by Elle James
Duff shook his head, glad he didn’t have a woman calling the shots for him. One less person to answer to was always a good thing.
The commander was first out of the chopper after it landed.
“Ugly Mug, 7:00 pm,” Merlin announced. “That includes, you, Duff.”
Duff frowned. “I was thinking of taking my dirt bike out to the track for some exercise.”
“It’s Donovan’s farewell party,” Merlin said. “He and his team are coming. They expect us to be there to give the guy a proper send-off.”
“Why he’s giving up a perfectly good career, pounding dirt and eating bullets, is beyond me,” Duff muttered.
Merlin gave Duff his killer glare. “He and his team have saved our butts on numerous occasions. You can do this for him.”
“And we’ve returned the favor,” Duff pointed out.
“Look, you’re not backing out on me now,” Merlin said through tight lips. “Gwen’s bringing a friend for you.”
Duff’s frown deepened. “All the more reason to skip the Ugly Mug tonight.”
“You promised you’d be there. You always said your word is golden.” Merlin’s lips thinned. “And how’s Gwen’s friend going to feel if you’re a no-show?”
Duff shrugged. “I don’t know her. Why should I care?”
Merlin drew in a deep, measured breath and let it out slowly. “You won’t disappoint her, because beneath that gruff exterior is a heart the size of Texas.”
Jangles, Zip and Woof all burst out laughing.
“I want some of whatever whacky weed you’ve been smokin’,” Zip said. “Gruff Duff is about the least sympathetic man you’ll ever meet.”
“Got that right,” Duff agreed.
“Hey, Duff.” Jangles’ brow twisted. “Have you even had a date in the past ten years?”
Duff slung his rifle over his shoulder, mounted the motorcycle, and let his lip curl in a hint of a sneer. “If I had, I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you guys.”
“Fine, dude. I didn’t want to play my ace card,” Merlin said, “but, dammit Duff, you owe me.”
Duff frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“That time in Fallujah when I saved your ass from the rooftop sniper.” Merlin crossed his arms over his chest. “That ought to count for something.”
His frown deepening, Duff narrowed his eyes. “We’ve all saved each other’s asses so many times, we’re square.” He pushed the bike down the ramp. “But, for Gwen, I’ll be there.” He shot a glare over his shoulder. “For the record, I don’t like being set up.”
“Someone had to do it,” Zip followed him out of the chopper. “Or you’ll die a lonely, grumpy old man.”
“Ever consider I might like being alone?” Duff grumbled.
“Yeah, but we’re all hoping a woman can smooth your rough edges and make you a little less of an asshole,” Woof said. “I’m bringing Nori. She’s looking forward to seeing Duff take the fall for a female.”
Duff swung a fist at him with little intention of hitting the man.
Woof ducked with a grin. “See you at seven.” He turned to Zip. “You’re bringing Destiny?”
Zip nodded. “Wild horses couldn’t keep her from witnessing the big man’s fall.”
“I’m not going to fall,” Duff muttered. “I don’t even know the woman.”
Merlin chuckled. “Famous last words.”
Duff stowed the bike in the motor pool and headed out. He wanted to get in a good hour on weights and a four-mile run. If he felt like it, he might show up at the Ugly Mug. Not that he was looking forward to meeting his “date”.
Chapter 2
“I shouldn’t have come,” Ivy Fremont said, smoothing her hand over her hair, trying to keep the Texas wind from blowing it into a tangled mess. “I’ve never been to a bar frequented by military guys.”
“They won’t bite. Unless you want them to. Besides, you needed to get out.” Gwen pushed her glasses up her nose and her bright red hair behind her ears. “And us redheads have to stick together, right?”
Ivy smiled at her friend. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”
Gwen sighed. “Luke is amazing.”
“Like the prince charming in one of your classic fairytales you sell in your bookstore?”
Gwen shook her head. “Oh, hell no. He’s hero material. The red, white and blue, got your back, put his life at risk kind of hero that makes you go weak at the knees. All of his teammates are like that. That’s why I thought you needed to meet them. One in particular.”
