by Jen Talty
“I don’t know that having a wife and kids is for me.”
“But you’ve never had a girlfriend since college for more than a maybe a month, that we’re aware of. Don’t you get lonely?”
Lonely.
That was a term he’d never entertained before until last night. And he wouldn’t even say that he’d been lonely. More like just missing Serenity.
But why did he miss someone he’d only really had one night with?
He’d like to chalk that up to the fact he’d daydreamed about her when he’d been in high school, and the reality far surpassed the fantasy, something that didn’t usually happen.
“No, not really.”
“That’s because you’ve never been in love.” The sound of his mother’s voice startled him.
He jumped.
His mom patted his shoulder, leaning over and kissing his cheek before making herself comfortable between his father’s legs. His parents had always been touchy-feely with each other. It bordered on gross public display of affection.
“I suppose I haven’t,” he admitted.
“And why is that?” His mother waggled her finger under his nose. “It’s because you don’t spend time getting to know anyone. You have—what do you call them—hookups? That’s no way to live. Actually, all that will get you is an STD.”
Cove cocked his head. “Mom, really.”
“She has a point,” his father said with a hearty laugh. “But something else to consider is that while right now you might not think you want a relationship, but in five years? Or when you’re forty? Or worse, when your fifty or sixty and you look back on your life and realize you missed out on something.”
“I can’t imagine doing anything other than what I’m doing right now,” Cove said. “I love my job, and I’m really good at it.”
“There’s more to life than work,” his father said. “It’s one of the reasons your mom and I got off Wall Street and started our own firm so we can spend more time with you kids.”
Cove had heard this all before. Since spending time with Serenity, his perspective might have changed, but he didn’t understand it. She’d climbed into his dreams and consumed his thoughts. He found himself checking his phone constantly, waiting to hear from her. He glanced at it sitting on the table.
A message flashed on the screen.
He lifted it into his hands and smiled.
Serenity: WTF is Leah up to?
Cove: Just come. My parents are making me nuts, and yours will be here soon.
Serenity: You owe me.
Cove: I’ll share my meat.
Serenity: Not what I had in mind, but that too. I’ll be there in a half hour.
He set his phone facedown.
“And why are you smiling like a teenage boy standing in the middle of the Playboy mansion?” his father asked.
“Just a funny text from a buddy,” Cove said. “But I also got a text from Serenity. She’ll be here in a half hour.”
“She’s messaging you and not Leah? That’s interesting,” his mother said in a sing-song voice. “She’s a beautiful woman and really smart.”
“I won’t deny that.” Cove polished off his beer. “She’s got a great sense of humor as well. But none of that changes the fact that I’ll be headed back to the Middle East, and she’s not interested in a relationship either.”
His father choked on his drink. “And how the hell would you know that?”
“Easy. We were both manipulated into a so-called blind date. She’s been friends with Leah forever, and it’s not the first time Leah has pulled this kind of crap with Serenity. And the same goes for me, so the topic came up because she just wanted to make sure, for the record, that I knew the score.”
“Ouch,” his father said. “Crashed and burned before you even took off.”
Cove laughed. “It wasn’t like that, Dad.”
The doorbell rang.
“That must be Serenity’s folks. Be a good boy and go answer the door for me,” his mother said.
Cove refrained from rolling his eyes. He stood, taking his empty beverage and headed into the kitchen. His folks had moved into this house when he’d been five years old. He barely remembered living in the Upper East Side of the city. But he did remember moving, only because he’d gotten himself locked in the bathroom off the kitchen. Shortly after that, his parents remodeled parts of the house, including that stupid bathroom that had given him nightmares for years.
He still had issues with small spaces.
He meandered down the long hallway and passed all the family pictures and sports images of him and his sister. He’d had a good childhood. Loving parents and he and his sister, for the most part, always got along. Even though there was physical distance between him and his family, they were tight. He understood where his parents were coming from, and they did so out of love.
But love just wasn’t for him.
He figured once he was deployed, Serenity would be out from under his skin.
And him from hers, because clearly she had the hots for him as well.
He pulled open the front door and out of habit, he snapped to attention.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Major Bale said. “At ease, please.”
“Yes, sir,” Cove said as he took a step back. “It’s good to see you Major and Mrs.—”
“And none of that, young man. I think it’s appropriate for you to call us Warren and Peace,” Peace Bale said as she pulled him in for a hug and kissed his cheek. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since you and Tavor graduated West Point.”
“That would be about correct, ma’am.”
“You look good, son, considering what happened,” Warren said. “That was a dicey situation you and your team were in.”
“It certainly was, but I’m doing well, and I’m looking forward to getting back.”
Warren rested his hand on Cove’s shoulder and gave it a good squeeze. “I don’t know if you heard, but Ledger is going to be returning to the city as a counter intelligence agent for the Army. They are always looking for good men if you’re interested in settling down.”
