Once and For All: An American Valor Novel (8 page)

“Ben’s wife,” he answered and the knot in her stomach loosened a bit. “And it would seem she’s angry she found out about our marriage after the fact.” He looked up from the small screen to meet her eyes. “Which is really just code for ‘she’s pissed Ben found out before her.’ ” He typed a quick reply. “I wonder how long it will take for everyone else to find out.”

“Really?”

“News, good or bad, travels like wildfire on a military post. Sadly, sometimes the guy it directly involves is the last one to find out.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Tell me about it. I probably should have forewarned you that people will be all up in your business if you let them. Just be sure to establish clear boundaries right from the start. If you share too much too soon, they’ll come to expect it.” His phone chimed once again. “She wants us to come over for dinner tonight.”

To be honest, she hadn’t considered this aspect of their marriage. That Danny would have longtime friends here who cared for him. Which meant this dinner would be an interrogation of sorts. To see if she was worthy of him.

“You’ve got that look on your face.”

“What look? I don’t have a look.”

“The hell you do. You look like a deer in headlights. There’s nothing to worry about. And to be completely honest, I’d feel a lot better if there was someone else in town you could call if I’m away for training or you can’t get ahold of me.”

“Then I’ll just call Michael.”

“For the most part, when we’re not in rotation, we stay close by. But there are times even when we aren’t in Afghanistan that we’re off training somewhere far away for a couple of weeks. Like when we go to Thailand next fall. And Michael will be there, too, so you won’t be able to call him. That’s just how things work.”

His argument made complete sense and it’s not as if he was being unreasonable. She couldn’t avoid them forever. Add the fact this was what she wanted. A fresh start. New beginning. New people.

“So, are you up for it?”

Bree put on her best brave face. “No time like the present.”

Chapter Nine

“A
RE YOU SURE
we shouldn’t stop to get something else? A dessert or something?”

“Trust me,” Danny said, glancing at her briefly before looking back at the road. “We’ll be read the riot act for bringing wine.”

Bree clutched the bottle of Merlot in her hands a little tighter. How could he be so calm at a time like this? Here her insides felt like one massive knot and he was the epitome of cool. As if introducing his new from-out-of-the-blue wife to longtime friends was an everyday occurrence. No big deal. At least no bigger deal than strolling into the Horry County courthouse and marrying a woman he hadn’t seen in almost ten years.

“Do they live on base?” she asked, not really wanting to be left alone in her thoughts.

“On post.” With traffic stopped at a red light, he turned to face her, although his eyes were hidden behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses. “Army is a military post. Marines and Air Force are a military base. Some of the lingo is different between the branches. Not a big deal, but every once in a while you’ll come across someone who gets their panties in a twist if you use the wrong terminology.” He returned his attention to the light, lowering the visor to block the sun glaring through the window. “Anyhow, Ben and Marie don’t live in military housing. There’s a pretty long waiting list here so they got used to living off post. Then, several years ago, she inherited some money and talked him into a fixer-upper in Ardsley Park.”

The red light went on forever. Danny tapped his index finger impatiently atop the steering wheel. That tapping was a tic of his. A tell when he was nervous. He wasn’t as calm as he’d like her to believe.

“Finally,” he mumbled as the light changed from red to green. Within minutes they turned down a tree-lined street with historic homes as far as the eye could see. At a white picket fence, he turned into the driveway of a large, two-story home with glossy black shutters and a bright red door. An American flag proudly waved from the small front porch. Just like an image from a magazine.

“Their house is beautiful.”

“Definitely not military issue.” Danny waited as she walked around the front of his truck then placed his hand at the small of her back. “Marie’s an interior designer and works out of the house so their place is kind of a portfolio for her. But believe me when I say it used to be a real dump.”

They made their way past bicycles and scooters abandoned along the front walk. After Danny rang the bell, almost immediately several dogs went on high alert, their collective barks nearing the front door as they made their way through the house. As loud as they were, a woman’s voice could be heard over the top of their commotion, yelling for someone to answer the door.

“That would be Marie,” he said with a chuckle. “She runs the place.”

Bree smiled, although the twist in her stomach tightened a bit more. Thankfully, they appeared to be as informal as Danny said they were, but the nervousness remained. Her heart pounded in her chest and out of nervous habit, she smoothed the strands of her wig. But before she finished, her fingers were captured in his, pulling her hand from her hair.

“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about,” he whispered. “I promise.”

She focused on their hands, his grasp strong, confident. He gave a reassuring squeeze.

Footsteps echoed from the opposite side of the door just before it flung open to reveal Ben with a baby girl in his arms. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, two dogs of considerable size but unidentifiable breeding rushed out the front door. Squeezing between him and the door frame, they rushed past Bree, nearly knocking her over as they made their great escape. Danny’s hands came to her waist, steadying her.

