by J. M. Madden
Alex nodded, reaching for her purse. “Yup. Give me a minute to spruce up and I’ll be ready to go.”
“No rush. You’ve got a few minutes. If you want to step outside the office door, you should still be hidden from where Duncan is sitting, but you’ll be able to see Shannon get her present. It’s going to be something. Zeke just proposed to Ember.”
Alex gasped. “Really? Oh, that’s wonderful! I wish I had seen that.”
And she did wish she had seen it. Though significant relationships in her own life were few and far between, she definitely believed in love.
Chad put the sleepy puppy in a box, then inside another big silver box with a red bow. Then he pushed it out of the office and down the hallway.
Alex swiped on some lipstick and fluffed her hair, then carefully stepped out into the hallway. It was tempting to take a few steps just to see where Duncan sat, but she curbed the urge. She would see him soon enough.
The entire group stood around watching Shannon. She was just taking the top off the silver box, frowning. Then she took the lid off the second box and the puppy tumbled out. Alex was too far away to hear the words but Shannon looked stunned, then pissed, even as she cuddled the dog to her chest. Then John murmured something and Shannon ducked her head to look at the dog’s collar. Alex wasn’t sure what she found there until Shannon set the puppy down and lifted the ring between her fingers. John took the ring and slipped it on the appropriate finger, then they collapsed into an embrace. The puppy tumbled away to get attention somewhere else.
Alex’s heart was beating hard with shared joy. It was obvious that the two of them were very much in love.
* * *
Duncan watched the interplay between John and Shannon. Most of the group watched the kids play with the puppy, but the interaction between his second-in-command and his new fiancée was much more interesting. There had been a lot of tension in that little corner of the room and he was tickled he got to see the shocked look on John’s face before he buried it in Shannon’s neck. Palmer didn’t show emotion like that very often. Duncan smiled to himself. He had an idea what they were talking about.
Now to wait for the confirmation.
For the first time in a long time he thought about Melanie. A few years ago he’d checked up on her. She’d married the guy she’d cheated on him with and they lived back in Ohio somewhere. It had been almost eight years ago now that he’d come back after being blown up, hurting, afraid he’d never walk again, only to have her abandon him in the hospital.
Damn. Nine years was a long time to be alone.
Duncan jerked when little Drew slammed into him, laughing. When he looked up, most of the group had crowded around him. He grinned, embarrassed to be caught woolgathering. He adjusted his glasses on his nose. “What?”
Chad stepped forward to speak for the group, his arm looped around Lora’s narrow shoulders. “Well, we wanted to get you something special for Christmas, but you kind of have everything you need. Except one thing.”
The crowd parted to reveal the hallway across the room. There, with the shine of the multi-colored Christmas lights glinting off her dark auburn hair, stood Dr. Alex Hartfield. Square, narrow black glasses framed laughing eyes and her lips were pursed in a mischievous smile as she watched his reaction. Unable to help himself, Duncan glanced down her frame. A gray sweater hugged her chest and rested lightly on her tight, jean-clad hips. When he looked up a spark had entered her vibrant green eyes, her lips had spread into a broad smile and she started to walk toward him.
Oh, bloody hell…
“Hello, Duncan.”
Then, she leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. Duncan held completely still as she touched him, wondering what the hell she was doing here.
Then he realized the rest of his crew was waiting for some reaction, so he forced a smile and waved her to the seat across from him. With a few slaps on the back, his people began to fade away.
Duncan made himself lean back in the booth and try to look collected. Hard to do with Chad’s crazy-ass ‘Save a Humvee, Ride a Marine’ t-shirt on over his polo and a stunning woman sitting across from him. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this madness. My men seem to think I’m in a rut.”
She smiled, her lips a pretty shade of dark pink. “Well,” she murmured, voice teasing. “Maybe the rut isn’t easy to see to the person that’s in it.”
Duncan tilted his head in ascent. “Perhaps. Can I get you a beer or a drink?”
“I’ll take a beer.”
Since no one had a spare in their hand, Duncan pushed himself up out of the booth and limped to the bar, cane clicking softly on the hardwood floor. Zeke had already told them to help themselves to anything they wanted, so he found the cooler and dug out a couple of longnecks, then carried them back to the table.
Alex smiled when she took hers. “My favorite. Thank you.”
Blinking, he sank down onto the cushion. The brand was his favorite as well. For some reason, he’d thought she’d be too good for a regular beer. It seemed a little low-class for her. But as he watched her lift the bottle to her lips, fingernails gleaming on the low bar light, she totally made it work. “I’m curious why you’re here.”
Pursing her lips, her eyes lifted to his. “Well, I called out originally to check on Mr. Willingham. You haven’t heard anything from him?”
Duncan shook his head, sighing. “For some reason I didn’t think I would. He may show up later.”
Alex looked sad at the news, but resigned. “Your office manager told me that, but I was hoping maybe there was something. Do you come across vets like him a lot?”
