Back From Hell (Marine For You Book 2) (Contemporary Military Veteran Romance) (10 page)

I
t had been
a few months since Kyle had married Staci, but he couldn’t get enough of her. He stood on the porch of their home, overlooking United Homefront Ranch, and there in the distance he could see her teaching one of the local children how to ride. They had expanded the ranch in so many ways, but the riding school had been Clifford’s idea. The school was something that everyone agreed would give back to the community and would keep the legacy of the Clines alive since they had done the school each summer. Normally, Clifford and his son ran the school, but today, they had gone to Nashville to pick up their new mare. Staci had covered the afternoon class while Kyle had dealt with some of the business details that needed to be attended to.

When he’d purchased the place, he wasn’t sure what he was even doing; he only knew he couldn’t let it slip through Staci’s fingers again. She loved this place and after everything she had done for him, it seemed to be the best way to repay her. Little did he know that he’d actually find something he truly enjoyed, a calling he thought he wouldn’t find since his military career had been tugged away from him. He loved the ranch and everything it was becoming.

The retreat section of the ranch had just been finished. Heather would move into a small cabin on the grounds in just under two weeks, and their first client would arrive at the end of the month. Everything Staci had wanted had come together. It couldn’t have been better if he had arranged it all himself. Sometimes things just fell into place.

There was just one other thing he wanted, and if things went the way he had hoped, there’d be a call coming in soon with the news. Until then, he’d have to find other ways of busying himself. Instead of going to his wife and having his way with her like he wanted, he took another swig of his beer and waited. She’d be done soon enough with the class and then the two of them had the evening free. They’d take advantage of it because after the retreat opened, things could get a little hectic.

“Mr. Phillips.” Josefina pushed open the screen door and stepped out onto the porch. “Sir, there’s a call for you. He says it’s urgent.”

“Thank you.” He took the phone and wondered how he went from being a foster kid to having a ranch and a housekeeper. Josefina had been the housekeeper at the ranch for years under Mr. and Mrs. Cline, and when they sold, she had stayed on. Her husband worked in the stable and they too had a little cabin on the property.
Guess I don’t just have a stable of horses, but also of friends.
He smirked and brought the phone to his ear. “Phillips here.”

“Lance Corporal Phillips, it’s Sergeant Major Graves. I’ve got good news.”

This was the call he had been waiting for, but the excitement that had flooded his veins only minutes before was gone, leaving him deflated. The voice of the Sergeant Major had only sent memories of his Marine days flooding back. He hadn’t had a lot of contact with Sergeant Major Graves, but it wasn’t the man that brought the memories back to the forefront of his thoughts. It was everything this call meant.

Keep it together, you’re doing this for Gunny.

T
he sun was just sitting
over the ranch as Staci climbed the steps up to the house. Kyle sat in the porch swing, beer in hand, and a glass of iced tea sitting on the railing waiting for her. This was a perfect ending to a good day. She’d curl up against his body as the last rays of sun disappeared over the horizon.

“Hey sugar, how was the class?”

“Good.” She took a long drink from the glass before sitting it back on the railing. “The Harrison boy was a handful as always, but his sister is just a doll. I’ll be glad when Clifford is back tomorrow.”

“It will be nice to have him here for when your mare gives birth.”

“My mare.” She shook her head and sat down next to him. “Like you don’t have a thing for sweet Abbie.”

“She’s the first horse you talked me into riding, so she might hold a special spot, but that’s all you’re getting from me. I still can’t believe you got me on a horse.”

“Abbie was good for you to start with but you’re doing okay with Outlaw.” She curled her legs up under her and leaned against his chest.

“Yeah the horse we have to basically tie to the barn to get him to stay here. He’s just like his namesake, an outlaw. We’re always having to take off and look for him.”

“You know he’s just going to the neighboring farm. He’s got a thing for Hopscotch.” She smirked thinking about their solid black stallion, Outlaw, with the beautiful caramel and gold mare from just up the road. The two of them were destined to be together. “If only we could get them to sell her to us, I don’t think old Outlaw would ever leave our land.”

“I’m working on him. But there’s something else I need to talk to you about.” She started to move away but he sat his beer aside and held her there. “I heard from Sergeant Major Graves today about that cook-off they are doing. Lucky was chosen and I need to go to Colorado to do a few interviews with him. Promotional appearances to give this the biggest bang and all that crap.”

“When?”

