At least I’d get nachos out of the whole thing.
* * *
Specialist Evans and his wife Cecile lived in an older house in one of the more established neighborhoods in Petersburg. He’d met Cecile when he was at Fort Lee on temporary duty assignment for a class, and although she’d happily traveled with him to other posts, I knew they liked being stationed here, where she was close to her family and friends. Like her husband, she was well-loved by the other soldiers; the couple often hosted picnics and big dinners, where her excellent cooking helped many a homesick private stick it out a little longer.
I pulled up in front of their house just after six. Mickey Evans and his brother-in-law Pete were both under the hood of Samantha’s car, and they glanced up at me almost in unison.
“Yo, Cap!” Pete loved to tease me about my rank. “You here for the repair service or the food?”
“Neither. Just came to see your smiling face, Pete.” I slammed shut my car door and hoisted the beer in one hand. “And I had this lonely old six-pack sitting in my fridge. Thought someone here might help me put it out of its misery.”
“I think you’ve come to the right place.” Cecile stepped out the side door, a huge plate of cheese and chili-covered chips in one hand. “I mean, what goes better with beer than my world-famous nachos?”
“Cecile, you know, if you ever get tired of this guy, I’m just waiting in the wings.” I lay one hand over my heart.
“Baby, don’t listen to him.” Evans straightened up, wiping his hands on a rag. “He only wants you for your cooking. These single officers, they see how good we have it, and they wish they’d been smart enough to find someone as pretty as you.” He reached for his wife, pulling her close for a quick kiss before he stole a chip from the plate.
“I saw that.” She swatted his fingers. “You all sit down out here on the deck and enjoy your man time. I’m picking up my mom for bingo.”
“Win big, baby!” Evans waved.
“Thanks for the nachos,” I added, setting down the beer in the middle of the table. “It was nice of you to cook for us when you’re going out.”
“Suck up,” Pete muttered under his breath.
“No, raised by a mama who taught me manners.” I dragged out a chair and sat down. “And who also told me you get more flies with honey. Or more nachos when you’re a nice person.”
Evans and Pete joined me, each of them popping open a beer. We tapped the necks of the bottles and drank deep, enjoying the beer, the chips and the beautiful evening.
“Got the girl’s car all fixed up.” Evans tilted his head, indicated Samantha’s Ford. “Should be good to go now.”
“Great, thanks.” I nodded, taking another swig from my bottle. “What’s it going to cost?”
“Eh, just the cost of the part. It didn’t take any time at all.” Evans waved one hand. “No problem.”
“Put it on my bill, okay?” I crunched down on a cheese-drenched chip.
Pete raised his eyebrows at me. “Wooohooo, what is this? Cap, you got yourself a girl?”
“No.” I felt my face going hot and hoped it didn’t show. “It’s called being a nice person. Like I just said, my mama taught me how to treat women.”
“Uh huh.” Evans leaned back in his chair. “Okay, sir, whatever you say. So, you want me to tell her it’s taken care of, or just that there’s no charge? Or do you want to write a note I could give to her with your, uh, regards?”
“Shut up, Evans.” I didn’t say it with any real malice. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Yeah, dude, don’t be a dick.” Pete swatted his brother-in-law. “Hey, Cap, speaking of being a dick . . . I hear that soldier who got in the fight in town this weekend was one of yours.”
A heaviness fell over me. We hadn’t made any sort of headway today in Reardon’s case. I hadn’t expected to make it all go away overnight, but I’d hoped to have more information after Sergeant Tully had met with the local cops. That hadn’t been the case, however. They’d claimed that they didn’t know about any girl who’d been part of the altercation before the fight had gotten physical.
“Yeah.” I set down the beer. “I can’t talk about it, but it sure is a big fucking mess.” I glanced from one of them to the other. “Do you know the other guy? The one who landed in the hospital?”
Pete chuckled without mirth. “This is Petersburg. There are no strangers. Yeah, I know Billy Johnson. He’s an asshole.” He shrugged. “Hot headed guy. Apparently has trouble keeping a job.”
