Operation: Stripped & Stranded

by E Kay Sims

  “Mmm, now they smell good. Garlic butter or sour cream with chives?” Damn, I was doing it again and did Eric just growl at me?

  “Leah, these salads your brought look divine.” EZee broke the awkward moment between me and Eric.

  “Thank you so much. One is Greek salad with extra virgin olive oil and fresh olives, and the other is a warm Asian crispy noodle salad with wombok.” I pointed my finger to the metal bowl. “Although, that ice cream really ought to go into the freezer.”

  EZee grabbed the ice cream and put it into Eric’s deep freeze. “Grab a plate everyone, let’s eat. I’m starving!” She handed out napkins and forks.

  I felt Gil run his hand down my back and kiss the top of my head before he followed Eric to the table. God, that tiny, innocent little touch had me in knots. How did I love this man so much? How was I so lucky? I asked myself that all the time, as though I was still in a dream I was afraid of waking up from.

  I glanced at Eric, determined to break the ice with him. “I promise I will tuck Little Miss Chef away for the evening, Eric.”

  Eric nodded and cut into his steak. “Let’s eat.”

  I tried hard to hide my disappointment. Eric was everything to Gil. What would happen if he never came to like me? I couldn’t lose Gil, he was my world. I couldn’t be their Yoko Ono. I distracted myself by putting a forkful of food into my mouth.

  “Please pass the salad, the Greek one.” EZee once again came to my rescue. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but lately I’ve been craving tomatoes and olives.”

  My eyes lit up as Gil handed the bowl to her. “I made a special trip to an olive grove just to get those olives. They’re straight from the trees.”

  Gil nodded. “Leah and I want to check out as many little farms as possible and gather up some amazing stuff for our pantry.”

  “Where did you find the olives?” EZee asked, taking another bite of salad.

  “Near a place called Dayton,” Gil answered as he took another bite.

  “I got some truffle oil as well,” I added.

  “Oh, I know Dayton, good wine, too. Near Yamhill, right?” Eric asked.

  I nodded. “Oh, god, we had a field day, didn’t we, Gil? Vineyard after vineyard, olives, truffle oils, foodie goodness everywhere!”

  Gil chuckled and squeezed my hand. “Careful, mate, you get her all excited and you’ll never hear the end of it. Leah can talk food for hours.”

  After dinner, I took it upon myself to clean up, ignoring EZee’s protests that I was a guest. As I passed the glass sliding door that led out to the balcony, I called out to Gil, who was leaning his elbows on the railing. “Nice ass in those jeans, Mr. Barlow.”

  I heard his slight laugh and knew he was blushing. With a giggle, I carried the plates to the kitchen and began scraping them off. I sensed him before I saw him. I drew in a sharp breath and stiffened, slowly turning on the spot to find the giant of a man behind me. “Is it okay to scrape it all into one bin?” I squeaked.

  His eyes raked over me with something akin to distaste, “Yeah, that’s fine.” He stalked closer, dropping his voice. “You know I don’t trust you, so let’s not play games. I had you checked out. Nothing came up… yet. So, I’m going to give you a chance for Gil’s sake, but so-help-me-God, if you hurt him, you will live to regret ever crossing my path.” He turned on his heel and stalked out of the kitchen.

  Anger radiated through my entire body. “Oh no you don’t, Eric Thorsen!” I chased after him. “You don’t get to speak to me that way and bail! You don’t think I put up with worse shit at my old job? I’m not talking about Lizzie’s. Lizzie’s was a cakewalk––”

  “Now, you listen here.” He got right up in my face, with murderous intent, causing me to pause. “Gil is my best friend. I’ve lost several in battle––but you wouldn’t know anything about that! I’ve known him since high school. You’ve known him, what? A fucking week or two! So back the fuck off.

  “I love him like a brother and my mother loved him like her own, God rest her soul. So, climb down off your high horse and put yourself in my place for a moment. What the hell would you think if your best friend just moved in with some––stripper––after just meeting them? I’m sorry if my preconceived notions about your unsavory past profession offends you. But seriously, look at it from my viewpoint.”

