“Coop. You’re not. Why would you say that?”
“Because the accident was my fault. I didn’t have my head in the game. I was daydreaming about you.” He admitted it out loud. And it was true.
“It was still an accident. Not your fault.”
“Rick, don’t say that. I fucked things up. I’m going to be lucky to still have my ride when I can get back on the bike.”
“Shh…you’re too amazing for them to let you go, and if they did, you would get on another team.”
Coop didn’t feel his normal cocky self, but at the same time, he hated feeling so needy. “Eh. I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”
Rick turned him to the side and ran fingers through his hair. “I’ll worry if I want.”
“Rick…” And then the top blanket collapsed over them, and they both burst out laughing. When Coop finally calmed down, he kissed Rick’s cheek. “I’m being ridiculous and overdramatic. Too much time on my hands. But thanks for listening to me.”
“Any time, Coop, and every time.”
Chapter Seventeen – Rick
Rick sat at his desk in the office he shared with the other platoon leaders. He was a bit overwhelmed. He knew how to train soldiers—somewhat—but no one told him there were so many morale issues. Private X was doing Y, but Private Z needed A, and Sergeant F was at the MP station for disorderly and…and…and…
“Lieutenant Stanton? Are you okay?” Sergeant First Class Emerson asked from the doorway. Emerson towered over Rick’s five-ten. He was actually surprised that the man wasn’t too tall to be in the military.
Pushing back from the desk, Rick waved his NCO to the chair in front of the desk. He looked to the ceiling to formulate how he wanted to approach this with the soldier. With a mental shrug, Rick met the man’s gaze.
“What the actual fuck is going on with the platoon, Sergeant Emerson? Why are there so many personal issues with the soldiers?” Guess he was taking the gloves off. Someone had to.
Emerson’s expression was blank for a minute, then he started laughing. Rick wasn’t sure how to take the soldier’s mirth, but he was going to hold onto his temper. Even if it killed him. He sat there and stared at the NCO as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Rick really didn’t think he’d said anything funny and he was going to wait out the NCO. But if he didn’t get himself under control in the next minute, Rick was going to channel Lieutenant Colonel Williams. He’d put Emerson in the front resting position for the rest of the day.
“Apologies, sir,” Emerson said as he got himself under control. “I’m really not laughing at you at all and definitely not at the situation. Let me just say that hearing your outrage at the issuesyou have to deal with is a refreshing change. I’ve been trying to mitigate the problems that have been brought to my attention but…”
Rick watched an internal skirmish happen across the man’s face. Was Rick going to let him off the hook? Absolutely not but maybe he could make this easier on both of them. They had to work as a cohesive team. He stood and grabbed his beret, motioning for Emerson to follow him. Rick led him outside the company headquarters and over to one of the picnic tables in the shadows of some trees.
“Have a seat, Emerson,” Rick said, nodding to one side of the table while he sat on the other. “Let’s start again. I want us to work together as seamlessly as possible for the next year you’re here. My roommate at college had a huge family that instilled in him the respect that officers should have for soldiers. That we have a duty to listen and lead, remembering that we are responsible for the overall safety and health of those under our command. I can’t do that if you’re worried I’ll take each and every word you say and twist it. I need you to be honest and upfront with me about everything, from a private having home issues to the sergeant who is having issues from a past deployment.”
Saying his piece, Rick waited to see how Emerson would react. He didn’t have to wait long before the NCO was nodding and smiling.
“Thank fuck,” Emerson said after releasing a breath that he’d apparently been holding.
Rick was going to move forward, forging a working relationship with his platoon sergeant. “Okay, I’ve been reviewing the notes left by the previous platoon leader. I don’t see where any assistance was offered to any of the soldiers.” Rick pulled his notebook from his thigh pocket and a pen from theholder on his ACU top. “What are the challenges…I’m not going to call them problems because we should be able to adapt and overcome what’s going on. Which one needs our attention first?”
Emerson leaned to the side and pulled his own notebook out. “If we’re going to look at…” And with that, Rick felt ten feet tall. His first NCO was giving him his trust. He needed to call Drew.
Rick pulled his car into the assigned parking for their condo and blew out a breath. It was going on 1800 and he’d been gone since 0530. He’d wanted to make a good impression on his platoon. Set the tone that he wasn’t the officer who was going to have them on the range or doing PT while he sat back and ate bonbons. He was exhausted but it was a good feeling.
He’d strategized with Emerson for close to two hours before First Sergeant Pearl found them. Rick had watched how Emerson interacted with the first sergeant. He needed to know who would provide them with support and who was there for their own gain. He wasn’t sure about Pearl even after watching the two NCOs talk about the upcoming battalion run. Rick would reserve judgment. The first sergeant had handed Rick something important before he left, though—orders to report for Air Assault school at the end of the month. Another week and he’d start for his next set of wings. Rick absently rubbed his left pec where the wings would go as he climbed out of the car.
Pushing open the outside door, Rick stopped with his foot on the stairs to the second floor. He wasn’t sure which Coop he’d face when he opened the door. No way to know unless he soldiered up and climbed the stairs. One foot after the other, it only took a minute for him to be walking down the hallway to their front door.
Coop seemed to be bouncing between hyperactive cleaning or hiding under a blanket. Now, he loved the cleaning because he sucked at it but he was struggling to figure out how to handle Coop hiding. Rick wanted to share his news about going to the school, how he’d built a bridge between himself and Emerson, how his platoon had reacted when he was there for PT, but he didn’t want to rub salt in Coop’s depression. And Coop was depressed.
Before he could wallow in his own mind, Rick’s phone rang. Looking at the display, the number wasn’t one he recognized, but these days, he didn’t have the option of not answering. It could be anyone from the company commander to the MP station trying to reach him.
“Lieutenant Stanton,” he answered.
“Rick?” a voice that sounded vaguely familiar said through the speaker.
“Yes, and this is?” Rick replied hesitantly, turning his back to the condo door.
