“Hey, guys.” Smiling, Audra came to the table and stroked Edward’s shoulder. “Coffee’s ready whenever you want some, and there’s Dutch apple pie in the fridge. I’m going upstairs to sew for a while and see if I can finish the dress I’ve been working on for the past week.”
Dex’s thank you echoed Edward’s as Audra scampered up the townhouse’s carpeted stairs. Dex waited until she was out of earshot. “Does Audra know our Christmas leave has been put on hold?” The possibility of a mission in Costa Rica wasn’t exactly his dream of a perfect holiday vacation, especially now that he had a reason to want to go home.
“Nope. I figured there was no point saying anything unless I absolutely had to. She’s only had to deal with me being away for a few days of training exercises here and there, never a real deployment. It didn’t seem right to weigh her down with stress over something that might not happen.”
“Hopefully we find out something definite early in the week. I have reservations to fly home Friday and come back on New Year’s Day. I’d much rather spend those two weeks in New York than in some sweaty, bug-infested jungle on the back side of nowhere.” Dex moved his knight and captured one of Edward’s pawns.
“Nice move. Are you planning on seeing Aria when you go home?”
“Yup. I even talked to Greco and made sure he’d be okay with a bum like me seeing his daughter. Figured it would be advantageous to be in good graces with a man who sometimes covers my six with a loaded M4.”
Edward howled with laughter. “An accidental discharge of a firearm would wreck your day for sure.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Dex chuckled. A few minutes of laughter was good for the soul. “What do you say we take a break and have some of that pie and coffee?”
Chapter 13
Dex lifted his smartphone from his breast pocket just enough to glimpse the time, then let it drop back into place. Almost quitting time, and the most boring civilian instructor in the universe was still in the front of the classroom yammering about stuff nobody cared about.
Slouched over the desk next to Dexter, Edward sat with his cheek propped on a fisted hand, eyelids at half-mast.
Dex leaned toward him. “Eight hours of scheduled time management instruction, and this guy is only halfway through his material. How’s that for irony?”
“Is it still Monday?” The lieutenant lips curved in a wry smile, and his shoulder bounced with a silent laugh. “Shoot me.”
The door beside the whiteboard opened and Major Greco walked in.
Chairs scraped the floor and the unit started to rise.
“As you were.” Greco extended a hand to the instructor. “Thank you very much for being here with us today. I’m sure the men enjoyed the class and learned some valuable things about using their time wisely. I’ll take it from here.”
“Thank you, Major.” The portly man gathered his things in a sloppy pile, hugged them to his chest, and exited the room.
Greco brandished a cheeky, one-sided smile, pulled a manila file folder from under his arm, and slapped it on the desk. “Who would like a free trip to Costa Rica for the holidays?”
Uniform moans filled the room and Dex slumped back in his chair.
“Me neither.” Greco’s smile broadened. “Leave is reinstated.”
Dex sprang to his feet and knocked his chair over with the back of his knees. “Woo! Yeah, baby. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Whoops of joy reverberated against the walls. Across the room, palms smacked with high-fives, and smiles replaced the drowsy frowns men had worn for the past few hours.
Laughing, Greco patted the air and signaled for quiet. “Looks like we’re going to have a merry Christmas after all. If you can survive a few more days of classroom training, you’ll be home free. I’ll see what I can do about getting you out of here around midday Friday so you can hit the road a little earlier. That’s all for today, guys.”
Dexter hung back while the others filed past the front desk, shaking Greco’s hand and voicing quick words of thanks. He set his chair upright, walked to the front of the room, and gave Greco a firm handshake. “That was good news. Thanks, boss.” He set a course for the parking lot.
One problem down, one to go.
He turned on the smartphone ringer he’d silenced during class and checked for missed messages. Barton’s Property Management. Two missed calls and a voicemail. He toggled to listen.
