by Katie Knight
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Maria tamped down the unease inside her. He was probably right, even though she had seen his parents in passing over the past year. Little Creek was a small town, after all. Sightings of each other were impossible to avoid. Though, until today, there’d never been an actual face-to-face time, especially between the Daniels and Camille. That was about to change. Out of necessity, more than anything else. She’d meant what she said. She trusted Trevor’s mom. Certainly way more than she’d ever trusted her own mom and dad.
Penelope Daniels was warm, kind, caring. All the things her own parents were not.
Besides, desperate times called for desperate measures.
And right now, Maria was feeling about as desperate as a girl could get.
She took a deep breath to help ease the pounding of her pulse and rang the doorbell before Trevor could talk her out of it.
Next thing she knew, there stood Penelope, her short gray hair styled in a cute pixie cut, her warm brown eyes shining with cheerful surprise, her smile wobbling slightly as her gaze fell from Maria to Camille.
“Hello…” Penelope said, her voice trailing off as Camille gave a small squeak. “Oh my. Is that…”
“Yes. This is your granddaughter, Camille.” Maria blinked hard against the unexpected sting of tears. She’d been so focused on doing it all herself this past year that she’d not realized how much she’d missed the connection with others until it was right in front of her. “Can we come in for a second?”
“Oh, uh, sure. Of course.” Penelope moved aside to let them in, her gaze flickering to her son before returning to the baby. “Please, make yourselves at home. Can I get you anything to drink? Eat?”
“No, no, we’re fine.” Maria set Camille’s car seat carrier on the floor, then the diaper bag, then smoothed a hand down the front of her coat, feeling a bit self-conscious now that they were here. The house looked the same as she remembered from high school. Same pictures on the walls, same furniture in the living room. Same feel of a house well used and well-loved. “Uh, I was actually hoping I could ask you for a favor.”
“Oh.” Penelope’s gaze went to Trevor again, her smile fading to a small frown. “I’m not sure.”
“Mom, sit down before you fall down. You’re white as a sheet.” He helped Penelope into a comfy-looking recliner, then crouched beside her. “You remember I said the other night at dinner that Maria was helping me with the investigation. Well, we’ve kind of become friends again. Sort of.”
Crimson dotted his high cheekbones, and Maria’s chest ached with the realization that he was as nervous about all this as she was.
“Things have changed a bit,” she said. “Obviously. And let me start off by saying that I so appreciate you and Mr. Daniels abiding by the contract that Trevor and I had set up before the baby was born. I’m sure the ‘no contact’ provision wasn’t easy for you.” Her throat constricted as a pang of loneliness struck hard. She loved her independence. She did. But sometimes it would be nice to have a shoulder to cry on too. A person to commiserate with. A person who’d been there, done that, and had great advice on how Maria might one day feel capable and confident in motherhood herself. Her own mother wouldn’t be that person, but maybe Penelope might. “Anyway. I’m helping Trevor—”
“We’re so thrilled about your PI business too, dear,” Penelope said, interrupting. “So great.”
“Thanks.” Maria smiled, giving Trevor a side glance. He was chuckling too. “Um, anyway. Like I said, I’m helping Trevor with this whole mess and we’ve got some things to do today that might not be baby-friendly. I need a sitter for Camille and I wondered if, maybe you’d like to watch her for me.”
Penelope’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “Oh, my gosh. I’d be honored. Are you sure though?”
“Never more so,” Maria said, reaching over to take Trevor’s mother’s hand. “You were always so kind to me when I was a geeky teenager. And Camille deserves to know her grandparents. Well, half of them anyway.”
Penelope squeezed her hand back, her smile watery and her gaze darting between Maria and Camille. “We’re always here for you, dear. I hope you know that. Anything you need. May I?”
Maria nodded, and Penelope bent to unfasten Camille from her car seat, then picked her up, cradling the baby in her arms and murmuring to her softly. Camille was immediately enchanted, watching her grandmother with wide blue eyes, her little hands flailing and tiny legs kicking.
Trevor moved in beside Maria and slid an arm around her shoulders.
“Thank you,” he whispered near her ear, making her shiver.
“For what?” she managed to say around the lump in her throat.
“For giving my parents this,” he said, watching his mom laughing and cooing to Camille. “It means more than I can say.”
“You’re welcome.” Maria swallowed hard, then smiled. Too much more time with Trevor and his mom and all the happiness in the room and she might never want to leave. “Uh, we should, um, probably get going, Trev. That way we can get done and back without wasting too much of your mom’s day.” She turned back to Penelope. “There’s diapers and bottles of breast milk and toys and extra nappies and other stuff in the bag for you, if you need them.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling like a babbling idiot. “I mean, obviously you’ll need the diapers. And the milk, and—”
“And don’t worry, dear,” Penelope said, holding Camille over her shoulder and rubbing her tiny back as the baby stared around the room, seemingly taking it all in. “I’ve been through this a time or three before.” She walked them to the door, then held it open for them. “You guys go and do whatever you need to do. Take your time. I’ll be savoring every minute of this, don’t worry.”
“Okay then,” Maria said, stepping out onto the porch with Trevor.