  I wasn’t going to give him an inch. I was too fucking stubborn and sick to death of men judging me and other women who chose to earn money from dancing. Balling my hands into fists at my side, I didn’t back down from him. “Do as many background checks as you want. You won’t find anything incriminating.”

  “Good! That still won’t make me trust you. Trust is earned by actions, not words. I won’t be trusting you anytime soon. But, as I already said, for Gil’s sake, I’m willing to give you a chance. Don’t fuck it up!”

  “I don’t intend to.” With that, I spun on my heel and went to join Gil on the balcony. I tried to ignore Gil’s frown.

  “What was that all about?”

  I rolled my eyes and turned to stare out at the darkness.

  “Leah?” Gil pushed.

  “Your friend has a heart of stone,” I grumbled after a moment.

  “What? No, he doesn’t.”

  “Oh, really?”

  Gil just watched me, patiently waiting for me to elaborate.

  I pulled my body back and forth against the railing as I attempted to keep myself calm. “He’s running a background check on me, Gil.”

  Gil sniggered. “God, of course he is.”

  I scowled up at Gil’s annoying smile. “It’s not funny!”

  “It is, actually. Bloody Captain America.” He laughed again, only serving to irritate me further.

  “Gil. I don’t like people delving into my personal life because that’s what is… my personal life!”

  The space between Gil’s eyebrows crinkled with concern. “Do you have something to hide?”

  “No. Not anymore, anyway. I don’t have to have two names now that I’m out of the profession. But it creeps me out.” I shuddered.

  Gil pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to my forehead. “He’s doing it because he cares about me, beautiful. He’s looked out for me my whole life because, quite frankly, sometimes I can be an idiot. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the most confident guy. Eric doesn’t know you yet, he doesn’t know how amazing you are. Give him time.” He trailed kisses down my face and ended on my lips for a few moments. “You trust me, so you can trust him.”

  I took a deep breath. I wasn’t used to trusting many people. In fact, I kept most of them at a distance. Even Dad. Uncle Joe was the exception to the rule, but he still didn’t know about my stripping. Gil was the only person I’d ever told everything to, so having someone strip away the layers like Eric was going to terrified me.

  Gil sensed my trepidation. He cupped my face in his hands and met my gaze. “Trust me,” he murmured before kissing me again. I melted into him.

  EZEE

  W

  hen I stepped out of the half bath off from the kitchen, I couldn’t help but overhear what Eric had said to Leah. I was mortified on her behalf but at the same time, I understood where Eric was coming from. I had no choice but to stay put, there was no other way out. I waited in the shadows until they’d both stalked off, going their separate ways. Eric had gone up to the second level when Leah stepped back outside with Gil.

  I waited a moment more and then made my way up the stairs to find Eric in his room with his back to me as he gazed out the big picture window facing the golf course. His hands were balled into fists.

  “Eric,” I whispered.

  He turned at the sound of my voice, a frown furrowed his brow. “Hey.” He tried to compose his features. “Everything alright?” he asked.

  “Sure, what about you?”

  “Great.” He shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

  “No, it’s not,” I said. “I heard what you said to Leah. I didn�
��t mean to eavesdrop, but I was in the half bath when you two were having a heated argument in the kitchen.”

  “You heard all that?” He had the decency to look embarrassed.

  “Look, it’s none of my business, but things are going to be awkward for the rest of the evening for everyone here considering the way you and Leah left things.”

  “You think I should apologize?” He unclenched his fists.

  “Are you asking my opinion or my advice?”

  “Both.” He went and sat on the large king-sized bed.

  “I get where you’re coming from, I really do. Gil is your best friend. But, he’s an adult. He has the right to make his own choices, right or wrong. It’s not up to you to decide if Leah is the right choice for him. How would you feel if Gil had looked into my past?”

  “If you’d said any one of my Ranger buddies, I wouldn’t bat an eye. That’s what we do. We have each other’s backs. I would fully expect them to do what I did for Gil. But, on the other hand, I get what you’re saying––at least, I’m trying to. I live in a different world than what the rest of you do. I deal with bad guys, serious bad guys on a regular basis.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll apologize.” He looked up at me, resigned.