Ivy sighed. “I don’t mind going to the bar as much as being set up on a blind date.”
Gwen raised an eyebrow. “What happened to the happy, free spirit you swore you were going to be? I thought you’d moved on from the uptight woman you were when you were arguing criminal cases in court?”
Ivy sighed. “I’m fine when I’m at my shop surrounded by dreamcatchers, beautiful clear glass and incense. It’s such a different world that I can push my past behind me and forget, for a few minutes, that I was once a high-powered attorney on my way up in my law firm.”
“Do you regret giving it all up?” Gwen asked.
“Not for a moment. I didn’t have the balls of steel needed to put animals behind bars for life.” That hollow feeling in her gut threatened to take over and pull her to her knees.
Gwen touched her arm. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
“How could I not blame myself?” she said. “He got off because I botched the case. The jury set him free and he killed the woman I’d sworn to protect. A woman he’d already molested once. I convinced her to testify, despite her desire to walk away.”
“Her death wasn’t in vain,” Gwen reminded her. “Had she not testified, they might never have known who it was. He could have killed her anyway and then gone on to kill others.”
Ivy knew what Gwen said was true. “Still, if I’d done my job right, he’d have gone to jail for rape. He wouldn’t have been free to hurt her again.”
“You don’t know that.” Gwen stared across the parking lot at the door to the Ugly Mug Bar. “Tonight, you need to put it all behind you. Have a little fun. Remember who you are. The Ivy Fremont who owns a gift store. You’re no longer going to be the stiff lawyer your mother always expected you to be.”
“I’m working on that.” She looked down at the flowing, colorful skirt that would make her mother, the US senator, cringe. “I think I’ve convinced the patrons of my gift store that I’m a free spirit.”
Gwen’s lips twisted. “Yeah, well, you haven’t convinced me. And I don’t think you’ve entirely convinced yourself.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Life is short. You have to live every day like it could be your last.”
Gwen nodded. “Live those words, girl. All the more reason to embrace change and meet some new people.”
“You mean the guy you set me up with?” Ivy drew in a deep breath. “You’re right. I need to be open to possibilities.”
“And he’s not another lawyer or politician like your mother wanted you to marry.”
“All the better,” Ivy said with a frown. “Although, I’m not in this blind date thing to marry. I’m here to have fun.”
Gwen shook her head. “You’re going to have to work on your expressions. You don’t look like you’re having fun. That frown would scare off any smart man.”
“Maybe I’m not after a smart man. I’ve had my fill of smart guys. They can pass the bar and talk a convincing line, but their hearts never seem to be in the right place.”
“Well, I can tell you, the guys you’re meeting tonight are nothing like what your mother would consider appropriate for her only daughter.”
“I’m liking them already.” Ivy forced a smile. “But I’m not going home with my date. I’m just here for the company.”
“Deal,” Gwen said. “Tell you what, if you don’t like the guy I set you up with, you only have to have one dr
ink, and you don’t have to stay. You can leave whenever you like. You can take my car. I can ride home with Merlin. I’d planned on doing that anyway.”
Ivy smiled. “You like him a lot, don’t you?”
Gwen’s smile lit her face. “I love him. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy with a man. Can I help it I want my friends to be as happy as I am?”
“Gwen, you’re a hopeless romantic.”
“I haven’t always been. Meeting the right person made me that way.”
“How did you know he was the right one for you?”
“Ivy, you’ll know.” Gwen pulled open the door to the Ugly Mug Bar and held it for Ivy. “Who knows? Tonight might be your lucky night. You might just meet the man of your dreams.”
“I doubt it,” Ivy said. “I doubt that man actually exists.”
“Live your words and be open to the possibilities.” Gwen gripped her arm and gave her a gentle shove over the threshold and into the bar.
Military guys. What did she have in common with military guys?
Nothing. She’d grown up as the daughter of a political figure from the day she started kindergarten in a private school to the day she walked across the stage to collect her law degree. And she would have followed that path to the day she died, if she hadn’t come to her senses.
