“John, I don’t need your pity or your help. I am capable to taking care of myself. Just go on and leave. I will be fine. I am not going to stand here and pretend we are doing something we aren’t. That just gives them something to gossip about,” Daisy said in a huff as she turned, and hurried back to the bonfire. Once she was back at the bonfire, she realized everything John had told her was true. These people did not want to be her friend. They began saying awful things about her.
“Poor, nerdy Daisy. She was so desperate to get laid she would do anything,” Amy said as soon as Daisy appeared at the bonfire. “Even believe that I wanted to be her friend.”
Amy and her circle of cheerleaders began laughing and pointing at Daisy. Several of the football players began laughing too. Then Robert joined in the teasing again.
“Damn Daisy, you must have sucked big time. John didn’t even come back after getting your cherry. He was so humiliated he couldn’t face us,” Robert sneered.
The crowd erupted in raucous laughter. Daisy was so hurt and ashamed she ran from the bonfire to the parking lot, but she was too late. John had already left. She had no other choice. She would have to call Luke for help. She found a pay phone and called Luke at his job. The phone rang a couple of times before she heard Luke’s deep voice. “Movies and More! This is Luke. How may I help you?”
“Luke?” Daisy began sobbing. “Please…come get me!” More sobbing.
“Daisy? What’s wrong?” Luke inquired in a worried voice. Daisy was so overwhelmed she couldn’t form her words. She tried to tell him, but her words were unintelligible.
“It will be okay. I’ll be there soon. Just stay put. I’m on my way,” Luke instructed her. Daisy hung up the phone and was standing there crying quietly to herself when she heard voices coming from the beach. She quickly headed for the trees near the edge of the parking lot. The last thing she wanted was to be taunted by the kids from the bonfire again. Watching from the trees, Daisy saw groups of teens leave the parking lot car after car.
Daisy waited for a long time for Luke, but he never came. As time passed, Daisy began to feel sick. She knew something horrible had happened. Luke should have come to get her, but he didn’t. It wasn’t like him not to follow through on his word. He would never leave her alone in the middle of nowhere late at night. He would come get her if at all possible.
Daisy’s recurrent dream of the last week sprang into her mind. No! It couldn’t be true. She had dreamed every night for the last week of Luke driving along a dark curvy road. Bright lights blind him before another car crashed into his. The last thing she saw before waking was Luke laying, still and bloody. Daisy was terrified. She tried to call home, but there was no answer. What was she to do? She didn’t have anyone else to call.
In the early morning hours, a park ranger came by and found her cold and wet from the dew that had fallen. The ranger contacted the local police to see if they could come take her home. It was then that Daisy learned Luke had been in an accident. It was the night that changed Daisy’s life forever.
Chapter 1
Ethan “Ace” Gibson was tired. He was tired of the dating scene, meaningless hookups, and getting his hopes up only to have them dashed when things didn’t work out. Serving in Marine’s Special Ops made it difficult to build a relationship. He never knew when he would be called away for a mission or how long he might be gone. He absolutely couldn’t discuss his missions with anyone not on the team, so having a relationship with a female had proved to be difficult, even impossible. He had struck out more times than he cared to count.
Ace was thirty-seven years old and a dedicated Marine. He loved his job and his teammates. He would do anything for them, and had willingly placed his life in danger to save his fellow teammates. A few years ago, he took a bullet to the shoulder to save Deadeye. An insurgent in the Iraq desert had snuck up on them. Ace’s weapon had misfired so he jumped between the insurgent and Deadeye just as the insurgent fired. Thankfully, Deadeye was an excellent shot and he took the man out before he could shoot anyone else. Ace had been lucky. It was a clean through and through shot. He wasn’t afraid of being in danger. He would willingly do it again if the need arose. It wasn’t like he had a good woman at home waiting for him to return.
He had been in a serious relationship once, a long time ago. Amelia. She was his high school sweetheart. They had begun dating their junior year of high school. When he first joined the Marines straight out of high school, he had missed her so much during basic training. He had written her every chance he had gotten and was thrilled when he received a letter from her. He had wanted her to marry him and join him on base.
As soon as he got home on leave after basic training, he was ready to pop the question. He had gotten her flowers and asked her to dinner at a nice local restaurant. He knew this night was going to change his life, forever. He just didn’t know it wasn’t going to be like he had planned. When they arrived and was seated, he brought up the topic of their future.
