shown up that night, nothing would have stopped Jake from eating a bullet.
“We’ve been through some shit together, haven’t we?”
“Yeah, we have.” Tucker turned and grinned at him. “I’m sure glad you’re here.”
“Yeah,” Jake said, “me, too.”
Tucker turned the key and cranked the engine. “Time for more low-level flying.”
Jake nodded as he grabbed the dash and the arm of the seat.
~~**~~**~~
Heather sat at the kitchen table, ledger open, calculator to her right, adding numbers for the fourth time. The answer didn’t change.
She couldn’t see any way around it; she’d have to dip into her savings by Friday if business didn’t pick up, even if the kitchen opened again.
Coop walked in, beer in hand, and sat in a chair across from her. “How’s it going?”
She glanced at the beer. “Aren’t you starting a little early?”
He shrugged. “It’s after noon.”
She checked the clock. It was three minutes after twelve.
“Oh, then I guess it’s all right to get plastered.” How could he take everything so lightly?
“Now, that’s no way to treat your old man, is it?”
Heather returned to the calculations.
“Money problems?” Coop asked.
“Yes, money problems. As in, we don’t have enough to pay the bills.”
She glanced up to find him seriously studying her.
“Isn’t there some place to cut back?” he asked.
Heather couldn’t contain her frustration. “No, Coop, there’s no place left to cut back. We’ve done away with every luxury. I haven’t bought a new pair of pants in six months, and you don’t have any shirts without holes in them.”
“That’s all right, I don’t mind—”
“ I mind. I want to be able to go out to a movie once every couple of years, you know?”
He stared, mouth closed.
“Maybe you don’t know. Maybe you just don’t understand. Is that why my mother left?”
He flinched and frowned at her, and then slowly rose and walked outside.
Heather dropped her head to the table. Why did she say things to hurt him? He was only trying to help.
She stood, closed the ledger, and walked to the door. “Coop?”
From the top of the steps, she didn’t see him anywhere.
“Coop? Coop!”
She found him sitting on the back steps of the bar, smoking a cigarette and staring out at the horizon.
“Coop, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
He looked up at her and smiled sadly. “It’s no big deal.”
She sat beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. “Yes, it is. I don’t know why I say those things when I get mad. It’s not your fault we’re having problems.”
“You’re right,” he said, “she left because she couldn’t count on me. I think the flashbacks were as bad for her as they were for me. Maybe worse.” He studied Heather for several moments. Then he sighed and slid his gaze to the horizon. “I used to wake up in the middle of the night and I’d be back in the jungle, waiting, listening. I’d be crouched next to Sammy Blair, waiting for Charlie to pop his head up somewhere.”
Heather watched her father’s face, understanding the importance of the moment. He’d never before spoken to her of the war.
“It’s always the same night, when I’m back there. We hear gunfire, but only a few rounds, like snipers. So Sammy and I go out together. We’re going to find the bastards and light ‘em up. We’re being real quiet, because they can hide standing right in front of you.
“Then there’s a flash, like the whole world has exploded. I don’t hear anything, just see this white light, and I’m flying through the air. I hit something, a tree maybe, and I jump up. I’m pissed because my shoulder hurts and my leg’s on fire. I listen for Sammy, expecting him to shoot. But there’s nothing, no answer, no nothing.
“It’s dark. It’s so goddamn dark, I can’t tell if my eyes are open or not. I’m crawling forward on my hands and knees, feeling around for my weapon.
“Then I find a boot. It has to be
“We’ve been through some shit together, haven’t we?”
“Yeah, we have.” Tucker turned and grinned at him. “I’m sure glad you’re here.”
“Yeah,” Jake said, “me, too.”
Tucker turned the key and cranked the engine. “Time for more low-level flying.”
Jake nodded as he grabbed the dash and the arm of the seat.
~~**~~**~~
Heather sat at the kitchen table, ledger open, calculator to her right, adding numbers for the fourth time. The answer didn’t change.
She couldn’t see any way around it; she’d have to dip into her savings by Friday if business didn’t pick up, even if the kitchen opened again.
Coop walked in, beer in hand, and sat in a chair across from her. “How’s it going?”
She glanced at the beer. “Aren’t you starting a little early?”
He shrugged. “It’s after noon.”
She checked the clock. It was three minutes after twelve.
“Oh, then I guess it’s all right to get plastered.” How could he take everything so lightly?
“Now, that’s no way to treat your old man, is it?”
Heather returned to the calculations.
“Money problems?” Coop asked.
“Yes, money problems. As in, we don’t have enough to pay the bills.”
She glanced up to find him seriously studying her.
“Isn’t there some place to cut back?” he asked.
Heather couldn’t contain her frustration. “No, Coop, there’s no place left to cut back. We’ve done away with every luxury. I haven’t bought a new pair of pants in six months, and you don’t have any shirts without holes in them.”
“That’s all right, I don’t mind—”
“ I mind. I want to be able to go out to a movie once every couple of years, you know?”
He stared, mouth closed.
“Maybe you don’t know. Maybe you just don’t understand. Is that why my mother left?”
He flinched and frowned at her, and then slowly rose and walked outside.
Heather dropped her head to the table. Why did she say things to hurt him? He was only trying to help.
She stood, closed the ledger, and walked to the door. “Coop?”
From the top of the steps, she didn’t see him anywhere.
“Coop? Coop!”
She found him sitting on the back steps of the bar, smoking a cigarette and staring out at the horizon.
“Coop, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
He looked up at her and smiled sadly. “It’s no big deal.”
She sat beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. “Yes, it is. I don’t know why I say those things when I get mad. It’s not your fault we’re having problems.”
“You’re right,” he said, “she left because she couldn’t count on me. I think the flashbacks were as bad for her as they were for me. Maybe worse.” He studied Heather for several moments. Then he sighed and slid his gaze to the horizon. “I used to wake up in the middle of the night and I’d be back in the jungle, waiting, listening. I’d be crouched next to Sammy Blair, waiting for Charlie to pop his head up somewhere.”
Heather watched her father’s face, understanding the importance of the moment. He’d never before spoken to her of the war.
“It’s always the same night, when I’m back there. We hear gunfire, but only a few rounds, like snipers. So Sammy and I go out together. We’re going to find the bastards and light ‘em up. We’re being real quiet, because they can hide standing right in front of you.
“Then there’s a flash, like the whole world has exploded. I don’t hear anything, just see this white light, and I’m flying through the air. I hit something, a tree maybe, and I jump up. I’m pissed because my shoulder hurts and my leg’s on fire. I listen for Sammy, expecting him to shoot. But there’s nothing, no answer, no nothing.
“It’s dark. It’s so goddamn dark, I can’t tell if my eyes are open or not. I’m crawling forward on my hands and knees, feeling around for my weapon.
“Then I find a boot. It has to be
Similar Books
