by Ana Jolene
A reluctant smile appeared. “That would be a jump for you,” he shot back.
Hutch made his way to her living room and plopped down on the couch. She made shooing motions with her hand. “Get off, can’t you see I’m doing something here?” She’d just started cleaning it when he arrived.
“Fine.” Pouting, Hutch moved to sit in another chair while she cleaned. For a moment, she was too consumed with tidying up that she failed to notice the mood he was in.
Turning to him, Sam finally asked, “What happened?”
Hutch let out a sigh. “My dad got on me for pissing Maison off.”
Wait, what? “You pissed her off? How’d you do that?”
After Hutch explained what happened, she laughed. “She was that upset because you missed one silly meeting?”
“Yeah, but I guess I should’ve expected that. Maison takes her job very seriously.” Well, that made the two of them. “I feel like I’ve really let her down.”
Sam frowned at Hutch’s sudden sadness. “Hutch, are you okay? You don’t normally get upset about stuff like this.”
“I went to her house to apologize but she wasn’t home.”
“Wait. You went to her house?”
Hutch glanced up at her. “Should I have not done that?”
“Well, I don’t know.” But that wasn’t like Hutch. He rarely chased women. He didn’t need to. “I don’t really know her, but even if your father was upset about it, I didn’t think you’d care that much.” Especially when it concerned a woman he wasn’t even interested in.
Unless . . .
Sam shook her head. No, Maison wasn’t even Hutch’s type. How could he have feelings for her?
But as she took in the way Hutch’s eyes darkened, she realized that maybe there was a possibility that he liked this chick.
Sam continued to study him from her seat. Once again Hutch was dressed in his favorite band T-shirt and jeans. She much preferred this casual look to his dressed-up one he had on yesterday. It suited him better, and if she was being honest, Sam didn’t think he belonged there at Gleam.
But she also understood that he was still in the process of adjusting to civilian life. Unfortunately, acclimating would be more difficult for him after what he’d been through.
Hutch rubbed a hand over his face, his frustration clear in the way his strong jaw tightened. “I’ve got to get my shit together,” he said as he stood up. “I don’t want her thinking I’m some useless bum. Everyone else thinks I am already.”
“I don’t think you’re a bum.”
Hutch grinned at her, but the usual spark of mischief was absent in his eyes. “Thanks, but your opinion doesn’t count.”
“Hey!” She threw a cushion at him and it hit him hard in the face.
“Ow!”
“That was your own fault. You should know not to disrespect me in my own house!”
This time Hutch’s smile was genuine. “You’re right. I’m sorry. So have you got any advice on how to fix this situation I’m in?”
Sam shook her head. “Sorry, but I hardly know the girl. You’re going to have to figure that out yourself.”
“Dammit.” The muscles in his arms bulged and he tightened his fist.
Drawn in by the sight, Sam couldn’t help but think that he’d lost some of his bulk since returning from service. Hutch was still big, but he’d definitely lost some definition. What else had he allowed to go soft since coming back? A thought occurred to her and she smiled. “You know what, I think I know of something that might help you.”
Hutch eyed her warily. “What is it?”
Her smile was both cocky and mischievous. “Come around tomorrow and I’ll show you.”
NINE
Early the next morning, Maison was surprised to see Hutch already at his desk when she arrived. Upon seeing her, he flashed her a grin that sent shivers through her entire body. “Good morning.”
“G-good morning,” she returned. “What are you doing here so early?”
“I’m not early. I’m just on time for once.”
“Oh.” She guessed he was right. But what did that mean? Was he still sorry for what happened yesterday?
She definitely was. She’d acted out of character. While she normally stumbled and stuttered her way through her conversations with Hutch, yesterday’s events had turned her into a raging bitch. She was surprised he was even talking to her. Today she was going to make the extra effort to be nice to him.
Feeling embarrassed, she quickly made her way to her desk and started to unload her bag. She’d just checked her to-do list in her planner when she made the mistake of glancing over at Hutch again.
His gaze was fixed intently on the computer screen. His jaw rested in the palm of one hand while his other moved on the mouse. Once again, he wore a dress shirt and the sight was enough to give her heart palpitations. Through the thin material, she could see his bulging biceps.
All her swooning came to an abrupt stop when she spotted Belinda, one of their colleagues, walking up to him. “Good morning,” she chirped, that ever-present grin in place.
Hutch tore his gaze from his screen to dazzle her with one of those panty-melting smiles. “Hey, Belinda, how’s it going?”
Ugh.
“Not good,” Belinda started.
“Why?”
“My car broke down last night so I don’t have a ride anymore.”
“Oh, that sucks.” Maison tuned herself out of the rest of their conversation. She really didn’t want to hear Hutch offering to give her a ride home. Because he would. He was a gentleman like that. And there was no doubt that Belinda would want an altogether different kind of ride from him after.
Flushing with anger, Maison turned back to her screen but her attention wasn’t on the words before her. She realized with annoyance that she wanted to know what Hutch would say.
