Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (2 page)

"We'd like the wedding party to sit in the front of the trolley, with your respective escort, on the way to the rehearsal dinner."

Cotton formed in Evelyn's mouth, robbing every drop of moisture from her lips at the thought of being that close to Cody. "Daniel, is that really necessary? I'd rather sit with my sons."

Daniel shrugged. "Take it up with your sister. Something about being better for the pictures. Besides, Annie and Jason want to sit together. You know how those two are."

Evelyn fought her first instinct to argue. Instead, she reluctantly nodded. Annie and Jason were best friends, or the princess and her brave knight as they insisted on being called by family. They hadn't seen a lot of each other lately since Annie lived in Mississippi. "Fine, but later you and I have some items to discuss."

He graced her with his trademark cocky grin. She'd refrained from knocking that particular look off his face on more than one occasion, including the first and second time they'd met. How he'd managed to charm his way into her sister's life was anybody's guess. "Sure, Ev. I think you and Babyface have some catching up to do too."

Could everyone hear the grinding of her teeth? "If this weren't the night before your wedding…"

His expression softened. "Relax. He's a great guy. Take some time, and get to know him." His shoulder bumped hers. "Well, more than his body."

"You are an insufferable pig, and I will make you pay for this." Normally, she would've directed him with nothing more than a look to a private location to address this ongoing game he liked to play with her life. Her desire to fight had been seriously lacking since the divorce. Daniel must've smelled the weakness. What really bothered her—she couldn't be sure if he was doing so merely to annoy her or, perhaps, provoke her in an effort to help her get her game back. With Daniel, either option was possible. Successful lawyers needed a killer instinct. Hers had been hiding in a closet of insecurity. Not even a kitten would be intimidated by her at this point.

"Do you prefer the window or the aisle seat, ma'am?" Cody intoned in a southern accent.

The trolley pulled up, and the group started filing in. She remained in place and raised an eyebrow in response to Cody's question. "Ma'am? Seriously?"

The width of his grin forced the corners of her mouth to upturn slightly. He shrugged. "Old habits."

She slammed the lid on the smile trying to emerge and glared in his direction. "You're not from the south, and I'll take the aisle."

Before taking her seat, Evelyn scanned the crowd for her sons. "Michael, keep an eye on your brother, please."

"Sure, Mom. Whatever."

Cody slid into the seat, and she slipped in beside him, trying very hard to not let their bodies touch. "Kids." She offered a small smile, shooting for neutral territory between hostile and friendly.

"How old are the kids, and how do you know I'm not from the south?"

She sighed. They had to spend a lot of time together over the next couple days, so might as well play nice in the sandbox.
His tanned body looked so good covered in sand.
"Jason is eight, and Michael just turned twelve."

"That answers one question." Unlike Daniel's arrogant smile, Cody's grin lit up his dark chocolate eyes, adding a layer of beautiful light.

The heat from his body made it hard to stay in neutral territory. Something about him had drawn her in that night, and dammit if the same sensations weren't tugging at her again.
Tugging—hell, dragging.
She inhaled slowly, ignoring his masculine scent. "Worst fake accent ever."

His eyes lightened further, milk chocolate now. "Touché, you caught me on that one. I'm from Wisconsin."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, God, that means you're a Packer fan."

His rich laughter broke down her defenses the tiniest of bits, and she rewarded him with a smile. "Certified cheesehead here. I bleed green and gold."

At the mention of blood, her memory flashed, and she couldn't stop herself from running her fingers along the area midway above his knee, centered on a muscled thigh. The warmth radiated through the tips and straight to her heart, the intensity holding her hand in place for moments longer than she intended. "I remember the red, not green and gold. Has it healed completely?"

His large hand covered her smaller one, pressing it to the area where the bullet had pierced his skin. "All healed."

Something in the tone of his voice hinted he might be stretching the truth. Compassion and concern for him directed her gaze to rest fully on his handsome face. "I hope that was the worst you had to endure while you served." She'd lain awake nights wondering and praying for his safety.

The temperature dropped a few degrees as he removed his hand. "I don't want to talk about it. If you were worried, you could've called to check in on me from time to time. Not like I asked you for a commitment or anything."

What could she say? Daniel's words from their encounter last year,
You broke my buddy's heart, by the way,
plagued her with guilt. She needed to regain control of this situation. "I'm sorry. I know. I'd like to at least try to explain."

"Drinks at the hotel bar after dinner?"

She shook her head. "I can't. I have to take the boys home after dinner and get them into bed."

"Can I come by after they've gone to sleep?"

The earnest look on his face broke her resolve—almost. "No, but I'll figure something out." She fought the urge to rub her temples. The preacher's words from her youth came back to haunt her.
Be sure your sins will find you out.

