Deploy, Part One (Rawlings #1)(47)
Missy was the complete opposite of her husband. Missy barely reached Justice’s shoulder, petite in every way. Her brunette hair was ashen with age but beyond the tint, and well-worn laugh lines, she was as fit as she could be.
Her size was never to be taken into account when it came to her authority, every one of the Rawlings men thought twice before they argued with her and if they did fight, they lost, crumbling under her cold shoulder— begging for forgiveness.
Justice had told her grandmother she was dreading the Rally. Being mad at Declan was easier when she didn’t have to see him. It made it hurt less and kept her focused on who she wanted to become. After a back and forth discussion about how there was a difference between hiding and taking a mature high road, Bell said she would see what she could do to make it less awkward.
This was not less awkward.
This made Justice feel like she was ten and her grandmother had just RSVP’d with a thanks but no thanks—to her boss of all people. To the grandmother of the one freaking boy she could not get over.
“With school starting I just have a lot to do, senior pictures and all.”
Missy lifted one brow then pursed her lips in clear doubt. She nodded in the direction of her garage. “Which one of those boys out there upset you? Go on now and tell me. I’ll get ‘em right.”
Justice grinned and shook her head as she stood and grabbed the lunch order. “I’m sure we will stop by. I just wanted to be as productive as I could with the extra day off.”
The garage was going to be closed as if it was a holiday, and to the Rawlings’ it was. They closed it for everything major in their family—like graduations from Marine boot camp...that Justice did not attend because she was not invited.
At this point, if she did show up at the Rally, it would be to tell Nolan she was sorry she didn’t mail his letters and to help him take the blame for them not having a heads up that he was out on the lam.
That was another thing that was odd about the Rawlings. Not a one of them had said one thing about not getting any communication from Nolan while he was ‘supposed’ to be with Declan. And none of them said a word when they knew he didn’t graduate and earn the title ‘Marine.’
She knew because she felt the stress for Nolan and waited to overhear the uproar, but it never came. She’d called, she’d texted—nothing. All she could assume was he was off the grid as he clearly said he would be. Still, it was one of the many things that kept her up at night. She came close, so close, to saying something to Missy, but every time their conversations looked like were turning toward Nolan or Declan, Missy graciously ended the conversation one stroke before Justice’s nerve kicked in.
Since everyone had returned from watching Declan graduate, she had kept her headphones in unless she had to have them out to do her job. She didn’t want to overhear any details, didn’t want to know exactly when Declan was coming into town and for how long. It was better to not know, because she already looked up a bit too expectantly each time the office doors swung open.
Keeping to her steadfast plan she stuck her headphones in and clutched the lunch list, then made her way out.
Forty minutes later she pulled back up to the garage. Usually, the sight of her with food would have her surrounded with more than a few helpful, hungry hands, but now all the bays were closed.
She loaded her arms up with food, managing to spill most of one drink down her top, which actually felt a little nice. The AC in her car was a joke, so her blond curls were weighted down with sweat, matching the sheen across her flesh.
Right as she approached the office door, it swung open and bellowing laughter was heard. Justice looked up just in time to see Declan’s arm encircle a girl Justice had seen around but didn’t know. She was older, as old as Declan if not older, and beautiful. Long raven hair, sporting a low cut shirt showing her well-endowed chest, short shorts, and tan legs for days.
Declan’s smile faded as his gaze rushed over Justice. He and his girl weren’t alone; a few of Declan’s cousins where piling out behind him, so were some of the staff that smelled food. Atticus, who had become a good friend of Justice’s, was there, too.
In seconds Justice’s hands were empty. Her now stained wet shirt was visible, making her feel like a child. More than one tease had been made about wet t-shirt contests were tossed between the guys. The teasing was normal—if you hung out with a Rawlings you better have thick skin. They’d speak any truth, and liked to laugh.
Feeling the heat in her cheeks, she nodded once at Declan. He seemed bigger to her. Thicker for sure, and she wasn’t so sure she was in love with the very short cut he had, high and tight. It made his sharp jawline and rigid gray stare all the harder to deal with.
She could feel this pulsing sensation between them, one that made him seem larger than life, but it was awkward, too awkward.
“Welcome home,” she said as calmly as she could, then pushed inside.
It took her a second, but she found Missy and told her she was leaving. She’d grinned and said, “Figured you would be,” without looking up.
Justice was in Bell’s car and down the block and had somehow managed to live through all of those emotions and awkwardness, including hunting down Missy, in less than five minutes.
The whole way home she told herself not to puke, not to cry. She’d done enough of both through the summer and now it was time to be a big girl. Put things that held her back behind her.