The older man nodded. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in this beautiful home with you tonight. These old bones aren't as young as they used to be. Making the trip back to Mississippi tonight would have been difficult."
"Let me introduce you to everyone." Daniel started at the far end and opposite side of the table. "This is Melodie's sister, Evelyn. Next to her, my best man, Cody. Mel's friend from work, Lydia, and her husband, Bruce. You've met Samuel, another buddy of mine from our time together in Afghanistan." He pointed to the other side of the table now. "This handsome young man seated next to Mel at the end is Evelyn's oldest son, Michael, and their guest, Natalia. Then her youngest son, Jason."
"My brave knight!" Annie chimed in.
The older man smiled indulgently. "Ah, yes, I do remember you mentioning him a time or seventy to me over the last week."
Everyone laughed. It was no secret how close Annie and Jason were. Bartholomew stood and bowed slightly. "A pleasure to meet each of you."
"He's my grandpa…well, one of my grandpas."
Bartholomew smiled at Annie. "Shall we eat? I'm starving."
Cody eyed the steaming plate of pasta set before him. He wasn't going to miss army food. His smile disappeared as he considered the uncertainty of the future. In a few days, he'd know. All he could do now was wait and hope the review board didn't return a decision that could lead to him eating prison food for the next ten to sixteen months.
CHAPTER TEN
"Mom, you cleaned your plate. You even had seconds!" Jason's proclamation drew the attention of all the dinner guests.
Evelyn smiled at her son while cringing on the inside. "Yes, well, apparently all of the fresh air has helped my appetite."
"You'll get a chance to work it off. Don't worry," Daniel added from the other end of the table.
"Not sure I follow. I'm on vacation, which means lounging by the pool or lying on the beach, curled up anywhere reading a good book. Right, Mel?" She knew her sister would have her back on this one. If she had a dollar for every time Mel had tried to get her to relax and take it easy, she could retire a rich woman.
Mel shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Sis, but no relaxing after dinner tonight."
"What?" Seriously?
Samuel piped in. "Big battle on the sand volleyball court tonight. Boys versus girls. I suggested we all go for a run, but not being the groom, I didn't get to vote."
"I'm not really the volleyball-playing type. Besides, not being able to relax after a big meal can't be good for your digestive system." She fixed a pointed glare at her sister. "I'm certain there's research to support me on this."
Mel laughed. "Maybe if you'd gorged yourself, but you finished your proper portions and had an extra helping of pasta. I hardly think that qualifies as stuffing yourself. Besides, the kids are going to play too. Give them a chance to burn off any remaining energy before bedtime."
"Mom hasn't been eating much lately." Michael's grim voice sobered the mood at the table.
Now they were talking about her like she wasn't even here. She stood. "I think we've discussed my eating habits enough for one night. Natalia, if you'll look after the boys and bring them back to the room after their festivities, I would appreciate it. Now, if everyone will excuse me."
She'd made it about five steps when Cody spoke up. "It's all right, Evelyn. We understand you're afraid of losing."
His statement stopped her cold. The nerve! Her—afraid of losing? No way. He might be able to sketch the outside of a woman, but he certainly didn't understand the first thing about what made a woman tick on the inside. She turned. Every person at the table stared in her direction, mouths at various states of openness waiting for her reaction.
Oh, she'd make this easy for all of them. "I never lose."
"Then maybe you only play in games you know you can win."
The flush of heat rose up her chest and onto her face. He was baiting her…in front of witnesses. Maybe he does know me. The urge to engage in a verbal sparring match with him held tightly to the tip of her tongue.
"Leave her alone, Cody. If she doesn't want to play, she doesn't have to. We'll play two down." Her sister came to her defense.
Six to four, not a fair fight. One of the reasons she wanted to be an attorney was to ensure a level playing field. That—and she really did love to argue. "No, I'll play." An idea for a little payback sparked. "I'm going to change, and I'll meet you on the beach."
Melodie and Annie both rushed over and hugged her. "Thank you, Auntie Ev. We'll win for sure with you on our side."
