Walker and Valerie Read online

  “Well, BB and I won’t be participating, but I think that would be fun. Girls, would you like to spend the day at Aunt Evbie’s and Uncle Dean’s?” Charlotte asked her daughters.

  “Dad, are you going to join us?” Ally turned to Domino. There were some gasps at the table, and Gena dropped a spoon in the kitchen. Everyone turned to Domino and Charlotte. They just smiled.

  “I think it can be arranged.” His smile was one of the biggest I had ever seen from him. Domino was a father. It fit him well.

  “Valerie, Walker, you both are welcome, of course.” Dean had turned to us.

  “Would you like to go, Val?” Walker asked me. I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I could feel myself turning red.

  “Way to make her the center of attention, guys. Just ignore them. You can answer Walker later, when these knuckleheads aren’t around,” Gena said.

  Walker laughed; I knew right then I really liked Gena. She seemed a few years younger than me. She had her hair up in a ponytail, and was dressed casually in jeans, a T-shirt, and a pair of Converse.

  “So, Valerie, what do you do?” Eve asked.

  I was a little shocked I was sitting at a table with Dawn Early; I really liked her work. I got to travel the US through her, without leaving the comfort of my home. “I own the Greer Theater. I spend most days there running it.”

  “A movie theater?” BB asked.

  “Yes, I have four screens and play all the new movies I can. On Tuesdays at 2:00 in the afternoon I will play older movies. On Saturday nights at midnight, we have audience participation movies.”

  “Oh, like Rocky Horror?” Charlotte asked.

  “Exactly. My weekend manager belonged to a live-theater troop. When he came to me, he approached me about it. I was open to the idea, but I didn’t want any extra clean up on my cleaning ladies. He said no problem; he would take care of it. So far it has worked out really well.”

  “That is very cool,” Hack said.

  “What was really cool was the tour she took me on. As much as I go to the movies, I had never seen behind the scenes as to how one works. Her theater also has lots of history to it since her grandparents owned it before she did.”

  “Oh, I love the history of the city. I will have to stop by sometime and see it for myself,” BB said.

  “Sure, come on a Tuesday.”

  “Mary, why don’t you tell her about how you became BB,” Gena suggested as she put two pitchers on the table; one looked to be tea, the other water. Maddy got up and got a stack of plastic glasses like you would find in a buffet restaurant and passed them out to each of us. Ally handed us small plates while Ammo brought over some platters of cheese, crackers, and fruit. Ammo sat next to Mary, and Gena took a seat next to him.

  Mary laughed. “Oh, it’s good to look back on that and laugh. So, did you hear anything about Moses the human trafficker on the news back in the fall?”

  “A little. I heard he was taken out and then killed in jail,” I said, wondering what she had to do with a scumbag like that.

  “Okay, so let me explain what I do. I am a tailor, seamstress, and dressmaker. I have my own business, Tailormade by Mary, up in Evanston where we live. I go to clients’ homes and alter their clothes for them. The morning I met Michael Greyson, the guy gave me the creeps. I went over there. I altered his suits, and I thought I was done with him. Nope, he called me over seventeen times on the day that Ben and I were having a date.” She paused as mouths dropped.

  “Yup, so I called him back and he got twenty-five shirts he needed me to alter right away. I said no, not till tomorrow. He finally agreed. So, I went over there the next day. I told him I could have three done and I would take the rest home to finish. As I was picking up, I heard the words ‘Help me’ through the ductwork. There was a thump, then he came downstairs. He then said he wanted me to make all his suits and shirts for him from now on. I just wanted out of there. Anyway, a few days later, I told him I got this designer friend who wanted to take him on as a client. Gena, my friend, and I went over there. He found out we were not who we said we were and was holding us at gunpoint. The bastard grazed Gena, and he pistol-whipped my friend while I just waited until he got close enough. He finally did, and I punched him in his balls and took the gun. Well, I punched him so hard I ruptured one of his balls and it had to be removed. After that I was deemed BB, ball buster!”

  We all laughed. What a way to get a nickname.

  “So, Valerie, have you heard of The American Traveler World?” Hunt asked me.

  “Yes, I am a little starstruck that I am sitting at the same table as Dawn Early.” I blushed.

  “Aww, thanks. Do you just read the blog or the magazine too?” Eve asked.

  I looked at Dean, then back at Eve. “Both. Oh, I just realized, you are the soldier who was looking at the Star-Spangled Banner for the first time.”

  “Yeah, that’s me. We had a good time in DC,” he said, turning to Eve while smiling at her.

  “I enjoy reading your articles because it gives me a chance to travel there. Traveling is not the easiest, so this lets me see the place without leaving the comforts of my home,” I explained.

  “That’s what I wanted to accomplish with my writing. I am glad I could take you on a trip with me.” She smiled at me.

  “What I want to know is how you met Walker,” Charlotte said.

