The Vacation

Chapter 1

Mac threw the tennis ball for what felt like the millionth time. Showing no depletion of energy despite almost 40 minutes of play, his K9 partner Reego took off in pursuit the bright green toy. Mac turned and resumed his conversation with his old buddy Pete Greer.

"Less than a week left until smooth seas and warm beaches. Dude, you are not going to regret going on this vacation. The house is right on the beach and we'll be grilling and drinking beer under the moon every night!" Pete fist pumped the air with glee.

His old friend hadn't changed much since their years in the Marines together. He'd gotten a little softer but not much and now had a light touch of gray just barely creeping into the sandy hair at his temples. His brown eyes were still just as alive as always and his love of beer and barbequed meat persisted unabated.

Reego was back with his quarry and had dropped the sopping ball at Mac's feet. He'd long since gotten over his aversion to slobber in the 4 years he and Reego had been partners. Saliva was as much a part of Reego as his thick dark hair or his perky German shepherd ears. He resembled any other goofy, happy dog at this moment but when Mac said it was time to work he was all business. Reego could locate dope anywhere it was hidden and tracked relentlessly for hours on end. Mac almost felt bad for the poor bastards who tried to elude him. No one ever out ran Reego and he wasn't kind to them when he caught them either.

The ball soared threw the air again.

"So we are all meeting at the airport at 1600 hours and the plane leaves at 1745 hours. The housekeeper knows we are coming in late so she's gonna leave the key in a lockbox. I got the code. We'll sleep a few hours and then get busy relaxing." His friend's eagerness was contagious and Mac had to admit that he too was looking forward to 3 weeks off work in paradise.

"So it's you and Becca, Derek and Tammy, and who again?"  He knew Pete's wife Becca and had met Pete's partner at the police department Derek but hadn't met his wife. He hadn't met any of the others who had joined in to rent the large beach house in Cozumel, Mexico they were all going to share for the duration of the trip.

"Well, Mark isn't going now. Some lame excuse about time off and an obligation to his parents. I have my own thoughts on why he REALLY isn't going but it's none of my business really. Tammy's friend Isabelle is coming despite my best efforts." Pete pulled a face and rolled his eyes to show exactly how deeply he admired this person. "Stay away from that one if you know what is good for you. Drama, drama drama! Hopefully she behaves this time." He crossed his fingers while looking to the sky and crossing himself.

"What does that mean?" Mac threw the ball again and Reego bounded off across the grass of the training field.

"Well, she's one of those girls who really like attention. All dolled up and glittery but really just a complete basket case. If there is a male in the vicinity he'd better be fawning over her as far as she's concerned." He snorted in disapproval. "Tammy felt bad for her the year before last and we've been stuck with her since because she thinks she's part of the group and Tammy won't tell her to bug off."

"Just find her some Mexican boy toy to occupy her time. No big deal." Mac shrugged and threw the ball yet again. The solution seemed simple to him. "First night out find some hapless, inebriated tourist to play decoy."

"I don't care that she's slutty, what bothers me is her attitude toward Brenna.  She'd downright nasty to her and Brenna is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She's the other member of our little party by the way."

Mac had heard a lot about Brenna. He knew Pete and a couple of the other guys at the PD had called on their wives to reach out to her a couple years ago after a major tragedy had killed her husband and left her severely injured. Derek's wife Tammy was president of the local chapter of Wives Behind the Badge who worked with the families of fallen officers to get them through. Brenna's husband hadn't been a cop, he'd been a firefighter, but he'd been in the Army with Derek and been friends with many of the officers. They couldn't just stand by and watch her slip away so they'd rallied behind her and become her new family. Luckily for her it seemed she'd accepted them over time because Mac doubted they'd have let her reject them.

He'd never met her but here and there he'd heard her name dropped in stories by the guys and their families. He worked for the sheriff's office and they for the city police department so it wasn't always easy for him to attend their get togethers. She was a fire fighter the same as her husband had been and was probably the best protected hose monkey ever being the only one honorarily adopted into the law enforcement brotherhood.

"I'm sure Brenna can hold her own." Reego seemed to finally have lost his fascination with fetch. He placed the dirty, sopping tennis ball at Mac's feet and lay down with his muzzle on his paws. Mac knelt to give him a scrub. "Good boy!"

"She can, no doubt going one on one, but Isabelle plays dirty. She uses Brenna's little insecurities and unhealed wounds and does it so subtly you can't quite pin her with it. Brenna just turns the other cheek but I can tell it gets to her. Just makes me mad. No one picks on my sis."

Together they walked to the kennels so Mac could drop off a few things in Reego's locker before heading home for the day.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Mac and he stopped dead in his tracks and fixed his friend with a death stare.

"What?" Pete immediately stopped and threw his hands up at the force of Mac's glare.

"If I find out this is some matchmaking attempt you guys cooked up I swear I will beat you and Derek senseless and let Reego gnaw on your bones."

"No!" Pete denied with vehemence. "I would never ever set you up with Isabelle. Not even my worst enemy deserves that and Brenna is amazing, but she isn't ready to date yet. We are just happy she isn't fighting us tooth and nail to come out and be part of the world anymore. Pushing her to date could ruin everything we've worked for. We wouldn't do that to her or you."

Satisfied Mac turned off the death stare and reached down to scratch Reego's ears. He wasn't huge but he was pretty well built and took pride in the fact he'd maintained his fitness after leaving the Marines. He had the dusky dark good looks his grandmother had described as black Irish with olive skin, dark hair and midnight blue eyes. His soft gray cotton shirt only partially obscured the black and white tattoos that  covered both of his arms from his wrist to his shoulders and continued onto his back. He's was equally as imposing as his furry partner. They made a pretty good pair.

"Alright man, well I'll see you at the airport. I'm glad you stopped by." He reached out and they performed the requisite awkward male hug complete with back slap. "I gotta get him cleaned up before I let him in the back of my car for the ride to doggy daycare." Reego's ears swiveled forward and he made a whimpering noise as if he understood he was enroute for a bath and wasn't pleased with the idea.

"Too bad Reego here can't come. Won't be the same without him." Pete ruffled the dog's ears affectionately.

"This is a highly trained, uber expensive, indispensable piece of county property that just so happens to have a penchant for chewing comfortable athletic shoes and making disgusting dog farts." He gestured toward Reego sitting politely between them who gave Mac a look as if perhaps he didn't think he'd been described with the reverence he deserved.

"Ya, well I'd like to see the kennel that thinks can keep him under wraps while you're gone. That dog doesn't listen to or like anyone but you."

"I'm supposed to drop him off tonight so he can get accustomed to staying there while I'm still here. Smooth him into it while he still spends the day with me. It might work." He shrugged but deep down it really did worry him that his partner might not be able to tolerate his absence.

"Well good luck to you both." Pete gave one last pat to Reego and headed for the parking lot. Reego gave Mac a baleful look.

"No way you are getting out of your bath pal. Even if I do feel guilty as hell." Reego lowered his head in defeat and followed Mac into the K9 building for the dreaded bath time.