The Long Way Home (Corps Security #6)(7)

“You ever rude?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“Well, this will be fun,” he adds, not making any sense.

“Okay … well, Ben, is there something I can do for you?”

His large shoulders move as he laughs silently. “Just wanted to see if you had the room clear for a few more hours. Things aren’t progressing as quickly as we thought they would. We can get out of here if you need us to, just figured I would ask since all our shit is spread out already.”

I glance back at the room, seeing that papers are, in fact, strewn everywhere, and computers are open in front of each man.

“You’re free to use the room for as long as you’d like. I only had the one booked, so it will be empty anyway. There’s no sense in packing up and moving if you’re in the middle of your work.”

“Thanks, Olivia.”

“No problem, Ben.”

He walks away but turns around when the door bursts open, and I hear my name yelled.

“Livi! Liviiii! Oh, my Liv!”

Riley rushes into the room, stopping to toss her light-pink backpack on to the closest piece of furniture she can find. I look up to see Grace walk in behind her and smile. I love Grace. She’s Mr. W’s full-time caregiver, but when he’s here all day long anyway, she is the one person I know I can trust when there’s a conflict with Riley and work. Luckily, she’s also a good friend, so she loves her Riley time, and it’s not just a favor.

When the little tornado is done taking off her backpack, jacket, and shiny black shoes, she moves around the room greeting a few of the regulars like the world-class charmer that she is. She saves her favorite for last, climbing into Mr. W’s lap and resting her elbows on his shoulders. She presses her nose to his and looks him wide-eyed into the face. I wait, knowing she’ll be giving me my favorite sound, and I’m not disappointed when exactly ten seconds later, she giggles and backs away slightly. Her hands come up and frame his weathered face, still laughing.

“How come you always win?!” she exclaims on a giggle.

“Because in my day, if you moved, the big bad guys would find you.”

“Were they monsters?”

“They were like monsters to a lot of people.”

“That’s not good. Monsters are bad. Did you put them in time-out?” she asks, completely oblivious with her childhood innocence.

Mr. Westchester, the gentlest man I’ve ever met, is a hero. He’s spent a lot of time talking to me about his service in the Army, so I know the monsters he’s referring to are from his time enlisted. He’s opened up to me a lot over the years, and I always soak in his military stories. He always gets a twinkle in his eye when he tells me how he lied about his age so he could enlist and get to Korea. His first taste of war was in Panmunjom back in 1953. As he says it, he was a young man full of piss and vinegar ready to take on the world and make a difference. He doesn’t talk much about his time in Vietnam, but I do know he was in la Drang in the mid-sixties. He didn’t retire from the Army until he had given over thirty years of service, retiring as a Master Sergeant. He made me stop thanking him for his service after six months, but I still silently do it. Heroes like him make it so I can rest easy at night. There will never be a day that I’m not thankful for the sacrifices he’s made for our country. I tell him often that he’s lived so many lifetimes in his eighty-three years, and he just smiles and tells me another story.

“I put them in time-out forever,” he whispers with the tone of the rascal I’m sure he’s always been.

“Forever?” Riley gasps.

“Forever!” he booms, laughing so hard that Riley joins the instant his belly starts shaking, and just like that, they’ve moved on to something else. I leave them to it, knowing she’s in good hands while Grace moves in close.

“Hey, you.” She wears a smile, her blond curls dancing around her face.

“Hey,” I greet, walking around the counter to hug her. “Thank you for picking her up for me.”

“It’s no problem. I knew Bobby wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, so it isn’t like I have anything to do until it’s time to get his Jameson-drinking cranky bones home.”

I laugh softly, squeezing her shoulders affectionately.

“He thinks you don’t know about his secret stash,” I whisper.

“He thinks a lot of crazy things, but I still love the old menace.”

“Let me go tell Riley that it’ll be a later night than she thought, then let’s have a cup of coffee so you can fill me in on that hot date you had Saturday night.”

She rolls her eyes. “Bobby tell you about that?”

“You darn tootin’ little girl! You think it’s safe to be walking around town in those toothpick shoes? Just waiting for a young hoodlum to get the wrong idea, I tell you!” Mr. W bellows from his seat, Riley thinking he is the funniest man on earth with tears rolling down her face from her laughter.

“They were very subtle heels, Bobby.” She sighs.

“In my day—”

“In your day, women couldn’t even show their cleavage. We get it, you cranky old man. Finish your drink and your time with Riley, or you don’t get to play poker while we watch Jeopardy tonight, mister.”

He mumbles under his breath, Riley kicking up her laughter even harder. I look up and around the room, seeing that most of the customers are just watching the madness with smiles. Anyone who spends any time here knows about Riley and Mr. W. Before my eyes can get back to Grace, I glance toward the room that houses the four giant men. All four of their eyes are on us. The mix of amusement and … worry, a confusing hue of emotions on their faces. Surely, they aren’t worried that she will bother them. Riley may be young, but she knows better than to go near those rooms.