Model Marine

by Candace Havens

  His mother waved a hand. “Darling, you know I love you, but the only person in the world who cared about those photos was you. My guess is you’ve been beating this poor boy to the ground because you feel you’ve been embarrassed in some way. Am I right?”

  “I don’t have time for this nonsense.” The general walked into the bedroom and slammed the door.

  “Mom, you shouldn’t do that. It isn’t worth it.”

  She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t you tell me how to handle your father. I’ve been married to that man for thirty years. And he loves me because I’m the only who does stand up to him.”

  Will rubbed his temple with his forefinger and thumb. “Well, don’t do it when I’m involved. In the end it backfires on me. I can take it but it isn’t worth it. He’s trying to tell me who I can and can’t date. I don’t like him involved in my business. I should have never agreed to this special assignment. I was better off in Iraq.”

  His mother blanched and her hand went against her chest. “Don’t you say that. The two weeks you’re here are the only respite I’ve had in eight years. I worry about you all the time when you’re over there. I—” She took a deep breath. “I’m not going to be one of those weepy mothers. But it’s hard for me, knowing that every day you put your life in danger.”

  He wanted to beat his head against the wall for upsetting her. His mother was the one person in the world he could count on. She’d been there for him when no one else had been.

  “Sorry, Mom. You know I didn’t mean it like that. I just get so tired of him being the general. I’d like to have my dad back some day.”

  She reached out a hand and patted his shoulder. “I know, honey. And while he will never admit it, he’s proud of you—even more so now that you were chosen to be one of the attachés. By the way, he had nothing to do with it. The orders came down from higher up. They’re watching you, son, and it has nothing to do with your father.”

  That surprised Will. He thought for sure his father was meddling in his life again.

  “Wait, did you say he was telling you who to date? Does that mean there’s a woman in your life? You have to tell me.”

  Will shook his head. “If I did have a woman, Dad just scared her away by interrogating her, so it’s a moot point.” That wasn’t a lie. “I’ve got to go now. Love you.” He kissed her cheek again.

  He was luckier than most. His dad could be a pain but his parents were good people. He wished they’d stay out of his business. Every time he received a promotion or was picked for something like this detail, he wondered if his father had a hand in it. Will worked hard to earn the respect of those around him. When he led his men he was in the trenches with them and never asked them to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.

  He was six blocks away from the hotel standing in the snow before he even realized he’d left.

  Distractions.

  His father was right. He didn’t need any of this at the moment. He had to break it off with Hannah. She deserved someone better—someone who could put up with her fly-by-night lifestyle and be there for her. Will couldn’t be that person right now. He wasn’t sure if he ever would be. When he did find the right woman, he wanted a stable home and a family. Hannah was embarking on a huge career. They weren’t right for each other. It was as simple as that.

  Now he needed the courage to call her to do the deed.

  7

  THE ELEVATOR DOOR TO the penthouse squeaked open and Hannah lifted her head to see Anne Marie carrying two cups of coffee. “Hey, boss? I brought you the good stuff.”

  “Thanks.” Hannah sat cross-legged on her couch working on sketches.

  “I didn’t want to bug you, but this is— It’s really important.” The shaking nerves in Anne Marie’s voice had Hannah setting down the sketchpad.

  “You have my attention.”

  “I need to ask you a question but you have to stay calm when I do.” Anne Marie’s eyes were guarded. When she set the coffee down on the side table her hand shook. The only time her friend ever showed emotion was when she’d felt she’d done something wrong. Years of living in foster care had given her a complex—she always needed to be perfect in everything she did. And she usually was. The mistake with the male models, which wasn’t her fault, was the first time she’d seen her visibly upset.

  Anne Marie was the rock and the fixer.

  This isn’t good.

  Hannah’s shrugged, trying to keep things calm. “The last time you said something like that I had to borrow two marines off the street to save my show and I almost ruined their lives.” The words were harsher than she meant. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Tell me.”

  Her assistant director’s jaw tightened and her eyes closed as if she were praying.

  “Just spit it out,” Hannah blurted. Temper had never been a problem for her but the universe had been slightly wicked to her lately with the super highs and scary lows, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. She remembered her vow from earlier in the day. She wouldn’t be that crazy person ever again.

  Don’t shoot the messenger.

  Remember you aren’t that person. You care about Anne Marie and she would do anything to please you.

  Hannah reached out and tugged Anne Marie’s hand so she had to sit on the sofa with her. “I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. I’m running on four hours of sleep over two days and I’m not quite myself. I promise no matter what you say I’ll be Zen.”

  Anne Marie gave her a tight smile as if she didn’t believe her. “Do you have the sapphire dress, the sunshine blouse and the denim skirt somewhere up here?” The words rushed out of her mouth so fast, Hannah had to hit the replay button in her head.

  “No,” Hannah answered, her voice a whisper. It was the only way she could keep from screaming.

  The other woman’s hands balled into fists and she jumped up dancing from foot to foot. “This is bad. Like end-of-the-world, accidentally-jumped-into-a-black-hole suckage.”

  Hannah counted to fifteen, as ten simply wasn’t enough.

