“I didn’t watch much John Wayne, but I’ve seen all the Dirty Harry movies. Anyway, the guys often shorten it to Dirty. So you’ll hear that tonight. Don’t be surprised when you do.”
“I remember Neo saying it yesterday. I just didn’t understand.”
“You should have asked.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t know you guys well enough. Still don’t, really.”
“Hey, I spent the night on your couch last night. We decided we’re friends. You can ask me anything you want to know.”
She shook her head. She liked him. Liked Neo too. She hoped she liked the rest of his friends. “You’ve been too kind. I woke you up yesterday when your head hurt, caused you to flash the neighborhood, and then somehow guilted you into helping me move in. Plus spend the night on my couch. I can’t believe you’re inviting even more intrusion into your life.”
“Hey, we’re friends now. It’s not intrusion. Besides, maybe you can do something for me. Not that,” he added, accurately reading her expression. “I mean I wouldn’t say no to that, if we got to the point where it was a possibility, but seriously Chloe, that wasn’t what I meant. What I mean is maybe you can give me a haircut the next time I need one. If you’re feeling like I’ve done too much for you and you want to pay me back. But you don’t have to. I’m not looking for payment, really.”
He confused her. And made her feel all warm and gooey inside at the same time. She kept expecting him to devolve into a jerk, but he hadn’t yet.
It’s early.
No, she wasn’t going there. She wasn’t going to believe that about him. Not until he gave her reason. And then she was cutting him off at the knees and never speaking to him again.
“I can cut your hair. I wouldn’t mind at all.”
He raked a hand through his curls. “It’s getting a little long on top. We don’t have to keep to the same standards as the regular Navy, but we’re home now and I like it a little shorter. Military barbers don’t understand subtlety though.”
“No, I guess not.”
“But you don’t have to do it, Chloe. Really.”
She reached over and smacked him lightly on the arm. “Stop already. I said I would. You just live across the street so I’ll do it in my bathroom. Or yours. Whatever you prefer.”
“All right.”
“Just let me know when you’re ready.”
“Thanks. I will.”
They turned into the parking lot of a place that looked like a dive bar. A huge white sign with red lettering that said Buddy’s Bar & Grill perched over the packed parking lot, and a neon Open sign flashed in the window.
“You ever been here?” Ryan asked as he pulled the truck up onto the curb since it was the only spot available.
“No. I’ve seen it before, but I thought it was a gang hangout or something.”
Ryan laughed. “Yeah, SEAL gangs. Military gangs. Badasses all around, but the kind who’re on the right side of the law.”
That was a relief.
He took the keys from the ignition and shot her a look. “Do you want me to come over and open your door?”
“I can manage.”
He gave her that megawatt grin again. “Then let’s roll. I can’t wait to introduce you to my gang.”
7
He could tell Chloe was nervous, but he didn’t rush her. He waited as she walked around the truck to join him. She’d slung her little purse over her shoulder and she was tugging at the bottom of her silky top. Straightening it, he guessed.
“You look gorgeous.”
Her eyes were filled with uncertainty. Had Travis James put that look there, or was Chloe just a timid person?
“Thanks. I’m not vain, I swear—or not anymore so than most people. But I spent my whole life in the same town, and now I’m in a place where I don’t know anyone—and it makes me nervous, I admit it. I worry I’m too country for these people, you know?”
He took her hand in his, threaded their fingers together. She didn’t flinch or make any move to escape. He squeezed lightly. “I’m your friend and I’m here for you. And honey, the people you are about to meet are from all over. Some of them might even be more country than you. It’s not a bad thing. But if it gets to be too much for you, all you have to do is tell me you want to leave and we’ll go.”
The corners of her mouth turned down. “Oh, I couldn’t just say I want to leave. That would be rude.”
God, he wanted to kiss her. But he wasn’t going to. “Then we need a signal, don’t we?”
“I guess we do.”
“Suggestions?”
“I hate to suggest something like tugging on an earring or twirling my hair, because I might do those things anyway. Out of nervousness.”
