Wednesday Terry Henry Walton Short Story
The spring morning sent a misty fog rolling in from the lake. Kae liked to walk along the shore in the morning, a habit he’d picked up from his father. Everything the colonel fought for was so people like Kaeden could enjoy the peace and serenity of the world around them without having to be afraid.
Terry had insulated the people from the influences from the outside.
People. What Kae’s father meant was civilians, those not serving in the Force de Guerre.
Kaeden knew what his father meant. Many bristled at the term, but they wouldn’t say anything to the man who saved most of their lives by bringing them to North Chicago. And now they had running water and electricity, those things that soon came to be taken for granted. Kae wouldn’t forget. It was the FDG that made all things possible. And the FDG was Terry Henry Walton.
Kae thought he could do more good as a member of the fishing fleet and a defender of all things Terry Henry from outside the FDG. There was an unspoken barrier, even though Kae’s father did everything he could to keep the warriors integrated with the community—working the fields, helping in the kitchen, moving, cleaning, and building. Nothing was beneath or beyond them.
And still people bad-mouthed him. Terry sloughed it off. He didn’t shoot back. He defended their right to speak their mind. He also defended the right of people who didn’t want to listen to mindless drivel. Terry explained about the risks of a free society until he was blue in the face, but there were those who abused it on both sides.
“More control!” some screamed.
“We’re free, so why do we need a military?” others claimed. Kae found that he was better distancing himself from the whole conversation and simply leading by example. Enjoying the freedoms earned by the warriors, while living his life to the fullest, not bending a knee to anyone.
A ripple in the water distracted him. Someone swimming. A little cool, he thought, but stepped to the water’s edge and dipped a finger in. Too cold!
He looked at the swimmer wondering why he would tolerate that instead of going for a run where the weather was perfect. Kae planned to pound out some miles, run to the power plant and back before the fishing boat headed out.
“What are you looking at, perv?” Marcie called. Kae realized he’d been staring, but hadn’t been looking at her. Of course, it was Marcie. He saw the blond hair.
Now. She was hard to miss.
“Nothing! I was thinking about dad and the FDG.”
“I’m nothing, you say? You’re looking at a naked woman and thinking about your dad. I was right. You are a perv.” She motioned for him to turn around so she could get out.
He complied without question. When she cleared her throat, he turned around. She had her towel around her, but it didn’t cover much.
Kae did a double take.
“When did we grow up?” he asked softly.
“What do you mean?”
“You look incredible. I mean, it’s hard not to see how beautiful you were as we grew up, but I always thought of you as my younger sister. I am not thinking of you like that right now. My god, Marcie! You made my heart skip a beat.”
Kae looked uncomfortable while talking. He wasn’t one to share what he was feeling. He’d learned that from his father as much as his mother tried to break both of them from it. Kimber also kept her emotions inside, letting them stew until she exploded. Cory was helping her, even though she was younger than Marcie.
Beautiful Marcie.
“I don’t know what to say,” Marcie said softly as she moved closer. Kae’s breath caught as her towel dropped, seemingly of its own accord. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her cheek on his, whispering as her lips brushed his ear.
“Men chase women only until she catches him.”
Find out more about Craig Martelle at www.craigmartelle.com
