Charlene's Soldier Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons or organizations, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Notes from Lisa

  Charlene's Soldier

  By Lisa Ladew

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons or organizations, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Copyright © 2015 Lisa Ladew All Rights Reserved

  Book cover by: http://www.stunningbookcovers.com/

  Chapter 1

  Charlene came awake like a light bulb had been turned on in her head. The emptiness of the other side of the bed screamed at her. He stayed out all night again. A dull ache started in the pit of her stomach, making her swallow convulsively and press a hand to her midsection. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, behind her to-do list, her worries about her sister, and her job issues. It was too dangerous to think something like that.

  Charlene forced herself out of bed. She had to be at work in an hour, and they wouldn’t care that her husband had stayed out all night for the second time that week.

  In the kitchen, she started breakfast with one hand while checking her phone with the other. Nothing from Wayne, but her sister had called. She checked that message quickly, hoping everything was OK. Kerry had almost had a date-rape experience three weeks ago, and Charlene still didn’t know how to handle it. Luckily, a woman across the room had seen Kerry’s date put something in her drink and came over to tell her. Kerry had made a big scene like she always did, taken the cup to the cops, and actually pressed charges on the guy. Charlene shuddered. It was one of those events that made her deeply thankful that she was married. Things were different these days in ways that scared Charlene deeply. She had found Wayne in high school, and although they hadn’t gotten married till four years ago, she had never had to deal with the dating scene.

  The message said Call me. Charlene dialed and was happy to hear her sister pick up quickly.

  “Hi Kerry, it’s me. How are you?”

  I’m great,” Kerry gushed, sounding breathless. Charlene rolled her eyes and smiled. Kerry was always happy and enthusiastic. It was one of the worst and best traits about her.

  “Char, I’m going to a new class tonight. You have to go with me!”

  “Kerry, I told you, I am not going to a pole dancing class. You’re just going to have to go to that one by yourself. I don’t understand -”

  “Calm down, Mom, it’s not the pole dancing class.”

  “Don’t call me Mom.”

  “Don’t act like her then.”

  Charlene sighed. She loved her sister but sometimes talking to her was on exercise in futility. She knew Kerry didn’t mind going to these kinds of classes by herself, and the only time she tried to get Charlene to come to was when she thought Charlene should take the class also. But pole dancing? Why in the world would Charlene want to go to pole dancing? She could just hear Wayne now. How are you going to lift your fat ass off the ground? “I’m not acting like mom. So If it’s not pole dancing, what is it?”

  “A self-defense class for women.”

  “No,” Charlene said without thought or hesitation. What did she need to go to a self-defense class for? She was married. She never went out to bars or walked outside late at night by herself. She was safe. Completely safe. She'd made sure of that a long time ago.

  “Come on,” Kerry whined. “This is something I want to do, and don’t you think I need it?”

  “Yes, go. I think it’s a great idea.”

  “You’ve got to come with me, it will be more fun. And we can both learn lots of new stuff.”

  Charlene quickly ran through her list of mental excuses trying to find a reason not to go. Wayne was going to poker at his buddy’s house three times a week now, and she barely saw him. He worked all day selling cars at Dave’s Automotive and then went out to blow off steam with his friends. He wouldn’t be home tonight until late. If he comes home at all, she thought dimly, not wanting to focus on that.

  Kerry stepped up her offense. “Look Charlene, if you go with me, I’ll let you set me up with that guy from your work.”

  Charlene stopped fussing in the kitchen drawer and stood up straight. She had been trying to set Kerry up with Ted for months now. Ted was nice, he was calm, he was safe. “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  “Deal,” she said quickly. Wayne would be gone tonight. He never even had to know that she had gone to this class. She would show up, go through the motions, drive home quickly, and forget all about it.

  “OK perfect, meet me at my house at six and I’ll drive us over there. Bye!”

  Charlene looked at the phone in her hand and shook her head. Kerry was a full of energy and hard to take sometimes, but mostly she was one of the best things in Charlene’s life. Charlene couldn’t wait till she calmed down a little. Got married. Had some kids.

  If kids are so great, why don’t you have any? a voice in a tiny back corner of her mind whispered, showing her a picture of her own birth control pills that she hid from Wayne behind her saline spray and her tampons.

  Charlene heard the back door open and stiffened. She ran through everything she had said to Kerry to see if Wayne might have overheard something that would let him know what she had planned tonight. She didn’t think so. She didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want him to make fun of her either. Sometimes it was just easier to step around the truth. She turned to examine him.

  The scent of beer, cigars, and something sweeter, preceded Wayne into the kitchen. Charlene pressed her lips together. Wayne’s face was slack and jovial, and she knew a once he was still drunk. She waited for him to come inside and shut the door before she said a word. She remembered the days when they would smile and kiss when they greeted each other, but barely.

  “I guess you’re not going to work today,” she told him. “I won’t make you a lunch then.”

  “I’ll still need to eat whether I go to work or not,” he said in a tight voice, his words clipped.

  Charlene pulled back like she had been slapped. He stayed out all night and he came home smelling like perfume and he hadn’t sold a car in four months and he was the one getting angry?

