He sighed, entering the cabin with Brody. “We really screwed the pooch this time,” he muttered to the dog. “How do I go about fixing this?”
Brody moved his head from side to side as if trying to come up with a solution for his master.
A soft knock caught his attention, and he opened his door to find Sparky and Ice standing there with two beers in her hand.
“Don’t just stand there, Martin, invite me in,” Scarlett said, grinning.
“Didn’t you hear? I screwed up today. You sure ya wanna spend time with the community fuck up?” he asked sarcastically as he moved out of the way and signaled for Brody to go to his kennel.
“Nah. You made an honest mistake. Kassie’s cool. Let her calm down and then approach her,” she advised.
“You didn’t see her. She pointed her finger and stamped her foot while she reamed Leo out,” Cole admitted.
She scoffed. “Leo’s used to it. Wait until Catherine, AKA Kit Kat, rips into his ass. He may run the team, but she runs the house. The men have a fear of redheads, and it works in my favor.”
“It may work for you, but it does nothing to help me. I screwed up, Sparky. I saw the gun and snapped. Knowing those people won’t return to such a lovely place makes me sick. Now, I’ve scared the ones brave enough to come out.”
Scarlett reached out, feeling his triceps and then punched him.
“Owww,” he said, rubbing his arm.
“Stop acting like a crybaby,” Sparky said. “You’re a smart man. Since you’re new here, I’ll give you some advice. Word on the street says Kassie has a favorite dessert, which happens to be Ty’s brownies with ice cream, fudge, and whipped cream. I know the guy. Victoria loves Irish coffee, but don’t let Kassie see you sneak it to her. Ivan loves Russian Vodka. Aleski can hook you up. Victoria heads up an Irish mob, and Ivan’s Russian. They’re formidable, but fair. Apologize nicely and offer the gifts. Go to a couple of veteran meetings and make yourself known to Doc and Kassie,” Scarlett advised.
“You make it all sound simple,” Cole murmured.
“Trust me. You’ve never met a closer bunch. They don’t hold grudges for very long. Sure, they’re pissed, but they’ll come around,” she encouraged.
“I asked Kassie if I can visit Hannah. She denied my request,” he said, solemnly.
“Why did you want to see her?” she asked out of curiosity.
“You got me thinking. What if Hannah needs a purpose?” he asked. “Brody ran into her room and I met her briefly.”
Scarlett sighed. “I’ve tried everything I can think of. It’s hard seeing her alone. My heart breaks for her.”
“Maybe she’s scared,” he suggested.
“Why do you think that?” she asked.
“Brody dropped a pinecone in her lap. When I picked it up, she stared at me. I can’t explain it. It feels like she’s trapped and doesn’t know what to do,” Cole said softly. “It sounds silly, I know.”
“No. It doesn’t. Maybe you saw something in Hannah we didn’t. Leo already hired me and in the process of interviewing you when I came aboard. He personally came to the hospital to read me your file and your responses to their questions. I got a vote in how the team proceeded. I got a list of names he interviewed for your position. Some people appeared more qualified and yet Leo chose you. We picked you,” Sparky informed him.
“And I’m grateful for the opportunity and the faith you have in me,” Cole said.
“You’re missing the point. If all of us brought you here regardless of where you ranked in the application process, I think it means you’re here for a reason,” Sparky said, rising from her seat. “When you work with this bunch, you hear the phrase, ‘The only easy day was yesterday,’ quite a bit. Take tonight offand start tomorrow with a plan.” Ice stood and waited while Sparky grasped his harness and left out the front door.
Cole picked up the beer, twisted it open, and took a nice, long swig. Convinced now, more than anything, he belonged here. Cole began to plan. First, he needed to dig himself out of the doghouse. Second, he’d find a way to reach Hannah.
CHAPTER 10
The next morning,Cole attended PT, did his assignments, and then proceeded down the mountain. One of the older veterans told him where to find Aleski to procure the Russian vodka. He made a list of items he needed from the store to make an Irish coffee for Victoria and he texted Ty asking for a fudge brownie to go.
When he walked into Bryanna’s bakery, Aleski’s eyes zeroed in on him as he stood in the kitchen with flour up to his elbows, making bread.
“Hi, Cole. I’m Bryanna, Saint’s wife. How can I help you this morning?” she asked pleasantly.
“I need to speak with Aleski. Do you mind if I go in the back?” he asked.
