by Lucy Gage
He sighed. Here came the hard part.
First there were the pictures. Danny insisted that Neil and his parents have photos with him – they were like brothers and Neil’s parents thought of Danny like their other son. Neil’s mom and dad weren’t staying for the reception because their flight left late that night, so the three of them had pictures with Danny first.
After that, he only had a picture with the bride and groom left. He was standing there, waiting his turn, when Meghan walked up to him.
“So what do I call you?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Your rank, soldier. What do I call you?”
“Oh. Uh, well, it’s Captain. Murphy. Captain Murphy.”
Meghan laughed. “I got the Murphy part. It’s on your uniform. I’m just not familiar with what the insignia means. So, Captain Murphy, how do you know the bride and groom? You’re obviously important because you’re here for pictures.”
Of course she didn’t remember the forgettable boy from high school. “Danny has been my best friend since we were little kids. Like Charlie and Nina.”
“You know Nina?”
“I graduated with her and Charlie.”
She was poised to speak, when she spotted Emily. “There’s Em. I need to talk to her. I’m sure I’ll talk to you later. I think you’re sitting next to me at dinner,” she said with a wink. And then she was off.
His turn was up and the photographer had to try a couple times. Meghan exclaimed something as she spoke to Emily and it distracted Neil. Danny glanced at him sideways. You’ve got it bad. No doubt.
Done with pictures, he made his way to the reception tent. Charlie had sat him at the same table as Meghan, side by side.
Jesus, Charlie, trying a bit too hard? he thought.
He waited for the wedding party announcements, like the other guests. Fortunately, there were a few significant others sitting at the wedding party tables. At the other table, he saw some guy who looked familiar. He couldn’t place him though.
Not long after the wedding party sat down, Annie, Charlie’s other sister, mumbled to Josh, who sat next to her, “I can’t believe he had the nerve to show his face here.” Josh turned as red as he had up in Peter’s room.
Neil must have looked confused, because Meghan leaned in and whispered, “Emily’s boyfriend is back.” Her voice in his ear in that sexy whisper, even though she wasn’t saying anything erotic, made his skin prickle with gooseflesh.
Neil looked at her. “The movie actor?” he asked quietly.
She grinned, leaned in again and said, “Movie stah, dahling. Her boyfriend is Rob Deacon, aka Deac Roberts. He played you in a movie, once.” She leaned back, checked him out the way she had in his room. “You might wear the uniform better though.” She grinned and then turned her attention to the man seated to her right.
It would be a long night if he let her keep undoing him like that. He had to get his head in the game, get over his boyhood crush and act like a man or else she wouldn’t get near him with a ten foot pole, no matter how badly she needed a palate cleanser.
**********
“Meggie, can you help me with my dress in the ladies’ room?” Charlie asked.
Meg set her wine glass on the table, drained of the Pinot Noir, and said, “Sure thing, Charlie Brown.” She stood and winked at Neil as she walked away, following Charlie.
When they arrived at the bathroom, she lifted Charlie’s dress for her and said, “Great party, Charlie. You did good, kid.”
“Did I?” she asked. “At least I did something right.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. So, how are things at your table?”
Meg chuckled. “Interesting.”
“Are they, now?”
“Remember when I called you on the way home from Thailand?”
“Uh, I guess. You mean when I told you about Em and Rob?”
“Right. But when I talked to you, I told you about the soldier I saw at the coffee shop. Do you remember that?”
“Yeah. You said you were ready to jump him and I told you that Dan’s best friend could hook you up with a hot soldier.”
“He’s here.”
“Here? What do you mean?”
“Neil is the guy I saw at the airport.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Positive. I saw him earlier today, before I came up to your suite to get ready. He was standing at the door to his room, and I almost died. I couldn’t believe it was possibly the same guy, but there he was. He had on this ARMY t-shirt and these basketball shorts. When I checked out his ass, I was sure I was right.”
