More Than a Soldier

by Irene Onorato

  When she glanced back, Hank’s chair sat empty and tucked under the table. Where in the world did he go?

  Hollingsworth danced her into a cluster of several other couples. The hand on her back pressed her closer to him. “You’re a very beautiful woman.”

  Cindy gave a slight push back and widened the space between them. “Thank you.”

  “So, Miss Giordano, what do you do for a living?”

  “I—”

  He moved closer and breathed in her ear. “You were saying?”

  She gritted her teeth. “I’m a, a martial arts instructor. Black belt. Undefeated.”

  “Really? How interesting.” He may as well have laughed out loud. “Which martial art?”

  “Um. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You know—cage fighting, arm bars, rear naked chokes.” She’d seen enough of it on TV to throw around a few terms, but what this guy needed was a slap on the face or, better yet, a well-placed knee to a certain part of his anatomy.

  “Sounds like fun. Maybe you can show me a few of your favorite moves.” His hand dropped well below her waist and pulled her hips hard against his. “I have a suite upstairs where—”

  “Get your hands off her!” Hank shoved Hollingsworth’s shoulder.

  Hollingsworth stumbled sideways.

  Hank lunged, grabbed a handful of his shirt and reared back with a fisted hand.

  Cindy threw herself between the men. “Hank, no!”

  Chapter 19

  “I should have dropped you off at the door and parked the Jeep myself.” Hank paced along the curb under the hotel canopy’s twinkling white lights. He hadn’t been this angry in a long time. “There were at least four valets standing around when we got here, now they’re nowhere in sight.”

  Cindy intercepted as he about-faced. “Then let’s just walk to the Jeep. Oh, wait. The keys.”

  “Keys aren’t the problem. I’ve got those. All I handed over was a separate valet key. But I have no idea where they parked it in this sea of cars.”

  “We saw the valet drive the Jeep around the building. Wouldn’t hurt to go take a look, would it? Never know. We might spot it right away.”

  Slim chance, but it was worth a try. “I’ll go. You can wait here.”

  “No, I’d rather go with you.”

  A cool breeze fluttered through Cindy’s hair as they turned the corner. She shivered then rubbed her arms.

  Hank took off his tux jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

  “Thanks.” She pulled the coat tight around her. “I’m sorry about tonight.”

  “Sorry about what? None of what happened in there was your fault.”

  “I feel as though I’ve ruined your chances of getting a job with—”

  “I don’t care about the stinkin’ job!”

  Cindy flinched.

  “Don’t you understand?” He lowered his voice. “I care about you.” He paused to let it sink in. “I’d have bashed that worthless piece of trash’s head in if you hadn’t stopped me.”

  “I know, and he would have deserved it. But, I didn’t want you to end up in jail.”

  “You’re right. I probably would have gotten arrested. But it might have been worth it to deck that dirt bag.”

  Halfway down the sidewalk on the backside of the hotel, Cindy shaded her eyes from the glare of the street lamps and popped onto tiptoes. “I think I see the Jeep way over there, facing the road.”

  “I think you’re right, eagle eyes.” Hank gestured for her to walk ahead, then followed through several rows of cars.

  Cindy stepped out from between two BMWs, stopped short, and gasped. “Oh, no. Your back tires are completely flat.”

  Hank circled the Jeep. “Front ones too. Some stupid kids probably had nothing better to do tonight than let the air out of— Wait a minute.” He squatted beside one of the rear tires, then checked the other three. “They’ve been slashed. All of them.”

  “What? But why would anyone do something like that?”

  “Who knows? A camouflaged Jeep amongst all these fancy rides was probably more than some punk could resist.” Hank yanked the bowtie from his neck and unbuttoned his shirt collar. “Relax. You look as though you’re expecting an ax murderer to jump out from between cars. I’ve got everything under control. I’ll make a few calls, get some new tires, and we’ll hit the road.”

  Cindy handed him the phone from his tux jacket.

  He looked up from the phone’s screen as a golf cart driven by a man in a tux turned onto their row and headed their way. Charlotte Hollingsworth sat in the passenger seat. “Wonder what she’s doing out here?”

