Deploy, Part One (Rawlings #1)(24)

“True ‘dat,” he said at length. “Tell dad?”

“Yeah, that or Tobias. Gramps will know what to do, too. Just be sly about it. Don’t embarrass her.”

He nodded at him. “What’s going on?”

Declan shook his head. “She was banged up the other day, said she fell.” Not wanting to get his family in her business unless they had to be, he lied, played it down. “I’m sure she did, but still. She’s too stubborn for her own good.”

“Met a guy like that once,” Atticus said with a bemused expression.

Declan punched him in the shoulder. “I mean it. Nolan isn’t going to be here over the summer and even if he decides to come back he won’t be in school with her next year—you will be.”

“And how in the hell am I s‘posed to watch out for her this summer? You’re awful worried about it. If you weren’t you would’ve waited till the Rally to tell me to look out for her at school.”

Declan tossed a third of his last check at Atticus, he was giving the rest to Nolan. “Eat a lot of breakfast.”

Justice waited tables at the diner on Main, the breakfast crowd, more so during the summer than during the school year.

“Use those observation skills of yours and make sure she’s right.”

“You want me to tell you about it when I write?”

Declan hesitated before he zipped his bag up. “Ask me in thirteen weeks.”

“Right then,” Atticus said, standing up. He gave his brother a full body hug, then left before Declan saw how much he didn’t want him to leave.

Not long after, Declan had placed his packed bag by the door, had a heart to heart with Boon, basically telling him, for the millionth time, to never swing first but last.

Tobias had said his goodbye earlier when he put Declan through a workout from hell. Declan knew he wouldn’t see him again before he left—it was too hard on him. He missed the corps, would give anything to still be there.

“Instinct,” Tobias had said, causing Declan to tense. He’d been thinking too much about his own lately. “Listen to the Rawlings in you no matter what.” Tobias’s gaze drifted away, into a past he still felt like he was standing in, one that still made him flinch if a sound caught him off guard or if someone brushed up against him the wrong way. “It wasn’t luck that caused me to fall out of the helicopter, flat on my back, from fifty feet in the air.” He looked right at Declan. “I moved. Right when I felt the prickle of awareness, I moved and because I did I was knocked out.” He closed his eyes thinking of those with him who’d never see another sunrise, hold a woman. Those who died too young. “If I hadn’t...just listen, Declan. Never doubt it.”

Declan nodded stiffly then pulled his brother to him, and did his best to not let his eyes water, but they did. Then they walked away from with each other, only offering a glance over their shoulder as they did.

Declan was reveling in his own thoughts as he paced and waited on Nolan to pick him up. He wanted to see Justice. It was killing him that he couldn’t, but he knew it was best at the same time.

Every time he’d seen her at a distance across the last week she seemed calm, settled. Her grandmother was right there with her. Her father and Murdock seemed more focused on how others were seeing them—the All-American men helping their town in a time of need. Declan tried to tell himself his own mind had exaggerated the hell Justice was living in, even though his God-given instinct was telling him he was a fool.

Nolan pulled up twenty minutes late from when he was supposed to meet Declan, which was his on time. They were both going by their grandparents’ and a few aunts and uncles to say bye once more. And maybe hit up a few friends, easier said than done because Declan was making sure he avoided anything that even looked like a hangover, which was hard to do when there were near constant graduation parties.

“Where the hell have you been?” Declan asked coldly. They had not been buddies for the last few days. Declan wanted him to come clean with their dad and Nolan wanted him to fess up to what went down in the closet with Justice. And both were too stubborn to move on either topic.

“Getting ready to go—alone, thanks to you.”

“This is old. I told you I had to sign, I needed to,” Declan snapped.

Nolan pulled his shoulders back and stepped up to Declan. “And I had a take on Justice.”

“Fuck you.” Declan knew why Nolan was mad, and Declan knew Nolan had every right to be. Declan had no business messing with Justice’s heart days before he left. It was a sin he’d never forgive himself for. “Even you said your take was bullshit.”

“Maybe so, but your loyal ass was supposed to deal with it.”

“You got a thing for Justice?” Declan’s tone was dripping with menace. “Planning on hitting her up before you vanished? Did I mess that up for you, bro?”

It was a low blow, too low. Declan knew damn well Nolan was still shattered over Dawson Tomorrow, a girl who broke him—and Justice sure as hell didn’t deserve to be classified as a hookup, with anyone.

Nolan shoved him. And wanting the fight because he was entirely too frustrated over Justice Rose, Declan pushed back, and twice as hard. “Answer me,” Declan growled. “You got a thing or not?”

Nolan sneered and got in his brother’s face. “Love her like a sister, and I know she has too much shit to deal with to add your bad boy melodramatic drama to her plate.”