Learning to Stand (47 page)

F

CHAPTER THIRTY-eight

Troy turned his back to the approaching
woman. Facing Alex, he squeezed his eyes in an attempt to become
invisible.

“
Homer? What the hell are
you doing here?”

Troy turned around to his sister. Feigning a
smile, he held his arms out and the siblings attempted a hug.

“
Alex, you remember my
sister, Helen Olivas?”

“
Jasper. God damn it Homer,
our father’s last name is Jasper. Your last name is JASPER. You’re
not here two minutes and you’re already starting
something.”

“
Helen, how delightful to
see you!” Alex exclaimed. “Gosh, it’s been years. Do you know
Bestat Behur? This is her boyfriend Zack Jakkman and my friend Andy
Ramirez.”

Helen’s eyes went from Bestat to Zack to
Trece then riveted back to Troy.

“
I thought you were in
Iraq.”

“
You also think my name is
Homer.”

“
Your name IS Homer,” Helen
said. “What are you and your… friends doing here?”

“
I am on the diplomatic
corps of Egypt, my home country,” Bestat purred. “I was invited to
attend your father’s award ceremony.”

Helen sniffed at Bestat.

“
I was invited to attend by
my parents,” Alex said. “I happened to be in town and we thought
we’d get together.”

“
What happened to your
arm?”

“
Someone broke it for her,”
Troy said. “Listen Helen...”

“
There you are, Pumpkin!
Your mother and I have been looking for you.” Patrick Hargreaves
came across the terrace to them. “Troy, Trece, Zack.”

Patrick bent to kiss Bestat on the
cheek.

“
It’s always a pleasure, Ms.
Behur.” Patrick blushed.

“
Please call me Bestat,
Patrick. It is always my pleasure to see you, General.”

Patrick slipped his arm around Alex in an
open hug. She put her arm around his waist under his jacket. Her
hand patted until she felt his handgun. Patrick kissed Alex’s
cheek.

Troy stepped forward to shake Patrick’s
hand. He stumbled and his hand pressed against Patrick’s chest.
Body Armor. Patrick nodded.

“
If you think you can come
in here and mess things up...” Helen’s shrill voice jerked their
attention to her.

“
I came to celebrate my
father’s accomplishment and see the family,” Troy
managed.

“
Why are you even in the
country?” Helen asked. “Isn’t there a war going on?”

“
The war? In Iraq? Why would
Troy be involved in the war?” Patrick asked. “Have you ever been to
Iraq? Afghanistan?”

Shaking his head, Troy shrugged.

“
My brother is in the Army,
Senator. He patrols the streets of Bagdad,” Helen said. Sneering at
Troy, she added, “You can admit it, Homer. No one is embarrassed
about it anymore.”

Patrick furrowed his eyebrows at Helen.

“
Forget it, sir,” Troy
said.

“
Dahlia,” Alex said in
Troy’s ear. She nudged Trece. “Twenty feet, dead center, across the
terrace.”

“
At the very least you could
say, hello to your father,” Helen said. “Mom has a table over
there. I guess you’ll have to sit with us.”

“
Oh, Helen, I’m so sorry,”
Patrick said. “I know you want to catch up, but we hoped they would
sit with us. Troy is a good friend of our family.”

Helen visibly relaxed at the idea that Troy
wouldn’t sit at the same table with the rest of the family.

“
How is your research
going?” Patrick asked Helen. Taking her elbow, he led her away from
the group.

Alex watched Dahlia move across the terrace
toward Troy. Her hips wagged and her artificially elevated breasts
bounced under her silk shirt. Dahlia’s eyes flicked back and forth
as if she hoped Troy would notice her. In spite of herself, Alex
felt a wave of sympathy for this unhappy woman.

Slipping her hand into his, Alex squeezed
Troy’s hand. He looked into Alex’s face then noticed Dahlia. He
flushed. His dark eyes burned with desire.

Trece cleared his throat. “Guy coming fast,
across terrace, nine o’clock.”

Troy jerked his head toward the person Trece
mention. He groaned.