  “I was worried about you,” she said instead, trying to turn the attention back to him.

  “I stayed at Chuck’s.”

  “You could’ve called.”

  Wayne laughed and pushed past her, towards the living room where his chair and remote control were. “I could have. But I didn’t.”

  Charlene shook her head and felt familiar hopelessness well up inside her. When had it gotten this bad? Why was he like this? What could she do about it? “That’s not right,” she burst out without thinking.

  Wayne turned back to her, his face incredulous. “That’s not right? What do you know about what’s right, you dipshit? Nothing! You just keep your mouth shut and I’ll tell you what’s right and wrong.”

  Charlene’s cheeks burned with hatred and shame. “I’m goi
ng to work,” she mumbled and grabbed her purse off the counter, then rushed out the door without a look back.

  Chapter 2

  Charlene stopped on a bench just outside the hospital doors. The day had been long and hard and she had been glad for every second of it. No one has time to worry about their own issues when people’s lives are at stake. She took a bottle of water out of her bag and dug for her phone, drank some and breathed deeply, checking her messages. There was only one from Kerry, reminding her to get there by six. Well Kerry was going to get a little surprise – Charlene would be there by five and Kerry could make her dinner. Charlene didn’t feel like going home, whether Wayne was there or not, but since Wayne wasn’t there, she wouldn’t have to deal with him calling her and demanding to know where his dinner was.

  She drove to her sister’s house, purposely keeping her mind off of Wayne. His drinking had gotten so bad in the last months that she was surprised he was still employed. He hadn’t actually received a paycheck in four months since he hadn’t sold one car. She guessed it wasn’t hard for Wayne’s boss to keep him on if he didn’t have to pay him, as long as he didn’t show up to work drunk or do something stupid. Charlene was glad she made decent money as a nurse. So far she’d been covering the bills OK and they hadn’t had to dip into savings. She hoped he would get his act together soon though, things were starting to get tight.

  Charlene parked her car in Kerry’s driveway and plodded up the walkway. Kerry met her at the front door.

  “You’re early.”

  “I wanted to see my lovely sister … and eat her food.”

  Kerry spit out a laugh. “Joke's on you. I’m eating macaroni and cheese.”

  “Joke's on you, that sounds great,” Charlene answered, meaning it. Anything she didn’t have to make sounded good right now. Wayne didn’t like anything from a box and she usually had to spend over an hour cooking meals from scratch every night.

  Kerry led her to the dining room table and Charlene sank into a chair, kicking off her shoes while Kerry spooned out some noodles. “Can I wear something of yours? I didn’t feel like going home to change.”

  “Sure, help yourself.”

  “Thanks, after I eat.”

  Kerry set a bowl of orange, cheesy goodness down in front of Charlene and went back to her own bowl. She took a big bite, then pointed at Charlene’s hand and said something around her mouthful of food.

  “I can’t understand you with your mouth full,” Charlene sneered at her, acting disgusted but not really feeling it. That was typical Kerry behavior as long as it was just the two of them.

  Kerry chewed her food and tried again. “You have to take all of your jewelry off. John told me that three times.”

  Charlene slipped off her earrings and laid them on the table. “Even my wedding ring?” she said, holding up her left hand.

  “Yep. If not they make you tape it so you don’t hurt anybody with it,” Kerry said around another mouthful of food.

  Charlene wrinkled her brow and looked at her ring. She didn’t like to take it off, especially not in public. But she didn’t want to tape it up either. Doubtfully, she slipped it off and laid it next to her earrings. “OK, remind me to put them back on before I go home.”

  Kerry rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want Wayne to get upset, would we?”

  Charlene didn’t respond. She knew Kerry didn’t like her husband, and never had, even when they were seniors in high school and Kerry had been a freshman and should have looked up to them.

  Kerry caught her gaze and gave her a look that said she knew what Charlene was doing but Charlene looked away and ate some of her mac & cheese. Yum.

  After their bowls were emptied and cleaned Charlene went to her sister’s bedroom to find something suitable to wear. Gym clothes, Kerry had said. Charlene picked out a pair of yoga pants and a pretty turquoise shirt, changed, and went back out to find her sister.

  “Let’s go. If we get there early you can meet John.”

  “OK.”

  They slipped into Kerry’s car and headed to the Dojo.

  “Who’s John?” Charlene asked her sister on the way there.

  “He’s the instructor. He goes to my gym, and he’s super cute.”

  “You think everyone’s cute.”

  Kerry gave her an irritated sidelong glance. “No I don’t. I think cute people are cute. Just because you don’t notice what anyone looks like anymore because you’re married doesn’t mean I’m suddenly not discriminating.”

  Kerry said the word married with the irritating lilt of a little sister who thinks her older sister is being a horrible bore.

  “Well I hope when you are married you stop looking at other men that way too,” Charlene said, slipping into her role easily.

  “I hope I don’t! I’ll be married, not dead.”

  Charlene shook her head. “That’s the man’s line.”

  “Then why did I say it?”