“Hello, Sergeant. This is Millicent at Barton’s. Mr. Byron had to cancel tonight’s meeting, but I have some good news for you. Please give me a call when you get this message.”
Dex pressed the callback button. “Hello Millie, this is Sergeant Dexter returning your call.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Byron forgot that he had a previous engagement and said to extend his apologies. However, he stopped by earlier and signed your lease release papers. The house will have to be empty, clean, and the keys returned no later than January eighth. Is that date acceptable to you?”
“Absolutely. I’m curious as to why Mr. Byron was so agreeable to letting me off the hook. Especially since I was paying the rent on time every month.” Not to mention making small repairs without bothering him for nickel-and-dime reimbursements.
“I don’t think he’d mind if I told you. Seems he has a buyer for the house and stands to make a nice profit. The sooner he can close on the sale, the better.”
“Then it worked out perfectly for both of us. When can you start showing me some apartments?”
“Tomorrow evening? I’ve got several I think you’re really going to like.”
“Sounds good. I’ll swing by the office after work.”
* * * *
Zook and Stanley’s vehicles sat one behind the other on the left side of the driveway as Dex pulled in. He parked the Camaro under the carport next to Stanley’s car and went into the house.
On a stool at the kitchen bar, Stanley sat eating Chinese food straight from the carton with a pair of chopsticks. The unmistakable hiss of a beer bottle being popped open gave away Zook’s position by the fridge.
Dex pocketed his car keys and walked over to them. “Hey, guys. We need to talk.”
“About what?” With a long, hard pull, Zook downed half of his beer, then stifled a burp with puffed cheeks.
“The landlord let me out of the lease, and we’ve got to be out of here by January eighth.”
“No way!” Eyes narrowed, Stanley bolted upright from his stool and stabbed the chopsticks into his food container. “Where the heck am I supposed to go on such short notice?”
“Yeah, ditto for me.” Zook came around the kitchen bar and stood scowling just inches from Dexter. “We’ll be on leave the last two weeks of the month. How and when do you expect us to find somewhere to move?”
“Not my problem.” Echoing their words brought vindictive satisfaction Dex didn’t regret in the least. He turned and started toward his room. The barrage of expletives hurled at his back didn’t hurt a bit.
Dex sat in his easy chair, took off his boots, and relaxed. The front door slammed and the house became quiet. Knowing the guys, they were probably taking their whiny selves down to Shiners to spew their problems on anyone stupid or drunk enough to sit and listen. So be it.
* * * *
The ringtone jingling on Aria’s phone made her smile. She’d never get tired of hearing it. “Hello, Dex.”
“Hey, doll. Have a good day at the shop?”
“Sold two pianos. So, yeah, it was a good day.” At least for her uncle’s bottom line. Clinching the sales had required Herculean effort. “I think we may have even sold a couple of kazoos.”
Dex laughed. “I might have to buy one. You’d give me lessons, wouldn’t you?”
“Absolutely.” The idea was intriguing, though she doubted there’d be much music going on in the studio if they were alone.
“I just sent you a text. I’ll hold on while you read it.”
“Okay. Let me put you on speakerphone.” Aria switched to her text messages and mumbled aloud. “Travel itinerary for Jason Dexter…arrival, December sixteenth…departure, January first.” Aria couldn’t help but squeal. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You’re coming this Friday and staying until New Year’s Day? For real?”
“For real. I might want to spend a disproportional amount of time with my girlfriend when I get there. You wouldn’t have a problem with that, would you?”
“I’m so excited, I could scream.”
“I think you just did.” Dex laughed. “Think you could pick me up at the airport? It’d save me from having to rent a car.”
“Of course. I can hardly wait.” If she didn’t have to work, she’d spend every waking moment with him. “The shop will be busy the week before Christmas, but I can ask my uncle for some time off the following week.”
