Red Red Rose (16 page)

“Oh,
well have you tried coming right out and telling her you’re interested? Maybe
ask her to get coffee sometime.” I felt incredibly out of my depth giving
dating advice, but I felt for the guy.

“No,
I was hoping you’d have a more subtle suggestion to find out if she’d be
receptive before I attempted such a bold move. I’m hoping to avoid an
embarrassing rejection that could make things awkward for us in the future if
she’s uninterested.”

“Then
maybe start with something that has less pressure than a date. Try spending
time with her in a group setting and see if there is chemistry between the two
of you. Small but thoughtful gestures are also a way to get her attention
without putting yourself out there too much, but at some point I think you’re
just going to have to decide if taking your shot with this girl is worth the
risk, and then go for it.” His brow was scrunched up but he was nodding his
head to everything I was saying as he weighed it.

“Right.
Of course. Thank you. I appreciate your input.”

“I
hope it works out.”

“Yes.
As do I. Again, thank you for the advice and I apologize for inconveniencing
you tonight. I also hope you don’t think I was prying into your personal life
before. I just worried that something unrequited with Will could prove
troublesome for you given his dominant and aggressive personality.”

This
time I did chuckle. “No harm done. Have a good night Danny.”

“You
too, Nora,” he said softly and stepped aside as I brushed past him. I made
quick strides to my car, hoping the heat hadn’t already seeped out. I tossed a
final glance over my shoulder as I reached my car. Danny stood watching me. He
lifted his hand in a wave. I returned the gesture before sliding into the
driver’s seat. He turned his back and then made his way to his own car.

At
home, James was sprawled out like a big, lazy cat on the couch, eyes shut,
mouth open and he looked close to drooling on one of my throw pillows. And yet
somehow it wasn’t the least bit unattractive. The bottle of Jack Daniels that sat
on my coffee table was another story. Jack was a familiar guest in my house
since James started staying here. My heart clenched. What this must be like for
him. James was a protector through and through and Em was his baby sister. I
breathed out a worried sigh and then tugged the pillow out from under his head
and then tossed it on him. He bolted upright and then eased back into a relaxed
position when he heard my snicker. He grabbed the pillow and threw it back at
me. I caught it and then dropped down onto the sofa beside him, hugging the
pillow to my chest.

“Looks
like you’ve had an exciting day.”

He
stretched his neck a little, letting out a tired groan. “Not that I’m anxious
to leave, but this doing nothing all day is driving me crazy. Today I went to
the gym, and stopped by my parents’ for a bit, but still I feel like I spent
most of the day right here on the couch. It’s too fucking cold outside to do
anything else.”

“I
know. I’m ready for winter to be over,” I agreed. “Have you heard anymore from Monroe?”
I was curious if they’d turned up anything new. It had been more than a week
without any updates.

“Not
a damn thing.”

It
was the answer I’d expected, but still a bit of disappointment settled in my
gut. I was trying desperately not to give up hope, but with each day that passed,
it was getting harder to hang onto. But I had to, not only for my sake but for
James’ and Emily’s as well.

“She’s
going to come home,” I said softly, trying my best to believe it so that he
would too.

His
head jerked in a single nod and his gaze drifted down. For a long moment he
just stared at the coffee table, but I knew he wasn’t really seeing anything.
He was lost inside his own head. I knew how helpless I felt to do anything; it
had to be so much worse for him.

I
grabbed the bottle of Jack and lifted it to my lips taking one long pull. His
head turned and I simply held the bottle out to him. We both needed it tonight.
He took it, and I slumped back into the couch. He tipped it to his lips before
returning it to the coffee table and sinking into the couch as well. We both
just sat there, letting the minutes tick by in silence.

My
knee bounced anxiously while mutant butterflies did gymnastics in my stomach. I
fought the impulse to check the time on my phone. I’d checked it only moments
ago. It was five-thirty. He wouldn’t be here for another half an hour. This was
our second date; I shouldn’t have been so nervous. But now that I knew what he
could do with his lips, I was really hoping he would do it again.

“You
sure you don’t want to blow him off and I can take you out?” James tried to
sway me, not for the first time since I got home from work and began the date
prep, which I kicked off with a shot of the whiskey from last night, in hopes
that it would help me relax. It didn’t. I’d had two shots now in two hours and
I was still all aflutter.

All
day James had been affecting an amused interest in my date, but I couldn’t
ignore the slight niggling in the back of my mind that said he was very much
against me going out with Spencer. Every time I tried to broach the subject and
get him to spill the reason for his dislike, he’d brush it off. My gut said
Spencer was a good guy, and if I couldn’t rely on my own instincts, I might as
well curl up in my closet and hide from the world. And if James couldn’t give
me a legitimate reason to call off my date, I was going, and I was going to
have a good time.

“I
think I’ll take my chances with him. I saw how much fun you were last night.
You passed out before ten.”

“That
was the alcohol you were plying me with, trying to get me drunk so you could take
advantage of me.” The accusation rolled off his tongue playfully.