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Oh…” She tried to figure out what they’d do with Abbie. Their first mare was about to give birth and she wanted to be there for it but she also wanted to be with him. Clifford and the other ranch hands could handle Abbie but she felt the birthing was her responsibility.

“I know, sugar. The timing is bad with Abbie and all, but we knew this was a possibility if he was chosen. I need to go, make amends…I need my Gunny to know that I don’t blame him for what happened. I haven’t seen him since I was in the hospital and I treated him like shit. This is not just for him but for myself. To close the door on my past once and for all.”

“I’ll make arrangements for Abbie. It will be fine.”

“No, I want you to stay here. Abbie needs you more. She’s more comfortable with you than anyone else and in her state, she needs that. I’ll only be gone a few days.” He cupped the side of her face. “I know you want to go with me but I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going to have to relive those horrors. To hash them out in front of reporters.”

“I know sugar, but everything that happened brought me here to you. That’s what counts.
Us
. Our love and our ranch.”

She slipped her hand around his waist. “Are you sure? Abbie will be fine. Clifford will see to it and if I had to I’d call my mother.” She hated the very thought of doing it but she would if it meant she could be with him.

“There’s no way I’m going to be the reason for that fight.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be fine.”

“My mother would have her usual comments but you know she wouldn’t let anything happen to Abbie. She’s a vet and that’s more important to her than, well, anything…me included.” She hated that it sounded like she was jealous of the animals. After her father’s death, all she wanted was her mother’s approval. She never got it and now she didn’t care if she ever did.

“True, but every time you two get together you fight. You can’t even talk on the phone without having to defend me and for that, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not you. It has always been like this. Mom always found fault in everything I did. I’m sorry that she has taken you as her newest target.” She untucked her legs so she could turn to look at him better. “You didn’t ask for any of this; you were just kind of dragged into it because of me. You don’t deserve the way she treats you.”

“I told you before I just let it wash over me. Nothing’s going to change her attitude unless she wants to change. What is important is that we’re happy.” He slipped his hand under her shirt. “Now I think there are better ways to spend the evening than talking about Mrs. Pence.”

“I second that.” She rose from the swing and held out her hand. They’d make their way inside and enjoy each other. Maybe the memories they made that night would help get him through the time in Colorado, when he’d be reliving the hell he had gone through to come to her.

K
yle stood
in front of the address that Sergeant Major Graves gave him and tried to gather the courage to go to the door. It had been more than a year since he’d seen Gunnery Sergeant Lucky Diamond. Now he was about to show up out of the blue. A letter from his former foster mother had alerted him to the cooking competition that was pinning the different branches against each other to raise money for wounded veterans. The letter had come as a surprise since their last communication had been during his deployment. But now he knew it was all part of some master plan to give him a chance to do something for Lucky and give to other Marines who came back injured as he had.

He took a deep breath, headed up the walkway, and rang the doorbell. He stood there waiting; with each second his unease grew and he wished Staci were standing next to him.
You’ll be back home with her soon enough.

The door opened to reveal a woman in a brown with white polka dot dress. Her mouth dropped open when she saw him. He looked down to make sure he had put on his prosthetic arm, which he had, so that hadn’t shocked her, and in the darkness there was no way she could have seen the full extent of the burns.

“Private First Class Phillips.” The words came out in a breathless gasp.

“It’s Lance Corporal now, but it would seem that you have one up on me. I’m looking for Gunnery Sergeant Diamond.”

“I’m…Madison North.” She held out a hand to him and as he took it, he noticed she had given him the one he could use his good arm to shake. “His um…handler.”

“Isn’t he the lucky one?” he teased before growing serious. “I’m taking it from your surprise neither of you were aware I was coming.”

“I’m sorry but no. Was this planned?”

He nodded. “I received confirmation the other day from Sergeant Major Graves. Maybe I should come back.”

“No, come in.”

“I think it would be best if you told him I was here first.” He nodded to the bench on the porch. “I’ll just wait here and if he wants to see me he can come out. If not…”

She nodded. “Give me a second. I know he’ll want to see you.”

He didn’t bother to sit down, but instead stood near the edge of the porch, looking up at the night sky. The stars didn’t seem as bright here; too many lights interfered and hid them from view, while out on the ranch there was nothing but darkness, allowing him to see all the stars in the sky. He had always lived in the city before but now he wasn’t sure he could ever leave the country. He was becoming a country man, even completed the look with the dusty cowboy boots and hat.
What have you turned me into, Staci?