  “First—” she forced her voice to be calm “—you need to cut back on those sci-fi and dystopian films you’ve been watching. Whatever it is, it isn’t end-of-the-world bad. Second, take a deep breath. You know how easy it is for clothes to get misplaced on a rack. Or maybe someone accidentally boxed them and they are in the back of the warehouse.”

  Anne Marie leaned forward. “Hannah,” she cried. “Don’t you think I checked everywhere before coming up here to bug you? I mean, I’m the organized one. I’m the one who doesn’t let things like this happen. I’m the one—”

  Hannah held up her hand. “Wait! We’ll find them together. You are the organized one and we’ll systematically go through everything together. I’m surprised you are even here. I thought maybe you guys were going to take half a day off?”

  “There’s too much to do before the buyers come in for their appointments. I was in the middle of getting the racks set up when I realized we were missing items. I grabbed the inventory sheet and that’s when—” The last word was a sob.

  If Anne Marie cried, Hannah wasn’t sure she could hold it together. “You know what? We are both exhausted. I bet you accidentally overlooked something. Let me change and drink some coffee and I’ll help you search. Also, call a staff meeting. Let’s pull in everyone to help. We’ll go through every box in the warehouse if we have to, but you stop worrying. Everything is going to be okay.”

  Hannah’s cell phone rang. When she saw it was Will, she didn’t want to answer but her finger clicked the button anyway.

  “Hello?” Her voice was shaky. Hannah wondered if it was because of what Anne Marie just told her or the fact that Will was on the other end.

  “Hey. I was wondering if I could talk to you.” He sounded serious. Great, he was calling to tell her that he couldn’t see her anymore. She couldn’t blame him. She’d caused him so much trouble. But the timing sucked.

  “Hannah?”
>
  “Sorry. I’m in the middle of a crisis right now. Can I call you back later?”

  “What kind of crisis?” Will’s concern was clear. Why in the hell did he have to be so nice?

  “Um, look, I appreciate you acting like you care but you don’t have to pretend. You can’t see me anymore. I get it, I do. No hard feelings on my part at all. I met your dad. I know how this goes. You’re a great guy and I’ll be eternally grateful for what you did. I’m really sorry I put your career in jeopardy. But right now I have to deal with this.”

  There was a slight pause.

  “Okay, well have a nice—” She was about to hang up.

  “I asked you what kind of crisis.” Will’s steely reserve didn’t give up.

  “Will, really—” This would be so much easier if he would just hang up.

  “Hannah.” There was an edge to his voice.

  “We’re missing some of the clothes from the show last night and there are buyers who will be coming over tomorrow to sift through designs and put in their orders. Editors will be coming in to see what they might want to feature. My collection isn’t that big, so missing pieces are kind of a big deal.” Hannah’s gut churned. Saying the words out loud made it all seem too real.

  “Missing like lost? Or stolen?”

  Stolen? Oh, no. She hadn’t even thought of that.

  “I…have no idea,” she said honestly.

  “I’ll be there in half an hour.” The line went dead.

  Hannah watched her phone as if it were a tarantula ready to bite.

  “So, that was Will?” Hannah had forgotten Anne Marie was standing next to her.

  “Yes. He’s going to be here in a bit. What time are the buyer appointments?”

  “First one was at two today, but I pushed everything to Monday. I told them you were busy with press. You know how they all love clothes with buzz, so it actually worked in your favor.”

  “Great thinking and one of the many reasons I love you. Call the shop and warn Kathryn and Brenda that we might need to re-create some of the samples.”

  “But—” Anne Marie began to interrupt.

  Hannah swallowed hard and prayed her voice didn’t squeak when she spoke. “I know the beading on sunshine is seventy hours alone. Tell them to start with the skirt. That will only take them a few hours. Hopefully, we’ll find everything and then we’ll have duplicates. I should have done that in the first place, in case something was ruined during the show.”

  “No, I should have thought of that.” Anne Marie looked grim.

  “This is not your fault. My goodness, you were nuts at the show trying to keep up with the models, the press and the guests. I don’t know how you do it. I should have double-checked to make sure everything was packed and labeled correctly before we left.”

  Anne Marie rolled her eyes. “No, you are the designer. You sketch and create. I take care of the business. This is on me and don’t even try to say it isn’t. You tell me all the time I’m a machine and that’s what makes me special. I just flat-out screwed up and it isn’t the first time in the last twenty-four hours.” Her friend’s voice was hoarse.

  “Oh, don’t be upset because you know I won’t be far behind. You are my amazing machine. That photographic memory of yours is going to help us get back on track and we are going to figure this out. Now go. Do your thing and rally the troops.”

  Anne Marie gave a small salute and turned to leave.

  “Uh…?” Hannah wasn’t sure how to say it.

  “Yes.” The other woman turned back to Hannah.

  “Will is going to be here so let’s not do any more saluting. I don’t want to risk accidentally insulting him. They’re kind of particular about that sort of thing.”

  “Got it!” Anne Marie curtsied.

  If her life wasn’t in such a terrible mess, Hannah might have smiled.

