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“Hence driving over here for book club. I’m glad, though. She needed the company. Her friends back home were always so …differentwith her. After my dad died, that is.”
Hattie’s interested expression turned to one of sorrow, and I instantly regretted telling her that last part.
She reached over and took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Thatcher. I can’t imagine.”
I’d been told that by countless people in my life, but coming from her—coupled with the sincerity in her gaze—it did funny things to my insides. “It’s okay. I was really young. I actually don’t even remember him.”
“Well, still. I bet it was hard growing up without him.”
“Yeah, I guess it was.”
“So,” she said, releasing my hand and patting her lap, “that’s how she knows the bride’s mom. And they’re really close?”
“Yeah. They became like sisters. Andrea didn’t treat my mom like a sad widower like all of her friends back home did. Those people all knew my dad, and they’d all been friends. She said it just wasn’t the same hanging out with them after he passed.”
“That makes sense. Oh, your poor mom. Was he in the military or something, too? Is that how he passed? And is that why you joined? With the base being so close, I know a lot of military families move to these small towns to get nice housing off base.”
I shook my head, chuckling at her rambling. “He was a high school science teacher. His death wasn’t a big incident like dying in combat or something. He got cancer.”
She started to reach for my hand again, but then she changed course and put it on her chest instead. “Again, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”
Hattie cleared her throat and waved a hand. “So, speaking of combat, do you deal with that much as a firefighter Marine?”
“I deploy, but I don’t see combat.”
“Are you deploying anytime soon?”
“Next year at some point, I think. They haven’t given us official word yet, but there’s a rotation.”
“And where will you go?”
I gave her a serious look. “I’d tell you, but I’d have to kill you.”
She cackled and pushed my shoulder. “Okay, Mr. Special Ops guy.”
“I’m just kidding. They haven’t told us yet. But even if they had, I guess it’s kind of a need-to-know thing. And since you’re not planning on seeing me again after tonight, I don’t really feel like you’dneedto know.”
Again, she threw her head back with a laugh. “Fine. I wouldn’t want to know anyway.”
“Good.”
“Great.”
I smirked, hating how easy it was to talk to her.
Talking to women was never like this for me. When my friends would sidle up to women at bars and put on the charm, I was the one trying to think of something witty to say before they lost interest and walked away.
I often failed. And it was rough because I’d always eventually get there, just not fast enough.
But when talking to Hattie? It wasn’t that hard. I didn’t have to think of things to say to keep it going. It just went. I could talk to her all night. I didn’t know anyone as easy to talk to as she was.
But that was probably just her. She likely had this effect on everyone.
If only I hadn’t thrown those boots into the front so I’d have room for the stuff I’d had in the back earlier. If she’d never seen those boots, maybe the topic of my job wouldn’t have come up.
Well, that was unlikely. Asking someone what they did for a living was par for the course during the initial get-to-know-you talk. It would have come up either way. And even though I loved being a Marine and planned to stay in for the full twenty … for once, I wished that weren’t the case.
