Chapter 6
The following morning, Daisy left Rocco’s place before he woke up, not sure she was ready for the morning after conversation. She didn’t want to hear any regrets or conversations that started off with, “We can still be friends.” She wanted to savor the glorious night, the best night she’d ever had in her life. Rocco was an amazing lover. He’d taken her back to his apartment and made love to her over and over throughout the night.
As soon as she’d woken, she dressed and slipped out of his place, walking over to Main Street where she knew that everyone would be hanging out either in Jane’s bakery or Tony’s sandwich shop. Sure enough, Tony was in the sandwich shop, working on something new for the day’s menu. As soon as she knocked on the door, he waved her inside and poured her a cup of coffee. Daisy sighed and lifted the steaming mug to her lips.
“That’s the look of someone who is extraordinarily happy,” Tony teased as he took the chair opposite her. He handed her a bowl of fruit covered in yogurt. “Eat. I suspect that you need the energy.”
Daisy looked down at the brightly colored berries, grinning even as she lifted her fork. “I’m always cheerful in the morning,” she argued, ignoring Tony’s choking when his sip of coffee went down the wrong way. “Shut up,” she laughed and bit into a strawberry.
“Eat the yogurt too. You need the protein.” He waited until she’d followed his instructions before continuing. “So what has you so bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning? Or should I not ask?”
Daisy rolled her eyes and took another sip of her coffee. “I just had a good night’s sleep. That’s all. Nothing special happened.”
Tony watched her over the rim of his cup. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. He knew Daisy and knew he’d just have to wait. Daisy loved talking, even mumbling as her mind worked through issues plaguing her. Marilee tried to keep secrets, but she was just too honest. She blurted out whatever he wanted to know. Ivy was the only one of their group that could keep a secret, and sometimes that bothered him. But he knew she’d eventually spill whatever was bothering her to one of them so he tried to let it go when he knew she was upset about something.
Sure enough, before Daisy dipped the next berry into the yogurt, she dropped the fork and leaned forward. “Okay, so I went over to the house we’re working on last night. I couldn’t sleep and…well, Rocco showed up and,” she hesitated, looking out the diner’s window at the bright, spring sunshine. “He’s much sweeter than I could have imagined, Tony!” she sighed, slouching as she thought about how sweet the man had been last night, how gentle and caring and generous.
“And you like him,” Tony filled in, smiling with relief. He really wanted his ladies to be happy. They were like sisters to him, his family more than his own parents ever had been. Ivy, Marilee, and Daisy had adopted him from day one, teaching him how to avoid Janice’s advances, their previous boss at the diner before they’d purchased that winning lottery ticket that had completely changed their lives.
“Yeah,” her smile widened. “I really like him. I had no idea that he was such a sweet guy behind all that gruff, silent exterior! He just…”
“I’m glad that you found someone to love, Daisy.”
Daisy stared at her friend, not sure what he was talking about. “Love? Who said anything about love?” she gasped. “I’m not in love with Rocco! I think he’s wonderful but…well, he’s just…well, he’s not really my type, you know. And whatever…well, what happened last night. He probably doesn’t want it to continue.”
Tony chuckled and Daisy glared at him. “What?” she demanded. “I’m not wiggling out of this relationship,” she asserted firmly. When he continued to watch her silently, she shook her head, unaware of the sunshine sparkling off her strawberry blonde hair. “He’s just a nice guy and…we’re having fun.” She stared down at her berries, then peered up at Tony through her lashes. “Well, we had fun last night. But…who knows what might happen in the future.”
Tony nodded but Daisy knew that he didn’t believe her. “You can be such a jerk sometimes, Tony,” she snapped and picked up her fork, stabbing at another strawberry. “And why aren’t you eating? You’re always trying to get us to eat healthier foods, what are you going to have for breakfast?”
“Ivy and I went for a run earlier this morning. She and I came back here and I made both of us a protein shake with fresh ginger, spinach, kale, kiwi and some tabasco sauce. Would you like me to make one for you?” he offered.
