Red placed his hands on her shoulders and introduced her to the man with the tight navy blue T-shirt and blue jeans. He was ripped with muscles, defined in his arms and even his abs. She could tell by the way his shirt sat snugly against his torso.
“Cash, I would like you to meet an old friend of mine. Cassidy Williams, this is my son Cash.”
She smiled wide and reached her hand out for him to shake. Cash held her gaze intently, and when their hands met and he squeezed, she felt an instant attraction. She pulled her hand away and stepped toward the bar.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Cash. Your father has told me so much about you.”
Cash leaned a little closer and held her gaze. It was as though he was sizing her up.
“Well, I’m sorry to say that my dad has kept you a secret. Never heard him mention you before.”
She felt her cheeks go warm, and then Red chimed in as Garrett passed out the bottles of beer.
“That’s because we hadn’t seen one another for a few years. But a week ago, at that retirement dinner, we bumped into one another,” Red stated with a smile.
“That was some night. But we had a good time catching up,” she replied.
Cash stared at her and then his father.
“So, how do you know one another?” Cash asked.
“The woman is the best ER trauma nurse in the U.S. Marine Corps,” Garrett stated.
Red raised his bottle of beer. “Sure as shit is.”
“Marine Corps?” Cash asked with an attitude, and that attraction she felt disappeared. Seemed he was like a lot of military guys, thinking she couldn’t handle the intensity. How wrong he was.
“Yes, son, she helped to save a lot of lives—”
“In the ER along with Dr. Reynolds. I wish he were here. He would love to see Garrett again.” She winked at Garrett.
“Hey, I was a different person then,” Garret said and began to tell them about how much of a jerk he’d been.
Cass looked at Red, who she hoped got the hint that she didn’t want anyone knowing what she had been a part of. She didn’t like bragging or being bragged about. She did her job. That was it.
Red gave her a nudge, and she made a few comments about Garrett, and then his brother, a Texas Ranger, arrived with a woman. She was beautiful and very nice as she joined them by the bar, and the men told stories about knowing one another. It was really cool and quite relaxing as some other patrons joined it. It was as if everyone knew one another and shared a common bond. She liked that and hoped it wasn’t a mistake heading here. The last thing she needed was to bring trouble this way and be embarrassed if Blaze showed up to harass her. But this was temporary. She wouldn’t be here for that long if it all worked out accordingly.
* * * *
Cash was impressed with Cassidy. She was very attractive, had a charismatic personality, and she was funny. She made several jokes that had them rolling with laughter, causing a larger crowd of people to join them. It was annoying him that he was losing involvement in the conversation until Red pulled over another stool, placed it right by Cash, and had Cass sit there.
She gave him a small smile then took the seat next to him. Cash inhaled the scent of her shampoo and some delightful perfume she wore. She was appealing in so many ways, and by the way these guys were drooling over her, she wouldn’t be going home alone.
For some strange reason, it pissed him off. Until his father invited her over for dinner tomorrow night after he helped her move her things into the cottage on his ranch. Cash felt a bit sick to his stomach. Was his father seriously going to hit on Cass? She was younger than Stryker by at least five years, if not more.
Red started talking to John Luke, so it gave Cash an opportunity to talk to Cass. He placed his arm over the back of her chair and leaned closer.
“Are you still a nurse now?” he asked her.
She licked her lower lip and turned toward him, legs crossed as she pulled her blouse closed, stopping the great view he had of her deep cleavage.
“Not anymore. I do private nursing and rehabilitation care.” He squinted his eyes at her and glanced at his dad, who happened to glance his way at the same time.
“Is that right?” he asked, wondering if his dad was thinking of hiring her to work with Stryker. He felt his gut clench and concern fill him. Stryker would eat this one alive, Marine or not. It didn’t sit right with him at all.
“Are you working nearby? Is that why you’re moving here?”
“No, I needed a change from Houston. Your dad mentioned Tranquility, and there is a small VA facility about thirty minutes north from here. I have options, plus I can commute back to Houston if necessary for temp jobs. Living here is only temporary. How about you? What do you do now that you’re retired from the Corps?”
“I work for the police academy in the training facility.”
“Training in handling weapons?” she asked.
“That and self-defense, hand-to-hand maneuvers and techniques.”
“Ah, interesting.” She smiled.
God, she’s so beautiful.
He stared at her mouth, her soft lips lightly glossed, and then those gorgeous hazel eyes. He was feeling things he didn’t want to feel. Hell, things he had never felt for a woman he’d just met.
“So you taking my dad up on his offer of moving in with him?” he asked her, and she looked a bit embarrassed. Was there something going on between Cass and his dad? Shit, why did that make Cash feel jealous and angry?
“I’m not moving in with your dad. He suggested the cottage on his ranch. It sounds really nice, but I’ll decide tomorrow afternoon when I come by for lunch.”
“You’re invited, too, Cash, and tell the others,” Red told him.
“I’ll see who is around tomorrow.”
