Pistol: A Stepbrother Romance (3 page)

              "I joined the Marines about one year ago.  They have a program where you sign up, but don't leave right away.  You pick the day you leave.  A year ago I picked this Friday."

              "You're joking me."

              "I'm not.  I leave on Friday."

              "Forever?"

              I wasn't sure what to say.  I wanted to see this girl again.  Needed to see her again.  I had never felt this way about a girl before.

              "Forever is a long time.  Plus my mom is living around here so of course I'll be back.  The initial training takes about three months.  Then you get about a week off to come home before you go back again."

              "Wow.  That is really intense.  And you signed up when you were only 17."

              "Yeah.  Right after I turned.  Since I wasn't 18 my mom had to co-sign."

              "Co-sign?  Sounds like you are taking out a loan."

              "You are.  In the Marines your days are on loan.  You never know if the next one will be your last.  One day at a time.  Just enjoy each one.  Like what we did today."

              She looked at me deep.  It was like she was looking into my soul.  Beyond the bad boy exterior.  She saw something more.  I was already a supremely confident guy, but somehow she gave me even more confidence.  I felt invincible.  Whole.  I wanted us to stand there in on that dirt road the rest of the night.  Just looking at each other.

              "And if you don't guess my name.  What do I get?"
              "That's for you to decide."

              "OK.  If I win I want to cut off a little piece of your hair right now."

              "What?  What kind or weird, sick stuff are you into?"

              She smiled.  Holding in laughter as long as she could then finally a little laugh that couldn't be held back.
              "I'm not.  You're going to have all your hair chopped off in less than 72 hours anyways.  And you smell really good.  It's a masculine scent.  Your scent.  But mixed with a hint of sunscreen."

              "Now you're really scaring me.  So when I leave you're going to patent a new kind of sunscreen cologne.  Pete's Summer Breeze.  I can see it now.  A best seller.  But what else?  You want one of my kidneys to sell on the black market."

              "Very funny.  A bet's a bet.  If you don't agree we can call it off."

              "I don't back down.  It's a deal."

              "OK then.  What's my name?"

              "Snoop Dooooggy Doooooog."
              "Hardy, har, har.  That is a good song though.  One guess for real.  You miss and Macy's will be stocking Pete's Summer Breeze in time for Christmas."

              "OK, let me think.  You don't look like a Nataliya."

              "Nataliya?  Why don't I look like a Nataliya?"
              "Because Nataliyas look like Russian spies.  That's the rule.  Don't you watch movies?"

              "You're crazy.  Hot.  But crazy."

              "Hmmm.  You don't look like an Esmerelda."

              "Where in the world are you coming up with these?"

              "I have a vivid imagination."
              "As I can tell.  This is going to take forever."

              "No it's not, Emily."

              "Oh my God.  How did you know?"

              "I can just tell."

              "Are you serious?"
              "Yes, Emily Fulbright."

              "OK, you're scaring me now."

              "It was written on your school book."

              "Geez.  How did I not think of that?"

              "But I'm glad you didn't."

              "Yeah me too.  So we will write each other?"

              "Yes.  If you can give me your address I promise the first letter when the Drill Instructors allow it."

              "Thanks.  That's really sweet of you."

              She pulled out a pen and wrote her address in her notebook.  Carefully she removed half the page and handed it to me.

              "Great.  I didn't know this street even had a name."

              "It doesn't.  Yet.  My dad's developing this area so he can name stuff pretty much whatever he wants.  Now I can tell him I already gave out our address as "Eagle Rock Way" so he'll have to stick with that name."

              "You should study law.  You negotiate in a way that leaves the opposition no other choice."

              "Thanks.  I want to be a strong woman one day.  I mean, I think I'm already pretty level-headed and I go for what I want, but I want to really do great things with my life."

              I was hooked.  This girl was not only beautiful on the outside, but equally so on the inside.  She had the drive and determination to make the world hers, but in an elegant way.  Determined and gritty are often used to describe successful guys, but she definitely represented these two traits and there was not a single thing about her that didn't scream woman.
              "I know you will be.  I have to go now, but wait.  I have something for you."