Duncan scraped at the beer label with his thumb. “More than I like to admit. We have a lot of veterans out there right now and they don’t always take care of themselves the way they should. We help the ones we can, but we only have so much work to go around. I have more applicants than I can ever hope to place.”
“Wow. I had no idea.” She frowned, fine lines creasing the skin between her arched brows. “I grew up on bases but it’s been a while. I mean, I’ve been away from the day in and day out life since I graduated high school. You see the war on the news but it seems very distant once you’re back in the civilian world with regular, non-military people.”
Duncan grimaced. “Yes. We’ve dealt with that for years. People are slowly becoming more aware, though. There are more veterans’ organizations popping up. And the government is realizing how behind they are.”
Her shadowed eyes seemed sad. “I have to admit I felt…outraged when I realized what had happened to Mr. Willingham. Somebody should have cared about what happened to him, someone should have noticed he was gone.”
Duncan shrugged. “Somebody probably did, but until the veteran feels secure enough to reach out, we can only wait.”
Alex nodded, her eyes turning sharp. “How long have you waited for Aiden to see that?”
His smile turned wry. “A while.”
Silence stretched between them and Duncan shifted uncomfortably. It had been months since he’d been on a date, let alone in a relationship.
He swallowed, suddenly even more uncomfortable at the direction of his thoughts. This woman, as beautiful as she was, was not relationship material, not with him anyway. They were so different on so many different levels.
His heart thudded with awareness, though. And though he tried to play it cool his gaze kept coming back to her. The lighting in the bar made her eyes bigger and darker green than he remembered them. Her pale skin looked incredibly smooth and soft. And she wore some kind of scent that teased his senses.
Duncan took a swig of his beer, desperate to put some distance between them. It had to be because of the situation that he was responding to her so strongly. Two of his guys had just gotten engaged in front of him and he knew they loved their women more than their own lives. He remembered that feeling, it was a heady thing. Maybe what he was feeling was like a contact high, just with love. It was in the air and he was br
eathing it in.
John and Shannon were gazing at each other like lovesick fools.
“Wow. They really look to be in love,” Alex sighed, propping her chin on her hand and watching them cuddle, that damn dog wiggling between them.
“They are,” Duncan admitted. “They’ve gone through a lot together and I’m happy for them. I think they’ll be a strong couple and excellent parents.”
“Oh, she’s pregnant? That’s so wonderful,” she sighed.
Duncan swallowed. Yup. Another mark on the con side. She wanted kids.
He’d always wanted kids, but that had been before he’d gone to war and seen so many young men being killed over there. When Melanie had shown up at Walter Reed after he’d been injured and he realized she was pregnant, for just the tiniest fraction of a second he had felt pure joy. Then he’d realized there had been no earthly way he could have put her in that condition and the disappointment had gutted him. Melanie had cheated on him with another man, but he felt strangely detached about the cheating itself. By that time he’d seen and learned a lot about being in a relationship while in the military.
Anyway, that had been many years ago. He was older and wiser now, and he wouldn’t be letting himself fall for a woman practically young enough to be his daughter and who wanted kids. God. He’d be an idiot to get involved with her. Melanie had taught him well to guard his heart.
He told himself that many, many times throughout the night, but he still found himself intrigued by Alex. She’d lived the life of a military brat, thanks to her father’s military career; like Duncan, he was a Marine. Duncan actually remembered the man and knew he had a spotless record.
But her father was not that much older than Duncan was himself.
Tipping up the beer bottle, he drained it, then set it aside. Another one plonked down in front of him almost immediately as Zeke walked by. Alex laughed at the startled expression on his face.
“I didn’t realize he was behind me,” Duncan groused.
This needed to be his last beer. He couldn’t afford to be impaired with her sitting across from him.
“I’m kind of surprised you didn’t have plans for Christmas,” he said carefully.
She shrugged and looked out over the group. “Well, you know how it is with the military. Dad’s in Afghanistan right now. He won’t be back for months. I sent him my Christmas package already. And I don’t have any other close family.”
Duncan frowned. “None?”
“Well, he had the unfortunate luck to marry a woman that only tolerates me and steps that don’t even remember my name. I try to see them as little as possible. I have aunts on my mother’s side, but we don’t see each other often. We’re kind of scattered to the four corners of the country. How about you?”
“I have family here in Denver, actually. I see my parents every few days. I have a couple of brothers as well.”
She nodded, flicking at the beer label. “I always wanted family, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen the way I wanted it to. As soon as Dad brought Lillian in, I knew we weren’t going to get along. I didn’t know it but Dad had dated her for years, just didn’t tell me or bring her into our home until I was at college. Lillian harbored a lot of resentment for that, I guess.”
Duncan shook his head. “Some people just don’t see what’s in front of them.”
Alex grinned and quirked her brow. “So, do you see what’s in front of you?”
“I do,” Duncan told her firmly. “I appreciate you coming out here like this. I enjoyed meeting you in Kansas City.”
She blinked. “I came out here because I would like to get to know you better.”
Duncan wasn’t surprised often, but he was then. And flattered. And confused. “I don’t think I’m the guy for you, Alex.”