  “Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it. It has to be sincere,” I said walking over to sit next to him.

  He let out a puff of air from his lungs as if he’d been holding his breath. “No, I’ll be sincere. I’ll go down right now and speak to them both.”

  “Eric,” I said, looking up at him, “thank you.” He leaned down and kissed me tenderly.

  Then he turned to go downstairs, his back ramrod straight.

  GIL

  I

  held Leah tight in my arms, her back to my chest and swayed gently with her. There was a slight breeze now and soft wisps of her hair tickled my face as I kissed her cheek. She was still freaking out, but at least she’d stopped shaking.

  I’d never known anyone as intensely private as her. She was in a constant battle with both sides of herself, the naughty, stripper and the sweet, smart chef and I loved both of them. I felt privileged to have seen both sides of her.

  I knew Eric would do what he said. He would absolutely have her checked out thoroughly. But if she had nothing more to hide than her two names, she didn’t have a thing to be concerned about. I believed her. The conviction in her green eyes was strong. I sung softly to her, a random Aussie tune she’d probably never heard before, but she relaxed even more.

  I heard footsteps behind us and glanced over my shoulder at Eric. “Hey, mate.”

  Leah went on instant alert, curling tight like a spring.

  “Hey.” Eric was subdued. “I owe you both an apology, but especially, you, Leah.”

  Leah braced herself and stepped out of my arms to face him.

  “I was out of line earlier… back in the kitchen.” He pinned her with his penetrating gaze. Eric had those intense, ice blue eyes—they were intimidating, and he knew it. Shit, he still intimidated me sometimes and he was my bro.

  “Leah, I am truly sorry for the way I acted and about the things I said to you in the kitchen.” He stepped closer to us out on the balcony. “Can you please find it in your heart to forgive me?” Now he was pouring on the charm.

  Leah’s large, round eyes latched onto mine and I nodded encouragingly. She took a small step forward. “Um… yeah, absolutely. And I’m sorry for… I dunno… not understanding you, I guess.” She chewed the corner of her lip.

  “I can be an overbearing asshole sometimes, just ask Gil.”

  I scratched behind my ear and mumbled, “Too right.” I couldn’t help the smartarsed grin from creeping onto my face. I glanced over at him, the grin growing bigger ever so slowly.

  “I’m asking you to try to understand that I would lay down my life for my country, for my family, and for my brothers in arms in a heartbeat. I consider Gil my family. I protect my family at all costs,” he said solemnly.

  Leah lifted her chin. “I hope that one day, I can earn my spot in your family. Because I truly love Gil with all my heart, and your girlfriend? Wow, she is something else. I feel I could honestly build a strong friendship with her if I’m given the chance… I’ll earn the chance.”

  “I’d said I’d give you a chance… twice, back in the kitchen––”

  “Eric, there you are.” EZee stepped out onto the balcony. “It’s getting late, babe. I have to get back to Nico, so I’m going to say goodnight.”

  “It was great meeting you, EZee.” My lady nodded politely at Eric’s lady. I could tell she wanted to hug EZee, but considering what she’d just said to Eric, she kept her distance. I guess she felt she needed to earn the right to a hug, too.

  “Leah, it was so nice chatting with you tonight.” EZee stepped forward to embrace Leah. “I do hope you will stop by the farm soon. I’ll introduce you to the Nichols across the street. Maybe we could have lunch together and you could bring another salad or a dessert next time.” She laughed, stepping back.

  I narrowed my eyes playfully. It was obvious the two women had a secret or something. “What have you two been scheming?”

  Leah elbowed me in the ribs. “Secret lady stuff. Right, EZee?”

  “Yes, nothing you boys need concern yourselves with.” She glanced at Eric. There was just the slightest squint to her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. “I really must be off. It was a wonderful meal, thanks for having me.” She hugged Eric.

  I quickly stifled a yawn. “Oh, jeez. Take me home, baby. I think I’m about to experience a food coma.” I stepped past Eric and slapped his shoulder. “Later, dickhead.”

