by Regan Black
“You’re right. That call about crashing helicopters was so much better.”
“Stop,” Kevin snapped. “I’m alive.”
“A fact that usually makes me happy,” Derek replied, his tone dry, as if being alone in the world didn’t terrify him. “Get to the point. Why don’t you talk about this stuff with me?”
“Because I love you,” Kevin replied. “My unit helps me with the worst of it. Besides, you lost enough sleep over me when I was a kid.”
Derek had to clear the emotion out of his throat. “Have you heard anything on Major Bartles?”
“They got him stabilized. He’s in the burn unit, sedated. I heard he was right on top of the blast.”
“Grace Ann found him there,” Derek confirmed. “She almost lost it when she recognized him.”
“I bet. From the update this morning, I got the impression he wouldn’t have lived without her help at the scene. Remind her of that.”
“I will,” Derek promised.
“Listen,” Kevin said. “Do what you can to keep Grace Ann away from the spotlight until this media storm blows over.”
Derek nearly laughed. Who could keep Grace Ann from doing whatever she pleased? “Should I find floppy hats and sunglasses to disguise both of us?”
“Not a bad plan, actually.”
“Be serious.”
“I am,” Kevin insisted. “Trust me on this, the last thing she needs on top of the suspension is to be in the spotlight, good or bad.”
“All right,” Derek assured him. He considered the performance Grace Ann had given for the bugs in her house and the nightmare he’d helped with earlier. “The office was prepared for me to keep working remotely. We’ll stop in and see you later.”
“No.” Kevin groaned. “Aren’t you listening? Take her out for a hike or something. Somewhere with no cell service.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Derek hedged. He really should explain that he and Grace Ann were more than acquaintances.
“It’s a great idea,” Kevin gushed. “You’re both into that stuff. She went rafting or something a couple weeks back and came back happier than I’d seen her in ages.”
Six weeks ago, Derek mentally corrected his brother. “Really?”
“Yes. Our last deployment wasn’t a cakewalk. It was great to finally see her more like her normal self.”
Derek glanced over his shoulder toward the bedroom. “I guess if I can’t do anything for you right now, I might as well help out your friend.”
“She’s the best, man. And she really needs a friend who isn’t in the military.”
The comment caught Derek’s attention. “Care to elaborate on that?”
“Her whole family is in one branch or another. It’s a lot to live up to. Just keep her out of here. The investigator working her suspension set an appointment to interview me this afternoon.”
“What time?”
“Stay out of it, Derek. She needs you more than I do.”
“Fine.” Derek made a mental note to speak with Hank. “Remember you have rights, even as a witness.”
Kevin snorted. “Whoever put this in motion has no idea what they started. Grace Ann is the best of us. I won’t let anyone twist up my statement. Besides, I’m fairly sure no one believes they can railroad a Riley.”
“Call if you change your mind.”
“I won’t,” Kevin promised.
“If anything—”
“I know how to reach you,” Kevin interrupted. “Be careful.”
“All right.” He ended the call and just soaked up the sunshine pouring over the balcony. Maybe he should take Grace Ann out of reach of cell phones before anything else went wrong.
“You weren’t kidding about letting me sleep.”
Turning at the sound of her voice, he leaned back against the rail, hoping she’d walk out to join him. Her hair mussed from his hands as much as from sleep and her cheeks rosy, she looked positively delectable wrapped in the fluffy hotel robe. “You needed the rest.”
“Uh-huh.” She seemed almost shy as she stood there in the balcony doorway.
“I ordered breakfast. It’s gone cold by now.”
“Bacon?” Her eyes lit up when he nodded. “Cold bacon is still bacon.”
He laughed. “True.”
She abandoned him without so much as a good-morning kiss for the food set out on the table. “There is a microwave.”
“I forgot,” she said, taking a big bite of bacon.
He removed the covers from the platter and she put seasoned potatoes and more bacon on a plate and heated it up, then added some of the scrambled eggs before giving it a second zap.
“We could order something fresh,” he suggested.
“Too hungry to wait.” A blush tinted her skin, rising from her collarbones to the tips of her ears.
He poured lukewarm coffee into a mug and heated that in the microwave for her as well. He offered her the pitcher of cream he’d tucked in the mini fridge. So far she hadn’t noticed the story playing silently on the television. “Feeling better?”
“A little.” She downed another slice of bacon. “More than a little,” she amended. “Thank you for keeping watch.”
“Anytime.” He managed to get the television turned off before she noticed the story. “I just got off the phone with Kevin,” he said. “Sounds like he’s doing great.”
“And H.B.?”
“Kevin says he’s stable.” That was all Derek wanted to share right now. Rest was a good start, but food without any added stress would help more. “He suggested I take you away for a nature retreat. He tells me you like outdoor getaways.”
She looked up at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners with suppressed laughter. “And you said?”
“I told him I’d think about it.” She laughed, the bright sound as welcome as the sunshine. She looked as happy here as she’d been on their last trip. Happier, maybe. “You should sleep long hours more often,” he teased.
