Basic Training (14 page)

Minutes later he opened his eyes and turned to her window again. The curtains were dark now. She had to be exhausted after that escapade. He grinned with silly male pride at wearing her out—and was humbled by how exhausted, yet sated, she’d left him.

But the grin rapidly faded.

And humility quickly turned to regret. He’d been jealous tonight, jealous of that kid making goo-goo eyes at her. That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? To radiate that sexy confidence that made a man sit up and take notice?

As if his life wasn’t already complicated enough—how was he going to walk away from Tess at the end of two weeks with their friendship intact, the way he’d promised? Jealousy had no place in a friendship like theirs. Of course, for that matter, neither did lust.

Long ago, Travis had learned that a deep, emotional investment in a relationship only doomed it to failure. He’d been shredded inside when Stacy had dumped him. He’d been young and rash then—too stupid to know how to keep a girl happy. And there’d been another woman—Gail—who’d claimed to love him, but hadn’t loved the danger of his job. He’d thought about
settling down then. But, ultimately, the job had won out over her inability to give her fears and doubts a rest.

The Corps was a mistress who’d never failed him—until a year ago.

Between Gail and the accident, he’d contented himself by moving from fling to fling. He was a natural flirt. As long as both partners were satisfied, he could enjoy the sex, enjoy the fun and move on. And he’d never once been jealous.

Two weeks with Tess should be no different.

But it was.

Travis didn’t fall asleep until the first rosy light of dawn bloomed across the bay.

“U
H-HUH
.”

There must have been something telling in the way Tess and Amy dragged their feet down to breakfast the next morning. Maggie McCormick put away the china cups and got out two giant mugs to fill with coffee for her grown daughters.

“Sit.” As she set plates with omelets and English muffins at the table, it became clear to Tess that her mother was bustling about with the intent of going out soon. But she suddenly stopped, propped her hands on her hips and looked back and forth at her two summer visitors. “Is this something that requires me calling Nancy and telling her she has to check out the craft and antique show without me?”

Tess looked across the table and thought that Amy’s ponytail was just about as messy and haphazard as the one she’d made with her own harder to manage hair. Did the soft shadows of fatigue beneath her sister’s eyes match her own as well? Apparently, they’d both had a tough time getting to sleep last night.

“No, Mom. You go on to the festival,” Tess insisted, inhaling the reviving scent of the rich hazelnut coffee before taking a grateful sip. “I have to be at the hospital
this morning myself so I can’t dawdle. I’m just pooped. I stayed up too late with…Travis last night.”

Her body tingled with memories of last night’s powerful seduction. She’d even been a little hoarse when she’d first woken up this morning. But the discovery of such physical joy had been quickly tempered by the humiliating admission that he remembered that passionate collegiate encounter, after all. She just hadn’t been impressive enough for him to remember that woman was
her
.

Maybe she deserved to be stuck in a small town where an influx of interesting, eligible men happened only once a year.

She’d offered Travis her body and her heart that night all those years ago, and she’d been rejected by a man who’d sobered up and moved on to the next woman without even considering that good ol’ T-bone might be the girl of his dreams. Or at least, his bed.

She was pretty much the same woman now she’d been back then—a little older, a little wiser, a little more experienced, sure—but the feelings she had for Travis were startlingly similar. She wanted to be more than a sly way to give his body the physical workout he needed. She wanted to be more than an available outlet for his obviously frustrated sexual needs. She wanted to be more than a summer fling. Had she really been a grand-slam home run last night? Or had she just made a fool of herself over a man she shouldn’t want all over again?

Hiding her face behind another long drink, Tess hoped the steaming brew would explain away the confusion heating her cheeks. Her mother would never suspect that she’d been up late trading orgasms. Tess and
Travis had often stayed out late sharing long conversations about love and life and baseball. But she wasn’t up for twenty questions, and she certainly didn’t want to lie about her complex feelings and obsessive desire for the man next door.

“How is Travis doing with his therapy?” Fortunately, Margaret didn’t suspect anything less than innocent had kept Tess up so late. She carried her own empty plate to the sink and rinsed it for the dishwasher. “Just to look at him, he seems healthy as a horse. But have you noticed the extra lines beside his eyes and mouth? Part of it is that outdoor living he loves, but I thought he looked older than I expected at the party.”

“I’m sure it’s fatigue, Mom. He’s had a lot to recover from this past year.”

