by Cat Johnson
As miserably conflicted as he felt at the moment, Trey couldn’t help but laugh. Jack’s southern farmisms always managed to lighten the mood. It didn’t matter whether the two of them were on a mission or on a barstool.
Good old Jack. In spite of the fact he didn’t know her name or the color of her eyes, Jack really did like Carly. Or actually believed he did anyway.
Sure, Trey could be attracted to her as far as appreciating her good looks. He was a man after all. It was only natural for a guy to notice a cute woman who also supplied him with all the beer he could drink.
It was no wonder Jack thought he had the hots for her. Trey glanced at Jack and watched him watching Carly as she moved behind the bar serving customers.
“You didn’t answer me.” Jack broke his gaze away from Carly’s butt as she stood at the cash register and turned back to him. He must really be interested in what was bothering Trey to make that supreme sacrifice.
What the hell was he supposed to tell him? That he’d gotten semi-hard just from looking into the eyes of the woman his best friend wanted?
Trey shook his head. “Nothing’s up. It just gets to me when there’s no real action for a while. Training is one thing, but it’s been too quiet otherwise.”
He was good at lying. He’d been taught the fine art of deception well by Uncle Sam.
“Jeez, Trey. Don’t say things like that. You’ll curse us both and we’ll get called in for some big op that’ll take us away for months to some godforsaken place halfway around the world. Just when I’m making some progress with this one.” He tilted his head in Carly’s direction.
“You call that progress, do you?” Trey laughed.
“Hey, it’s the most I’ve gotten out of her in years. I’m one step closer to breaking down the fence to her corral. I can feel it.”
Trey smiled as Jack’s euphemism brought to mind farmers’ daughters and rolling in the hay. There was nothing like some good old farm imagery to put naughty thoughts into an already horny boy’s head. But thoughts of sex and farms would have to wait because just then both his and Jack’s cell phones went off simultaneously.
“Buckets of bull crap. You did this, you know, with all your talk about how quiet it was.” Jack gave him a very nasty look and threw a ten-dollar bill on the bar. “I should make you pay for this round since you’re the one who cursed us.”
Carly came to their side of the bar to clear away the bottles. “Leaving so soon, boys?” Her sweet sincerity didn’t sound all that sincere.
“Don’t you worry, darlin’—I mean Carly. I’ll be back.” Jack winked at her.
“I have no doubt.” Then she visibly dropped the sarcastic attitude and looked somber. “Home safe, guys.”
Trey knew she was well aware they weren’t heading home, but most likely out on an assignment.
There were guys she served who never made it home from their ops. He nodded an acknowledgment for her concern. “Thanks.”
On base, he and Jack strode into the meeting room and found the rest of the team already assembled. He was happy they’d only had time for one beer each, because judging by the look on the commander’s face something was up and it wasn’t good.
“Sit down.” The commander gestured to the two chairs still empty at the long table. He looked directly at Jack. “I’ve gotten a new SITREP. We’ve lost touch with Jimmy.”
At the news revealed in the latest situation report, Trey glanced at Jack as his own stomach sank. Jimmy Gordon was not just Jack’s older brother. He was his father figure, his hero and the reason he’d joined both the military and this team.
Jack shook his head with obvious disbelief or maybe just outright denial. “He’s deep undercover, sir. He can’t be phoning home everyday to ask what’s for supper.”
The commander nodded his head. “I know that, son. But we’ve picked up a lot of chatter on the lines lately. Things that make us believe he’s been compromised.”
“So we’re going in to get him. Right?”
Trey could hear the panic in Jack’s voice.
The commander shook his head. “No, Gordon. We’re not.”
Jack stood. “What do you mean no?”
Trey cringed. Jack was upset and coming very close to crossing the line into insubordination.
The commander stood firm. “Sit down, Gordon.”
Jack set his jaw and sat, but just barely, on the very edge of his seat.
When he was seated again, if not settled, the commander continued, “We’re going to give him some more time to make contact. In the meantime, I want the entire team on standby and ready to leave on an hour’s notice if needed. Got it?”
The group nodded, all except for Jack whose eyes were glazed over.
“Permission to be excused, sir.” When Jack spoke, Trey could hear the strain in his voice.
The commander nodded and Jack was out the door in a heartbeat.
CHAPTER 3
Carly took advantage of the slow night to get some much needed organizing and cleaning done around the bar and in the rear storeroom.
There was only one table currently occupied and they had a full pitcher of beer and eyes only for each other. She had a feeling they wouldn’t even finish their pitcher before one or the other couldn’t take it anymore and they rushed home, or at least out to the parking lot, to have sex.
She was used to women coming in just to hook up with guys from the base. Women made up close to half her business so she really shouldn’t complain.
Carly knew she shouldn’t judge either. If these women wanted to sleep with men they knew nothing about just because they were in the armed forces it was their choice. Just like it was her prerogative to choose not to date anyone who is, was or was even thinking about being in the military.
Too bad almost every man in her bar was military. That’s what she got for buying a bar directly next to a base. A daily buffet of off-limits and hotter-than-hell men who’d love you and leave you lonely in the end.
