Chapter Thirteen
Gus couldn’t have asked for a better day to be on the open road — especially on his bike.
The wind was low, the traffic light for a holiday weekend, and as they sped toward New York City, he was enjoying the feel of the woman pressed against his back.
She was only the second woman he’d ever taken for a ride, and the first one — his sister, Iris — didn’t count.
He smiled at the thought and reminded himself to call her back — there’d been a few missed messages and phone calls when he’d dragged his butt out of bed this morning.
About an hour and a half into the trip, he pulled off the interstate and ten minutes later stopped at a roadside café.
He was more than familiar with the place and figured since Faith wasn’t used to riding, she could use the break.
Besides, the owner, Mauve DuPree — mother to Brendan, a fellow SEAL and a good buddy — served up the best beignets he’d ever tasted, including the ones he’d had in the Big Easy.
After Hurricane Katrina, she’d moved her brood from New Orleans to New York State and the area was better for it.
The market thrived, and she was a big part of it.
Today, though, considering how quiet the roads were, he was surprised to see the market so busy. He parked his bike under the shade from the large oak at the back of the lot, and after Faith slid from the bike, he followed suit.
The two of them wandered the marketplace and had a spirited conversation that ranged from dog breeds (Gus liked Bulldogs while Faith preferred mutts like Taco) and chocolate bars. Faith was all about the caramel and peanut butter, while Gus was fond of toffee.
“Toffee is lame,” she said with a laugh.
“Caramel and peanut butter is overdone.”
“Really?” She smiled, and man, the world lit up just a bit.
“Honestly, every other chocolate bar out there has caramel and peanut butter.”
“Doesn’t that tell you something?” She skipped ahead and he got a glimpse of the young woman she’d been.
“It tells me you need to try something different.”
“Maybe I will,” she retorted with a wicked grin. “Tonight.”
He chuckled as he pulled her in for a kiss. “I want your word on that.”
This went on for nearly thirty minutes before they found an empty table in the café. While Faith went to the washroom he settled back and perused the menu, whistling a tune as he did so.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile like that on your face.”
He glanced up with a grin, then stood to give the woman a hug.
Mauve was a tall, athletic woman, with a welcoming smile and kind eyes.
A former division one basketball player with beautiful light brown skin, her hair was snow white, and her eyes were such a pale shade of blue they almost appeared colorless.
She was a striking woman with a big personality that had been passed down to her son.
“What are you doing back this way so soon?” She stood back and studied him.
“It was a nice day for the bike.”
A small frown appeared on her forehead. “You got business here? Brendan hasn’t said anything.”
“No.” He shook his head. He’d been up a few weeks back and visited her son.
The visit hadn’t gone well. “How’s he doing?
” he asked quietly. After Gus and Walker decided to leave the Navy when their contract was up, Brendan, who was a member of their team, had signed on for another six years.
Unfortunately, two years in, he was nearly killed by an IED, and after that, he’d been discharged, living in the shadows ever since.
“He’s not doing as much as I think he should be if you want the God’s truth, but I thank you for asking.” She sighed and shoved a cloth into the pocket of her apron. “He needs purpose but he’s still fighting some demons.”
“He’ll get there. He wants it. I know he does.”
Mauve attempted a smile. “I’m sure he will. In his own time.” She pointed to the table. “Now you sit down and tell me about this woman.”
Gus chuckled and slid back onto his chair with a shrug. “She’s a lady I met in Fire Lake.”
“Is this serious?”
“No.” He shook his head. “We’re hanging out.”
“That so?” Mauve replied. “I didn’t think you hung out with anyone longer than it takes to kick them out of your bed.”
Before he could reply to that she kept on talking.
“And what’s going on in Fire Lake? Why are you there and not in DC?”
Gus didn’t get a chance to answer the question because Faith appeared, and Mauve took a step back. He was thankful for the chance to change the subject.
“Mauve, I’d like you to meet my friend, Faith.”
“A pleasure.” Mauve smiled warmly as Faith sat across from Gus.
“Mauve’s son and I served together in the Navy. We were both SEALs. Same unit.”
“You boys went through hell together.” Mauve’s voice cracked a bit.
“Nice to meet you,” Faith said softly.
Shadows crept across the woman’s face, and she attempted a smile. “Can I get you two anything to drink?”
Faith ordered a latte, and he settled for a regular old coffee, with a large plate of beignets to share.
