A Little Harmless Military Romance Bundle (A Little Harmless Military Bundle)

by Melissa Schroeder

  “I would say with these two, it has a lot to do with everything. Or is it they do a lot of it?” Zoe asked.

  She shook her head, knowing Zoe was trying to lessen the tension and found her first smile. Fiona wasn’t smiling, though.

  “You’re not afraid to trust him with your body, that’s fine. But if you go along with his plans, you might have to trust that you’re strong enough to be his wife.”

  “That’s a lousy thing to say,” Zoe said.

  But Samantha said nothing. Was Fiona right? She loved Deke, and even though she hadn’t planned it this way, she was happy to be pregnant with Deke’s baby. So what was holding her back?

  Fiona leaned forward and took her hand. “The first time you were together, you were younger and so was he. This time will be different. But you have to apologize, and you have to tell him that you can trust him with your heart.”

  It hit her then. She had been holding back from him since he arrived…always. She had felt like such a miserable failure when they divorced that she had vowed never to marry again. Because if a woman couldn’t make it work with a man like Deacon Berg, she wasn’t marrying material. Had she been hoping they would fail?

  “Your problem isn’t that you don’t trust him. You don’t trust yourself, Sam. You are his other half. Trust that you are good enough for that and you can trust him with your heart.”

  “Oh, God, what have I done?” she asked.

  “You can fix it,” Zoe said.

  “I sent him to Rough ‘n Ready. Told him to go find someone else.”

  “He’s not going to that club,” Fiona said. “Trust me.”

  With a sigh, she said, “I guess I’ll have to.”

  * * * *

  “You have to handle women, bro,” Jonah said.

  “Bra or bruddah,” Deke said.

  “What?” Jonah asked.

  “It’s bra or bruddah.”

  Jonah rolled his eyes and looked at Mitchell. “What the fuck is he talking about?”

  Deke’s brother-in-law gave him a drunken smile. “He’s talking like a local. That’s the term they use for bro.”

  “Ah, and that is so important to the conversation.” His tone suggested he didn’t think it was important at all.

  Deke didn’t really give a flying fuck what his brother or Mitchell thought. All he knew is he fucked things up with Samantha again. He didn’t know how things spiraled out of control, but she had been yelling at him and he had reacted. When was he going to learn?

  “Back to my point. You don’t know how to handle women. You never did. That woman has had you wrapped around her little finger since you met her. I thought you were the Dom?”

  “I really don’t want to hear about that,” Mitchell said as he rose unsteadily and wandered to his kitchen.

  “Sorry, man,” Jonah said. He leaned forward and slapped Deke on the knee. “Anyway, we can hit all the hot spots while I’m here.”

  “I’m not interested.”

  And he wasn’t. He wasn’t a partier, never had been. He entered the Navy at the tender age of seventeen, and he hadn’t even been able to drink. He had a few nights here and there where he blew off steam, but he had never had a need to find the next party, to keep himself occupied. That had been his brother from day one. Diablo was a name his mother had given him years earlier, and Jonah had lived up to it.

  “That’s just sad. I didn’t think you were old. But then, she’s had you tied up for years. One of these days, you’re gonna have to break loose.”

  “Yeah, and what the fuck do I do then? Huh? Maybe I can sleep with different women, not remember their names, and hope that none of them find me because I am such a fucking moron I can’t even hold onto one of them.”

  “Oh, I forgot what a nasty drunk you are. I should have stayed over there. That Zoe is a tasty morsel, and I think she likes me.”

  He opened his mouth to smack his brother down for being disrespectful, but Mitchell was quicker.

  “If you want to live, Marine, I would suggest you forget all about Zoe.”

  The possessive tone in Mitchell’s voice didn’t surprise Deke. It was said mildly, but Deke knew the feeling.

  “Christ, back down. I didn’t know there was something going on between you two.”

  Before Mitchell could respond, Jonah stood. “I gotta hit the head. Anyone want another beer?”

  Both of them said no, and he was left to deal with his brother-in-law. “I thought you said you were going to make an honest woman out of her.”

  “Give it a rest, Mitchell. I’m having to deal with a woman who thinks she isn’t made for long term.”

  Mitchell’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah? Where did you get that idea?”

  He sighed, not in the mood for a one-on-one with him, but Deke didn’t have a choice. Samantha wasn’t in the mood to talk to him right at the moment.

  “Your sister thinks your family can’t be married.”

  Mitchell frowned. “Where did she get such an asinine idea?”

  He wondered now if the major knew about his parents. “Your folks?”

  Mitchell rolled his eyes. “My parents were whacked.”

  He took a sip of beer, and Deke waited. When he didn’t continue, he asked, “Why do you say that?”

  “My mom knew. All those years she had no problem with my father running around. Sam didn’t know. Or the idea that my mother, well, she wasn’t the most faithful either.”

  That surprised him. “Really? Sam never said anything.”