The little girl's optimism and unfailing belief in those around her inspired a small smile. "I'll certainly do my best, Princess."
"I hope I can be excused from the game. As I mentioned earlier, these old bones need a rest. Besides, chasing after the little princess for the past week reminded me I'm not as young as I used to be."
Annie moved away from Evelyn to hug her grandfather. "You were great."
Bartholomew patted her head. "Hopefully next time your mother will be able to watch you."
Annie nodded. "I hope so too."
Evelyn's heart hurt for Annie. Her mother still waged a losing battle against the bottle. Thankfully, Daniel's petition for full custody had been granted. In the true spirit of selfless parenting, he provided opportunities for Annie to have supervised visits with her mother. The supervision was typically provided by Bartholomew.
Daniel stepped closer and took Annie's hand. "Okay, everyone, let's meet in ten minutes at the court on the beach. We'll cool off in the ocean afterward."
"Let's go, boys. We'll get you changed into your swim trunks, and then you'll be ready for whatever Uncle Daniel throws your way."
She managed to get the boys changed in about five and sent them on ahead with Natalia. After wasting three of her five minutes, she finally decided what to wear. A few dozen memories slid over her legs as she pulled on the turquoise bikini bottom and then covered it with a pair of stretchy black shorts. She'd considered denim shorts but needed to be able to move freely. This was, after all, a competition she intended to win. She secured the bikini top and double checked the ties. No wardrobe malfunctions needed to occur with so many witnesses. A dark green tank top finished the ensemble. A smile formed. Cody's eyes would darken to obsidian in reaction to this suit. He would remember, and the advantage would be hers. Finally.
"Evelyn, come on!" Melodie's voice filtered in from somewhere outside the villa.
One last twirl in front of the mirror. All put together. A quick ponytail to secure her shoulder-length blonde hair out of her face, and she was ready. "I'm coming!"
Oh, this was going to be fun.
* * *
"Boys lead six to two," Daniel announced.
Cody wanted to be happy about their lead, but this really wasn't a fair match. The girls huddled together, and he smiled. No doubt Evelyn was in charge. I rock. He hated seeing her defeated, so he assigned himself a personal mission to stoke the fire in her again. He could think of far better ways to bring out the passion in her…kissing and caressing her, for starters. With so many people around, though, challenging her had to be his first strike.
When the ladies took their positions again, Evelyn grinned and looked right at him. "I say it's time to level this playing field. Don't you, girls?"
Lydia laughed. "I'm going to leave this particular brand of leveling to the younger ladies."
Evelyn and Melodie had taken up positions in the front, by the net. Cody and Daniel were in front, opposite them. Evelyn nodded at her sister, and the tank tops were removed and tossed to the side. Both women sported bikini tops.
Cody's mouth went dry. This wasn't just any bikini. This was the bikini.
Daniel found his voice first. "Mel, that's not playing fair. I think you just set women back a few decades at least."
"And you deciding a team of four grown men, almost five if we count Michael, is playing fair against barely three able-bodied players." She turned to Lydia. "N
o offense."
Lydia's thick middle jiggled from her laughter. "None taken."
"We're simply using the, shall we call them assets, we were born with, along with your known weaknesses, to make this a fairer competition." She leveled the full force of her glare on Cody. "Not only do I set out to win every game I play, but I also fight to ensure a level playing field for everyone. Otherwise, the win means nothing."
Damn, she's hot when she's fired up. "The lady has made her point." He turned to Daniel. "I'm pretty sure we can ultimately trace this back to your fault. So, if women just hightailed it back to the fifties, you're to blame, my friend."
Daniel grinned. "Well, hell. I wanted them to stop when they got to the eighties. That's when girls just wanted to have fun, right?"
"Ugh, Mel. Why did you have to marry an eighties fanatic?" Laughter started to bubble in Cody's chest.
Melodie seemed to hold back her laughter. "Because he took my breath away."
"Enough with the Top Gun references. Let's play." Evelyn assumed her ready stance and looked directly at Cody.