There were endless books explaining the personal dynamics between men and women and he wished he had read one or six in his lifetime. Alex smiled broadly, her eyes shining, and turned back to watch the group. What the hell did that smile mean?
When Shannon came over to give him a hug, he held a hand out to Alex. “Shannon, this is Dr. Alex Hartfield.”
She grinned at him as if he were an idiot. “I know. We’ve met.”
Leaning back against the seat he looked at the two women and realized they’d already cooked up some plan. How long had Shannon been communicating with her?
Shannon rested a hand on his shoulder. “I told Chad about her and he called to invite her out.”
Oh.
Duncan tried not to be aggravated, but it was hard. Yes, Alex was a beautiful woman, but nothing could come of them being together. Shannon should know that.
But he also realized that Shannon was working through a haze of her own rosy tinted feelings. She had his best interests at heart.
Knowing that, he eased back in the seat and shook his head at her. “Remind me not to let you answer any more phones.”
Shannon scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
With a final smile at the two of them, she walked back to John, who immediately drew her down onto his lap and pressed a kiss to her lips.
Duncan looked away, his normally steady emotions in a whirl. There was no doubt that he was a little envious of what John and Shannon, Zeke and Ember and all the other guys had. And there was that tiny feeling of being left out, left behind.
Fuck it. He took a swig of his beer, then focused on Alex. If she wanted to hang out, he would make sure she would have a good time, then he would ship her back to Kansas City.
Chapter Two
Alex watched the people around her with fascination. She’d been around military folks her entire life and seen many impressive displays, mostly by cocky young men who knew the weight of the country rested on their shoulders, but she’d never seen a group interact like these guys did.
They were all former military, she knew that by listening to their banter, but they were all changed. They had all been in combat and injured during their service, so there were prosthetics and scars, and a wheelchair for one man. Some injuries were very visible, like Zeke, the guy that had brought Duncan the beer. But others, like Duncan himself, didn’t show any outward signs of injury when you looked at them.
The injuries didn’t seem to bother them, though, because they were all with women that lavished love upon them.
All except Duncan, that is. Physically, he was the most appealing to her. How had he managed not to get hooked up with someone? There had to be a story there. Too bad she was too nervous to ask him about it.
It was hard to keep her eyes off the man across from her. She wanted to prop her elbow on the table and just lose herself in his deep chocolate eyes and sinfully deep voice but she was afraid she would drool. Every time she looked at him she saw something else about him that appealed to her. When he’d come to the hospital months ago, she’d been struck by the experience she could see in his eyes and etched into every mature line of his face. Duncan seemed like a man that could be relied upon, someone she could trust. Yes, he limped and used a cane, but that didn’t bother her.
Tonight his face had the barest hint of stubble. It had been hours since he’d shaved, probably, and his beard had begun to grow in. The glasses that he wore were tucked into the pocket of his shirt. In the low light of the bar he seemed mature and totally sexy to her.
Trying to center her thoughts, she looked around the room. Even though she was a doctor, it was strange for her to be part of a social gathering with so many injured men, but they didn’t seem the least bothered to have her there. She searched for something to talk about so that she could turn back to Duncan and watch him speak. “So, tell me about your business. It seems like you have a lot of people working for you.”
Duncan tilted his head a little. “I have twenty men and women here at the Denver location and about another ten at the Vail branch. Grif, over there in the corner, runs the office. You might recognize his wife Kendall standing beside him. She was a model for years, and runs Herrington Limited now.”
Alex looked at the woman more closely. Yes, she definitely recognized her now that Duncan pointed her out.
“So, how many employees at the Vail branch?”
“Three full time employees, plus a half-dozen part-timers.”
Alex nodded, impressed. All of the men he hired were disabled—she’d already gathered that, but she hadn’t realized there were so many. “Women, too?”
Duncan nodded. “Yes. Rachel Searles is working a surveillance case, otherwise she’d be here. And there are two more women going through the interview and hiring process now. They bring a great perspective to things.”
“I guess I’m a little taken aback at female veterans that have been injured.”
Duncan blinked at her and lifted one dark brow. “Why?”
Alex shrugged. She didn’t like feeling defensive. “I guess because I mostly see men come through the hospital with issues. And most of the news reports male casualties.”
Duncan winced. “I can’t change the news reports, but proportionately we have as many females injured as males. The bombs and bullets don’t discriminate.”
“True.”
A little girl ran over with bright blond curls bouncing. “Mr. Duncan, did you see us? You were right. I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas and he made it happen right away.”
Duncan leaned down on the table conspiratorially. “I told you, didn’t I?”
The little girl nodded, flinging her arms around his neck. She pressed a big, wet kiss against his cheek before she tore off across the room.
Alex watched the genuine affection in Duncan’s eyes change to guardedness as he turned back to look at her. “She’s a cutie,” Alex told him.
His deep brown eyes softened again. “Yes, she is. I love seeing her this way. It wasn’t too long ago that things were very dangerous for them at home.”
Alex was surprised at that. “Really?”