Cove’s swallowed his breath. He turned and closed the door, doing his best to regain his composure. He expected settling-down jabs from his parents all night, but he hadn’t thought he’d get them from Serenity’s. Last he heard, they hadn’t even known about the big date.
But a lot could change in a twenty-four-hour time frame.
“I’m pretty happy with my current team and position.” He led them into the kitchen. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Oh. We brought this.” Peace held out a couple bottles of wine.
“Why don’t you go out back with my folks, and I’ll open it up and bring out some glasses,” Cove said.
“Perfect.” Warren placed his hand on his wife’s back and nudged her through the sliding doors.
Cove let out a puff of air. He loved his family, but this is not how he wanted to spend a Friday night. His only saving grace would be that hopefully Serenity would invite him over to spend the night.
Fuck. He really had to get her out of his mind before she made him actually think he might want to settle down as both their parents had put it.
The front door flew open and in waltzed his sister and Kirk.
“Hey there, big brother,” Leah said. “Where’s your girlfriend?”
He growled. “Do not say that in front of Mom, Dad, and her parents,” he said behind gritted teeth. “She’s not my girlfriend, and I’ve taken enough shit already tonight, thank you very much.”
Leah held her hands high. “You’re in a pissy mood.”
“I just don’t like the position you’re putting me in. And I doubt Serenity is going to like it either.”
“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to her since the other morning,” Leah said. “She hasn’t returned my calls. I suppose that’s because she’s too busy with you.”
“For your information, I haven’t seen her since that mo
rning, either. She’s been busy with work.”
“Stop the madness, you two,” Kirk said. “Leah, you got them to go out on a date. That’s all you wanted, so back off.”
“Hey. You’re supposed to be on my side,” Leah said.
“I am, but you’re pushing too hard, and in this kind of situation, it’s not appropriate,” Kirk said.
“You’re so not fun.” Leah took her husband by the hand. “Let’s get outside.”
“Take these drinks with you,” Cove said. “I need to use the bathroom.” He didn’t really, but he needed a few minutes to collect himself before going back out to the firing squad. He checked his cell. Serenity should be at the house any minute. He opted to step out into the front yard with a couple of beers, and he sat on the stoop. A black Suburban rolled to a stop in front of his house, and Serenity emerged from the driver’s seat.
“That beer is a sight for sore eyes,” she said.
“Oh, and I’m not?”
“I just spent three hours in a prison. I’ve had my fill of men for one day.” She plopped herself down next to him, taking the glass bottle in her hand, leaning into his arm. She took a long draw and then let out a big sigh. “So, how goes it with our parents?”
“Well, my mom has us married,” he said with a tongue-in-cheek tone, but it wasn’t really kidding all that much.
“Wonderful,” Serenity said. “You should know my parents know about the date.”
“How’d that happen?”
“Your parents, when they invited them over. I mean, they’ve always been friends, but it’s not like they have dinner on a regular basis and invite any of the kids to join.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’d like to get in that government issued vehicle, go back to my place, and fuck like rabbits, but that’s not going to happen, so we might as well make the best of it,” she said.
“And what exactly does that mean? Because they aren’t going to let up.”
She glanced up at him and smiled. “I don’t think we have a choice but to roll with it and hold our ground. I’ve brought men home before, and it’s always the same; it’s never going to be forever.”
“I haven’t brought a girl home since college, and even then, I wouldn’t say I brought her home. So this will be totally new to me,” he said. “And I don’t want to hurt my family, especially my mom.”
“I don’t either, but we both know no matter how much we’re compatible in bed, or how much I really do like you, this isn’t going anywhere. My job isn’t conducive to it, and I plan on moving up the ranks, and you’re never even in the states, so we just have to be clear we’re having fun.”
“They’re still going to push.”
“It’s not going to change anything.” Serenity jumped to her feet and took his hand. “Let’s go face the rents.”
Serenity wasn’t sure if she was going through a mid-life crisis about fifteen years too soon, or if she’d just lost her ever-fucking-loving mind. She’d ignored Leah’s texts and phone calls, mostly because she was busy interviewing guards and the warden at the prison where Roger Nimitz had been killed, but she also wanted a chance to talk to Cove first. She wanted to make sure they were on the same page.
However, the moment she took the call from her father, everything changed. Her parents hadn’t been overly pushy about her single status or the fact that she didn’t have much of a desire to enter the ranks of marriage and motherhood. Her older brother, Ledger, took the brunt of that harassment followed by a close second with Tavor. But lately, her parents were dropping subtle hints about biological clocks and finding the right man before she turned thirty.
Which was only a few months away.
“I was always shocked that you didn’t go to West Point,” Cove’s father, Adam Reddington, said. “That said, an FBI agent is quite impressive.”
“Thank you,” Serenity said. “I’ve always preferred being the rebel of the family.”
“We tried bribing her with a brand-new Jeep for her high school graduation if she’d consider West Point,” her father said as he dunked one of the homemade fries into some ketchup. “But she said she’d rather take public transportation than attend a military academy.”