“That’d be great. My parents traditionally have a big dinner on Christmas Eve. Even though I don’t get along with my dad, my mom would be disappointed if I didn’t show up. I let her down last year, and I don’t want to hurt her again. Would you be free to go with me, or do you have family obligations that day?”
How wonderfully things were working out. “I would love to join you. We do our celebration dinner on Christmas Day, so there’s no conflict there. It’s an absolute madhouse with aunts and uncles, cousins and kids running all over the place. I think my grandparents may come too. Perhaps you’ve met my mother’s father, Colonel Jennings?”
“I’ve heard of him, but no, we’ve never met.”
“You’ll be my special guest, won’t you?”
“I’d be honored. I’ll call my mom right now and let her know we’re coming. While I’m at it, I’ll get in touch with Pop and tell him I’ll be home for the holidays. I’m sure he’s going to want to see you too.”
She had fond memories of the day she’d spent at Pop’s house—chicken cacciatore, the walk in the woods, cutting down and decorating the Christmas tree, and quiet time around the fire with Dex. It had been a perfect day all around.
“All right then. I’ll let you go so you can make your calls. I—” Love you nearly rolled off Aria’s tongue, a slip that could prove highly embarrassing. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”
“I wouldn’t miss our nightly date for anything. Bye, beautiful.”
“Goodbye.”
Aria fell backward onto her bed. Here she was, twenty-three, but acting like a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. Still, her heart should recognize real love when it presented itself, shouldn’t it? The squeezing in her chest every time she heard his voice had to mean something. Love? The scales were tipping to the yes side of that equation. One thing for certain, the intense desire that burned inside her was fueled by something far stronger than infatuation.
* * * *
“Love you too, Pop. I’ll see you sometime Friday night. Take care.” Dex ended the call to his grandfather and dialed his mother’s number.
“Hello, Jason. How are you, sweetheart?” Motherly love rang out in her simple greeting. “I was thinking about you earlier today and had planned on calling you tonight. Seems you beat me to it.”
“I’m good, Ma. You and Dad doing okay?”
“We’re fine. Your father’s busy as always with one case after another. I’ve been telling him for years that he needs to hire more attorneys for the firm, but the stubborn old goat never listens. I think I’ll serve hay for dinner tonight just to spite him.”
“Cover it with enough ranch dressing and he’d eat it, no questions asked.” The whole family marveled at Dad’s love for ranch.
“You’re probably right.” Mom shut her reserved laugh off with a sigh. “Will you be coming home for Christmas?”
“Yes, that’s what I was calling about. Are you still planning to have the family dinner on Christmas Eve?”
“Why, yes, of course. Please say you’re coming this year, Jason. It would mean so much to me and your father.” She was practically begging.
Dex doubted his attendance would mean anything to his father. If he could just get through it without their conversation bordering on a declaration of war, he’d consider the dinner a success. “Would you mind if I brought someone?”
“A girlfriend?” Nosey Mom reared her inquisitive head with the singsong question.
“Yes, a girlfriend.” He chuckled. “I’ll be spending Christmas Day with her family, and I invited her to do likewise for Christmas Eve with mine. I kind of figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t mind at all. She’s more than welcome. You didn’t mention a girlfriend last time you were here.”
“We haven’t been dating that long.” Mom didn’t need to know the particulars. It didn’t matter anyway. “But you’ll get to meet her soon enough. Annie and Mike planning to come?” He hadn’t seen his sister and brother for over a year.
“Yes, they’re coming. It’ll be nice to finally have all of my kids’ feet under the table at the same time again. I’ll have to remember to take lots of pictures.”
“I’ll remind you.” He’d love to get some pictures too. “What time do you want us to be there?”
“We’ll have dinner around seven. Why don’t you and your girlfriend come a little earlier so we can get acquainted? That would be nice.”
“It would. See you then. Bye, Mom. Love you.”
Eyes closed, Dexter kicked back and tossed a leg over the arm of the easy chair. He’d taken care of enough business for one day. A five-minute nap would do him good.
