Casper (Lighthouse Security Investigations Montana #6)

Chapter 1

"What the eff!"

The helicopter blades had stopped whirring, and the sudden silence that followed seven-year-old Evie's outburst made her words ring out crystal clear across the LSIMT hangar. Everyone gathered outside the hangar froze for a split second.

Casper dropped his chin to his chest, trying to hold back the chuckle that escaped despite his best efforts, but as laughter broke out all around him, he gave in to the temptation and laughed along with everyone else.

"Evie!" Lenore tried to scold, but it was hard to sound stern when everyone's laughter was ringing out across the compound. "We don't say words like that!"

"But the puppy won't listen!" Evie protested, pointing at the little black-and-white troublemaker that had wandered away from the group and was now investigating something near the hangar door.

"Stop laughing," Sisco tried to order the group, his stalwart expression even more foreboding as he looked around at his teammates. "Lenore is going to kill me. Or maybe whichever one of you taught my daughter that!"

Casper was sure Evie had probably overheard her dad say more than “eff,” and the chuckles still coming from the group showed they all had the same idea.

"My son is just beginning to talk," Logan groused, shaking his head while Vivian tried to hide her smile behind her hand, their toddler balanced on her hip. "You'd better watch yourselves around him, or Lenore won't be the only mad mama. My Vivian will make Lenore look like an angel."

Noel’s eyes widened as her hand rested on her growing belly, staring at the little girl in surprise. Landon wrapped his arm around his wife, his lips twitching.

"Hey, congratulations on the license, Timothy," Casper called out, trying to redirect the conversation while still grinning. "First official flight as a Keeper. How'd it feel?"

"Like I've been waiting my whole life for this," Timothy replied, his face still flushed with excitement as he pulled off his headset completely. "Thanks for all the lessons, Cole."

"You're a natural." Cole clapped him on the shoulder. "Now that you’re fully licensed, it’ll be nice to have another pilot available for our missions."

As the group continued to congratulate Timothy, Casper looked around at the faces surrounding him. These weren't just coworkers. They were friends. Comrades. Family, really. People who had his back, and he had theirs.

He'd never thought he'd be part of a security team that allowed for family, fun, and friends. But here he was, watching Evie finally corner her wayward puppy while the adults continued their good-natured ribbing. And he realized he'd found something he hadn't even known he was looking for.

The late-afternoon Montana sun was casting longer shadows, and the gathering began to break up.

Mia and Devlin said their goodbyes first, hands linked as they walked toward their truck.

Sadie and Todd followed, Todd's arm around his wife's shoulders, as they discussed Todd’s assignment to Mexico the next day.

Dalton and Frazier, two Keepers who were brothers, walked toward an SUV, probably to head to their apartment. For now, since neither brother was coupled with anyone, they were sharing an apartment.

Sisco scooped up Evie while Lenore gathered the puppy supplies, and the little family headed toward their SUV with Evie still chattering about the stubborn puppy.

Landon and Noel walked with them, Noel and Lenore discussing pregnancies.

Their newest Keeper, Tyler, and his fiancée, Justice, walked arm in arm toward their vehicle.

Mary rolled toward her handicapped-accessible van, with Bert walking alongside, the two deep in discussion. Casper grinned again. If he wasn’t mistaken, Mary was asserting her independence while Bert hovered.

Logan and Vivian headed toward their house on the compound, their toddler babbling happily as the family disappeared around the corner.

Soon, it was just the bunkhouse residents left as Casper, Timothy, Cole, and Cory headed toward the low-slung building they called home.

It was far from a typical bunkhouse, with six individual bedrooms, two large bathrooms, and a communal kitchen and living room.

And since Logan allowed any Keeper to live there rent-free, it was the smartest choice for Casper.

Hell, the bedroom to himself was a luxury.

In the military, he’d always shared a space.

And growing up, he and his sister shared a room for years.

When things went to shit, and they moved to an even smaller place, his mom and sister shared a room, and he slept on the pull-out sofa.

Shoving those thoughts down, he showered, then moved into the kitchen to help fix dinner.

After sharing a meal, the four men grabbed their beers and headed outside, each taking a seat in one of the wooden chairs facing the Montana mountains in the background.

Conversation was easy… and so were the silences.

Casper had never desired to fill the void of silence with meaningless talk, so he listened as Cole and Timothy discussed upcoming flights.

Cory’s phone rang, and he grinned as he headed back inside to take the call.

Cole stretched his arms overhead as he stood. "Think I’ll call it a night."

"Same here," Timothy added, as he also took to his feet.

One by one, they walked inside until finally Casper was alone on the front porch. He leaned back in his weathered chair with his feet propped up on the railing. The compound was quieter now as the Montana evening settled around him like a blanket.

A familiar ringtone cut through the evening, and Casper smiled before he even looked at the caller ID. His phone showed his sister’s name, and he answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Stephanie, how are you?" The peaceful feeling that always settled over him when talking to his sister or mother spread warmth through his chest.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, her voice bubbling with barely contained excitement. "I haven't heard from you this week, so I thought I'd call to give you the news."

His boots left the railing and landed with a solid thud on the wooden porch.

