Scheme of Maneuver: A Career Soldier Military Romance

by Tawdra Kandle

  Chapter Two

  Jacey

  “Hey, Jacey.” My sister-in-law Leah flopped down on the sofa behind me and nudged me with her foot. “Everything okay down here?”

  “It sure is.” I leaned over, bending nearly in two as I buried my face in the soft rounded belly of my six-month old niece and blew raspberries there, making her squeal with infectious baby giggles. “Emma and I are having some quality bonding time. She’s telling me all about her evening with Nonna last night, having fun while we were at the wedding.”

  “I’m so glad she behaved well for your mom. It was the first time we’ve left her for longer than a couple of hours, and I was a nervous wreck.”

  “Of course, she was a good girl. She’s the smartest and the prettiest and the most advanced baby who ever was!” I scooped her up and nuzzled her neck before I glanced back at Leah. “Did you need me to do something?”

  “Why, because entertaining my daughter so I could catch a nap isn’t enough?” Leah grinned. “Nah. Actually, I wanted to see if you were interested in going over to Samantha and Max’s house with me. They’re doing some kind of post-wedding gathering, eating leftovers and just hanging out while they open wedding gifts. Just close friends, Sam said. And she told me to bring the munchkin. I thought maybe you’d want to come with me.”

  I considered before I answered, closing my eyes as I breathed deep of Emma’s scent. I’d avoided any questions the night before about where I’d vanished for over an hour during the wedding, mostly because my brother Kade and his lovely wife were so happy to be out for a rare night without the baby. They’d been too wrapped up in each other to notice that I’d gone AWOL. But going to a smaller get-together now could be awkward if Owen was going to be there, too.

  I hadn’t had any real plan when I’d snagged that bottle of wine and followed the hot guy from the wedding party when he’d left the tent. The truth was that I’d been a little bored and restless; although I’d met the bride and groom—along with several other members of the wedding party and a couple of the guests—the weekend that my brother had married Leah, I didn’t know them well enough to be invested in their celebration. I’d enjoyed the dinner and all the traditions, but then, as everyone seemed to divide into couples when the dancing got underway, I’d felt suddenly alone in the crowded tent.

  As my eyes had wandered over the party, they’d inevitably come to rest on the tall, dark-haired soldier who’d seemed particularly uncomfortable sitting at the head table. The closer the bridesmaid next to him had gotten, the more he’d shrunk away. And when the woman had stood up and moved away from the table—to visit the restroom, I assumed, from the direction she took—tall, dark and hunky hadn’t wasted any time in bolting in the opposite direction and leaving the tent.

  I hadn’t even stopped to think. Leah and Kade were dancing, with eyes only for each other, and the only other people at my table were absorbed in conversation. They hadn’t even noticed when I’d escaped and taken the just-opened bottle of wine on the table with me.

  As it had turned out, up close Owen Hughes was even more attractive than he’d been from a distance. And our chemistry had been incredible. I’d felt my pulse pick up and thrum the first time he touched my hand, accepting the bottle of wine I’d offered to share. When our playful conversation had taken a serious turn, I’d realized quickly that from what I could tell at that point, I really liked this guy. He was quirky and funny, easy to confide in and quick to reassure, not judge.

  But it had been when he’d kissed me that I’d come completely unglued. Holy mama hot lips! It had been the best first kiss in the entire history of first kisses, I was positive. His hands on me, the words he’d murmured as he touched me and kissed me . . . the whole package had made me more than eager to jump his bones right then and there, wedding guests nearby notwithstanding. The cap on his package as a total winner of a dude had come when he’d let me know that he was just as eager and hot, but that out of respect for me—and for the plans he had for us at a later date—he was willing to step back and cool it, at least until we could have the time and space we needed.

  Still, I wasn’t naïve. I’d given him my phone number, but there had remained deep inside me a small voice, warning me not to expect anything. After all, it could have been the ambience of the wedding, the fact that I’d followed him and shared my wine, or any number of other reasons that explained why we’d clicked last night. When he awoke in the harsh light of morning, it was more than possible that he’d forget he had my number.

  But he hadn’t. In fact, he’d texted me that night, just as Leah, Kade and I were walking in the door of their house. My brother and his wife were more interested in talking to my mom and finding out how Emma had done while they were gone than in what I was looking at on my phone, so I’d had a few moments to bask.

  This is Owen . . . the guy who you met tonight, the guy who can’t stop thinking about you.

  If Kade and Leah had been paying attention to me, they might have been curious about the huge smile on my face or the deep sigh that I just couldn’t hold back. As it was, I was able to slip away to the guest bedroom I was currently sharing with my mother and enjoy a few minutes of giddiness before Mom came in to get ready for bed.

  I’d responded to Owen’s text, and we’d gone back and forth a few times before I fell asleep. This morning, he’d sent me a message saying good morning and talking a little bit about how loud the barracks were in the morning. He hadn’t said anything about seeing me again, but maybe he didn’t want to push me too soon.

  It was crazy how much I liked this guy already. I knew it didn’t make any sense, but we’d connected immediately on a level I’d never experienced before . . . which made me feel more than a little guilty that I hadn’t been completely forthcoming about who I was. Or more accurately, to whom I was related. Not telling Owen that Kade was my brother hadn’t actually been intentional, but when I’d realized he didn’t know who I was, the temptation to keep him in the dark was huge. After all, it had been a long time since I’d met anyone who didn’t already know me as Kade Braggs’ baby sister. Even in our hometown in California, I often was introduced to new people as “the Braggs boy’s sister.”

