First off, a big, giant, huge thank you to SoCalCynic for putting up with my irritating, enthusiastic ass and editing this thing.
This story does share a few characters from my very first story, Casey's Valentine. The piece does stand alone, so it's far from required reading. But if you read the first, you'll probably catch on a lot sooner than the main characters do.
The title is pulled from a song off of the Lost Boys soundtrack by Gerard McMann. It doesn't have a lot to do with the story, per se, but once the title stuck in my head, it just wouldn't come out.
And lastly, all comments and ratings are greatly appreciated. Comments especially. Nothing warms my heart more than getting a happy email from a reader. Hope you guys have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.
*
Jill's phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out to read her big brother's text message.
We've been at the baggage claim for twenty minutes, where the fuck are you?
She rolled her eyes and huffed out a sigh; did she have any control over the delay in disembarking the plane? She furiously pounded on the keys of her phone.
Patience, grasshopper. I'll meet you there as soon as I can.
"Come on!" she muttered under her breath, resisting the urge to make her way up the aisle of the plane by throwing elbows. Her cell vibrated again and Jill clucked impatiently under her breath, though she was grateful for the temporary distraction from her frustrations.
You're going to put Casey into early labor and your nephew will never forgive you when he's too small to play hockey like his dad.
You're such a drama queen. She's not going to go into early labor just by standing.
How would you know? Not many babies being born in Iraq, are there?
I'm sure there are plenty being born there, but none in the Army. If you're so worried, find your wife a seat.
His wife ... it was still difficult to wrap her head around the fact that Jason had gotten married. Maybe if she had been at the wedding, it would be easier to believe. But the military had denied her request to leave theater for his big day. It was part of the reason she didn't reenlist when her four years of service ended.
Jill was sidetracked from her thoughts as a little cheer erupted from her fellow passengers. The large man in row five that had somehow gotten stuck was free at last, and the line resumed moving forward.
We're moving now, see you in a few
, she quickly texted, before hiking her bag higher on her shoulder and making her way down the aisle.
Minutes later she was finally at baggage claim, her eyes peeled for any sign of her brother and new sister-in-law. A few seconds after reaching the carousels she heard someone shout, "Jilly Bean!" and her face broke into a grin as she recognized Jason's voice.
Smiling and waving, he ran to lift her into a giant bear hug that threatened to knock the wind right out of her. "Jesus, Jase!" she croaked out before he finally set her back on her feet. Jill steadied herself, and turned to face the very pregnant woman next to her brother. "You must be Casey." Jill pulled her into a hug before she could think twice.
"It's nice to meet you too," Casey chuckled out as Jill tried to avoid squishing her large belly. "Maybe now Jason will relax a little now that he has one less person to worry about," she said with a smile.
"You weren't worried about me, were you big brother?" Jill asked with a grin. "Didn't I kick your ass enough when we were kids for you to know that I can take care of myself?"
"There's a big difference," Jason commented gruffly, "between wrestling with me and dodging shrapnel."
Jill felt his eyes lingering over the couple of new scars on her face and reddened under his stare. The marks weren't anything too noticeable, a few small cuts on her cheek and forehead from an unexpected IED that her convoy had encountered. She had been lucky that all of her wounds had been superficial. It could have been much, much worse. Jill had seen that first hand working in the Army field hospital.
"Well, I'm home now, so you can stop your pretty little head from worrying," Jill commented casually, trying to keep the exchange light. The last thing she wanted to get into were her experiences overseas. "Speaking of that head, thank God you cut those golden locks; you were starting to look like me."
Casey laughed and Jason opened his mouth to respond, but they were interrupted by the beeping of the carousel behind them.
Jill's bags were remarkably easy to pick out, a couple of olive green sea bags, borrowed from a corpsman friend, stuffed to the brim with all of her earthly possessions. She and Jason each hiked one of her heavy bags high on their shoulders and the trio made their way out of the airport to the parking garage.
"Jesus, Jill, did you pack the cat too?" Jason huffed out as he deposited the bag he was carrying into the back of his Jeep.
"I tried, but mom wouldn't let me," Jill joked as she threw her bag down next to the other. "I'm moving here, what did you expect? A light little travel bag?"
Jason grumbled but said nothing, opting instead to gingerly help Casey into the passenger side of his Jeep while she protested his ministrations. It was so strange, watching her brother be so tender. Jill hid a smile as Jason stole a little kiss from his wife before closing the door with a dopey look on his face. That one little moment told Jill all she needed to know about her new sister-in-law and her brother; they were perfect together.
Jill quickly closed the trunk before climbing into the Jeep before Jason or Casey could notice that she was watching them. Soon, they were weaving their way through traffic away from DIA and towards Denver, the city that was Jill's new home.
Less than an hour later, Jill's mouth was open in shock as she took in the apartment that Jason and Casey had found for her. Or so she thought.
"Jason and I just moved into our new house last week, so we figured you could have the apartment," Casey told her with a smile.