Not only had hers found her out, but her biggest one was sitting right next to her, unleashing every ounce of charm he possessed. If she wasn't careful, very careful, her sins wouldn't have to look for her again. She'd be wearing a neon sign advertising the biggest weakness in her life—Cody Jenkins.

*   *   *

"Cody, might I speak to you in private about the matter we were discussing earlier?"

Could the woman be any more obvious? His neck hurt from the whiplash she'd been giving him since the first time he saw her this afternoon. One moment she was the woman he remembered, warm, passionate, and caring. Then—
Bam!
—whiplash. The next moment, cold, distant, and a version of a prima donna who thought her shit didn't stink. Well, it was time to set the record straight and figure out what in the hell was going on with her.
With us.
"Yeah, sure." He turned to his buddy. "Hey, Daniel, Evelyn and I need to discuss some wedding surprises for you two. We'll be back in a bit."

"Surprises? What kind of surprises?" Melodie joined the conversation, her enthusiasm spilling out of every pore.

He loved seeing the future Mrs. Daniel so happy and had no intentions of bringing her down. Daniel, the lucky son of a bitch, had found "the one." His hope of finding that special someone faded with each passing year and each disappointing end to his few and far between relationships.

"If we told you, Mel, it wouldn't be a surprise." He winked before taking Evelyn by the elbow and leading her away from the party.

The cool evening air calmed his nerves. He'd been running scenarios and contingency plans all through dinner. Had she simply been looking for a hookup while out of the country on business? She'd told him she didn't normally engage in one-night stands, so why pick him? Time for some answers. "I'm listening."

"My husband had been having an affair for over a year when I met you."

Her words bristled the recent calm to his nerves. "So I was payback? He screwed someone, so you screwed me?"

She physically recoiled and shook her head. "No. No, that wasn't it at all."

"Then what?" His eyes were drawn to her chest as she inhaled and exhaled. He remembered the steady way her heart beat as his head rested on her perfectly rounded breasts after making love.

"I was lonely and hadn't enjoyed the company of another man, much less intimacy in so long. I'm sorry. This is coming out all wrong."

Tears brimmed in her eyes, and he suppressed the urge to reach out and wipe them away before they slid down her flawless cheeks. "You needed comfort, sounds human enough. Nobody's perfect. Why me, though?" If the woman didn't answer the damn question soon, he might explode.

"Honestly?"

He closed his eyes briefly, to avoid her seeing them roll, before opening them to convey the seriousness of the moment. "I think it's high time we started telling the truth, don't you?"

She stared off into the distance, probably a thousand miles away when she finally spoke. "You showed me a side of myself I didn't know existed. For once, I wanted to experience living in the moment. No plans, no thinking, just right then and there." Her gaze settled on his again. "I can never thank you enough for giving me that gift, and I can't apologize enough for hurting you as I did. I've never done anything like that before…" Her sight line reverted back to the horizon. "Or since."

Well, shit, that was probably one of the best compliments a woman had ever paid him. He stepped closer, his protective instinct surging and demanding he hold her. Before he could utter the words to accept her apology, she moved out of his reach.

"It can't happen again, though. I have responsibilities, and not thinking of the future is a luxury I can no longer afford. I'll do my best to make the next few days tolerable for both of us, and I would appreciate your cooperation." Cold, calculating, and delivered with less emotion than a waitress reciting the special of the day.

Whiplash.

The emotional fires he'd been stoking for her extinguished from the ice in her veins. He raised his hands in surrender. He knew what was missing from the woman he remembered now—a heart.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Cody was through playing nice for the night. Evelyn had managed to push every button he possessed, only this time they weren't the ones connected to his pleasure center. He muscled past Daniel, using his shoulder to physically move him out of the way. His only goal besides answers? A cold one from the fridge.

"Would you have agreed to be my best man if I did?"

"I…yes…no. Hell, I don't know." Cody took a swig of the newly acquired beer.

"There's your answer. You're my best friend. I knew about the history between you, but honestly, even I didn't recognize her at first. Trust me when I say the power suit and heels she wore when we were introduced last year provided damn good camouflage for the woman in the bikini you and I met. Our relationship didn't get off to a great start. Hell, I even used your history to…"

Cody stepped into the other man's personal space. Daniel may have a few inches on him, but that was where his advantage ended. "What do you mean you used it?"

"Relax. I privately confronted Ev to let her know I knew who she was and about her secret."

"You blackmailed her!" Irrational anger filled his veins, heating his blood to a boiling point.

Daniel shook his head, his hands raised in defense. "I used a tactical advantage to negotiate a temporary truce in exchange for assistance."

"Sounds like the very definition of blackmail to me. What did you need from her?"
If he disrespected her, I'll knock him out where he stands, regardless of his impending wedding.

