Page 12 of Be With Me
“Shut the fuck up, Mooney,” Danny said. “Mackey’s right. The boxes are fucking heavy.”
Tommy laughed. “Oh so glad I got the couch.” Her uncle smiled in agreement with his son.
“Mooney?” her uncle asked.
“I was told it was Rafe’s nickname because of his last name,” she told her uncle. “I’m not sure I believe the answer though.”
“Ahhh, the wounds inflicted because you don’t believe us,” Danny teased, putting a hand to his chest.
“Shut it, Danny.” Rafe smacked him on the back of the head. “Move it. More boxes to come in then we’ll get a beer and pizza.”
“Beer? Pizza? I’m on it.” Mackey pushed Danny out the door.
“Beer and pizza? You didn’t say you were feeding us, Debbie.” Tommy followed Mackey and Danny out the door. “Bribery works much better than family guilt, just saying.” Her uncle went out the door behind his son leaving Debbie along with Rafe.
“I’m all up for bribery too, in case you’re wondering,” Rafe teased.
“Beer and pizza don’t do it for you?” Debbie countered as she closed the distance between them. “Quick before they come back. Kiss me.”
Rafe claimed her lips in a thorough but short kiss. “Never have to ask twice. Maybe we can send those four out while we… organize your closet?” he suggested wiggling his eyebrows at her.
Laughter had Debbie throwing her head back. “You’re definitely a lunatic.”
“But am I your lunatic?” Rafe looked hopeful.
“Off you go. Boxes.” Debbie pushed him toward the door and when he’d disappeared, she whispered, “Yeah, I think you just might be mine.”
§ § §
Mooney leaned his head against the seat while Mackey drove them back to Bragg. He still wasn’t sure how he’d talked Danny and Mackey into driving to Wilmington to help Debbie move into her apartment. It was only a two-ish hour drive so not that bad. Easy enough for him to make the drive pretty regularly. Well, at least he hoped that it would be regularly.
“Thanks again, guys. I know helping someone move isn’t the best use of a three da—”
“Shut it, Mooney,” Danny interrupted from the back seat.
“Yeah, what he said,” Mackey agreed. “It’s obvious that you’re hoping for something with Debbie. She seems nice. It’s hard enough for a soldier to find ‘the one’ with deployments every time we turn around. If I can—” Danny cleared his throat. “—we can help you gain a few good points with her? Yeah, we’ll do that. Christ did you guys see the ho that Kevin was out with the other night?”
“Mackey, shouldn’t you be a little nicer?” Mooney pointed out. “Kevin might have real feelings for her. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Oh no, Mooney. Mackey’s totally right on this one and there is no way that Kevin is thinking with his big head on this decision. She’s not the classiest looking.”
“She could’ve been having a bad day?” Mooney tried to find something positive.
Mackey snorted as he changed lanes to pass the slow-moving minivan in front of them. “When I saw him with her, she had on some of the tightest jeans I’ve ever seen. What could be loosely referred to as a shirt since I don’t think it had a back and there wasn’t much to the front, and hooker heels.”
Danny chuckled at Mackey’s description. “When did you see them because that sounds like the outfit she had on when I bumped into them at the roadhouse?”
“Must’ve been Tuesday? Yeah, Tuesday. I’d just picked up my uniforms from the cleaners and they were going into the diner next door.”
“Should we do a check in on him? Make sure he’s thinking with the right head?” Mooney asked. “I’d hate for him to get taken.”
“We could try?” Danny didn’t sound too sure. “You know how some guys get, but we’d not be good friends if we didn’t at least try.”
“Let’s see if we can get him to meet us for some dinner?” Mooney pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “We should be back in about forty minutes. I’ll text him and see if he wants to join us?”
Mooney saw Mackey glance in the rearview mirror and then shrug. “Fine with me.”
“Me too. Where?” Danny agreed.