  “Later, asshole.” He punched me back causing me to stagger a little.

  I looped my arm around Leah and we followed EZee and Eric out the door. Tonight hadn’t been too bad. I hoped the two people I cared about most in my life eventually sorted their shit out because as far as I was concerned, neither of them were going anywhere.

  ERIC

  SEVEN MONTHS LATER

  T

  he sun was setting later in the evening, a sure sign that spring was well underway. I watched Everett tend to the lavender and my heart swelled with pride. Her dark hair flowed down her back all the way to her waist. There was no hiding the fullness of her breasts or the roundness of her belly. Our baby was due at the end of June. I still couldn’t believe I was going to be a father. My premonition was coming to pass. There she was holding her belly just like in my vision that day driving back from Vegas, listening to her stereo as Florida Georgia Line’s H.O.L.Y played through the speakers. It had become our song.

  I’d had a vision of her in this very field doing this exact thing when the chorus played, You’re H.O.L.Y. I’m high on loving you. And just like in the song, EZee was my angel, my saving grace. She’d pulled me out of the dark place and brought the light back into my life. I’d made the decision to leave the Ranger Battalion but went into Army Reserves. It wasn’t easy. I still miss it. It had been the best job of my life, up to that point. I was still dealing with my PTSD. But, that was just it, I was dealing with it, not ignoring it. I had a long road ahead, but I had everything to fight for, everything to live for.

  We planned to marry this September, the anniversary of the day we met in Vegas, the day before Gil’s birthday. I’d asked her to marry me before we found out for sure that she was pregnant. I had a strong feeling we were going to have a son, with my hair and her eyes.

  Gil had asked me to be his best man. He and Leah had bought the farm across the street. They were still in the middle of the remodel, so Gil’s parents were staying with us––I refused to allow Kylie in my house so she was staying over at Gil’s in one of the unfinished rooms. She hated Gil and Leah’s dogs. Gil had gotten a blue heeler and Leah had a basset hound, just a puppy. They nipped at Kylie’s ankles whenever she walked by. And Nico! He despised her on sight.

  I had to give Leah credit. She’d tolerated Kylie and was even nice to her. We’
d had a rough start, but Leah and I were good now. True to her word, she’d earned my trust and I’d like to think she trusted me as well. I was beginning to warm up to her. She’d become EZee’s closest friend in the last few months. Those women were constantly scheming, cooking up their business plans––literally, they were constantly in the kitchen. Leah took a more restauranteur approach and EZee liked to follow her grandmother’s recipes, tweaking them with her own unique style. The cookbook was nearly done and already she had an offer from a local publishing house.

  Gil and Leah’s wedding was in a few days. They’d planned a rustic outdoor wedding right here on the farm. EZee was going to be the maid of honor. Poor thing had a hell of a time finding a dress to fit. She’d finally had one custom made after not being able to find a maternity dress in the color that Leah had chosen for the wedding. Leah had chosen a short lacy dress in a pale peach, complete with cowgirl boots. EZee was worried about her feet swelling in the boots so she’d gotten a half size bigger. She was more beautiful with each passing day and I’d tell her so, but she’d argue that she was big as a house and question how I could possibly find her attractive. I loved her more than life itself. I couldn’t keep my hands off her.

  “Babe, what are you daydreaming about now?” Her voice interrupted my thoughts.

  I scooped her up into my arms. “I’m daydreaming about what I always daydream about––ravishing my beautiful soon-to-be wife.” I bit her neck as she erupted into peals of laughter.

  “Oh, you!” She playfully slapped my shoulder.

  “You’re going to get it now! Just keep it up, you know I like it rough,” I teased.

  “BEAR! Bear, get back here right this instant!” Leah raced into the yard, hot on the heels of the blue-gray dog. She wagged a finger at us. “Stop him, he has my…” she hesitated.

  The damn dog had her bridal lingerie in its mouth. I was pretty sure that was a lace thong dangling from his fangs. “Bear!” I shouted, stopping the dog in his tracks. “Bad dog! Drop it!”