by Marlie May
“I’m making pizza.”
“On the grill.”
“Yup.” I smiled at his amazed expression. “Frozen bread dough I set out earlier to rise. Fresh tomatoes, herbs, and spinach from Mom’s garden. Cheese. Artichoke hearts and Greek olives.”
Could a grown man drool?
“I have enough for you,” I added.
Cooper dropped his eyes to the packages of rolls and hot dogs in his hands.
I lightened my voice, letting my smile shine through. “Come on. You know you want some.”
“I do.” Huskiness whispered through his words.
Flustered by his tone, which I shouldn’t read as sexy, I turned, hoping he wouldn’t catch the color rising in my face.
Cooper came over to stand beside me. “Tell me what to do, then?”
“Inside the plastic bin in front of my tent, you’ll find a cutting board and a bottle of oil. Grab them, plus the bottles of spices. When the coals are ready, we’ll stretch out our dough.” As he turned away, I said, “Would you get the vegetables and pepperoni from the bigger cooler, too?”
Eli returned, and we popped open beers. While we grilled one side of our bread dough, we sat beside the cold fire pit in collapsible chairs and savored our brews.
I took pictures of the little girls I’d seen at the lake, who were playing with toy trucks in the dirt in the campsite next to ours. After, I pointed the camera my brother and Cooper’s way. “Smile, guys.”
Leaning his shoulder against Cooper’s, Eli stuck his tongue out and screwed up his face. Call me sneaky, but I tilted the lens at the last minute to get a full face shot of Cooper. For posterity. Nothing else.
We flipped our dough, added toppings, and left them to bake. Nothing made a stomach rumble more than the smell of bread, melted cheese, and fresh herbs floating in the air. I zombie walked to the picnic table with mine, salivating. After sitting, I dug in, chowing my way through my dinner in seconds. We each made another pizza, but my pace slowed before I finished half. I dropped the rest on my plate.
“Busy this week, Eli?” I asked.
“A few shifts.”
Eight months ago, when he got out of the Seabees, he moved home and took a job in security at a hardware store one town over from ours. He still hoped to find something that would use his military technical skills, but nothing had opened up yet.
I reached for the rest of my pizza, but found an empty plate. Cooper’s eyes gleamed, and he licked lips. My eyebrows flew upward. “There’s a fox in my hen house.”
Total innocence filled his face. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t believe you ate all of yours and the rest of mine. Where did you put it?”
He patted his flat belly. “I’m a growing boy.”
I bit back my smile.
“I can make you another.”
I’d only been teasing, something I couldn’t resist. “Make one for yourself, if you want, but I’m finished.” My stomach growls had receded. Roll me over to my camp chair, and I’d doze the evening away. I licked tomato sauce off my fingers.
“I’m full, too.” His eyes followed my movement before he stood and grabbed my plate. “I’ll do the dishes.” He dumped them into the unlit fire pit.
“There are no dishes.”
“I can wash the tongs, the cutting board.” Basin and sponge in hand, he walked to the water faucet on the edge of our campsite.
“Who’s up for cards?” I asked when he’d retaken his seat. “I’d love a game of cribbage.”
“Not me.” Eli grimaced at Cooper. “She wins every single time.”
I grinned. “That’s because I have precognition.” Cooper lifted his eyebrows, and I giggled. “I always know what the cards are before they’re flipped.”
“Not possible.” Cooper tossed a knowing look at my brother.
He didn’t believe me, huh? I reached across the table and grabbed the deck. “Care to take me on, big boy?”
“I’d love to take you on.”
His comment stirred up flutters in my belly, but I reminded myself he was only being friendly.
Eli stood. “Don’t do it, dude. She’ll slay you.”
“Maybe I want to be slayed.” Cooper turned on the bench to face me. “Two out of three sound good?”
“Sure.”