“Sorry about Cosmo and Wanda. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she answered. “But will they come back on their own?”

Ben shook his head in disgust. “Probably not. They’re stupid,
stupid
dogs. Both failed remedial obedience school. I don’t think the dog whisperer himself could fix those two yahoos.” He then turned his attention to the baby he held in one arm. “Look who’s here, baby girl. It’s your Uncle Danny,” he said, handing her off to the man in front of him.

With large, dark eyes and dark, glossy pigtails tied with bright red ribbons, she resembled a doll off the shelf. She smiled brightly at Danny, revealing three little teeth across her lower gums. With one slobbery hand, she reached for him.

Danny obliged, taking hold of her, but keeping her at arm’s length from his body. “Her diaper better not be full of—”

“Uh, uh, uh,” Ben said, waving a finger at him. “You know the rules, MacGregor. Besides, I just changed her. You’re good to go.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

Ben laughed then slapped Danny’s shoulder as he jogged down the steps. “You guys head inside. I have some dogs to chase down.”

After a hesitant sniff, Danny finally caved and pulled her to his chest. A buzz to her cheek, a little kiss to her ear and she squirmed and squealed in delight. Just another female to have fallen for the irresistible charms of Daniel MacGregor.

“This is Hannah Banana,” he said, manipulating one of her chubby little arms like a puppeteer.

Bree grasped the waving, albeit very wet little hand. Dark eyes studied her for a moment, then Hannah abruptly pulled her fingers free. She turned her attention back to her admirer, slapping both hands on his face and babbling undoubtedly words of adoration.

“In the kitchen, Danny!” yelled the same voice from before. Only now her accent was more prominent and Bree couldn’t help but be reminded of the
Real Housewives of New Jersey
. She expected big hair, big boobs, big everything, to go along with the booming voice. Instead, the woman they found in the kitchen was tiny, with shiny black curls and dark eyes. A grown-up version of the little girl Danny held in his arms. Minus the ribbons.

After closing the oven door, she turned to them. “Danny,” she cried, arms outstretched until she grabbed hold of his face, pulling his down to hers so she could place a kiss upon both cheeks. Cheeks now pink from embarrassment.

“So you went and got married. I can hardly believe it.”

“Couldn’t wait around for you anymore,” he said, punctuating his words with a wink.

Bree watched as the smile on his face reached his eyes, his affection for this woman obvious.

“Always the charmer.” She took the baby from his arms and settled her on one hip. “You know, if you’d been an officer or a doctor, things might have been different between us.”

“Never worked for Mikey.”

She waved off the idea. “Michael is Michael. Besides, you’ve always been my favorite MacGregor brother.”

Danny laughed. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”

“Oh, he already knows,” she said with a laugh of her own as she buckled the little girl into her high chair. “I told him myself after you spent two weeks’ leave helping Ben renovate the upstairs bathroom and he was off golfing somewhere. But enough of that,” Marie said, now turning her attention to Bree.

Almost immediately, her palms went damp to the point the wine bottle she held nearly slipped from her grasp. Thankfully, Danny saved her, taking the bottle from her hands.

Refocusing his attention, Ben’s wife smacked him across the arm with the back of her hand. “Are you going to just stand there looking pretty, Daniel? Or are you going to introduce us?”

Bree bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. This woman was petite and Italian and bossy as hell. Despite her nerves and sweaty palms, she liked her already.

F
OR THE NEXT
half hour, Bree sat at the kitchen island, letting the conversation between old friends swirl around her as she enjoyed a glass of wine for the first time in years. With each sip, her muscles relaxed and her earlier anxiety gave way to warm fuzzies. Her fingers tingled. Her toes tingled. Even the tip of her nose felt a little ticklish.

And if the wine wasn’t enough, there was Danny. Who smelled so good and felt so warm, standing right beside her, lulling her into an extreme state of relaxation. His hand skimmed up her spine, across her shoulder, down her arm only to retrace its path and do it all over again. Always moving, never stopping. Spreading his warmth all across her body.

With her anxiety levels no longer at DEFCON 4 status, Bree felt good about how things were going. All that worry for nothing. At least until that bossy little woman handed her saint of a husband a platter of steaks and forced both men outside to the grill.

Her fight or flight instincts kicked in and Bree turned to escape. Within inches of the back door, Marie called her back to the kitchen under the guise of wanting to “get to know her better.”

“Have a seat,” Marie said, gesturing with the tip of her knife to the seat she vacated only moments before. A seat positioned directly beneath the white-hot bulbs of low-hanging pendant lights.