My
brow arched. “I think you were plenty plied before I got home from work.”

“Just
trying to help you out.” The impish smile that quirked his lips was a nice
change from the sullen guy trying to lose himself in a bottle.

“Help
me
out? I think you’ve got things a little mixed up.”

He
shrugged, his smile still in place. “So what do you say? Ditch him and spend
the night with me.”

“This
would be a very different conversation if you were still going to be here on
Monday, but you’re not. You’re the one who said you’ll always be leaving. You
come home, but one foot is always already out the door, so what would that look
like for us?” A part of me wanted to be mad at him for even going here again,
even if he’d only meant to tease.

“I
know.” The smile faded and he blew out a deep breath that turned to a
half-hearted chuckle. “Never thought I’d meet a girl who would make me re-think
my career.” All pretense of joking was gone.

“We
both know once you’re back in it, you won’t be thinking about me.”

One
side of his mouth turned up, but it was forced. “I’m not so sure. Maybe it’s
time I think about a new career.”

“Uh-uh,”
I stood. “No. You don’t get to start talking about this right before I’m about
to go on a date. We’ve been doing the flirting game for a few years now, but
the reason it’s never been awkward is that we both know nothing else would ever
work.”

“Maybe
I don’t know that anymore.”

I
shook my head furiously and held up a hand as he stood. “No. We’re not doing
this two days before you leave again. I don’t know what’s going through your
head. I can only imagine what you’re feeling right now, with Emily missing and
wanting to be here for your family when your job is taking you away, but you
can’t put this on me, not when it makes no difference. I know you’ve still got
a year on this tour.”

He
rose to his feet. “Ten months. And what if that’s all I had left? What if then
I was out?”

“I
don’t know,” I admitted softly. “I guess we’d have to see what happened then.
But are you really asking me to wait a year when neither one of us knows how
we’re going to feel then?”

He
looked away and raked a hand through his hair, then dragged his troubled gaze
back to me. “I don’t know what I’m asking.” His chest heaved when he let out a
heavy sigh. “Fuck, I think maybe I’m just jealous. I don’t like you going out
with that guy. He’s not good enough for you and I’m man enough to admit I don’t
like seeing you with him or knowing you’re going to be with him.”

I
softened. “You’re killing me, James. You can’t do this to a girl. Not now. If this
was Nathan, I’d have kicked him to the curb in a heartbeat. Hell, I probably
fantasized about that, which I think says a lot about my relationship with him,
but now . . .”

“You
like the guy,” he muttered.

“I
do. And I want to see where it’s going, unless you can give me a real reason
why I shouldn’t go out with him.”

“I’m
not enough of a reason?” he deflected, reverting back to teasing.

I
didn’t bother with a response. Like I said, if he’d done this when I was with
Nathan, I would have jumped ship in a heartbeat, even if the only thing James
was offering was maybe someday. It would have been enough then. Nathan was a
mistake, and even though he cheated, I was just as much at fault for the mess
we found ourselves in. But now . . . now Spencer was going to be knocking on my
door in about ten minutes and I was going with him, so all this– it did no
good.

“Just
promise me one thing.”

I
didn’t have it in me to deny him when I could already see in his eyes how
dejected he was feeling. “What?”

“When
it doesn’t work out with this guy–”

“If,”
I butted in.

“Whatever,
if
you figure out that this guy isn’t the one for you, promise me you’ll
keep December thirteenth in mind.”

“What
happens on December thirteenth?”

“I
go back to being a civilian and figure out what the rest of my life will look
like without having to report to Uncle Sam. Then I get to start thinking about
who I want to share that life with.”

I
squeezed my eyes shut. Dammit, why did he have to make this so hard?

“Hey,”
his fingers brushed over my cheek and I pried my eyes open to peer into his
baby blues. Big mistake. It was a trap, one I wasn’t in any hurry to escape. “All
I’m asking is that you’ll keep it in mind.”

All
I could do was give him a single nod, and then I was saved by a knock.

I
had to tear myself away before James got what he wanted and I didn’t go
anywhere. I hurried to answer the door, breathing out all the tension and
confusion before I pulled it open. A soft smile tugged at my lips when I did. Spencer’s
eyes took me in; just a quick perusal from head to toe; they didn’t linger
suggestively, but his gaze didn’t lack appreciation.

“Hey.”
It was one word, but that man could pack a lot into one word. It was as if it
was laced with sweet champagne. The same warm, bubbly feeling spread through my
body.

“Hey.”
I snuck a quick look of my own. Hair perfectly mussed, jaw shadowed by a couple
days’ growth. A dark blue ribbed thermal hugged his torso beneath his black
jacket and those long legs were encased in dark denim, bunched up around his
signature black, made-for-kicking-ass, boots. The overall image was no more or
less than he looked every day, but damn it was still an impressive sight.

