Ex Marks the Spot (Harlequin Next)

by Merline Lovelace

  “Obviously she changed her mind.”

  “But I’ve got the keys to the house. How did she get in?”

  “Beats me.”

  Knowing his fiercely independent ex, she probably convinced the Realtor to leave a set under the mat rather than roust out her friend late at night.

  “Maybe that’s not Andi next door. Maybe it’s the cleaning crew the Realtor said he’d send in, working late.”

  “It’s Andi, S.E. She marched over and rang my doorbell a few minutes ago.”

  “Good God!” Panic laced Sue Ellen’s soft peaches-and-cream Georgia twang. “She wasn’t supposed to find out you live next door until I laid the groundwork.”

  “That was the plan,” Dave agreed. “We need to devise a new one.”

  “How, er, bad was it?”

  Actually, those first few moments were pretty damn good. Dave had forgotten the heat Andrea Joyce Armstrong could spark in his belly with a single kiss.

  “Let’s just say she wasn’t real happy.”

  Sue Ellen digested that in silence for a few seconds. Dave could almost see her small heart-shaped face screwed up in concentration.

  “She said she’s going to pack up and leave in the morning. I did my best, S.E., but you’re the one who’ll have to talk her out of it.”

  “I will.”

  “It won’t be easy.”

  “We knew going in this wouldn’t be easy. Andi is…well, Andi.”

  “Yeah,” Dave muttered, his gut twisting. “She is.”

  He snapped the cell phone shut a few moments later, his insides still kinked. They had pretty much stayed that way since Sue Ellen had left an urgent message with his executive officer saying she had to speak with Colonel Armstrong as soon as possible.

  Dave had been in the swamp at the time. He spent a lot of time in the swamp. As commander of the 720th Special Tactics Group at Hurlburt Field, home of the Air Force’s Special Operations Command, he was responsible for training, equipping and fielding four hundred highly specialized warriors.

  In the Army, it was the Rangers. In the Navy, it was the SEALS. In the Air Force, Special Ops went in first. Dave’s small, elite cadre of officers and enlisted personnel was trained to infiltrate hostile areas, conduct assault-zone assessment, establish air-traffic control, set up command-and-control communications, remove obstacles or unexploded ordnance and pave the way for air or ground assault forces. Each man carried more than a hundred pounds of equipment and weapons.

  Dave’s job was to ensure his Special Tactics teams knew theirs. He couldn’t do that sitting behind a desk. Like every one of his men, he was high-altitude/low-opening-jump-qualified, scuba-trained, satellite-communications-savvy and a demolitions expert.

  He’d put that training to good use during his twenty-three years in Special Ops, participating in more insertions and assaults than he could count. In the process, he’d racked up a chest full of medals and learned to control the bowel-loosening fear that came with each mission. Any man who went in on a mission and didn’t admit to fear was either a liar or a fool.

  But Dave couldn’t remember feeling anything close to the icy terror he’d experienced when he’d returned Sue Ellen’s call and learned Andi had been infected with the vicious, drug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii bacterium that attacked so many of the troops wounded in Iraq.

  Bright, breezy Andi, with her endless energy and enthusiasm for life. She wasn’t beautiful. Not by conventional standards. But her sparkling green eyes and ready smile lit up any room she walked into. That same smile had hit Dave like a Sidewinder missile the very first time she’d aimed it his way in the bar at the Kirtland Officers’ Club.

  Her quick mind and utter dedication to her job had seduced him almost as quickly as her long legs and trim, taut curves. Less than a week after their first meeting, Dave had set out with single-minded deliberation to win her.

  Then, four years ago, he’d lost her.

  Now Andi had lost the career she’d buried herself in before, during and after their bust-up. She hadn’t wanted him to know about the medical eval board. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know. Sue Ellen had found out only after a distraught Carol had called her.

  So here Andi was, one of the Air Force’s youngest and most promising colonels, put out to pasture.

  Thank God Sue Ellen had convinced her to come south while she battled that damn bug and adjusted to civilian life. While she did, Dave would team up with S.E. to keep a close eye on her.