              I reached up under my bike's gas tank and felt for it.  Good, it was there.  It hadn't fallen out.  I peeled back the duct tape and removed it.  I took the blade in my right hand and about two inches of hair from the side of my head in my left and in one motion cut it clean.

              "Here you go."

              "But you won."

              "Today.  We both won."

              I reached out my left hand.  She reached out her right.  I placed the fresh cut hair into her hand.  Feeling her palm with my fingertips one last time.

              I put on my helmet, zipped up my jacket, and took off down that dirt road.  Eagle Rock Way.

              "Pete, we're going to be late."

              "Come on mom.  When you have a motorcycle you're never late."

              "I know and that's what scares me.  We're going to take my car.  We have to anyways.  I prepared some dishes."

              "You cooked?  Wow.  You really like this guy."

              "He's great.  I'm so glad you could meet him before you go.  Only two more days, honey.  Are you excited."
              "Yeah, of course."

              It was only half true.  Sure, I was excited to see what the Marines was all about.  I knew I would succeed.  Anything I set my mind to always worked out well for me.

              The only thing was yesterday.  Yesterday I met a girl that completely flipped my work upside down.  I never believed in all that romantic love at first sight mumbo jumbo.  Not until yesterday.

              She was perfect.  I was sure.  The girl I wanted to make mine yesterday, today, and forever.  She was amazing and on a path to be even more amazing which in itself was amazing considering how amazing she already was.

              "I'm going to miss you, kiddo.  It's going to be so strange without you around, but it's going to be a good thing for you.  A great thing.  And you'll be surrounded with other guys with just as much energy and enthusiasm about life as you have.  And they're good guys.  Good men.  I'm really excited for you, sweetheart."

              "OK, mom, but one thing.  Once you become a Marine you can't call me kiddo or sweetheart.  Deal?"

              "I'm your mom.  You'll always be my little boy.  I can't make any promises I can't keep, but I'll do my best.  At least in public.  At home all bets are off.  Now, help your mother load up the car."

              We packed up the food and headed over to my mom's new boyfriend's house.

              They had met only six months earlier, but knew right away they were the ones for each other.  I remember going to the bathroom one night and I could hear my mom talking on the phone.  It was 2:30 in the morning.  I teased her about being more of a teenager than me, but I was glad to see her so happy.  She deserved a good man in her life.  A strong man who placed her first.

              My mom wanted to drive, but wanted to avoid the curves of the hills.  We took a lot of side roads.  I wish there had still been sunlight.  I was really enjoying the views this time of year.

After about 20 minutes she turned down a dirt road.  We drove for about three minutes then I saw it.  It was like a Spanish Villa, but in the hills of Colorado.  Wow.  This guy must be really successful.

              "Is this the house?"
              "Yep.  This is it.  Once the sale on mine closes I'll be over hear full time."

              "You're already over here all the time."

              "OK, maybe you're right.  I just can't help it.  We're in love.  It feels amazing."

              We pulled up to the gate.  There was a gate shack there, but nobody manning it.  The grounds were still under construction.  I looked just past the gate to see my a man coming down the lane.

              "Welcome.  Let me get that for you."

              He opened the gate and immediately came over to me.
              "Hello, Pete.  It's a pleasure to finally meet you.  I've heard so many good things.  I'm Jonathan."

              "Good to meet you, Jonathan.  Really cool place you have.  I bet the views are insane."

              "Thank you.  Yes, we're really pleased with it.  I've been building and developing all my life.  This is what I've been working for all those years.  This is literally my dream home."
              "Definitely."

              "I'll open the gate and then we can continue this conversation inside.  I can show you the rest of the estate and the grounds."

              "Awesome."

              Jonathan walked over to the driver's side and gave my mom a kiss.  Kind of weird seeing a guy kiss my mom, but she was happy so I just went with it.

              Mom drove up the gate and parked the car in the horse shoe drive way.

              We walked inside.  Wow, what an amazing place.  The highest ceilings I'd ever seen.  A chandelier.  It reminded me of the house in the movie Scarface.  At the end where they have the shootout.