She raked her teeth across her bottom lip. “Either way, once I got all that out, he… He doesn’t really know what to say, you know? Like, my dad’s always been great at showing he’s there for me. Unless he’s been on deployment, he’s found a way to attendplays and recitals and spelling bees. But he struggles with the talking part.”
The latter was relatable.
“In other words, he’ll make sure I get the help I need,” she went on. “But now that he has the details, he won’t talk about this much. He’ll check in, of course. I’ll notice it by how often he wants to see me and so on. I’ll find him keeping an eye on me more.”
“He’ll want you close,” I deduced.
“Yes. So, uh…he wasn’t happy to hear I was thinking about finding a job here,” she said sheepishly. “He went all, ‘Young lady, I just got you back—now you’re puttin’ another hour between us?’”
I chuckled.
“But the way I see it, strike while the iron’s hot,” she explained. “He has no real attachments to the town he’s in now. After Mom died, he felt he couldn’t stay in Texas anymore because everything reminded him of her. So, with his ground job, he was approved for a transfer to Andrews.” That was certainly closer to DC. “That’s where I graduated from high school. I went to nursing school in Baltimore. This area became home to me. I have friends all over.”
“And a new manfriend.” I threw that out there.
She laughed and hugged my arm. “And a new manfriend,” she echoed. “But you know, my dad has friends here too. I could easily see him buying a small house outside the city madness. Besides, he’s been complaining about the size of his garage for as long as he’s owned the place. He wants a garage that fits two vehicles—the one he drives and the one he tinkers on.”
I’d heard he had a speedy little Edge 540 too. One of my favorite planes to fly.
“In short, while he’s focused on spending as much time as possible with you, you’re gonna get him to sell his house and move,” I said.
“I mean… I’m gonna plant the seed,” she replied. “I have limits for how sneaky I can get.”
“Reassuring,” I laughed.
I’d come to the Cajun Lounge for lunch countless times since they opened a couple years ago. The food was good. Everything came in a bowl, and I could just shovel the shit into my mouth. Perfect for when I was on the go. But the interior had bothered me. It was too dark, the tables and chairs were mismatched, and why the fuck would I want drapes hanging from the ceiling?
As it turned out…I did, when I was on a date with Kiera. Those drapes—combined with olive trees in giant pots, because that made sense—turned the busy lunch spot into something much quieter and divided the establishment into smaller sections. Weeks ago, I would’ve said our table was too small. Now, it was perfect because it brought us closer. I could essentially shut out the rest of the world and just focus on her.
“This is amazing.” She scooped up more gumbo on her spoon. “I love the chorizo. It’s got a nice kick to it.”
I nodded and dipped my bread in her bowl. My jambalaya was good too, but it didn’t have as much sauce.
“You can have this too.” She handed me her piece of bread. “I’ve seen you eat.”
I smirked and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
While I could never be accused of being a foodie, my portions were fairly big. A guy had to eat.
“I can think of only one thing that would make this lunch date better,” she went on. “If we had a puzzle to work on.”
Fuck me.
I stared at her.
Thatwas the way to this man’s heart. I mean, she’d helped me with my puzzles in Afghanistan, but I hadn’t been sure if she’d just been bored. Even though she’d told me she liked puzzles and sudokus.
“That’s plain dirty talk, baby. Keep it up,” I told her.
She laughed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Anyway. How’s your day going?”
That topic was less dirty. And much less fun. “Nothing much to report. I spent the morning in a debrief, and I talked to Doc. He’s happy to speak to you.”
Kiera tilted her head, curious. “Is that a thing? Does he talk with people you’ve rescued a lot?”
I shook my head. “It happens, but it’s more of a transition thing. If we’ve brought back someone who’s been held hostage, he takes over while arranging for a long-term recovery program.” I shifted in my seat, and I didn’t fucking know why the next words just tumbled out of me. “He was surprised I asked, though. He said, in his doctor voice, ‘This is unlike you, Hyatt. She must be special.’”
She smiled and let out a sigh. “James…it’s way too soon for me to have you firmly lodged under my skin.”
