“That’s good,” Mick said.
Should she say more? None of these guys seemed like the type to try to take her down a peg. They all seemed secure with who they were. In the military she had to watch who she told stuff to. Most of the people she served with were great, but not everyone was on the same level. Here with Link, she figured she could be herself and none of the guys would tell her she was stupid for wanting more.
"I could get a job doing translation work, but I'm not well-versed in technical jargon, so it would have to be for something like politics. I might be able to translate for businesses, but that would be difficult."
Stanley took a seat across from her. “How did you get into translation work?”
"Before going into the military, I spoke a couple of languages. Then I picked up a few more while I was in."
"That's cool. We all try to learn some phrases, but not everyone can pick them up," Stanley said.
Mick rolled his eyes. “It’s me. I have issues with a few languages.”
She shrugged. “Not everyone can pick up new languages. It’s hard to think in a new language. Speaking multiple languages allowed me to have some good jobs in the Marines.”
“Not good enough to stay, though. Right?” Keel asked.
She shook her head. "Maybe if I'd gone into a different branch of service, I might have stayed longer. Maybe not. I think it just wasn't a great fit for me, not long-term."
Link took her hand and squeezed. “I’m glad you got out.”
Her cheeks heated as his meaning hit her. If she’d stayed in, there was no way they would have gotten together.
She squeezed his hand, glad she was here with him. His friends were nice, and she could see this working out long-term.Maybe she was jumping the gun, but it felt right being here with him.
Chase flipped the burgers, causing the fat to sizzle, drawing the attention away from her. She glanced up but didn’t miss the look on Keel’s face. She got the feeling that the man didn’t like her, and she didn’t know why. Maybe it wasn’t anything, but she hoped it didn’t become an issue.
Chapter 23
The afternoon was nice.Link’s friends were great. Keel didn’t say anything negative and left early. She wanted to ask Link if he thought it was a problem, but decided not to broach the subject until after they got home.
The were having a good time and the talk was friendly so they stayed at Chase’s house until almost five. She insisted on helping clean up before she left, saying she couldn’t sit while they cleaned. Being with Link’s friends was nice and reminded her of the good friends she’d had in the Marines.
Link lived close to Chase, so it only took a few minutes to get back to Link's place. Link said he needed to work out, and for a moment she thought about joining him, but decided against it since she was still sore from the jogging they'd done earlier that morning. Instead, she decided to check her email.
There weren’t too many emails to parse through. As she was sorting through what to read and what to trash, she opened an email without a subject. The first line sent chills through her. The threat was there in black bold letters. Whoever had sent the email didn’t know she’d left California. It had to be from Pete.
No way would she respond. Pete didn't deserve any attention from her. She wished he would just accept the evidence the police had given him. Maybe he hadn't watched the video of Craig dying. That video had been emblazoned in her brain, though she wished she could forget the footage.
She didn’t delete the email, but she moved it to another folder that she didn’t look at often. If something happened to her, at least the emails would still be on her computer.
A shiver worked through her. She hoped nothing would happen to her, but with a guy like Pete thinking she was guilty just because she’d dated his brother, something was bound to come up, eventually.
Link finishedhis run and did another fifteen burpees. He was hot and sweaty, but he felt good. There would have to be a workout in the morning, but he really wanted to spend time with Ansley.
When he stepped inside, he didn’t hear her, but knew she had to be around somewhere. Then he heard a noise that sounded like it was coming from the guest room. He filled a glass with water and took a long drink.
“Hey, you’re back,” Ansley said as she came out into the den.
“Yeah. I should shower. Do you want to watch a movie tonight?”
“Oh, so you want to see if our film choices match.”
Link liked her sense of humor. “It will match.”
Laughter spilled from her lips. “I like your confidence, but you shouldn’t be so sure. I could be into esoteric movies that challenge reality.”
Link shook his head. "Nope, not buying it." He set down his glass and took off his shirt, heading to the laundry room. Usually, he stripped and dumped all of his workout gear into thewashing machine before going to shower. With Ansley here, it wouldn't be the wisest move.
