chasing demons. ***completed***

#5 Dan

walking in with Kevin I immediately set eyes on the brunette at the bar. she was beautiful. her body was curvy and her deep brown eyes locked right on mine. her face was beautiful. he couldn't help but see her. he never really had that reaction before. if he were being honest he never really needed small talk since he was never really in to relationships with anyone. after years of being in the military and being deployed for long periods of time relationships just wouldn't last for him so he just stopped trying. There were plenty of women who wanted to lock a man in uniform but they left when they realized how much a soldier devoted to the military. Her voice was sexy as hell and her soft hands sent a shock through his body. " so I don't usually have sleep overs. haven't had one since I was in high school. do we still have pillow fights?" her laugh was like a sweet melody to him and caused a chain reaction he never thought possible.

" you hit me with a pillow I'm liable to punch your ass." He liked her spunky attitude. he couldn't help but think about if he would ever settle down. was he even capable of doing that anymore? He wasn't even sure why he started thinking about it. Something was just different with her.

" fair enough. so glass of warm water on the hand is fair game?" her laugh rang out again causing his brain to fog. he loved that sound. " hey you wanna dance? I have to warn you I'm no good but it beats watching those two suck face from the bar."

he watched as a smile crept up her face. " well I suppose if we are all having a sleep over a dance is OK. just be careful if you fall asleep first then I'm drawing a mustache on your face." she cracked a smile at him.

" fair enough. come on let's get our dance on." he reached out to her and he loved the feeling of her hand in his. she was warm and soft to the touch and the electricity that shot between them made its way through him causing his heart to skip a beat. they spent the next few songs line dancing as she showed him the moves. they laughed so hard Dan couldn't even think when the last time he laughed was. a slow song came on and Emma started to turn away when Dan instinctively reached out for her hand pulling her closer to him. she felt good against his chest. she didn't pull away and Dan liked the feeling of her close to him. " so you were born here?"

he watched as she she bit her bottom lip lightly. " yeah I was born and raised here. went away for school and lived in New York for a time then came back here when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. after she passed it just felt right to stay. give Xavier a real life."

" I can understand that. I'm sorry about your mom." Dan held her a little closer and she snuggled in.

" we take it day by day. Xavier is on his first round up with my dad so being alone this weekend seemed like a lot to handle. first time he has been gone in six years." she looked up at him and smiled. he cleared his throat trying to stop his body from reacting.

"so he is six? seems young to be driving cattle."

" mmm to some sure but around here cattle and ranching are a way of life. I was an infant with my parents driving the cattle in. it's just how it's done here." she rested her head back into him.

Dan couldn't help but be disappointed that the song ended. he liked having her close to him. they made their way back to the bar. "so what did you study?"

he watched as she took a swig of her beer. her lips looked soft and plump and he couldn't help but wonder how they would feel against his. " I went to law school. yup the cattle ranchers daughter did the worst thing ever and became a lawyer. I was the talk of the town for a long ass time. totally scandalous. then I topped myself by coming home with a child and divorced. now everyone thinks that I need a man in my life to make me complete." he watched as she peeled the label off her bottle. she looked up at him with her brown eyes. " I guess a woman is lost without a man running her life." she shrugged her shoulders. " so tell me."

" tell you what?"

" what's your story?" he choked as he took a drink of his beer. " I'm sorry. you don't have to tell me anything. I probably said too much." she reached over handing him a napkin.

as he was wiping his shirt and the bar off he looked down not meeting her eyes. " don't be sorry. usually the first thing people ask me is if I killed anyone or what war is like. it's kind of nice not to have anyone ask those questions. it's just no one has asked me what my story was before."

" so no one bothered to try and just get to know you?" her face looked surprised searching him for anything.

" uhh, no not really. well Kevin and I. we talked a lot. he is like family. trust him with my life. so you want to know my story?"

he could feel her staring into him trying to read his expressions.

" you don't have to answer. it's just kind of nice talking to you." her voice was less confident and he could hear the change.

" no actually, I want to answer." he took a deep breath before he finished. " let's see. I'm thirty years old. no wife or girlfriend and no kids. my parents live in rural America and I have a sister. I joined the army when I was eighteen and the rangers just seemed to be a natural extension of my duty." he shrugged as he thought about the first time he enlisted. " I went in thinking I could make a difference and when I got hurt this last time I realized I didn't know how to be anything but a soldier. not sure how civilian life is supposed to be. Kevin offered me to come here to get my head straight as I adjusted to a new life before heading back to my parents. " he shrugged his shoulders again. " I think he is hoping I will settle down here. after this long I'm not sure I'm the settling down type."

" so what type are you?"

" I don't know I guess. I never really had much of a choice before. being deployed all the time made home life difficult. no one wants a relationship with a ghost. "

" so you are the date em and leave em type?" there was a bit of teasing in her voice and Dan laughed.

" no ma'am. I guess no one ever wanted to stick around and even if I wanted them I couldn't chase after them from an Iraqi dessert."

" it's Emma." she smiled a cocky smile at him." not ma'am. I'm only twenty nine I'm not that old yet." he laughed.

" sorry Emma. just a habit. so this sleep over. are we getting popcorn?"

" knowing Mary we are getting s**t faced off wine." he laughed and snorted at her comment.

" seems like it's gonna be fun. never really liked wine much though."

" me either. it's why I usually pour it in her glass when she isn't looking and grab a beer. a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do." they were both laughing hard and didn't realize someone had walked up behind them.

" what are you doin with my girl?" the man was s**t faced and pissed off. Dan looked between Emma and the man. " Emma is mine." his words were slurred. he watched Emma's face turn red and then her mouth frowned. she looked pissed as she stood up.

" what the actual f**k Paul! I told you we were just friends! and I ain't no one's 'girl' as you seem to like to put it. don't claim me as your property and back the f**k off you are drunk asshole!" Dan stood up placing himself between Paul and Emma.

" Paul? I think the lady here made it clear she didn't want to be bothered and as far as I can see you need to go sober up some. kindly back up please." he saw Paul's face distort and look pissed off at him. Mary and Kevin walked up behind them and everyone looked at the commotion happening between them. even the music stopped playing as everyone watched to see what was going on.

Paul reached out for Emma grabbing her arm and Dan went to pull him off her just as she c****d her arm back balling her hand into a fist and knocked him to the ground. Dan looked at her and then at Paul. he couldn't help but be impressed by her. even her form was right. " Paul I think you forget who my daddy raised and he definitely didn't raise me to be dragged around by no man. if you ever lay a hand on me again I will probably knock your ass out." she turned around threw some money on the counter and turned to Mary. Paul was staggering to his feet blood coming from his nose. Dan looked at Kevin who had a grin on his face a mile long. " Dan?"

her back was still to him as she looked into Mary's eyes. " yes Emma?"

" I have definitely had too many beers to drive to marry and Kevin's can you drive my car since I'm pretty sure Mr rogers is taking his wife in his truck?"

" yes ma...ma'am.... show me the way." yeah she had a lot of spunk and he was turned on by this woman.

she side stepped Paul and waved to the bar tender. " see ya gunner. give that little girl a kiss for me and say hi to your wife. " Dan gave her a crooked smile. s**t, this girl is awesome.