Daisy scrunched up her nose at the description. “No. Thank you very much but I’ll stick with the berries and yogurt. You keep your kale stuff away from me.”
“Really?” he teased, leaning forward and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear so it didn’t go into her yogurt. “I thought you were on one of your vegetarian kicks again.”
Daisy shook her head. “I tried. I really would love to go vegetarian. It’s such a healthy lifestyle and so good for the environment.”
“But you love meat,” he finished for her.
She slumped in her chair. “Yeah. I really do!” Shaking her head, she stared across the table. “Why can’t I be more disciplined? Why?” she gripped Tony’s arm, wishing she could be a better person.
Rocco turned the corner, thinking about stopping by Daisy’s house to see if she’d like to have breakfast with him. Last night had been…incredible. He wished she’d stayed with him this morning. It would have been really nice to wake up with her in his arms. But he understood. This was a small town and the neighbors talk. He should have been more considerate of that last night and taken her to her place instead of his apartment. That way he could have gone home in the early hours of the night instead of Daisy.
Although, maybe he wouldn’t have. Every time she’d shifted against him last night, she’d woken him up and he’d made love to her again. She felt that good.
At the same moment that thought occurred to him, he stopped short, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the tableau in front of him.
Normally, watching the sun bounce off of Daisy’s glorious hair would take his breath away. But watching her with that other guy, the fury that hit him obliterated every other thought from his mind. Daisy was sitting with…what was his name? She’d mentioned him as some special guy but right now, as he sat across the table from Daisy, Rocco’s body still humming from the most incredible sex of his entire life, he didn’t give a damn about what the guy did or what made him special. The other man was sitting across the table from Daisy. Exactly where Rocco wanted to be. And he was saying something to make her laugh. Exactly what he wanted to do.
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” a voice announced behind him.
Rocco turned his head and started to glare at whoever had dared to interrupt the moment, but then looked down and realized that the person speaking was an older woman, probably well into her eighties. Immediately, he smoothed out his expression, showing respect for the woman.
“Good morning,” he greeted, trying to be polite. He noticed that the elderly woman was holding…a pig? Either a baby pig or one of those toy pigs. He guessed a toy pig since it was resting happily in the woman’s arms whereas a piglet would be squirming, trying to get away. Either way, what the hell was she doing with a pig?
“You can call me Ms. Scarlett,” she explained, grinning and her smile was beautiful. “Everyone else does.” The woman laughed slightly. “Tony and Daisy aren’t a couple, you know,” she explained, tilting her head in the direction of the sandwich shop where the two were sitting in the window. “Never have been, never will be. Those two are like brother and sister. All of them are,” she finished.
Rocco turned back to the window, furious that the woman understood what he was thinking. That, on top of his jealousy, was making him grind his teeth.
He wanted to believe the elderly woman. Especially after last night. He never would have thought that Daisy was the kind of woman who would cheat. She’d struck him as honest and open about everything. But when he looked back at Daisy, she was reaching across the table, touching the other guy’s arm.
“She’s beautiful, and even better, just as honest as you assumed,” the woman explained, pulling his attention away from Daisy. That’s also when he noticed that there was a whole group of elderly people behind the woman and all of them were carrying various animals as well. One of them had a cage filled with hamsters…or maybe gerbils…he had no idea how to tell those things apart. Another person, who was a hundred if he was a day, held the leash of a dog with rough fur and a huge pink tongue hanging out the side of his mouth and a tail that was wagging back and forth. The older man reached down and patted the hound who looked up at him with adoration before turning back to stare longingly at Rocco. And still, two other older folk were standing behind the man with the dog, each with a kitten in their hands, the kittens sound asleep.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” the first woman asked. Demanded actually, and when Rocco pulled his eyes away from the kittens and the dog, he found the woman looking back at him with glee.
Rocco glanced back at the restaurant, then at the older woman, silently giving his answer.
She cackled with laughter, nodding her head. “Nope. Good. That makes things more interesting.” She turned to look at the group behind her, leading them all on their walk down the sidewalk. “What about a snake? That might fill in the gaps.”
