Sighing, she shifted on her stool as a third glass of wine was set in front of her and Trisha, while Cammie nursed her ginger ale. The Christmas lights adorning the wooden beam overhead reflected off their glasses, giving them a cheerful glow, adding to the ambiance of the festively decorated, rustic wood building.
Instead of a long bar, this tasting room featured high, square tables scattered about where the tasters sat, lending to the more intimate and relaxed atmosphere as servers brought out the wines included in their admission price.
“Uh oh, Trisha. She’s doing it again,” Cammie said, swirling her drink while staring at Stacy.
Trisha turned to Stacy and grinned. “Ah, smiling.”
“It’s the wine. I’m a lightweight,” Stacy said, reaching for the new wine sample.
Stacy had only taken a sip of the other two wines, finding them way too dry and bitter.
“Normally, I’d buy into that explanation,” Cammie said. “Except, you’ve been wearing the same grin since I picked you up this morning.”
“Yeah.” Trisha nodded. “I suspect my brother has something to do with it.”
Stacy tried to stop her face from heating, but it warmed anyway. Since it was slightly weird to admit anything about Liam to his sister, she just shrugged and sipped her new wine sample. “Mmm…I like this one. It’s my favorite so far. Fruity.”
Definitely much better than the others.
“Before I forget,” Cammie said. “We all need to be at the Tavern tomorrow afternoon around four. Finn and Brett’s old high school buddy’s band is going to play, and Terry has some sort of surprise laid out for Rose.”
Stacy sat up and clasped her hands together in front of her. “Oh, that’s terrific. I’m so happy for her.”
The woman really did deserve the best. It wasn’t just Stacy she’d been kind to all these years. The entire staff loved her. Several of them had been there for more than a decade. Like Mrs. Laramie, the head of hospitality, who unfortunately was in Idaho tending to her sick father. But it wasn’t just her and Stacy, it was the whole staff who’d do anything for Rose. Actually, all of the Brennans, including the two women sitting with her. They were good people. A rare breed in Stacy’s life.
“Nice.” Trisha grinned. “I can’t wait to see what Terry has up his sleeve.”
Cammie grinned. “I know. Me, too.”
The women glanced at her. “Do you know what it is?”
She shook her head. “No. And I’m the activity director, but he didn’t run anything by me. Must be something he can manage himself.”
Terry knew she was the person to see when an activity or event needed planning, so everything must have been covered. She sipped her Riesling, confident whatever Terry had up his sleeve was more like a one-man thing.
“Okay.” Trisha shifted in her chair to turn toward her. “Let’s get back to Stacy and my brother and Stacy’s smiles.”
“Let’s not,” she mumbled into her glass.
Cammie chuckled. “Nice try, but we’ve both been in your boots before.”
Doubtful.
Neither woman seemed the type to sleep with an ex-boyfriend. Of course, she didn’t think she was the type, either. And yet, here she sat the morning after she’d had sex with her sexy ex, drinking wine with his sister and the wife of one of his SEAL buddies.
Okay, Cammie and Trisha were also her good friends, but the three degrees of separation didn’t go far.
Unlike the wine, which if she wasn’t careful, would go to her head. She took a few more small sips. Then another. The taste of apricots, pears, and peaches were refreshing.
“I get that you’re enjoying your wine,” Cammie said, a grin evident in her tone. “But I know you heard my ‘been in your boots’ comment.”
Stacy glanced down at her fake Ugg boots. “I don’t think we wear the same size.”
Trisha laughed. “I can see why my brother likes you.”
Again, not something Stacy wanted to respond to or think about, so she sipped her drink again instead.
“That’s the most wine I’ve seen you drink of one kind at any of the tastings we’ve gone to so far.” Trisha tipped her head and grinned. “Either you really do like it or the subject of my brother makes you nervous.”
Both.
“I really like it,” she said, holding up her empty glass. “I’d like another, please.”
“Me, too,” Trisha said before emptying her glass so she could make way for more.