One
corner of his mouth quirked just slightly. “You ready to go?” His eyes flashed
behind me and took on a slightly darker look. A quick glance told me James
hadn’t stayed in the living room. I ignored their macho stare-down and quickly
retrieved my purse and coat from the hook just inside the door.

“I’m
ready.”

His
attention returned to me and I didn’t spare another look at James. I wasn’t
sure that I could without feeling guilty about leaving with Spencer, even
though I had no reason to feel guilt.

I
shoved my arms into the jacket and then followed Spencer out to his truck.

“So,
you going to tell me where we’re going tonight?” He pulled the door open for
me, but I didn’t climb up right away.

“You’ll
just have to wait and see.”

“Going
to be hard to get us there if I don’t know where we’re going.”

“Don’t
worry, I’ll get us there,” I assured him and put my foot up on the running
board, but before I even had a foot in the cab, a car door down the drive
slammed and my day got even more complicated.

“Nora!”

“You’ve
got to be kidding me,” I muttered and stepped back down, preparing to face my
ex. Spencer took on an aggressive stance when he turned and saw Nathan moving
toward us. He stopped a few feet away from the truck.

I
crossed my arms in front of my chest. “What are you doing here?” I’d actually
dared to hope he might go away.

He
wasn’t even looking at me. His glare was fixed on Spencer, probably remembering
the last time Spencer interrupted his attempt to forcibly win me back. When he
finally swung his gaze to me, he had the nerve to give me an accusing look, as
if I was somehow doing something wrong here. “What are you doing with him,
Nora?”

“You
don’t get to ask the questions, Nathan. You showed up at my house uninvited.”

“I
didn’t expect to find you with
him,
” he sneered.

“Then
what did you expect to find?” I cried. “How many times do we have to do this?”

“Until
you quit playing games and let me make things right.”

 “I
promise you I am not playing games. There is nothing you can do, except leave,”
I spoke through clenched teeth.

“You
don’t mean that. I know you’re still hurt and you’re trying to get back at me
for what I did.”

I
swear I could feel my blood pressure rising with every ludicrous word that came
out of his mouth. I didn’t know it was possible for someone so intelligent to
be so dense. I was utterly lost as to how I could make him see reality.
Unfortunately, Nathan took my lack of argument as confirmation that he was
right and he tried to take another step closer to me. Up to this point, Spencer
had remained silent, letting me handle him, but it seemed he was done standing
back. He countered Nathan’s step forward with one of his own, cutting him off.

“She
let you say your piece, now you leave.” I guessed that was him asking nicely
and that if he had to ask again, it wouldn’t be so nice. Unfortunately, Nathan
didn’t seem to be picking up those vibes, or he chose to ignore them.

“This
is between me and Nora.”

“No,
I’m between you and Nora and my patience isn’t going to last much longer.” The
warning was issued low and threatening. Spencer was definitely not the kind of
guy to throw out empty threats, but Nathan was an arrogant asshole. A few
inches shorter than Spencer and somehow he still managed to look down at him,
and then flicked an amused smirk at me.

“Seriously,
Nora? This is the guy you’re going to use to get back at me?” he returned a
narrow-eyed gaze to Spencer. “Have we met before? You look like one of my
former clients, but then again most of the guys I represent all look the same.”
Nathan was a criminal defense attorney, and he was a dick, if that wasn’t
already evident.

Spencer
didn’t rise to the bait, but I think Nathan’s jab had been intended for me
anyway. What he didn’t get though, was that Spencer out-classed him every
single day of the week.

“Come
on Nora, let’s go.” Spencer turned his back to him, a very blatant move to show
Nathan just how few shits he gave about anything he had to say. Nathan got that
message loud and clear. It was all over his red face and I drove the message
home further when I took Spencer’s hand and started to climb in the truck
again.

“You’re
going regret this, Nora,” Nathan spit. I felt Spencer tense and then turn
slowly.

“Are
you threatening her?”

Nathan
ignored him, fixing me with a cool stare. “You know I’m right. This is a
mistake.”

The
outer porch door swung open, drawing our attention. James stepped outside and
he had that look like he was craving a fight.
Fan-freaking-tastic.

“Just
coming to see if you need any help taking out the trash, Nora. What kind of
house guest would I be if I didn’t do my part?”

“I
think we’ve got it covered,” I said tightly. The last thing I needed was for
this to get any more out of hand.

Nathan’s
head snapped back to me. “When did you turn into such the slut, Nora?”

I
had to grab Spencer’s arm to keep him from using it to rip Nathan’s head off.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t grab James so there was no one to stop the hard fist
he landed to Nathan’s face. I winced for him and Nathan stumbled back, groaning
and holding his nose.

James
turned to Spencer. “Get her out of here and I’ll get rid of him.”

Spencer
nodded once and the next thing I knew, he was picking me up and dumping my ass
in the truck. I didn’t even have time to protest before he shut the door and
walked around to the driver’s side. I could hear Nathan yelling threats of a
lawsuit at James.

“We
can’t leave those two.”

“Yeah,
we can.” He started up the truck.