Rocco stared at the group, not sure if he should intervene. A snake? And what gaps needed filling? He was just about to offer his help to fill in any gaps when the old woman turned back to him. “You’re watching out for Julia, right?”
He stared at her for a long moment, drawing a blank. “I don’t know anyone by the name of Julia.”
The woman turned to fully face him, annoyed now. “The new girl in your building,” she explained. “She’s new here in town, but we’re keeping her.”
The man with the dog nodded in agreement. “You gotta look out for her. At least for a while. Tony doesn’t understand, but he will.”
The woman with one of the kittens nodded as well. “He’s doing his part, but in secret. So you gotta help out too. We’re all doing our part.”
He stared at them, still trying to make sense of this conversation. He’d never met a Julia before but…wait, was that the skinny girl he’d seen walking in and out of the apartment in the Victorian’ house? Yeah, he’d seen her. Shy girl, the only other resident in his building.
“Why should I look out for her?”
“Because she needs us,” another person in the group explained. “You’re new too. Kindred spirits and all.” The man tilted his head towards the restaurant. “Don’t worry about Daisy. You worry about Julia.” He turned back to the group and they started walking, but Rocco heard that man say, “We need to find a lizard. Where can we get one?”
That comment alone was strange, but even more bizarre was how the rest of the group nodded in agreement at the lizard comment.
Muttering curses, he stomped off towards the houses being renovated. He wasn’t taking care of Julia, Daisy was with another man hours after sneaking out of his bed, and what the hell were they going to do with a lizard?!
Rocco slammed into the house, startling the other guys that were already working on installing new cabinets in the kitchen. He looked around at the gutted room as he latched on his tool belt, but shook his head when his eyes dropped to the island. Images of last night, on the counter, against the wall, feeling her body move against his just…well, he couldn’t work in here.
“I’ll take over the bathroom,” he growled out and turned, practically stomping out of the kitchen area. His team was startled by his announcement, but after just one look at their boss, no one asked anything.
Daisy shifted the breakfast sandwich Tony had made for Rocco and knocked on the apartment door, wanting to talk with Rocco before they saw each other at the work site. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say to him after last night, but after talking with Tony, she knew that her feelings were pretty strong for the guy. There was just something about Rocco that…called to her. She’d never felt this way about any other man she’d dated.
Not that she and Rocco were dating, she chided herself as she knocked on the door again. No answer. Nothing? Very strange, she thought since his truck was still in the parking lot. Just thinking about his truck caused her to blush. The things he’d said to her in that truck while they were driving to his place were…she lifted her hand and fanned her face, hoping that she didn’t run into anyone else.
Knocking again, she waited, wondering if he was in the shower. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised at how late it was already. She’d slipped out of his apartment early this morning, right as dawn was lighting up the sky, but he’d been asleep when she’d left him. Had he woken up and started his day already?
Did he regret last night?
She certainly hoped not because…well, she would love a repeat of last night. But this time, start with a bed. And maybe some dinner before? Yeah, that would be nice. Rocco wasn’t a big talker, but she loved watching his facial expressions. He was definitely what others might call the strong, silent type and she lo…
Daisy stopped, not wanting to use that word. Tony had used it earlier and she’d denied that her feelings for Rocco were that strong. She didn’t think she was in love with Rocco, but couldn’t be sure since she’d never been in love before. She’d cared about other men, but when they’d walked out of her life, she hadn’t cared one way or another. Definitely not love.
But she’d care if she never saw Rocco again. Daisy wasn’t sure what it was about the man, but he just…well, he got to her. She didn’t know him well enough to say that her feelings were love. But watching him work over the past two weeks, spending so much time with him, she…understood him. She talked and she was pretty sure that he listened. His lips quirked in a slight smile sometimes when she was trying to make him laugh, so she knew that he was listening.