“I’m going swimming.” Eli rubbed his thigh. “The best exercise for my leg, according to my physical therapist.” He strode toward his tent. “You can massacre Cooper without me hanging around to witness the event, Ginny.”
“I’ve been known to win a cribbage game or two back at the base,” Cooper said. “I might prove your precognition theory wrong.”
“We shall see, won’t we?” I dumped out the pegs, then shuffled and cut the deck. Queen for me.
Cooper flipped a two. “See?” He sipped his beer. “You’ve got nothing on me.”
Leave it to him to crow about it. I snorted and handed over the cards. “Your deal.”
Eli emerged from his tent dressed in swim shorts, a towel looped around his neck. He bumped my shoulder as he passed. “Don’t be too hard on Coop.”
I chuckled and called out to my brother as he walked away, “If you hear him whimpering in his tent when you come back, ignore him. He’ll need privacy to patch up his wounded pride.”
After Eli left, Cooper did some slick moves with the cards, and I had to wonder if I’d be the one whimpering by the end of the evening.
“I’ll show you, sweetheart,” he said.
Sweetheart, huh?
“Guess I need to take an edge off this overconfidence of yours,” he added.
“I dare you to try.”
“Don’t even go there.”
I snorted. “What are you going to do about it, military man? Pull your weapon?”
“Utilize our Seabee motto,” he said smugly. “Can do.”
Lord, I wanted to explore what he could do. I flicked my hand at him. “Show me your worst, then.”
He dealt, and I handed him two cards for his crib. I split the deck, anticipating an eight or a seven to go with my run. In fact, I’d planned for it.
“Cool,” Cooper said. “A five.”
Not cool, because I’d given him two face cards. I led, and we placed cards back and forth, Cooper pegging last.
“Awesome.” When he looked up at me through his long lashes, my heartbeat surged. “I’m in the lead.”
“Just like in high school.”
He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
“You ran cross-country. Won first place in most of the school track meets.”
“You remember that?”
I remembered a lot about Cooper.
He blinked down at his cards. “Hmm.”
I cleared my throat before this got awkward. “My turn?”
“Yep.”
The long look he gave me made me squirm, because it implied he saw through to that secret place inside me that still found him attractive.
“I think you’re trying to mess with my mojo.” My voice came out breathless, but I couldn’t help it.
He slapped his palm to his chest. “Not me.”
I shook my finger at him. “No fancy tricks.”
We played a few more hands with Cooper maintaining an irritating lead. It matched his irritating smile that grew with each play. My card savvy had either fled for the evening or it had settled on Cooper, because the deck sure loved him. Not that I had true precognition, but I was able to predict the cards more often than not, to the frustration of my friends. It occurred to me that I might be eating my earlier bravado for dessert.
“Homestretch,” he said with too much enthusiasm, moving his peg. “You’ll never catch me.”
I scowled, a gesture that lost some of its oomph when my grin slipped through. Squeezing the cards, I closed my eyes. Give me a decent hand, please!
“Looking for some of that mojo?”
My lips quivered. If he wasn’t so cute, I’d growl. I peeked over my card
s, hoping to read his upcoming moves on his face.
“How’s that precognition working for you tonight?”
“I think it’s on vacation. Or swimming with Eli.”
“Who is no longer swimming.” My brother emerged from the darkness and paused beside us.
“How was the water?” I asked.
“Warm.” He tugged his towel from around his neck and stared toward the deep woods beyond our campsite. “When I was coming back from the lake, I could swear I saw someone behind our tents. But when I got close, I didn’t find anyone there, just random tracks. Whoever it was must’ve heard me and took off.”
Cooper frowned and started to stand. “Let’s scope it out.”
Eli dropped his hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “Thanks. Already did.”
“Just say the word, and I’m on it.” Cooper squinted into the dark a moment before settling back on the bench.
“Probably nothing,” Eli said. “The campground is packed this weekend.”
“True.” Cooper tapped the deck. “Pick a card, Ginny. This is your last chance to win this round.”
