Page 7 of Trusting the Team

“I wasn't sure you were going to get out. You sat out here for like 10 minutes.”

She playfully shoved him, “did not.”

“She made it!” Ace said as they walked in. “It's a zoo. Most of the kids are between 5-7 now. My oldest is in college, Sinta is graduating next.” He was walking her to the back porch. “My woman is Piper.”

“You could say wife,” Dari answered back. Zoey chuckled overhearing.

“I'm Zoey, Bubba's wife.”

“Dari.”

“Yes, Caite told us about you.”

“I'm sorry?” Dari did not like being talked about. She liked a quiet life.

Phantom leaned down in her ear, “They’re safe.” He straightened, “My wife is the hot one with dark red hair, Kalee.” Dari smirked following him outside.

Rex grabbed Dari as she walked to the bottom of the deck. “I thought you guys were getting old?”

“Woah,” Bubba said as her feet came down in front of her, “rounds downrange. Good to see you too.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize how sensitive you were at your age,” Dari kept up.

“Damn, you got feisty,” Gumby stepped in. He wrapped her up gently, “Sidney has long black hair, in the jeans behind me.” Dari saw Sidney as he separated them.

“At least he didn't say she was the hot one, cause that's my red head,” Rex picked at Gumby.

“Ok, I’m sorry for real. Back off,” Dari had a hand on both men's chests. As if on cue children were everywhere. Dari lifted her hands off Rex and Gumby as she looked around bewildered. She turned, backing up to the fence. The men playing with the kids, cooking, and feeling up their wives.

“She looks like Phantom used to,” Sidney said to Kalee and Caite.

“Really?” Kalee looked surprised. The two laughed.

“Uncomfortable,” Caite said. “She got like that at the office too.”

“Did anybody's man talk about what happened?” Sidney asked.

Avery walked up, “What's brewing over here? It looks deep.”

“Did Cole ever say what happened on the mission they met Dari?”

“He said he had been shot, and it got infected. I didn’t know about her until much later. We never talked about what happened to her. He would never put somebody's shit out like that.”

“She knew them before any of us did. That picture was so cute,” Caite wrapped up the topic as Rocco swung by.

“What are you ladies talking about?”

“I think a girls' night at the beach house soon,” Sidney offered. “Can we invite Dari?”

Rocco's grin fell away as he straightened from nuzzling Caite's neck. “Caite works with her, I'm sure she could ask.”

Caite looked up at him, “Is there a reason we shouldn't ask?”

“If my math is correct, she’s not old enough to drink.”

Caite squinted at him, “What are you not saying?” Rocco backed away, hands up.

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