He was about three seconds away from crossing into enemy territory and dragging her off as his prisoner. He'd start with a strip search and then move on to oral interrogation, kissing her until she confessed she couldn't live without him. Before he could let the fantasy continue, the volleyball dropped right in front of him.
"Hey, Babyface, wanna join the rest of your team and, I dunno, play ball." Daniel's voice grated into his fantasy.
He looked over at Evelyn. A look of satisfaction rested comfortably on her beautiful face. Well played, you sexy minx. Well played.
Evelyn smiled. "Six to three. Keep 'em coming, Lydia. Serve it again. I think Cody's ready this time. Aren't you, soldier?"
He grinned, enjoying the little bit of her feistiness that had returned. Hell, he'd take full credit for that. Both of their competitive natures had been revealed pretty early on. His mind started to drag him back to the past, but the sound of the ball being smacked brought him promptly to the present. This time he'd be ready. She wanted to compete. He'd oblige. Bruce bumped the ball to him, and he set it over to Daniel.
"Annie, be ready," Evelyn's voice directed from the other side of the net.
"I know!" Excitement tinged Annie's voice, along with a hint of exasperation, undoubtedly from the countless orders her aunt had issued since the game began.
Annie's response set off a ripple of laughter from Daniel right as he started his leap to spike the ball passed from Cody. The ball smacked solidly into the net and bounced back, hitting Daniel square in the chest.
"Six to four." Evelyn high-fived Annie.
The young girl smiled proudly. At nine, she might not understand it all but definitely basked in her aunt's approval.
Cody tried to focus as the volleys continued back and forth, but too many memories of Evelyn in that bikini played on the giant television screen at the forefront of his mind. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail for the game, but he remembered the blonde strands splayed over the pillow. Damn. A cold shower or swim in the ocean needed to happen soon, or losing this game wouldn't be the biggest embarrassment for him tonight.
"Daddy, I'm tired."
Daniel frowned. "The score is tied, Princess. Can you hang on for a few more minutes?"
"I'm pretty sure we can pick the game up tomorrow," Melodie reasoned. "Ending in a tie might not be such a bad thing anyway. Everyone walks away a winner."
Cody managed to pull himself away from the movie. Time to help Mel out so he could go for that swim. "Excellent idea. You okay with that, ladies?"
Evelyn's face progressed through several emotions before she finally nodded. "I can live with that." She turned to Natalia. "Will you get the boys started on their nightly routine? I'm going to take a quick walk on the beach to burn off the rest of my energy."
Cody perked up. Did that mean she wanted some time alone with him? His thoughts might border on obsession. He'd like to think she couldn't stop thinking about him, but given the alternating heated looks and cold shoulders over the past couple weeks, no way to really tell. Complicated woman.
"Sure thing, Ms. Alexander." Natalia grabbed the bag, and the boys followed without any complaints.
"You'll come kiss me good night. Right, Mom?" Jason asked after a few steps.
"Of course, sport."
"Night, Princess." Jason smiled in Annie's direction.
"Good night, my brave knight."
A few minutes later, the group had dispersed. Just he and Evelyn remained.
He drew in a breath for courage. "I know you mentioned a walk, but what about a swim?"
She hesitated entirely too long for his liking. "I could swim out first and put an orange pylon out there so we could race." Finally, she smiled.
Oh yeah, still got it.
"As much fun as that sounds, especially since you'd be at a disadvantage after swimming out there and back before racing me, I'll leave the competitive swimming to Michael."
The kids. Yeah, they'd have to be factored into the equation this go-round at the beach. "I understand." He understood she didn't want to be in the water with him. Bottom line, he didn't want this night to end. They'd made some progress, and these days away from the realities of life would be over too soon. Just like last time. "If I promise to be quiet, can I walk with you on the beach?"
Again with the long hesitation. Damn, this woman might be the death of him. Two bullets hadn't succeeded, but she might.
"It's a free country."
Not overly warm, but not an outright shutdown either. He flashed a big smile and saluted. "All in the line of duty, ma'am, but you're welcome."
