Hey my buddy LaylaLovely2011 and I wrote this. You should totally check her page out, that is where most of our Army Wives stories are. Anyways I hope you like it and PLEASE REVIEW!
Chapter 3: Dealing with the Devil
Denise got back at around three in the morning. She slipped quietly into the house and went upstairs. She feel asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She slept all night and into the next morning, she hadn't gotten up by eleven that morning. The whole family was having lunch at the table when she walked down.
"Finally decided to show your face." Sue smirked.
"Sue leave her alone." Catalina got up and hugged her daughter. "We missed you."
She smiled and hugged her mother. "Miss you all to." She said.
"Get dressed I'm taking you shopping."
"Why?" She asked.
Her mother have her a shocked expression. "Your nails look awful and you need knew dresses."
Denise laughed. "Let's go then." She said.
It was a very happy ride to the mall. Denise felt a bond with her mother she never felt before.
She shopped until they couldn't anymore because their arms were both too full to carry anything else. As the women where leaving Frank and two of his buddies where jogging by them.
Their eyes met and Denise nearly dropped her bags, Frank almost ran into a tree. It got better knowing the tree was next to Catalina's golden Cadillac. Catalina watched as her daughter walked toward the young soldier. Catalina ran over next to Denise and they both watched Frank. Denise was smiling ear to ear.
Catalina noticed this and spoke up. "You might wanna watch where you're going."
Frank only smiled. "Thank you ma'am." He said politely. "I'll do that."
Catalina stuck her hand out. "I'm Catalina Branch, wife of Colonel Branch, but everybody calls me Doña Catalina."
He shook her hand "Pleased to meet you ma'am Private First Class Frank Sherwood."
"Indeed." She said with the eyes of a hungry venomous snake. "So where you from Sherwood? From the looks of you I know you ain't a Texan."
"No ma'am, I'm originally from Atlanta." He replied.
"Atlanta! Just like in Gone With the Wind! Good good, I was afraid you where from like southern Alabama and were some inbreed or something."
He laughed and Denise choked on her water "Mom!"
"Denise hush up Mamma is talking. Anyways, welcome to Texas. You know part of Fort Bliss once belonged to my great-great-great uncle's cousin." Catalina likes to make it known that these lands should rightfully belong to her.
"Is that so ma'am?" He replied. "Well now I see where Denise gets her looks from."
"Yes honey, I'm the last of a very long line of pure blooded Spaniards and frankly, we're beautiful." She said vainly as she patted her hair.
He laughed. "I like your mother Denise, she is a beauty and she knows it." He said. "Teach your daughter that, she doesn't believe she's a beauty."
"See it's the fact that her father is an Irish-Scottish-French mutt that does it. The Spanish are very vain." She nonchalantly said. Frank picking up on Catalina's strong Spanish pride and decided not to fight her over it.
He smiled. "Well that trait must have skipped you." He said turning up the charm, Denise was nearly melted into a puddle.
"Yes honey, now be a dear and carry our bags to the car."
"Mother!" Denise said. "Frank you don't have to do that."
"Nonsense Denise! He would love too."
He smiled "Your mother is right." He said and took their bags and put them in the car even opening the car doors for both ladies.
"Oh Private Sherwood. I must apologize to you." Catalina said before she got into her car.
"For what ma'am?" He asked.
"You see, when you came and had your little...accident. All us ladies assumed you where some uneducated inbreed from way down south."
He laughed "No apology necessary ma'am." He said. "That was very foolish and I know it."
"I do hope you come over for dinner son. That way I can introduce you to some Texas hospitality and culture."
He smiled. "I would be honored ma'am." He said.
She smiled and got into the car with a very embarrassed Denise already inside.
"He seems nice." Catalina said smiling.
Denise blushed.
"Your father will hate him." Catalina added.
"Why?" She asked.
"I know your father."
She laughed. "So, what do you think about him now?" She asked.
"I don't know. I need to push his buttons a lot more to find out."
Denise laughed. "Be nice to him momma." She begged and like she did with her father the bottom lip came out.
"Put that away! I'll see if I like him. Right now I need to bother him more."
She sighed and looked out her window, this was going to be bad and she knew it. Catalina was driving and pulled up next to Frank. "Darling! This is our address." She said handing him a piece of paper. "Tonight at 7. Don't be late!"
