Tomorrows Yesterday

Chase

     As much as I love Darren, I hate shopping! The bridal shop he has us squished into for the tux fittings was he girlfriends idea. The fact that they served champagne was the only redeeming perk in my book. I took a pass on the little finger sandwiches. I also got stuck with a pin, and smacked in the balls by the seamstress. Honestly? I thought she was trying to cop a feel! When I winced Darren laughed. This was not my idea of a good time and he owed me! Big time!

     As I sat there and watched them nip and tuck his suit my mind wandered to Freya. Damn did she look hot this afternoon at the bar. She had been sitting on a stool with her friend Kellum finishing lunch, and as she was getting ready to leave he had swatted her on the ass. I had to admit, I felt a little twinge of jealousy burn in my gut. They seemed really close and affectionate with one another. 

     "Soo...Freya and Kellum? Is that really only friendship or is there a little more going on there?' He asked Darren as he turned to face him and the seamstress pined the sides in on his suit.

     "Strictly platonic. She loves the hell out of the guy, don't get me wrong, but he was really close to Peter. They were best friends growing up. They joined the corps together. Boot camp everything together. Almost died together. He was best man at their wedding. Chaplain's tent in Afghanistan. When they cut him loose from the corps she made him come here where she could help him assimilate. She had a small baby, but was there to get him to every physical therapy session and psychological. She bought the house and moved him in. They live together."

     "They live together?"  He met Darren"s eyes. "And nothing is going on?" He was skeptical.

     Darren chuckled. "He lived in the house for maybe the first two years, but now he has like an apartment they had built in the back yard. Back by the garage. But they are together every day. He helps her with April. Picks her up from Maw's and feeds her, reads to her, puts her to bed. He's a good guy. Very good with April and Freya."

     "How long was she married before Peter was killed?' I felt a need to know everything about her.

     "Well, she had been sent back home stateside about seven and a half months pregnant. She didn't want the baby born over there. Peter agreed, so she came back. Was stationed in Virginia. Two months later they were hit while out on patrol. He didn't even get a chance to meet his daughter. She went into labor early and had April, then picked up the pieces and buried her husband and stuck by Kellum's side through surgery. They released her from the corps and she came home. Bringing Kellum with her. He's part of the family now, you know?  Now she's Sheriff and doing good." Darren was a proud brother. His smile portrayed it.

     I felt pretty damn proud of her too, but at the same time disappointed. Not of her, but of myself. Over five years ago I could have been the one in her life. If I hadn't ghosted her that last weekend after my grandfather's funeral, I might have been able to have a future with her. I've always known she was special. I just was too stupid and stubborn to realize how incredible she truly was. One night before Christmas. I wonder if she still remembers like I do. All women after have always been compared to her and have never made the cut. Freya is... Freya. The woman all women never compare too. Not for me anyway. Now I'm wondering if I can maybe change her mind about me and get a future with her now.

     "So her daughter, what's she like?' He knew he had to make an impression on her if he was going to get anywhere with Freya.

     "April is a ray of sunshine man. The cutest kid you'll ever meet. A girly girl too! Pigtails and princess dresses. Shes four, and just as polite as a little girl can be." He was grinning. "Why you so interested all of a sudden? It's like you see Freya after all these years and your seeing a new person! She's still the same Freya."

     "Um no brother, she's not. She grew up, and I can't get over how grown up she is!" 

     Darren gave a belly laugh. "Yeah? Just remember, she knows personal defense and carries a gun. I'm sure she remembers what a player you were in school. s**t you probably still are for all we know. You up and disappeared." Darren stepped down off the step the seamstress had them stand on and drank down his flute of champagne. "Besides, I didn't ask you home to chase my sisters skirt, I called you home to be my best man." He slammed a meaty hand down on my shoulder and squeezed. "She had enough potential suitors sniffing up her skirt. Some not so good."

     "What's that mean?" We walked out of the shop and headed to his truck.

