The sports bar was noisy and raucous, booze and talk flowed freely. The people here were mainly young and beautiful and at fifty-two; Lee was neither. When his son had suggested this place for a drink he had reservations; but he had finally acquiesced. To make matters worse David had been called into work on an emergency; so here he sat. He suddenly felt very old in a bar full of twenty-something's. Who was he kidding? He didn't belong here; he was a fish out of water. He would finish his drink and go back to his world, this wasn't him at all.
As he sat there and sipped his drink, he perused the place. The whole place had the air of organized chaos; multiple TV's vied with diners and drinkers. The place reminded him of a beehive and the low, insistent buzz was getting on his nerves. She first caught his eye because of her demeanor; it didn't fit with the place. Body language always gave one away, and hers fairly screamed out at him. She didn't want to be here anymore than he did and he wondered why. With him it was fairly obvious; he was too old and world weary for the live wire action here. The puzzle was her; she was young and pretty and fit in well with the scene. He smiled to himself; probably a fight with the boyfriend. He had been there once himself ages ago.
It should have ended there; he would have filed her away in his memories and left if it wasn't for the guy. Lee watched as the guy approached her table and spoke to her. He saw her smile and shake her head no; but the guy was insistent. He was clearly trying to pick her up and from her attitude it wasn't working. Lee grinned as the would-be Romeo tried schmoozing her. His grin faded as he saw the guy's hand on her wrist and her attempts to break free. In the crowded bar it was one small scene playing itself out among the hubbub of the place. Lee was old school; to him a woman was to be treated like a lady. He didn't hesitate and moved quickly to the table to confront the man. He reached out to shake the man's hand. The man released the young woman's wrist instinctively and accepted the hand shake. Instead of shaking hands Lee grasped the man's wrist and reached for his elbow. Applying pressure as he had been taught so many years ago the stranger was in instant agony and kneeled down involuntarily.
His voice was low and deadly, "She said let her go. She's said no, so shove off. That's after you apologize for bothering her."
He muttered something under his breath that Lee couldn't catch before slinking away. Her thank you was so soft he almost didn't hear it above the din of the crowd.
Lee smiled and said, "Not all young ladies want Sir Galahad coming to their rescue. I guess my southern upbringing is telling, huh?"
"I'm not like most young ladies, I know my limitations. Fighting off a man in a bar is never pleasant, thank you for coming to my rescue."
"I'm happy I could help," he said. "I was just getting ready to leave when I saw him pestering you. It was an automatic response for me; ladies deserve to be treated like ladies. I'm just thankful he left, I would have hated to make a scene. By the way, I'm Lee."
"Hi, I'm Tracey, and thanks again for the help" she said as he started for the door.
Lee turned to her and gave her a longing look and murmured under his breath, "I'm always ready to help protect a beautiful lady. Who knows you may need the use of my dented armor again in the future."
***
Tracey couldn't believe her luck. Here she was stranded who knows where with a flat tire and a missing jack. She had come to this logging road just to get away from the city. Someone had told her there was a lookout point down the road, but you had to walk. After parking and discovering she had a flat, she tried to use her cell phone to call for roadside assistance. Of all the luck; she kept getting the dreaded signal; not available. She decided that she would walk down to the lookout point and try her cell again; maybe it would work in a different location. She was mindful of the weather; vaguely remembering there was an approaching snow storm. As she walked down the road she suddenly realized she was getting colder and the sky was getting darker. She began to feel a light mist and discounted it as the elevation. Continuing on her way the mist seemed to thicken and soon it was a steady freezing rain. She had to be careful where she was walking now since the ground was getting slick. She was glad she had worn her hiking boots and dressed for cold weather. That was about the only thing that had gone right for her today.
The sky was getting darker and Tracey was getting more concerned for her safety. Her only choice was to find a spot that would give her a cell connection so she continued down the path. Picking her way carefully along the rutted trail she didn't see the broken limb loaded with the extra weight of the ice. She caught the shadow of it as it fell and only had time to look up and no time to react. The limb struck her solidly across the forehead and knocked her out immediately.
Lee wondered why the little car was parked at the entrance to his property and took note of the flat tire. He saw a trail of small footprints in the icy slush leading down the trail. Lee didn't like anyone intruding on his privacy, which was the reason he had worked so hard after retiring from the military. The only thing he wanted was a private place and to be left alone. He carried a lot of baggage in his life and though only fifty-two, he sometimes felt as though he had lived two lives already. He had survived a career as a Ranger, having to fight the Army itself to stay in after his wounds healed. Then there was the bitter divorce and loss of his children which had hardened Lee into stone. The only visitors he welcomed were his sons and they came less and less as they got older and had lives of their own.