“It’s Saturday. You’re all off. Tell them to stop by at any time. Cass will arrive by twelve, and we’ll check out the cottage together. It may need some work, but if Memphis joins us, then he’ll be able to check out the electrical on that air conditioning unit,” Red said to Cash.
Cash looked at Cassidy and gave a small smile. “Looks like I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”
“I guess I’ll be meeting some of your team.”
“Maybe,” he replied.
It made him feel protective. Him and his team. His brothers were close, and they’d survived by keeping up their guard. They’d had their share of women who came and went. None lasted more than a roll in the hay, especially with Stryker spitting vinegar. But he knew the guys well. Coast, Orlando, and even Memphis would be attracted to Cassidy. She was different, she was beautiful, and she was going to be living less than five hundred yards from their place. At minimum, Orlando would try to get down her pants.
That cottage on his dad’s property was nearly on the border of theirs. Hell, when they walked out on their back porch, they would be able to see her on hers. He swallowed hard. Why was he feeling a bit of excitement at seeing Cass again?
“So tell me about the guys. Do you all work on the ranch? Have any livestock or horses?” Cassidy asked.
“Memphis takes care of the horses and, in between, works some construction jobs and does electrical work for people around town. It’s more of a hobby to keep busy.”
“That great. I have to admit it can be hard to transition out of the service and back to civilian life. I guess that’s why I chose to work at the VA hospital in Houston. I didn’t want to become too far detached from the soldiers and helping.”
“You were in the field a lot?”
She nodded and looked away.
“You worked the triage for incoming wounded overseas?” he asked.
She nodded again but didn’t expand or even give a verbal reply. He stared at her, and then Red interrupted.
“You have got to see some of these old pictures on the walls, Cass. I bet you might recognize Frederick. Come on and I’ll show you.”
“Excuse me, Cash,” she said politely then headed through the
He watched her walk, her straight shoulders, her round ass snug and sexy in the jeans she wore. They were low on her hips, and as she raised her hand to run her fingers through her hair, he caught sight of what appeared to be a tattoo and some great abs. The blouse she wore didn’t quite reach her waist and revealed some tan skin. The woman was definitely sexy in a very classy way. He couldn’t imagine her being a Marine, working in triage, patching up soldiers all bloody and a mess.
The thought interested him, and then he felt the light shove to his shoulder.
“You want to come back to earth and join us, or are you too busy fantasizing about Lance Corporal Williams?” Garrett teased, and Ezekiel chuckled too.
Cash shook his head and turned toward the bar to find a full, cold bottle of Bud. He tipped it toward them.
“Thanks, buddy.”
“You looked like you could use something cold,” Ezekiel teased. Then he leaned forward. “I have never seen a Marine who looked like her. Hot damn.”
“That’s because she’s a nurse and worked in the ER. Not really in the field,” Cash replied as if she hadn’t impressed him much.
“That’s not true,” Garrett said.
“What do you mean?” Cash asked.
Garrett leaned closer. “I was airlifted to a triage unit outside of Iraq. It was Cassidy who worked with Dr. Reynolds to save my leg. She came to see me a few times when I was in recovery, and not because she had to. The other guys, even some who’d lost their friends, said that she’d been caught in a couple of intense situations. She worked the field. She went along on extrication missions in the Hueys to land, gather, and pull out any injured soldiers to begin immediate treatment on board. She’s the real thing.”
Cash took a sip of his beer and glanced in Cassidy’s direction and wondered if she really was.
Chapter 3
Stryker stared out the window in his bedroom. It took him several minutes to walk to the bathroom, then an hour to shower and then walk back into his bedroom. He was perspiring again from exerting himself.
This was his daily fucking routine. His life now that he’d gotten fucked up in battle. His joints hurt. His legs, his hips, and just about everything from the waist down. Never mind the damn headaches he got. He hated his life. He was a miserable fucking loser.
The knock on his bedroom door had him barking in annoyance.
“What?”
“I’m heading across the way to your dad’s place,” Memphis told him.
“So what?”
“You should come on over.”
“Why?”
“He has a friend who is going to be renting out the cottage.”
“I don’t care. Leave me alone.”
He heard the footsteps recede and knew that Memphis headed out. Stryker felt guilty for being such a prick to his team. They were all he had. If he were alone, he would have taken his life and ended the misery all ready.
As he stared out the window, catching Memphis walking across the way, he noticed his father come around from his house by the porch. Stryker had to do a double take. Was that a woman?
His old man never brought any women around. He left town for that kind of thing. Memphis had said…an old friend? He squinted, but he couldn’t get a good look from here. She appeared young, younger than him. She wore a skirt that flared at her knees and a pale tank top. Cash appeared by the cottage, smiling. Seems his brother had met the woman already. What was going on there?
He reached for the drawer, feeling the achiness in his arm. Pulling it open, he grabbed a hold of the binoculars, brought them up to his eyes, and played with the focus. His chest tightened. His window was open, and he felt the breeze caress against his skin just as that same breeze caused the woman’s hair to flow behind her and her skirt to lift. She grabbed a hold of the hem but not before Stryker got a good look at her long, toned thighs. She was very attractive. He brought the binoculars slowly up her body and caught her eyes. She was a little too far away to see if they were brown or green.