A smile split her face when she realized that he wasn’t going to give Belinda a ride at all. He had simply told Belinda that he was sorry to hear about her car troubles and hoped that she got her car back sooner rather than later.
As Belinda left, looking suddenly sullen, Hutch caught her gaze. He winked at her before turning back to his work. God, when had she turned into such a terrible person? Was she actually happy that Hutch hadn’t made a move for Belinda?
Rissa’s earlier words came back to her. Do you like him?
The answer was very obvious now.
Yes, she did like him. She liked him enough that when other women came within five feet of him, she turned into a jealous maniac.
“Hey, Maison,” Hutch called out. “Could you come over here for a second? I just have a question about something . . .”
Maison quickly made her way towards him. “Sure. What’s the problem?”
Hutch pointed at the screen. “Tell me what you think of this. I moved things around a little bit. I hope you don’t mind.”
Maison took a quick glance over his work, surprised to see that he’d accomplished so much. “Wow. It looks really good.” So much better than what she could’ve done on her own.
“Really? So you don’t hate it?” He’d moved forward and the scent of his cologne hit her like a tidal wave.
Maison suddenly found it hard to concentrate. She was well aware of how close they stood and she wasn’t sure why but the heat coming off his body was akin to sitting by a fire; it warmed and comforted her.
“Maison?”
“Huh? Oh sorry. What were you saying?”
The corner of his lips tipped up. “Thinking about your date last night?”
“Date?” She frowned. What the hell was he talking about?
“Yeah. You left early yesterday. And you didn’t come home until late.”
Maison felt herself stiffen. How did he know that? She and Rissa had such a good time chatting that she’d lost track of time.
“Sorry,” Hutch said when he noticed her reaction. “I should say that I came by your house yesterday to apologize.”
“Uh huh.” He unleashed the full effect of his dark gaze on her. “I really am sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said quickly, breaking the contact. God, now her heart was really pumping. Why was she always so nervous around him?
Knowing herself, she’d probably start tripping over her words again and make a big fool out of herself. “So this is okay?” he asked again.
Maison nodded quickly. “It’s perfect. Keep up the good work.” And then she scuttled back to her desk to hide behind her computer screen.
Dammit, what the hell was wrong with her? She should’ve apologized to him as well. She couldn’t believe that he’d actually come by her house last night! It was probably best that she wasn’t home to receive him. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself then.
Maison picked up her pen and stared down at her to-do list in her planner. Dammit. Her hands were still shaking.
On a breath, she quickly added another task to her list.
Get your shit together.
Otherwise, she’d never stop falling over herself with Hutch around.
“So what’s this thing you wanted to show me?” Hutch sat beside Sam in her car after work, feeling a little claustrophobic in the small, cramped space. He had no idea why she kept this matchbox Honda around. Not only was it too small for anyone but Sam to ride in but it’d also seen better days. Unfortunately, Sam had grown attached to the thing, and no matter how many times it broke down and refuse to start, she still kept the piece of shit around.
“Relax. You’re going to like it, I promise.”
Yeah right. “The last time you said that, you took me to some kid’s bar mitzvah.”
As Sam laughed, Hutch shook his head. “So how was work today? Did you get to talk to Maison?”
He nodded. “It was way better than yesterday.” What a relief. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she’d continued to ignore him. But he still couldn’t help but believe that she was trying to avoid him. She had run back to her desk without even a word of departure. Had he said something to upset her again?
As Sam drove, Hutch took in the beautiful scenery. The sun was out and shining, which meant that inside the car it was boiling. He’d already rolled the windows down because the a/c in the car didn’t work and the warm breeze was making his hair fly all around his face.
His gaze found the horizon and the setting sun. At this hour, the sky was a gorgeous wash of yellow and orange hues and the colors reminded him so much of Maison’s hair. She had beautiful blonde locks that reached her shoulders. Oftentimes she’d curl her hair, giving herself that buxom babe look all the while looking effortless in the process.
As they turned at a bend in the road, Hutch caught a glimpse of the ocean. Beautiful blue extended as far as he could see. Again, the colors reminded him of Maison.
The ocean looked just like her eyes. Pretty, with darker bits of navy. Maison’s eyes were just as captivating as the waves.
Man, he missed her. And that was a ridiculous thought since he’d spent the majority of the day with her already. But they’d been working, only speaking when he had a question to ask.
Hutch was determined to get back on her good side again and not cause any more trouble for her. But that also meant he had to reel in his feelings and act professional. That was a huge hardship when what he really wanted wasn’t professional at all.
“Here we are,” Sam said suddenly, forcing him to return to the present.
When he saw what was in front of him, he balked. “What the hell? This is what you’ve been doing?”
“Yup. It keeps me sharp.”
Hutch was in awe. Why the hell hadn’t he thought of this? As he got out of the car and walked towards the shooting range, Hutch felt a bolt of adrenaline go through him. Man, he hadn’t felt that rush in a long time! Excitement bloomed in his chest. “Oh man, I can’t wait to try this.”