Glancing out the storeroom door so she could see the amorous couple, she tried not to think of how many of these guys might have girlfriends or wives waiting at home while their tongues were down other women’s throats.
Feeling a little bit sick to her stomach at the thought, she unloaded more of the case of cocktail olives onto the shelves when she heard a soft knock on the doorframe behind her.
Turning around, she saw who it was and smiled. “Hi. I’m surprised to see you back here so soon. After both of your phones went off at the same time I figured I wouldn’t see you guys for awhile.”
He laughed, but it sounded far from happy. “Yup. Me too.”
Putting the last of the glass jars on the shelf, Carly completed her task. She glanced at the status of her other customers past . . . What was his name again? She thought she’d heard him called Jack.
Jack. The joking, colorful southern sidekick to the quiet but observant Trey.
Carly pushed aside the image of Trey and his golden brown eyes a girl could get lost in and brown wavy hair just made for running your fingers through. That man was too tempting.
Dark and brooding was exactly her type or had been once. Before her ex.
The man before her now was too damn cute himself as well as far too persistent in his attentions toward her. Southern gentlemen and their trademark drawl always had gotten to her, ever since she’d first watched Gone with the Wind with her grandmother as a kid.
You didn’t get much more southern than Jack, and he was pretty much the exact opposite of her ex which was tempting in itself.
She shook the thought from her brain. Nope. No more military men. In fact, recently there’d been no men at all. It was safer that way.
Carly had a customer to serve, if she could wrestle her mind off the topic of her pitiful love life, or lack thereof. “I’m assuming you’re here for a drink.”
He shook his head. “No rush. I can wait until you’ve finished what you’re doing.”
A whole conversatio
n without even one darlin’. That was strange.
“It’s okay. I’m done.” Leaving the now-empty cardboard box in the storeroom, she led the way to the bar with Jack following behind.
When he didn’t immediately come out with some colorful comment or start flirting with her, she took a closer look. There was definitely something wrong. He was alone too, which he never was.
Could she ask where Trey was without it looking like she was overly interested? Which she definitely was not.
The suspense of wondering what was up with Jack and why Trey wasn’t with him was killing her. The only reason her unsatisfied curiosity didn’t actually kill her was because she caved and gave in to it. “You all alone tonight?”
Dammit. So much for self-restraint.
Carly could have kicked herself. She shouldn’t care what was up with them because she definitely was not interested in any man in the military. So why did she care where Trey was or what was wrong with Jack?
“Yup. All alone.” Jack drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly.
“Beer?” She turned toward the beer cooler.
Jack stopped her as he said, “No beer tonight, darlin’. Bourbon. Double, straight up and keep ’em coming.”
Raising a brow, she poured a long double shot into a glass and then slid a basket full of pretzels in front of him. It wasn’t much, but at least it was something to soak up the alcohol.
The problem was he made no move to touch the food. Instead, he downed the drink in one swallow and pushed the glass toward her. She refilled it.
This was going to be bad. She could see that already. Something was very wrong. Wondering what the hell had happened, she couldn’t help but move on to consider once again where Trey might be and why he wasn’t here.
Every scenario she came up with wasn’t good.
If Jack, Trey and their friends were special ops, as she suspected from various clues she’d picked up from being around them for years, Trey could be dead and she’d never know for sure. He’d just disappear one day, after which his buddies would probably get drunk for a single night of silent grieving.
When Jack downed the second as quickly as the first and pushed the glass in her direction again, she feared for the worst.
She covered his hand with hers. “You might want to slow down a little bit.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Don’t worry, baby cakes. My daddy was a drunk. It’s in my blood. Thanks for worrying though.” He pushed the glass closer to her and tapped it again.
Refilling it, she drew in a deep breath, beginning to get really concerned. This was another reason to not date military men—their tendency to get shot at and blown up.
They’d only left her place an hour ago. How could something possibly have happened to Trey in that short a time and so close to base? It had to be something else.
Meanwhile, she had more pressing problems than imagining what had befallen Trey. Jack was downing bourbon faster than she could pour it. She’d better think of something fast or she’d have one messy drunk on her hands, no matter what he said about being able to handle his liquor.
“Um, I have something I have to do in the storeroom. I’ll be right back.” If she disappeared for a bit and wasn’t there to refill his glass, he’d have to stop drinking.
“That’s fine, darlin’. Just leave the bottle.”
“Um, I can’t. Sorry. State liquor law.” She was making things up now, but it sounded good.
He smiled. “You’re just trying to slow me down. I’m trained to know what people are thinking, but if I don’t get drunk here I’ll just get drunk somewhere else. I can tell you I’d rather do it here with you than with some stranger.”
She sighed, her heart breaking for him. In spite of the constant flirting, he was a nice guy and he was obviously in pain.
Reaching out, she squeezed his hand. “Then do it for me, Jack. Slow down just a little bit.”
He looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time. Not at her boobs, not at her ass, but at her. Then his crooked smile appeared again. “You know my name.”
“Yes.” She nodded, happy she’d gotten it right.
