Page 1 of Falling for a Grumpy Hero

FORD

T he rhythmic thump-thump-thump of rotor blades from above signaled the arrival of our ride.

I glanced up, squinting into the orange and crimson sky as the sun set behind the jagged Afghan mountains in the distance.

Hand to my forehead, I shielded my eyes against the glare and watched for a moment as the chopper emerged through the thick cloud of dust in the air.

Heat shimmered off the tarmac it was aiming for, the thumping growing louder with every inch the helicopter descended. It blew up sand and grit in a stinging gust of wind as it touched down, but I didn’t flinch.

The only thing that might’ve worried me was getting some of that shit in my eyes right before a mission, but they were protected by my scratched ballistic lenses.

I’d been here too long now to be bothered by a whirlwind of shrapnel-like grit blowing around.

I was also long past the stab of fear that used to race through me when our transport arrived.

“God, I can’t wait to get out of here.” Luke, my best friend and fellow marine, adjusted the strap on his plate carrier and tossed me a grin, his teeth a striking white against his deeply tanned skin. “Only a few more weeks until we blow this popsicle stand. Can I get a hell yeah ?”

“Nope. Can’t do it.” I double-checked my rifle before I glanced back at him, both of us standing under the mottled cover of a camouflage net.

“Unlike the rest of you idiots, I’m not looking forward to returning to base.

As far as I’m concerned, they can keep me here forever.

What’s not to love?” I pumped my eyebrows at him and lifted my arms out to my sides to indicate our surroundings. “It’s always sunny in Afghanistan.”

“What?” Dappled shadows fell across his face as his head jerked back, his jaw slackening before his lips curved into a grin. “Oh, I get it. You’re messing with me.”

“I’m really not.” I glanced toward those mountaintops I’d woken up to for almost a year on this tour, unable to even imagine opening my eyes and seeing the ocean again. “The view is unparalleled, don’t you think?”

“Sure, if you’ve got a thing for deserts and death. Seriously, bro, are you feeling okay? Fever?”

I laughed. “I’m fine. Just happy exactly where I am, doing my job and serving my country while I’m at it. It seems more practical to enjoy where I’m at right now than to focus on what’s happening in a few weeks.”

“Practical schmactical.” He shook his head and pulled a soft, crinkled photograph out of his pocket.

It was one of those passport-sized ones and I’d seen it many times before, but he showed it to me anyway.

“As soon as my toes touch US soil, I’m asking her to marry me. I’ve got a ring and everything.”

I arched my eyebrows and smirked. “The only reason you want to get married is so that you can get out of the barracks and move into family housing.”

As I said it, my gaze dropped to the picture. Melissa, his high-school sweetheart, beamed at me from it, her eyes bright with happiness and her expression somehow coy and cute at the same time. I’d met her before we’d deployed. She was nice.

I wouldn’t marry her, but that didn’t mean much. I didn’t know if I’d ever want to marry anyone.

“Bullshit.” Luke laughed and snatched the photo back to slide it into the inner pocket of his shirt. It was always there, as close to his heart as he could carry her. “I want to marry her because I love her and because I’ve kept her waiting long enough.”

We headed over to go help the rest of our squad load up the remaining weapons and gear. “Mark my words, Ford. Eventually, some woman is going to sweep you off your ugly feet and you’ll be looking forward to getting back stateside too.”

I scoffed. “Lay off my feet.”

“Let’s go, boys!” Lieutenant Anderson shouted and Luke’s smile melted away.

The atmosphere between us all shifted instantly, the moment of departure having arrived. I looked at the guys standing in a loose semi-circle around me, giving them each a tight nod in turn. They did the same to me and to each other.

This was far from our first rodeo, but in these moments right before we headed out, the silence that fell between us was always heavy with the weight of the unknown.

None of us knew whether the brother standing next to us now would be there when we got back.

None of us knew if we’d be coming back in one piece or even coming back at all.

My jaw clenched with the intensity of it as we fell into tight formation and jogged toward the helicopter.

I might not feel that fear anymore, not as deeply as I used to, anyway, but my senses always went on full alert at this point, my heart beating double time and the world around me in much sharper focus.

When we reached the chopper, the loadmaster waved us aboard with gloved hands, shouting above the ever-present thumping of those rotors. I swore, years from now when I was old and gray, I would still hear that thumping in my dreams. “Go, go, go!”

Our boots hit the metal of the steel ramp and my pulse spiked like it was ticking toward a countdown.

I just didn’t know what it was counting down to, hence the weight of that uncertainty.

In theory, we were only doing recon today, not going into battle or setting down into fire, but the reality was that every mission was a battle of some sort and the possibility of getting trapped under fire lurked around every corner.

