The warm whisper of air sent a shiver down her spine as she leaned against his chest. “Hank, take us home,” she ordered. The horse turned around and started up the road. Scarlett didn’t mind his leisurely pace as Ty held her safely in his arms. The accident made her leery of her surroundings, but from where she sat, she realized her command of the horse felt less like an action and more like a premonition.
CHAPTER 24
Three weeks later,Scarlett wore a dark navy dress and flats, unsure of the terrain where they planned to lay Debbie to rest.
Sledge came out of the bedroom and whistled. “You clean up nice, Sassy P. I wish you didn’t have to do it for a funeral. When you returned home a few weeks back, I rubbed my eyes, thinking a supermodel had walked into the wrong cabin. She’s taken your place.”
“Ha, ha. You’re so funny. Samantha gave me a haircut and used her makeup on me a few weeks ago. Then, Ty and I stopped by Doctor Winters’ house to see about the meals for the families.”
“It’s great they remembered them,” Sledge said, getting a drink from the fridge.
“Yesterday, Samantha sent over a bag full of products for me. Kassie planned to deliver them to the cabin this morning before she checked on things at the hospital. When she learned I planned on attending the service, she offered to help with my makeup and hair. Samantha will tutor me tomorrow on how to apply it.”
“It appears you’ve made friends fast. I’m happy for you,” Sledge said, handing her a cup of coffee. “Who sent those fabulous cookies in the kitchen?”
“Ty made them for me. After we spent the day at his ranch, he made these for me. I liked them. He dropped by today to bring me a batch of them,” she informed him.
“Ohhh, you and Ty seem chummy. I swear you work faster than Pudgey on base,” he teased her about one of the other SEALs.
“Don’t even compare him to me. Sleeping with someone you barely know for two minutes isn’t the same as getting a tour and spending the afternoon together. We enjoyed each other’s company and he made lunch,” she defended herself.
“I’ll have to ask Rocker for his opinion. You can’t even see this guy. He’s ugly and has a big nose,” he egged on.
“I saw you and Rocker, and you hurt my eyes so badly I’m blind. Plus, he’s not ugly and his nose fits his face perfectly,” she taunted back.
“Damn, Sassy. You hit me where it hurts. You know, Rocker and I made the team look good. We constantly fought off the barflies. Even if I never married and didn’t have a kid, I don’t understand why a uniform makes women go wild,” Sledge said, disgusted. “Who wants to sleep with someone who only wants to claim they did it with a military dude or woman? I heard one of those women say she felt sorry for us because we sacrificed our lives and deserved a good lay.”
“You’re cut from a different cloth, Sledge. I agree with you about the barflies, but it happens to women in the military, too. A man thinks he has to prove himself and be all dominant to prove he’s tougher than you. I joined the military to serve my country and excelled at a job most men can’t do. It doesn’t mean I think he’s weaker because he does a different job.”
Sledge stood beside her. “You’re right. I bet you got hit ona bunch of times on the base. I know we warned a couple of men who drank a few too many and thought about approaching you.”
“I didn’t know you did that,” she exclaimed.
“We refused to allow some dickhead to assault you. You did a damn good job and we trusted you to bring us in safely,” Sledge growled.
“I appreciate it,” she said, hugging him. “You know I can handle myself.”
“Like you said, some men want to prove how tough they are,” Sledge said, sipping from his cup. “You watched our six when we needed it. We damn sure weren’t letting you down.”
She squeezed his arm. “Thank you.”
“No. There’s no need to say it. Otherwise, we’d be standing here all day,” Sledge said, entering the kitchen. “I’m headed over to the hospital. Some of the teens want to go into town to purchase flowers for the ceremony.”
“How sweet,” Scarlett said, reaching for her purse. “Do you plan on coming?”
“I didn’t know Debbie. I volunteered to supervise the kids in town and help with the reception. It’ll allow some of the veterans who knew her to attend.”
“Your wife’s one lucky woman, Sledge.”
“I know. I keep telling her, but she rolls her eyes and tells me to change the baby’s diaper,” he said, putting dishes in the dishwasher. “I didn’t know kids’ crap as much as they do. I’m doing penance for serving my country. Every time she tells me to change her, the kid has shit up to her ears.”
“Well, we know her father’s full of it. She comes by it naturally,” Scarlett teased.
“Ha ha. Do you want me to take you over to the service? I forgot to ask you,” Sledge asked.
“No. Ty’s picking me up,” she informedhim. “He’s making the meal for the reception and attending the funeral. I’ll return with him.”
“All right. I may need to vet this guy. I’m telling you he’s ugly. You can do better,” Sledge taunted.