“Amelia, I missed you so much while I was away,” Ethan began. “I have been thinking about our future. I am going to apply for housing on base. I was thinking we could get married so you can join me there.”
“I have too, Ethan. Been thinking about the future I mean,” She appeared nervous, but looked him right in the eye. “I think we need to slow things down and take some breathing room. I have plans for my future, too. I want to be a lawyer, Ethan. I want to be successful and powerful. I can’t do that sitting on a military base with a husband that doesn’t make much money and could be killed at any time. I’m sorry, Ethan. I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t want to be a Marine’s wife. I have bigger plans in mind.”
Ethan was stunned. He sat very still and willed the tears to not fill his eyes. Amelia had destroyed the happy future he had imagined in his mind. After several minutes, he was finally able to speak without his voice cracking.
“Alright Amelia, if that is how you feel. I thought we had a connection, but if you don’t feel it then I guess it is best for us to end it now.”
Ethan got up from his chair threw some twenties on the table. “Have a nice life, Amelia. I hope you get everything you want. I was hoping I would be enough, but if not, I really do want you to be happy.” And with that, he turned and walked out of the restaurant.
After that rejection, he had a hard time letting his guard down and making a connection with a woman. By the time he reached his early thirties, he had finally decided he was over looking for a wife. He would be contented with the occasional hookup to satisfy his physical needs. But letting his guard down to let himself love, he just wouldn’t do it. Love and marriage weren’t in the cards for him. His teammates, however, were not yet ready to give up. They insisted on dragging Ace along on their adventures to find women. Ace tried to protest, but they insisted they needed a wing man. Ace wouldn’t refuse them even when he knew they were wasting their time. The good women were gone. They didn’t exist anymore. Hawk had snatched up the last good one.
Just a few months ago, Ace had given in and tried dating again. Straw, Tank, Hack, Worm, and Virus had talked him into going to a local bar near the base. Ace agreed against his better judgement; after seeing Hawk, his team leader, find the love of his life last year, Ace was encouraged to give love another chance. He wanted what Hawk had: a woman to come home to, kids, a dog, and house with the proverbial white picket fence. He had always dreamed of having a large family. Growing up as an only child to an older couple had been a lonely childhood. It was even worse now that his parents were also gone. He had no family for holidays or summer get togethers. Oh, he had his teammates that were always inviting him along to their family gatherings, but it just wasn’t the same.
The men arrived at the bar around eight in the evening. Straw said it was the best time of night to meet chicks. Ace knew that Straw loved to give the appearance of being a ladies’ man, but Ace suspected that deep down Straw wanted the same things he did. Ace just wanted to meet a real down to earth woman that wanted marriage, a home, and kids. He wasn’t looking for a one-night stand, and he was pretty sure that’s the only kind of women that would be around this place.
The bar was packed. Lots of women and military men mingling. Ace was already regretting his decision to come to the bar with the guys. This was not the right place to meet a woman to marry. This was the kind of place to find a quick lay and nothing else. Ace was contemplating calling Deadeye to come get him when, Straw waved him over to a table packed with women. Reluctantly, Ace walked over to the table. The women seemed to be about half drunk already. Ace groaned to himself, this was going to be a long night.
A pretty blonde woman motioned for him to sit next to her. Ace took the seat and before he could even introduce himself, the woman had her hand on his thigh. She was only half dressed in a very low-cut halter top and mini skirt. Ace was pretty sure her breasts were going to fall out of her top before the night was over. She leaned in suggestively toward Ace and whispered in his ear.
“Hi! My name is Serenity,” the blonde smiled. “Should we go to your place or mine?”
Ace just stared at the woman for several seconds before he found his voice. A few years ago, he would have willingly taken her up on her offer, but after seeing how Hawk and Charlotte had fallen in love, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“You seem very nice…um, but I’m not interested in a one-” Ace moved to get up when the woman screeched loudly attracting the attention of the whole bar.
“Are you kidding me?” She yelled. “You don’t know what you are missing out on! I am the best fuck you will ever get. It’s not like you are the only guy here, you know.” Ace was up and headed for the door before she could finish her tirade. He didn’t need this shit. He decided that night he was going to remain a happy bachelor. Women were nothing but trouble. At least the ones in this bar, anyway.