She knew that he was an excellent boss and all of his crew respected him. They came to him for guidance and Rocco was shockingly good at fixing issues and overcoming challenges. There didn’t seem to be a problem he couldn’t fix. Cabinets didn’t fit? He knew how to adjust things so they worked and didn’t delay the installation. Plumbing bad? Rocco grabbed a wrench and pulled something out of the wall and presto – the plumbing worked again. Foundation cracking? He had a solution to that as well.
Daisy might not know what his favorite color was, but after sitting with him while eating lunch for the past several days, she knew that he liked turkey over ham, ate more vegetables than she would have thought after that meat sandwich at the diner and he rarely got angry. And he might not talk a whole lot, but his facial expressions spoke volumes. She was starting to understand what he was thinking just by the quirk of an eyebrow or narrowing of his eyes, both of which were subtle, but she enjoyed trying to interpret his reactions.
Rocco was like a mystery she was slowly figuring out. And after last night, she was more determined than ever to learn more about the man.
Lifting her cell phone out of her back pocket, she texted him. “I’m outside your door. Are you showering?”
She waited, trying to hear if there was running water. While she waited, Daisy looked around. This building had been beautiful at one point. She owned this one too, through her foundation, but she hadn’t taken the time to fix it up, putting a priority on the single family homes. She supposed she could ask Rocco to find more men, some that could work on this house as well, get the apartments fixed up and ready to be used. But at this point, there wasn’t a demand for apartments.
Although…she stepped back and realized that the area in front of Rocco’s door was sanded. The old finish was gone to reveal the beauty of the wood underneath. She stepped back slightly, looking around. He worked all day on the houses in the neighborhood, then came back here to refinish the stairs and hallway? Did the man ever sleep?
Daisy thought about last night. He’d been completely out when she’d slipped away this morning. Was she pushing him too hard? Were the renovations a problem?
Looking closer, she realized that the hallway floors had been sanded and re-stained. They looked beautiful! But only on this landing.
Yes, she thought with a tender smile, Rocco was fixing this place up as well. She’d have to tell her business manager to talk with Rocco to pay for the expenses he’d absorbed so far. She wasn’t going to let him spend his own money, not when she had millions collecting interest.
Her phone buzzed and Daisy eagerly looked at the response, her heart pounding when she thought of Rocco stepping out of the shower in his apartment…all wet and sleek with every muscle on display.
But the text wasn’t informing her that he was getting out of the shower. His one word response, “Working”, confused her. He was already at the construction site?
She turned around, wondering why his response seemed…curt. Could a text really convey another person’s feelings? It seemed crazy, and something Marilee might believe, but Daisy was a bit more down to earth.
Unfortunately, as she made her way out of the building, Daisy struggled to ignore a sense of impending gloom. Something was wrong, but she had no idea what could have happened between last night and this morning.
Unless…could he be regretting last night?
Daisy thought back to the soft, gentle kiss he’d given her right before they’d both fallen asleep. The look on his face wasn’t the look of a man who regretted anything. Rocco had looked…if anything, he’d looked content as he slept. Relaxed. His hands had even reached out for her when she left the bed.
Shaking her head, she hurried down the sidewalk, no longer feeling the warm sunshine as she walked faster, needing to see Rocco and assure herself that there wasn’t anything wrong.
“Hi guys!” she called as soon as she stepped into the kitchen. The new cabinets had come in yesterday and the crew had already started installing them. As she took in the changes, she realized that everything looked wonderful! “Great job!” she praised and handed Steve the level he’d been reaching for. “Have either of you seen Rocco?”
“In the bathroom,” Bo called back.
Daisy waved her thanks and stepped over several empty boxes, making her way towards the back of the house. It was only about a two thousand square foot house with three bedrooms and two full baths, but it was plenty big enough for the family that would move into the house in six weeks. She’d already interviewed the mother and had designed a living space to help the single mom of two to thrive in the house.
“Rocco?” she called out.
Silence.
“Are you back here?” she called louder, stepping around several piles of debris, but confident that her steel toed boots would protect her feet.
She turned the corner and, there he was, towering over her and looking down into her eyes as if he was…angry?
“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out to touch his chest. She’d done that several times last night and he’d grabbed her fingers to hold her fingers there. Today, however, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her fingers just short of touching him.
