Nerd and the Marine Read Free Page A

herd of
nieces and nephews (the entire family loved that description, it's
quite apt) that I don't see him much during the day. He sleeps all
night just like the kids. They LOVE him and so do their parents,
because he won't let them do anything he thinks is
unsuitable.
    So far the root beer trick
has tossed five of my brothers into the lake. (Just two more to go!
By brothers that’s brothers-in-law, too.) Bentley is quite happy to
oblige. I may need to purchase another case of this stuff. I'm
happy to report I haven't gotten tossed yet, because my sisters and
sisters-in-law and the herd have discovered what fun it is to watch
Bentley pitch the men into the lake that none of us have gotten
likewise. Bentley has totally earned his keep. (Root beer every
night for the rest of the summer for him!)
    I have four brothers and
three brothers-in-law, three sisters and three sisters-in-law. Plus
my folks, a couple of the in-law’s folks, my grandparents, some of
the in-law grandparents and a few people I don't know. (Just
kidding!) So, we're about 50 people here. (My folks won’t be here
for long, they have another commitment. They’re just up for the
day.)
    Oh, Bentley wants you to
buy him a boat when you come home. He really, really likes feeling
the wind in his ears and face. He's the cool dog, you know. The
envy of all his friends. (There's at least ten other dogs here, and
Bentley has made friends with all of them.)
    I've got a pile of
pictures to send you, but I'll send them via snail mail, can you
give me your snail mail address? The kids drew pictures of Bentley
and the lake for you, too. They all seemed to especially enjoy
seeing their fathers go into the water, so you'll notice a common
theme in the drawings. Bentley is the Mighty Dog, because he's far
bigger than the other dogs here. He's also the Root Beer Dog, for
obvious reasons. Most of the kids have learned to drink root beer
away from him. Also for obvious reasons.
    Oh, I received your
company picture and circled the most likely candidate. Neither
Bentley nor my sister helped me. You'll have to tell me how well I
did. ☺
    Yours,
    Lainy
     
    Mitch, seated thousands of miles away,
could feel her exuberance and amusement across the distance. Since
he was here, and there was little to cheer him, he reveled in her
emotions. Joy mingled with sorrow at his lack of those same
feelings. Of course he was a Marine, and his service meant she and
her family could gather together for some fun. At least he got
pictures.
    He clicked on the picture she'd
attached and watched as his company took form on the screen before
him. When he saw who she'd circled, he howled with laughter. She'd
deliberately, he was certain, chosen the oldest, meanest looking
guy in the company. Of course. Old Waldo had been with the Marines
for thirty-five years plus and was as loyal as they came, but he
was also the ugliest, too. Laughing out loud, Mitch couldn't help
but shake his head at her sense of humor. It was only then that he
noticed another mark on the picture. There was a small X placed
directly above his head. Mitch sobered.
    How had she managed that? She’d
figured him out. He could tease her that she'd cheated and asked
Bentley. But something warmed inside him at knowing she'd managed
to find him in an entire Marine company.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
    To:
[email protected]
    From:
[email protected]
    Subject: It's
hot....
    Attachment
    Hello Lainy,
    I'm grateful you and your
family and Bentley have a lake to cool off in. It's hot and sandy
here and did I mention hot? The temperature hovered around one
hundred twenty seven today. That's a relief from yesterday when it
hit one hundred thirty one degrees. Showers don't help, because the
water is tepid at best. There's no such thing as a cold shower
here, at least on the base I'm at.
    I'm looking forward to the
pictures, as I'd like to see Bentley in action. The first time he
went for someone holding a root beer, he wasn’t fully