Law fascinated her, but she’d seen too much of the corruption in the legal system. And politics was a huge factor. She’d seen her father, then her mother stretch their political muscle on several occasions to squash their rivals. Fairly and unfairly.
When she’d argued the unfairness, they’d told her the ends justified the means.
Her father had passed away from a massive heart attack at the end of his gubernatorial stint as the governor of Texas.
Her mother had run for the position and secured it, leading the state with an iron hand and progressive outlook. When her time in office came to an end, she ran for senate and was elected based on her reputation as the straight-talking governor of the great state of Texas.
“What do you hear from the senator?” Gwen asked as if reading Ivy’s mind.
“My mother hasn’t spoken to me since I quit the firm and bought the gift shop in Copperas Cove.”
Gwen shook her head. “Doesn’t she understand that family is everything? You don’t always have to agree. You just have to respect each other and the decisions we make.”
Ivy’s lips lifted in a half-smile. “Not in my mother’s books. You’re either for or against what she believes. If you’re against, she doesn’t want anything to do with you.” Ivy shrugged. “I’ve made several attempts to connect with her. Her aides say she’s in a meeting or out of the office. When I call at night, she doesn’t answer her cellphone.”
Gwen leaned over and hugged Ivy as they stepped into the bar. “That’s awful. I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. If she wants to see me, she knows where I live.” Ivy squared her shoulders and smoothed her hair back. “But we’re here to have fun and be cheerful. Show me this blind date you think will be perfect for me.”
Gwen gave her a sideways glance. “I didn’t say perfect, but it’s better than sitting home alone every night. I’ve met him a couple times. He’s the strong, silent type from what I can tell.”
“Good. At least I won’t have to listen to him go on about fishing, hunting, or the latest truck he drives.” She frowned. “If he doesn’t talk much, how will I get to know him?”
“He might open up on the dance floor.”
Ivy shook her head. “How many men do you know like to dance?”
“We’re in a country bar. Men who like country music generally like dancing to it.” Gwen frowned. “At least I think they do.”
“So, you’ve set me up with a man who may or may not like to dance and doesn’t talk much. The night is looking more desperate with each passing minute. Hopefully, he’s at least nice to look at since he doesn’t have much to say.”
Ivy hoped he was as attractive as the guy she’d run into at Gwen’s bookstore a week ago. “He doesn’t have to be cute, but well-built. Not too full of himself would be nice.” Ivy had meant to ask Gwen who the guy was, but Gwen had been busy with another customer. By the time Gwen had freed up, the man had disappeared carrying a vintage book about how to rebuild small engines. Based on his calloused fingers, he worked with his hands. So refreshing and earthy.
“Oh, he’s nice to look at, if you like the built-like-a-grizzly, silent type.”
“Actually, I like the idea of dating a man who doesn’t do all the talking. I’ve worked with, and dated, more than my share of guys who thought a woman should hang on their every word. Quiet is underrated.”
“Then tonight’s your lucky night.” Gwen’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Ah, there’s Luke, now.” She raised her hand in greeting.
Ivy squinted in the dim lighting. There were a lot of people in the bar. She couldn’t tell who Gwen was waving at.
A man with graying temples, broad shoulders and a sexy military bearing stood and waved back.
“Is that Luke?” Ivy smiled. “Wow. I see why you’re attracted to him. Are all his friends in that good of shape?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She grinned. “Your date is the man with his back to us, getting up from the table across from him.”
The man she indicated straightened, a couple inches taller with even broader shoulders than Luke.
“Oh, my,” Ivy whispered. “Are all military guys this…this…muscular?”
Gwen laughed. “Not all. These guys are part of the Army Special Forces. They’re the elite forces they send in on special missions.”