"I needed her to back off Mel and get Marie to do the same. Have you met their mother yet?"

The explanation eased his temper a bit. He knew not all moms were as supportive as his had always been. "No, haven't had the pleasure. Why?" If the mom was like Mel, he didn't see a problem.

Daniel patted him sympathetically on the arm. "Hope you never do then. She's about three times worse than Evelyn."

"What's with Evelyn anyway? The woman I saw today isn't anything like the woman from those days on the beach."

"From what I remember and the little you've told me about your time with her… What is it you said? Something about heating up the night?" Daniel grinned. "All I know is she must be different when she's out of the country because her temperature ranges more on the chilly side here in the states. She's very driven. She was the youngest and only woman to make partner in her firm, highly successful, valedictorian—the list of her accomplishments is long. Perfection is the name of her game."

"She wasn't that way with me…at least not all the time. Today, though, the damn woman gave me a sore neck from jerking me back and forth."

"The divorce knocked her off her game, but I don't think it'll take too much time for her to get back on her feet."

"Nasty divorce?"

"Nah, appeared amicable to me." He shrugged his shoulders. "Though the ugliness of my divorce may have skewed my judgment on what's nasty or not."

Cody started to ask about the ex-husband's affair but thought better. He'd wait until Daniel mentioned it before sharing that tidbit of information. "Yeah, your ex made being difficult an art form. So, why did it knock her off her feet?"

"Divorce isn't easy, whether your ex is a pain in the ass or not. It's a big adjustment and sure as hell isn't perfect. From what Mel has told me, Ev's trying to keep it all together for the boys. Michael is angry and blames her. Jason isn't sure what to think and has been crying a lot. She's way outside her comfort zone on this one."

Cody clenched his fist, anger against a man he'd never met fueling the need to punch something. His heart ached for her pain and loss of control. Her losing control in the bedroom was one thing, but the distress he witnessed today showed how much she sucked at handling things when they weren't going her way. He sure as hell had never heard of an amicable divorce when there'd been a long-term affair going on.
Unless she'd been having one too…
He dismissed the thought. She'd said he was the first and last indiscretion. He believed her.

"Well, I'm not going to mess with her perfect little world. She made it clear she's done with me, so I'm done with her." He looked his best friend in the eyes. "I promise she and I will play nice throughout your wedding shindig."

"For what it's worth, I am at least a little sorry I didn't warn you. I couldn't risk you not being my best man tomorrow. I won't pull that shit again." Daniel lifted his fist toward Cody.

A bump between the army brothers sealed the agreement.

Cody slid his body onto the recliner, looking around at the open boxes sitting on the floor. "Thanks for letting me stay here while you're on the honeymoon."

He caught the key Daniel tossed him. "The couch is yours for as long as you need or until the lease runs up. Mel and I are going to start packing up the place when we get back but figure we've got some time before the final move for her to Mississippi. I wanted to rent the U-Haul and just stick everything in there and go, but Mel has been researching everything from the proper way to pack the boxes to different moving companies. I've learned it's best not to argue with her about such things. Truth is, I don't care as long as she and I are together. That's what matters."

"You're one lucky son of a bitch. You know that, right?" A twinge of jealousy pinched Cody right in the crook of his arm, just like his sister, Janice, did when they were kids. Thoughts of his sister warmed him. She still pinched him when he slipped into the typical older brother role. He looked forward to seeing his family again. They'd been able to spend a week together before he headed down to Illinois for Daniel's wedding. Being with them would help reground him in reality and restore a sense of normal to his life.

Daniel grinned. "Hell yeah, I know it. Be thankful I talked Mel into a new couch, though. Last one was lumpy as hell. I'm hitting the shower and then off to bed. Gonna call my fiancée and try to convince her one last time to meet me for some loving tonight."

"You know it's bad luck to see the bride after the rehearsal and before the wedding, right?"

"Bad luck doesn't scare me. Not having my bedtime story from my smoking hot librarian…that's just asking for trouble."

Cody tossed a pillow at him. "I'm sure you'll survive one night."

Daniel tossed the pillow back. "As long as it's not more than one night, you might be right. Sleep well, Babyface."

Though he wanted to sleep, the thought of his one night with Evelyn set the image of her aflame in his mind. Reaching for his portfolio, he carefully retrieved the worn piece of paper, smudged from wear. He'd carried it with him since their first night together. He'd memorized every detail. With intentional slowness, he traced his finger over the lines that captured Evelyn's naked form the one night she'd stayed with him. Soft curves, peaceful face, and long beautiful lines.

Despite what Daniel said, Cody knew the woman he'd met and spent time with in India…that was the real Evelyn. A woman worth fighting for. The question was…could he get the Evelyn he saw today to fight for her too?