“I think they had fun and no one was hurt.” Charlie loaded the footballs into the back of his truck bed and lifted the tailgate shut. “That means I’ll be able to go home today.”
Colton’s eyes slipped to the sidelines, where Pecca was talking with a few other parents. “Pecca was worried for Maceo too. I’m glad she let him play.”
“It took me nearly forty-eight hours of negotiations and a PowerPoint presentation to convince Lane to let Noah play.”
“Forty-eight hours, huh?” Colton laughed.
“Actual missions have taken less energy.” Charlie smiled. “I appreciate you keeping an eye on her and Maceo.”
The shift in Charlie’s tone and the subject matter pulled Colton’s attention away from Pecca. He faced Charlie.
“Have you heard anything new?”
“Forensics is running labs on the bullets we pulled from the tree. The area across from the café is wooded, and without knowing where the shooter was at, trying to find anything out there is next to impossible.” Charlie sat on the edge of his bumper. “Adrian isn’t entirely convinced it was the SSB. His understanding is that the gang still doesn’t know she’s here.”
“So, are you leaning toward it being a random shooting?”
“My gut says it’s more than that, especially given the motive. But it’s hard not to give in to the idea that it might have been some teenagers messing around. I mean, why would the SSB try something so aggressive if they want her help? It’s like we’re missing something.”
Colton tossed the football into the back of Charlie’s truck, wondering if he should share what he learned from Kekoa or at least tell him he’d asked his uncle Jack to check into Javier. “To find, know, and never lose the enemy.” The military intelligence creed Colton swore to uphold was ingrained in him whether or not he still wore the uniform. He didn’t have all of the intel yet, and sharing fragmented information could be dangerous.
Charlie stood, tipping his head toward the field where Lane was waving them over. “Looks like if we want any of those cookies, we’d better get over there.”
They both started over to where the kids and parents stood enjoying Lane’s snack. Colton’s eyes drifted back to Pecca, Maceo beside her with a football in one hand and a cookie in the other. Seeing them smiling, not worrying about a threat, reminded Colton of the days at the FOB. The forward operating base was a place his soldiers could relax and not think about where they were or the enemy waiting outside the gate. Colton’s mission to protect his soldiers always started as soon as his boots hit the ground, and he wasn’t any less invested in making sure Pecca and Maceo remained safe.
“I saved two cookies for our coaches.” Lane smiled and passed Colton a cookie before handing the last one to Charlie with a kiss on the cheek. “Good job, guys.”
Pecca walked closer, and Colton couldn’t avoid the soft floral scent the breeze lifted from her skin. Not that he wanted to either. The sweet aroma reminded him of the honeysuckle growing around the porch at his grandparents’ ranch and stirred a desire that felt less like a longing for home and more like a longing for the woman next to him.
Colton quickly shifted his attention to Maceo. He really needed to stop thinking of Pecca in that way. Their future was defined by their roles. She was his nurse.
“Did you have fun, Maceo?”
“Yeah.”
Maceo didn’t meet Colton’s eyes, and there was something off in his tone. Colton looked to Pecca, who shrugged. He went to one knee, putting him at Maceo’s eye level. “What’s up, man?”
“I didn’t play very good.”
“What do you mean? I watched you play. You did great.”
“No, I didn’t.” Maceo shook his head. “I didn’t make one play.”
Colton sighed. “One person doesn’t make a play. It takes a team. Someone to pass, someone to block, someone to run, and someone to catch. You think one person can do all that?”
“Vincent James.”
Colton laughed. “No way. Even Vincent James needs his teammates.”
Maceo stared down at his prosthetic. “No one would throw me the ball.”
Pecca shifted next to Maceo, and Colton could see that she wanted to comfort her son but wasn’t sure whether she should. She looked to him, expectation in her expression. And he got it.
“Maceo, remember what I told you about Vincent? Me helping him?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, when he finally got strong and his leg was better, he went back onto the field, and you know what happened?”
“What?”
“No one would throw him the ball either.”
Maceo frowned. “Why not?”
