If I thought Madix looked horrified by the kitchen, he’s truly aghast down here. I’ve never evenseensomeone look aghast before. I thought it was more of an old-school thing. But nope. Aghast he is. He keeps picking up his booted feet and wrinkling his nose at Coon’s litter box that’s stuffed into the corner. When one of the rats races by him, he jumps back, causing a grin to spread across my face.
“A big, tough guy like you isn’t scared of a little rodent, are you?”
He crosses his arms in front of him and scowls, but I don’t miss how he flexes slightly, as if to try and make up for the non-tough guy move before. “I’m not scared,” he says convincingly. I’m still not fooled.
I walk over to the shelf and pick up Coon. She immediately wraps her tail around my neck and perches herself on my shoulders. Her little white muzzle is covered in orange preserves, and she keeps licking her lips. “Aww, I just can’t stay mad at you,” I tell Coon, petting her fondly.
Theo looks over at Brant. “Why does she have an opossum as a pet?” he asks, as if this dude will have the answer just because he has a dog. A dog who...yep. Sounds like she’s eating the rest of our breakfast upstairs. There’s a lot of slurping going on. Another rat goes skittering across the floor, and this time, Madix lets out an involuntary squeak of objection. I smile and tap Coon on the shoulder.
“Go get your little ones before the big man-babies wet themselves.”
She scampers down from my shoulder with a huff, and then goes about trying to get the two rats back in their cage by picking them up by the scruff of their necks and tossing them onto her back.
“Babies?” Madix asks confused.
“Yeah, she thinks they’re her kids. That’s why she keeps springing them from their enclosure. Well, that, and she likes sharing the jam.” I shrug and start straightening out the mess they’ve made down here. The three GI Joes scan the basement like they’re not sure what to make of any of it, and they can’t decide where their eyes should land.
Brant opens his mouth to say something, but stops when Coon runs over his foot to corral the rats back towards the blanket nest in their cage. I quickly shut and lock the door and give coonthe lookas she scrambles back up into her little home.
“Why the fuck do you have rats?” Madix demands, and I don’t miss the shudder that passes over him as he asks the question.What a weirdo.
“Well, Coon decided she wanted to move under my porch not too long ago, which was just fine by me, but when it started to get cold, I convinced her that the cellar might be a better option.”
Madix just looks at me, still waiting for the answer to the rat question.
“I don’t know how her and the rats came to be, they seemed to be a package deal when Coon and I met. She wouldn’t come in to get warm unless they came, too. So I made them all a little home. Who am I to judge what she loves and how? And let’s be honest, women have been loving rats since time began,” I say seriously, bumping Madix’s shoulder as I walk by and head back up the stairs.
I step into the kitchen and sure enough, breakfast is gone. Every single plate is licked completely clean. There’s a trail of slobber stuck to Theo’s fork and the glasses of orange juice are knocked over and dripping onto the floor. I look over to the brindle mastiff who’s sitting in the exact same spot as before, looking like the epitome of innocence. I’m not even mad. A girl’s gotta take advantage where she can in this world.
I crouch down to the dog and scratch under her jaw. “Do the uptight soldiers not feed you enough?” I ask her as she starts panting her bacon breath in my face. “If it were up to that Madix guy, I bet he’d make you eat hypoallergenic food in bleached dog bowls,” I say with a shudder. She grunts, in obvious agreement, and I nod. “Mmmhmm. That’s what I thought.
“Puddles! Naughty girl,” Brant rebukes his dog when he sees the mess she’s made. Puddles just licks her lips and lays down for a nap.
Coon comes up the stairs right behind the guys, my white-knitted scarf wrapped securely around her.
“That thing is like a giant rat with freaky as fuck claws and razor teeth,” Theo says, watching Coon warily.
I look down at Coon as she starts climbing up the fridge using the vertical handle. “I know, isn’t she adorable?” I beam.
“It’s not sanitary to keep her inside,” Madix informs me.
“She’s a pet,” I defend. “And she happens to love bubble baths. Also, she’s a marsupial, not a rodent,” I explain. “Good grief, did you three even go to school?” I ask seriously.
Brant blinks at me blankly, Theo looks like he’s amused again, and Madix opens and shuts his mouth several times before just giving up completely.
The air suddenly cracks with thunder, and Brant flinches and reaches for the holstered M9 at his waist. Theo grabs hold of Brant’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly, his gaze intense on his friend’s face which has paled significantly.
“Just thunder,” I hear Madix mutter to him.
Brant’s throat works as he breathes in and nods slowly. “Right,” he says, letting go of the gun with an unsteady hand.
The dog has sidled right up against him and starts pushing at his palm with her nose. When he stops shaking enough to pet her head, she licks him lightly and continues pushing against his legs and stepping on his feet. I’m in awe as I watch the breakfast thief press her weight into him like she’s grounding him. My heart breaks a little at the sight, and I know I’ve just witnessed something private. Something secret that isn’t meant for a stranger’s wondering eyes. I pegged them for military the minute they stepped out of their SUV, but it’s obvious that they’ve been through some serious shit.
Dad always taught me to be self-reliant and observant, and as much as we fight and disagree, my survival and observational skills are always something I’ve been thankful for. I haven’t missed the way Theo limps, or the way Madix kept messing with his ear after Jim Bob’s alarm went off. And by the looks of it, My guess is that Brant suffers from some serious PTSD and the brindle beauty at his side isn’t just a pet, but a support animal that helps him cope with whatever his triggers are. I knew there was some kind of inexplicable bond there. I mean, there would have to be for you to move out to the middle of nowhere with your guy friends, when there’s no hanky panky involved. But now it all comes together for me. Their kind of bond only solidifies when you’ve been through hell together and battled to pull each other from the depths of it.
Respectfully, I pretend not to notice their exchange, and cast my gaze out the kitchen window, watching as the dark gray clouds rush in with a harsh wind that seems to have come from nowhere. At the next clap of lightning, Coon squeals and goes running back down to the cellar.
“Hello, beautiful,” I grin at the lightning strikes, and then I rush back down to the cellar to grab the long, metal pieces that I have stashed down there.