  The cart rolled to a stop and the driver stepped out. His protective Marine-like stance, along with the corkscrew wire dangling from his earpiece, left no doubt as to his position as Charlotte’s personal bodyguard.

  “I was hoping we’d find you, Mr. Fleming. I wanted to—” Charlotte’s eyes widened at the sight of Hank’s flat tires. “Oh my, what’s happened here?”

  “Someone slashed all four tires. I was just about to call around to see if—”

  “That won’t be necessary. Nicholas.”

  The bodyguard’s head snapped to Charlotte’s attention. “Ma’am?”

  “Call the office and get the maintenance men out here immediately. Tell them to do whatever it takes to fix Mr. Fleming’s tires.”

  Hank shook his head. “They can’t be fixed. They need to be replaced.”

  Nicholas ventured over and bent for a look under the wheel well. “He’s right. Sidewall damage. Not repairable.”

  “Very well,” Charlotte continued, “then tell them to get four new ones.”

  Hank looked on as Nicholas pulled out a pad, scribbled the tire size, and stepped away to make the call.

  Charlotte turned her attention to Cindy. “My husband’s behavior toward you tonight was reprehensible and inexcusable. I’m truly sorry for the indignities you suffered at his hand. He should be the one offering an apology, but—” She sighed. “Mr. Fleming, would you be open to accepting a job if—”

  “Call me Hank. And, I don’t mean to be rude, but you can tell Mr. Moneybags to take his job and—”

  Charlotte cut him off with a little laugh. “There is no Mr. Moneybags, Hank. My husband may be the face of Hollingsworth Enterprises, but what most people don’t know is that all funds and assets belong to Mrs. Moneybags.”

  “In that case, I’m listening.”

  “There’s a lot that needs to be done before we can start any of the projects. As you can imagine, working with foreign landowners and governments can be a long, drawn-out process. Prentiss may have given the impression that everything was a done deal, but the truth is, it could be months before we get the go-ahead to proceed. So,” Charlotte smiled, “do you think you’d be interested when the time comes?”

  Hank shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know what I’m doing next week, much less several months from now. Give me a call when you’re ready, and I’ll give it serious consideration.”

  “Fair enough.” Charlotte shifted her gaze to Cindy. “I hate for you to have to wait out here in the parking lot for however long it takes to fix your vehicle. If you’d like, I can arrange a room for the two of you tonight. A romantic suite, perhaps?”

  “Oh, no.” Cindy waved a palm. “Hank and I. We aren’t. I mean, we don’t, you know. Besides, I’m sure a nice place like this is way out of my price range.”

  “I was speaking of a complimentary room. Or two. You see, I own this resort, Miss... Forgive me, I haven’t even asked your name.”

  “It’s Cindy, and I do appreciate your kind offer. But if it’s at all possible, I really would like to sleep in my own bed tonight.”

  Nicholas returned. “Good news. A service station half a mile down the road has the tires, and they’re sending a crew over as we speak. They’ll have you up and running in no time.”

  * * * *

  Hank mer
ged onto the highway, accelerated past an old clunker, and switched back into the right-hand lane. Cindy had shown saintly patience during the two and a half hours it took to get new tires installed on the Jeep. The faster he got her home, the better.

  He cracked his window open and glanced at Cindy in the passenger seat. “Too cold?”

  She pulled his tux jacket up around her neck. “Leave it open. I was getting drowsy, and the fresh air feels good.”

  “We should be pulling into your house in less than an hour. Bet you can’t wait for this night to be over.”

  “That’s not true.” She shifted onto her left hip and crossed her legs. “It wasn’t all bad.”

  He laughed. “You mean to tell me there were some good parts?”

  “Sure there were.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like spending time with Tony and Nina and sharing a delicious meal with them. The roast beef practically melted in my mouth, and the potatoes were so good, I was tempted to steal Nina’s when she wasn’t looking.”

  “Funny.” Hank chuckled. “I was thinking about creating a diversion and swiping yours.”