“Because they didn’t think he could run the ball. Make the play. He had to get out on the field every day and prove he was strong enough.” Colton tapped his finger against Maceo’s chest. “And that’s what you’re going to do.”
“I am?”
“You are. And I’m going to help you every day, because I believe you can be just as good as Vincent James.”
It was like Colton had said the magic words, because in an instant Maceo’s little chest puffed a bit and his chin lifted a little higher than it had been before. Colton peered up and saw Pecca’s smile was wavering. She mouthed “thank you” and swiped at her eyes.
Heat crawled up Colton’s neck. His arm jerked and he tucked it close, as if he needed another reason to remind him why thinking about Pecca in any other way than as his nurse was a bad idea. If he couldn’t take care of himself, what did he hope to offer her?
Pecca tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear in an attempt to distract herself from her growing feelings for Colton. He was making it impossible to stick to her principle. Colton was her patient—and he was kind, gentle, generous, and spoke truth into Maceo that brought light back to his eyes. She was becoming as attracted to his character as she was to his good looks.
That undeniable truth brought a smile to her lips, forcing her to tuck her chin. Maybe she should check into the Mansion’s rules for any mention about a staff member dating a patient. Her heart thumped a little harder in approval.
“What do you think, Pecca?”
Her eyes flashed up to find Lane, Charlie, Colton, and a brunette woman standing there looking at her. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was”—daydreaming about my patient—“trying to remember what I need to pick up from the grocery store.”
Lane eyed her with all the suspicion of a friend who knew better. “You know Kristen,” she said, gesturing to the brunette. “She’s Emilia’s mom and is the chairperson for the fall festival at the elementary school.” Pecca smiled at Kristen. “She’s hosting a meeting at her house, but Charlie’s schedule changed and we had to reschedule our birthing class for that night.”
Charlie made a face. “I don’t know which is worse, birthing class or PTO meetings.”
Kristen pouted. “Hey! My meetings are fun. I have wine and appetizers.”
“A dozen women who love to gab,” Charlie added with a smile before Lane playfully smacked him on the arm. “Kidding.”
“There’s not only women. We have a few dads who volunteer too.” Kristen looked at Pecca. “You know David. He’s always helping out at the school, and the saint doesn’t even have kids. He’ll be there.”
Pecca’s eyes darted to Colton in time to see a flicker of emotion wash over his face. Why she looked at him in the first place bothered her, but seeing what looked like irritation on his face made her feel funny. She sensed something was off between Colton and David the other day but figured it was because they didn’t really know each other. Now it felt like there was more to it than that.
“Um, I don’t know.”
“Oh, please.” Kristen pressed her hands together like she was praying. “If you don’t come, then we’ll have to reschedule because we won’t make quorum.”
“And that could affect the fall festival.” Lane sighed. “We may have to cancel.”
“There’s no f
all festival?” Noah looked like someone had just told him Disneyland was shutting down.
Emilia spun in a circle. “I’m going to be a princess.”
“I wanted to be a football player,” Maceo said.
Pecca shot Lane a look that she hoped said “Thanks for putting me on the spot.” Then a thought occurred to her. “Oh, I don’t have a sitter for Maceo.”
“What about Colton?”
If Pecca was surprised by Lane’s suggestion, Colton appeared shocked. They both looked at each other and then to Lane.
“Yeah!” Maceo cheered. “We can practice more, and I bet my mom will let us have pizza for dinner, right?”
“Um.” She looked to Colton, trying to figure out what to say.
He shrugged. “Pizza and football sound good to me.”
“Perfect. I’ll put you at David’s table.” Kristen clapped her hands. “I’ll see you then.”
As Kristen gathered Emilia to leave, Pecca spun around to stare down her friend. Lane wiggled her eyebrows like she was in on a secret, but with Colton right there, Pecca didn’t dare ask. Instead, she was left trying to figure out how she ended up agreeing to a night out with David and why she was suddenly very jealous of Maceo.
