Night Maneuvers

by Jillian Burns

  He had no one here.

  Sure, Jackson had shown up. But he was here just as much for Alex. And Grady had to be here. He was Alex’s commander.

  The ceremony was hard to get through. At 1350 the thirty-some-odd guests were asked to be seated. At 1400 Lieutenant Colonel Grady approached the podium. “Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us today as we recognize two of our own, Captain Alexandria Hughes and Captain Mitchell McCabe, on the occasion of their promotion to major.

  “Captain McCabe and Captain Hughes are two of the finest officers of any squadron I’ve had the privilege to serve with. They approach both combat and instructing with the highest level of integrity and honor. Their commitment and dedication is truly inspiring.

  “And now, to officiate today’s ceremony, ladies and gentlemen, Commander Westland.”

  Colonel Westland entered the room and stopped in front of the row of flags. He made a brief speech about his pride in his elite team of air-combat instructors. Mitch quit listening. It felt like Westland was talking about someone else. Someone Mitch didn’t even know.

  Grady called attention to orders. “The president of the United States, acting upon the recommendation of the secretary of the air force, has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity and abilities of Captains Hughes and McCabe.”

  “In view of these special qualities, Captains Hughes and McCabe are promoted to the grade of Major, United States Air Force, by order of the secretary of the Air Force.”

  Colonel Westland stepped forward and pinned on their new ranks and then stepped to their side for photographs while the audience applauded. Then Westland asked him and Hughes to raise their right hands and administered the oath of office.

  After he and Hughes uttered, “So help me God,” Westland declared the ceremony concluded and invited everyone to stay for the reception following in the officers’ club.

  Mitch should’ve been over-the-moon thrilled. He should’ve been grinning and shaking his friends’ hands. Having them clap him on the back.

  He should’ve been hugging Alex. Kissing her. They should’ve been celebrating together.

  Instead, she’d turned away from him and walked out to greet her parents and Jackson and Jordan. Hugging them all. What the…? Neil-the-SEAL approached Hughes and her parents. Hugged her. Shook her dad’s hand.

  She should’ve been introducing him to them. Not the SEAL.

  But after last night? It was over.

  When he saw Jackson and Grady heading toward him, he knew he had to get out of here. He didn’t want to deal with them right now.

  He ducked out a side door and headed down a hallway. His walk turned into a jog as he raced down a corridor and found a door leading out.

  On the way there this afternoon, he’d had to take a cab to the bar where he’d left his Jeep last night. They’d just barely opened when he got there. The same bartender was there and handed him his keys from the safe in the back.

  Glad to have his own transportation, he strode around the corner outside the building, found his Jeep and jumped in. Keys in hand, he started the engine and tore out of the parking lot and off base.

  What he needed right now was anonymity. And he wouldn’t get that in his uniform. At his apartment, he changed into jeans and a dress shirt. As he hung his uniform jacket in the closet, he studied the new ribbon on the pocket.

  He was Major Mitch McCabe now. A corner of his mouth turned up at the alliteration. Today, he’d achieved a goal he’d had since joining the air force. He ran his fingers over the ribbon, searching for the joy, the pride, the sense of triumph. But he felt none of those things. The damn promotion didn’t mean a thing to him without… He swallowed, hung the jacket up, and got out of his apartment.

  Sitting on a stool at his favorite bar at the MGM Grand Hotel, the Centrifuge, he ordered a beer on tap and turned to scan the hotel’s patrons. The bar was mostly empty at three in the afternoon, but the casino itself was busy as always. He spotted a couple of prospects for companionship and observed them for a while, deciding on his next move.

  This was what Casanova McCabe did. What he was good at. He’d been happy before. Nobody messing with his psyche, making him think he needed them to be happy. He had to get his mojo back. Had to be that guy again.

  And he would. As soon as he made sure the two women were alone. Casanova McCabe didn’t poach. And he might as well finish this beer before he approached them. Besides, there was a game on the television above the bar.