  Whether Andi wanted him to or not.

  CHAPTER 2

  Andi woke her first morning in Florida to dazzling sunshine, the bang of a screen door hitting the hinges and a shout from downstairs.

  “Andrea Joyce! It’s me, girl. Sue Ellen.”

  Force of habit had Andi rolling over to squint at the digital alarm beside her bed. Only after blinking bleary-eyed at the empty nightstand did she remember this wasn’t her bed and she hadn’t gotten around to unpacking her travel clock last night. The long drive and unexpected face-to-face with Dave had disconcerted her so much she’d left her suitcases right where she’d deposited them. All she’d done was dig through the box of linens she’d carried in from the car for a set of sheets and a towel.

  “Haul your behind down to the kitchen!” Sue Ellen’s Georgia drawl gave the command its own cadence. “I brought coffee and Krispy Kremes.”

  The last two magic words produced an instant reaction from Andi. “I’m on my way!”

  Slithering out of the sinfully soft six-hundred-thread Egyptian cotton sheets she’d purchased in a moment of sheer indulgence, she made a quick detour to the master bath.

  She hadn’t had time to give it more than a cursory inspection last night. Then, she’d approved of its spaciousness and layout. In the bright light of day, she got her first good look at its elegance.

  The sunlight streaming through the skylight set above the sinks showed a pastel-pink-and-pale-turquoise color scheme accented with the same seaside motif used throughout the rest of the house. The scalloped sink bowls looked like gleaming clamshells. Tall, feathery sea grasses sprouted from a wicker basket. Best of all, the window above the hot tub offered a glimpse of rolling sand dunes and the green waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

  Drawn by the lure of coffee and doughnuts, Andi didn’t bother to do more than splash cold water on her face and attack her fuzzy teeth. Finger-combing her shoulder-length brown bob, she made for the stairs. The hardwood treads felt cool and smooth under her bare soles. By contrast, Sue Ellen’s greeting was warm and joyous.

  The petite blonde flung herself across the spacious kitchen to envelope Andi in a fierce hug and a cloud of Chanel No. 5. “I’m so glad you’re finally here.”

  Andi returned her hug with unrestrained affection. “Me, too.”

  She and S.E. had been close pals for more than fifteen years—a rarity in the military, where constant moves made for a multitude of acquaintances but few enduring friendships. They’d not only kept in touch, they’d shared each other’s highs and lows.

  Sue Ellen had been an Air Force spouse and a lowly GS-3 when she and Andi had first met at Randolph AFB, outside San Antonio. Despite her college degree, S.E. had had to restart at the bottom of the civil service ladder and take whatever job she could find after each of her husband’s transfers. Since dumping Charlie, she’d gone to work for the Department of Labor, shot up the ranks to the exalted grade of GS-12 and now headed DOL’s regional office in Pensacola, some twenty miles east of Gulf Springs. Along the way, she’d met, married and dumped husband number two.

  “Here.” Retrieving a foam cup from the counter, she shoved it into Andi’s eager hand. “Strong and black, the way you like it. And this,” she said, digging a French cruller out of the red-and-green checkered box, “is gooey and sweet, just the way I like it.”

  Sue Ellen downed half the confection with gusto before leveling an accusing look at her friend. “Why didn’t you call me last night and let me know you’d decided to drive
on in?”

  “Because I didn’t decide until late.”

  “How’d you get into the house?”

  “I had the Realtor FedEx me a set of keys before I left D.C.”

  “You didn’t tell me ’bout that, either. I went by his office yesterday and picked up a set. I was going to have this place all aired out and ready for you.”

  “It’s ready enough.”

  More than ready, Andi thought, glancing around the cheerful kitchen. Sunlight danced through oyster-white plantation shutters. The antiseptic scent of pine cleaner still lingered on the counters. There wasn’t a trace of the damp or mold so prevalent in homes along the humid Gulf coast, not to mention the inevitable mosquitoes and palmetto bugs. The cleaning crew the Realtor had sent in had done their job well.