FIFTEEN
“OOOH WEEE, CAP, you sure the Army checked your brain?” Sticks said as soon as Colton stepped out of his room. The man was leaning against the wall, arms folded like he’d been waiting. Gunny and Sarge were there too.
Colton looked around. “I feel like I’m walking into an ambush.”
“It’s not babysitting. It’s recon, right?” Sarge gave Colton a tight nod. “Soldier needs to know how to win the battle. Strengths and weaknesses of the enemy.”
“It’s not a battle.” He looked at Sarge. “There’s no enemy.” He looked at Gunny. “I’m just helping her out.” He looked at Sticks. “She’s my nurse.”
“Hot Tamale’s more than that,” Gunny said with a glint in eyes. “She’s a good one.”
“Yeah,” Sticks spoke up, pushing away from the wall. “I know you’re Army, but don’t let that hold you back. She’ll overlook it.”
“Maybe,” Gunny said with a laugh.
Colton shook his head. “I’ve gotta go.”
“Don’t make her wait, Cap,” Sticks said. “Or a fly-boy is going to swoop in and show you how it’s done.”
“Or a Marine!” Gunny cackled.
Sarge squinted in thought. “Last time I checked, the wars were won with boots on the ground.”
Colton left Sarge to defend his battle theory as he jogged down the stairs of the Mansion and out the door. It was a cool night, and he gave himself plenty of time to walk to Pecca’s so that he wouldn’t be sweaty when he arrived. It didn’t matter if he was an Army soldier or not, his mama always taught him to arrive on time—and looking respectable.
Thirty-three minutes later, Colton stood on Pecca’s porch and rang her doorbell. The sound of little feet echoed on the other side of the door before it swung open.
“Colton!” Maceo pushed the screen door open and pulled on Colton’s right hand, bringing him into the house. “Mom’s still getting ready, but she ordered pizza and said that if I got all of my homework done I could play a video game with you or watch a movie.” Maceo tugged on Colton’s arm. Colton leaned forward. “My bedtime’s nine o’clock, but Mom said if there’s only a few minutes left or we’re really into the game I can stay up a little later.”
Maceo speared him with his dark brown eyes and a look that said he had every intention of pushing his bedtime curfew. Colton gave him an approving wink.
“I hope you like plain old cheese pizza.”
Colton straightened to find Pecca standing in the hallway, putting in a gold hoop earring. She blinked and then smiled.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but workout shorts and a T-shirt.”
He glanced down at his jeans and forest-green long-sleeve Henley. Colton hadn’t expected to go on any dates while he was in Walton, so his wardrobe was limited to cotton shirts and two pairs of jeans. But Pecca . . . In a simple burgundy sweater, black skinny jeans, and flats, he was finding it hard not to stare. She looked amazing. Her long hair was twisted on top of her head, while a few tiny pieces framed her face, and he noticed she was wearing makeup. His eyes were drawn to the ruby color on her lips.
“You okay?” The skin between Pecca’s eyes pinched. “Maybe I should cancel—”
“No,” Colton said. “It’s just, uh, you look . . .” Her eyes pinned him with expectation. “You look very nice.”
“Is it too much?” She walked to a mirror hanging on the wall. “I rarely wear anything but scrubs these days, so getting to wear real clothes is a luxury. Lane’s sister, Meagan, said some people apparently get dressed up for these PTO meetings.”
“No. Nope.” He shook his head. “You look . . .” Perfect.
The doorbell rang, saving him from his thoughts.
“That would be my ride.”
“Ride?”
Colton looked over his shoulder in time to see Maceo let David in. From the look on David’s face, he wasn’t expecting to find Colton there but smiled quickly to cover it up.
“Colton, good to see you.” He moved his attention to Pecca. “Wow, you look great.”
Great. I could’ve told her she looked great. Beautiful. Stunning. Amazing. Who says a woman looks very nice, anyway?
“Thanks.” Pecca gave him a smile and brushed by Colton, her body skimming his just enough to send a current of electricity spiraling through him. “Let me just give Colton a few last-minute instructions.”
