Daniel pounded the bag like those demons from the fires of hell he had tried to outrun. His body needed to release the frustrations and doubts that his mind refused to admit.
The past four days had been fucking amazing. After his little fight with Samuel on Monday and his surprising afternoon romp in bed with his wife, that word still stuck in his throat sometimes, all should be right with the world. Except...
"Give the damned thing a break man. What has it ever done to you?" asked the voice of his conscious and best friend.
Daniel stepped back from pounding the leather surface of the punching bag. Walking to the side of the gym, he picked up his towel and wiped sweat from his brow.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Gees, man, is that all you and that witch you married to ever do? Talk about us and our lives?" Daniel accused as he lifted the bottle of water and downed most of it in a single gulp. If only he could quench other thirsts as easily. But even after four days of the most spectacular sex of his life, he still could not let it go.
"I keep telling you, she's a white witch," Samuel said as he wiped his own forehead. "And she doesn't mean any harm, man."
Daniel sighed, "Is nothing sacred with that woman?"
Samuel laughed, "Not much, buddy. And we just want to help. Be there for you both."
Daniel shook his head at his friends words.
"Is it what we talked about the other day? I mean it's going to take some time and patience."
Daniel laughed this time. "Not as much as you think, old man."
Samuel arched his brow and waited as they picked up their gym bags and headed out out the door and across the parking lot.
Daniel toyed with things in his mind. True enough, Samuel and Simone had been his friends for almost fifteen years. They were among the few people, who knew the dirty details of his first marriage. Simone more even than his best friend. But somehow this felt different. Raw.
But the truth was if not for his conversation with Samuel on Monday, he might still be cooling his heels and stewing in his own insecurities instead of enjoying his wife's charms. Well, most of the time anyway.
"Things are good. I mean really good. Really," he finally said in a low voice.
Samuel wrinkled his forehead, "Then I'd hate to see that poor dead cow if they weren't."
"No, I mean the sex is great. More than great."
Samuel smiled, "For the rest of us too, thanks for the short days. But what's the problem?"
Daniel leaned against his Explorer. "She's still sleeping in the nursery with Britney and Ashley," he almost whispered.
Daniel just shook his head at the chuckle from his friend. "You have a really bad sense of humor, my friend. Unless you're looking to replace that bag, I'd recommend you stop laughing."
His friend rubbed the side of his head and smiled. "No, thanks. I'm still having headaches from the other day."
Daniel shook his head as he opened the back door and threw his bag onto the floor board.
"Have you tried talking to her about it? Asking her."
Daniel slammed the car door. "Fuck, man, you don't invite your wife to sleep in your bed."
"Maybe," Samuel paused, a knowing grin cut across his dark face. "But then again most marriages aren't arranged sight unseen on the Internet by meddling friends and mothers either."
Daniel fought the urge to knock that smile from his friend's face. But he grudgingly acknowledged that what he said made sense.
"I'm getting tired of asking this fucking question, but now what, smart ass?"
"Find a delicate way to bring the subject up with the missus. I don't know. Maybe ask how the babies are sleeping. See if perhaps she is worried about them. Hell, Jess has been begging and pleading for her own room so damned long. Why don't we all paint the basement for the kid? You could use the excuse that she needs the bed for her new room, maybe?"
Daniel frowned in thought. Samuel did have a point. Jess had been asking him to do just that for over two years. She hated pink and Barbie's almost as much as she disliked being forced to share her space with her younger sister. It had been another of Rachel's little points about why he should quit the Navy and go to work for the Dodd's. So they could afford a bigger house and give all the girls their own rooms.
"How about you bring the truck and meet me at the bus stop then? We can take the girls and make a quick run to the hardware store for drywall and some paint before dinner. Get started first thing tomorrow," he smiled.
"Sure you don't want to head there now," his friend teased.
Daniel laughed, "Hell, no. You ain't the only one whose sexy wife is waiting at home for a nooner."
