“We’ll be there around eight, but you
can come any time you like, whatever works for you.”
“I’ll be there at eight. And thanks for
the invite,” Susan responded.
“Great, we’ll see you then.”
Susan tapped the screen of her cell,
ending the call and looked around her apartment in disgust. Damn, she needed to
clean up, but the necessities of life took precedence before she could fully
function. Coffee and breakfast first. After her belly was full she would make
all right with her world within the confines of these walls. It had taken Susan
longer to make coffee than it did to actually clean her place. She wasn’t
normally neurotic about much, but when it came to cleanliness she got a bit on
the crazy side. That character trait she attributed to her overbearing, OCD
mother. When she lived at home, Susan made an effort daily of keeping things
clean to avoid any confrontation with the woman. In all the years she’d been alive;
it had been the only thing they’d fought over.
Susan figured the night wouldn’t be one
that ended early if she were going out to the bar with Tessa and Cade,
especially if an old friend was in town. One thing she always counted on with
those two was late nights filled with laughs and good times. A short nap before
the festivities began would hopefully chase away the grogginess from the night before
and put her in the right state of mind. Heaven knows she needed more out of
life than what she’d been experiencing of late and maybe tonight would be the
turning point for her. Tonight, she decided, would be the night she found the
fun Susan that had been in hiding for the past few months.
Chapter 2
Settled in seat C4 on a one way train to
Los Angeles from the heart of Texas, Josiah Hunter rubbed at his weary eyes as
trees blurred at an accelerated rate. His black Stetson rested on one knee as
the other leg stretched as far as it could between the small space between him
and the passenger in front of him. He hadn’t seen his college buddies, Cade and
Rowan, for more years than he wished to count or to admit. When they graduated
from medical school, he’d had every intention of keeping in touch with them,
but when his duties in the military took him overseas, he’d let life get in the
way. He hated that he had to leave while the two of them stayed behind and made
lives for themselves in Long Beach, but he’d signed on the dotted line to give
the Marines four years of his life after college. Now here he was, all these
years later, finally heading back to California. In all honesty, he owed them so
much more than a phone call now and then. If not for those two, he would have
never made it through school. There were too many times that Rowan or Cade had
set him straight when he was ready to give up on the idea of becoming a doctor.
He was no imbecile, but he certainly had to work harder than most to make it
through his classes. Late night pep talks, all night study groups, and an
occasional trip to The Launchpad, had been his saving grace during those years.
To say Josiah was excited about meeting
up with his buddies after all these years would be an understatement. He needed
to get back to some normalcy again, away from the strict routines and
regulations of military life. Josiah needed to put behind him the sights and
smells of war, needed to push aside as much as he could the memories of
patching up wounded soldiers and fellow Marines. War time was a bitch and
although he held his head high, proud knowing he’d done his part and stood side
by side with some of the finest men and women in uniform and saved some of the
bravest, he was ready to leave as much of that life behind as he could. There
would be no forgetting the atrocities he witnessed during his time in
Afghanistan, the head doctor the military had assigned him upon his return made
sure that Josiah knew it was okay to remember. Although he worked daily to
prove the shrink wrong on that point. Josiah didn’t want to see another solider
lying under his hands fighting for his life because some jackass decided to use
a young child as a decoy or a weapon and he certainly didn’t want to feel the
grit of sand coating his lips and seeping into his pores ever again. He served
his country without regret even though he’d been planted in the middle of a
battlefield in a war he didn’t believe in. His time in the military gave him a
greater appreciation for civilian life and he was more than ready to get back
to any kind of life outside the military. He needed to start living for himself
again and California would usher him into that life.
Josiah leaned his head against the
window as he watched the world outside rush by.
“Heading home?” The older woman in the seat
next to him asked, bringing him from his thoughts.
“I guess you could say that,” he
responded.
“My grandson just joined the Army. I saw
your bag when you stepped on the train.”
“Marines. I just got out. How old is
your grandson?”
“Nineteen. His parents tried to persuade
him otherwise, but he was hell bent on following in his grandfather’s
footsteps. My Henry served in the Army. Two tours in Vietnam. He died three
years ago. He would have loved to see Jacob make the commitment he had so long
ago.”
“Yes ma’am. It’s quite the honor to
serve. The name is Josiah, by the way.”
“Ellie. Nice to meet you, young man.”
Josiah spent the next few hours chatting
it up with his new traveling companion, telling her stories of his time out of
the country, of the men he served with and how he had been gone too long from
the place he truly did consider home. He told her of Tessa and Cade’s wedding
and that he’d been out of the country when they tied the knot and had only
heard the news when he arrived home a few months back. The conversation with
Ellie became a painful reminder of all he’d missed out on, how life for Cade
and Rowan went on without him.
Josiah had called Rowan as soon as he
dropped his bags on the shaggy carpet of his parents’ home to catch up on all
that he missed. He hadn’t even bothered with unpacking or thumbing through all
the mail that had piled up while he was gone. Josiah hadn’t expected to hear
that bit of news about Tessa and Cade, but honestly those two made more sense
than anyone else he knew. The most shocking bit of information that came across
the telephone wire had been Rowan’s break up with a woman named Erin who he had
almost married and his new found love Madison. Josiah didn’t even need to be
standing in the same room with him to understand how deeply in love Rowan found
himself. He spoke highly of her and with such reverence that the love he felt
couldn’t be missed. Josiah arched his back, shifting in his seat, and stretched
his arms over his head. He was more than ready to get off this god-forsaken train
and catch up with his buddies.
“Do you have a bag overhead?” he asked
Ellie.
“Just a small one. Don’t you worry
though, I can get it,” she said as she placed her fingers lightly on his
forearm. “I may be up there in age, but I’ve never been one to ask for help.”