“I’m fine. The bathroom is finished, ready for whatever you’re going to do with it.”
With that, he stepped around her and walked away. For the rest of the day, he worked in whatever area of the house she wasn’t. At first, she tried to dismiss his actions, thinking he was just trying to pretend that nothing had happened between them. By lunchtime, she’d gotten the message loud and clear. Sitting down on a stack of drywall, she unwrapped the wax paper around her sandwich, but she wasn’t really hungry. In fact, she felt almost sick to her stomach, wondering what she’d done to make Rocco treat her so coolly.
What had happened between dawn and after breakfast? She couldn’t think of anything that she’d said or done that would offend him, unless…was he irritated that she’d left without saying goodbye this morning?
Before she could ponder that possibility further, her cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her back pocket, panicking when she saw the caller. “Gunner? Are you okay?”
Her brother’s deep laugh soothed the part of her that was aching. “Hey there, Brat. What are you working on today?”
Daisy stood up and walked away, needing more privacy. “Oh, you know. Just painting and installing pillows, like always.” She tried for an upbeat tone because her brother was one of those overly protective types. He had been ever since their parents had died and he’d taken over raising her. Gunner was a good brother and had stayed around LowPoint until she’d graduated from high school and gotten a job at the diner. That’s when he’d taken off to join the Navy. They’d both agreed that he needed to leave in order to find a real job. And he’d always loved the idea of going to see the ocean. When he’d gotten accepted to BUD/S training, which is a six month, intensive training course that all potential SEALs go through, she’d been thrilled for him. But that also meant he would be in areas of the world that were more dangerous than she could imagine.
Fortunately, Gunner was a big, huge brute, about the same size as Rocco, but her brother was trained to take care of not just himself, but whoever he’d been sent in to rescue or…well, whatever it was that the Navy sent him and the other SEALs in to do. Daisy didn’t think too hard on what her brother’s missions might be. Her brother was an expert at explosives and thought it was hilarious that his name and his specialty matched so well. Daisy wasn’t as excited, but she loved her brother and he loved his job. So she was happy for him, even if it gave her nightmares sometimes.
“Daisy? Is everything okay?”
There was silence for a moment and Daisy blinked back the tears, not wanting to let loose with her brother. They had so little time to talk lately and she didn’t want to waste a moment of it. “Everything is great! So, what are you blowing up today? Anything interesting?”
There was a moment of silence and Daisy’s hand squeezed her cell phone. “What’s wrong, Brat?” her brother demanded gently.
Darn it! “Nothing!” she replied, trying to infuse her voice with enthusiasm. “Did you do anything illegal on your last vacation?” she asked, teasing him in an effort to distract him.
Unfortunately, her brother wasn’t the kind to be easily distracted. “Daisy, what’s wrong? Why are you about to cry?”
Daisy closed her eyes, one hand reaching up to wipe away an errant tear. “I’m fine, Gunner. I promise! Please, tell me what you and the guys are up to, okay? I’m bored and I’d love to hear what adventures you’ve gotten into lately.”
There was a heavy sigh and Daisy silently prayed that her older brother wouldn’t badger her. As a Navy SEAL, she knew that he could fly out to a dangerous, global hot spot at any moment. And being a SEAL was a perfect match for him. Everything would be perfect if only he would let her send him money every month. But the jerk didn’t want her money, even though he’d sent her whatever he could spare before she’d won the lottery. Even the small amounts that he could spare from his military income had helped enormously and she’d loved him for his sacrifices. But now, she had millions and he wouldn’t let her reciprocate.
For the next ten minutes, they talked about the training he’d just returned from and she laughed at stories of the new ways he’d learned to blow things up. He was really good at his job, but she’d known that from the first time he’d called. Gunner and the Navy were made for each other, she thought.
“Hey Brat, I gotta go. But the next time I call, you’re going to tell me what’s bothering you, okay?”
She sighed and wiped another tear away. “Okay. Hey, be safe, okay?”
“Always am,” he agreed, and the call ended.