Colton followed Pecca into her kitchen, not missing the amused expression lifting David’s eyebrows. Yep, from captain in the Army to babysitter . . . he was living his best life. Though, to be fair, pizza and video games with Maceo sounded way better than being the brunt of the jokes from the men in D-Wing.
“The pizza will be delivered in a few minutes.” Pecca looked at her watch. “I already paid, and I told Maceo he could watch a movie or play a video game but not both. And no matter what he tells you, his bedtime is nine on the dot.”
Colton shot a glance to the living room. David, in his slacks, collared shirt, and tie, looked every part a nervous date, shifting over his cane. He appeared interested in whatever Maceo was saying, but Colton caught him looking into the kitchen.
“Um, I left my number there.” Pecca’s voice turned Colton’s attention to a piece of paper she was pointing to on the counter. “I also left Lane’s, though she’s going to be at birthing class, which is why I’m going to this thing in the first place.”
Did he hear resentment in her tone? A small part of him was happy about that. Pecca was looking at this not as a date but as an obligation. Nothing was romantic about that. Not that he was worried. Or should be worried.
“Are you sure you’re okay to do this?”
He met her concerned look and realized she must’ve asked him something or said something and he hadn’t responded.
“I can cancel or try to see if Ms. Byrdie could watch Maceo—”
“It’ll be fine.” Colton smiled. “I promise.”
Pecca made a face, her lips twisting into something like a grimace. “I hate to ask this, but have you, um, ever babysat before?”
Colton swallowed. “A kid, no.” Pecca’s eyes widened. “But I have commanded a troop of soldiers, and that’s basically the same thing. Except a lot more of them. Annnd they get into far more trouble than a seven-year-old.”
“Almost eight!” Maceo shouted from the living room. “My birthday’s next week.”
Pecca wrinkled her nose at Colton. “You haven’t seen this seven-year-old in action.”
“It’s just a couple of hours. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“How about we don’t find out.” Pecca pointed to the paper again. “I left Ms. Byrdie’s number too just in case.”
David limped over. “We should probably go if we don�
��t want to be late.”
“Right. Okay.”
Colton watched Pecca make a mad dash to the closet to grab her coat and purse before hugging Maceo and whispering something in his ear that made him peek at Colton from the corner of his eye.
At the door, Pecca turned and gave Colton, Maceo, and the house a final look as though she was trying to remember what it looked like before chaos ensued. Maybe he should be worried.
“Thanks so much! I’ll try to get back as soon as I can.” With those parting words, she shut the door, leaving him in a wake of her perfume that was fueling an ugly flame of jealousy.
Colton turned to Maceo. “Cheese pizza? That’s so boring.”
Maceo laughed, and for the next hour and a half they enjoyed their pizza and talked about football, Vincent James, which Marvel movie Colton should watch first—Iron Man or Captain America—and the merits of movie order—chronological or by release date. In the end, Colton didn’t care because he couldn’t keep his thoughts from wandering to Pecca and David.
If he counted how many times he had to remind himself they weren’t on an actual date, it would be pathetic. But he couldn’t help himself. The idea of her sitting next to him, laughing at something funny he said—did the guy even have a sense of humor? Colton didn’t know and shouldn’t care, because maybe David was a good guy and maybe Pecca did have feelings for him. And maybe he should get a hold of himself.
“I’m going to grab a glass of water. You want anything?”
Maceo, eyes glued to the movie, shook his head. Colton rose and left Robert Downey Jr. waxing poetic about the dangers of a militarized army of robots. He flipped on the light to the kitchen and froze.
Taking in the scene, he blinked to make sure he wasn’t imagining what he was seeing. A soapy blanket of bubbles a foot deep covered the entire kitchen floor. Colton looked at the dishwasher still whirring defiantly as a snowy river of soap spewed from the edges. Dread knotted the muscles in his shoulders. How had this happened?
Colton’s arm jerked as he rushed toward the machine, but the floor was slippery and his feet split in opposite directions before he caught himself on the counter. “Maceo, we have a problem.”
Silent Shadows Page 12
