She walked out onto the back porch with a steaming mug in hand. She stilled immediately when a doe and two fawns raised their heads from grazing in the meadow. Sitting down with a slow and quiet intent, she watched the gentle creatures dip their heads to eat, oblivious to her intrusion.
Mike’s voice from the kitchen carried in a low whisper, “They’re upwind. If they could smell us, they wouldn’t be in anywhere near here.”
Ember glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “They’re bigger than any deer I’ve ever seen. So beautiful.”
“They’re mule deer. See how large the ears are? They resemble the length of a mule’s ear, hence the name. They’re the largest breed in the States.”
He walked out slowly and leaned against a post as they watched the animals feed on the tall grass. Ember sighed and looked up at him. “I’m sorry to pull you out here, Mike. I am assuming you had other reasons for being way out here in no man’s land?”
He shrugged his shoulder. “I was in the area. Joseph and Jacob have pulled my butt out of the fire many times. It was the least I could do. The Kings are my family. I’d do anything for them.”
Wait. Hold on a minute. “I thought Joey worked alone.”
“He does. Normally.” The man drank his coffee obviously not going to expound on his answer.
“Would you care to elaborate? I don’t have a nifty security clearance, but I’ve figured out what he does.”
Chief took a draw of his coffee examining the bottom of the cup as if searching for the words to use. His shoulder lifted in another shrug. “About a year ago, a rescue mission we were on tanked. It was bad. Two of us were taken by hostiles. Jacob, Joseph and another brother stayed in country to mitigate the damage and recoup the losses. Losses…hell I was the loss. Me and a teammate, Doc. Jacob and Joseph were able to track the ones who took us. The bastards didn’t stand a chance once those two showed up.”
“He’s really good at what he does, isn’t he?” She didn’t try to hide the admiration in her voice.
“No ma’am, that’d be an obscene understatement. He’s the best there is. Period.”
“Are you married, Mike?”
He shook his head and laughed. “Whoa, whiplash on the conversation vector there. No, ma’am, I’m not. I don’t think it’s fair to ask a woman to take on my lifestyle unless she’s part of it, like Jacob’s wife.”
A small smile tugged at her cheek. “Really? Don’t you think that should be left up to the woman?”
“No, ma’am. I don’t. It would be incredibly selfish of me to ask any woman to put up with my life. Hell, physical training and involvement with the teams I train impact any down time I have. Plus I’m subject to immediate recall if the situation warrants. What would give me the right to ask someone I care about to put up with the loneliness and the danger? What kind of woman would say yes?”
Ember stood and looked down at her empty coffee cup. “One like me would say yes in a heartbeat. One that understands there are no guarantees but is willing to take a risk on having a happiness that others desperately seek and rarely find. Yeah, I guess a woman like me.” She leaned against the railing and looked towards the meadow. “Women are so much stronger than you testosterone-filled alpha males give us credit for.”
She slid a glance his way and winked. “Take some unsolicited advice from a woman who knows just a tiny bit about your life. If you have someone, stop wasting what precious time you have on this earth by protecting her from your lifestyle. Tomorrow isn’t going to come for everyone. What happens if she walks out the door one day and never comes home because an accident takes her away from you? Would she know how you felt about her before she died? Trust me, Mike. You need to let her have the opportunity to enjoy you. And you? You better love her while you can. My mom once told me life isn’t about the millions of breaths you
Mike’s voice from the kitchen carried in a low whisper, “They’re upwind. If they could smell us, they wouldn’t be in anywhere near here.”
Ember glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “They’re bigger than any deer I’ve ever seen. So beautiful.”
“They’re mule deer. See how large the ears are? They resemble the length of a mule’s ear, hence the name. They’re the largest breed in the States.”
He walked out slowly and leaned against a post as they watched the animals feed on the tall grass. Ember sighed and looked up at him. “I’m sorry to pull you out here, Mike. I am assuming you had other reasons for being way out here in no man’s land?”
He shrugged his shoulder. “I was in the area. Joseph and Jacob have pulled my butt out of the fire many times. It was the least I could do. The Kings are my family. I’d do anything for them.”
Wait. Hold on a minute. “I thought Joey worked alone.”
“He does. Normally.” The man drank his coffee obviously not going to expound on his answer.
“Would you care to elaborate? I don’t have a nifty security clearance, but I’ve figured out what he does.”
Chief took a draw of his coffee examining the bottom of the cup as if searching for the words to use. His shoulder lifted in another shrug. “About a year ago, a rescue mission we were on tanked. It was bad. Two of us were taken by hostiles. Jacob, Joseph and another brother stayed in country to mitigate the damage and recoup the losses. Losses…hell I was the loss. Me and a teammate, Doc. Jacob and Joseph were able to track the ones who took us. The bastards didn’t stand a chance once those two showed up.”
“He’s really good at what he does, isn’t he?” She didn’t try to hide the admiration in her voice.
“No ma’am, that’d be an obscene understatement. He’s the best there is. Period.”
“Are you married, Mike?”
He shook his head and laughed. “Whoa, whiplash on the conversation vector there. No, ma’am, I’m not. I don’t think it’s fair to ask a woman to take on my lifestyle unless she’s part of it, like Jacob’s wife.”
A small smile tugged at her cheek. “Really? Don’t you think that should be left up to the woman?”
“No, ma’am. I don’t. It would be incredibly selfish of me to ask any woman to put up with my life. Hell, physical training and involvement with the teams I train impact any down time I have. Plus I’m subject to immediate recall if the situation warrants. What would give me the right to ask someone I care about to put up with the loneliness and the danger? What kind of woman would say yes?”
Ember stood and looked down at her empty coffee cup. “One like me would say yes in a heartbeat. One that understands there are no guarantees but is willing to take a risk on having a happiness that others desperately seek and rarely find. Yeah, I guess a woman like me.” She leaned against the railing and looked towards the meadow. “Women are so much stronger than you testosterone-filled alpha males give us credit for.”
She slid a glance his way and winked. “Take some unsolicited advice from a woman who knows just a tiny bit about your life. If you have someone, stop wasting what precious time you have on this earth by protecting her from your lifestyle. Tomorrow isn’t going to come for everyone. What happens if she walks out the door one day and never comes home because an accident takes her away from you? Would she know how you felt about her before she died? Trust me, Mike. You need to let her have the opportunity to enjoy you. And you? You better love her while you can. My mom once told me life isn’t about the millions of breaths you
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