“
What are you doing here?”
the man asked. “Haven’t you hurt Mom and Dad enough?”

“
Hi Hector, how are you?”
Troy asked.

“
I’m wonderful. My boys are
smart and beautiful. I have a gorgeous wife and my research in
aeronautics continues to gain international attention. What more
could I want? How is the toilet cleaning, genius?”

“
Still not getting laid?”
Troy asked

Hector’s face screwed up with anger. He
pushed Troy then noticed Dahlia. Hector held his arm out and Dahlia
tucked herself under his arm.

“
I enjoy my
wife
on a regular
basis, Homer.”

Dahlia’s face flashed with surprise. She
kissed her husband’s cheek to cover her surprise.

“
Isn’t that right, dear?”
Hector asked.

Dahlia gave a saccharine sweet smile.

“
I heard you finally
graduated from college,” Hector said. “NYU? I would think someone
of your intelligence could at least get into a better
school.”

Alex squeezed Troy’s hand. Raising his
eyebrows, Troy nodded. His family hadn’t learned about his graduate
degree… yet.

“
Father was quite hurt by
your actions, again. Did you honestly think you could keep your
physics degree from him?”

Troy opened his mouth to say something, but
Alex squeezed his hand again. He cleared his throat and looked
away.

“
Dr. Jasper,” Bestat said to
Homer. “Pardon me. I heard you say you research aeronautics. Zack
and I are passionate enthusiasts of flight. What is your research
about?”

Like every man, Hector flushed at the exotic
Bestat’s attentions.

“
Are you pilots?” he asked.
He shifted away from Dahlia.

“
We like to think so,” Zack
said.

“
Well, my work is
complicated...” Homer launched in to an animated conversation about
his latest research project while Bestat and Zack listened
patiently.

“
General coming, three
o’clock,” Trece said.

“
I hope you’re sitting with
us,” Dahlia whispered.

Dahlia stepped close to Troy. Her hands
moved like airplanes looking for a place to land on his taut body.
She finally clasped her hands in front of her.

“
My book club is reading
The Kite Runner
,” Dahlia said. “I thought you could tell me about your
experience in Iraq. It’s always great to have real life stories to
share at book club.”

The blood drained from his head, Troy’s face
blanched white. She fingered a button on his shirt. His eyes
gleamed at Dahlia.

“
Isn’t the
Kite
Runner
about Afghanistan?”
Alex asked.

“
Afghanistan is a part of
Iraq, Alex.” The woman looked Alex up and down with distain. “I
would think you would know that.”

Alex opened her mouth then closed it.
Dahlia’s hand moved to Troy’s chest.

“
I’m sure Troy can teach me
anything I need to know,” Dahlia said.

“
Olivas, no way. I saw you
standing over here and I thought to myself, ‘Damn that looks like
Olivas.’ I had to come over to see if it was really
you.”

Troy’s head jerked away from Dahlia. Seeing
the General, he laughed.

“
General Robinson,” Troy
said and saluted.

“
Whatcha doing here, man?
This is pretty sedate for your taste.”

“
My father is receiving an
award today sir,” Troy said.

“
That’s right. You’re
Jasper’s youngest. I always forget that.”

The General’s eyes looked Dahlia up and
down, and then saw Alex. He stepped back.

“
Don’t hit me!”

“
General.” Alex
saluted.

“
Hot damn, Alexandra. Did
you have to go all MMA in the middle of downtown Denver? You’re
every girl’s hero and every boy’s wet dream.”

“
That was you?” Dahlia lip
curled in disgust.

“
Holy Crap, and Ramirez too.
Good God, where’s the Jakker?” General Robinson looked around. Zack
raised his hand in hello to the General. “Man, Olivas, the company
you keep has improved since you started at MI.”

“
What is MI?” an older woman
asked as she drew near.

Troy kissed his mother’s cheek.

“
Alexandra, it’s nice to see
you again. How is Iraq?”

“
Mrs. Jasper,” Alex said,
“Iraq is a big place. It’s hard to say how a country with over
twenty-eight million people is doing.”