“Well, she wouldn’t even consider my alma mater,” her mother said.
“That wouldn’t be fair to Dad, now would it?” She’d heard this battle cry a million times, and it always ended the same way.
“Um, excuse me,” her mother said. “Four out of my five children went to Dad’s college. At least one should have gone to mine.”
“You would have just preferred it if I never left New York to begin with,” she said.
Cove’s hand came down on her thigh and inched up her leg.
She cocked her head and glared. His hand might be hidden under the picnic table and the oversized cloth, but still, the last thing she needed was for anyone to see him touch her intimately.
Of course, her body was enjoying it way too much to push him away.
“My parents got that wish with me,” Leah said. “And somehow they roped me into living in the same town.”
Kirk burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me? I seem to remember a conversation with your folks about living and working too close, and then they showed us a few houses about forty-five minutes from here.”
“Yeah, until I got pregnant,” Leah said. “And by the way, it might not be the best way to announce this, but we’re going to have another one.”
“No way,” Cove said. “Are you nuts? You’ll really be outnumbered.”
“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful news,” Helen, Cove’s mother, said as she jumped up and raced to the other side of the table, hugging Leah. “Maybe it will be a girl this time.”
“I thought once we had a girl, we’d be done,” Serenity’s father said. “But no, my wife needed more.”
“Oh, come on, Warren,” Serenity’s mother said. “You were the one that thought we should try for another girl.”
“Yeah, the fourth time, not the fifth,” Warren said with a chuckle.
“This calls for a toast.” Cove’s father raised his glass. “To family. Here’s to making ours even bigger.”
Serenity glanced at Cove, catching his gaze. They stared at one another for a few long moments before clinking their glasses and sipping their wine. Something in those few seconds changed. She wasn’t sure what, but the heavy heat that filled the dense air between them burst into flames. As the sparks flew between them, and the fire slowly settled to a slow burn, a realization that she cared for this man like she’d never cared for anyone coated her heart with a warmth she’d never experienced.
“So, why don’t you two tell us what’s going on?” Helen asked as she set her wine glass on the table. “I mean you went on a date, and you’re here right now and obviously smitten with each other.”
Cove coughed.
Serenity nearly spit out the chunk of hamburger she’d just put into her mouth.
“Dear, that was a little forward, don’t you think?” Adam asked, handing Cove a glass of water as he continued to choke on his own breath.
“Really? Forward?” Helen planted her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together. “Peace. Do you think I’m being inappropriate?”
“Not at all,” Serenity’s mother said. “As a matter of fact, Warren and I were just talking about that very thing—”
“Peace, I warned you about doing this,” Serenity’s father said under his breath. “This isn’t our business.”
Her chest tightened. She tried to suck in a deep breath, but she couldn’t fill her lungs. It was as if she was reliving the night of her senior prom when her parents decided to let her date know what might happen if he either brought their daughter home late or did anything to hurt Serenity.
Only worse, because now they were encouraging her to have a relationship with, of all people, Cove.
“You’re right, Dad. It’s not,” Serenit
y said. “And I don’t understand why everyone is making a federal case out of the fact we had dinner. We did go to high school together. No one would be making such a big deal if Cove went out with Tavor.”
“That’s different,” her mother said.
“Okay.” Cove cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to be rude or disrespectful to anyone. And maybe I shouldn’t speak for Serenity, but we’re literally just friends.”
“Then why is your hand on her thigh, son?” Serenity’s father asked.
Cove jerked his hand away, tugging at the tablecloth and knocking over a glass of water. “Shit,” he mumbled, snagging a napkin and cleaning up the mess, which thankfully only landed a little bit on him, but mostly on the ground. “It was there for moral support,” he said, but his tone lacked conviction.
“You know what,” Serenity started. “Even if we were an item, which we’re not, and trust me, you don’t want me to classify what we are or aren’t doing, nothing could or would ever come from it long term. I don’t want to get married or have kids, and frankly, neither does Cove.” She tossed her napkin on her plate. “That was the best hamburger I’ve ever had,” Serenity said as she stood to clear the plates.
“Oh, honey. Put those down. Cove will take care of them,” Helen said.
“I don’t mind.” All Serenity wanted to do was to get the fuck away from her parents and their disappointing glares.
“But I do.” Helen took the plates and handed them to Cove.
He smiled, loading up a tray, and him, Kirk, and Adam headed into the kitchen to deal with the dishes.
“I’ll go get the dessert,” her father said as he followed the rest of the men into the house.
Which left her alone with her mother, Cove’s mom, and Leah.
Not a good mix, especially by the way they all stared at her with their half-filled wine glasses and scrutinizing gazes.
“I apologize for my outburst.” Serenity took her wine and made herself comfortable in one of the lounge chairs opposite her mother.
“We all backed you into it,” Leah said, sitting on the edge of the chair, resting her hand on Serenity’s knee. “Starting with me and that trick I pulled on you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
