CHAPTER TWO

Five years later…

“Macie, it’s good to see you,” smiled Garr.

“Garr, it’s nice to see you,” she grinned. She was fucking gorgeous. Curves like a winding road, full breasts, narrow waist, and all that damn hair flying in her face.

“So,” he said, clearing his throat, “are you done with school?”

“No. I’m finishing my master’s, then I’m going to get my PhD.”

“In music?” he asked.

“No. I mean, I love music, and I love playing with Mom and the others when I’m home, but I don’t want that as my job. I’m getting a degree in weapons engineering, just like Montana. She’s always been my inspiration and she’s been a great mentor for me. During the summers, I’ve been working at G.R.I.P.”

“No shit?” he smirked.

“No shit,” she laughed. “You were just never home to see me. A bunch of us are headed out to The Well. Are you coming?”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure,” he nodded, surprising himself.

They took several of the boats to the bar that had been visited by Belle Fleur boys and girls for generations. The food was just simple bar food in south Louisiana, but the beer was cold, the music was hot, and the dancing was so much fun.

At first, Garr didn’t ask Macie to dance, but when he noticed that every other man in the place was asking her, he couldn’t sit still any longer.

“How about a dance, Macie?” he said, holding out his hand.

“About time you asked, Garr,” she smiled.

The band immediately began playing a slow tune, and Garr wanted to shoot them all. Slow meant holding her close, smelling her, feeling her against him. Her fragrance filled his nostrils, and he couldn’t let her go. Not for the next song or the one following that. He held her all night until they left with the others.

“I leave to head back to base tomorrow,” he said, walking with her to her family’s cottage. “If I give you my e-mail, will you write?”

“I’d be honored,” she said, smiling at him. “Take care of yourself, and come home soon, okay?”

“You too.”

She stood on her toes, kissing his cheek, and he grinned at her. He wanted desperately to take her mouth, taste her, make her his, but it was too soon, too early, too everything!

Garr kept his promise to Macie, writing to her and waiting for her responses. They talked about everything. Things that were happening in her graduate program, things that were happening at home, and how wonderful their night of dancing was for both of them.

They would try to coordinate coming home for holidays, and sometimes their days would overlap, and sometimes they wouldn’t. It always seemed as though there were far too many people around them to truly enjoy time alone.

Retired and working full-time for Voodoo Guardians, he smiled when she walked into the cafeteria with her parents. He knew that she was coming home for good, starting her new job at G.R.I.P., and he knew that now they could truly start getting to know one another. Although in truth, they’d known one another her entire life.

When Mama Irene recruited everyone for the holiday decorating, they were more than happy to team up on the trees in the cafeteria. The big tents were going up, someone was working on the Sugar Lodge, and everything smelled like Christmas.

Beast III was always at the feet of Macie. Just like the original Beast who defended and protected Macie’s mother, this one was determined to do the same. Macie wondered if the dog could sense their family connection, then just shook it off.

“Hey, you haven’t told me what you want for Christmas,” said Garr. Macie laughed at him, shaking her head. “What? Is that funny?”

“No. It’s not funny at all.”

“Well, then, what do you want for Christmas?” he asked. Macie set down the box of ornaments and took Garr’s hand, pulling him behind the tree. “Macie? What are you doing?”

“Garr, don’t you think it’s time you did more than just kiss me on the cheek?” He stared at her, wide-eyed, unsure of how to respond. “I mean, do you even like me like that? Do you want to be more than just friends?”

“Shit, Macie,” he started.

“You know what, never mind. That was stupid of me. I love our friendship, Garr. Don’t mind me.”

“Macie,” he said, pulling her hand back toward him. She stumbled, falling against his body, and he looked down at her, slowly lifting her off her feet and into his arms. “Macie. I’m fucking crazy about you. I just didn’t want to push you too hard.”

Macie swallowed, feeling his hardness, all of him, against her own body. His beautiful face and eyes stared down at her, her insides melting.

“Push me? Garr, I’ve been crazy about you for as long as I can remember. I’m tired of the chaste kisses on my cheek. I want more, Garr, but if you’re not ready for that, I understand.”

“Not ready?” he laughed. “Oh, Macie, I’m ready for that and so much more.”

He slowly brought his mouth down to hers, nibbling on her lips as her arms wound around his shoulders, massaging his neck. Tasting her, he tasted peppermint from a candy cane and something positively delicious. Pulling back, he saw the flush cheeks and swollen soft flesh of her lips.

“Better?” he smirked.

“Much. But I think you can keep going,” she smiled.

“If I keep going, we’re going to embarrass ourselves in front of our families,” he laughed, setting her feet back on the ground. “You and me, Macie. Just you and me.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” she smiled.

They spent a week taking orders from Mama Irene, Noelle, and Claudette. Even the new guy, Trevon was ordering people around as Noelle’s new sidekick. Sometimes, they were together, and sometimes, they weren’t. But it didn’t matter. They knew that this was the start of something beautiful.

Garr stared at the massive tree in the center of the grove. It was the first year they’d done one so large outside. He wasn’t even sure how it was secured to the ground, but it was decorated with a million lights and big red bows and even had ornaments on it.

The season was upon them.

Of course, for him, he was missing something. Not something. Someone. She was home, and so was he, but he desperately wanted her next to him all the time.

While she was finishing her PhD and he was between deployments, then retirement, and finally, they’d spoken a few times, even written a few benign e-mail messages, but he was missing her big, and she’d only been gone a few hours from his side. She was so much younger than he was but so much smarter. He wanted to be beside her for Christmas, not far apart. Not even a cottage over.

They were both home for good now, but they were still in separate cottages, and it seemed someone was always pulling them away from one another. He wanted time alone with her. He wanted to whisk her away from Belle Fleur and make her his. Permanently.

When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he jumped in surprise, grabbing it. He had no idea who it would be, considering everyone was already here. To his surprise, it was the woman on his mind.

“Macie! Hi,” he smiled to himself. He heard whispers but couldn’t make out what she was saying. “Macie?”

“G-Garr,” she said breathlessly.

“Macie, what’s wrong?” he said, standing and heading toward his truck. He just knew that he’d be driving somewhere fast.

“Garr, there’s a shooter in the mall. I came for some last-minute shopping. There’s a shooter.”

“Where, honey? Where are you?” he asked.

“Canal shops,” she whispered. “I’m hiding in the pretzel shop. I can hear him. I hear him moving this way, Garr.”

“Stay where you are. Is there a refrigerator or storage locker you can get to?” he asked, feeling panicked. He waved a hand at a few guys, signaling that there was a problem, and it was urgent. They came running.

“There’s a storage room, but there’s a dead man blocking it. There’s so much blood, Garr. I’m scared.”

“I know you are, honey. I know you are. We’re on our way.”

“Oh, God. Oh, God, Garr, there are more. I hear more guns. It’s not just one. There are at least three that sound different.”

“Macie, hide. Find a place to hide and stay there. Activate your trackers, and don’t fucking move, honey. I’m on my way.”

“Garr? Garr, I love you. I love you, Garr.”

“Macie, I love you…” The line went dead, and the others stared at him as they sped from the property.

“Hold on, brother. We’re going to get your girl.”