  I looked at Walker. He smiled at me; it was making me want to giggle. “I started going to her theater on Tuesdays. This past Tuesday after the movie let out there was a guy arguing with her. I threw him out after she banned him. She gave me a tour of the theater and let me pick out the 2:00 p.m. movies. We watched The Goonies. I asked her out for a date, and she turned me down, but her assistant said yes. So, I called her, and we started talking in the evenings. Then yesterday I went over there to see her and a movie. I walked in and she had had a problem with the popcorn. I ended up going to Costco to replace it. I watched my movie. As I was leaving, I figured out she needed a ride home. I got us dinner and we ended up talking for a few hours last night. And here we are.”

  “Walker, I thought I was going to get to set you down and give you a good talking-to before you went on a date with Valerie,” Domino said, pouting at Walker.

  “Sorry, Domino, you can do it later if it will make you feel better.” Walker laughed.

  “Valerie, you tell me right away if he steps out of line. I will have Ammo kick his ass for you six ways to Sunday, okay?” Domino could be such a big brother at times.

  “Of course. But only if I get to watch,” I said.

  “Oh, I like her. Can we keep her?” Gena giggled.

  We laughed.

  “Ben, what did you make us for dinner?” Eve asked.

  “Gena and I made a roasted chicken, a pork roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted vegetables, and brownies. Or at least we got it all started. Everything should be ready in about an hour and a half. Do you cook, Valerie?” Ben asked.

  “I do. I enjoy it,” I said.

  “Oh, well if you ever want a turn, just ask. Gena and I switch off or work together depending on where Mary and I are that Sunday. Gena’s mom also pitches in now and then too,” he explained.

  “Maybe. I will have to look through my recipes and see what I’ve got.” I would have to see what I could make for a larger crowd.

  “Oh, and Valerie, the vegetables are only made with oil, not butter. Walker said no dairy. Sorry about the mashed potatoes; we have to keep a certain future mom at this table happy,” Gena said.

  “Hey! It’s not my fault she prefers them as rich as possible,” Mary said. Ben kissed her head and put his hands around her baby bump. Domino reached for Charlotte’s hand. It was nice to be around so many happy couples.

  We saw a car pull up and two women got out. One had fiery orange hair; the other woman had pink, purple, and teal hair. They walked in. The redhead said, “Sorry we are late. I was caught up with work.”

  I looked at the other woman. “Josie,” I said. This
day was going perfect. Why did this have to happen?

  She just stood there. She didn’t say anything. She looked at me, then took a deep breath and looked down. “I am sorry. I am just going to go.” She turned and ran. The redhead chased after her and caught her before she could get in the car.

  Walker was rubbing my back again. “Do you want to go?” he asked quietly. I looked at him. I didn’t know what I wanted.

  “Come on, let’s get it all laid out. We can start over, and break bread together,” the redhead said, dragging Josie back in with her. “Hi, I am Nessa, Ben’s sister. You are?” she asked me, holding Josie so she could not bolt out the door again.

  “Valerie.” I looked at Nessa. She and Ben had the same dark blue eyes.

  “Valerie, this is Binary to us. I can see there is some past between you two. Let’s fix it, shall we?” Nessa said, pulling Josie to the bench to sit. “Valerie, would you like to go first and tell us what happened?”

  No, I wanted to go home. It would not solve anything, but it would get me out of this situation. Walker took my hand. “Val, Nessa is a doctor. She can fix this between you two. I know you mentioned her last night. I think this could be good for you, if you want to talk about it. If not, we can go right now.”

  I took a deep breath. I felt something being shoved in my other hand; Eve was giving me some tissues. I smiled at her. Then I looked back at Josie. She looked as miserable as I felt. Maybe it was time to let go of the past. “Josie, I don’t know what happened, but it really hurt to lose one of my best friends.”

  Nessa held onto Josie and she took a few gulping breaths. “I … I, Rachael.” She started crying.

  “Binary, deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth,” Nessa coached her. “Here, turn to me and tell me. Okay, so Rachael, what happened with her?”

  Binary turned to Nessa. “After Valerie was hurt and not with us every day at school, Rachael started getting involved with those popular girls we hated. I wasn’t enough of a friend since I would get caught up with my coding and programming. Well, Rachael would still force me to hang out with her when the popular girls wouldn’t hang out with her. She would blackmail me with telling Bobby I had a crush on him. When we found out that you were getting your own place, the popular girls found out and wanted to know how you could live on your own. They sent Rachael to do their bidding. She told me if I didn’t come with her that she would not only tell Bobby, she would do it on Monday morning during homeroom announcements. You know, over the PA system. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I couldn’t let her do that to me either.” Binary stopped and took some deep breaths.

  “I really didn’t mean to hurt you. Part of it was I got so caught up in my codes and programming. I was in my own world with it. Because of that I lost touch with the people around me. I didn’t realize how far I let you drift away; I didn’t realize how bad Rachael had gotten. After that day I never hung out with her again. I had served my purpose for her and was no longer needed. But the damage was done. I didn’t know how to fix our friendship.”