  Their laughter lifted the heaviness that tried to dampen his mood. As long as the evening wasn’t a total loss in Cindy’s eyes, he was happy.

  Cindy kicked off her shoes and pressed her head against the headrest. “If I had to pick one thing I liked best about this night, I’d have to say it was watching Charlotte’s expression when you danced with her. It touched her heart. I could tell, because it touched mine too. I was proud of you.”

  Flashes from oncoming headlights lit Cindy’s face and afforded Hank a view of her glowing smile. “I just figured it was the decent thing to do. If it made her feel good, then I’m glad.”

  Cindy yawned. “The drone of those new tires is enough to put me to sleep.”

  * * * *

  The Jeep slowed and gravel crackled under its tires. Cindy peeped through cracked eyelids as headlights illuminated her porch. She sat upright. “Did I conk out on you?”

  “Mm-hmm. You sure did.” Hank pulled in and cut the engine.

  Cindy slipped her shoes back on, left Hank’s tux jacket on the seat, and let him help her up the stairs. She’d been successful in not tripping over her gown all evening. It wouldn’t do to fall on her face now.

  She unlocked the front door and pushed it open. “Would you like to come in and get a drink of water, use the bathroom, or relax a few minutes before driving home?”

  “No, but there is something I would like to do before we say good night. Something I’ve been looking forward to all day.”

  Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. The air grew thin. Was he asking for a kiss?

  He extended a hand. “Will you dance with me?”

  “Dance? But, we have no music, and—”

  “We’ll make our own.” Hank wrapped his arm around her waist and led her in a slow dance.

  The manly scent of his cologne teased her senses, and the melody he hummed added another layer to his sensual appeal. “Do you realize you’re humming the tune from my music box?”

  “It’s been stuck in my head since I heard you singing it the night of the break-in.” He continued to hum.

  Letting her emotions take the reins that awful night had been a mistake, and an embarrassing one at that. “You must’ve thought I was a real fruitcake, standing there singing and crying at the same time.”

  “I didn’t think that at all.” His chin brushed her temple. “Women have different ways of dealing with things than men. Can’t say I fully understand, but I accept it anyway.”

  “What you don’t know is, I had accidentally dropped my jewelry box several years ago and broke its musical part and the ballerina. But right after you had thumbed through it and asked if anything was missing, the ballerina mysteriously came back to life, and the music started playing again.” She smiled up at him. “I’m inclined to think there was a bit of magic involved in that.”

  “Maybe there was. I have many tools in my arsenal for fixing things.” Hank stopped dancing and held her a little closer. His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, “Thank you for this dance. It was the highlight of my day.”

  “Mine too.”

  Hank backed away, tugged her hair, and brandished an alluring smile. “Sweet dreams, Sassy.”

  * * * *

  The morning brought gloomy skies, and driving wind pushed sheets of rain against the laundry room window. Cindy started the washing machine and shook her head as thunder rumbled in the near distance. If the weather didn’t clear up, she’d be stuck inside all day. Not something she was looking forward to.

  She hurried to answer the phone ringing in the bedroom. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Cindy. This is Edward.” His voice added sunshine to the dreary day.

  “Hey, Edward. How’re you and Audra doing?”

  “We’re good. How was your fancy dinner party?”

  Cindy flipped the fuzzy bedroom slippers off her feet and sat cross-legged on the bed. “Either you’re psychic, or you’ve been talking to Hank. Which is it?” She chuckled.

  “I talked to him for a few minutes last night when he was on his way to pick you up.”

  “Oh, then you don’t know about— Never mind. Maybe I ought to let Hank tell you what happened.”

  A few seconds of uncomfortable silence followed. “Edward? You still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. What happened? I’d rather you tell me now.”

  “All right. I’ll give you the short version and spare you the fluff.” She poked a tuft of batting back into a seam of her quilt. Edward wasn’t going to like what she was about to tell him. “Prentiss Hollingsworth groped me while we were dancing. Hank saw him do it and almost punched him in the face. Then, when we left and went to the parking lot, we found Hank’s tires had been slashed.”