Sam beamed. “You’re going to love it.” How had she known that this was what he’d needed? He’d spent too much time trying to adjust himself to civilian life and conforming to other people’s standard of living that he’d never even thought about looking for something here that might get his blood pumping again. Although this wasn’t exactly typical for everyone, it was something he could do to get his adrenaline going again.
Hutch was surprised to find that the owners knew Sam by her first name. Apparently, she’d been here a lot because she knew every person in the establishment. Why hadn’t she shown this to him earlier? He’d have to ask her later. Within minutes, he was ready to begin thanks to Sam’s help.
This particular facility had two independent shooting bays. Both ranges were twenty-five meters in distance. The first range was a pistol caliber range, which accommodated any pistol caliber up to .500SW and the second was a rifle range, which accommodated any caliber up to .50BMG.
Excitement filled Hutch as he stood there, hearing the other people firing their guns at the targets. Was this what Sam did to keep sharp? Had she been coming here all these years while he’d been away? No wonder she’d been able to keep her skills after all these years. She’d been practicing.
Sudden worry consumed him. He hadn’t touched a firearm in months. What if he forgot everything? What if the accident had damaged something else he wasn’t aware of and he couldn’t shoot for shit either?
That was when Sam appeared beside him. She held two rifles in her arms and handed one to him with a grin. “So what do you think?”
“I think it’s amazing,” he said despite the anxiety running through him.
“Good. I thought you’d like it.”
He did. He really did. “Thanks for taking me here.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “All right, all right. No need to get all sappy on me.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her. “You ready to get your ass kicked?”
Hutch saw the glimmer of challenge in her eyes and felt his heart begin to race. “You’re the one that needs to watch it,” she shot back. “They don’t call me Annie Oakley around here for nothing.”
Hutch grinned. “Bring it on.”
TEN
Hutch hadn’t had that much fun in a really long time. It’d been nice to be able to talk some trash and joke around like he’d used to. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had such a good time with Sam. It actually reminded him a lot of their early days together.
Had he really been that out of the loop though? Sam had adjusted fine after having her heart broken. Not only did she have a new career that she enjoyed but she still managed to stay on top of her game by practicing at the gun range. He would’ve been impressed if he wasn’t so jealous.
Just like he expected, he’d been rusty. Although many would consider him an expert in what he did, Sam had totally killed him.
Guess I need to practice some more, he thought with a grin. At least now he had something to look forward to.
He was still smiling as he entered the Gleam offices the next morning, not at all surprised to see Maison already there. He could see that she had her planner out in front of her and she was in the process of pulling out stickers when he came to stand beside her. “Wow, busy week, huh?”
Maison glanced up at him, surprised to see him there. Had she been so caught up in her planning that she hadn’t seen him? For some reason, that brought a smile to his face. He liked that she was so focused on everything that she did. He only wished that she focused more of her attention on him.
No, wait. He was supposed to keep his distance from her! That was the only way to maintain a professional relationship.
Maison smiled at him and Hutch felt his heart skip a beat. Yeah, staying away from her was going to be a real challenge.
But just as quickly as that smile had appeared, Maison’s nervousness took over once again. “H-hey.” She glanced down at her spread.
Hutch could see that she’d made notes for herself everywhere, using stickers to denote t
he most important tasks and events. He pointed to a note she’d made further along the week. “What’s that?” he asked. She’d marked down that she had to pack. Was she planning on going somewhere? Take a vacation perhaps?
“Oh, that? I’m going to London with your father for a conference presentation.”
Hutch blinked. London? How come he hadn’t known about this earlier?
His confusion must’ve shown on his face because Maison said, “Sorry, have I not mention it before? We’ve had it scheduled for months.”
“No worries.” He hadn’t been working at Gleam for long. He still needed to make himself more acquainted with how things were around here. “So does that mean I’ll be having those days off?” he asked jokingly. If his dad and Maison were going to be out of town, there wouldn’t be much for him to do.
He watched as Maison frowned. “Oh, you’re right. I didn’t think to ask him about what we were going to do with you.”
Ouch. Had she really forgotten all about him? Hutch tried not to look so offended. Maison shot him another smile. Could it be that she was getting used to his presence? “I think I’ll ask him after he’s done with his first meeting.”
“Great. Thanks.”
He turned for his desk, his earlier bright mood dimming. What was he going to do if they were both gone? He’d still probably have to work and the thought was not as appealing without Maison around. But like she’d said, they had this planned months ahead. How could he expect them to change that just because he was now around?
He’d just have to do his best without them. It would be a good chance to prove that he was not only competent but also reliable to her and his father. And then maybe, Maison would actually have a good reason to notice him.
It was nearly lunchtime when Maison remembered that she needed to talk to Matthew. He’d been in meetings all morning, and although she’d promised Hutch she’d speak to his father about him after his first one, she’d lost track of time and had totally forgot to ask.
