Page 25 of Split Screen Scream
“Oh, that makes sense,” Christie said.
“So, Christie,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “How did you like shooting those four guns for the first time?”
“I didn’t like the shotgun,” she shook her head hard, “because it hurt my shoulder, but I do like the twenty-two.”
“Those are fun guns to shoot. Lots of kids start out shooting twenty-twos with their dads when they’re young.”
“So, it’s more of a child’s gun. Not really a useful gun?”
“No, it’s just an easy gun to learn. And if you’re good with it, you could shoot rabbits and other small game. So, it can be useful. For an intruder though, reach for a shotgun over a twenty-two. More stopping power.”
“I don’t think I want a shotgun.”
“For home protection I’d suggest a hand gun over a shotgun, for you. And you can carry a handgun, but you can’t go walking down the street with a shotgun. A handgun is the first gun you should buy.”
“I’m not ready to buy a gun,” she said, shaking her head.
“Of course not. It’s too soon,” he said. “No one here is going to pressure you to buy a gun. But what did you think of the handguns? Do you have a preference?”
“I liked the revolver, at first,” she said. “But I didn’t like the hot bullet part landing on my head!”
“I can understand that. Bullet casings can be hot. That was not the good first experience I’d hoped for you.”
“Do you have a lot of guns?”
“Heh.” He grinned sheepishly. “To a civilian, the answer would be yes.”
“And to your Navy buddies?”
“Not as many as some. More than others. Though I have a knife collection some of them drool over.”
“Wow. So, you collect guns and knives.”
“Guns, knives, tactical flashlights.”
“Flashlights?”
“Yeah. And that’s a thing we can get you now, whether you decide to buy a gun or not. A good tactical flashlight is a thing everyone should carry.” He reached and pulled a black, heavy-looking flashlight off his belt. “I can show you once it’s dark, but this is what I carry.”
She looked at it but made no move toward it.
“It won’t hurt you,” he laughed. “You’re not in a James Bond movie. It does what it does, no Hollywood spy stuff added. Though it’s very versatile, if you know what to do with it.”
She picked it up. “It’s heavy.”
“Yep.” He watched her wrap her hand around it and grinned.
She looked down, wondering what he was grinning about and if his mind was on something dirty. She blushed now that she was thinking of wrapping her hand around him; sure now, that was what had entered his mind.
“Do you know what you’ve got there?” he asked.
She started to let loose, but his hand wrapped around hers, holding her fingers closed around the flashlight as he leaned in to speak quietly to her. “Like brass knuckles, you hit a guy while holding that flashlight like this, it’s gonna hurt. Far more than your soft hand would.”
“Oh!” His warm, strong hand holding hers, and her thoughts moving into a naughtier range now, had her flustered.
His mind isn’t on that; it’s on me, fighting to defend myself! Get your mind out of the gutter, Christie. He’s trying to help you!
She blushed an even deeper red, which moved heat through her body.
