CHAPTER TEN

“Hi,” smiled Macie, walking toward the team at dinner.

“Hey, where have you been?” asked Garr, kissing her, pulling her in for a big hug.

“Well, I do have a job now,” she grinned. “I was out at G.R.I.P. I have something for you guys that might help with the race tomorrow. It was something I was working on at school, and with the help of Montana and Sophia Ann, I’ve perfected it.”

“That sounds promising,” smirked Hex.

“You guys will be the first to test this out,” she said, setting a box on the table. “I had to figure out a way to make it inconspicuous while you’re running, so I placed it within a wrist sweatband.”

“Now you really have me curious,” said Garr.

“Look, you put this on your wrist, the firm side on the underside of your arm. Think of it like a superhero character.”

“I’m going to spit out webs?” frowned Mac.

“No. You’re going to spit out paper-thin discs that deliver ten thousand volts,” she grinned. They all stared at her wide-eyed, their mouths open.

“You saucy little wench,” grinned Clay.

“Come outside,” said Macie.

The men followed her outside, each one with the device on their wrist. They stared at it, moving their hands in a circular motion to see how it would feel. Once outside, the cold made them all shiver, but she smiled at them.

“This will only take a minute,” she smiled. “I’ve set up a target at the end of the live oak alley.”

“That’s got to be five hundred yards, honey,” said Garr. She smiled at him, nodding.

“I know. Let’s say you’re running along. You see the man or woman you want to neutralize ahead. Turn the arm so your palm is upward. Your index and middle fingers are like an arrow pointing to the target. Turn, point, and snap downward.”

Garr followed her instructions, taking a few steps back and doing a lazy jog forward to get the feeling of it while in motion. He brought his arm up, pointed toward the target, and snapped his fingers down. You could barely see it, but two small discs flew from the device, hitting the target in the outer ring. Sparks flew, small sizzles were heard from where they were.

“That looks like it would seriously hurt,” smirked Nathan. “I love it.” Macie laughed, nodding at her friends.

“It would definitely hurt,” she grinned. “That’s the idea. For tomorrow, your challenge will be making sure you have a clear shot at the individual. If you shoot into the crowd, it won’t care what’s in front of it. You could hit innocent runners. The better option would be if you were above the crowd, on a streetlamp or an electrical box so it was a clear shot.”

“Well, it’s an advantage we didn’t have an hour ago,” said Luke. “Well done, Macie.”

“Thank you,” she smiled.

“How many discs are in one of these things?” asked Garr.

“You each have twenty discs. I’m working on a bigger option and a way to reload it, but for now, that’s all you have. You won’t have to fire a gun into a crowd, although I have the feeling they won’t care how many people they shoot.”

“Let’s get inside,” said Clay, “it’s freezing out here.”

“Wear your long tights for the run tomorrow,” smiled Macie.

“Uh, no,” said Garr. “Babe, we don’t wear long tights. Ever. We wear shorts to run even in winter.”

“That’s silly,” she laughed. “They make great running tights for men that will keep your legs warm.”

“My legs will be warm once I start running,” said Trak. “I don’t need something confining my legs, little one.”

“Well, you won’t hear me complain, Uncle Trak,” she said, kissing his cheek, “I love your sexy legs.”

“Hey! What about my sexy legs?” frowned Garr.

“Don’t be jealous. It’s not a good look on you,” smirked Trak as he walked away. The others just laughed, slapping Garr’s back.

“You have sexy legs, too,” she said, kissing him.

“Garr? Are we gonna have a Christmas wedding?” asked Claudette, staring at the young man. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was Macie that stepped up.

“Yes,” she said confidently. “We think a Christmas wedding would be perfect. In fact, I spoke with Mom and Dad earlier, and they agreed. Mom is going to play for us, along with Amanda and Bull.”

“Wait, you already planned all this?” asked Garr. His teammates held their breath, wondering if he was about to say or do something stupid.

“I did. You want to marry me, don’t you?”

“Yes. More than anything. I told you I want a life with you.”

“Well, a life with me means marrying me so we get about the business of having babies,” she smiled. “You good with that?”

“I’m more than good with that,” he laughed, lifting her in the air. “I love you, Macie. I love you so much.”

“It’s settled then,” said Claudette. “I’ll make sure the church is ready for Christmas Eve. We’ll do it in the afternoon or early evening so folks can enjoy their evening with the kids. Your daddy will walk you down the aisle. I’ll make sure everyone knows.”

“Thank you, Claudette. I’ve already asked George to have Mama Irene’s coconut cake for my wedding cake. It’s always been my favorite, and Garr’s.” He shook his head, laughing at her.

“You’re incredible, do you know that?”

“Yep,” she grinned, “and you’re lucky I feel the same way about you. Let’s eat. I’m starving!”

As the winds began to whip outside, the cold north pushing her anger toward the south, the team settled in for a family dinner, talking holidays, Santa Claus, running, and bad guys with guns.

Just another evening at Belle Fleur.