  “Hollingsworth groped you?” His exhalation rumbled with a low, throaty growl. “What a sleazebag. You said Hank almost punched the guy. What stopped him?”

  “Me. All I wanted to do at that point was get out of there.”

  “I guess that’s understandable. Do you think Hollingsworth had anything to do with the tire slashing?”

  “No, he couldn’t have. He was still making a scene, pretending to be an innocent victim when we walked out the door.” The dryer chimed in the laundry room. She ignored it. “The night wasn’t a total bust, though.”

  “How so?”

  “Prentiss’s wife Charlotte paid for Hank’s new tires. Expensive ones, no less.”

  “I don’t get it. Why would she do that? Do you think paying for the tires was her way of making amends for the way her big-shot husband treated you?”

  “Possibly, but I believe there’s more to it than that.” The dryer chimed again. Cindy got up and shut the laundry room door. “I think Hank’s dancing with her had a lot to do with it. In fact, I’m sure that’s what moved her to do such a generous thing.”

  “A dance earned him a new set of tires? I’m not sure I follow.”

  “Charlotte Hollingsworth gets around in a wheelchair and can only get up and take a few steps here and there. Her face lit up when Hank asked her to dance. It was a beautiful thing to witness.”

  “It still doesn’t make sense. A full set of tires for a vehicle like Hank’s had to cost between six to eight hundred bucks.”

  How could men be so dense? Why couldn’t Edward see the significance of what Hank had done? Cindy rose from the bed and wandered about with the phone glued to her ear.

  “Don’t you get it? Other men looked at Charlotte as if she were nothing more than a cripple to be pitied, or even worse, ignored. But not Hank.” The wobble in her voice came as a surprise. “Charlotte didn’t want pity. Plainly and simply put, Charlotte wanted to rise up and dance. And Hank made it happen.”

  Chapter 20

  “Hold on a sec, Eddie. Can’t hear a word you’re saying.” The din of thunder a
nd rain dimmed as Hank entered his house and shut the front door. “That’s better. I was sitting outside under the overhanging eaves watching this morning’s gully washer. Good thing I keep my phone’s vibrate function turned on, or I’d have missed your call.” He plopped into a living room chair.

  “I just talked to Cindy. Bet you thought I’d renege on my promise to call her, didn’t you?”

  “You’re right, I did.” Hank laughed. “With your track record, I figured I’d have to pester you half to death before you contacted your sister.”

  “She told me what happened last night. I can’t believe Hollingsworth put his hands on her.”

  “You and me both. She tell you my tires got slashed?”

  “Yeah, and that Hollingsworth’s wife bought you new ones. That was really decent of her. Sounds like a nice person.”

  “She is.” Too bad she had such a creep for a husband. She deserved a lot better.

  “Last night, while you were on the road, you started to tell me about Eric Nolan. What else do you know about him other than he and Cindy were once engaged?”

  “He’s lower than dirt. Cindy broke off the engagement when she discovered Eric had been cheating on her. Even worse, the person he cheated with, and got pregnant, was Cindy’s sister, Belinda.”

  “Oh, man.” Edward let out a whistle. “Talk about a double whammy. That had to have been devastating.”

  “You can say that again. Here’s something else. After leaving Cindy’s one night, a dark diesel pickup driven by a Jason Dexter lookalike pinned a tail on me. Turns out, it was Eric Nolan. Didn’t know that until later when Cindy told me about their resemblance.”

  Cricket came from the bedroom, sat by Hank, and put her head on his lap. He rubbed her neck and made her groan. “Must be nice to have a drama-free life, eh, girly girl?”

  “Talking to that dog of yours again?” Edward gave a suppressed laugh. “Any chance Eric could have been the one who cut your tires last night?”

  “Nah. I kept an eye out for him. Even took a few extra twists and turns last night just to make sure he wasn’t following. I think the Jeep was just an attractive target. Kind of like when Mom put that cow-shaped mailbox out on the road, and kids came out of the woodwork to bash it with bats or shoot it with their pellet guns. Remember that?”