His phone rang, jarring him awake. Jessica Foreman. The name didn’t ring a bell, but he had to have known her at one time or another if caller ID pulled her name from his contact list. “Hello?”
“Hi, Dex. Remember me? Jessie Foreman? We met a couple of months ago at the party at Rhonda’s apartment.”
Ding. Hot chick. Her face, among other things, took shape in his recollection. “Yeah, I remember. What’s up?”
“Nothing. I was just sitting around, bored out of my mind, and thought maybe we could meet somewhere and have a few drinks together. See where the night takes us.” Smooth. Sultry. Enticing. The offer was anything but subtle. Her voice triggered primal sensations that begged to be fulfilled.
The type of night Jessica proposed could only lead him to a place he shouldn’t go. Not anymore. Why was he even entertaining the thought?
He rose and went to the window—his and Aria’s window—and stood in their moonlight. His promise to her was rock solid. He’d never renege on it. Not even for a tempting vixen like Jessie Foreman.
“I’m in a serious relationship, Jessie, so I’m going to pass on your invitation.” He needn’t explain himself further.
“Okay. If you change your mind, you’ve got my number. Bye.” Jessie hung up.
What did Aria see in a rogue like him, a recovering drunk whose moral compass had often steered him in the wrong direction? He would have to work hard to deserve her. Not only that. One way or another, he would prove to Greco that he was worthy of his daughter’s affections.
Chapter 14
“Now arriving at gate five, flight number…” The announcement echoed over the airport’s public address system with a staticky crackle that muted every couple of words.
Aria double-checked Dex’s itinerary on her smartphone and rushed to the guarded portal where passengers would exit. She stood aside with others who waited to see their friends and loved ones and popped to tiptoes to see over the heads of the oncoming masses. A glimpse of short blond hair, then a patch of camouflage fabric, flashed through the throng. Aria’s heart kicked into overdrive.
Sergeant Dexter broke from the stream of people and strode across the concourse toward Aria, his eyes sweeping the waiting crowd. With a double take, his gaze met
hers and locked on. His signature sexy smile thrilled her soul and warmed the pit of her stomach. She’d seen her share of military men, but never one who could fill an army combat uniform with such perfection.
“Welcome home.” Aria stepped toward Dex as he crossed the boundary to the unsecured side.
The backpack Dex had been carrying over one shoulder slid down his arm and hit the floor. He parted Aria’s unbuttoned coat, slid his arms around her waist, and pulled her close. Noses brushing, Dex whispered, “Hello, maestro,” then pressed a warm, lingering kiss on her lips.
Wrapped in the sergeant’s embrace, Aria’s surroundings faded and sounds became a distant hum. All that mattered was this man. Her man. Or was it absurd of her to think of him that way?
Inside her coat, Dex’s hands roved her back, kneading and pressing her close. His warm breath swirled around her ear as he placed gentle kisses on her jaw and neck. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.” He hugged her tighter and nuzzled her hair.
“Me too.”
Dex pulled back. His awesome blues scanned her face. “Have you had dinner?”
“No, I was hoping to have it with you.”
“Great. The half-ounce bag of peanuts and thimble of coke on the plane didn’t cut it. I’m starving. Let’s go eat.” He picked up his backpack, put his arm around her shoulder, and started toward the exit doors.
“Wait.” Aria stopped. “Don’t we have to go to baggage claim to get your things?”
“Nope. I’ve got everything I need at Pop’s. Makes it easy to travel light.”
* * * *
“Best chicken pot pie I ever had. Bet the cook uses milk in the dough for the crust. Am I right?” Dex leaned back and let the waiter take his empty plate.
“I believe he does. Would you like me to ask?” The aproned man cleared their table and stood smiling with dishes and bowls stacked in one arm.
“Nah, that won’t be necessary. But boy, that was good.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He turned toward Aria. “Would you care for some coffee and dessert?”
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