Troy’s mother nodded then turned to
Troy.

“
I didn’t realize you were
back in the country, Homer,” his mother said. “Dahlia, dear, would
you get me a glass of wine?”

Dahlia raised her eyebrow at her
mother-in-law. Turning to Troy, a desperate longing flashed across
her face. Then as if it was never there, Dahlia’s face shifted to
neutral.

“
Yes mother,” Dahlia said
turning to leave.

“
You’re still screwing her?”
Troy’s mother asked.

“
No mother, I’m not. It’s
nice to see you too.”

“
Homer. I know things are
uncomfortable between us but you don’t have to treat us like we
have the plague. Some day, you are going to have to accept what you
are and do something with your life.”

“
Yes, ma’am,” Troy
said.

He groped for Alex’s hand. Alex held his
hand in silent support.

“
What’s Troy supposed to do
with his life?” General Robinson said. “I’d be damn proud of my son
if he had done half of what Olivas has accomplished.”

“
What is this MI,
General?”

“
Military Intelligence,
Elizabeth.”

“
General, we have come to
terms with Homer’s decision to join the Army.” Troy’s mother
laughed. “You don’t have to cover for him.”

General Robinson’s eyebrows shot up. He
glanced at Alex then Troy.

“
Elizabeth!” Rebecca
Hargreaves came across the lawn to Troy’s mother. “I’ve been
looking for you. How are you, dear?”

Rebecca hugged Troy’s mother. Over his
mother’s shoulder, she crossed her eyes at Troy. Troy was so
surprised he almost burst out laughing. Breaking off from the hug,
Rebecca flipped her shirt a tiny bit showing Alex her Dragon body
armor underneath.

“
This is a lovely outfit,
Elizabeth,” Rebecca said. “Now tell me, my son Colin, is about to
have his first child. What do you think we should look for in a
hospital?”

Rebecca took Troy’s mother’s arm and led her
away from them. Alex watched her mother pretend to listen to
Elizabeth Jasper’s hospital administration nonsense.

“
That was close,” General
Robinson said. “Hey, I heard you were building a team, Alex. Can I
apply?”

“
Brass says we have too many
Army already.” Alex laughed.

“
Crap. All the good spots
are always taken. Olivas, call me before you leave town. Let’s get
a drink. Alex.”

The General moved off the terrace and into
the amphitheater.

“
I hate to break up the
happy dance,” Trece said. “But Alex, check out who’s over
there.”

Alex followed Trece’s eyes to see her mother
hug a pregnant woman. She was about to ask Trece what was going on
when her mother bent to hug a man in a wheelchair... Ah fuck.

Wearing full dress Marine uniform, Heath
Wheeler hugged Alex’s mother. Alex closed her eyes at the flood of
pain and rage which washed over her. Heath, feeling their eyes on
him, looked over at them.

“
That’s him, isn’t it?”
Trece asked.

“
That’s him,” Alex
replied.

“
Good that we came to this
party, Olivas,” Trece said. “Yeah, real good.”

FFFFF

2 hours later

Tuesday afternoon

April 1
–
4:00 P.M. MDT

Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO

“
Why should I give a shit
that your wife is pregnant?” Alex asked. “You know, they make pills
to prevent pregnancy.”

“
Alex,” Heath said. He moved
his electric chair closer to her.

After the award ceremony, and lunch, Heath
asked if he could speak with Alex in private. She refused but was
brow beaten by her mother’s pleas of ‘He deserved a second chance,
Alex,’ ‘Just talk to him, Alex,’ and ‘What have you got to lose,
Alex?’

Watching Zack and Bestat wander away from
the party, Alex agreed to listen. They moved to an area of the
terrace near the parking lot. She had been ‘just listening’ for the
last ten minutes. She looked at her watch and wondered how much
time she had to give this before she could tell her mother she
‘tried.’

She sneered at her mother’s oldest friend’s
son. Moving further from the party’s perimeter, she hoped he
wouldn’t follow.

He did.

“
What do you want?” Alex
asked.