“Well, he isn’t that same carefree young man who used to jump out of my rose bushes and startle me when I went outside to hang up laundry.” Ah, yes. That had been a favorite pastime for what, three? four? years. Her mother was right—Tess had only seen glimpses of that boyish personality in Travis since his return. He’d become much more moody. More serious. Edgier. And if possible, that made her want to be an important part of his life all the more. “He has burdens on his shoulders that he never used to have. Could be the job. Your father came home from Vietnam with the same hard look to him. The experience changed him somehow. I had to learn to accept the new man he was, and fall in love with him all over again.”

Tess’s heart welled at the fond emotion she heard in her mother’s voice. They all had an empty place in their hearts that her father’s love used to fill. She stood and
wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “We were lucky to have him, Mom.”

“That we were.”

Amy rose and joined them on the opposite side. “He was a good man.”

Maggie nodded and hugged them both before shooing them back to their seats to finish breakfast. “So is Travis McCormick. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. I just hope he works through whatever’s troubling him. He’s lucky he has a trusted friend like you he can talk to.”

Tess choked down a bite of cheesy egg that suddenly tasted like rubber. Right.
Talk
. Except for that first night on the beach, she and Travis hadn’t exactly done a lot of talking. He’d pointedly steered their conversations toward a new topic whenever anything serious had come up. Like returning to Special Ops in two weeks. Like following doctor’s orders toward as full a physical recovery as possible. Like fear of failure or mistaking awakening desire for falling in love. None of those topics had been open for discussion, though she imagined he sorely needed to talk. Maybe she should concentrate more on being there for him as a friend and worry less about whether or not she made a lousy lover.

“And you?” Maggie refilled Amy’s coffee, thankfully turning her concern to her other daughter. “What makes you so cheery this morning?”

“Phone call from Barry.”

Enough said. Maggie Bartlett had no problem calling a spade a spade. “What did the Butthead want this time?”

“Sympathy. His girlfriend dumped him.”

“Maybe that bimbette is smarter than we gave her credit for.”

Finally, all three of them could share a laugh and Tess began to feel rejuvenated for the coming day. She still had issues to resolve, but support from her family would never be one of them.

With worries for her children temporarily appeased, Maggie snapped on her fanny pack and prepared to join her friend for some serious shopping. “The three of us are still on for lunch, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“You bet, Mom. You’ll have to show us all the treasures you and Nancy find.”

Maggie tucked in a folding umbrella as well. “Be sure to take your umbrellas or rain-coats. We’re supposed to have a storm coming in late this afternoon or this evening.” She popped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my goodness. You two are grown women. You both have sense enough to come in out of the rain. And if you don’t, it’s
your
problem. Right?”

They laughed again.

“Hugs all ’round? Love you.” Maggie kissed Tess’s cheek. Then she hugged and kissed Amy. “Love you. You know, Morty Camden is a very nice man. You could do worse, believe me. Wait, you have done worse. Still love you.”

“Bye, Mom.” Amy urged her toward the door.

“Bye.”

Once they’d sent Maggie on her way to the festival, Tess sat down to quickly polish off the last of her breakfast. “Ooh. A ‘nice’ rating from Mom. Is that the kiss of death for a date with Morty?”

Amy rolled her eyes. “I already said yes. It was the least I could do after dumping on him after talking to Barry last night.”

“I bet that wasn’t pretty.”

“Not very. But since Morty didn’t run away, I figured I owed him. So he’s taking me to dinner and then along the historic Bay Walk to see the old shops that are open late this week.” Amy poured the last of her coffee down the sink and started loading the dishwasher. “I guess we’ll see if I can be content with nice and boring, or if I’m destined to have another bad boy in my future.” She winked over her shoulder with a suggestive smile. “Are you and Travis planning another late night?”

A wink? Was Amy still hoping for a permanent union of the Bartlett and McCormick clans? “Just what do you think is going on between Travis and me?”

“Something interesting, I hope. His nickname
is
Action Man.”

Tess refused to be baited by Amy’s nudge-nudge, wink-wink tone. Sex normally was a subject she was comfortable discussing with her sister, but until she had a better idea of where this was going with Travis—or if their two week deal would even continue after last night’s embarrassing retreat—Tess wasn’t prepared to share. She rinsed and added her dishes to Amy’s stack. “I have to work the concession stand until the street dance is over.”

“Maybe he’ll pay you a surprise visit.”

“Maybe.” The doorbell rang, saving her from more of Amy’s romantic speculation. “I’ll get it.”

Tess returned to the kitchen minutes later, her arms filled with a cut-glass vase, a dozen long-stemmed red roses and a mystery.

“Wow.” Amy dried her hands and came to the table to sniff the fragrant display. “Nice. Somebody spent a fortune on you.”

“They can’t be for me.” Tess held out the card. “There’s no name. It isn’t signed, either. But the delivery man verified it had been ordered for our address. I have no reason to expect anything like this. You?”