He tried to focus on the sky to keep the memories at bay but it wasn’t working. They were seeping in, threatening to take him over. He didn’t want to relive the memory of the mission that stole his limbs and left him injured. A smirk pulled up the corners of his lips. A year ago, he’d have called himself a cripple, but now he didn’t see himself as that any longer. He was injured but Staci had proven to him over and over he wasn’t less of a man now.

A car pulled out of the driveway across the street and backfired. That was all that was needed to send the memories flooding forward.

They had been following a lead that should have led them straight to one of the terrorists they had been searching for. With each mile, his unease worsened. He knew he was picking up on his Gunny’s nerves as he scanned the surroundings from the passenger seat of the lead vehicle. Gunnery Sergeant Diamond had been about to say something when gunfire broke out in nearly every direction, leaving no place to take cover. He had been unable to do anything but wait until they found cover. His best friend, Private First Class Weber, was returning fire from the turret but the insurgent numbers were too great. Surrounded…they were going to die.

“Gunny?” Corporal Juan Torres, the Humvee driver, nodded toward the roadblock before them.

“Fuck!” Gunny hollered to Torres but Kyle had barely heard it over the gunfire. “Reverse. Fall back. Now!”

Torres slammed the Humvee into reverse and plowed backward. On the radio, Gunny ordered the two additional Humvees to fall back. Blood dripped down from the turret. Weber was hit.

Without thinking Kyle knew he had to do something for his friend. He tugged off his seat belt and tried to access Weber’s injuries. He wasn’t a corpsman but he might be able to put pressure on the wound until they could get to safety and Doc, their corpsman, could get to them from the second Humvee. Even injured, Weber was firing, making each shot count, but there was too much blood. Weber wasn’t going to last long up there.

“Weber!” He hollered but got no response.

“Swing left and turn us around,” Gunny ordered as they neared a clearing without anyone blocking the way. They were nearly there. Just a little farther and they’d be out of range. Above him, the machine gun fire stopped and Phillips helped the now unconscious Weber back into the Humvee.

With a hard left, Torres had them facing the right way. Kyle got into position, taking over the turret. In the distance, the other two Humvees had managed to turn around as well. They were dealing with less incoming gunfire and were holding their own. It wasn’t his worry; he had to focus on returning fire on the insurgents who were still a threat. It was now his job to defend their Humvee while Gunny and Torres got them out of there. One moment the noise was deafening and the next, the assault subsided, only his machine gun continued. Even though they were no longer shooting at them, he couldn’t stop himself from firing. If he stopped, they would begin again.

Torres was nearing the road again after their off road adventure to get turned around. Scanning the perimeter, he had a brief moment to realize that every insurgent that had been there had moved back. Something wasn’t right.

He had barely had time to register the change in their surroundings when an IED exploded, sending their Humvee skyward. As they were tossed through the air, he didn’t have time to get inside.

Each second seemed like minutes as they were tossed around in the Humvee before it finally landed on its side. He flew through the air, and pain exploded throughout his body. So much that he wasn’t sure what hurt the most. The heat…flames. They were everywhere.

He landed hard, his Gunny’s voice in the distance hollering for him, gunfire even farther. It all seemed to be overcast as he fought to keep conscious.

He shoved his memories away as the door behind him opened and he turned to find Gunnery Sergeant Diamond standing there. The surprise was clear in his eyes but a friendly smile etched up the corners of his lips.

“Shocked that I’m here?” he asked and when Lucky didn’t say anything, he proceeded. “The last time I saw you, I was ready to give up. I didn’t see any reason for living. Not when I was down to one arm and one leg. I was half the man I was, but that all changed.”

“I can’t believe it.” Lucky stepped back. “Come in.”

“Well, believe it. I’m alive because of you. Your parting words had me so angry that they called in someone to speak with me.”

Lucky shut the door before turning back to Kyle. “I’m not sure why I’m to credit for you being alive.”

“Because four months ago, I married her. She came into my life to ease the anger, guilt, and regret. She showed me I was still a man and she fell in love with me. If it wasn’t for you turning my self-pity into anger, I’d have never met her and wouldn’t be here.”

“Here…as in Colorado, and doing this competition?” Lucky let out a deep laugh and shook his head. “Damn, I should have kept my mouth shut and let you kill yourself.”