Daisy’s hand fell and she stared off into nothing. Her brother wasn’t “always safe”, she thought with helpless anger. He and his team put themselves in danger all the time. She never knew where he was or what he was doing, but he checked in with her as often as he could. Thankfully, he also came home for Thanksgiving and Christmas when he wasn’t on a mission, even bringing several of his SEAL team members with him when they could get away together. She loved all of the guys and made sure that they stayed at Marilee’s old Victorian house so they didn’t spend their money on a hotel in Louisville. Tony always cooked an extravagant meal and it was fun. Wonderful, actually. The other SEALs had sort of adopted Daisy, Marilee, and Ivy as honorary sisters. Even Tony was a part of the group, heading out to the high school football field to play football with them after the meals, working out with them in the mornings and training with them.
And every time the guys came into town, they tested Daisy, Ivy, and Marilee on their self-defense moves, giving them additional ways to get out of a difficult situation.
Not that there was a whole lot of danger here in LowPoint, Kentucky! Good grief, the town didn’t even have its own police force! Although, the town’s board of directors had been talking about hiring a team. With the increased tourism that Ivy’s studio and Tony’s restaurants brought in, not to mention the latest artisans that Daisy had found, there were some minor issues that a small police force could solve.
And LowPoint finally had enough tax income to pay for a police force, although not a huge team. Nor did they need a lot of officers. The state had allocated additional money towards hiring a small team of sheriffs and deputies, which would help a lot, especially since the officers would be patrolling not just the town, but also the surrounding woodlands and mountains.
Daisy sighed as she heard the others clean up from their lunch break, heading back into the house for the afternoon’s tasks. She knew what was on the schedule for her to accomplish and knew that she’d have to keep up her end of the project, even though she’d rather head over to her house and hide under a blanket for the rest of the afternoon.
Lifting her chin higher, she ignored Rocco, just as he’d been doing to her all morning. If he was finished with her then fine! She could handle this. She would never beg a man to be with her!
Just breathe, she thought silently. Breathe and focus on work. She’d been fine before last night, she’d be perfectly fine without Rocco in her life in the future. He was an excellent construction manager. That’s where their relationship would end.
Gunner got off the phone and looked out the window, wondering what was going on with his little sister. “Hey, you ready for the obstacle course?” Bulldog asked. His real name was Nathan, but no one called him that. Just as no one called Gunner by his name. The team had nicknamed him Madman and both nicknames fit perfectly.
Gunner looked over at his friend, shaking his head. “I’ll catch up. I have a phone call to make real fast.”
Bulldog stopped and looked at Gunner carefully. As a brother himself, he understood. “What’s wrong with your sister? Is she okay?” he demanded, his big shoulders bracing as if ready for a battle. Bulldog was big and scary with short dark hair and the ugliest face one could imagine. He was built like a bulldog too, with big shoulders and arms that needed extra large sizes so he didn’t lose circulation to his hands. He was the engineering genius of the group, able to build them anything that they might need in order to accomplish the mission. Bulldog could fly anything, drive anything, and build anything.
He was also a big puppy dog, always championing the underdog. If there was a victim out there, Bulldog was going to save him or her. Or it. He loved animals, loved the ladies too and the ladies loved him right back.
Gunner looked at his friend, shaking his head. “No. Something is going on with Daisy, but she won’t tell me what it is.”
Bulldog’s chest puffed up a bit more and his eyes hardened to a dangerous glint. “Daisy is…” he stopped, emotion stopping him as he thought about Gunner’s little sister. The team protected their own! “Give me a name,” Bulldog growled with a lethal voice.
Gunner chuckled, patting his friend on the shoulder. “Down boy,” he teased. “I have no idea what’s going on. She doesn’t want me to interfere.”
Bulldog shook his head. “Not happening. Daisy’s too nice. She’ll get hurt.”
Gunner laughed. “You don’t know my sister well enough then. She doesn’t take crap from anyone!”