  I thought about what she’d said, and I thought back to that day. Josie was her normal quiet self, but now that I knew she was being blackmailed by Rachael, some things about that day made a lot more sense. “You told me you didn’t want to be a part of this that day. I didn’t understand what you meant and took that to mean you didn’t want to be friends anymore. What you really meant was you didn’t want to be Rachael’s pawn.”

  Binary nodded her head. “You know how awkward I can be. I couldn’t put to words what I needed to tell you, and I couldn’t risk Rachael carrying out her threat. It just got too complicated for me and I gave up.” Binary hung her head at that point. “I am really sorry, Valerie.”

  I thought about everything she said for a few moments. “I accept your apology, Josie.”

  Chapter 13

  Walker

  I watched Val as she said she accepted Josie’s apology. While she had a sad smile on her lips and some tears in her eyes, she looked lighter. Some of the weight had fallen off her shoulders. A moment later I was shoved out of the way as Binary threw herself at Val. I smiled. I was glad that I had brought Val and she had decided to stay.

  Ammo and Gena got up and started to move through the kitchen to get dinner on the table. Val and Binary were laughing at something. I was glad they seemed to be able to patch up the last ten years.

  “That worked out well. What a small world, huh?” Nessa said.

  “Yeah, I had no idea, but I am glad it happened. Val deserves to be happy, and I think repairing their friendship is something that will help her,” I said to Nessa.

  “Well, good. How is everyone today?” she asked the table.

  “We are good. Our next Sunday with Ammo and Mary we are going to go out to Aunt Evbie’s and Uncle Dean’s. Dad said he would even play paintball with us,” Ally said.

  “He did? Really? Well, if I play paintball can I come too?” Nessa asked.

  “Of course. You have to come. You have to help bring up the number of girls that can play since Mom and Mary can’t,” Maddy said.

  “Then I will be there. Ben, have you talked to John lately?” Nessa turned to her brother.

  “Just a few minutes on Thursday, I think it was. Are you going to go over there on Tuesday again?” he asked.

  “Yeah, come with me again, please. I think he listens to you more than he does me,” Nessa said.

  I had known Tarzan, John, when he was on the SEAL team. He had lost his wife to cancer this past winter. From what I understood, he was not doing very well. Ammo was his best friend; he would go over with Nessa and try to help him through his grief.

  “Walker, let’s move to the other end of the table.” Binary was slapping my arm to get my attention. Val went to the empty end; I took her left side and Binary took her right. I was able to hold Val’s hand again, so all was right in my world.

  “Better now, Walker?” Binary smiled at me. I just nodded. “Valerie, these guys are just a bit different. They like physical contact with their partner. They are very protective, possessive, they care deeply, and they are very bossy. They can act like Neanderthals.”

  “You suggested we come down here so he could hold my hand.” Val looked at Binary.

  “Yeah, look at him, he is relaxed and smiling. When I was separating you from him, he was not participating in conversation unless it was directed at him. His leg was bouncing, and he was fidgeting. He doesn’t fidget,” she observed.

  Val looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders. What Binary said was true, so I had nothing to add.

  “It’s really new for me,” Val said.

  “I know, but this time you’ve got me looking out for you, and you could not be with a better guy,” Binary said.

  Val smiled at her. “So, whatever happened to Bobby?”

  Binary laughed. “He and his husband live in Andersonville. They go all out for the Pride Parade. I joined them for celebrating the past four years. It’s so much fun.”

  “You’re kidding!” Val laughed. It was music to me. “What about Rachael?”

  Binary’s smile dropped. “She moved to Miami. She got a rich husband. She is not the person she was before senior year.”

  “I see. What about you? Did you go to MIT like you wanted?” Val asked.

  “No, the money just held me back. I got accepted, but I could not get the scholarships I needed. I ended up at Champaign-Urbana. Domino hired me before the ink was dry on my diploma. I know you got the theater. I knew about that creeper; I felt so bad I couldn’t help you. Then when Domino said he met you, I made that fob for you. It made me feel better that you would have help if you needed it. And it was a way I could say I was sorry without talking to you. That brings us to now,” Binary said.

  “She left out she has a crush again,” I said. Binary looked at me and turned beet red.

  “You don’t know what you are talking about, Walker.” She glared at me.

  “Your secret is safe.
I won’t tell.” I kissed Val’s hand.

  “Asshole,” she mumbled. “Valerie, never mind. He’s an asshole. Forget he exists.”

  Val laughed. “Aww, Josie, it will be all right.”

  “Sure. So how are your grandparents?” she asked.

  “They are great. Right now, they are at an RV park in Florida. After I was good with the theater, they became snowbirds. They come back for a few days at Christmas for me, but the rest of the time they travel Florida, enjoying the warmth. They come back in late spring and stay until early fall.”

  “I would love to see them.”

  “Sure, we can have a cookout or something when they get back.”

  “Maddy, Ally, would you ladies get the table ready for dinner?” Ammo asked the girls.