Page 18 of Wait For Me

“I’m going to get him out of here.” Landon motioned to the kid.

Sgt. Sierra nodded, tightening his grip on meat-eater. “You’re going to calm down before you get written up.” The fight drained from the big guy and he lowered his head, suddenly very aware of the seriousness of what he almost did.

“Come on.” Landon tugged the young sailor off of the machine. His face was pale and he glanced nervously over his shoulder like he couldn’t believe he’d said that. You and me both, kid. He guided him outside the gym and toward the ladder well while the sailor stared at his feet.

“Listen, we’re all on edge here.” Landon’s frustration eased as he assumed the role of parent lecturing a child. “But picking fights isn’t going to do anyone any good.”

“He started it…” the sailor began.

“And I’m finishing it,” Landon cut him off. “On that note, since you want to act like you’re five, when you see a line of people outside the gym, don’t waste everyone’s time by hogging a single machine for an hour. If I find out you do something like that again, I’m getting your LPO involved. Do you understand me?”

“Yes HM2.” The sailor refused to look him in the eye.

“Alright then, get out of here.” Landon stood with his arms crossed as the kid scrambled up the ladder well. This game was making him tired. He was sick of taking care of grown men and women who should have had a shred of common sense somewhere in their thick skulls. They weren’t all that bad, but sometimes…

Landon shook his head. If he was supposed to be a babysitter, he’d rather be at home with his own kids. The responsibility of this job would only get harder the longer he stayed in. Not reenlisting was looking better every day. Ten years had already been too long. Would Mason be stupid and reckless like this when he turned eighteen? He seriously hoped not. Now Emily on the other hand got the same stubbornness and temper as her mother. She was bound to raise hell growing up just like Tessa did. Whatever is happening back home, Tessa is strong enough to handle it. He smiled to himself as he thought of his red-headed girls and went back to the gym to outrun his home sickness on the treadmill.