  Sliding onto one of the counter stools, Andi helped herself to a raspberry-filled doughnut and bit in. The sugar jolted straight to her system. “Did you know Dave’s assignment to CENTAF was canceled?”

  S.E. downed the rest of her cruller in a quick, guilty gulp. “I, uh, heard something about it.”

  “And you didn’t tell me because…?”

  “I didn’t think it would matter one way or another. You never mention the man or have anything to do with him.”

  Andi let that pass, mostly because it was true, and zeroed in on the greater crime.

  “Answer me this. When I called to tell you the Realtor had found this rental for me, did you know Dave lived right next door?”

  “No! I swear!”

  “Sue Ellen…”

  “Honest to God, Andi. I knew he was in the area, but I’ve seen him maybe twice in the past two years—and then only in passing. I didn’t have a clue where he lived until I drove over here to take a look at this place and saw the weedy, overgrown yard next door. I was worried you might get stuck with bad neighbors, so I called the Realtor. He said the house belonged to a Special Ops type who was gone a lot and, um, sort of mentioned Dave’s name.”

  “Dammit, Sue Ellen!” Anger and hurt ripped through Andi. “We’re supposed to be best friends. How could you let me move in here knowing he lived next door?”

  “I wouldn’t have, except Dave understands how these medical evaluation boards work and…”

  “You talked to him about the eval board?”

  “I figured he’d give me the straight scoop about how the process worked. Then I told him you were thinking of moving down here and, well…”

  S.E. hunched her shoulders, looking guilty and miserable and worried all at the same time.

  “We didn’t know how serious this bug is. We figured the more friends you had around you right now, the better.”

  “Dave and I are not friends. We’re—we’re…”

  “Yes?”

  “Ex-lovers. Former spouses. Fellow officers.” Andi searched for the right tag. After the kiss Dave had laid on her last night, none seemed to fit. “Hell, I don’t know what we are anymore.”

  “For all his faults, the man cares about you, girlfriend. He always has.”

  To her utter disgust, Andi felt the hot sting of tears. Dave cared about her. He’d once loved her with such greedy, all-consuming passion he couldn’t get enough of her, morning, noon or night.

  “This isn’t going to work, Sue Ellen. I can’t live next to him.”

  “Why not?”

  “I came to Florida to start a new life, not wallow around in my old one.”

  “I’m part of your old one.” Hurt colored her friend’s pansy-purple eyes. “Are you saying you don’t want me to be part of your new life?”

  “Of course not. I wouldn’t be here if I felt that way.”

  “Then what’s the problem? You’re in control of the situation. You let Dave into this new life only as much as you want to.”

  “The problem is that things could get awkward.” Just in time, Andi caught a glob of raspberry filling with a finger and transferred both to her mouth. “What if he’s seeing someone? How does he explain the ex-wife next door?”

  “He’s not. And if he was, he’d handle the situation the same way you will when you start seeing someone. By the way, what happened with that White House staffer? You left me hanging after your second date.”

  “I sort of left him hanging, too.”

  “Too bad. He sounded really hot.”

  “He was, but he had as much or more on his plate as I did on mine.”

  “Speaking of which…” S.E. reached across the counter and tipped Andi’s chin to view the tiny scar.

  “Okay, so what’s the deal? When do you go in for your next blood test?”

  “Next week. I have to call and make an appointment.”

  Andi was supposed to have her blood checked every other week and consult with a cardiologist every other month. So far the damage to her heart muscle had been minimal. She wanted to keep it that way.

  “That gives us the rest of this week to get you settled and play,” Sue Ellen announced.

  “Us? You’ve still got a job, remember?”

  “I took the rest of the week off.”

  “I thought you had that big conference at DOL headquarters to prepare for?”

  She dismissed the conference she’d worried and fussed over the phone about with a wave of one manicured hand. “That’s what staff are for. Okay, here’s my suggestion. Let’s walk down to the beach. If that doesn’t convince you to stay, nothing will.”

  “I saw a glimpse of it from the bathroom window,” Andi admitted.

