Page 16 of Rescuing Macie

“I went home after that meeting, took a pill I only use in extreme situations, and slept for twelve hours,” Macie admitted.

“For what it’s worth, I admire you,” Mary said. “You’ve been through hell and you haven’t let it beat you. You’re tough as nails.”

Macie gaped at her. She knew what Mary had been through. Not only her childhood, but with the breast cancer she’d fought…twice. There was no way she thought Macie was tough. Most days, she felt like a wreck.

“But I can see it now. You’re perfect for the commander.”

All sorts of things raced through Macie’s head at that comment. That she was perfect for him because she needed taking care of. That she was too weak to get by without a man at her side. But then Mary continued.

“Because your heart is so big, you see the good in anyone. And you worry about things because you care. Too much. I think the commander needs that. He needs someone to care about him the way he cares about all the soldiers under his command.”

Macie blinked. Mary was exactly right when it came to Colt. He worked hard. Worried about the soldiers under his command…and their families.

She thought about the last week, how happy he’d been when she’d made dinner for them. When she’d done laundry. When she’d changed the sheets on the bed they’d been sleeping on all week. She’d thought he was being grateful because he was trying to make her feel better about living there temporarily, but she realized now that he’d probably always had to do those things himself.

“Shit,” Casey said, wiping tears from under her eyes. “You guys are making me cry. Bitches.”

Mary smiled at Macie, then turned to Casey. “That’s us. The bitch squad.”

Macie couldn’t believe she thought someone calling her a bitch was funny. In the past, the insinuation could send her to bed for a few days. But it felt like a compliment to be compared to Mary, who never took shit from anyone. Macie liked her. Ford had talked to her a lot about Mary’s background, and had warned her not to take what she said personally. He’d told her that his wife was brash, but it was only to guard herself from being hurt. It made sense then, and it made even more sense now.

She wasn’t mad at Mary for saying what she had about Colt. The other woman had been trying to look out for Macie. But the thing was that she didn’t give a shit what Colt had done in the past. She didn’t know the details of what had happened, but she trusted Colt. Knew he wouldn’t hurt anyone if the situation didn’t call for it. And curiously enough, what Mary said made Macie feel even safer with Colt. He’d make sure her ex didn’t get anywhere near her. Of that she had no doubt.

“Have they found the men who broke into your house, or your ex?” Rayne asked, as if she could read Macie’s mind.

“Not yet. Truck went to my apartment the day before yesterday and realized that someone had been in there. They didn’t trash the place, but they’d definitely been looking for whatever it was that Teddy had left. The cops didn’t find anything in my safe room where Teddy told the guys whatever it was would be,” Macie told them, already feeling more comfortable with these women than she had with anyone in a very long time.

“Holy crap!” Mary exclaimed.

“Drugs?” Casey asked.

“That’s just it. I don’t know. The cops brought a drug-sniffing dog to my place and he didn’t find anything. He alerted to a few different places, but the handler thinks it was because Teddy had been there and probably had drugs with him when he was.” Macie hated that he’d been in her place and might have had drugs on him, but she was trying to move past that. Colt had been a big help in that arena, reminding her that she wasn’t the one doing drugs, and that she didn’t know what Teddy had been doing.

“Do you need us to go to your apartment and clean up, or get you anything?” Emily asked.

Macie stared at her incredulously.

“What?” Emily asked when Macie didn’t answer her question. “Should I not have asked? Does it make you anxious when people are in your space?”

Macie shook her head. “No. I mean, yes, but that’s not…you don’t know me,” she blurted, stumbling over her words.

Emily smiled. “I know you’re very important to the commander. I know that he requested our men ask us to come over today because he was worried you were here most days by yourself. I know he told Fletch that he would be off this weekend because he was going to spend it with you. I might not know you that well yet, but I want to. Besides, going to Lampasas will get me out of the house and some peace and quiet for a while. I love my kids, but they exhaust me.”

“I’m happy to help too,” Casey added.

“Me too,” Mary said with a grin.

“I…thank you,” Macie said. “But I don’t need anything. Truck got me some stuff the other day, and Colt went over there the other night. He said he wanted to make sure my fridge was cleaned out, but I think he was hoping to find one of the men who broke into my apartment lurking around.”

“That sounds like something one of our men would do,” Casey said with a smile.

Just then, Annie came back into the house. She was out of breath and talking a mile a minute. “Mommy! I made a new friend. Her name is Sam. That’s short for Samantha. I taught her how to play soldier and I really like her!”

Emily smiled at her daughter and gave the other women a look as if to say “See? Exhausting.”

“That’s great, baby. Now, go wash your hands before you get dirt all over the commander’s house. I saw a bathroom next to the kitchen.”

Without a word, Annie spun and headed for the washroom to clean up.