“I’ve got an idea. If you want to leave, put your arm around me. Works if we’re sitting together, works if we’re separated and you want to come over and slip an arm around me. You do that and I’ll know you want to go.”
She nibbled her lip and his groin tightened. “Okay. I can do that.”
“Good. You ready then?”
“Sure… Wait,” she said when he took a step.
“Yeah?”
“What about drinking? If you drink, I want the keys.”
“I’m not going to drink, Chloe. I’ve had enough to last me a while. You feel free to drink whatever you like. I’ll do the driving.”
“Truthfully, I don’t drink much. I probably won’t have anything.”
“Then we can be sober together.”
He led her toward the entrance, still holding her hand. He liked the way it felt to do so.
“Do you drink often?” she asked.
“I drink beer with my buds, never more than three or four, but hard liquor is usually a no. Afraid I forgot that the other night.”
“Everybody has a bad day from time to time,” she said.
His gut twisted. “Yeah. It wasn’t really that. I had some news from home that kinda hit me hard.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Nah, it’s nothing bad. I just wasn’t prepared.” He stopped before they walked into Buddy’s. “I’ll tell you about it, but not tonight, okay? I want you to have fun and maybe make some new friends.”
Her eyes searched his. “Okay.” She squeezed his hand and then let go. “I trust you, Ryan. Please don’t make me regret it.”
Something hard rolled through him. Protectiveness. Anger at her ex. The absolute conviction that he wasn’t going to ever put fear in her eyes—or let anyone else do it either. “Not happening, Chloe. I’m not that kind of man. You can trust me with your life. You can trust my friends too. It’s what we do.”
She smiled. “That’s comforting, but I hope I don’t ever have to.”
“Me too. You ready to step through that door?”
“I think I am, yes.”
Ryan led the way, not because he didn’t want to open the door and let her go first, but because he could tell she wanted to follow him. The interior of the bar was dark, but it wasn’t trashy. It was warm and filled with people, delicious food smells, pool tables and dart boards, and televisions playing ESPN in the background.
It didn’t take long to spot his friends. Cowboy and Miranda were there, Remy “Cage” Marchand and his wife, Christina; Alexei “Camel” Kamarov and his fiancée, Bailey; Cash “Money” McQuaid and his wife, Princess Ella of Capriolo; and Adam “Blade” Garrison with his fiancée, Quinn. Neo wasn’t there yet. Neither were Dane “Viking” Erikson and his wife, Ivy. And Corey “Shade” Vance was back home on leave.
Ella spotted them first. She jumped up and hurried over to give Ryan a hug. Money had given up getting jealous when his wife hugged other guys. She’d been kept a prisoner by her family until she’d escaped when she was twenty-two. It had taken her a while to warm up to everyone, but now she was the kind of woman who loved to hug the people she liked.
“Ryan,” she exclaimed. “How are you? I was worried about you the other night. You had so much to drink.
Is everything okay? Are you well?”
Ryan laughed and gave her a squeeze. “I’m okay, Ella. I was an idiot. Please forgive me for getting drunk at your party.”
“It’s fine. Parties are for having fun. But I’ve never seen you that way so I worried.”
Ryan could feel Chloe’s curiosity as she stood behind him. He reached for her hand. She let him. “Ella, this is my neighbor, Chloe. She’s new in town and I thought she might like to join us and make some new friends.”
“Hi, Chloe,” Ella said, smiling warmly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Ella is a princess,” Ryan said in Chloe’s ear.
Ella rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t care about that, Ry. Nobody cares.”
Chloe looked confused so Ryan clarified what he’d meant. “I don’t mean she’s a sweetheart, though she is, but she’s a real princess. Like from a royal family and everything. Bet you never met one of those before.”
Chloe blinked. “Um, no, can’t say as I have. Wow. Do I curtsey or something?”
Ella smacked Ryan on the shoulder and put her arm around Chloe so she could lead her to the table. “No, never. Don’t listen to him. Yes, I’m a hereditary princess, but my country doesn’t recognize royalty anymore, so I’m just Ella Rossi McQuaid now. Which is how I prefer it. Who needs a stuffy old throne when they have the man of their dreams and a wonderful group of friends to enjoy?”
