Chapter 22
Link listened to Ansley talk as they walked back to the car. When they arrived, he turned and put both hands on her shoulders.
"First off, none of us want relationships like that. If some woman was being rude to our buddies' girlfriends, we'd say something. So that wouldn't happen, anyway."
“That’s good, but would you even know if some woman was being mean?”
Link blew out a slow breath. Would he know? Before joining Delta, he’d dated around and seen how some women could be when he told them he was a Green Brete. They liked the status, and that was always a turn off. “We’re a fairly perceptive bunch. It comes with the job.”
She nodded. “I guess.”
“No guessing, for real. It’s one of the reasons none of us bring random women to these things.
We don’t want the drama. We aren’t spring chicks strait out of boot camp.
We’ve all been around the block a few times.
” She was younger than him, and maybe she hadn’t seen her friend group mature.
Back when he was twenty, he would have hopped into bed with any random woman.
It was different now. Of course, Ansley didn’t know that.
“But you’re bringing me.”
"You aren't random. I have an inkling that you aren't into drama."
She shook her head. “No way. I hate the drama.”
“Good. I think it’s cool that you all worked together to braid each other’s hair and made sure everyone looked good.”
“The sergeant was impressed that we were working together so well. I’m still in contact with her, the sergeant. I know people hate their drill sergeants, but I liked her. She was tough, don’t get me wrong, but human.”
“That’s great. I don’t think I ever talked to mine again.”
“I get that. The guys who went through when we were going through hated their sergeant. They didn’t work well as a team. There were some problems at the time, I don’t know if you saw that in the news.”
Link opened the door for her to get into the car, and he nodded. "I remember something about that."
“Yeah, a couple of recruits ended up dead right before we got there. The sergeant was being investigated, and he was angry. I don’t think that guy finished the class with them.”
"Oh, yeah, I remember that. Ruined that guy's career. Well, he ruined it by being an idiot. They determined that he was at fault, if I remember correctly."
“Yeah. Not the best time for the Marines.”
“But your experience was different.”
“So different.”
Link enjoyed listening to her as they drove back to his place. She told him a story about how her unit had been off base during a run and saved two kids who'd wandered away from home.
“That’s wild.”
“Their parents had been very thankful. The kids had gone out early in the morning looking for stars and gotten lost. They were lucky.”
“Sounds like it.”
He pulled onto his street, glad that Ansley had come to visit him.
Later this evening, he would do a quick workout in his garage while she rested.
Spending time with her was more important than working out first thing in the morning.
They would adjust where they needed to so he could get in his workout and spend time with her.
Having her around was nice. She wasn’t demanding. Maybe that would change, but so far, they fit together well.
When they left for the cookout, he could tell Ansley was nervous.
It was just something she would have to get through and see for herself that his friends were good people.
The guys he worked with most were his best friends.
Their jobs were tough, which meant they had to express their thoughts when planning missions.
They might disagree at times, but they put that aside once they left base.
They weren’t the last to arrive, but it was close. Bean was outside and came over to Link’s car to greet them.
“Hey, you must be Ansley. You probably don’t remember me.”
She shook her head. "Sorry. There are a lot of blank spaces in my memory of that event."
“I totally get it. So you left the Marines?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know that I could have kept up with the physical requirements after the injuries, at least not for a while. It was good while it lasted.”
Bean chuckled. “That’s an interesting way to describe your time in.”
Link slung his arm over her shoulder, and she glanced up, her eyes bright with happiness. He liked that she seemed happy.
“It was time to leave. I liked being a Marine, but I didn’t want to stay in.”
Bean’s lips twisted up to one side. “I don’t know when I’ll leave. I have thirteen years in so far.”
“That’s good. I think it’s one of those things that you either go for the long term or you get out,” Ansley said.
“Yeah. Once I passed ten, I figured I was in for life.”
The door opened, and Chase and Stanley stepped out. "Link, Ansley," Chase called out as he moved off the porch.
Ansley greeted both of them, repeating their names. She'd met three of his friends. Now she only had to meet three more.