Charlie laughed as they fixed her dress. “It’s pretty great.”
“It is. I helped him bring his stuff into his room and had a better look at him. God, that body is to die for.”
“I thought you didn’t like beefcake?”
Meg sighed. Because of Toby, she’d avoided shaved heads and muscles for years. And yet, that day in LAX and again in the hallway this morning, Neil turned her head. She couldn’t explain it.
“I haven’t. Not in years. I don’t know why he’s different, but he is. When I heard him speak, it confirmed that he was the same guy, and I don’t want to tempt fate by ignoring him twice.”
Charlie worked very hard to suppress a grin.
“What?” Meg asked.
“Nothing. So you’re interested?”
Meg nodded. “Definitely. I don’t know why, but I am.”
“Good. He’s a great guy, Meggie. One of the absolute best I know. I’m not saying that because he’s Dan’s best friend. I knew Neil before I knew Dan. He’d never treat you poorly.”
“Is he single?”
“He is. He broke up with his last girlfriend six months ago.”
“And you’re sure he’s not dating anyone else right now?”
“He’s not. I’m positive.”
Meg nodded. Charlie didn’t say anything else, she just smiled.
“You’re not going to tell me to be careful?”
Charlie shook her head slowly. “Nope. You don’t need to be careful with Neil. He isn’t a heart-breaker.”
Laughing, Meg said, “I find that hard to believe. He’s too sexy to be the kind of guy to let them down gently.”
“But he is that guy, Meggie.”
Her heart sank, which made no sense. “Too good to be true.”
“No. He’s a rare bird, not an optical illusion. Anyway, let’s get back out there. I’m ready to party. How about you?”
“Hell, yes. Can he dance? Because I really want to dance.”
“He can. Really well, actually.”
“One way to find out,” Meg said. For some reason, she really hoped he could dance. And that Charlie was right about him.
**********
During the garter toss, Neil did the obligatory single guy thing. Though in hindsight he thought it might have been nice to have a reason to run his hands up Meghan’s skirt, he’d been relieved when Josh caught the silly undergarment.
Then Annie caught the bouquet – in fact, no one else even tried – and when Meghan sat back down, she mumbled, “Shit. I knew it. Poor Em. At least Rob is here.”
He knew what she meant when Josh knelt to slip the garter on Annie and he pulled a ring from his pocket.
Meghan muttered, “Assholes.”
Neil looked at her, surprised.
She said, “Sorry. They should have told her. She only knew before it happened because Rob flew the red-eye so he could be here for her. I guess the tabloids got wind.”
As David Grey’s This Year’s Love played and Josh danced with Annie, Neil saw Emily and her boyfriend sneak off to the bar.
“Why do the tabloids care about Annie and Josh?”
“They don’t. They saw the two of them when he first proposed, I guess, and thought she was Em getting back with her ex. Since Em dated a movie star, her life is tabloid fodder. Long story short, Rob is the one who told her instead of her
sister. So, kudos to Rob, he’ll surely be getting back in her pants later. She has been hoping for him to show up for months. But boo to Annie and Josh for not having the decency to tell Em they were together.”
“She didn’t even know they were dating?” Neil imagined that must have taken a lot of work for Josh and Annie to keep it quiet.
“Nope. She has been so down about losing Rob she didn’t even notice. I suspected, but there wasn’t any point in making waves on speculation. Em always saw the best in Annie and she might not have believed it. But she and Annie have barely spoken since Em broke up with Josh.” She stood. “I’m going to the bar. Want anything?”
“I’ll join you,” he said, surprising himself, but as he rose, he saw Danny wave him over. “Sorry. Danny wants me for something.”
“Can I get you a drink?”
Feeling bold, Neil laughed and said, “What’ll it cost me?”
Meghan winked. “We’ll negotiate a price later.”
“In that case, can you get me a beer? Anything decent. No Bud.”