  He nursed the beer, kept his eye on the women and watched the game. After his second beer, he realized he’d lost sight of the women. No big deal. Plenty of fish where they came from.

  He swung around on his stool and scouted the area, searching for a voluptuous blonde.

  “Target sighted?” Jackson said, coming up next to him.

  Mitch jumped and swiveled toward his friend. Grady stood behind Jackson, who was still in his suit and tie. Grady was still in his uniform. “What are you guys doing here?”

  Jackson grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “You didn’t give us a chance to congratulate you.”

  Grady nodded his way. “Major McCabe.”

  “What are you doing here, McCabe?” Jackson took the stool next to him, made eye contact with the bartender and ordered a beer. Grady ordered water. “Looking for a female to help you celebrate?”

  Mitch narrowed his eyes. “Abso-freakin’-lutely.”

  “So?” Jackson nudged him. “Do you have a target sighted?”

  Mitch shrugged. “Maybe.” Damn. His chest tightened, ready to explode. This was where it had all started. With Jackson seeing Jordan across the casino and deciding he was going to get her into his bed. If only they’d gone to the Bellagio that night. “I wish I’d never made that ridiculous bet with you, Jackson.”

  “Hey, that turned out to be the best thing I ever did.”

  “Best thing for me, too, Major,” Grady broke in. “If I hadn’t lost and you hadn’t suggested I get that massage, my life would be empty right now.”

  Mitch grunted. “You’re both still in the honeymoon stage.”

  Jackson glanced at Grady, and a look passed between them. Great. Here came the lecture about love being painful, but worth it. Well, they could take their lecture and—”

  “I thought you handled losing the bet pretty well, other than Hughes’s prank.” Jackson nudged Grady and winked. “Remember those women showing up on base? Hughes got you good arranging for all your exes to visit you.”

  “Maybe I handled it too well,” Mitch mumbled, and then grimaced. Why had he said that?

  Jackson frowned, scrutinizing him like he was a perp in an interrogation room. “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing.” Mitch took a sip of his beer.

  Grady and Jackson exchanged another look between them, which was getting irritating.

  Then Jackson grimaced and folded his arms across his chest. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, except that I’ve found it to be true with my wife, but you might feel better if you talk about it.”

  Mitch raised his brows. He couldn’t believe his friend the cop had said that, either. But what did it matter?

  “It means I wasn’t that miserable that first time. Things had become…routine. I tried getting back to normal when my thirty days were up, but it just wasn’t the same. I didn’t enjoy it anymore.”

  “And this last time?” Jackson prompted.

  Mitch remembered that first night after Jackson’s wedding. His smug confidence that this time it would be even easier. Then he’d seen Alex in that red dress and his world had shifted. Nothing was the same after that. Unwilling to discuss Alex and that entire situation, he just shrugged.

  “It was Hughes, wasn’t it?” Grady asked.

  Mitch studied the foam in his beer. “I liked her better when she wasn’t a woman.”

  Jackson frowned. “Wasn’t a woman?”

  “You know, before she changed. When she was one of
us.”

  Grady sputtered, “McCabe. She’s always been female.”

  “Well, ever since she started acting like one, she’s been messing with my head.”

  Jackson nodded. “A woman will do that to you.”

  Grady leaned his elbows on the bar. “Isn’t that the truth.”

  All three nodded, taking sips of their drinks, turning their attention to the game until the next commercial.

  Mitch turned to face his buddies. “So you guys know what I’m talking about. One minute she acts like she wants to crawl into my shorts, and the next she’s punching me in the gut.”

  Jackson nodded again. “Logic isn’t their strong suit.”

  “Logic?” Grady retorted. “Lily wouldn’t know logical if it bit her very fine ass.”

  Jackson grinned. “Jordan thinks me being logical is a bad habit she’d like me to lose.”

  Mitch chuckled. “Now that I think back on it, Hughes never has been real logical either.” Damn. He had a revelation. “She never was just one of the guys, was she?”

  “Hughes?” Grady sounded incredulous. “She’s like any other woman. Strong, independent and opinionated.”