They followed the guys inside, Chase pointing out the rose bushes he’d planted. “I also have a garden in the back.”
“What do you do if you leave for a mission?” Ansley asked.
"One of the neighbors takes over, and they get the produce if I'm not here to harvest."
“Oh, that’s nice.”
Chase’s lips spread into a wide smile. "Yeah, it's a nice setup. It allows me to have a garden, but I don't have to always be here. They like getting fresh vegetables, and I like having them when I'm home."
“That’s great that you have good neighbors.”
Chase nodded. "It is. They're also into canning and preserving. I let them take whatever they want at the end of the season if I'm not using it that week. Really, it benefits me. I don't have to mow that area, and I get fresh food."
The rest of the guys showed up, and Link greeted each of them, then introduced Ansley to them. She greeted each of them, and he could tell she was trying to remember their names.
Keel gave Ansley space, probably because he had a real mistrust of women. Link didn’t blame him. The guy had been through a lot during his divorce.
“Hey, you all ready for some meat?” Chase asked.
Stanley slapped his hands together, rubbing them. “Oh yeah, I’m ready.”
Link felt relieved that Ansley seemed to be getting along with everyone so well.
He wanted his buddies to like her because he needed his friends in his life.
So far, she'd been very nice to all of them, even Keel, who was still distant.
This might just end up working out even better than he imagined.
Ansley washed her hands and then moved to the patio door, stepping out to where the guys were. "Can I help with anything?"
“Make sure the chairs don’t float away,” Chase said.
She didn’t understand what he’d meant. “What?”
Link winked at her. “He means you should take a seat. We’ve got this covered.”
“But—”
“Nope, you’re a guest. Have a seat. We’ve got it covered. I brought over chips and buns yesterday. The other guys have brought some food and drinks. Relax.”
She glanced around and found a seat, moving it so she could talk to the guys. It was a little odd being here with them. Usually, she wasn't the only woman in a group like this.
“You okay?” Link asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, this is good. Just getting used to everything.”
"How do you like being out of the military?" Bean asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I got in my car and drove, so I haven’t really experienced much life. I think the next few weeks will be instrumental in figuring out how life goes.”
“What will you do?” Mick asked.
"I have a job teaching English online. It's for people overseas. It should be interesting. I'm giving myself six months to get used to it."
“That’s good,” Mick said.
Should she say more? None of these guys seemed like the type to try to take her down a peg.
They all seemed secure with who they were.
In the military she had to watch who she told stuff to.
Most of the people she served with were great, but not everyone was on the same level.
Here with Link, she figured she could be herself and none of the guys would tell her she was stupid for wanting more.
"I could get a job doing translation work, but I'm not well-versed in technical jargon, so it would have to be for something like politics. I might be able to translate for businesses, but that would be difficult."
Stanley took a seat across from her. “How did you get into translation work?”
"Before going into the military, I spoke a couple of languages. Then I picked up a few more while I was in."
"That's cool. We all try to learn some phrases, but not everyone can pick them up," Stanley said.
Mick rolled his eyes. “It’s me. I have issues with a few languages.”
She shrugged. “Not everyone can pick up new languages. It’s hard to think in a new language. Speaking multiple languages allowed me to have some good jobs in the Marines.”
“Not good enough to stay, though. Right?” Keel asked.
She shook her head. "Maybe if I'd gone into a different branch of service, I might have stayed longer. Maybe not. I think it just wasn't a great fit for me, not long-term."
Link took her hand and squeezed. “I’m glad you got out.”
Her cheeks heated as his meaning hit her. If she’d stayed in, there was no way they would have gotten together.
She squeezed his hand, glad she was here with him. His friends were nice, and she could see this working out long-term. Maybe she was jumping the gun, but it felt right being here with him.
Chase flipped the burgers, causing the fat to sizzle, drawing the attention away from her. She glanced up but didn’t miss the look on Keel’s face. She got the feeling that the man didn’t like her, and she didn’t know why. Maybe it wasn’t anything, but she hoped it didn’t become an issue.