Cowboy Casanova

14

 I rushed into the bar, watching as Bradley walked right past my dad without noticing he was there. I let out a breath of fresh air, running over to my dad to give him a quick hug and waving at Penny. I would make sure to say hi to her later. I rushed back over to Bradley. I was greeted with a smile by another one of my favorite people. "Natasha!" Her head turned towards me and I pushed past Bradley to give her a hug. "Oh my god. How have you been?"

"Good. I've been good." I saw her glance at Bradley, not giving him a smile as she looked back at me. They broke up not long after they were sent to different stations. They hadn't really talked since. It's been awkward. I looked around, figuring out who was here: Fanboy, Coyote, Payback, Phoenix, me, Rooster. We were all the best of the best. A quick smirk formed on my lips as another familiar figure stood before me. He had taken the pool stick from a sweet looking guy in grandpa glasses.

"Who's he?" I asked, looking at the fellow with the grandpa glasses.

"Bob." She told me, grabbing a pool stick. I furrowed my eyebrows, giving him a small smile and wave. "Just Bob." She told me, answering my next question. "He's my new backseater from Lemoore." I saw Hangman walk over to the bar and ask Penny for beer. I saw my dad stare at him, trying to get a read on the pilot. I was actually confused as to what my dad was doing here, but I hadn't had the chance to ask any questions. "Bradshaw, is that you?" She asked as he took off his glasses. He looked down, smiling at her. But I could tell he was nervous.

"Pass me some of those." I asked Bob, as he passed the bowl of nuts. This would be interesting.

"This is how I find out you're stateside."

"Yeah, I thought I'd surprise you." He looked around, nodding at some of the people he knew. Nat bends down to take the shot, hitting the pool stick into his gut. He groans, bending over. I giggle. He probably deserved that.

"Guess I surprised you back."

"It's good to see you." He says while recovering.

"It's good to see you too." Hangman comes back from the bar, handing off beers. He has one left and he walks over to me. I smirk up at him and he does the same.

"Nicole." I rolled my eyes, taking the beer from him.

"Banshee to you." He gave me a mock sad face, leaning closer to me as he put one arm on the pillar behind me.

"Aww, I thought after last time I could call you Nicole." I scoffed.

"Last time was years ago." I moved out from under him. "Gotta earn it, Hangman." He smirked at me, both of us knowing he would earn it. I moved back over to Bradley, handing him the beer. He shot daggers at Hangman.

"Bradshaw. As I live and breathe." Hangman said as he took the pool stick from Bob. I offered Bob an apologetic smile. He just shrugged, moving over to the side. Bradley looked down at me, before back at Hangman.

"Hangman. You look... good." I almost chuckled at Bradley's attempt to get along.

"Well," Hangman bent over to line up a pool shot. "I am good, Rooster." He looked up at the taller man as he hit the cue ball, making the others scatter in various places. "I'm very good. In fact, I am too good to be true." I grabbed a beer and took a sip, setting it down on the table next to me.

"Sooo," said Payback. They truly did call the best. "Anybody knows what this, uh, special detachment is all about?" Payback continued, eyes landing on Hangman.

"No, a mission's a mission and they don't confront me," Hangman said, looking over the table to see his next move leaning down to take the shot. "What I want to know, who's going to be team leader?" He took the shot before standing. "And which one of y'all has what it takes to follow me?" he said, a smug look on his face. God, I wanted to punch him in the face sometimes. Bradley looked away from Hangman for a moment, looking down at me. I knew what was going on in his head and I pleaded with him not to bring it up.

"Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." I sighed. Hangman looked over at me but when he looked back at Bradley, he was grinning as he slowly walked over to the man.

"Hell, anybody who follows you is just gonna... run out of fuel." He twitches his head a bit, the two getting a bit close for comfort. "But that's just you, ain't it, Rooster?" Hangman leaned back against the pool table holding his pool pole between his legs. "You're snug on that perch waiting for just the right moment." He pushed off the table, moving up closer to Rooster now. "That never comes." The two stood off before I broke it.

"Well, all of us here know that neither of you will be team leader and that's for damn sure." Everyone's eyes turned to me as I took the pool stick from Hangman making him trip a little. "Because if I remember correctly," I smirked back at them as I lined up the shot. "And I do." I took the shot, sinking it into the corner picket. "I was first place at Top Gun. Frankly, I might be the best damn pilot in this entire room." I heard Fanboy mutter an 'ooh' and I smirked. "So get your heads out of your asses and shut the hell up. No one here wants to listen to your 'who's dick is bigger' contest." They both looked back at me with a shocked look and I patted them on the shoulder.

"I love this song." Hangman said, stepping away from both of us. He takes the pool stick back, lining up another shot to shoot.

"Well, I'm glad to see nothing has changed." Natasha mumbled to me.

"Nope, sure hasn't." Bradley responded. He walked past us to see if he could find something. We both watched him as he walked away, shaking our heads.

"Check it out, more patches," Fanboy said, causing us to look back, seeing a bunch more walk over towards us.

"That's Harvard, Yale, Omaha," Payback started. "Shit that's Fritz."

"The hell kind of mission is this?" Fanboy muttered. Nat and I looked at each other, equally as curious. I was beginning to understand why my dad might be here. Why else would he be here?

"That's not the question we should be asking." Nat said, looking between us.

"Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they going to get to teach us?" I looked over at my dad, hearing the blaring music stop. My dad nodded at me, looking like he was heading out of there and I nodded back. The bar erupted into protests, people yelling for the music. The sound of piano keys caused my head to twist around to see Bradley at the piano. I smiled, grabbing Nat. Most of us headed over to hang out with Bradley, leaving Hangman and Coyote, who looked like we just hurt their feelings. That's when the bell rings. My eyes went to the counter to see my father and Penny talking, everyone in the bar shouting their favorite words.

"Overboard! Overboard! Overboard! Overboard! Overboard!" Hangman and Coyote went up to my dad and my eyes went wide. They looked to Penny for her orders and she nudged her head. Hangman and Coyote hook their arms under my father's arms, picking him up. They're going to regret that in the morning. I sat next to Bradley at the piano, the two of us playing together.

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain. Too much love drives a man insane. You broke my will. But what a thrill. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" We sang, making the entire bar sing along too. I hadn't had this much fun in a long time. "I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny. But you came along and moved me, honey!" Our voices rang through the bar but I was drawn to the man in the window, my dad, outside looking in, a sadness on his face that one would only see from him if he thought nobody could see him.