Blind Promises

34. Friendly Competition

The jump down was more significant for her, Rich had almost a foot on her easily, she had to push out far enough then lift off with her hands to avoid splinters. Her landing was deft, she turned her head back and smiled at him, her sable hair caught the morning sun which erupted tiny prismatic effects all over her head, solidifying his belief in perfect fallen angels.

He was supposed to be a heartless bastard, frosty as fuck, calm in the middle of chaos, they didn't cover anything like her in the most extensive military training in the world. Rich was dead on, he needed to work some frustration out, too. If all went as planned, and it would, she'd have his last name by Monday. Then it would be more difficult for her to run when she became uncomfortable, like when he told her how beautiful she was, how perfect. He couldn't understand why she felt like he'd change his mind, he shouldn't have been so careless.

Despite herself, Gwen had fun timing them. Liam wasn't just cocky, he was right mostly, he did beat Rich most of the time. But Rich was a good deal bigger than him. Rich was four inches taller and at least twenty-five pounds heavier.

"You know you're going to have to be taped, old man," Liam was fussing at Rich while they were walking back up the road. If her math was right they'd ran about eight miles in five hundred-yard sprints. She wasn't going to add up the minutes it took them all together. It wouldn't be an accurate example of how fast they could run eight miles anyway. They were competing not running for endurance.

Gwen finished her notes and handed the clipboard to Rich, "What's that mean?" she asked.

Rich looked over everything, it looked like he was doing the math in his head. Sure he was, everyone could math fantastically at ass early in the morning. He seemed satisfied, either that they'd pass or that he could get them where they needed to be, she wasn't sure. He smiled at her, "It means they'll measure all my muscles and tell him what a badass motherfucker I am."

"Rich..." she groaned.

He laughed, "What? It's mostly true. Someone measures the muscle and does some math, and my weight/height requirements are waved because I'm a badass."

"He means he's a vain ass, but the basis for what they do is there, you can go watch. It's kinda funny, really. They may make me do it this time, I've gained a few pounds being sick, lame, and lazy." Liam let her know.

Rich looked at him like he'd lost his mind, "You've done more work while you've been off call than half..."

Liam stopped him, "Rich, easy, we're good. I think it's time we let some of those younger boys do some of the government's dirty work. I'm done, I'll sit behind a desk and consult. I've only got a few more years left, you could retire now with full benefits. What are we waiting on, a KIA?"

"Stop. Just stop. I'll go in, you can continue, but until I'm far enough away from you that I cannot hear anything that comes out of your mouth for the remainder of this conversation, do not speak." Gwen had already started back toward the cottage. Liam grabbed her wrist and pulled her back toward him, "Angel, don't go anywhere, I'm just saying, there isn't anything keeping us in the black. Nothing keeping us in the field either. Hal can use us to gather intel stateside, along with the cutest little civilian expert I've ever seen."

Rich looked over him a long while, "You've already got this all worked out don't ya. How long you been plannin' this, had it on ya mind?"

"Long enough. Without the rest of the guys, I don't see the point, Rich. I'm not going through the last couple of years again, not for what was to be gained. Not interested in going back to the desert. It's time."

Gwen wanted away from this discussion, at the end of it there was death, maybe not in their mind but in hers. She'd be faced with it, she'd have to obsess over it, it would be on her mind. Rich clapped Liam on the back, it reverberated through her, "I'm glad we're on the same page, I wasn't sure how I was going break it to you but I've already told Hal we're stateside until your EOS. We're going to be heading up an intelligence task force, Miss Denton is the DoD's newest civilian nerd specializing in construction and especially deconstruction of structures found to house enemies of the State."

"You dicksuck! You were going to make me work my ass off for that." Liam punched him in the gut. Gwen was relieved but still thought about their relative safety. "Does this mean I still don't get to have my cat?"

Liam's face softened, Rich made a gagging sound, "As soon as I know where we're going, we'll get your cat, Angel, I promise. Does he travel well?"

"We'll see," she shrugged. Her stomach growled obnoxiously. "Welp, I guess I know what I'm doing now..."

Rich grinned, "I know! You're going to sit at the bar and watch me make breakfast like you do every morning. Am I right?" He had a point, she'd rarely touched breakfast anything.

"You got me. But not every morning, most of the time you people have the sense not to wake me up at ass O'seven."

"Zero Dark Thirty." Rich corrected.

Gwen shook her head, she liked her version better. It expressed the disdain for the hour in which stupidity for being awake was imminently visible. "No one is waking me up tomorrow morning, right?"

"Not tomorrow, but Saturday we have a big day planned. We have dinner reservations so Alex is taking you shopping for a new dress with the girls. Dad is coming over, don't worry, he's ditching mother. A couple of friends of mine will be there, too. I can't wait for you to meet them, but don't get too nervous, they're Army buddies, not prep school jackasses. I didn't keep any of those relationships. Hal and Maggie may fly over, I think she wants to meet the young lady that has her nephew so smitten. Childs is still talking about you. Memo still not received." Liam relaxed on the bar stool. Everything so nonchalant. She could kill him sometimes.

"Are you trying to kill me? Making me think about how dangerous your job is. Throwing the idea of all these extra people in on top of meeting your sister who I'm convinced is going to hate me as much as your mother does. Then, generally, if one person likes me, their spouse doesn't therefore, Maggie is bound to hate me!" Gwen was half serious.

Liam pushed her hair behind her ear, "Alex will like you, trust me. You'll like her, too. She's only half my mother, she seemed to get the few good qualities. She is a good person, Gwen. Hal wouldn't let Maggie be untoward, she's a funny woman. She balances the stuffy bastard out. You'll like her, she'll tease the kid just as much as we do."