"Yes ma'am." He said smiling and Catalina drove away.
"Such a sweet boy!"
"Told you!"Denise said smiling brightly
"Until dinner."
"Oh good God." She sighed.
Catalina and told the servants to get a grand dinner ready and clean the house. They did just that and Denise spent the remainder of the day making herself look perfect right down to her shoes. Her mother had her stylist come and have Denise's hair done. The stylist made sure her hair was perfect, not a hair out of place, Denise slipped into a red knee length dress and heels, she did her makeup and was ready just in time to hear the door bell, she ran down the stairs to answer it before anyone else could.
Catalina yelled. "Let the help get it!"
"No!" She yelled back and opened the door smiling. "Hey Frank."
"Hey there." He said smiling, he handed her a bouquet of flowers, lilies, her favorite.
"Oh you shouldn't have." Denise said smelling them.
"Really you shouldn't doesn't go with the decor." Said Catalina coming down the stairs.
Denise wanted to kill her, she glared at her and let Frank into the house. "Come on in and ignore my mother." She said
"I heard that Denise!" Her mother said.
"I wanted you to!" She said back rolling her eyes.
"Frank excuse my daughter."
He laughed. "Oh no problem ma'am I've seen this attitude before, she thanks she's bad." He joked and Denise slapped his arm.
"Thank you! Anyways the dinner is served."
Everyone went into the dining room and Frank pulled Denise's chair out for her and Colonel Branch did the same for his wife.
"Catalina why is that boy in my house?" The colonel asked.
"He's here for dinner." She replied. "Denise likes the boy so I figured the least we could do is give him a chance."
Denise's eyes widened. Frank looked at her and smiled and her face turned a bright shade of crimson.
"Mother!"
"Well no need to deny it Denise." She said "You came back to Fort Bliss for the boy for Christ sake!"
"I thought she was visiting her sick uncle." Said Frank.
"Yeah, I lied." Catalina said. "She ran away."
"You ran away? Why did you runaway?"
"Don't ask." Denise said, she was blushing so bad at this point.
"Okay." He said looking down.
Catalina answered for her. "She wanted to date this dumbass solider. So I said leave."
"Who was he?" He asked even though he knew the answer.
"The dumbass at my table." Said the colonel.
Denise looked like she was going to puke, there was a very awkward silence.
"So Frank," Catalina spoke up. "Tell us about yourself."
"Well, I am from Atlanta, my father is retired from the Army and my mother is a nurse." He replied.
"Your mother worked? Oh, how awful." Said Catalina. "Unless it's land, a woman shouldn't work, oh no."
Denise looked at her like she was insane. "Mom I work." She said
Catalina only looked down at her food. "My point and case." She ended but putting the stake in her mouth.
Denise sighed and waited for her father to say something. Catalina didn't say anything and her father only gave Frank death glares.
Denise had enough. "Excuse me I'm not feeling very well." She said and got up and left the table and walked outside.
Frank excused himself and followed her out. She was sitting on the steps with her head in her hands, her shoulders where shaking from the tears that were silently falling. She turned around when she saw Frank approaching.
"I...I am so sorry, about my family." She said.
He sat beside of her. "Don't worry about it." He said and put his hand on her back. "It doesn't matter what they think about me, all that matters to me is what you think of me."
"Wh-What?" She said looking at him with her eyes filled of tears.
"You heard me Denise, I've been an idiot." He said. "I had a girl who was willing to give this ole mutt a chance and I let her get away. I didn't love Ann-Taylor, she was a mistake, along with all of the other girls up until you."
"Oh, you didn't do anything wrong." She said. A good girl never lets a man blame himself.
"Yes I did." He said putting his arm around her. "I was a jerk I flaunted those trash bags in front of you to make you jealous."
"No no, It was me. I bet I looked like a fool with all those men around. Like some sort of..of.. whore."
He slapped her gently on the leg "Don't talk about yourself that way." He said. "You are anything but a whore."
She smiled. "Gosh, I only knew you for so little time."
"It only took me one second to fall in love with you." He said.
"You stop that! You know there is no such thing as love at first sight." Out of all times to gain her mother's stubborn realistic ways, now wasn't the time.
"I thought that until I met you." He said.
"Lies." She said. She rolled her eyes and turned away.
He laughed and poked her in the ribs. She looked at him and laughed. "Did you just poke my ribs?"