“We’ll see you soon, Mom,” Trevor said, heading down the stoop.
“Thank you,” Maria said.
“No,” Penelope said, grinning. “Thank you.”
Twelve
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Roof looked the same as it had the last time Trevor had been there, but everything felt different. For one, was the constant burn and prickle on the back of his neck, like the MPs and command were burning a hole through him with their judgment. Technically, there was no reason why he couldn’t go onto the base himself, but it would look…odd, given the circumstances. So yeah, he had to admit Maria coming along with him was a good thing.
“Your mom is just the same as I remember her,” Maria said from the passenger seat, staring out the window beside her instead of looking at him. “She’s so nice.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” Trevor agreed. To say he’d been shocked by the request to have his mom babysit would’ve been the understatement of the millennium. But then, they didn’t really have a lot of choices. He’d asked about the sitter Maria had hired the night he’d first shown up at her house, but Maria had said the girl was in college and would’ve had classes so that idea was out. Basically, that left his parents, since Maria’s didn’t really have much to do with their daughter, or even their granddaughter, these days. Didn’t agree with her lifestyle choices, she’d told him. Didn’t agree with her having Camille out of wedlock, was what they really meant. Good riddance, Trevor thought, remembering their old money snootiness and the arrogant way her father used to boss around a younger Maria. Guys like that made him want to punch something. Mainly their pompous faces.
After dropping off baby Camille with his mother, Trevor and Maria had driven here to park outside the gates to the base. They sat in the car across the street now, staring at anything but each other as the awkwardness set in. Maria had basically chewed him a new one at the house earlier, so Trevor wanted to tread lightly. He was in enough trouble as it was these days.
“So, tell me what I need to know before I go in there,” Maria said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Where am I headed?”
“The SEALs’ locker
room in the gym building,” Trevor said, checking his watch. He pulled out his phone and dialed Tim’s number. Time to see if his brother was as willing to help as he’d said he was the other night. His brother answered on the second ring.
“What’s up?” Tim said.
Trevor explained the situation and what he needed. “Will you help?”
Tim sighed. “Are you sure about this, bro?”
A muscle ticked in Trevor’s cheek as he gritted his teeth. “I’m sure. I didn’t do anything wrong. I need to prove that, since no one else seems inclined to believe me. You gonna help me do that or not, bro?”
Tense seconds ticked by before Tim finally said, “Okay. Give me a minute to call in to security. Have Maria give them my name and info and they should let her through.”
“Thanks, man.” Trevor ended the call, then relayed the intel to Maria. “They’ll need a picture ID and they’ll run you through their Wants and Warrants check. Once you pass, you’re in.” He forced a smile, doing his best to stay positive about all this. After all, Trevor hadn’t been formally charged with anything yet. He might get some dirty looks from the other servicemen on base for being a suspect in the case of his captain’s murder, but that was it. Plus, with luck and Maria’s help, hopefully a suspect was all he’d ever be.
He swallowed hard and frowned at the steering wheel, forcing his mind back to the task at hand and his explanation. “I dumped my extra bags in my locker after the last mission, thinking that once I’d been debriefed, I’d unpack them, turn in the gear, then head home. Of course, it didn’t work out that way. After my interrogation, I was so upset I’d forgotten all about them, so they’re still sitting in my locker.”
“Right.” She shifted slightly to face him, her expression concerned. “I can go in by myself, if this is too difficult for you. I know it can’t be easy to see all those guys, your team, with the accusations hanging over her head”
“I’m fine.” Trevor squared his shoulders, shoving his emotions aside. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ve handled far worse missions than this. And like I said, I need those bags. Not just for the flash drive either. Things were so chaotic that night we left our mission, with the captain’s death and all, I just shoved stuff into my bags, trying to get out of there as fast as possible. Who knows what’s in them? There could be more in there that might help us.”
“Okay, then.” Maria flipped down the visor to check her appearance in the mirror, then grabbed her purse. “Let’s do this.”
For a moment, Trevor considered going with his original plan of sneaking in the back way and snatching his stuff from his locker before anyone on base was the wiser. Maria could wait in the car. But Tim had told him the other day that the base had beefed up security since the captain’s death and had installed new guards and cameras in locations Trevor wasn’t familiar with since he’d not been on base regularly after his debrief and suspension. So yeah. Stealth invasions were what he’d been trained to do as a SEAL and using his skills again might feel good, but he wasn’t an idiot. At least about missions like this.
Other things, like his feelings and his love life, were another matter.
“What’s wrong?” Maria asked, her gaze narrowed. “Change your mind?”
“Nope.” He took a deep breath and unbuckled his seat belt. “Let’s roll.”
They climbed out of the car and she shot him a disapproving look over the top of the vehicle. “Fair warning. If you plan to go all Rambo on me while we’re in there, give me a heads-up. If you get your butt arrested again, I’m not bailing you out. I can’t. That would blow the entire investigation.”
“Understood.” He couldn’t help grinning, genuine this time, at her dark scowl. “Warning appreciated.”
She walked around the car and took his arm, leaning closer to whisper. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re far too clever for your own good?”