  “YOU’RE AN IDIOT,” whispered Will as he thumped his head lightly against the bathroom door. What was he thinking? She’d given him an out. Told him that she understood and it caused his stomach to sink with despair. The idea of never seeing her again wasn’t an option. So he’d volunteered to help her.

  Yes, it isn’t like you have world leaders to protect or anything.

  What had his father said about distractions?

  He shoved his shirt into his jeans and opened the door. Rafe was at the desk typing on the computer. They’d finished the revised plans and now Rafe was making sure everyone knew where they had to be at the appointed time.

  “Why were you beating up the door?”

  “I have to help Hannah.”

  Rafe stood. “But the general said—” He cut himself off. “Did she call you?”

  “No. I was setting up a meeting with her so I could break it off and, well, there’s nothing really to break off. We just met. In fact, I think she was trying to give me any easy out. But she was upset about some of her clothing that has possibly been stolen.”

  “You know I’m in. When do we go?”

  “There is no we. You aren’t getting in any deeper. One of us needs to stay out of trouble. If the general gets wind of this, I’m not bringing both of us down.”

  “What’s to find out? We’re going to her shop, I would assume, to talk with her. There’s no harm in that. Besides, we work well as a team.”

  Rafe had a point. Plus it would be easier to keep Hannah at arm’s length with his friend there. His first instinct on hearing the panic in her voice had been to reach through the phone and fold his arms around her. Yes, having Rafe as a buffer wouldn’t be such a bad thing. His friend was excellent at staying on task, especially in the middle of a crisis.

  When Will had been shot the first time, it was Rafe who helped him keep the men organized. He only had to whisper orders and Rafe made sure everything was done. His friend’s quick thinking had helped them out of a tight situation. And the pressure he kept on Will’s shoulder where the bullet had punctured an artery probably saved his life.

  “Sir?”

  His head shot up. “It’s your funeral, Marine. We do this and it’s on the covert. Got it?”

  Rafe smiled as he loaded his laptop in the backpack he carried everywhere. “Sir, yes, sir.”

  Will grimaced. “Cut the crap. These are artsy types and I don’t want you making them nervous. They have to be coddled. When we’re around her people you’re my friend, Rafe.”

  “Yep, but I like giving you a hard time.”

  “That you do.”

  Two subway rides later they were in front of her shop. He tried not to think about the way she kissed him. Or the way she smelled of exotic flowers. The look in her eyes when she—

  “Sir?”

  “Stop calling me that when we’re alone.”

  “Habit. I think you have to push the buzzer. Unless one of them is psychic.”

  Will gave him a withering look and tried not to notice Rafe’s grin.

  He pushed the buzzer and though they didn’t hear anything, the door clicked open. They stepped into a darkened hallway as Hannah came around and switched on the light.

  “That’s not very good security letting anyone who buzzes in.” Will’s words sounded accusatory. He’d spoken as if he was talking to one of his men.

  Her eyes narrowed and she pointed behind him. “Security cameras.”

  She turned on her heel and didn’t give him another glance.

  “Smooth,” he heard Rafe whisper.

  Why did he ever think it would be a good idea to bring his friend along? Hannah was angry with him now. Why couldn’t he have at least said hello?

  Rafe cleared his throat, which propelled Will into action as he followed Hannah through the hallway.

  8

  HANNAH HAD TO ADMIT it was a rocky start with Will that evening but his and Rafe’s mad detective skills genuinely impressed her. At first he’d been grumpy but then they’d both jumped in and organized everyone into groups. In less than an hour they’d talked to all of her employees about the show. Raf
e had even called all the models they used to see if they had seen anything. Through the staff’s accounts, the marines discovered there was a five-minute window when the clothes might have been taken.

  Lincoln Center—where her show had been—was a high-traffic area, especially during Fashion Week, and there were cameras staged at almost every street corner and on most of the buildings. Rafe was on the phone with his friend Tag, who worked with the NYPD. Once they had determined when the designs were taken, Will had insisted they bring in the police to make if official.

  “Tag says they’ve narrowed it down to two video clips,” Rafe said. His cell phone was in the crook between his ear and shoulder as he pulled out his laptop. “Some of the other cameras were either too far away or were angled wrong. He’s sending them over.”

  Hannah took a deep, cleansing breath.

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” Will said from behind her. “The cameras have to be at just the right angle for us to pick up anything.”

  “Are you always this negative?” The words left her lips before she could stop them.

  He didn’t flinch but his eyes blinked quickly as if she’d slapped him.

  The studio, which was swarming with “her people,” as Will called them, was silent.

  Jeez, Hannah. He’s helping you and this is the way you thank him.

  “There’s no excuse for that,” she said quickly. “I’m really tired and worried. Again. No excuse.”

  Will winked at her. “It’s okay. I’m a marine. I can take it.”

  For the first time in several hours she smiled. Everyone on the other side of the room laughed and started talking again. Anne Marie, Jesse and Kayleigh were there, along with some of the other interns and warehouse staff.

  “For the record, I’m pragmatic,” Will said. “I saw how excited you were and I wanted you to be prepared.”

  Reaching out a hand she touched his forearm. The big muscle twitched but he didn’t pull away. If she were a weaker woman she would throw herself into those arms and bury her face in his oh-so-solid chest.