"Yes, I did." He replied. "What are you going to do about it?"
She only shoved him and hid her face.
He laughed. "You've had it now little lady." He said as he started tickling her.
She started laughing until her father opened that door."Denise say goodbye and get in the house." He said sternly. At this point the Colonel didn't even seem like himself.
"No daddy!" She plead with her pout face.
"Excuse me?" He asked and Frank was shocked when the Colonel grabbed her by the arm. "I said get in the house now!"
"Fine fine!" Denise gave up.
Frank always saw Denise as this precious creature, mysterious and always completely in control. As if she walked into a room already knowing that everything would go her way and no one can stand in her way. But now, he saw a scared little girl. He let her go and Denise was once again in tears, Frank was angrier than he had ever been. He had always been taught that no man should put his hands on a woman in anger, ever!
"Hey Colonel. I don't know how you do it in 'Texas' but in Georgia you never put your hands on a woman."
"This is none of your concern son, this is my daughter and I'll do as I damn well please." He said, Denise was shaking standing at the door, which made Frank wonder how many times he's grabbed her like that.
"Do you treat your wife like that?"
"Like what?" He asked.
"Grab her and pull her around! Last I checked Texas doesn't allow slavery!"
"I didn't pull her." He said "Denise in the house now!"
"Yes you did and I'm willing to bet that you left a hand print on her!"
"I did not." He said. "She's just a whinebag."
"A whinebag? Sir you really are an awful person!"
Colonel Branch went toward him and Denise started to cry. "Daddy no!"she pleaded grabbing his arm to which she earned a slap across her face.
Frank stared at Denise for a second before he punched the Colonel in the jaw. The older man was shocked and he stumbled backward. Catalina was standing by the stairs not saying anything. She took what looked like a very old, very sturdy horse whip off the wall. Her face wore no expression of shock, if anything she looked bored. Like this happened often, as if she was forced to do a chore. She simply took the whip and went walked over.
The old Colonel was standing up holding his jaw wanting to attack Frank but Catalina simply shoved him back with the whip. She only grabbed Denise and pulled her outside.
"Denise you go back with your Uncle." She ordered.
"No!" She yelled.
"Your friend just punched a Colonel." She said looking at him with hatred.
"No, I'll go live with him." She said. "I won't leave him again."
"Denise, leave."
"No." She said. Her father came outside towards her and grabbed her by both arms and shoved her back in the house.
Catalina pulled the whip on her husband and hit him right on where his left lung would be. It seemed that she did that a lot because she did it so quickly and so efficient. He was on the floor in pain. Denise screamed and shocking everyone she ran straight to Frank. Catalina stood over her husband with the whip.
"Denise, if you don't go to your uncle's right now-"
"I don't want to!" She sobbed, she was clinging to Frank like her life depended on it.
Denise sobbed and looked at Frank waiting for him to say something. He was still shocked and stuck on the fact that Catalina just injured the lung of a Colonel with the end of a whip. The woman with the most perfect life and perfect everything reputation, injured her husband. The Colonel got up and Frank grabbed Denise in case even after being hit he decided to try something again.
"Damn it Denise!" Catalina shoved both Denise and Frank out the door and locked it.
Denise started to sob and she ran to the door trying to get back in the house, she was nearly hyperventilating
"Denise get away! Are you crazy?" Said Frank who was pulling her off the porch.
She was screaming and sobbing.
"Denise stop it!" Frank said.
"Frank what if she kills him?" She sobbed.
"She won't, she did that to protect you. Now where does your uncle live?" He asked after he forced Denise into his car.
"It's very far out. A hacienda, but I don't want to go there." She said.
"Yes you do." He said as he was heading to leave the post.
"I want to stay with you." She said, she'd already grown so attached to him.
He smirked. "Yeah I have a feeling that after that we will be very good friends forever."
She gave him a small smile while still crying, her whole body was shaking, she was a nervous wreck, and that did not sit well with Frank. Frank held her hand as the left the post. Frank couldn't help but think about how crazy that night turned out. He didn't know what to say or think about this whole crazy night that he decided to not think about it. But he couldn't do it, the thoughts kept playing over and over in his head.
By the time he realized that it was getting dark he realized that Denise had stopped crying and was falling asleep but fighting it. Frank thought she looked so cute asleep he didn't want to wake her. Which is why they ended up in New Mexico.