“Got it. Good beer, not swill. I’m with you there. Be right back.” She smiled and was off to the bar as he headed toward his best friend.
“So,” Danny said, “Charlie’s matchmaking working out for you?”
“Funny. She told me about the big debacle in your new family.”
“Yeah, I think only Josh and Emily didn’t know that Annie was in love with him for the last five years. That all you were talking about? Because it looked like you were leaving with her…”
“Cut it out. We were going to the bar for a drink.”
“Together?”
“Not technically, no. She was headed to the bar and I was joining her. What, are we in junior high again?”
“Well, Jesus, you’ve had a thing for her since then. When exactly were you planning to finally ask her out?”
“I don’t know. Maybe when I stop getting tongue-tied every time she’s near me.”
“You seemed to be talking to her fine just now.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a first time for everything. Get back to your wife before she hurts me.”
“Hold on. Sarah! Jerry! So happy you could be here. I know it means the world to Charlie. This is my best friend, Captain Neil Murphy. Neil, this is Jerry and Sarah Miles. They’re Meg’s parents.”
Neil shook their hands. Meghan looked like her father.
“Nice to meet you, son. You been overseas, yet?”
“Not yet, sir. My unit went to Iraq before I officially joined the Army. By the time I received my commission, there was a troop draw-down, so I was spared that tour. We ship out to Afghanistan in two weeks.”
“Where are you stationed?” Mrs. Miles asked.
“Ft. Irwin, ma’am. In California.”
“What do you do in the Army, Captain?” Mr. Miles asked.
“I lead a team of snipers, sir.”
“Oh? You a good shot?”
“Been practicing a long time, sir. Apparently, I’m better than most. So says the Army.”
“Well, take care of yourself and stay safe while you’re over there, son. Thanks for your service.”
“I appreciate that sir. Ma’am, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
She touched his hand. “Likewise, Captain. Take care. Dan, give Charlie our love. Congratulations.”
They walked away and Neil stared at Danny, astonished.
“What?” Danny asked.
“Holy shit. Thanks for warning me you were introducing me to her parents,” Neil whispered.
Danny laughed. “As if you’d have let me introduce you if you knew. This way, you used your best Army taught manners and made a good impression.”
“How does that matter? I thought she’d be using me for sex,” Neil whispered, annoyed.
“Oh, come on. I know you. Once you find your in, you’ll charm her. And then you won’t want to let her go.”
“That doesn’t matter if she’s not interested in me. You’re forgetting that I live across the country and have to spend the next nine months on the other side of the world.”
Danny shook his head. “Love finds a way, Neil. Go talk to her. At least try.” He clapped Neil on the shoulder and headed back to Charlie.
This felt like a losing battle from the start.
Chapter 9
Meg leaned on the bar and waved her money. The bartender stopped in front of her. “I know you,” he said.
She looked at him closely. “You worked at that club in Orono.”
“That’s me.”
“Still married?”
“I am. Have two kids now and a third on the way. I do this on weekends to make some extra money.”
“Good for you. I’m glad to see that nice guys still exist.” Meg glanced back toward the dance floor, where she saw Neil talking to her parents and Dan. Holy shit.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked. “Need some liquid courage again? Should I pour you a couple shots of Cuervo?”
Meg whipped her head around. “How can you possibly remember that?”
He laughed. “It’s not often I serve a beautiful woman who flirts with me, praises me for being faithful to my wife, tips me big on top of that and then downs two shots of tequila. You were a highlight of my college bartending days.”
Meg shook her head. “No Cuervo. But I’ll take three Sam Summer.”
“Three Sam Adams Summer coming right up.” He grabbed three tall ones from the fridge, popped the tops and placed them on the bar in front of her. “Seven-fifty.”
Meg handed him a ten and said, “Keep the change.” Then she lifted one bottle to her lips and chugged it. When she was done, she belched with her mouth closed and set the bottle on the bar.