  “I’m telling you, girl, you’ll be in heaven on that beach. Since I intend to spend most of my free time here with you, I will, too. I bought new floaties, stocked up on Diet Coke and have a whole stack of romances ready and waitin’. It’ll be just like old times.”

  Andi remembered saying the same thing to Dave last night. Swallowing, she forced a grin. “Not quite. At least this time we won’t be floating in six inches of water.”

  “Oh, God! You still remember that kiddie pool?”

  “How could I forget?” S.E. had bought the plastic child’s pool to defeat the brutal Texas heat one long ago summer. It had fit her petite frame with room to spare. At five-eight, Andi had draped over either side.

  They’d spent hours in that pool with their books and drinks. Andi could still remember the sizzling afternoon Sue Ellen had convinced her to abandon gory thrillers and try one of her romance novels. Andi had been hooked ever since.

  She had to admit the prospect of doing nothing but lying on the beach and reading held a distinct appeal. For a few weeks or months, anyway. Until she knew what direction her life would take.

  First, though, she had to decide whether she’d stay here in Gulf Springs.

  A TREK DOWN TO THE shore decided the issue.

  The housing development edged a public beach. Narrow paths cut through dunes topped by feathery sea oats. Beyond the dunes, rolling green waves lapped at sand so white and dazzling the women had to shield their eyes against the glare.

  “Oh, God!” Sue Ellen was in near ecstasy. “If you move out of your house, I’m going to move in.”

  “You can’t afford it. Not until that gigolo you divorced last year finds a job and you can stop paying alimony.”

  “Which doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon.” S.E.’s expressive face screwed into a grimace. “Henrik looked and dressed and behaved so elegantly. Why didn’t I see past all that to the scuzzball underneath?”

  “Because he made his living by looking and dressing and behaving elegantly. And by marrying well. You were—what?—his third or fourth wife?”

  “Fourth,” S.E. confirmed with a sigh. “Sure wish I’d hired a private investigator to check him out before he drained my bank account. I won’t make that mistake again. What about you?” she asked. “Can you afford that rental house on half pay?”

  “It’s a stretch,” Andi admitted.

  More than a stretch. It was an out-and-out extravagance. Luckily her D.C. condo had sold for consi
derably more than she’d anticipated. She could dip into the profits from the sale until she found another source of income to augment her greatly reduced retired pay. Considering how her world had turned so suddenly and so completely upside down, Andi figured she deserved a little extravagance.

  The house might be a stretch, but the beach became an instant necessity. Kicking off her flip-flops, she plowed through the sand to the shore. Waves curled in lace-capped green waves. The surf tickled her toes.

  She needed this, Andi realized as the ocean breeze played with the ends of her hair. These restless waves. The long stretch of deserted beach. The vast emptiness.

  Her life had been so full up to now. And so regimented. For the first time in twenty-one years she wouldn’t have to measure her days by the military’s twenty-four-hour clock or spit-shine her boots or keep her hair off her collar. Nor would she carry the heavy burden of command, with its addictive power and 24-7 pressure.

  She hadn’t really had time to think about jettisoning the stress she’d carted around for so long. But now, staring at those mesmerizing waves, she could almost feel the weight of it roll off her back.

  With her new weightlessness came a dawning realization. She could get up when she wanted to. Read all night if she chose to. Sit here in this soft, sugary sand and just watch the sea.

  “I’m staying,” she told Sue Ellen. “For now.”

  “Yippeee!” Kicking up a shower of sand and surf, her friend did a happy dance. “Let’s get you settled in.”

  UNPACKING THE SUITCASES and boxes Andi had brought with her in the Tahoe took only a few hours. The moving van hauling her furniture and household goods was scheduled to arrive later that afternoon. Andi used the time in between to conduct a thorough inventory of the house and decide which of her own pieces she’d use and which would go into storage.

  By seven that evening the two women had almost everything in place. Andi hunkered down on the living room floor to sort through her stack of CDs, while Sue Ellen flopped onto the sofa and shot her an accusing look.

  “I thought the docs warned you that you’d run out of steam more easily than you did before that bug crawled into your heart.”