After their glasses were topped off, Stacy enjoyed a few much smaller sips and the ensuing silence.
“So, back to your situation,” Cammie said, her warm, brown gaze fastened on Stacy.
She frowned. “What situation? The fact I’m getting tipsy on this sample wine?”
The woman smiled. “No, that’s just a perk. I’m talking about you sleeping with Liam.”
“What?” Trisha plastered a hand over her open mouth, then dropped it and blinked. “You’re sleeping with my brother?”
The server moved to top Trisha’s glass again and reeled back at the woman’s question, and a few splashes of wine hit the table.
“Come on, Trish,” Cammie said. “You suspected that, remember?”
The pretty redhead’s gaze brightened. “Yeah. You’re right. I did.”
By now, Stacy’s face was so hot from embarrassment it no doubt rivaled the color of the Merlot on the next table.
But that was as foolish as her hiding the fact she’d slept with Liam. So, what. She didn’t see what the big deal was about the sex thing. They were consenting adults.
And last night, they’d been very consenting. And a little wild.
She sipped her wine. They’d even made a pact.
Sort of.
Trisha set a hand on Stacy’s shoulder and squeezed. “What I’m trying to say, is you look good on my brother.”
Cammie snorted and Stacy nearly spit out the wine in her mouth.
“No. Wait…” Trisha released her and shook her head. “That didn’t come out right, either.”
Stacy laughed. “No. It didn’t.”
But the image those words conjured took Stacy right back to last night and the way Liam had held her hips as she straddled him and…
“Liam walks around with a darkness behind his eyes,” Trisha said, placing a hand on her shoulder, bringing her mind back to the conversation. “But when you’re around, my brother’s gaze lights up and that light pushes back the darkness. You’re good for him, Stacy,” Trisha said. “Whatever you’re doing, I hope you can keep it up. It’s amazing what a difference a reliable, stable person can make in your life.”
Her chest tightened and throat heated.
With the exception of her uncle, she hadn’t had many of those.
Stacy leaned forward and out from under Trisha’s touch as she set her glass down and tried to swallow past the unseen lump lodged in the middle of her throat. “I…we…aren’t really doing anything. Well, until last night, but that was just a one-time thing. One we both agreed on. So, whatever you’ve been seeing, it hasn’t been my doing.”
“But it has.” Cammie leaned forward. “Trisha’s right. Every time the two of you are in the same room, he lights up. You light up.” The woman sat back but her gaze never wavered. “It’s unintentional. I get that. Believe me. But it is fact. The two of you have this invisible pull that’s tangible. We can almost feel it. You take the grumpy out of him.”
“And for that I’m really grateful,” Trisha said. “I know you two have a past.”
It wasn’t a question, but Stacy nodded anyway.
Trisha’s gaze darkened. “Do you mind me asking when you met?”
Stacy shook her head. “Four years ago,” she replied, deciding that in helping her friend understand her brother better, than perhaps Stacy would too.
“Before or after the SEALs?” Trisha asked.
“Before.”
“Finn told us there’d been a bad mission that left two SEALs in Liam’s te
am dead,” Cammie said. “That was around four years ago. Was it before that?”
She nodded. “About a month. And it ended the day he returned from that mission.”
Both women frowned and asked, “Why?”
She frowned, too. “That’s what I’d like to know, although actually, I think I figured it out last night.”
Chapter Ten
“Oh?” Cammie lifted a brow. “Do tell.”
“The brotherhood code,” she said, reaching for her glass again.
More wine slid down her throat as she tried to create a buzz that she hoped would muddle her brain and stop it from thinking things, wishful things.
“The code?” Trisha cocked her head. “Do you have a brother who’s a SEAL?”
“Nope.” She stressed the P. “I don’t have a brother at all.”
“Then what does the code have to do with anything?” Trisha shook her head and sipped her wine.
Stacy lifted her chin. “Two weeks before your brother and I met, I’d gone to a Dodgers game with Shane, one of the guys on his SEAL team.”
“Damn.” Cammie blew out a breath. “That was it.”