“I’m getting creamed,” I told Eli, pouting.
After the cut, Cooper dealt the last hand. “Warned you, didn’t I?”
The scowl I sent over my cards would’ve made a lesser man squirm. “I can’t figure out how you’re doing it.”
“Maybe I’ve got precognition.” He tapped his temple. “The next card will be a six.”
“Like that’ll happen.” I flipped the card over. Six. My exhalation shot hair off my face.
Eli set a water bottle on the table. He scrolled through his phone before tucking it into his pocket. “I’m going to bed.” His gaze slid between us. “Don’t squeal too loud when you lose, Ginny.”
I stiffened. “I’m not losing.”
“Looks like it to me.” Eli grinned and entered his tent, totally missing the pretend stake I threw at his back. His air mattress squeaked as he settled his body for sleep.
“You lead.” Cooper flicked the back of my cards.
I fidgeted during the next few plays but couldn’t make headway.
“And home,” Cooper said, pegging through to the end. His warm smile drew me in. “Another game?”
“I don’t have enough pride left for more defeat.” Rising, I headed to my tent for my toothbrush.
Cooper came around the table, meeting up with me. “Bed, then?” His eyes darted down my front.
Why did I picture us naked inside my tent? I’d never been a woman who hopped into the sack with someone without getting to know him first. But I knew Cooper. Or I had as a teenager. This man? Not as much as I’d like to.
“Sweetheart?” Cooper murmured.
“What’s with the sweetheart talk?”
“Just being friendly.” He leaned close to my ear. “You’re sweet, so it seems appropriate.”
With that parting shot, he ducked inside his tent.
4
Cooper
Flirting with Ginny thrust me deep into dangerous territory. Not only because I risked handing over that part of my heart she’d captured back in high school, but because of the promise I’d made to her brother.
Why had I agreed to leave her alone? At this point, I couldn’t be with her a second without dying to touch her. I wanted to tilt her chin and cover her mouth with mine.
After ditching my clothes inside my tent, I settled on the air mattress and stared at the canvas ceiling. Moonlight filtered through the trees, creating camo patterns on the dark material.
Being back in Maine sure screwed with my head, which was why I’d never returned. Not that Dad sent an invitation. He’d cut me off completely.
When Mom was alive, we’d done family things together, like fishing and hiking. Once she was gone, Dad and I butted heads worse than cliff-side rams. The one drink Dad normally had after work soon turned into straight-old drinking from the bottle. Hangovers made it hard to get up in the morning, and Dad lost his job at the mill. We’d lived on the settlement from Mom’s accident until it ran out, but after that, only I could hold down a steady job. Working in a grocery store paid a few bills, as did his disability check, but what was left didn’t do more than put boxed macaroni and cheese on the table.
Alcohol stole my loving father and turned a decent man mean.
Get your shit off the table, became my notice to finish my homework and go to bed.
I’m not footing the bill for your clothes, Dad said when I asked to use some of my own money for jeans or a shirt.
Don’t shove that in my face, was my reward when I tried to show Dad the high grades I got in school.
Never should’ve bothered trying to impress my father.
After Dad skipped my graduation to blur Mom’s memory with Johnnie Walker, I’d had enough. A cup of water woke Dad fast, and his blistering anger turned the final trick on my future. Dad kicked me out of the house, telling me never to return, that I was crap-for-a-son and that I could make my own way in the world. He’d been right. I’d done well in the military, moving up through the ranks, making Chief.
And I was a fool to keep rehashing this. My father was dead. Nothing could change now, except me.
Light footsteps crunched outside. I hadn’t heard Eli or Ginny unzip their tents. When the steps crept closer, I frowned. A popping sound, followed by shuffling, suggested someone was going through our belongings. We hadn’t brought much, but I refused to let someone steal what little we had. I slipped from my sleeping bag. Barefoot, I emerged from my tent in time to catch a dark streak running from our campsite.