Amy raised her hands in surrender. “Don’t look at me.”

“What about Barry?”

First, a phone call, then an expensive gift to score some points. It wouldn’t be the first time Amy’s ex had tried to buy forgiveness. “He wouldn’t dare.”

“He wants you back.”

“If he thinks this’ll do the trick, then he knows damn well where he can stick his roses. Besides, he’d take credit for it if he’d spent this kind of money. What does the card say?” Amy’s frown echoed Tess’s own confusion as she read the typed message out loud. “‘Can’t wait to see you again. I’ll find you when the time is right.’ Huh?”

“Is it me, or is that message more creepy than romantic? ‘When the time is right’ for what?” Tess had a bad feeling about the extravagant gift.

Maybe the anonymous note was completely innocent. Poorly worded, but not a threat. But Travis had spooked her enough last night with his mysterious spy in the alley that the idea of a secret admirer for her or her sister held little appeal.

“Morty?” Tess suggested. She hoped.

“We haven’t even gone out on our first date. Why would he send flowers?”

“To cheer you up?” Tess was exploring all their possibilities. “You were pretty upset last night.”

“That’d be an awful lot of money to spend on a woman he barely knows.”

“He likes you.”

“I don’t think so.” Amy shook her head, expressing her doubt. “He doesn’t strike me as the grand-gesture kind of guy.” She snapped her fingers as an idea struck. “Maybe they’re for Mom.”

“That doesn’t change the creep factor.”

Amy agreed. “Wait a minute. Why wouldn’t a man send flowers to you?” Her gaze wandered past the bouquet and landed on Tess. Big Sis thought she knew something. “These aren’t exactly the type of flowers a man sends because you had a nice ‘chat.’ Is there something going on with you and Travis?”

“No,” Tess answered automatically. Other than her father and a couple of prom dates, men had never sent her flowers. Of course, she’d never given a man a hand job behind the candy counter before, either. Maybe it was his way of thanking her? Apologizing? Encouraging her to try again? “Our relationship’s not like that. It’s…” completely skewed after last night’s events.

“It’s what?”

“It’s none of your business.” Taking in a deep, steadying breath, Tess slid the card into the pocket of her shorts, held up her watch and headed for the front door. Travis was the one she needed to be talking to about last night, not Amy. Even if she came off sounding like an insecure dope, he was the only one who could provide answers. “If I’m leaving early for lunch, I don’t want to be late for work. I’ll call the florist and see if they can track down the sender for us.”

Amy followed Tess to the door. “I’ll talk to Mom and
see if she knows anything. Things are getting that interesting with Travis, huh?”

Tess paused in the open doorway. She should have known her sister’s curiosity wouldn’t be easily dismissed. They had talked about so many things over the years in confidence and commiseration. But she wasn’t sure she could explain what was happening between her and Travis—she wasn’t sure she understood it completely herself. She wanted him, as a friend and as a lover, and maybe even as something more. She just wished she knew which role she should be playing.

“Interesting doesn’t begin to describe it,” she said and let the door bang shut behind her.

“I
WISH IT WOULD
just rain and get it over with,” Nixa Newhaven fretted. “It’s keeping away the tourists.”

The ominous drumbeat of thunder rumbling in the distance drew Tess back to the service window at the front of the concession stand. Clouds were rolling in, high and wispy, bringing a tinge of green to the sky before the sun completely disappeared below the horizon. “Something’s brewing out over the water, all right. Hopefully, it’ll hit tonight and blow out this humidity that’s been hanging on all day.”

Weather had been the most exciting topic she’d discussed all evening. Not that Tess had had many customers to converse with. She’d even sent home the other volunteer with a visiting grandson because there just wasn’t enough to keep two people busy. She held up the hotdog she’d wrapped in foil. “Ketchup, mustard, pickles or onions?”

“The works.”

Tess returned to the work station and completed Nixa’s order. When she slid the hotdog and drink across the counter, she couldn’t help but recall how she’d sat on this very counter last night and let Travis have his way with her. She flattened her palms across the cool Formica and closed her eyes, replaying every gasp, every scream, inside her head. Remembering how she’d gripped the edge of the counter in glorious agony and—

“Tess?”

Tess snatched her hands away as if the venerable Miss Newhaven had actually caught her in the act. But it was a five-dollar bill the older woman held up, not an accusatory finger.

Breathe easy, girl, Tess coached herself. She wanted to change her reputation in Ashton, but she didn’t want to be known as the village crackpot. Masking her startled panic behind an apologetic smile, she got Nixa her change, then grabbed the paper towels and disinfectant spray and cleaned the counter for the umpteenth time that day.