  Charlene sucked in a breath and shut her mouth with a snap. Kerry was impossible sometimes.

  Kerry pulled into the parking lot and parked close to the building. Charlene’s heart picked up speed at once. The entire front of the building was covered with large glass windows and she could see everyone inside. The thought that people passing by would be able to watch her doing whatever foolish thing she would be doing made her nervous.

  “What are we doing again? Karate?” That’s what it looked like was going on in there now. Twenty people were lined up on a mat inside, kicking and jumping and punching the air with precise movements. She could hear their guttural exhalations from inside the car. Was she going to be required to make that sound? She’d fake it.

  “It’s a women’s self-defense class called Defense against Rape and Aggression.”

  Charlene shuddered. That sounded awful.

  Kerry practically leapt out of the car and motioned to Charlene to follow. “Come on, I see John!”

  Slowly, Charlene opened her car door and stepped outside, still watching the people on the mat. She forced herself to take baby steps and eventually ended up inside. Kerry was already there, hugging a tall man with a pleasant face, a muscular body, and short cropped hair.

  “John, this is my sister, Charlene. She really wanted to come to the class with me today.”

  Charlene ignored her sister and held out her hand to John. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  John shook it warmly and returned the sentiment, then turned back to Kerry and put an arm around her. “I’m so glad you came, we’re gonna have a great class tonight. I’ve got a guest instructor who is going to wow you!”

  He instructed them to fill out the registration paperwork and sit on the benches while the other class finished up. Kerry and Charlene did so, Kerry constantly chattering about everything and everyone in the room, while Charlene was quiet and kept her eyes open, evaluating. Her nerves jumped and fizzled, keeping her in an uncomfortable state of hyper-alertness as people filed in and out of the large building.

  When the old class was completely done, Kerry pulled her sister onto the mat and they sat down cross-legged. Of course Kerry made them sit in the very front row, where they talked quietly as people filed in behind them. Charlene swallowed hard and told herself it would all be over in an hour.

  John Roberson stood at the front, smiling down at the four rows of women in front of him. He held up his hands to quiet their chatter and spoke. “Thank you for coming to Defense against Rape and Aggression. This may be the most important class you take in your life. I am your instructor, but tonight and for the next two weeks we have a very special guest instructor.”

  John kept talking but Charlene’s attention was pulled to one corner of the open room, where a person had just entered from a hidden door. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a man who made her mouth dry instantly and her heart beat a terrified rhythm in her chest. He was scary. And beautiful.

  Chapter 3

  The man walked over to John and Charlene’s eyes raked
him from top to bottom. He was tall, probably standing right at six foot. His blond hair was closely cropped in a military crew cut. His face was broad and open and guileless, except for the ragged vertical scar on his right cheek, but what scared her the most was his muscles, his self-assured attitude, and the tattoos completely covering what she could see of his right arm. His looks and demeanor commanded her attention like she’d never experienced before. Her eyes ran over his tattoos, fascinated by them, trying to figure them out. Finally she realized the tattoo was supposed to look like old silver armor, but with crests and a word cascading down the forearm. Freedom, it said. Her mind jiggled the word, turning it over and examining it. Why would he have that tattooed on his forearm? Was he a soldier? But even so, why that word? Why on his arm? Her thoughts spun on and on as her eyes drank him in. He looked young, younger than her, and a part of her was embarrassed and ashamed to be so openly devouring him, but still she couldn’t look away. His eyes met hers and he smiled at her, a wonderful smile that completely hid his scar and gave him a little boy charm. The smile did what her own shame could not. It caused her to tear her eyes from his and look down, her face reddening madly. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hid behind them.

  People moved around her. Kerry pulled at her and hissed, “Stand up Charlene, weren’t you listening?”

  Charlene scrambled to her feet, but kept her eyes on the floor. She didn’t have a clue what was going on and she was seized by an intense desire to run outside to the car.

  “Everybody grab a partner,” John called and Charlene slinked even closer to Kerry, grabbing compulsively at her hand. “Out of every pair, the shorter person will be the aggressor first. If you are the same size then pick an aggressor.”

  “I’m the aggressor first,” Kerry whispered, since they were both exactly five foot eight inches tall.

  Charlene nodded dully, her cheeks still aflame.

  John explained the simple exercise to them. One person would attack the other person from behind and the person who had been attacked would try to break out of the choke hold. The exercise began and the twenty groups of two women nervously sidled up to each other and began to wrestle. Kerry got her arms quickly around Charlene’s neck and didn’t let go for anything. Charlene tried to pull at her arms and that didn’t do any good so she tried to drop out of them, causing them both to tumble to the ground. John and the man with the crew cut (Charlene was ashamed to realize his name had probably been announced and she had completely missed it) walked among the women making small remarks here and there. Giggles and awkward exclamations bounced off the walls. John called a halt to the exercise and told everyone to make note of the position they ended up in. Charlene looked around and realized she and Kerry were the only ones on the ground. She bet they were the only sisters there. She could remember a time fifteen or so years ago when Kerry had tried to put her in a choke hold for real.