“Damn. And I thought two shots of tequila back to back was impressive,” the bartender said.
Meg flashed him a smile, but her heart squeezed. Impressive. That was what Jason had said. She couldn’t make the same mistake again. She refused to make the same mistake twice, treating a guy like he wasn’t worth more than a rebound screw because of past pain. Jason had been worth more than that. And from what Charlie had said, Neil was, too. Much more.
Something pulled her toward Neil, more than anything had with Jason, more than even Nico. And if she wanted to stop living her life with regrets, it was time to start listening to her gut.
Her gut had said things couldn’t work with Nico, that Rex was shifty, that Jason was a decent guy and that Justin was not and it was right, every time. It had even worried that Toby wanted only one thing. And now it insisted that Neil was special, and damn it, she’d trust it.
Even if she grew to regret that choice, too.
**********
He walked back to their table and Meghan stood nearby at the edge of the dance floor, two Sam Adams Summer in her hand. He stepped in place next to her. It’s now or never. She looked at him and smiled, handed him his beer. He took a breath and said, “I’d ask you if you want to dance, but I’m probably too short for you.”
She laughed and took a pull from her beer. Why was everything she did sexy? He loved that laugh and the fact that she drank real beer made her inordinately cool.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because you’re obviously comfortable in those heels, which means you wear them all the time. Or at least shoes that high. You’ve probably had more than one guy ask you to take them off so he didn’t feel short next to you. I’m guessing you have a height requirement, and I doubt I meet it.”
“How do you know this isn’t the first time I’ve worn shoes this high?”
“Because you walk like you’re not wearing shoes and only a woman used to stilettos can do that. I’m guessing you don’t like to wear heels that are less than 3 inches. Right?”
She laughed again. It was like music. “You are correct. You’re very observant, Captain.”
“Part of my job,” he said, taking a swig of beer for fortification. So far, he hadn’t stumbled his words to
o much. Maybe he could get through this.
“Would you expect me to take off my shoes?”
That threw him. “Uh, what?”
“If I dance with you, will you be one of those guys who expects me to take off my heels so he doesn’t feel short?”
It spilled out of his mouth automatically. “Hell, no. You look hot in those heels. I can live with being shorter than you.”
He’d spent a good portion of his life shorter than her. Like that could stop him from getting a chance to be close to her even if it did bother him.
“Right answer, Captain. Then I’d love to dance with you. If you were asking.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because you look really sexy in that uniform. And I want to dance.” She set her beer down on their table and did the same with his. Then she grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor.
Neil’s heart raced, the touch of her hand a jolt. Pull it together, Murphy. No woman likes sweaty palms. He discreetly wiped his left palm on his pants and lay his right palm on her waist as he took her right hand in his left.
“Can you waltz?” he asked her as Lonestar’s Amazed played.
“A little. Can you?”
“I can. Want me to show you how?”
She laughed. It would be the soundtrack of his life when he left for Afghanistan in two weeks, hearing her laugh. He vowed to make her laugh all night so he couldn’t forget it.
“The Army teach you how to dance, soldier?”
He laughed, too. “No, that would be my mother. She told me a long time ago that women like a man who can dance. I guess she thought I needed all the help I could get.”
“I don’t think you need help getting women. I see several looking at me enviously. A few of them are married or engaged and a couple are old enough to be your mother. Every woman here who is single is jealous of me right now. I’m getting the stink eye from most of them.”
Oh, if they only knew. As soon as she spoke to him this morning, the rest of them didn’t have a chance. He couldn’t let it unnerve him.
“Am I teaching you to waltz?” he asked, trying to be casual.
She laughed. “I’d love that.”
They went through the rest of the song and he helped her with the steps. Given how easily she picked up the dance, he guessed she had been pulling his leg or testing him when she said she could waltz a little. But since she let him teach her and, more importantly let him be close to her, he wouldn’t complain.