“I guess no one,” Chloe said.
“That’s right. No one. Hey, everybody, meet Chloe,” Ella said when they reached the table. “She’s Ryan’s new neighbor.”
Everyone introduced themselves. Ryan found more chairs so they could pull up to the table. He made sure to sit beside Chloe, though he didn’t really need to. Ella was a natural hostess and she insisted that Chloe sit with her and tell her everything about herself. Chloe seemed a little overwhelmed, but she jumped in and started talking at Ella’s gentle prompting. Miranda had gone outside to take a call but she returned soon after.
Ryan called to her before she sat down again. “Miranda.”
“Yo,” she said, coming over to his side. “What’s up?”
“I want you to meet Chloe.” He tapped Chloe on the arm so she turned. “She’s from Alabama.”
Miranda lit up. “Really? Awesome! Roll Tide, Chloe,” she said, thrusting out her hand.
“Roll Tide,” Chloe replied, accepting the shake. Ryan knew that greeting had everything to do with the University of Alabama’s football team. He wasn’t a college ball kind of guy himself, but Alabamians sure were.
“Move it, Ryan,” Miranda told him. “I want to sit with Chloe and Ella and talk about home and stuff.”
Ryan shot Chloe an apologetic look, but she just smiled. “It’s okay. Go.”
He shifted over to Miranda’s seat and started talking to Cowboy. Before long, the women had all congregated at one end of the table to talk to Chloe and the men were at the other. The pizzas arrived and they dug in. Viking and Ivy showed up soon after, and Neo came in a few moments later. He looked a bit hassled but Ryan figured he’d ask what it was about later.
He didn’t have to because Bailey spoke up. “Where’s my sister, Neo? I thought you were picking her up for me.”
“I was. She decided to stay home.”
“Is something wrong with Ana?”
“Nope. Ana’s babysitter was there but Kayla told her to go home.”
“I’d better call her,” Bailey said, pulling out her phone.
“She said to tell you not to worry. She just wanted some down time.”
Bailey didn’t look happy, but Camel whispered something to her and she set the phone down again. There was an awkward silence for a moment but then the waitress arrived to get the newcomers’ drink orders and everyone started talking again.
Ryan glanced at Chloe a few times, to see if she was showing signs of tiring or wanting to leave, but she seemed happy enough. Her cheeks were glowing and she twirled her ponytail from time to time, though he didn’t think she was nervous. She even laughed and he found that he liked the sound a lot. She didn’t seem as hesitant to show emotion as she had earlier.
When the evening wore down and everyone said goodbye, he walked her to the truck and opened her door. She climbed inside and said, “Thank you.” Her voice was soft, almost shy. He wondered what that was about but didn’t ask.
He went around and got into the driver’s side. As soon as he shut the door and they were alone, she reached over and touched his arm. He turned to her.
“That was wonderful, Ryan. Thank you so much for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome. I told you they were a great group.”
“I really like everyone—but all the women were so nice to me. Talking to Miranda especially was just what I needed. She gets it. What it’s like to be from a small town in Alabama, to grow up with the same people and to feel stuck there too. And then, even when you escape, you still feel stuck. And you miss things you never thought you would. I miss Cedarville’s main street, the little ice cream shop on the corner, the hamburger joint that’s been there since the fifties. I miss that small town feeling, but I don’t miss it either. It’s odd. Anyway, thank you. I feel better than I have in a while.”
“I’m really glad to hear that, Chloe. You deserve to feel happy.”
She smiled. “I guess I do, don’t I?”
“I think everybody does. But a lot of people don’t, for whatever reason. So seize the feeling when it happens and don’t let go.”
Chloe was definitely seizing the feeling. She’d questioned herself about accepting his invitation earlier, but she was so glad she had. Everyone at Buddy’s was great. They were clearly good friends, in addition to being teammates. The women were fabulous, too.