“How about a woman? Does he have a reputation for knocking around his girlfriends?”
Both men looked pained. Pete sighed. “Yeah, could be. I haven’t seen anything myself, but he fits the type, you know?”
I leaned forward. “Listen, I don’t want to put you in a bad spot, Pete, but if you hear anything . . . or if you know anyone who was there that night and might tell the truth about what happened, I’d be grateful if you could pass it along.” Pausing, I rubbed my jaw. “The soldier involved isn’t perfect by a long shot, but he’s not what they’re saying, either. I’ve heard his side, but I’d like to hear it from someone else who was there and doesn’t have an ax to grind.”
“Sure, Cap. I’ll keep my ears open.” He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “That’s not my crowd and never has been. They’re all crazy morons. But sometimes I hear things.”
“He knows more people than I do, for sure,” Evans added. “I might have married into the town, but I’m still an outsider and a soldier first, in their eyes.”
“And you will be for at least another thirty years, bro.” Pete grinned. “Maybe when you retire, we’ll start to—hey, look there. Cap’s girlfriend just pulled up.”
My head snapped around without my consent, which of course made the two bozos at the table with me nearly fall out of their chairs laughing.
The car that idled alongside the curb was a silver Jetta. The girl driving it was pretty, but my eyes were glued on her passenger, who was climbing out as we watched. Samantha tucked her hair behind one ear and leaned back into the car, still speaking to the driver. I tried to keep my eyes off her ass as she bent over, but she was wearing a long skirt that was made of some kind of material that clung to her, accentuating the curve of her bottom so that I could almost feel my fingers itching to grab it.
“Hoooooo.” Pete breathed out a whistle under his breath. “You know, I always thought short skirts were sexier, but it could be that I’m changing my mind.”
“Hey, hey. Not cool talking about the Captain’s lady.” Evans elbowed his brother-in-law.
“She’s not my lady,” I growled. “Think you two can pull yourselves together to act like adults and not embarrass me—or her? Or are we all back in middle school?”
“We’re professionals.” Pete sat up straighter. “We know what we’re doing.” Without pausing for a breath, he stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave an ear-splitting whistle. “Pretty lady! We’re up here on the deck. Come join us.”
Samantha, who had been scanning the driveway and front yard, jerked her head toward us, grinning. I knew the minute she’d seen me, though, because her smile began to fade, replaced by something else in her eyes that made my groin tighten.
She began moving toward us, and I sat back to enjoy the show. The swishing cloth of her skirt swirled around her legs, outlining each one for a moment as she stepped forward. She was wearing a shirt that showed off her shoulders and draped down over her rack; again, the suggestion of sexiness was more powerful than the in-your-face appeal of a low-cut blouse.
“Hello, gentlemen.” Samantha climbed the two steps to the deck and regarded us with thinly-veiled amusement. “I can see you’re terribly busy here.”
Pete held up his nearly-empty beer bottle. “Cap and his six buddies needed our help. We already finished your car, so we’re on dinner break.” He used his foot to nudge out the empty chair next to me. “Have a seat.” Craning his neck, he looked over to where Samantha’s ride had b
een. “Does your friend want to join us, too?”
Samantha shook her head and waved to the Jetta, which didn’t waste any time in pulling away. “Nah. That’s my roommate, Harper. She was supposed to be off tonight, but she got called into work because of an emergency.” She sat down, crossing her legs.
I cleared my throat, speaking at last. “Is she a doctor?”
“Nope. A chef.” Samantha’s lips curved. “But apparently, kitchen emergencies are taken very seriously in the culinary world. If she had access to lights and a siren, she’d totally be using them now.”
“Ah.” I slid the decimated nacho plate over closer to her. “Sorry that we pretty much destroyed these, but help yourself to the crumbs. Evans’ wife Cecile makes the best nachos in Virginia.”
