on my way to your house when I saw you walking."
"You guys are a little spooky; you know that, right?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so." He fell silent as they drove out of her neighborhood. When he started talking again, the tone of his voice took on a worried quality. "Olivia, Bruise is my best friend. We met at the induction center, went through boot and BUD/s together. He's saved my butt on more than one occasion, and I've done the same for him. My mother calls him her 'other son.' In the twelve years I've known him, I've never seen him like this. He's always taken responsibility for the team. The guys follow him naturally, and there's little we wouldn't do for him. This thing that happened... It messed with his head. We supported him then, and we continue to do so now. Bruiser did the right thing, the ethically, morally, right thing. Now he's getting raked over the coals for his actions. He also blames himself for Hick getting hurt although he had nothing to do with it. I see him slipping down a hole that I'm not sure he can come back from." They pulled up to a stop light, and Cowboy put his hand on her arm. "Bruiser needs you, Olivia. I think you may be the only one that can pull him back from the edge."
She swallowed. "Okay. I don't know what I can do, but I'll give it a try."
The light turned green. Cowboy turned left onto Bruiser's street and pulled up to the apartment complex. Putting his GTO into park, he looked at her again. "I don't think you realize how much influence you have with him. There's something between you. Something strong. Since meeting you, he's been a different guy. He's smiled more, been more at ease. We could tell every time he talked to you; there was something light about him. I know you can help him." He glanced through the windshield. "Have you been here before?"
She nodded. "Once. He's in 28C, right?"
"Yep. I'll wait until you get inside before leaving. He'll make sure you get home."
Getting out of the car, she glanced up at the building and took a deep breath. "Here goes," she muttered to herself. Settling her pack on her shoulder, she entered the door and waved at Cowboy. He returned the wave and left the parking lot. Turning to the staircase, she climbed to the second floor and down the hall. Stopping at 28C, she quickly knocked on the door.
The door opened, and there he was. His face, normally so relaxed and at ease held a tension Livy had not seen before. His eyes were hard, and the set of his mouth was unforgiving. Gulping loudly, she stammered, "Hey, handsome. Welcome home."
His face bloomed into shock, and he took a step back as if not believing she was there.
Fidgeting, she gave him a half smile. Pulling her lip into her teeth, she worried it a moment before asking, "So, are you going to let me in?"
"Olivia," he said with a pained groan. "What? How?"
Then she was in his arms.