Miranda and Ivy were badasses like their husbands. Quinn, Ella, Bailey, and Christina were down to earth and fascinating in their own ways. They were all so accomplished, which had threatened to make Chloe feel like she’d failed at life, but then she got to talking with them and every single one of them had harbored feelings of inadequacy at one point or another. And they all felt like they could still do better.
That was life, Chloe realized. You always felt like you could improve. But right now, riding home in Ryan’s truck, she felt pretty good about herself. She was a terrific stylist and she enjoyed her job. She liked working with Avery and JoJo more than she’d liked working for Mrs. Powers back in Cedarville. Yes, she missed home sometimes, but she was learning to make Maryland home. It was busier than Cedarville had ever been, but even with a major city so close by, you could still get that small town feeling without going too far away.
So, yes, she was happy right now.
There was something else she was feeling too, and that one was harder to quantify. She glanced at Ryan and her stomach fluttered. She’d been wary of him, because she worried she wasn’t a good judge of character, but it was clear when talking with his friends tonight that he was a great guy. He wasn’t volatile. He wasn’t abusive. She didn’t have to worry that he was putting on a front. Travis had never had the kind of friends who loved him the way these people loved Ryan.
He’d hung out with a bunch of macho men who were all as ugly inside as he was. She hadn’t liked his friends from the beginning, but she’d told herself that she wasn’t going out with them. She’d ignored every single sign she’d gotten about Travis, and all because he’d been so sweet and solicitous to her. And he’d been good to Mama, who’d thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Handsome, successful, mannered—a good Southern boy, she’d said.
Chloe pushed Travis from her mind. He wasn’t here, and she wasn’t letting him ruin a perfectly good evening. She was with Ryan, who’d been nothing but kind and decent to her, and she was under no pressure to do anything she didn’t want to do.
Except that she kinda wanted to kiss him. Okay, maybe more than kinda. She’d watched him tonight, watched him laughing and talking with his friends, listened as they ribbed
each other, and she’d realized that the churning in her belly was attraction. He was gorgeous, tall and muscular and tough as nails, and genuine. She already knew the entire package was gorgeous. She’d seen it all, and she’d been shocked and thrilled and a little embarrassed all at the same time.
“So you think you might want to do this again sometime?” he asked as he turned onto their street.
“That would be nice.”
“We don’t just get together at Buddy’s. Sometimes we hang at someone’s house. Money and Ella have a gorgeous place with a view of the Chesapeake. That’s where we all were the other night when I over-imbibed.”
“She’s so nice. I can’t believe she’s a real princess. She doesn’t act like one at all. Or at least not how I imagine one would act.”
“Ella’s great. Her family’s not so great. She had an aunt and uncle who kept her prisoner in their home. Turns out she would actually be the queen of her country if they still had queens. And she’s wealthy. Her family kept that from her too. Made her think they were paying for her existence when in fact she was the one who paid for theirs.”
Anger and disbelief zipped through Chloe. “Wow. How could anyone be ugly to Ella? She’s so sweet.”
“I ask myself on a near daily basis how people can be so ugly to each other, but unfortunately they can. I see it a lot in this job.”
He pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine while Chloe debated with herself. Then she decided to just ask the question.
“Is that why you got drunk the other night?”
His jaw flexed and she thought maybe she’d gone too far. “No. It wasn’t anything bad, like I said.” He shook his head. “I said I’d tell you, so I will. I hope you won’t think I’m an asshole once I do.”
She didn’t think that was possible. Though maybe she was wrong. “I guess it depends on what you did,” she said truthfully.
“I didn’t do anything. I got news from home.” He turned to look at her. “When I was in high school I had a girl named Megan. We were pretty serious, and we planned to get married once I got established in the Navy. But she didn’t wait. She married my best friend instead.” He shrugged as Chloe’s heart throbbed for him. “It was a long time ago and I don’t care anymore. But Kurt sent me a message the other day to let me know Megan is pregnant with their first child. I guess it just hit me hard in a place I wasn’t expecting.”
HOT SEAL Hero Page 6
