He nodded. He didn’t seem to want to discuss it, so I didn’t ask any more questions. I started cleaning up the used packaging, then went to take a look at the food on the stove. It still smelled amazing, so I was hoping it was salvageable.
“This looks like it’s pretty much ready to eat,” I said, grabbing some tongs and dishing the eggs and bacon onto some plates. Lee just nodded, still carrying a slightly dazed expression on his face.
“You want something to drink?” I asked as I put the plates of food on the table in front of him. Lee looked up at me, the dazed look turning to a bemused smile on his face.
“Water’s good for me, but there’s OJ in the fridge,” he said. I nodded and got out two glasses. I filled one with water and the other with orange juice and set them both on the table. I sat down across from him and nodded at the naproxen.
“Take that with your food, or your stomach will regret it,” I said.
He nodded and started shoveling food into his mouth. Luckily, he seemed to be right-handed, so the burn didn’t slow him down much.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said after a few minutes of just the sound of us eating echoed in the kitchen.
“Startle me?” he asked, confusion apparent on his face.
“Yeah, when I came in. When you jumped and spilled the grease…?” I asked, my voice ending on a high note, wondering if he didn’t remember how he had burned his hand.
“Oh! No, that wasn’t you,” he said. His eyes roamed the room, able to look anywherebutat me.
“Really? Because it sure looked like it. I walked in and you jumped and spilled hot grease on yourself…” I said, putting the last bite of bacon in my mouth.
“I said it wasn’t you,” he barked, his voice gaining a bite of anger to it as he shoved back from the table and stood, gathering the now-empty plates and moving them to the sink.
He paused, his back to me, his shoulders rigid and tight as he leaned against the sink. I walked up to him and put my silverware in the sink.
“I know it’s not really my business,” I said, as I reached out and touched his arm tentatively. He jumped when I touched him, his skin surprisingly soft under my touch. “But it’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay.” I said, trying to share some of the understanding and acceptance he had given me the night before.
“It wasn’t you,” he finally whispered. “I… We were in Afghanistan. Mack, my fiancé, he was shot. I was working on him when there was mortar fire,” Lee paused, and I could see his facial muscles clench as if he was forcing the words out. “He didn’t make it.” The morning sun shone brightly through the window over the sink, and I saw a tell-tale wetness sliding down his cheeks. Lee was crying.
My heart broke for this man. This brave, strong, incredibly kind man, to have lost someone he loved that much…I didn’t know what else to do, so I did what I knew Zem would have done for me in the same place: I wrapped my arms around him and just held him.
At first his body remained rigid against mine, but slowly he started to relax. His body gave off heat like a furnace. I wasn’t quite as tall as he was, so as I hugged him from behind my cheek lay against the back of his neck, the soft, prickly hair of his short cut brushing against my face. He must have showered that morning, because I could smell hisclean, soapy scent as I held him tight. We stood there for what seemed like forever, then he brought one arm up and his hand gripped my arms where they wrapped around him.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I’m okay. It’s… been a while.”
I nodded and released him, stepping back and giving him time to collect himself.
I deliberately looked away as I saw him brush the tears from his eyes, and he cleared his throat.
“No luck on the hotel,” he said as he turned to face me. “Everything within an hour’s drive is full, what with the Hall of Fame Festival this week. I can talk to the twins, or to some of our friends, Jon and Anna, if you want to stay with one of them, but you’re welcome to stay here, I mean, if you wanted.” He began, suddenly stuttering and stammering like a teenager as he continued. “I h-have the s-spare room, and you can’t get much more private than your own personal park.”
The view outside the window was stunningly beautiful. An area around the house was cleared of trees, but they seemed to have snuck up the back portion of the lot until a few shaded the deck that circled the house and looked out over a gully. I could see the glint of water at the bottom, and the morning sun was just bringing that sharp edge of light only available at certain times of day.
I was looking out across the lawn, trying to figure out whether I should accept or not, when I saw something move in the grassy area next to the driveway.
“Shit, there’s something out there!” I yelled as I jumped up and away from the sliding glass doors.
“What?” He jumped forward. My heart, already racing, did a little double thump as he stepped protectively between me and the door. He peered outside the vertical blinds that seemed ubiquitous throughout the house.
“That!” I screeched, in a completely un-masculine way.
He watched where I was pointing, a slow smile easing across his face, the fierce glare that had sprung to life at my exclamation quickly being replaced.
“That?” he asked, pointing at a large furry lump that galumphed across the lawn. I just nodded.
The thing was the size of a damn horse. Itobviouslywas a chupacabra. Wait. Weren’t chupacabra’s only in the desert?
“No chupacabras here,” Lee laughed.