“Not usually part of the job description.” She poked at another bite of her breakfast. “I had a nightmare last night, didn’t I?”
“You got through it,” he said. “And rested well after.”
“Guess so.” She sipped her coffee. “Thanks.”
“I’m glad I was here for you.” Would she try to push him away again, or was she ready to give dating a try?
As if she’d read his mind, she said, “My job is bound to get in the way.”
“It doesn’t have to.” He counted it a positive step forward that she’d brought it up. He poured himself another cup of coffee, currently the best fortification available. “Are you ready to be viewed as a couple?” he asked.
“We were dressed up and together at dinner last night,” she replied. “We were together at the hospital. I think the cat’s out of the bag.”
Definitely. “Kevin said our faces are all over the news this morning. We’re being touted as heroes.”
She set her coffee aside. “Cell phones and street cams, too.”
“Yes.” Distress pinched her features. He wished he could snap his fingers and make it all go away. “There are pictures and videos from bystanders and reporters. I think denying we know each other would be a hard sell.”
“Of course we know each other.” She put the cover over her plate and traced the stitching on the belt of the robe with her fingers. “You’ve met everyone in the unit by now.”
“Meeting them is different than going on a date. And I haven’t handed over my tie, jacket and belt on the command of everyone in the unit.”
“That’s just who you are,” she said. “You step up.”
Her words surprised him. He didn’t think he was really the person she believed he was. Yes, he’d stepped up when his brother needed him. That was different. Personal. He and Kevin were the only f
amily left to each other.
If he’d been alone on that corner last night, he wouldn’t have done anything to earn the hero label. “Last night was all you,” he said. “I was just a bystander who happened to be wearing the right clothing when you needed it.”
She tilted her face up, her lips pursed in a tempting rosebud as she studied him. “I disagree.”
“I can’t change your mind.” Uncomfortable with the topic, he returned to the real issue. “Kevin pretty much ordered me to keep you out of the public eye for a few days.”
“That’s probably best,” she said after a moment. “I’m surprised Bingham hasn’t called to remind me not to give a statement or comment.”
“We turned off your phone,” he said. “But I’m sure she trusts you to remember that on your own.” Determined to clear all doubt, he added, “Crisis or not, I have no problem being viewed as your boyfriend or, ah, whatever you’d like to call it.”
Her lips twitched. “‘Boyfriend’ is okay, but you take umbrage at being called a hero?”
“Yes.” He sat down in the chair next to hers, wishing he didn’t have to give her this news as well. “Kevin also told me an investigator is taking his statement this afternoon about the school explosion.”
She stared up at the ceiling and sighed. “You should be there for him.”
“He can handle it,” Derek replied. “In fact, he told me flat-out not to show up.”
She stood up and pressed a hand to her belly, her face pale.
“Grace Ann?” Damn it, she was pushing him away again. “Talk to me.”
“I’m fine.” Lips clamped together, she shook her head. “I just need a minute. Let me get a shower and talk with Hank. He and I will take it from there.”
He didn’t care for the finality in her tone. “I beg your pardon?”
“This is an army issue,” she snapped. “If Hank says I should go home and lock the doors, I’ll do it.” She pushed a hand through her hair. “If he tells me to go stay with Mom and Dad or sit for a lie detector or whatever, I’ll do that.”
She’d promptly shut him out, taking him out of any equation. He agreed Hank would know how best to proceed on the investigation, but he wasn’t ready to let Grace Ann walk out of his life.
Derek tamped down his irritation as she hurried to the bathroom. Clearly, she still believed her career, or rather his unfavorable reaction to it, was a wall they couldn’t break down. If only he could go back and change his selfish, fear-based grumbling over Kevin’s decision to join the army.
He thought of her nightmares and how well she’d slept beside him after he held her. Some part of her knew that she needed him, too. He could build on that, even if she wasn’t ready to talk about it. He had no desire to quell her independence. He’d find a way to show her that being together made them both stronger.
He supposed, like any legal case or construction project, it began with patience. And a smart plan.
Chapter 10
In the luxurious hotel bathroom, Grace Ann turned on the shower and skimmed the headlines on her phone. Oh, man. Derek hadn’t been exaggerating. The two of them led the photo and video footage in nearly every account of the incident. Her stomach did a twist and roll when she saw a picture of her sobbing on his shoulder. She scrolled away quickly, breathing through her nose, refusing to give in to the lingering nerves.
She had to be objective. It was a positive that she hadn’t collapsed in a helpless, useless heap on the sidewalk. She’d taken action putting her expertise and training to good use, helping victims and making triage easier for the first responders. That was something to be proud of.
On the flip side, she had definitely caved under the emotional pressure. That scene had tossed her back into the nightmare and forced her to face the ghosts from Afghanistan.
She couldn’t decide if crying on Derek’s shoulder had been a better or worse coping mechanism than sex in a lavish hotel suite. At least the second option hadn’t been captured on camera.