I took my seat on the bench along the wall and strapped in, inhaling the familiar scent of stale sweat, gun oil, and scorched dust. It created a cocktail of adrenaline and duty that I found comforting—especially while I was in the presence of the low thrum of nerves that we were all trying to ignore.

There were no more jokes now, though. No chatter and no banter. Our game faces were on, all eyes forward as the ramp hissed and started lifting, sealing us into the beast we’d be flying in today. Possibly dying in today.

I shut my eyes and let my head drop back against the metal.

The ground vibrated under my feet, the roar of the engines near deafening as the pilot prepared for takeoff.

The familiar sounds, smells, and sensations lulled me into what I knew was a false sense of security, but I let it happen and my mind drifted toward Luke’s excitement to go home.

Most of the guys on this chopper were counting down the days.

Some, like Luke, were eager to get back because they had big plans.

Proposing. Taking a trip. The lieutenant’s grandma was sick and he was hoping to get to her in time to say goodbye.

Others just wanted to get home to make love to their wives, or kiss their kids goodnight, or make it to a big music festival coming up.

For me, this was what I’d been looking forward to. Getting to be here. Becoming a marine. Serving my country. Once I’d outgrown the phase of wanting to be a race car driver, this was all I’d ever wanted to do.

And now that I was doing it? Fuck, yeah, it’d been worth all the work I’d put in. I’d stay forever if they’d let me.

I’d just never really taken into consideration that deployments came to an end and that most people built lives for themselves at home to go back to. Suppose I can request an extension. Maybe look into reassignment options.

As we lifted into the sky, the crimson wash of those last rays of sunshine fell across the cabin, illuminating the dust everywhere, drifting in the air, a fine carpet of it on the floor, and even on us.

It was strangely beautiful sometimes, this sandy, dusty landscape that had become our temporary home.

For a moment, it even seemed almost peaceful, but that didn’t last long.

Through the window on the opposite side of the cabin, I watched the vast nothingness below as darkness fell, the only sound that incessant thumping of the rotor blades and the roar of the air as we sliced through it.

Maybe I should take leave when we get back.

Go to Vermont for a few days and see my folks. They’d like that.

During our flight, my weapon was cradled, my head on a swivel to check on my brothers and to keep an eye outside for signs of anything untoward, but it was too dark to see much. I leaned back, realizing that the only useful thing I could do right now was to calmly ride this out.

We’d be starting our descent any second now, and when that happened, my head would be back in the game, but I let my mind wander in the meantime. It wandered all the way back home, mostly to the fact that I had nothing waiting for me there.

My folks, sure, but I hadn’t even told them I was coming.

The only thing I was really looking forward to was burying myself balls deep in a base bunny or two.

That was my plan as soon as my toes hit US soil.

Luke could go down on one knee, but I’d be getting some girl down on both of hers.

A few days of debauchery were probably exactly what the doctor would order once we got there.

After that, I guess I’ll figure it out.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts when I felt the helicopter slowly starting to descend, I turned back to the window and kept my eyes peeled, but there was nothing but utter and complete blackness out there.

No one else seemed to spot anything either, but we were all alert again, spines rigid as we mentally prepared to get our boots back on the ground.

Suddenly, the helicopter banked sharply and my rifle smacked into my knee with the force of the maneuver. Then all hell broke loose as someone yelled, “We’re taking fire!”

Crack-crack-crack . It happened so fast that it was completely disorienting, the loud metallic pops that hit the frame instantly disrupting the monotonous drone of the vibration under my feet. Crack-crack-crack .

I expected it to end, but it didn’t. I ducked instinctively, even though I knew the bullets wouldn’t be kind enough to miss my head just because it was few inches lower. The acrid scent of something burning filled my nostrils on my next inhale and that was what finally made it feel real.

That smell was burning fuel or maybe hydraulic fluid. Maybe metal. But it wasn’t a scent that belonged here. It wasn’t part of that familiar cocktail. We were taking enemy fire and we were being battered by it. The pilot’s attempts at evading the hit when he’d banked hadn’t worked.

Weapons clattered as we braced ourselves for impact. Eyes wide, my breathing was shallow, my heart pounding so hard that it hurt. Faint sounds of prayer hit my ears, but I didn’t know who it was coming from.

I just knew my own response was closer to the never-ending stream of cuss words being shouted by somebody else on my other side. The pilot banked hard again and I was thrown sideways this time, straining against my harness before I grabbed onto some webbing and held on.

Sparks started flying when the rounds pierced the cabin. I couldn’t process it at first when I saw red mist.

It was complete chaos, the helicopter spinning out of control. I looked around wildly until my gaze locked on Luke’s wide green eyes. He grabbed my arm, but there was nothing either of us could do to help the other.

We were going down. Every second stretched into infinity, interspersed only by shouts, panic, and fear, and then it happened. The impact was jarring, spine-rattling and fiery, but only for a fraction of a second before everything faded to black.