  Mitchell sighed. “She didn’t want to see it. Mom wasn’t mad when Dad left because he was unfaithful, she was pissed that he ruined the perfect family.” It was said with enough scorn that Deke had no doubt of what Mitchell’s thoughts were on it. “I had no idea she had thoughts like that. Wait, she was married to you?”

  “Yeah, and every chance she got, she fought me. Just like tonight. It makes no sense. She would just go off on me for no reason. I know now what she was doing. She was pushing me away. Then she used the military as the final push, and I was stupid enough to let her.”

  “And now?”

  He gave his brother-in-law a leveled look. “What do you think?”

  “You left tonight.”

  “And somehow I ended up over here. How did that happen?”

  Mitchell gave him a drunken smile. “Cuz I saw you coming out of the condo and I thought I’d offer to help to get you as far away from my sister as possible.”

  “I hate to tell you this, Mitch, but you suck at pushing me away from your sister.”

  “I know. But then, I didn’t realize what a sap you are.”

  “What?”

  “A sap. God, you looked like someone had stolen your puppy when you came out of the condo. First, you looked pissed, but I could tell it was more. It is a bit disconcerting seeing a man so head over heels in love with my sister. So, I figured I would give you a break.”

  “You should try it, you know.”

  “What?”

  “Love.”

  He snorted. “There is a little too much truth to what my sister says. I’m not made for long term. Maybe after the military.”

  Deke opened his mouth, but his brother decided to inject himself into the conversation. “So, you aren’t dating Zoe, right? Because I’d like to spend some time with her while I’m here.”

  “I said you need to watch yourself,” Mitchell said as he rose.

  “Gentlemen, I think we should avoid arguments when drinking. It only ends up—”

  Mitchell threw the first punch before Deke could finish the sentence. With a sigh, he took a sip of beer and waited to see who won the fight. Either way, the women in his life, his mother and Samantha, would be pissed if one of them got hurt. And he would be blamed.

  Today was just turning out to be a pisser.

  * * * *

  The doorbell rang at seven in the morning on Saturday, and Samantha hurried to answer it. The only person she knew who would show up that early was Deke. Whe
n she looked through the peephole, she was disappointed to find her brother on the other side. She opened the door and frowned. He looked like hell. His skin was gray, he hadn’t brushed his hair, and he was wearing sunglasses.

  “What the hell are you doing up so early if you’re hung over?”

  Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she knew he winced.

  “Get in here.” She pulled him into the condo. “You’re too old for this.”

  “Blame Deke and that devil of a brother he has.”

  “Diablo…Deke? What do they have to do with this?”

  “We were drinking last night.”

  Zoe came out wearing her scrubs. “Oh, poor baby. Did you have a little too much to drink last night?”

  The last was said loud enough to hurt Sam’s head.

  “Quit being mean. He said he was with Deke and Diablo last night.”

  “They’re still there.”

  “At your house?”

  “Yeah, I left them there. Well, Diablo was passed out on the floor. Deke was probably out running a hundred miles or something.”

  Deke always could hold his liquor, but she figured pointing that out wasn’t going to get her anywhere.

  “Did you go out?” Zoe asked as she took Mitchell’s arm and walked him into the living room.

  “No, we just drank at my house. I think there was an argument. Then we were singing something, then I woke up this morning.”

  Zoe eased him down on the couch then set her hands on her hips and looked at him. “I’ll take pity on you and get you a cure made up. Old Anderson recipe. And some ice for your head.”

  She gave Sam a look that told her she was giving them some time alone. “What are you doing here?”

  “You need to take him back.”

  That took her back. “Why?”

  “He loves you.”

  She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter.”

  “Could you sit down so I don’t have to look up? It’s making me kind of sick.”

  She sat on the ottoman in front of the couch.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, tell me why I should take him back?”

  “He talked a lot last night. About you. About the baby.”

  “Deke? Talked?”

  “Yeah, he adores you, you know? I have never seen a man who wanted a woman more than he does.”

  “He left.”

  “Before. Not now.”

  “He always leaves when it gets hard.”

  “I am sure he did, but why did he do that? Does Deke strike you as a man who walks away easily?”

  “But he does every time.”

  “And every time it was what you told him you wanted. I’m not saying he didn’t make mistakes. He made a lot of them, but the man who talked my ear off last night wasn’t giving up on you. I’d say he was just taking a break. Give him a chance. He truly adores you.”

  “I don’t know.”

  He took off his glasses, and that was when she saw the shiner. “He didn’t do that, did he?”

  “No, that jackass brother of his did. But we worked it out.”

  “Men. How does the military entrust you with a million dollar plane?”

  “Cuz I’m the best.” He frowned. “And stop trying to change the subject. I have a question for you, and I want a straight answer.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you think we aren’t marriage material because of our folks?”

  She sighed, and she blinked away the tears that burned the backs of her eyes. “I worry about that. I was married once. I screwed it up.”

  “You both did. I can’t believe I am here pleading his case. Seriously, you both were stupid, but do you think you would end up back together over and over if you weren’t meant to be together?”

  “Fee says the same thing.”

  “Fiona’s right,” she said from behind them.