Bulldog’s body language shifted slightly, but he was still ready for battle. “I’m not talking about her physically. We’ve taught her to defend herself and she’ll be fine if someone tries to hurt her physically. But she’s…” Bulldog struggled for words. “Her heart is soft.”
Gunner nodded, all amusement gone from his own face. “I know,” he replied in full agreement. Running a hand over his face, he tried to think through the issue, needing to hurt whoever was hurting his sister. “I’ll give Tony a call. He’ll know what’s going on.”
Bulldog crossed his arms over his chest, watching Gunner carefully as a knowing smile formed in the other man’s eyes. “Why not call Ivy? She’d know just as much.”
Gunner’s gaze sharpened and he glared at his friend. “Ivy’s probably not even around,” he grumbled, thinking of the incredibly sexy, hot, annoying woman who…well, he pushed that irritating but entrancing woman out of his mind. The famous photographer had shown him over and over again that she wasn’t interested. It was time to move on and leave the woman alone.
Bulldog laughed. “You keep telling yourself that.” Slapping his friend on the shoulder, he turned and headed out the door. “Better hurry if you’re going to make that call. LT is on a rampage today for some reason.”
Gunner laughed, but Nathan was right. The LT was pissed at something and he relished taking his frustrations out on the team. Better not be late. Walking out, he dialed as he walked over to the obstacle course.
“Hey Tony!” he greeted as soon as the younger man answered the phone. They exchanged insults for several moments, Gunner impressed with the man’s creativity.
“What’s on your mind?” Tony finally asked.
Gunner picked up his pace when he noticed that the rest of the team was already lined up and the LT was assigning teams for the obstacle course. Teams meant that the LT had something special in mind instead of just running through the grueling obstacle course like normal people would endure. On its own, the obstacle course was brutal and Gunner loved it. But with the LT’s special ideas, the obstacle course could be an exercise in hell. It was rough, but Gunner didn’t mind. It kept them on their toes, ready for whatever meddlesome predicament the world’s terrorists might toss their way on the next mission.
“Hey, I have to be fast. What’s wrong with Daisy? She wasn’t herself when I spoke to her on the phone earlier.”
There was a moment of silence and Gunner’s sense of doom kicked in.
“She’s seeing someone,” Tony finally admitted.
Gunner stopped, every muscle in his body tensing. “Who is it?” he demanded. “Just give me a name.”
Tony laughed, which was always dangerous since Gunner wasn’t kidding. Not even a little.
“Relax, big guy,” Tony soothed, which was ironic since Tony was about the same height and size as Gunner. The brilliant chef just didn’t have Gunner’s instincts on how to destroy stuff and not leave a trace. More’s the pity. “Daisy can work this out on her own. But just to give you some peace of mind, I’ll go over and talk to the guy, make sure that he’s treating Daisy right, okay?”
Gunner took a deep breath, then saw that the LT had noticed he wasn’t in formation. “Fine. But call me tonight and give me a name. And a social security number. I’ll have Fingers do a background check on the guy, just to be sure,” he said, referring to Derick, the Master Petty Officer on their team who was a brilliant computer hacker. Technically, Fingers was supposed to write code to help them with their missions and the man could definitely do that. But the Navy turned a blind eye when Fingers used his area of expertise to hack into certain databases that might not want military eyes. If there was something on a computer, Fingers could get to it. Nothing was safe when that man put his mind behind the effort.
“Relax, Gunner. Daisy’s business manager has already done a thorough background check on the man. He’s safe.”
Gunner saw the LT’s clipboard move down to his side. Not good. “Fine!” he snapped, moving at a fast pace to reach the others. “But call me. I want details.” With that, he joined his team. Looking at the LT, Gunner’s heart sank. This wasn’t going to be a good afternoon, he thought. On a good day, their leader would run them ragged. On a bad day…well, Gunner braced himself. It was going to be a bad day. On the plus side, their leader’s bad days helped prepare them for the worst of the situations they ran into during missions because plans usually went awry. It was only training sessions like what he anticipated today that allowed them to successfully complete each mission. Staying on one’s toes and keeping alert – that was how one stayed alive and got the job done.