"Guys, this is too much," Jill nearly whispered as she tried to take it all in, her jaw still slack. The high ceilings, the huge windows, the shiny appliances in the kitchen all said one thing: luxury. "I couldn't possibly live here."
"Consider it a welcome home present," Jason said as he nudged her shoulder with his. "You wouldn't let me pay for medical school, so we figured this would be the next best thing."
"It's just a pre-med program," Jill responded with a blush. "And the Army is paying for it."
"You say potato ..." he trailed off, still grinning like an idiot with his arm around his wife, obviously pleased with himself. "Casey will take you out tomorrow to pick out furniture. So we'll put you up in a hotel tonight so you have somewhere to sleep."
"Why not the new house?" Jill asked, puzzled.
Jason's face broke into an evil grin. "Well, Casey's hormones are raging and we don't like to be quiet ..."
"LALALALALALA," Jill exclaimed loudly, sticking her fingers in her ears like she used to do when they were kids. "Way too much fucking information, big brother. Literally." She let out an exasperated sigh and bent over to start digging through her bags. The fact that they were giving her their apartment was already too much. But to put her up in a hotel too? "You're not getting me a room, I'm sure I brought my sleeping bag ..."
"Enough!" Casey all but yelled before turning to her new sister-in-law and giving her a big, indulgent smile. "Jason told me that we're very alike, hard-headed and proud. So here's how it's going to go. You're taking the apartment, because it's close to your school and we don't want to sell it. We're bringing you to a hotel tonight, because there's no way in hell we're letting you sleep on the floor. And I'm buying you furniture tomorrow one way or another, so if you want any choice in the matter, then you're coming with me."
Jill's mouth opened and closed in an attempt to reply, but no sound came out. She was overwhelmed with a sudden surge of affection for both her brother and Casey.
"Holy shit, love, you struck her speechless," Jason laughed out. "So it's agreed, then! Grab a few things and let's get you to your hotel, Casey's got a doctor's appointment."
-----
Hours later Jill was lying in her hotel bed, desperately trying to fall asleep. She tried clearing her mind, relaxing each body part individually, focusing on the blend of quiet noises in her hotel room. Nothing worked. Inevitably her thoughts turned back to the rest of her first day in Denver.
After the doctor's appointment and checking into the hotel, Jason and Casey had swept her away for dinner at a little mom and pop restaurant out in the suburbs near their new home. It was a great decision in the end. Jill may have been home from overseas for weeks now, but still the taste of her cheeseburger was nearly orgasmic.
As much as Jill had missed real food in Iraq, she was loath to admit that she had missed her brother more.
Jill had mostly kept to herself growing up. Her brother had been her protector, her confidante, and her best friend through their early years together. She had never been one to amass many female friends, always opting to wrestle and joke with Jason and his buddies until he graduated. After he left, she immersed herself in school and Junior ROTC, still keeping her distance from most others.
There was one friend of Jason's, Nathan, that she stayed close to through her senior year. Jill had lost her virginity to him on prom night, a little clichéd but she had figured better Nate than never. They subsequently dated and fooled around for a couple of months until Jill graduated and enlisted, leaving on friendly terms.
She shipped off to boot camp mere weeks after matriculating, opting for a specialty in medicine. It guaranteed that Jill was usually surrounded by other women. She mostly kept to herself, avoiding the drama and gossip that seemed to follow her colleagues everywhere. Sure, there had been a few men that she worked with, but she didn't socialize with them either. The last thing that she wanted was a reputation.
So Jill had returned from overseas a lonely woman. Having her brother nearby again meant more to her than she cared to admit. And despite her usual prejudices against other women, Jill found herself liking Casey quite a bit.
Besides herself, she had never seen anyone give her brother so much shit in such a short period of time, and it was obvious how much he loved Casey for it. Jason had been right in his assessment of the two of them; they were very much alike. Jill could easily see herself getting close to her new sister-in-law.
Jill rolled onto her side with a sigh. She was truly happy for her brother. It was about time he found someone that didn't live to kiss his ass.
But it was difficult seeing them so happy together. Behind her confident exterior, Jill was desperate for that companionship with another man, for that closeness and bond. And, God help her, for the sex. But she had no time for a relationship right now. Jill was determined to make it through her pre-med courses and into medical school, and a boyfriend would only serve as a distraction. A relationship would have to wait.
She rolled onto her back with another sigh and gave up on sleep. The bed was too soft, the room too quiet, her mind too fully engaged. Without thinking twice, she rolled out of bed, grabbed her wallet, put on her slippers and made her way down to the bar.
It was dark, quiet, and far from crowded, unsurprising for a Wednesday night. Jill took a seat near the end of the bar and ordered a white Russian, almost licking her lips in anticipation of the sweet drink. She was usually one to drink beer, but she figured she could indulge herself a girly drink for one night. That's when movement at the back corner of the bar caught her eye.