  “And don’t forget compassionate, stubborn and sometimes unreasonable,” Jackson added.

  “By God, I wouldn’t have Lily any other way.” Grady stared into space, a wistful look in his eyes.

  “Same here with Jordan. If I wanted a bromance, I’d have married you, McCabe.” Jackson slapped him on the back.

  “You both forgot the most important female adjective.” Mitch narrowed his eyes at his beer. “Unfaithful.”

  Grady grunted. “Not Lily.”

  Jackson shrugged. “Hey, man, I get it. Your exscrewed you over. But she’s one woman. Doesn’t mean you should paint every female with the same brush.”

  His jaw set, Mitch faced Jackson. “It wasn’t just Luanne.”

  Jackson held his gaze, maybe waiting for Mitch to elaborate, but hell if he would air his dirty laundry to his buddies.

  “Okay, so you’ve been screwed more than once. Same thing happened to Jordan. Her dad abandoned her and her mom when she was a baby. Then some jerk lured her here and ran off with all their money. She no more believed I’d hang around than one of the FBI’s Most Wanted. What if she hadn’t decided to take a chance and trust me?”

  Mitch shook his head in disgust. “Don’t talked to me about trust, Jackson.” He stood, grabbing a twenty from his wallet and tossing it on the bar. “Yesterday I found Hughes kissing some other guy.” As he stalked off, Jackson called after him.

  From the corner of his eye, Mitch saw Grady catch Jackson and pull him back with a shake of his head.

  On his way to the parking garage, Mitch stepped outside the double glass doors and saw a tall, dark-haired man headed his way. Mitch did a double take as he recognized Neil-the-SEAL.

  Without stopping, he charged ahead and came nose to nose with the jerk. “What the hell were you doing at Alex’s yesterday?”

  The guy narrowed his eyes and his nostrils flared. “What are you, stalking me? How’d you find out where I was staying?”

  “I have my ways.” Yeah, it was called sheer luck. “Now answer my question.”

  “My intentions where Alexandria is concerned are far more honorable than yours, that’s for sure.”

  “Your intentions? What is this, Victorian England? How about we make this real simple.” He planted his hands on the guy’s chest and shoved. “Stay away from Alex.”

  Neil’s face contorted in rage as he grabbed Mitch by his shirt collars and shoved him up against the wall. “You have everything I want and you don’t even know it, you ignorant ass-wipe.” He dropped Mitch and stared at his hands. Mitch couldn’t believe they were trembling. So were his.

  Neil looked Mitch in the eye. “I came to town to see if she’d give us one more chance, but she told me flat-out no. That she loved you.” Neil sneered as his gaze traveled from Mitch’s shoes to his eyes again. “What she sees in you is beyond me. But she’s made her choice and I’m not it. All I have to say is you’d better treat her right or I’ll come back and— Let’s just say if you lose her, it’ll be your own stupid fault.” He turned and strode into the hotel before Mitch could form a reply.

  ALEX COULDN’T BELIEVE her parents were really here. After her horrendous day yesterday, she’d never needed them more, and here they were.

  She hated crying, but couldn’t seem to stop tearing up. Especially when she caught Mitch ducking out of the ceremony. Alone.

  “Here you go, sweetheart.” Her mother handed her a wad of travel-size tissues from her voluminous purse.

  “Thanks, Mom.” It’s a good thing she had the excuse of her promotion to use for her emotional state.

  Dad came back from the refreshment table carrying two cups of punch and a plate of hors d’oeuvres, offering a drink to her mom.

  Mom waved away the beverage and rummaged in her purse until she pulled out a camera. “Scoot closer to your dad, Alexandria.” Alex stepped close and put her arm around her dad. He swiped off his ten-gallon hat and hugged her with both arms. Dad smelled like he always had, Old Spice mixed with leather and hay.

  An avalanche of memories swamped her. Of working the ranch with Dad, following her brothers around, wanting to do everything they did. Hiding from her mom out in the barn. Dancing with her dad after the rodeos. Looking back on it now, her childhood seemed like a magical time.