Her stomach flipped and butterflies set up shop inside. She’d met only one man who’d been this big, this strong and this intimidating. And that had been in Gwen’s bookstore, of all places. Just a few short days before, she’d ended up in his arms. Strong, thickly corded, muscular arms. And they’d kissed. Sweet Jesus. She’d kissed a stranger in a bookstore. Her only saving grace was that she hadn’t known him, and he hadn’t known her. In a state as big as Texas, it wasn’t likely they’d run into each other again. Was it?
“I don’t know. I’ve never dated anyone so…big. Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Honey,” Gwen said. “You’re as safe as you’ll ever be when you’re with one of the team. Come on, let’s go meet him.” She hooked Ivy’s arm and led her toward the table full of men.
As they approached, he turned and the light from overhead shined down on the man’s face.
Ivy gasped and came to a complete standstill, bringing Gwen to an abrupt halt.
Gwen frowned. “What? Please don’t say you’re having second thoughts so soon. We’re here. He’s seen you. You at least have to say hello.”
Yes, she was having second thoughts. Huge second thoughts. The man in front of her was the man she’d kissed in the stacks at the back of the Camelot Rare Books & Antiquities store.
She’d fallen from a ladder while helping Gwen organize a new shipment. He’d been there to catch her. They’d kissed and parted without exchanging names.
Her cheeks heated and her hands grew clammy.
“Don’t chicken out now. For all you know, this guy could be the one.” Gwen tightened her grip on her arm and dragged her toward her destiny.
Ivy shook her head. Her mother’s voice grumbled in her mind. There’s no such thing as destiny. You determine your path in the world by the decisions you make.
She’d made the decision to kiss this stranger. Had that set her on a path she couldn’t vary from? Hell, for all she knew, he wouldn’t even remember her. She’d worn her hair up in a messy bun, dressed in jeans and a tee, and she hadn’t been wearing makeup. Surely, he wouldn’t remember her.
“Hey, Luke,” Gwen reached the group of men first. The rest of them rose from their chairs.
Luke pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips.
She returned the kiss and then stepped back. “Guys, this is my friend, Ivy Fre
mont.” One by one, Gwen went around naming them, starting with her guy. “Meet my sweetie, Luke Forest.”
The man with the graying temples who’d kissed Gwen so wonderfully took Ivy’s hand in a firm grip. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Forest is Merlin to us, because he has a magical ability to make things happen,” a blond-haired man said.
Ivy smiled. “Do I call you Luke or Merlin?”
Luke shrugged. “I answer to either.”
“Since you’ve made a smile appear magically on my friend’s face, I’ll call you Merlin. Nice to meet you.” Ivy grinned and shook Merlin’s hand.
Gwen moved to a man with dark, longish hair and hazel eyes. “Ivy, this is Heath Davis. The guys call him Woof.”
Woof took her hand.
Ivy shook it. “Why do they call you Woof?”
“Because he smells like a dog,” another man said.
The other men laughed.
Merlin shook his head. “He’s our team dog whisperer. Everywhere we go, dogs seem to find him and become his best friend.”
“I like dogs,” Ivy said as she shook Woof’s hand.
“Then you’ll like Woof,” Merlin said. “And he’ll like you.”
“This is Trent Hawkins, known to the team as Zip,” Gwen said as she moved aside to allow a man with brown hair and brown eyes to extend his hand to Ivy.
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “What’s the story behind your nickname?”
“Not important,” Zip answered with a grin.
“The hell it isn’t,” Jangles said. “He has a wicked scar that looks like a zipper on his thigh.”
Ivy frowned. “I’m sorry. Does it hurt?”
Zip shook his head. “Not a bit. But it makes all the girls want to touch it.”
“And the only girl who is going to touch it from now on is me,” a woman said from behind Ivy.
Ivy turned to a lovely woman with light brown skin, brown hair with tight curls and rich brown-black eyes.
“This is Destiny, Zip’s lady,” Gwen said. “Destiny, this is Ivy.”
Destiny hugged Gwen and turned to shake hands with Ivy. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll have to turn it over to Merlin to introduce these other gentlemen.” Gwen waved toward several other men gathered around the large table.
