Chapter 40
Gabriella
A feeling of warmth spreads across my face.
When I open my eyes, I immediately shut them, blocking my aching, puffy eyes from the sting of the sunlight spilling through the window.
After a few minutes and multiple attempts to lift my lids, I’m finally able to look around and take in my surroundings.
The walls are made of wooden logs, just like the rest of the house, with lavender accents all over.
The bedding, rug, chairs, and blankets are all a shade of the aromatic purple flowers.
Taking the liberty to move around a bit, I realize I’m still wrapped around Vic. He’s on his back on top of the covers, I’m straddling him with my arms around his neck and my face on his chest, both of us still wearing exactly what we wore last night.
“Hey, beautiful.” Vic’s voice is raspy and deep.
Mmm, I forgot how sexy his morning voice was.
When I look up at him, resting my chin on his sternum, he quirks a smile and asks, “How do you feel?” I feel his hands slide from around my back to rest on my hips.
Vic’s eyes bounce back and forth between mine as apprehension starts to wash over his face.
Leaning in, I brush my lips across his ever so gently, and it’s like a jolt of electricity ignites my core.
A growl vibrates Vic’s body against mine, and his hands move from my hips, one to my neck, bringing my mouth to his, the other groping my ass while grinding me against his not-so-subtle morning wood.
A groan releases from both of us as our kiss deepens while we dry hump each other like horny teenagers.
Vic starts to reach between us for the button on my jeans, his tongue continuing to dance with mine.
Oh god, yes. I don’t think I have ever wanted him more than I do right now.
“Good morning, fuckers!” D explodes through the bedroom door, “Oh shit! Sorry, guys.” D continues to stand there while I squeal and shove my face into the crook of Vic’s neck.
My whole body is hot with embarrassment, though I’m not really sure why.
Vic and I are married for fuck’s sake, and this is just D. I mean, he’s seen worse than this.
“D! Get the fuck out!” Vic’s irritation vibrates his whole body underneath me.
I plan to keep my face hidden in Vic’s neck until D leaves.
Except he doesn’t leave. Instead, D comes right up to the bed.
The bed dips, and I swing my head up to see what he is doing.
Of course, there’s D, kneeling next to the bed and placing his chin on top of his overlapping hands, like some Olan Mills picture. Vic grumbles a warning, “D…”
Face parallel with Vic’s, D breaks into a Cheshire cat grin. “Um, I just gotta say, this is a beautiful site. I’m just over the moon to see you all rubbing uglies, I mean, even if all of your clothes are on. It’s like practicing for the real thing.”
“D…GODDAMNIT! GET OUT!” Vic shouts, and all I can do is sink my face back into Vic’s neck and giggle.
“Okay, okay, old man, I’m going. I just wanted to tell you all that I brought you breakfast, ungrateful fuck!” With that, D walks out, slamming the door. The fake contempt in his voice and actions makes me giggle harder.
Vic just looks at me, frustration fading, and a chuckle falls from his mouth, sending goosebumps all over. Of course, he notices and starts rubbing my arms, “To be continued?” Smiling, I give him a peck on the lips and nod.
Vic and I head downstairs after a quick shower and change of clothes to see D sitting on the back deck with Ty and Emma eating breakfast around the glass patio table. Vic reaches down and interlocks our fingers as we head outside to the breakfast D brought.
“Ah, there are the naughty teens now.” D just can’t help himself. He stands and gives me a huge hug, lifting me off the ground. Vic doesn’t let go of my hand, to which D lets out a laugh. “You want the same hug, big guy?” He teases Vic.
“I’m good man, thanks.” Vic tries to keep from smiling, but D walks over and pulls him in for a quick hug and a slap on the ass.
Moving to sit, I start looking around the table, whatever he brought smells too freaking good.
D stands up, placing one of the white paper-wrapped goodies and a coffee in front of me, then does the same to Vic.
“Peanut, here’s your everything bagel with strawberry cream cheese and your mocha-chocha-lotta-bullshit.
” I roll my eyes at his joke about the coffee name, but it warms my heart that he still remembers my favorite.
“Vic, brother, here’s your sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese and coffee black as your heart.
” D sits back down laughing at his own jokes, but I can see Vic is warmed by D’s efforts.
D catches us up on his crazy life since the last time we saw him, and we do the same.
After breakfast, all of us changed and moved to the private beach on the lake. The back deck of the cabin conveniently has stairs and a walkway that go down to the private beach below. A set of six matching chairs sitting in the sand awaits us along the water’s edge.
Everyone is situated in their chairs and set up for a day of relaxing, the sounds of nature filling the quiet space around us. Vic eventually asks the question we’ve all been waiting to ask, “So, D, how’s Cookie? You been out there to see him yet?”
D lies back on one of the fancy bamboo lounge chairs.
Stretching his arm behind his head and closing his eyes with the sun shining on his face.
He looks like a model on the cover of a vacation magazine.
“Yeah, I went out there for a couple of days when Sheila first called. I guess something happened on a call a few weeks back that triggered his nightmares again, and he’s having a hard time shaking them this time around. ”
“A call?” I ask with hesitation.
D looks over at me, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.
“Yeah, Cookie volunteers as an EMT in his county. I guess he responded to a call where a car full of teenagers was speeding, went off the road, and crashed into one of those huge propane tanks. You know, the ones set up for supplying houses?”
“Anyway, I guess the car basically exploded, killing three of the four teens instantly. The one driving survived a bit longer than the rest because he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the car before the tank blew.
Sheila said the kid was paralyzed and bleeding out.
Cook did everything he could, but he ended up holding the kid while he died in his arms. I guess it brought back some memories for Cook. ”
“Fuck!” Vic’s sound of despair causes all of us to swing our heads to the right in time to see Vic drop his head back against his chair.
“Vic?” My voice is soft and inquisitive.
After a few moments, Vic shoots up from his chair and shoves both hands in his hair, face up to the sky with his eyes closed. All of us are silent, giving Vic space.
For a second, I’m confused by his reaction until I remember him and Cookie talking in the garage a few weeks back. “Oh my god, your first deployment. Vic,” I don’t know what to say. Vic looks down at me with glassy eyes. I know he’s fighting the memories.
Ty interrupts the silence. “Um, does someone want to clue the rest of us in on what the hell is going on?”
Vic comes over and sits at the end of my lounge chair, placing his hand in mine.
I give it a little squeeze to reassure him that I’m here.
Ty, Emma, D, and I all sit in silence as Vic tells us about his and Cookie’s first deployment.
He tells of the attack that took out their team and left the team leader injured so badly that he died in Cookie and Vic’s arms.
“Shit, man, I had no idea. I mean, we knew about the attack, but not those details. Why didn’t you guys ever tell us about it?” D asks, genuinely curious.
Vic gives a deep sigh and just shakes his head. “I don’t know, man, I guess Cookie and I thought it might be bad juju, and we were just happy to have a team again.”
“I get that,” Ty interjects with understanding.
“So D, when you head out to Cooks, just be understanding about that and let us know if you need us there, we’ll all drop everything to be there,” Vic states with conviction, and the rest of us agree.
D smiles and nods his head, “For sure, Kid. I’m sure this will pass. Sheila told me he’s already cutting back on drinking on his own, so I think he just needs some support to get him through this depression spell.”
“I hope so,” Vic says, voicing a confidence I don’t see in his eyes.