  Until Mitch’s revelation the night before, she hadn’t thought about how lucky she was.

  “Say cheese,” her mom called out and snapped a couple of pictures.

  Grady and Lily and Jackson and Jordan approached and congratulated her. Alex introduced them to her parents, and her mom proceeded to take pictures of all of them together.

  “Y’all want to come to dinner with us tonight to celebrate?” Alex invited the Gradys and the Jacksons.

  “Thanks, Hughes, but we’re going to stay in and take it easy tonight,” Grady answered. The Jacksons also declined and were soon leaving the party.

  “Well, baby girl, you gonna show us that new house of yours?”

  Alex’s heart tripped at the childhood nickname her dad had used when she was young. He hadn’t called her that since her teen years when she’d obnoxiously told him not to. Now she was thrilled.

  As nervous and excited as she was to show off her first home, Alex still felt the absence of Mitch. This would’ve been such a special day for them. She would love to have him meet her parents. But she refused to dwell right now. There’d be plenty of time for that later.

  Her parents followed her in their rental car back to her home and she could see the pride and respect in her dad’s eyes as he took in her tidy yard and freshly painted front porch.

  Her mother, still snapping photos, walked through each room, scanning and nodding. Alex noticed how anxious she was for her mom’s approval. Had always yearned for her mom’s approval. Even as she’d been rebelling against everything her mother stood for.

  “The front draperies are nice, sweetheart.” Her mom finally spoke as Alex served them some iced tea. “Maybe I could sew you some café curtains for the kitchen and bathroom windows?”

  A warm glow filled Alex’s chest. “I’d really like that, Mom.”

  “Al, get me the measurements on those windows, would you dear?” her mom called to her dad.

  “Sure thing, doll.”

  As her dad found her yardstick and started taking measurements, Alex sat at the kitchen table with her mom and wrote down the numbers he called out. “Mom?”

  “Yes, honey?” Her mother sipped her sweet tea.

  “I’m sorry I never appreciated all you and Dad did for me.” She covered her mom’s hand and squeezed.

  “Aww, honey. You just had to go your own way. And mamas don’t like their babies going out into the big, bad world.” Marge covered Alex’s hand with her other one and squeezed back. “But you were always determined to see the world. And I’m proud
of what you’ve accomplished.” She shrugged. “So, you don’t make pies and sew, but my goodness, honey.” Her eyes widened. “You serve your country. And fly those big ol’ jets!”

  Alex laughed, stood and came around the table to hug her mom. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Alexandria.”

  “One of you want to stop the mushy stuff and write down these measurements?” her dad called from the hallway.

  Alex grinned and grabbed the paper and pen and went to help her dad.

  Mitch was right. She was lucky to have such a wonderful family, such a great childhood. Geez, she couldn’t imagine what his must have been like. That little blond-haired boy, sitting there while his mom… Alex shuddered. How many times had he gone to bed hungry? She wanted to travel back in time and grab up that child and feed him and protect him.

  But Mitch was a grown man now. And she couldn’t do anything more for him.

  “You all right, baby girl?” Her dad put his arm around her shoulder and brought her mind back to the present.

  “I’m good, Dad.” She smiled at her parents and they exchanged a look between them.

  “We could tell you were upset before the ceremony. And you kept glancing at Major McCabe,” her mom said.

  “Didn’t you write us about a good friend named McCabe? You two didn’t even speak to each other today. Y’all have a falling-out?” her dad asked.

  Alex tightened her jaw. She might as well tell them the truth. “I’m in love with him.”

  Her mom’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, honey.”

  “But it’s just not going to work out.”

  “Oh, dear.” Her mom stood and wrapped her in her arms. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

  Her dad patted her tentatively on the back. “It’ll be okay. What don’t kill us makes us stronger, right?”

  She tried to smile. “Right.”

  “Well, how about we go out to dinner at one of those fancy hotels on the strip and celebrate my daughter’s promotion in style,” he suggested.