Page 21

It was still worth a good laugh though to watch Jess transform from a badass into a baby.

Of course, the fact she was talking about her brother in law having sex with her sister didn't help.

"I'm glad your sister is still… satisfied," Linda said with a chuckle. "It's a good feeling."

"More on that later," Jess said. "I want all the damn tea spilled on your relationship with Superstar for my own personal curiosity.

But Hollywood… I gotta ask, he's doing okay, professionally?

I just… look, Linda. I feel like he's my baby too still.

I started the man off, his very first team leader, and he got transferred away from me with the job only half done.

And since he's family, I just worry about him even when I'm not supposed to. "

"Well don't," Linda reassured Jess. "Goodman's a good soldier.

He's still right on track to pin on Specialist soon.

Although last time he and I talked, he's going to hold off on going to the Basic Leaders Course until later, so it'll definitely be Specialist and not Corporal.

He wants to spend as much time with the squad, learn as much as he can…

I think he wants to just have some solid time with the unit before he goes to school. "

Jess nodded, sighing. "Yeah, makes sense.

I mean, it's a good idea for him and Sabby.

I'm not going to lie to you Linda, I don't like the idea of my sister or Hollywood leaving.

Not when I'm just rebuilding a family again.

And you know how the S-1 offices are. They say they're going to send him back to the unit?—"

"—Right up until they don't," Linda finished for her, and Jess nodded.

Army personnel was infamous for last-minute changes that disrupted people's lives. A reality they all lived with.

"You know it'll have to happen eventually. I mean, you're not too long for the unit yourself, you've been with the company for over two years now."

"I know, I know," Jess grumbled. "And it'll suck. On the bright side, the dating possibilities will hopefully drastically improve."

"Ah, to be the only muscle mommy in fifty miles." Linda clucked her tongue and shaking her head in mock sadness. She was on comfortable ground with Jess here, and felt like she was safe. "You must hate life."

"Definitely a lot more than you. You're the one who's found someone," Jess pointed out. "And yes, while I love my gym here in Blackstone, I really, really could use an upgrade in my dating options."

Their pizza arrived, and Linda pulled off a slice of the huge, sixteen inch wide pizza, folding it in half.

"I guess I have found someone, haven't I?" she mused. "I just have to get through the next few days."

"What do you mean?" Jess asked. "You guys meet up every weekend, right?"

"Yeah, but we also try to talk at night, and he's reporting to minicamp," Linda admitted.

"I mean, we already have plans for this weekend, but while he says he'll be home every night so we might be able to talk, I expect he'll be so tired that we'll be out of touch for a few days. You know how much that sucks?"

"Actually… gotta admit, no," Jess said with a laugh. "Look, I lived with my sister. And I love that crazy little goth pixie to death, but sometimes I actually liked getting on the damn plane for a mission. Because I was about to love that girl to literal death. Ah well, she's Logan's problem now."

"You know, we notice it," Linda said, and Jess tilted her head. "How you and Hollywood talk about each other. When you're talking about the soldier, he's Hollywood. When you're talking about his relationship with your sister or your family situation, he's Logan."

"Huh… guess you're right," Jess said. "And what does he say?"

"I've never heard him speak about you or to you as anything other than Sergeant Adams," Linda said with a grin. "No nickname, sure as hell never calling you Jess. It's sort of admirable, the way you two make it work."

"Guess we do, we've never talked about it," Jess said. "But enough on him, tell me more about you and Brutus. It's been what—two months now? Things getting serious?"

"I don't know if I should say..." Linda swirled her straw in her drink, surprising herself with how much she actually wanted to confide in someone.

"Oh come on," Jess urged. "Give me something. Is he as gentle as he seems in those interviews? Or is there a beast underneath all that politeness?"

Linda felt her cheeks warming as memories from their weekend flooded back—his strong hands gripping her hips, the way his voice deepened when he wanted her.

"Let's just say there are definitely two sides to Brutus Townsend, and I'm lucky enough to see both."

Before Jess could press for more details, both of their cell phones rang simultaneously. Looking down, Linda saw the caller, C Co Office.

"Damn," Linda growled, answering. "Castellanos."

"Sergeant, it's Crews. CO's initiated recall, everyone needs to get to the company area ASAP."

"Understood. Sergeant Adams and I are off post getting a pizza. Give us fifteen minutes?"

"Understood. Time limit's thirteen hundred hours."

The line went dead, and Linda looked at Jess, who lowered her phone. "I got Nate Nichols on my call," she said. "Looks like something's going down."

That was an understatement. If a recall happened during the middle of lunch, it meant more than something going down.

It meant something major was going down.

And while Crews said that they had to be back by thirteen hundred, the official end of lunch, that wasn't a good thing.

As NCOs, both Linda and Jess had to be there as quickly as possible so as to get their fire teams spun up and ready for orders to come down from higher up.

It was the classic 'hurry up and wait' that the Army was notorious for, but when shit happened, it worked.

"Grab the pizza." Jess stood up. "I'll drive."

They hurried out to Jess's truck, Linda holding the quickly boxed leftovers in one arm as she texted with her other hand. She had to tell Brutus something. Plans for this weekend might need to be delayed. Work.

She didn't expect to get a reply, but as they pulled through the gate, she got one anyway.

I understand. Please tell me when you can, and be safe. I need you.

"You okay?" Jess asked her.

Linda nodded, putting her phone away. Her vision blurred slightly as the words echoed in her mind, I need you.

No one had ever said those words to her before, not like that.

Not with the weight and meaning Brutus had put behind them.

Even her family had always seen her as the strong, independent one who didn't need anyone.

But Brutus... he wasn't afraid to admit he needed her.

"Just dusty ass fucking roads," she managed to say, her voice slightly thick.

"Yeah... dusty ass roads," Jess agreed, giving Linda the space she needed as they rushed back to base, toward whatever crisis awaited them.