Evelyn shook her head, and a small amount of laughter escaped those beautiful lips. The sound soothed over all the ice and distance she'd been dishing out. "I swear, if you don't stop calling me ma'am…"
Taking advantage of her lightened mood, he grabbed her hand and started their walk down the beach. "I'll work on it, but no promises."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The warmth from Cody's hand both comforted and frightened Evelyn. He had an uncanny way of slipping through the hairline fractures in her façade and forcing her to look in a mirror to see her real self. She both liked and hated that about him. The moon, not quite full but enough to provide picturesque ambience, lent a romantic air to her attempt at a relaxing walk.
Cody in such close proximity proved anything but relaxing.
Drawing in a deep breath, she exhaled the air slowly and focused on the lapping waves over her bare feet. Better. "Sorry about tonight."
He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. "No, you're not. Hell, I'd be sorely disappointed if you really were sorry."
She smiled but didn't look at him. "You're right. I'm not."
He chuckled, and they continued to walk. "I'm sorry I manipulated you into playing."
This time she laughed. "No, you're not."
"You're right. I'm not."
After several more minutes of walking, she stopped and turned to him. "What is it you want from me, Cody?"
His brows furrowed, and he blinked rapidly. "Tonight?"
"Tonight, tomorrow, next month?" She sat at the water's edge and extended her legs. The rhythmic in and out of the waves helped calm her thoughts. "My life is complicated right now. I don't have time for anything new or to add another layer of complexity. I can't do that to the boys." She looked at him. "I can't do that to myself."
Her breath caught as he sat next to her, close enough that their thighs touched. Hard to concentrate or remember why she'd said the things she did when he was this close. That's why.
"Tonight, I'd like to enjoy a nice walk on the beach with you. Tomorrow, I'd love to do a fun activity, swimming, Jet Skiing, boogie boarding…anything, really, with you and the boys. Next month… I don't know."
"That's the problem. You don't know where you're headed or what you're going to do with your life." She turned and looked at him. "Are you
even out of the army? If I understand what Daniel has said about tours and such, how long he's known you, and other details, don't you have a few months left yet?"
Cody's gaze held hers for an eternity before the spell broke. The material of his T-shirt obscured his face from her, revealing dark, beautiful skin as he removed the garment. The moon slipping behind a cloud dimmed the light, reducing her visibility even further. He grabbed her hand and lifted it to his chest, a couple inches from his heart.
The marred flesh pierced her emotional control, and tears sprang to her eyes. "You were shot again?"
"Yeah. Uncle Sam decided I should finish my service stateside. I'll be working at the local recruiter's office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have about forty-five days to serve when I get back from leave."
Forcing her stare away from the injured flesh, she lifted her gaze to those dark, troubled eyes. Anger and pain warred for dominance in the fathomless depths. Was there more to this story? The temptation to lean over and kiss the wounded area stirred deep within her soul. The raw power and heat radiating off him drew her deeper and deeper into the moment. She knew what his body felt like, both over and under her. Desire wrapped around each nerve ending, setting her body on fire. A wave crashing onto shore broke the spell. She couldn't do this. Not here. Not now. Not again.
Instead of giving in to temptation, she traced her fingertips along the affected area, trying not to acknowledge the rippling muscles along with the rise and fall of his broad chest. She needed to get the conversation back on track. Needed to remember why this was a bad idea. "I'm so sorry you were hurt. Maybe it's for the best that you won't be where people can shoot you."
He jerked away from her touch. "Doesn't mean I still can't be hurt."
Frustration rippled through her, shredding any remaining strands of desire and tossing them into the tide. She stood abruptly and looked at her nemesis. "Dammit, Cody. I'm trying to not hurt you again. Don't you get that? Last time I let my feelings get the best of me. Feelings and those damn hormones. That night I spent with you in India was me being selfish. I wanted to feel loved, needed, and desirable again. You made me feel all those things. Do you understand?" She forced the air from her lungs, trying to remain calm and in control. "I want to feel those things again, but I can't. My life is even more complicated than before." More like damaged goods. "You need a woman who can give you the love and happiness you deserve and not hurt you."
Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel Page 5