Her voice sounded too happy for the news to be bad, but he couldn't shake the flicker of uncertainty that shot through him.

"What's up? Is everyone okay?" If there had been an emergency with his niece, nephew, or brother-in-law, she would have called in a panic, not with this barely suppressed joy in her voice, but he needed to hear the words.

"Don't worry, everyone here is fine. I just wanted to let you know that you're going to be an uncle again."

It took a second for the words to sink in, but then a grin spread across his face. "You're pregnant?"

"I know it's a surprise." She laughed, the sound bright and infectious. "With one in kindergarten and the other in preschool, we thought our baby-making days might be over. But we have an oops baby on the way, and we’re really excited."

"That's great news, sweetheart," he said, genuine happiness warming his voice.

"I know Dan must be thrilled." His sister had married a good man with not only a stable job but also a steady personality.

Dan was an accountant who ran his own business, and Stephanie worked part-time as one of his receptionists.

While Casper couldn't imagine a more boring job, he also couldn't imagine a better man for his sister.

Dan was a loving and devoted husband, as well as a wonderful father.

"He's over the moon, as you can imagine. I also have other news, but I'll let Mom tell you since she's right here."

The phone rustled as it changed hands, then his mother's familiar voice came on the line. "Aldo?"

Family was the only people who called him by his given name. Aldo Caspani. Since he was given the call sign of Casper in the Army when he was only eighteen, he’d rarely heard his first name used. He smiled at the calm, warm tone she always used. "Hey, Mom, what's going on?"

"I finally decided to retire," she said, and he could hear the mixture of excitement and nervousness in her tone.

"It's about time!" Relief flooded through him.

His mother had worked as a school cafeteria worker during breakfast and lunch, then went to a local diner, where she was on her feet as a server throughout dinner service.

He'd tried to convince her to quit for years, offering to help her financially so she could enjoy an early retirement.

Stephanie and Dan had even offered to pay her for the occasional babysitting she did, but his mother had been stubbornly independent.

"I will not take money from my children to spend time with my grandchildren!

And I will not have my son send me his hard-earned money! " had been her standard response.

"Well, I agree that the time is right," she continued.

"But I wanted to let you know that I'm selling my house and moving closer to Stephanie.

I found a sweet little condo that's only about a ten-minute drive from them.

I don't have to worry about yard work or repairs, and I'll be able to see the grandchildren more often. "

Relief speared through him. "Mom, that's great. You deserve your retirement. You deserve a nice place where you don't have to worry about painting shutters or mowing the grass. And being so close to Stephanie and her family will keep you from feeling lonely."

"The new place has a second bedroom, so there's always room for you when you come to visit."

He winced, knowing what was coming next, and she didn't keep him waiting.

"Of course, if you would settle down and have children of your own, then I could come visit your family!"

"Don't know that's going to happen, Mom."

"You never know," she said gently. "Sometimes things hit us when we least expect them."

He didn't deny her words because that was certainly what had happened with the other Keepers who'd found not only wonderful women but also soulmates who fit perfectly with being married to a Keeper. But Casper also knew that he would never be considered a catch.

His rough looks with a close-cropped haircut, leaving only a longer strip of hair down the middle, ear piercings, tattoos, and being more comfortable wearing combat boots, worn jeans, and T-shirts, he wasn't exactly the poster boy of what most women were looking for.

Unless they were just looking for a walk on the wild side.

He indulged occasionally, but for the most part, those encounters left him unsatisfied.

And considering that he preferred comfortable silence over continual chatter, he wasn't exactly ideal dinner date material.

"Sure, Mom," he offered noncommittally. Hearing her soft sigh, he knew he hadn't fooled her. Wanting to steer the conversation away from his nonexistent love life, he added, "I'm really glad for the changes in your life. Do you need me to help you move?"

"As much as I would love to see you, I'll decline. Dan has already lined up a moving company and a real estate agent to sell the house. When you come to visit, I don't want it to be because you have to work. I want us to sit and enjoy each other's company."

Casper grinned. His mom knew him well. "Sounds good, Mom. Tell everyone I said hi, and we'll talk soon."

"I love you," she said, her voice soft with maternal affection.

"Love you, too," he replied before they disconnected.

His beer bottle was empty, and he stood slowly, leaning his hands against the weathered porch railing.

The Montana air was crisp and fresh, carrying the scent of pine and the promise of the oncoming winter.

In the darkened sky, he could see the light tower glowing in the distance, its beam cutting through the darkness.

It was no longer used as a beacon for planes flying over the mountains at night, but the light still drew his eye every time he looked toward it.

It felt like a beacon to him personally, drawing him to this place, this company, this new life.

Breathing deeply, he turned and headed back inside the bunkhouse.

The familiar creak of the floorboards and the quiet sounds of his teammates settling in for the night surrounded him.

Once in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness, he thought about what his mother had said. Love comes when you least expect it.

Maybe that was true for other people, but Casper didn't expect it to happen to him. He told himself it didn't matter, that he'd been alone for many years and that was fine. He was content with his work, his teammates, and this life he'd built.

But late at night, lying in the darkness, he had to admit it would be nice to find someone to share the peaceful silence with.