“Are you insane?” Her eyes widened to the size of quarters. “He’ll hack you to bits and bury your body where no one can find it.” She feigned holding an ax and made chops to the air.
“It’s not a horror movie, Celia,” she said, pulling out the big guns with her full name. “He’s not Ash, and this is not the Evil Dead. I think I’m going to be okay seeing as how he does tours all the time and never had a problem.”
“That we know of is the phrase you’re searching for. People are crazy these days, and he doesn’t go out of his way to hide the offness,” Cece mumbled.
“First of all, offness not a real word. Secondly, that is exactly why he’s more than likely okay. It’s the too perfect pretty people who end up with hacked up bodies stored in their freezer.”
“Humph. There are all kinds of psychos. They don’t use one handbook that tells them how to behave.” Cece snorted.
“Come on. This could be my big break. If I nail this story, I’ve got the raise, the office, and the spot as a lead reporter. Do you know how happy I would be getting some of the meat and potatoes when I’ve spent years living off of salads?”
Cece huffed. “I get that. I still don’t like it, and can you lay off the food analogies? You’re making me hungry.”
Lilac snickered. “Fair enough. I’ll be honest … I’m nervous, too. Thorn isn’t as bad as people make him out to be. They act like the man murdered someone. He hasn’t had so much as an disorderly conduct charge against him since he returned. We have no clue what he went through. Maybe after we came home from that, we’d be anti-people for a while,too?”
Cece sighed. “I happen to think it’s very possible he’s a severely unhinged individual. Not because he was in the Marines for ten years. I’m not that shallow or uneducated. I say this simply because it’s obvious to everyone he had issues when he got out and from what we’ve all seen, he never dealt with them. That is what gives him the potential to be dangerous in my eyes. I think he very well may suffer from depression and PTSD. That is not a good combination.”
“We know nothing about his situation. We can’t just toss around terminology like that. Even you used words like possible. You’re not sure. None of us are,” Lilac protested, clicking her tongue. Guilt ate at her conscience. The man is expecting the love of his life, and all he’s going to get is an acquaintance.
“Whatever. You can split hairs if you want. The fact is, he’s weird. He retreated to the woods, avoids the town like the plague, and in no way resembles the boy we went to school with. Have you seen him recently? He’s all beard and long hair, and not in a sexy way. In a messy ZZ top way.”
“Beards are in now,” Lilac returned.
Cece scowled. “Don’t use your spin techniques on me, reporter. I’m not biting.”
“Come on, Cece. I need you with me on this one. You know my family is going to hit the roof.”
“Damn straight they will. Daddy Fehr is not going to be having his little flower out there playing Survivor in the woods with some ex-Marine.”
“You’re really a helpful ray of sunshine and joy today, aren’t you?” Lilac snatched the list from Cece’s hand and began to toss more items into the cart.
“No, I’m real which is why you love me so much, remember?”
“I’m having a hard time with my long-term memory at the moment,” Lilac said dryly. “I’m freaking out enough for the two of us, believe me. He’s expecting Alexa to show up. A leggy, ice blue-eyed busty blonde with pink lips and killer lashes I am not.”
“No, you’re better. Oh, shit.” Cece covered her mouth. “Is that what this is about?” She dropped her hands and her face twisted with disgust. “That utter bastard Peter is worried he’ll lose his piece of ass to the wild man, isn’t he?”
Lilac shrugged, unable to deny what she too believed to be the truth.
“Jesus. What do you think Thorn is going to do when he finds out about the swap?”
“My God, I have no clue. I’ve thought of a dozen different scenarios from worst case to best, and all of them end up with me embarrassed and feeling stupid as hell. I’ve been praying up a storm and sweating it like a sinner at church in the front row with the preacher giving me the side eye. The only thing allowing me to keep up this farce is what’s at stake and the fact that God is bigger than my problems. I doubt the man upstairs will let him slaughter me, so there’s some reassurance. Right? I sound like a selfish prick, don’t I? I’m a horrible person.”
Cece placed a hand on her shoulder. “No, babe. You’re finally going for what you want. It sucks that he’s caught in the middle, but you didn’t do it maliciously. This is all on Peter. From what I remember of Thorn, he was a pretty understanding person. He had that rare combination of being incredibly athletic and also well-mannered. Ignore everything I said earlier. You were right. I don’t know him or what he went through. Be cautious, but not paranoid.”
“He was all dimples, kindness, and bulging muscles,” Lilac said as her mind recalled his peridot gaze and infectious grin. “He was in my Chemistry class, and we were lab partners the last semester of senior year.”
“It’ll be fine.” Cece gave a forced smile.
“Liar.” Lilac slumps over the cart as her spirits plummet. “Maybe this is asking for trouble. We know he’s not going to be pleased. But he’d never been a hot head,” she argued with herself.
“You’re right. He’ll be upset, and then you two will move forward. I know you can take it. You survived three rowdy older brothers,” Cece agreed.
“You sure about that?” Lilac asked as she straightened and continued to push the cart.
“Positive,” Cece reassured her.
“Thank you for that. I mean, how bad can it be? He’s been paid for a month. I doubt he’s going to turn down good money,” Lilac stated, slowly starting to feel better.