“Gunny, there are plenty of Marines who could use the ten thousand you could win for them, and there’s no one better to do this than you.” He waited until they were in the living room and had taken seats, before adding, “I nominated you for this not as some payback, but because we need someone like you fighting for us.”

“I cooked for you guys because I enjoyed it. I never wanted any recognition for it.”

He nodded and leaned back on the sofa. “I’ve learned sometimes we don’t get what we want, but in the end it turns out better than you expected.” For him, it had brought him Staci; for Lucky, he wasn’t sure what it would bring him but there was no doubt in Kyle’s mind it would turn out for the best for him as well.

They spent the next hour talking, all the while avoiding the subject of their last mission together, even though the shadow of it lingered just beneath the surface. They were both remembering the events of that day, but neither of them wanted to say anything. Instead, they talked about the competition, Staci, and even the Colorado Mountains. Finally, unable to take it any longer he leaned forward and said, “You know I don’t blame you, right?”

“It was my responsibility to see that you all made it home. You and Weber were PFC’s on your first deployment and look what I let happen. You might not blame me but don’t doubt that I blame myself every day. Weber and your blood is on my hands. Widow Weber’s grief is on my conscience, just as much as the fact that Weber will never see his son grow up.”

“We all knew the dangers when we volunteered, that we might not make it back and if we did, we might not do so whole. That didn’t stop any of us. It isn’t your fault. The blood that was shed that day should be on the hands of those who placed the IED, not yours.” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew Lucky would have to come to terms with the guilt when he was ready. It wouldn’t be something anyone else could do for him.

Just as Kyle had done. It had taken Staci coming into his life for him to accept how things turned out. Maybe, there was something happening between his Gunny and Madison. The brief few minutes he had seen her made him wonder if there wasn’t more of a connection between them than just her being his handler.

“I don’t like that they brought you into town to shoot some fucking interviews talking about that day. It’s a disgrace…”

“Gunny…” He paused because he was about to step into uncharted territories contradicting his superior.

“Just out with it, Phillips, I’m not your Gunny any longer.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He smirked because for him, Lucky would always be someone he looked up to and admired. “But fine. They didn’t bring me here to highlight the bullshit that happened, but because I’m the one that threw your name in for this. I contacted Sergeant Major Graves and he took it to the brass. There are Marines who are coming back all the time fucked up. They could use the money you could win them. But not only that, you’ll be doing it in Weber’s memory and for all the others who didn’t make it back. We owe them this.”

“For such a young shit you sure have life all figured out.” Lucky leaned back against the sofa and eyed Kyle.

“If so, then it’s because of what you taught me and what I’ve gone through. Though I better give my wife some credit as well or she’ll have my head.” Kyle chuckled. “After all this, I’d love for you to meet her. She’s a spitfire and wouldn’t let me give up.”

“Sounds like a good woman. I know that type all too well. Seems like I’ve got one on my hands right now.”

“Madison? So there is more than just the handler job.” Now that the subject was started he wanted confirmation. During Kyle’s time with the platoon, Lucky had had his share of women. There were always women willing to be seen with a Marine, so none of them had ever been without a date when they needed one. However, the Gunny had always seemed to compare them to someone else. Was this time different?

“Maddie…my handler.” Lucky shook his head. “In more ways than one, I guess, and like yours, she’s feisty.”

“Good for you. There’s nothing better than having a spitfire woman by your side.”

Lucky sat there for a moment lost in thought before finally nodding. “I’ve been keeping tabs on you. Seems you went and bought a ranch for your woman. Now that sounds awfully familiar, as well. Years ago, I bought Maddie’s childhood home, with the hopes that one day we’d live there with our own family. Though it never worked out.”

“My sugar would say that it’s never too late to get your happily ever after. Though I think sometimes they have to beat us over the head a few times for us to see what we really want.” He grabbed his cowboy hat from where he’d sat it and rose. “It’s been a long flight and I should get some sleep. We’ve got a busy few days with interviews lined up.”

“Thanks for stopping by.”

Kyle nodded. “I thought we should work through the unease of our last meeting without cameras around.” He strolled toward the door before turning back to look at Lucky. “Forgive me if it’s out of line, but it sounds like you let her slip through your fingers before… Don’t make the same mistake again. I saw the look in her eyes when she opened the door and saw me. She knew that seeing me would bring back memories she didn’t want you to have to live through again. She’s protective of you and cares about you. A woman like that is worth all the gold in the world.”