Samuel slapped him on the back. "That's the way to think, my friend. See you after a bit of...sky rockets in flight...after noon delight," his deep baritone attempted a falsetto. The two parted laughing, smiling and humming the old hit.
***
Jill had just set the bowls of diced ham, cheese, carrots and cherrios in front of Brit and Ash when the door bell rung. Leaving the girls securely fastened in their high chairs she turned towards the living room and the front door. Singing out, "I'm coming."
When she opened the door, she was expecting to find Simone, Trisha or one of the other wives. But instead a tall and stocky blond man filled the door way. She was not certain what it was but something about the man threw her, made her decidedly uncomfortable. Her arms spread between the doorway, her body blocking his view of the house beyond.
"Yes, may I help you?" she asked the stranger.
The hand held out his hand, "I'm sorry. I forgot we didn't meet at your wedding reception. You were holed up inside with Simone I think." The man smiled, but it only sent a shiver down her spine. Something about it was anything but genuine. "I'm Clay. Clay Dodd. I was in your husband's unit a couple years back."
Jill relaxed her stance a bit. She tried to quiet the irrational voices in her mind. If this man served under Daniel then he must be all right. Right? But somehow the sentiment did not translate from her logical brain to the knots in her gut that screamed for her to beware.
"Mister Dodd, I'm afraid Daniel isn't in right now, but we expect him shortly," she said stiffly.
"Mind if I wait inside," he smiled.
Jill wanted to scream, yes, yes I mind. But without some logical reason she could not afford to be rude to one of Daniel's men. Things had been going so well for them this week. Well, almost anyway, she thought.
"I suppose it will be fine. I was just feeding the little ones."
"I don't mind. I haven't seen my girls in a long time until the other night," he added another of those smiles that Jill supposed would charm most women.
She stepped back to allow the man entry. A shiver ran down her spine as he brushed a little too close against her. His smile broadened.
Jill closed the door and turned towards the kitchen. "I really need to check on the girls. Have a seat in here. I'm sure Daniel won't be long," she knew she was stammering but there was little she could do to control this irrational reaction to the man.
"If it's O.K., I'd like to hang out with you and the twins in the kitchen. Like I said, I haven't seen much of my girls since..." his words hung in the air. "Rachel was a dear friend. And I was quite fond of the little angels before...Well, before their mother's untimely death."
Jill nodded. The man's affection for the toddlers should have allayed some of her concerns but for some reason it did not.
Walking into the kitchen, she smiled at the mess about her. Britney and Ashley had managed in only the couple of moments she had been gone to throw as much of their food on the floor as they had eaten. Maybe even more. Jill knew that playing with their food was as important at this age as eating it. Picking up the little pieces allowed them to develop their fine motor and hand-eye coordination. So after four boys, she really did not mind the mess.
The man was another matter as he obviously looked around the small kitchen. "They have grown so much. I remember when Rachel was pregnant with them. She always complained about how active they were. Their kicking kept her up half the night."
Jill tried to focus, gain whatever information she could about her mysterious predecessor. But she could not seem to fight off this feeling. It was one that she had felt only twice before. She hoped with all her heart that this did not end as badly those other times.
"You said you were friends with Rachel?" she probed as she grabbed a dishcloth from the kitchen sink. She began to clean Britney's hand as she snuck a quick glance at the clock on the wall. She just hoped like hell that Daniel would be back early as he had this past week. If he tarried the way that he had before...Well, it simply did not bear thinking about.
That smile was back again. It reminded Jill of another man's, the tiny hairs on her arms stood on end once more.
"Yes," he boasted. "Our fathers run in the same business circles in New York and Washington. Although we had never met until I joined Daniel's team, we shared many of the same friends."
Jill nodded as she finished washing Britney's hands and face. Removing the soiled bib, she turned her efforts to Ashley. The men came to stand right behind her, once again brushing against her until she moved away.