How convenient. Obviously, the time had come for the interrogation portion of the evening.

“So . . .” Marie began. The blade of her Santoku knife pounded into the butcher block as she julienned a carrot with the skill and speed of a professional chef. “How did you and Danny meet?”

Bree kept her eyes on the knife, the bright light glinting off the blade with each rhythmic chop. “I don’t remember how we met, really.”

“Could it have been in a bar, by chance?”

She detected a hint of a snort at the end of Marie’s question as she dropped the knife and cutting board in the sink and went about warming a bottle.

“We’ve known each other for as long as I can remember. He and Michael grew up across the street from my family. His father still lives there, as a matter of fact.”

Marie’s expression softened immediately, surprised. “Really?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Bree answered as she took a fortifying sip. “Our mothers were best friends. And everywhere they went, we went. Together.”

Bored with Cheerios, Hannah began to fuss in her high chair. Armed with dinner for one, Marie sat down for the first time since she and Danny arrived. As Marie fed the baby, the conversation naturally shifted to the topic of children, and Bree learned they not only had two boys, but two girls, as well. The oldest, Leah, whom her mother described as eleven going on twenty-five, was currently at a friend’s house. Their identical twin boys were eight, while the baby was ten months. At one point, Ben returned to grab two longnecks from the refrigerator, pausing on his way out to kiss his wife and ruffle his daughter’s hair while she chewed and sucked on her bottle.

Bree took a long drink from her glass, wanting to drown the burn of jealousy in her gut. There once was a time she’d thought her and Danny’s future would be just like this. With a family that was loving and happy and loud. Instead, they were glorified roommates, counting down the days until their divorce.

She wanted to cry. She could actually feel the burn behind her eyes. It would be so easy to go there, but Bree refused to let it happen. She reminded herself to be thankful for what she had. She was alive, for one. She wasn’t alone in this world and knew the love of family and friends. Even had one friend who cared enough to give her that new beginning she’d long believed to be only a pipe dream. No, she was far better off than so many others. It would be best to never forget that.

Proud of saving herself from drowning in a sea of self-pity, Bree rose from her seat, needing to be productive. Bree asked Marie to direct her to where the tableware and things were kept. Armed with a stack of dishes and silverware, she went about setting the table. But even as she moved from place to place, she felt Marie watching her.

Bree carefully smoothed the long brown strands and turned to face her hostess. “It’s a wig.”

Marie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“My hair, it’s a wig. Just in case you’re wondering.” She smiled, hoping to put her at ease. “I finished chemo a while ago but my hair hasn’t grown back yet.”

“Oh,” Marie whispered as she patted Hannah’s back, now drowsy and draped over her shoulder. “I’m sorry if I appeared to be staring. I mean, I was staring, but not for the reason you were thinking. I promise I hadn’t even noticed your hair.” She then politely excused herself to take the baby upstairs.

Shit.

She let her own insecurities get the best of her and ended up making Marie uncomfortable. What a way to make friends. Clearly, years of self-imposed confinement had damaged her social skills.

Marie returned several minutes later with a baby monitor in hand. She turned it on, the soft static filling the room.

“I’m really sorry—”

Marie cut her off with the wave of a hand. “If anyone should apologize, it should be me. After all, I was staring. But I’m still just trying to figure this whole situation out.” She gathered the tiny bowls and spoons, along with the high chair tray and tossed them all into the sink. “I’ve known Danny a very long time. Love him like a brother. My kids think of him as an uncle. And not once in all these years has he ever been serious enough about a single woman to bring her to a company function let alone around here.”

“Really?”

“Can I tell you something?” she said, shutting off the faucet and lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “For the longest time I thought he was gay.” Bree laughed out loud in response and Marie joined in. “I mean, sure there were stories of him with a flavor of the week, but I thought maybe it was all just an act.”

“No,” Bree giggled. “Definitely not gay.”

Marie raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really now?” Instantly, Bree felt her entire body heat, especially from the hollow of her throat to her blazing cheeks. Damn him. “You can try to blame that blush on the wine, but I know better.”

“Is there a statute of limitations on firsthand knowledge? Because up until last week, we hadn’t seen or spoken to each other since before he enlisted. I’d be willing to bet my knowledge is out-of-date.”

Their laughter was interrupted by the ringing telephone. “Sorry. I need to get this. It’s likely my eldest.”

Within seconds it was clear her daughter didn’t want to come home yet, and Marie entered into negotiations with her child. Bree turned her attention to outside only to find Danny watching her from where he stood on the back porch. Unsure what to do, she gave a simple wave. He smiled and gave a little salute back. Even though he was no longer standing right beside her, that earlier warmth returned, knowing he was still looking out for her.