     "I don't  know for sure. She started getting text messages and hang up phone calls a few weeks ago. Some heavy breathing and s**t. She was telling maw. I over heard. When I asked her about it she shrugged it off. Said it was nothing." We slid into the truck and he started it up. "I know my sister though. Its bothering her. She changed up her schedule. Keeps Scott closer and Kellum too. Scott was special forces. He's her next in line at the Sheriffs office. We've had some bad elements trying to move into town. Drugs. She closed down a meth factory last month. Someone big is financing it, and my little sister is like a dog after a bone when it comes to festering out the bad guys. She learned how to do that s**t in Afghanistan. Military intelligence. She's got it in spades. And a Strong network of ex-military buddies that help out." 

     Wow! I had no idea that Ferndale had become a hot spot for that kind of thing. I watched him turn onto the freeway to head back home. I was hoping to see Freya tonight. She had worked during the day so hopefully she'd be off by the time they got back into town. I had heard her say she was bringing Kellum dinner. I was hoping to spend a little time with her.

     When we pulled into town I asked Darren to just drop me by my truck. I had left it in front of the bar. I got out and went inside. There were a couple guys shooting pool and a couple more watching a baseball game on the TV. Kellum was wiping down the bar and listening to some woman tell him a story about "back in the day". A pleasant smile on his face. I took a seat and he looked up.

     "You guys back?" He moved towards me.

     "Yup! Darren went to go check in with the future misses. Said he'd be in soon. I'll take a beer in the mean time."

     "Mug or bottle?"

     "Mug." There were peanuts in a bowl on the bar and I grabbed some and popped them in my mouth. "You work a lot of nights for Darren?"

     Kellum brought me my beer and set it down. "Naw, just when ever he has things to take care of and Freya can't come in. She works two jobs basically. Three if you count raising her daughter." Kellum smiled. "That girl get spread thin sometimes."

     "Kelluuum!" The woman at the end of the bar called him. He moved over to her. I watched her reach across the bar and run her hand up his arm. She giggled and batted her eyes. I heard the guys playing pool start laughing and looked their way. They were watching something outside. I got up and looked out the door. There were a couple teenage boys on skateboards getting their ears blistered by an irate Freya. She was scolding the hell out of them. They looked totally scared of her and picked up their skateboards and high tailed it as soon as she said they could. Then she came storming towards the bar carrying a brown paper bag. I reached out and held the door for her as she came in. She had taken the time to go home and change out of her uniform. She was wearing a red halter top and little white shorts and sandals. Her black hair was pinned up behind her head. She looked cool and young. I wanted to reach out and touch her skin. Feel its smoothness. She was so tan and fit.

     "Hey!" She smiled as she passed me. "Thank you" She walked up to the bar and took a seat. "Sorry I'm late." She said to Kellum. "April wanted to stay the night at Maw Maw's. They are expecting puppies anytime now and she wants to be there to be the first to claim one." She reached into the brown bag and brought out a plastic ware with two sandwiches in it. I sat next to her. "You guys get your tux fitting done?"

     I stared into her very blue eyes. I had always been fascinated by their color. Almost like looking into ice. "We did. Can't tell you how many times I got stuck with a pin!"

     "And racked in the balls!" Darren said from the door. "Either that or she was weighing the heft of them bro!" He slapped me on the back. "How'd it go today Kell?"

     "Quiet." He grabbed a pickle out of the bag Freya brought him. "Guys playing pool have been here for the longest. Joe and Willy got here about the sixth inning of the game, and Beth has been here for about an hour." He bit into his pickle.

     "She proposition you again?" Darren whispered loudly.

     Kellum laughed and nodded. "When doesn't she?"

     "Maybe you should give her a tumble and put her out of her misery." Freya offered.

     "Absolutely not!" He barked.

     Freya giggled and then asked for a beer. He got one for her and Darren and refilled mine. Then he wolfed down his sandwiches and started restocking the coolers.

     "Hey, I got it covered if you want to head out Kell." Darren said.

     "That would be great. I've got some internetting to do." He finished wiping down the bar and washing up the mugs.

     "Are you working on that little project for me?" Freya questioned.

     He looked up at her and nodded. "I managed to reach Steve. He had some new leads."

     "Okay. I'll be home in a bit. Maybe we can work together for a while."

     "See ya soon." He said goodnight to everyone else and walked to the door. 

     I sat there wondering if they were talking about what Darren had mentioned earlier about the bad element that had moved into town.