“Yes ma’am I’m sure you’re more than
capable of taking care of yourself. However, if my mother found out that I
didn’t help a beautiful woman with her bag, she’d tan my hide…no matter how old
I am.”
Josiah and Ellie laughed as the train slid
in on a whisper, finally coming to a stop. He stood and pulled Ellie’s small
brown overnight bag from the overhead compartment, reaching his empty hand out
to her. She took it and allowed him to help her from her seat.
“You take care of yourself, young
Josiah.”
“You do the same, Ellie. And good luck
to your grandson.”
Josiah watched Ellie slowly make her way
down the aisle before he glanced out the window and caught sight of Rowan. He
should have known he would be waiting for him, even though Josiah had reassured
him that he would get a rental car and meet him at his place. He grabbed the
oversized duffle bag courtesy of the US Marines, and after most of the
passengers filed out, he made his way down the steps excited and nervous. He’d
missed out on so much and even though talking to Rowan had been like old times,
he couldn’t help but see himself as the outsider now. Before Josiah’s feet hit
the last step of the train, he heard Rowan.
“J!” Rowan’s voice carried through the
small crowd. Within moments, he stood before Josiah with his hand outstretched.
“Rowan, buddy. Damn, it’s good to see
you again. How the hell are you?” Josiah asked as he shook his hand.
“Couldn’t be any better. I’m so glad you
made it. Cade had a late appointment or else he’d be here too.”
“That’s okay, completely
understandable,” Josiah spoke as he noticed a brunette walking towards them. Rowan
had told him all about his new girlfriend when they’d spoken on the phone. If
the description he’d given Josiah were correct, there was no doubt this was
Madison.
“Ah, there you are,” Rowan said as he
wrapped his arm around Madison’s waist, “Josiah, this is Madison. Madison,
Josiah.”
“Nice to finally meet. Rowan hasn’t
stopped talking about you since he found out you were back in the states. He’s told
me so much about you, I feel like I already know you,” Madison said as she placed
her hand in his.
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet the
woman who has smitten this man here,” Josiah laughed as he slapped Rowan’s back.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s get you home. I’m
sure you want to relax a little before we meet up with Tess and Cade.”
“The Launchpad?” Josiah asked as they
made their way to Rowan’s car. He had been looking forward to a night out with
the old gang and even more excited to hang at their usual stomping ground.
“Any other place to be?” Rowan asked as
they walked.
“None at all,” he laughed, tossing his
bag into the back seat, and slid in next to it.
The ride to Rowan’s had taken a little
over thirty minutes and had been filled with mostly small talk. They had a lot
to catch up on, but frankly the two day train ride had sucked out all the
energy Josiah had started the trip with and he wanted to catch some sleep before
they headed out to the club. Due to all the jostling of the train, he’d not
slept a wink. He knew if he and Rowan started talking, they’d get into a
lengthy conversation, and then he’d never be able to get any rest when they got
back to his place.
“Here we are,” Rowan said as he pulled
the car into the driveway overlooking the ocean.
“Wow, Row, this is amazing! What a view
you have.”
“Thanks, man, I can’t complain,” he said
as they all exited the car.
Rowan tossed the keys to Josiah as he
walked to the passenger side. “Go in and make yourself at home, I’m just gonna
walk Madison over to her place and I’ll be right back.”
Josiah nodded, slung his bag over his
shoulder and walked up on the porch. Pushing open the door, he let out a sigh. Josiah
had learned a long time ago, that just because life handed out shitty cards
from time to time, it didn’t mean you had to keep them. He smiled, happy
knowing that Rowan had finally found his winning hand, not so much in the home
he owned, but with the woman he shared his life with now. Josiah tossed Rowan’s
keys on the table by the door, and placed his bag next to the couch, before
plopping himself on the all too comfortable piece of furniture. He pulled off
his boots, swung his legs up on the sofa, and tipped his cowboy hat over his
eyes, so that the sleep knocking on his door could consume him. The long trip
had taken its toll on his body and even though he’d rather spend time finding
out all that was going on in Rowan’s life, he couldn’t fight the exhaustion
that consumed him. A quick nap and he’d be good to go for the rest of the
night.
Peeling his eyes open one at a time, Josiah
heard the faint sound of a conversation flowing from the kitchen. He sluggishly
pushed himself to a sitting position, pushed his hat back, and stood as he
stretched his long legs. The fog of sleep lingered and he pressed the heels of
his palms to his eyes to clear them as much as he could. Before he could even
take a step, Rowan and Madison rounded the corner.
“It wakes,” Rowan laughed.
“It does. Sorry, man, I guess the train
ride kicked my ass more than I thought it would.”
“No worries. We have about an hour
before we have to meet Cade and Tessa if you want to take a shower or anything
before we leave. I put your things in the first bedroom on the left.”
“Thanks, I’ll be quick,” Josiah said, heading
down the hall to the bathroom. He turned on his heels before he got too far. “Thanks,
Rowan. You have no idea how good it is to be back here.”
Rowan nodded, as the corners of his
mouth curved upward, but before he could utter a word, Josiah spun around and
just as quickly made his way to a much needed shower.
Less than an hour later, Josiah, Rowan,
and Madison were walking through the doors of The Launchpad, the sounds of
Chris Young’s “Who’s Gonna Take Me Home,” filling the bar and the smell of beer
and perfume engulfing his senses. Ahhh, country night at The Launchpad had
always been his favorite and what better way to usher in his first night back
in town? Before they got too far into the bar, Rowan pulled him to the side
away from the crowd.
“Hey J, I forgot to mention that Tessa
invited a friend out to join us.”