They spent about an hour at the café, and by the time they got back onto the road, it was closing in on noon.
Traffic had increased, but he made good time, and they made it to Manhattan by two o’clock.
Gus found a spot for his bike close to Central Park, and once it was secure, the two of them wandered over.
“I think the last time I was here I was maybe five or six years old.” Gus walked beside her as they made their way into the park. He had vague memories of running down the footpaths, of water and big open spaces. Sunday and Ford. Maybe Ollie.
“That’s a long time ago,” she replied.
“Decades.”
She grinned at that. “How old are you?” she asked.
“I’ll tell if you do.”
She shrugged. “I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m twenty-seven.”
“Thirty-three.”
“More than half a decade.”
“Huh?” he turned to her.
“Older than me.” She laughed and he liked the sound of it. “Five years. Half a decade.”
“Are you calling me old?” He liked the way she smelled. And he really liked the way her eyes changed from hazel to green when the sun hit differently.
“I’m calling you olderrr.” She stretched the two syllables into three.
He grinned and they continued walking.
“I’ve always loved it here in the fall when the trees change color. Or when it first snows. The first one is always special.” She sounded wistful, full of remembrance.
“You know the park well?”
A weird expression flitted across her face, something he picked up on, but Gus didn’t want to push things. This woman was hiding shit, but then so was he.
“Well, enough, I suppose.” A slow smile spread across her face, and she reached for his hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
Her hand felt small in his, and though he couldn’t remember the last time he’d held a woman’s hand, he wondered why he hadn’t done it more. He kind of liked it.
Or maybe it was just her. Faith. The girl with a made-up last name.
“What do you think?” she asked breathlessly as they stood near a brick building that housed a carousel. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” She tugged on his arm and pulled him closer. “The detail. The craftmanship. The colors and music. It looks like something out of a fairy tale.”
Gus stared at the building as a memory took shape in his head. But it was obscure, stuck between the shadows and pictures in his mind. He’d been here before. Stood in that line and held hands with . . .
He frowned. Not his mother. His father, then?
“Hey,” Faith said softly, moving close. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good.”
I think.
“I know you. Where’s your doggie?”
The young voice pulled him from remembering. A boy stood a few feet away decked out in Mets gear, his face angled curiously, while the man at his side looked surprised as hell.
Join the club, Gus thought, staring at his brother. A brother who watched Faith with a look Gus recognized. Something inside him fired up, and he clenched his hands into fists.
“Ford,” Faith greeted, stepping away from Gus and moving toward the pair.
It made no sense, but Gus had to physically stop himself from grabbing hold of her arm and keeping her by his side. Faith wasn’t his possession. She didn’t belong to him. He exhaled and gave himself a mental shake.
“I can’t believe we ran into you two.” Faith tugged on the edge of Benjamin’s cap and glanced over her shoulder. “Look who’s here.”
Gus forced himself to calm the fuck down.
He raised his chin and walked toward them, then offered Ford his hand.
The two of them shook politely, like men who didn’t know each other well.
His brother was dressed casually in beige shorts and a black T-shirt; on his head, a Mets ball cap.
Unlike his son, whose cap was obviously new, Ford’s was worked in — not unlike the one Gus owned.
“Where’s Taco?” Benjamin asked again, trying to see around Faith.
“He’s with Hal today.”
“Who’s Hal?”
“My boss.”
“Why is Taco with your boss?”
“Hal’s babysitting him.”
“Taco’s a baby?”
“Enough questions, Ben.” Ford rested his hands on his son’s shoulders and offered a wry grin. “If I don’t tell him to stop, we’d be here all day.”
The kid looked up at his father. “You told me that asking questions is smart.”
Ford nodded. “I did.”
“I like asking questions,” Ben replied with a frown.
“I know.” His father replied, “but the secret to the question game is knowing when to stop.”
“Are you visiting for the day like us?” Faith asked.
Ford looked from Faith to Gus, then back to Faith. “No.” He shook his head. “I live nearby and I’m home for a few days for a work thing. And this guy,” he squeezed Benjamin’s shoulder again, “has two birthday parties to attend. One this evening and another tomorrow afternoon.”
“You’ll be coming back to Fire Lake afterward?”
Ford nodded. “That’s the plan. In the summer I try to be at the lake as much as I can. And now with Dad . . .” He cleared his throat. “It’s good to spend time with him while we still can.”