He turned slightly to face her, lowering his voice like he was telling her a secret. “And did anyone ever tell you that you’re far too inquisitive?”
She laughed, he chuckled. They stared at each other over the space of a few inches, and time seemed to slow. Yes, they were about to enter his military base. Yes, they should concentrate on their plan and not each other. None of that seemed to matter.
Maria’s gaze flicked to his lips. Her breath was warm on his face. His fingertips tingled with the need to touch her, stroke her, have her cry out his name again in ecstasy like she’d done those nights when they’d created a new, wonderful life together.
Just a little bit more, just a little closer.
His lips brushed hers once, twice, before capturing her mouth in a soft, light kiss.
This was stupid. This was wrong. This felt so, so good he never wanted it to stop.
A small moan escaped Maria before she raised her hands, one clutching into the soft cotton of his T-shirt, right over his pounding heart, the other slipping into his hair to hold him in place, pull him closer, deepen their kiss. She’d managed to sweep him off his feet, sweep him under a riptide of need, with just one look, one touch, one kiss. He now saw his old childhood friend in a whole new, sexy light.
Her lips parted on a gasp and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting her—coffee from earlier, and sweet, sinful desire—remembering her. His chest squeezing with want, his thoughts whirled with images of them stripping down, climbing into the backseat, limbs entwined and passions high.
Then a horn honked twice in short succession nearby as someone locked their car doors before heading across the street toward the base, and Trevor ended their kiss.
Maria was panting, her forehead resting against his. “That was…” she said.
Trevor’s mind filled in the blanks as he struggled to regain control over his own breathing.
Incredible. Intense. Insane.
“A mistake,” Maria said, pushing away from him to start across the street.
That too, Trevor thought as he watched her hips sway from behind.
Damn. She was right; no matter how he might want to pull her back into his arms and kiss her until neither one of them cared anymore whether this was a mistake or not. He cleared his throat and stared straight ahead once more as she leaned back inside the vehicle.
“C’mon,” she said, her voice a bit quieter and shakier than before. “We’re in this together, right?”
“Right.”
He followed her to the gates of the base. Trevor did his best to put that kiss out of his head and focus on what needed to happen next. He handed over his ID to the guard, not missing the flicker of disapproval in the guy’s eyes, and shook off the stares and sneers he got from some of the uniformed soldiers inside the base.
Too bad forgetting about his explosive chemistry with Maria wouldn’t as easy.
Thirteen
“Hi,” Maria said to the guard inside the booth, then handed over her driver’s license. While she waited, she glanced around the place. Not bad, as far as military bases went. Sure, it wasn’t Disneyland or anything, but hey. America’s military might was on full display in all the stout granite buildings and big warships lining the docks. It was a warm, sunny day, and there was a cool breeze blowing in off the water nearby. The smells of fish and sea salt filled the air, and directly beside her, Trevor was breaking into his own military base.
Her heart squeezed a bit at that last thought.
“Here you go, ma’am. You’re cleared for entry.” The guard handed her back her license, then gave Trevor another disparaging glance. “Take care inside.”
She and Trevor hitched a ride on an MP’s Jeep that was heading in the general vicinity of the gym. The ride across the base was made in silence, the grumble of the Jeep’s engine her only soundtrack. She could tell from his stiff posture and granite expression that he was in full lockdown mode as far as his emotions were concerned. Not that she could blame him. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to know you’re innocent when everyone else thought you were guilt
y. His SEAL team had been like family to him. That family was now ripped apart, and wounds like that left deep scars. She reached over to pat his hand in reassurance, but he flinched away. She died a little inside.
Maria knew she shouldn’t take it personally. They were working. It still stung.
Within minutes, they pulled up in front of a large red brick and white stone building, the parking lot full of cars in front of it. Maria smiled politely and thanked the driver again, then got out. Trevor followed, still silent as stone. He led her over to the building and scanned his ID card to enter the building. They walked into an imposing gray marble and steel lobby. Another security desk sat at the center of the space, right behind a large Navy insignia inlaid into the tile floor. They stopped at the desk and each signed in as required. The guards there eyed Trevor with trepidation.
“You here to use the facilities?” one of the guards asked Trevor.
“Yep.” He raised his chin, a small muscle ticking near his tense jaw. “She’s going to watch.”
“Not in the locker room she’s not,” the guard said, his tone suspicious.
“Because I’m a woman?” Maria said, hoping her outrage might throw him off their trail.
The man set the clipboard aside with a sigh and pointed to the plate indicating it was the men’s locker room. “Precisely.”
“Oh.” Crap. She fumbled for an excuse.
“She’ll wait outside in the hall while I change,” Trevor said, taking her hand.
“Whatever.” The phone on the desk rang and the guard reached over to answer it. “Best be gone before the rest of your team gets out of drills. You’re not too popular right now.”
Trevor ignored the slight and took off fast down the hall, tugging Maria along beside him. Dark paneling covered the walls and their shoes squeaked on the shiny tile floor. The place had been built back in the 1940s and remodeled in the seventies, and the décor showed it. Soon, she found herself standing before a door with a sign above it that read “men’s locker room”.