But he caught Memphis reach out to shake her hand, and then his father escorted her toward the front of the cottage.
Who was she, and why did his father have her looking at the cottage? If he was fucking her, why not just move her right into his bed in the house? Something wasn’t right. Stryker’s curiosity got the better of him as he waited patiently for all of them to exit the cottage so he could get a better look at the brunette.
* * * *
“This is very pretty and not too small at all,” Cassidy told the men as she walked around the small cottage.
Memphis, a very tall, tan, sexy cowboy, was looking over the wiring in the kitchen. He switched on the light, and that wasn’t working, and when he tried turning on the stove, it took a few times.
“I’d like Memphis to look everything over for you, Cassidy, before you move in. If you want, you can stay with me at the house. I have five other bedrooms to choose from,” Red offered, and both Memphis and Cash stood there staring between the two of them.
Memphis was looking at her like Cash was. Like she was sexually involved with Cash’s dad. It was insane. Not that Red wasn’t an attractive older man, but he could have been her father, and she had a lot of respect for him. She looked up to Red. They had shared that fearful time in Iraq a few years ago, and that was what made them close.
“I told you, Red, I’m good at the hotel for another few days, plus if this doesn’t work out, there are the two houses farther north I could rent.”
Not that she wanted to do that. She had to admit she felt safer being closer to where Red lived. Which was silly. She was a retired Marine. She had guns, was well trained. This insecure feeling was because of Blaze and his buddies. They’d actually pushed for her to accept Blaze’s aggression and abusive manner. Thank God she’d gotten away from Blaze before worse happened.
“Don’t be silly. I want to be nearby in case you need something. Having my sons and their team right across the way is perfect too. They’ll keep an eye on things.”
“I don’t need looking after. I have my gun collection, and I can take care of myself. Don’t you remember?” she teased.
“Yes I do. I’m just saying it would be nice to have a woman around here and someone to talk to about other things besides sports and trucks.”
“You have these guys.” She waved her hand toward Memphis and Cash in a joking manner. She was trying to lighten up the intense moment. It was as though Red was lonely for company, or maybe he’d read into their discussion weeks ago at the retirement party and then again after their phone call, when she’d partially told him about the bad relationship and needing to get away from Houston. He wasn’t stupid. Red had to figure the relationship was dangerous if she was willing to leave her posh job so quickly. Could he think that? She felt a bit panicked. She didn’t want to appear weak. Not ever in front of Red. Not when she had come through for him and his team.
“Yeah, what else is there to talk about?” Memphis said and winked at her but then watched Red.
“You know what I mean,” he added.
“No, Dad, what do you mean?” Cash pushed with his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest.
He was very attractive too. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea living so close to these retired soldiers. Perhaps she was asking for trouble. She’d had enough of that back in Houston.
“Don’t be a wise-ass, son. Memphis, how quickly can you look the place over and fix it up?”
Memphis looked at Cassidy, letting his eyes slowly roam over her body. She felt it everywhere and turned away to avoid looking as if he got to her with only his bold blue eyes. She ran her fingers along the wood by the kitchen counter. It really was a nice setup. It just needed a little paint and some other small things.
“I can get it done quick enough. She could be in here in the next few days,” Memphis told Red.
“Great. And if you want to paint the place, we can help with that too,” Red said.
“Oh, you don’t have to help. I can handle painting. I am between jobs right now so I have the time.” She also thought that all the work would give her something to do and keep her mind off of Blaze and whether he or his friends would find her.
“Okay then, let’s head toward the big house for lunch. Cash, are Orlando or Coast joining us?”
“Not today. They’re both working,” Cash said as Cassidy followed Red out of the cottage.
“We’ll be along in a minute. I want to go over a few things with Cash about the cottage and where to start,” Memphis told Red.
Cassidy glanced at him and Cash. Both men stared at her with interest in their eyes. She turned away, feeling more affected by two strangers than she’d ever felt with men she knew.
“You’re going to love it here, Cassidy. There’s a lot to do, and it’s relaxing. I know you don’t have any family. The guys and I are the same. It’s just us. When I lost my wife, Celia, years ago, I thought I wouldn’t even have a relationship with my sons. But we all suffered. I miss her every day, and especially now being retired. This was the time we were supposed to share together.”
“I’m sorry, Red. I’m sure it must be tough. I lost my parents when I was just a child. An aunt I hardly knew, and who didn’t have much herself, raised me. I think I survived because of the military. Like a lot of other young people in Alabama, entering the Marine Corps helped put food in my belly, educate my mind, and make me excel in becoming a nurse and gave me that education I thought someone like me couldn’t have.”
He squeezed her shoulder.
“You done real good, Cass. You’re a survivor, a fighter, and just like a lot of these soldiers living around Tranquility. You’re still trying to survive. I want you to know that I’m here for you. I’m not hitting on you either.” He chuckled as he opened the porch door for her to enter first.
“Despite what Cash and Memphis think. God, I haven’t brought a woman home ever.” He shook his head.
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