Yes, she still struggled after that bombing at the village school. Who wouldn’t? But she was getting better. Last night had been a tragedy reminiscent of that dreadful afternoon on the other side of the world and she’d handled herself. Her immediate, professional response last night, now playing across national television, should erase any doubt about her current state of mind.
Dressed again in her clothes from last night, she used her phone to check her email. She had messages from Hank, the JAG office and her mother, in addition to various reporters and media outlets. She swiped the screen to check her voice mails and missed calls. Seeing the latest call from Hank was around eight this morning, she listened to that one first.
“Call me,” Hank said. “On second thought, don’t.” He sounded weary and frazzled. “I’ll run down a few things and then Derek and I can make a new plan.”
Plan for what? She bristled at the idea that Hank would leave her out of any discussion regarding her safety or the investigation.
Walking back into the main room of the suite, she followed Derek’s voice to the balcony. He raised a hand, stopping her before she could step outside.
“All right, we’ll meet you there.” His thinking face was in full force when he came inside and closed the sliding door behind him. “We have orders to report to your parents’ beach house,” he said.
“That was Hank?”
He nodded. “He has new information about the man who attacked you in the stairwell as well as the man who set off the explosion last night. He’s absolutely sure now that both incidents are connected to the Riley Hunter.”
“Hank needs to ditch that moniker,” she muttered. “Does that mean the sting worked?”
“Sort of. Hank is pretty sure someone else bugged your house, but it sounds like he has a man in custody willing to give up the ringleader.”
She sat down hard on the couch when her knees buckled. Relief made her head swim. She wanted to laugh and cry and do a happy dance all at once. “That’s...that’s amazing news.”
“Hank agrees. He also has new information about a witness to your alleged misconduct in Afghanistan. He forwarded all that to the JAG office.”
“Wow. He’s been busy.” A dozen questions raced through her mind and yet Derek wouldn’t have the answers. Finally they were making progress on the madman out to destroy her dad. “Okay. Beach house. I need to stop by my place and—”
Derek was shaking his head. “I’m to take you directly to the beach house. He warned me you’d argue. I am supposed to hold firm and you’re supposed to deal with it. Oh, and text him with your packing list.”
“What?” No way was she letting Hank root through her closets and drawers. She scrolled through her contacts and tapped the icon to call Hank. He didn’t pick up. “He’s ignoring my call.”
“I got the impression his hands are full,” Derek said, ever the diplomat. “When he mentioned the rest of your family would be there, what does that mean?”
Circling the wagons, she thought. Then it hit her. “He means all of us, including my new sister-in-law and nephew.”
“Duly noted,” he murmured.
“Pardon?”
“I’ve been ordered to stay with you. At the beach house. Hank will pack my things that are at your house and he’s let your mom know.”
Good grief. “Hank’s out of line.” She couldn’t imagine a more stressful dynamic for Derek. He’d be miserable surrounded by her loud and boisterous family. “You can say no.”
He shook his head. “After last night, it seems I’m no longer an innocent bystander but also a target. Easier for Hank if we’re together.”
Grace Ann wanted to do what was easier for him. Regret swamped her and she closed her eyes, imagining the sweet bliss of jetting off with him to a tiny Pacific island until the Riley Hunter and the rest of the world forgot about them. If only. “You can
’t, Derek.”
“Can’t what?”
She searched for the right words as she gazed into his stern face. “I know you can’t just drop everything and go with me to the beach. Call him back,” she ordered, jumping to her feet.
She couldn’t take him to her parents’ house. It would take their relationship from zero to over and done in a day. She might not be his forever person, but they deserved more time than this. “Tell him you’re dropping me at the house.” Frantic when his jaw set, she barreled on. “This is a Riley problem. You’ve done enough. I won’t drag you in over your head.”
She wanted to tap out. No way was she up for the challenge of facing her accomplished, confident parents while juggling all these feelings she had for Derek and fears of the unknown. Aside from that, out of her respect for their bond, she would not run him through the gauntlet of meeting the entirety of her family all at once.
“Take a breath,” he said. “And please sit down.”
She did as he asked and he sat beside her.
“Ready to listen?”
She mimed zipping her mouth closed.
“I think the world of you, Grace Ann,” he began. “Whatever is going on, you’re my friend first and foremost. I have both the time and the desire to help you.”
“You came here for Kevin,” she interjected.
His strong, wide hand curved gently over her knee. “Yes. And I’d hoped to see you, too.”
“Seeing me shouldn’t have meant getting caught up in the drama that is my life.”
“No, but now that I’m in it, I’m not running.”
She traced the tendons and bones of his hand. “If you come with me, you’ll be tossed into the middle of a special brand of chaos. It’s more than you bargained for.”
“I may only have one brother, but I understand sibling dynamics.”
She had to paint a picture that would scare him straight. “This is sibling dynamics on steroids, Derek, with a generous helping of military pride.”
He leaned back, glared at her. “Stop using the military angle as a repellent.”
She gawked at him. “It’s a factor,” she managed. “Kevin told me you were never excited about his decision, always lukewarm about his accomplishments. You’ve said as much.”