“Hey,” I yelled. Sticks gouged my feet as I raced after the man.
The guy entered the path leading toward the lake and disappeared into the shadows.
I pushed for speed, hitting the path at a dead run, but when I tripped, I slowed. I ran all the time, but not without proper gear. Give me sneakers, and the thief sure wouldn’t outdo me on any day.
Someone rushed up behind me and hit me in the back of the head. Grimacing, I dropped to my knees, cussing. As quickly as he’d arrived, the guy faded into the woods. I struggled to rise, furious with myself for not sensing he was near. This might be a rural campground, but I could still get hurt. Not paying attention could see me killed.
I rubbed the back of my head and groaned. No blood I could tell; just a bump and a headache that would hit me soon. I squinted around, hoping to hear something that would tell me in which direction to give chase, but the perp appeared to be gone.
It would’ve been great to catch him. Then I could’ve returned the favor of a knock on the head before I made it clear I wouldn’t tolerate stealing any more than assault.
Since there was nothing I could do, I limped back to the campsite, rubbing my skull while cursing every stick and rock my feet met along the way.
The plastic cover lying on the ground told me the guy had pawed through the kitchen bin outside Ginny’s tent. The intrusion sent anger rumbling through my chest all over again, and I stooped down to pick up her things.
As I was returning to my tent, Ginny unzipped her entrance flap and tucked her upper body out. She’d braided her hair, and it hung past her shoulder in a thick, golden rope.
I straightened and faced her, doing my best not to notice how little clothing she wore. Just a skin-tight tank and what looked like minuscule shorts.
I wore even less, just cotton boxers.
“Everything okay out here?” she asked. “I heard something.”
“Someone was going through your kitchen things,” I said. “I chased them, but they got away.” No need to mention the blow to the back of my head. I didn’t want to worry her, and I wasn’t truly hurt. The military had delivered harder hits in the past.
“Oh.” She frowned and darted her gaze around. “You sure they’re gone?”
“For now. Probably looking for something easy to steal.”
“I didn’t bring anything valuable. Whatever I can’t bear to lose is locked up inside Eli�
�s Jeep.”
Smart.
Ginny fidgeted with her braid. “I guess things will be okay as long as you guys…oh.” Her gaze slid down my body, and she blinked. “You’re, umm…”
Wearing next to nothing. The moon didn’t shed much light, but I could swear I saw color filling her face as her attention zoned in on the front of my boxers.
“I, uh…” I said. Maybe I should’ve thrown on more clothing before leaving my tent.
“You all right?” Her words came out breathless, but I was the one who’d been running.
“Sure.” Absolutely not. I wanted to nudge her back inside her tent and beg to follow.
Her tongue touched her upper lip.
Groaning, I turned away. “Let me know if you hear anything out here, okay?” Without waiting for her reply, I bulled my way inside my tent.
“Night,” Ginny called out softly as I yanked up the zipper.
I dropped onto my back on my mattress, ignoring the sleeping bag. Chilling down had become a top priority. Swearing, I rolled onto my side and quietly hissed out a marching cadence until things returned to semi-normal.
Yeah, Ginny had noticed me. Who wouldn’t notice a nearly naked man standing around in his boxers? While other guys might read her breathlessness as interest, I didn’t dare take the chance. This wasn’t just about the promise I’d made to Eli, but about my past.
Verbal abuse could gut a man. I didn’t have a damn thing to offer a special woman like her, outside of leaving. Next week, I’d finish cleaning out my father’s house and hand it over to a realtor. If there was anything left after I paid the back taxes, I’d buy myself a pizza. I’d soon deploy overseas and then return to my base in California to prepare for my next mission.
Ginny would continue her life here in Maine.
Without me.
5
Ginny
Rough hands grabbed my arms. A second man covered my mouth, smothering my cry. His fingers reeked, and my throat filled with bile.
They shoved me forward.
“Bizimle gel!” Turkish, and I didn’t understand.