“But Jake, dude, do you really like Harper? Is it more than just the banging?” He frowned at me.
I lifted a shoulder. “I wish I could say no, that it’s just convenient, but ... yeah. I like her. I like her a lot. We get along, and we have fun. But it’s not a big deal, and she doesn’t want to make it one.”
Both men studied me until I squirmed, feeling like a bug under a microscope.
“Jake, as long as I’ve known you, I don’t think you’ve ever dated any woman more than a week or two.” Max shook his head. “That’s not much different from the rest of us. We all have had our fun over the years.”
Owen cleared his throat. “Some of us are still having fun.”
“Yeah, I know. But we’re talking about Jake here. He’s found someone he likes, and it’s been ... how long? Two months?”
I nodded. “Yeah. About that.”
He grinned at me. “Maybe this is it for you, man. Maybe it’s time.”
“She’s not interested,” I blurted out. “She ... I promised her, no strings.”
“She might have changed her mind, too.” Max tapped on the corner of my desk. “Girls do that. Samantha felt the same way at first, you know. We weren’t going to be serious. But we both realized that we wanted something more.” He paused. “Having a real relationship doesn’t mean your life is over, Jake. It usually means the best part of your life is just beginning.”
“But what if she doesn’t want a relationship, and I say something, and then she doesn’t let me bang her anymore?” I grimaced. “Then I end up getting the worst end of the deal. No fucking, no girlfriend—nothing.”
“Maybe work up to it slowly,” Owen suggested. “Like, don’t go in gangbusters, telling her you want things to change. Ease into it. Make her see it could work before you even bring it up.”
“The man’s got a point.” Max nodded his approval. “Owen, maybe we need to find you someone, too. You give good advice.”
Owen spread his hands. “I’m always looking, man. Haven’t found anyone yet who’s been willing to take me on.”
“It’ll come when you least expect it, trust me.” Max rubbed a hand over his short hair. “Hey, not to change the subject, but I was coming over here to talk with you about Derek. Samantha and I stopped by to see him yesterday, to drop off some cookies and talk to him about being in our wedding. Holy shit, things are bad over there.”
I felt a little guilty. After we’d all spent that one Sunday with him a few months back, I’d promised myself that I’d be better about visiting him and forcing him back into mainstream life. But I’d been preoccupied, and so my interaction with my friend had been reduced to the occasional text. I knew I needed to do better.
“What can we do?” Owen stretched out his legs, crossing his ankles. “We can’t make him do anything he doesn’t want.”
“Right. But I talked to Colonel Debbings, and she said Derek’s got one more chance to pull himself together and work with this new physical therapist. If he blows off this appointment, they’ll start the ball rolling to discharge him medically.”
“Shit.” I sighed heavily. “What are we going to do?”
“I’m thinking we’re going to have to make sure he gets to those first visits. We have to find out when they are and drive him there. He might be pissed as hell, but it’s for his own good.”
“Count me in.” I leaned back in my chair. “Just text me when I need to pick him up, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Excellent.” Max turned to leave. “Oh, and Jake, I feel like I need to say this: you’re my friend, my fellow soldier, and I’ve always got your back. But if this deal between you and Harper fucks up anything with Samantha and me—if it makes my girl at all unhappy, your ass is mine.”
He looked so serious and fierce that I was legitimately freaked for a moment. “Message received. Don’t worry. I think I have some ideas to bring her around to my way of thinking and make everyone happy.”
* * *
Late that night, Harper and I were lying in her bed, after I’d just made her come for the third time. I had my hands behind my head, staring up at the ceiling as I thought about what Max had said.
“Hey, have you had many long-term relationships?” I hadn’t meant to speak aloud, but apparently now my mouth was operating independently of my brain.
“Random much?” Harper’s voice was sleepy. “But if you want to know ... no. I haven’t. There was one guy I dated for a year in high school, but then we graduated, and neither of us wanted to do the long-distance deal. We parted as friends. Still are, I guess, though I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Hmmm.” I frowned.
“How about you?” She shifted a little; her head had been resting on my chest, but now she tilted her chin up, as though to look at my face. I felt the brush of her hair on my neck, but I didn’t move my own gaze toward her.
“Ah ... pretty much the same, I guess.” I swallowed, wondering why the hell I’d opened this can of worms. Still, we’d promised honesty, and I didn’t want to break that agreement. Also, I was hoping this might be step one in my long-term plan to ease Harper into the idea of ... us. “Except instead of breaking up with my high school steady, I married her.”