“Thanks.” She didn’t waste any time in nabbing part of a chip and using it to scoop up what was left of the cheesy goodness. “I’m starved. Harper and I were supposed to get dinner together after we picked up my car, but I got blown off for the kitchen wars.”
“Now that’s a real tragedy.” Evans reached for a fresh bottle of beer, popped it open and handed it to Samantha. “Here. You need something to wash down the chips.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” She chugged it, earning noises of appreciation from all three of us. Some women sipped beer or had to drink it from a glass. While I had no problem with a girl with class who could behave with manners when the situation called for it, I admired a chick who didn’t mind slamming back a cold one with us at other times.
“So is my car okay?” She ran one finger delicately around her lips in lieu of wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. My eyes never left that finger. I imagined tracing the same path with the tip of my tongue.
“Better than okay. Starter’s replaced, and she’s running like a champ.” Evans inclined his head. “You take good care of her, I can tell.”
“I do.” Reaching into the small purse that rested on her lap, she glanced at Pete. “What do I owe you?”
“Ah . . .” He shot me a look and then coughed. “It’s on the house.”
“Bullshit.” Samantha shook her head. “At least let me cover the cost of the part.”
“Don’t worry about it. It was taken care of.” Evans might’ve thought he was being slick, but he gave it away by winking at me. Real smooth.
“Oh, no.” She squared her shoulders, reminding me of the day before, when she’d gotten her back up. “No way. I’m not letting you pay for my car repair.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tried to look innocent.
“You know, maybe we should go take a look at that radiator hose.” Pete stood up. “Toss me your keys, Cap. C’mon, Mick. Let’s get to work.”
I handed over the keys to my car, and both cowards hustled away from us without a backward glance.
“What was all that about?” Samantha took another pull on her beer.
“The radiator hose on my car is leaking. That’s why I’m here—so Pete and Mickey can see what’s going on with it.” I shrugged. “And Cecile knows I like her nachos, so she made me a plate.”
“Uh huh.” Samantha crossed her arms over her chest, and suddenly the tits that had been camouflaged by loose material were on full display, the cloth of her shirt straining over them. I clenched my hands to keep them still. “And that’s the only reason you’re here tonight?”
“Why else?” I wasn’t going down without a fight.
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re here because you knew I was coming by to get my car. Maybe, despite the fact that we seemed to be complete opposites yesterday, you wanted to see me again.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and dropping her voice. “Maybe you were curious to see if the attraction you felt yesterday was a fluke, or if it was still raging tonight. Maybe you just couldn’t stay away from me.”
My heart was pounding, and I could feel the pulse echoed in the throbbing between my legs. “You’re pretty sure of yourself. What did I say or do to make you think that I, uh, felt some kind of attraction to you?”
She smiled, slow and sultry. “Maybe because I was feeling the same thing. Or maybe I’m totally off-base, and it was just wishful thinking on my part.”
I eased back, stretching out my legs and crossing them at the ankle. I knew that Samantha was taking a risk here. She was telling me that she’d felt the spark and giving me the chance to admit that I did, too, or to lie to both of us and claim that I didn’t want her. Her bravery in risking rejection floored me.
Still, even though I was picturing tossing her onto this deck and pounding into her body until neither of us could breathe, the still-rational part of my brain held me back. “Maybe we do feel the same way. Maybe . . . I’m here because I couldn’t make myself stay away. But maybe we both need to be smart adults, realize that we’re very different people, with goals that might be in conflict. Maybe the smartest thing to do would be to pretend we don’t feel any of this and just walk away.”
Samantha seemed to consider my words, shifting her gaze to focus at some spot over my shoulder. When she spoke again, it was so soft that I had to strain my ears to hear her. “Maybe you’re right. I’ve never been accused of overthinking my decisions when it comes to sex. I tend to be a little impulsive.”
“And I’m never impulsive about anything.” I linked my hands together behind my head. I was already regretting not giving her an immediate yes. “Everything in my life, each decision in my world, is carefully plotted and planned. I never leap before I look.”