  Samantha turned and found her standing just a few feet away. “You usually are.”

  “Go get him, Sam. For all three of you, do it.”

  Could she do it? It would mean apologizing, something she hated. And it would mean getting over her insecurities and learning to control her temper. But was it worth it? The image of Deke popped into her head.

  “Okay. But I need to get one thing.”

  “I’ll drive you back over.”

  She looked at her brother and laughed. “No. If I need backup, I’ll take Fee. You can sit here and rest.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “God, Mitchell. Didn’t you bathe or brush your teeth before you came over?”

  He opened his mouth but Zoe came in with her vile family recipe for him to drink.

  “Have fun, kids.”

  She ducked into her room and went to her dresser, pulling out the chain with the rings. She looked at them then slipped the chain over her head and hid the rings under her shirt.

  She walked to the door and found Fee waiting for her. “Ready to go get your Seal?”

  “You’re damned straight.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Deke showered and dressed, wondering all the while what had happened to Mitchell. Deke had left early to run but when he returned, the major’s car had been missing.

  He figured he would show up some time soon. Before he could figure out what to have for breakfast, the door opened. He expected Mitchell, so he was stunned when he saw Samantha and Fiona.

  “Samantha?”

  She smiled shyly. “I hope it’s okay that we came over.”

  Deke heard something behind him, and he looked over to find his brother sauntering toward them. “Sure it is. As long as you introduce me to your friend,” Jonah said.

  He wanted to beat his brother. He loved Jonah, but he had one thing on his mind when he was off duty.

  “This is Fee..Fiona Farelli. This is Diablo.”

  Fee smiled and nodded. “The Marine.”

  Jonah smiled at her, and Deke waited for Fee to melt. When she just continued to stare at him, Deke could tell his brother was a little disconcerted.

  “Yes, the Marine.”

  She nodded. “Well, Diablo, is it? We need to leave these two alone. They have a lot to tell each other. Right, Deacon?”

  “Yes, we do.”

  He was smiling as he watched Fiona herd his brother out to the lanai.

  “Your brother fared better than mine.”

  “Looks can be deceiving. I think Jonah has some bruised ribs.”

  “What were they fighting over?”

  “Not what. Who.”

  She studied him, her eyes clouded with confusion.

  “Zoe. Your brother took objection to the idea that my brother was interested.”

  She chuckled. “I bet he did.”

  Then silence. It was odd that two people would run out of things to say when there was so much to be discussed.

  “I wasn’t sure if you would be here.”

  “Where would I be, Sam?”

  “I told you to go out last night.”

  He looked at her, wondering if she had actually thought he would leave her that way. When he saw the look in her eyes, he damned her parents all over again.

  “I love you.”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. “I know. I love you, too, but neither of us have been celibate.”

  “That’s true. But can you tell me something?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you go out right after we broke things off? Or did you go months thinking you had just lost the most precious thing in your life?”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Deke.”

  He stepped forward. “It was like that for me. I screwed up by walking out the door so many times. I wanted to take it back. But I figured I would let it go, and that if we were supposed to be together, we would be.”

  “And then we would run into each other.”

  He nodded, the lump in his throat making it hard to talk. He swallowed.

  “You and I are mea
nt to be together. I know that.”

  “I want to believe that. I do. But look at last night. Look at what an idiot I was.”

  “You were an idiot.”

  She laughed. “I was. And you walked out.”

  “You told me to leave. I did what you wanted.”

  She looked away. “I’m always worried you won’t come back, but I can’t seem to help myself. Every time, I just push.”

  “And I am going to start pushing right back. Just because we fight doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Now that I know better, I won’t walk. I don’t want to, and I refuse to do it anymore.”

  “How can I know that this isn’t just you caring because we are together right now? The baby adds another layer to it, but what if this is just because of that, of the idea that we’re starting here together?”

  “It was never like that. Never.” He walked over to her and took her hand. “Jesus, my whole life I wanted to be a Seal. I dreamed about it, prayed for it.”

  “I know,” she said as she sniffed.

  “Do you? Then know this. There is one thing I wanted more than that. It kept me tied up in fucking knots so tight that I couldn’t think straight.”

  “What?”

  He knew he had no way around it. He had to tell her what he had been feeling all the years he had known her. He had to or he might lose her.

  “You. I was too much of an ass to admit it. Every minute I was gone, every second, you were there. Right here.” He pressed their joined hands to his chest. “I should have told you. I should have made you understand.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Fear.”

  She shook her head.

  “No, it was fear. What if I told you? What if I said, ‘hey honey, you’re the one I need forever’ and you walked away. You had walked before. It was too much for you, and I wasn’t sure if you would want it now, would want to take that chance again.”

  “And you took a job you hate to be near me.”

  “I thought I would, but I am actually starting to like it. But, I can’t say that, at least for the next few years, they won’t tap me to go out in the field in case of a national emergency. You know the military. My orders might say no deployment, but if something comes up, they can pull me out. I have the training. What I want to know is if you can do it? Can you handle that if I have to do it?”