“Huh. And I never bothered to learn yours. No wonder you don’t want to go out with me. I don’t blame you one bit.” He downed the third shot in one gulp.
Great. Now no matter what had been wrong with him when he’d first gotten here, his current problem was with her, compounded by the self-pity that alcohol enhanced so well.
She’d have to wait for him to go to the men’s room and then water down the bottle. Carly knew for a fact that was against the law, but she was running out of options. She could cut him off, but she knew he would make good on his promise to go somewhere else and probably end up in a gutter or in jail. Neither option was a good one.
Watering down the bourbon was probably her best course of action. He was far enough gone he wouldn’t notice, but since he wasn’t drinking beer it might be a long while until he needed the men’s room.
Jack pushed his glass toward her one more time. Carly sighed and then got an idea. “How about a proposition?”
He raised a brow and then laughed. “I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I’m not really in the mood for a proposition tonight, darlin’.”
Sadly, she returned his smile. “I can see that, Jack. It’s not that kind of proposition.”
“Good, because I would really kick myself in the morning if it were and I said no.”
At least he was talking to her. Talking was good. Less time for drinking.
“The deal is a truth for a drink. So for this next shot you have to tell me what’s got you in such a mood tonight you wouldn’t even accept a proposition from me.” She held the bottle in the air as bait.
“No can do, darlin’. You’ve been slinging beer behind this bar long enough to know everything is top secret ’round here, right down to what time the general takes a dump in the morning. Excuse my coarseness.”
She’d heard way worse than dump while working behind the bar, but at least now she knew it was something to do with his unit. If it were woman trouble or even a fight with Trey, it wouldn’t be top secret and he’d tell her.
He nudged the glass a bit with one finger. She filled it and he downed it. At this rate, he’d be passed out long before closing.
The couple in the booth finally made their move and groped their way out the door without even a backward glance. That afforded Carly an excuse to put the bottle safely away under the bar and go clean off their table. It would buy her a few minutes at least.
To her surprise, Jack followed and sprawled out on the recently vacated and still-warm booth bench.
“Thought I’d check things out over here for a bit.” He leaned his head against the red vinyl. “Mmm. Comfy.”
Poor guy.
At least he was away from his glass and the bottle. She grabbed the pitcher and dirty glasses and brought them to the kitchen to be washed later.
When she returned, she got a rag from behind the bar. As quietly as she could, she wiped down the table, hoping Jack would sleep off both the bad mood and the liquor.
“You don’t have to creep around, darlin’. I’m not sleeping.”
So much for her plan.
Leaving the rag on the table, she sat next to him in the booth, thinking how bartending and babysitting were very much alike at times.
She didn’t move when he let his head drop onto her shoulder. “Maybe you should get some sleep, Jack.”
He rolled his head toward her. “I know you ever going out with me is about as likely as a bull giving birth, but I want you to know I appreciate you pretending to like me tonight.”
“I’m not pretending. You’re a good guy, Jack. What’s not to like?”
“Hmm. I’ll have to consider that when I’m a little more sober, but you being nice tonight means a lot. I’m really sorry I didn’t know what color your eyes are.”
“That’s all right. I don’t know wh
at color yours are either.”
He let out a bark of a laugh. “Then I guess we’re even.”
“I guess we are.” She smiled.
“Carly.” Jack sounded sleepier and more southern with every sentence.
“Yes, Jack.” She figured he had maybe five minutes left before he was out like a light.
He slid lower and laid his head in her lap. “I really do like you.”
She looked down at him. “I like you too. That’s not the issue. I don’t date guys in the military.”
“What if I weren’t in the military?” His lids drifted closed.
“But you are.” Lightly, she stroked his sandy-colored hair. It felt softer than she expected against her fingertips.
“Yeah, I am, but maybe just for tonight you could pretend I’m not.” He opened his eyes, which she noted were hazel and glassy with unshed tears.
She had a feeling the tears weren’t over her, but caused by whatever had brought him here so upset in the first place. Because of that, she nodded. “All right, Jack. Just for tonight.”
Reaching up, he pulled her head down to his. He gave her the sweetest, gentlest kiss she’d ever been given by any man. Suddenly, she felt more than pity for him.
He cupped her face, ran his thumb over her lower lip and smiled. “That was nice.”
Carly swallowed hard. “Yeah, it was.”
“Have one dinner with me. In a public place. Nothing more. That’s all I’m asking. What d’ya say, darlin’?” His sad eyes showed a glimmer of hope.
Her heart twisted for him. “I’ll think about it.”
“A maybe is better than a no so I’ll take it. Thank you.” A small smile curved his lips and his hand captured hers.
He brought her fingers to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to them before his eyelids drifted shut again. “I’m just gonna close my eyes and rest for a sec.”
“That’s fine, Jack. You go ahead.”
Almost instantly his breathing became deep and regular. Carly glanced down, helpless. A two-hundred-pound drunk and sleeping man had her pinned in the booth.
Even though it had been a really, really long time since a man had had her pinned anywhere, she’d need to get up eventually, especially if customers came in. Not to mention she had to get Jack home somehow and she didn’t even know where he lived.