“You must miss out on a shit load of fun, then.” She didn’t sound acrimonious at all—on the contrary, it almost seemed as though she felt sorry for me.
“I probably do. But I also miss out on a lot of pain.”
“Mmmm.” She ran her fingers through her hair, letting the strands sift over her hand. “Well. I guess if that’s where we both stand, I should say thank you for paying for my car repair. It wasn’t necessary, but I’m not going to fight with you about it. I have a feeling you’re a stubborn son-of-a-bitch.”
“You’d be right about that.” I didn’t try to hide my grin.
She rolled her eyes. “Then I’ll just say good night . . . and I guess, have a nice life. The chance of our paths crossing again is probably pretty small, unless you take part in the living history on the battlefield. I don’t have any reason to go onto post, and I’ve lived here nearly a year without meeting you until now. So . . .” She stood and held out her hand. “Thanks again.”
I realized I didn’t want to shake her hand, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to touch her. It was because I was afraid of what would happen when I did. But I couldn’t leave her hanging, either. I manned up and rose to my feet, too, closing my fingers around her much smaller ones.
“You’re welcome.” I worked hard to ignore the zing I felt all the way to my dick. “Uh, good life to you, too.”
“Are we having a Casablanca moment here?” She was trying to lighten the mood, although neither of us had made a move to let go of each other.
“What is that line? About the problems of two people and a hill of beans?” I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand, thinking distractedly how smooth her skin was.
“Something like that. Are you sure—”
“Hey, Cap! You gotta minute? I think we have a problem down here.” Pete’s voice floated up from the driveway, and Samantha and I jerked our hands apart, like two teenagers caught necking in the back row of the movie theater. Samantha looked more than a little flustered as she hooked her purse over one shoulder and started down the steps of the deck. I trailed behind, feeling just as unsettled as she appeared to be.
“This hose . . . it’s shredded.” Mickey was holding a piece of tubing in one hand as we neared my car. “See, you should’ve let us take a look when you first noticed the leak. I might’ve patched it then, but now, it’s going to need a total replacement.”
“Shit.” I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Can we get th
e part tonight?”
“No way, man.” Pete wagged his head. “I’ll have to order it, and then maybe by late tomorrow afternoon, but more likely on Thursday.”
“And you can’t drive it,” Mickey added. “You’ll have to leave it here until I can get it taken care of.” He scratched his head. “Guess Pete or I can drive you home. Can Captain Braggs or Captain Duncan get you to work tomorrow morning?”
“Probably.” I stared at the offending car part, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Hey, can I see that hose?”
“Only problem is, Pete had two beers, so he probably shouldn’t drive. And Cecile has my car at bingo.” Evans dropped the radiator hose into the trash barrel, ignoring my request, which only served to confirm what I suspected.
I frowned at him. “Couldn’t you drive me in Pete’s car?”
“I’ll drive you home.” Samantha’s tone was deceptively casual, even though I detected the slightest tremor. “That way, neither of you has to go out. I didn’t even finish one beer, so I’m good to drive.” She slid me a sideways look. “Besides, I owe Captain Remington a favor after he paid for my new starter.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Specialist Evans nodded. “Makes the most sense. Okay, Captain, we’ll order the replacement tonight, and I’ll let you know the minute we get it in there.”
“Thanks so much, Evans. Pete.” I drilled them each with a look that spoke volumes, letting them know that they hadn’t fooled me. Neither of the clowns so much as flinched; Pete even smiled bigger. “I won’t forget this.”
“Hey, Cap, it’s nothing. Don’t sweat it.” Pete began herding us down the driveway. “Keeping your car running smooth is our pleasure.”
“Yeah, I’ll just bet.” I paused by the driver’s side and opened the door for Samantha, whose face was inscrutable as she slid behind the wheel. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Evans.”
“See you at work, Captain.” He sounded downright merry.
Maximum Force: A Career Soldier Military Romance Page 5