“See? That’s what I don’t get,” Stacy muttered, setting her glass down hard enough for a little of the remaining wine to spill over the side. “There was no kissing or sex. Nothing. Just a fun night out. I never was or ever will be Shane’s girl.”
But she’d been Liam’s for an amazing four weeks, until that mission.
Trisha sucked in a breath. “Was Shane one of the fallen?”
“No.” She shook her head. “He and Liam and the rest of the team came back uninjured.”
Cammie sat back, twisting her glass, staring at the rim. “Doesn’t matter. They don’t mess with another brother’s girl.”
“Like I said, I wasn’t Shane’s girl.” She grunted, “Heck I wasn’t even supposed to go. My co-worker friend Sierra was his sister and she’d purchased the tickets as a birthday present for him but that day, she’d spiked a fever and begged me to go in her place. Why she wouldn’t let him just take one of his SEAL buddies was a mystery to me, but she’d insisted that I—”
Damn.
After all these years, Stacy finally got a clue.
“Yeah,” Cammie said as Trisha nodded. “Pretty sure it was a setup the whole time. She wanted to get you and her brother together.”
Stacy blew out a breath and shook her head. “Well, it didn’t work. There was no spark. But we did have one thing in common. We were both Dodgers fans. So, we enjoyed the game.”
Trisha reached for her glass and met Stacy’s gaze. “Did you tell my brother all this?”
“Yes,” Stacy replied, firmly. “Many times. Although I seriously doubt any of it ever sank in. Liam has it in his head that he brought bad karma to the team by messing with me.”
“Well, we know it’s not true, but I’ve been around a lot of SEALs and they take that code and karma seriously.” Cammie touched Stacy’s arm again. “It just means you need to hang in there a little longer. The guy’s stubborn, but he’s also stuck on you.”
Stuck on her…
Had a nice ring to it, but her brain was trying to tell her it didn’t matter.
So, she shrugged. “I doubt it. If that were true, he never would’ve left like he had.” She lifted her chin. “But we both agreed that was in the past.”
At least, she thought they had. Her mind wasn’t exactly clear at the moment. But she was definitely very relaxed.
“What was in the past?” Cammie asked.
She stared at her wine. “Us.”
Us was in the past. Not much she could do about it. She could have more wine, though, so she nodded to the server who’d just refilled Trisha’s glass for the third time. Or was it the fourth? Didn’t matter. The wine was good, so it should be okay.
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight, because I’ve had a lot of wine.” Trisha paused and inhaled through her nose. “Last night was just a fun trip down memory lane, then?”
Stacy blinked. “I don’t think we called it that, but we did agree to disagree about something. And agree to help each other with the resisting thing so we don’t end up in bed together again. Although…we actually didn’t make it to the bed.”
They’d made it to the couch.
Stacy giggled.
“Wait…” Trisha’s brows crashed together in her flushed forehead. “Why is it a bad thing to fall in bed?”
Holding up one finger, Stacy shook her head. “It’s not. Exactly. But it is a bad thing to get hurt.” She nodded. Yeah. “Getting hurt is bad.”
Trisha blinked. “True.”
Stacy sighed. “But I do like the bed part.”
“Yeah.” Trisha giggled. “That’s a great part.”
Cammie nodded. “I agree.”
“You know, Stace…” Trisha cocked her head. “My brother is leaving after the new year.”
Her stomach clenched, probably from too much wine. She’d always known Liam was leaving, and there was no us so, yeah, had to be the wine.
She nodded. “I know.”
Trisha enjoyed a few more sips then drew in a deep breath and blew it out as if in slow motion. “But that still leaves a few weeks of…you know…for the great part.”
“The falling into bed?” Or couch. She giggled.
Trisha nodded.
Stacy nodded, too. “I like that part with your brother.”
Cammie’s lips twitched but she remained silent. Probably because she wasn’t drunk and loose lipped like Trisha and her. And most likely Stacy was going to be sorry in the morning but right now, the warm fuzzy caterpillar feeling was amazing.
“That’s a good thing, right?” Trisha asked, blinking as if maybe Stacy wasn’t sitting still.
But she was still. It was the room that was doing weird, wavy things. “Yeah…what is?”
Damn, her brain wasn’t working again.
“Liking part of my brother,” Trisha replied.
Stacy frowned. “Which part?”
“All of him.” Trisha shrugged and leaned closer. “He’s a pretty big guy and go big or go home, right?”
“Right.” Stacy nodded again.
“Good.” Trisha grinned. “Then I think you should bed my brother and enjoy the new year after he leaves.”
Stacy blinked, wondering why Cammie was holding her stomach laughing.
“Don’t mind her.” Trisha waved at Cammie. “She’s just sober. So, what do you say? Are you going to bed my brother and enjoy the new year part?”
“Yes,” she replied. “As long as he leaves my chest alone…No.” She shook her head. “I like when he touches my chest. I meant my heart. As long as he leaves my heart alone.”
“Yeah, you still have a few beds before the new year leaves,” Trisha mumbled into her wine.
“Not sure that came out right, but I think I know what you’re trying to say.” Stacy set a hand on Trisha’s arm. “As long as I don’t take my heart to bed with your brother, the new year won’t get hurt.” She blinked. “Nope. That wasn’t right, either. I’m going to leave my heart out of the new year and take your brother to bed.”
She smiled. That was better.
“To the bed part,” Trisha said and lifted her glass.
Grinning, Cammie did the same with her ginger ale.
Stacy followed suit, clanging glasses before taking a hefty sip, because everyone knew hefty toast sips made sure the Toast gods didn’t skimp on whatever was being toasted.
“I’m gonna have another sip in case my brain didn’t get it right.” She lifted her nearly empty glass. “To the good bed part…stuff.” She emptied her glass and set it on the table, then covered it with her hand when the server moved close to refill it. “Nope. I’m done, thanks.” But when she moved her hand away, the glass somehow tipped over. “Shoot. I hope that wasn’t a sign that I angered the Toast gods.”
“I think maybe you’re tisspy,” Trisha said, struggling with that last word.
> Stacy giggled. “I am. I told you I’m a lightweight.”
She was a lightweight when it came to liquor.
A lightweight when it came to love.
And apparently, a lightweight when it came to resisting Liam’s kisses.
But that was okay because the bed part was good.
***
Yesterday, except for walking Trident, Liam hadn’t left his cabin. Last thing he needed was to bump into Stacy and put Operation Resist into action when he was ill prepared. He knew his limitations and yesterday, he’d definitely needed distance to regroup.
After the way she’d rocked his world Friday night?
Hell, he should probably be cautious for the next damn decade.
Once he’d seen her drive away yesterday morning, he’d known the cabin area and woods were safe, so that’s where he’d stayed.
Until Cammie had arrived late in afternoon with a drunk Stacy. Apparently, they’d gone wine tasting with his sister, who’d already been delivered safe and drunk to Brett.
He’d been returning from a walk with Trident when he’d seen Cammie struggling to get Stacy from the car to her cabin. The plan to keep his distance that day was put on hold so he could help. When he rushed over to give Cammie a hand, Stacy immediately tried to climb his body.
His lips twitched when he thought about drunk Stacy.
God, she was cute with her flushed face and overly bright eyes, telling him it was okay if they fall into bed because her chest was safe in the new year. He’d glanced over at Cammie who was unlocking the door, and she’d just smiled and shook her head. Stacy kept trying to tug him to his cabin, mumbling about good parts, so he picked her up and carried her into her cabin, well aware of her good parts, all warm and soft, pressed against him.
Her mouth was too, as she’d kissed his neck and sent his blood pressure straight to Mars. He had wasted no time depositing her on her bed, and when she’d tried to tug him down, he pulled out of her grasp and made for the door.
Stacy had been way too tempting, and he’d been way too hard and hadn’t wanted to take advantage of her way too drunken state.
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