  But I knew I had to come clean sooner rather than later. I didn’t want Owen to find out from someone else. Besides, keeping that kind of secret sounded like the plot of a ridiculously cheesy romance novel.

  If I could help it, though, I wasn’t going to tell him over text, where tone and intent could be misinterpreted. Which brought me back to Leah’s question.

  “Uh, who all is going to be there?” I shifted the baby onto my shoulder. “Just their friends? I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You wouldn’t be.” Leah shook her head. “It won’t be that many people. Some of the guys, probably, and Sam’s friend Harper, if she’s off work today.” Tilting her head, she gave me a sunny smile. “Please? The truth is, Kade can’t come because he got called in to deal with one of the men in his company. I really don’t want to go by myself. I mean, I know all these people, and they’ve been so wonderful to me, but I’ve never gone to any social thing around here without him. And I asked your mom, but she said that she just wanted to stay home and veg today.”

  Grinning, I patted Leah’s leg. “Something tells me you could more than hold your own, but I get it. I’ll go with you. Just let me get changed.”

  Leah leaned down to give me a quick hug and then stole the baby from my arms. “Gimme my kid so you can get ready. You’re the absolute best sister in the whole wide world, you know that?”

  An unfamiliar glow of gladness enveloped me. Leah wasn’t a particularly demonstrative person. She’d grown up in the foster care system, and before she and my brother had linked up, she had been used to being on her own. When we’d met, days before their wedding, when she was already hugely pregnant with Emma, I’d recognized that prickly armor for what it was: insecurity and fear. And in my typical Jacey way, I’d barreled through it, hugging on he
r and talking non-stop, not giving her any chance to hold me at arm’s length.

  But I’d never been certain whether or not she really liked me until recently. Having Emma—and being loved by Kade, who was clearly and unashamedly besotted with his wife—had softened Leah, making her more open and vulnerable. I was thrilled at how frequent her hugs and affection were nowadays.

  “Yeah, you’re all right, too.” I winked at her. “I’ll be all set in about ten minutes.”

  * * *

  Samantha and Max lived in a townhouse a few miles away from my brother’s home. When Leah and I pulled up, there were already several cars parked in the driveway and along the curb. I wondered if one of them belonged to Owen.

  After Leah unbuckled Emma from the car seat, we made our way to the front door and rang the bell. Seconds later, the beautiful bride herself opened the door.

  “Leah! I’m so glad you could make it. Oh, and you brought Jacey, too. Wonderful! Come on in.” She stood aside, and we stepped across the threshold into the foyer. From there, I could see into her living room, where people—mostly women—were seated on sofas, chairs and the floor, balancing on their laps paper plates of food and plastic cups of wine or bottles of beer.

  “Max and I were just about to start opening gifts. Why don’t you grab some food and then find a seat in here with us? Everything’s set up in the kitchen. It’s totally casual, so help yourself to whatever’s there.”

  Leah shifted Emma to her other hip. “Thanks. You’re sure you don’t need help with anything?”

  Samantha waved her hand. “Not at all. This is all for fun, so we don’t want anyone stressed by set-up or clean-up. We’re going to send home whatever we don’t eat now with anyone who’ll take it, and the rest gets tossed. We leave tomorrow morning for Maui.” She grinned. “Honeymoon time. I can’t wait.”

  My sister-in-law smiled. “Lucky you. I know you’re going to have a blast.”

  As Sam turned to go back into the living room, I felt a twinge of sympathy for Leah. She and my brother had never had the luxury of a honeymoon; she’d been so pregnant when they got married that travel had been out of the question. And since Emma’s birth, both of them had been too busy learning to be parents and struggling through life on limited sleep to consider a trip. I suspected that at this point, for Kade and Leah the ideal honeymoon would be days to sleep as long as they wanted, whenever they wanted.

  “Leah, why don’t you go find a place to sit down and get the princess settled? I’ll get food for both of us.”

  “Thanks, Jacey.” As though she felt my empathetic vibes, Leah gave me a quick sideways hug. “That would be very helpful.”

  In the kitchen, plastic catering containers covered just about every surface. A small bar was set up on the counter near the fridge, with a variety of wine bottles, liquor, soda and beer making up a motley crew of adult beverage options. Two guys were in there, too, both piling their paper plates high with food. I recognized both of them. Before I could decide the best way to play this situation, one of the soldiers spotted me.

  “Hey, Jacey!” Jake Robinson greeted me, licking some kind of sauce off his thumb after it had dripped from his plate. “I thought I saw you last night. Kade says you’re in town for good now?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Owen, who’d been dishing up twice-baked potatoes, glanced over his shoulder and then did a double-take. His eyes flashed with pleased surprise at first, and then, as he took in Jake’s words, the pleasure faded into confusion.

  “Uh, not sure. Maybe. Right now, I’m just taking everything day by day.” I pointed to Jake’s food. “That plate doesn’t look like it’s going to hold any more. You might want to take it in the other room to share with Harper before it ends up all over Samantha’s kitchen floor.”

  Alarm flitted across the man’s face. “Yeah, you’re probably right. And I need to stay on Samantha’s good side, if I want to stay on my girl’s good side, too.” He snatched up a handful of napkins and moved toward the doorway that led into the living room. “I’ll catch up with you later on.”

  “Sure.” I waited until he was out of sight before I pivoted to face Owen. “Hi. I know you’re probably a little confused right now. I want to apologize upfront about that, but if you’ll give me just a minute to explain—”

  Owen rested his ass against the edge of the counter and crossed his arms over his broad chest. I couldn’t help noticing the way his thin white T-shirt stretched across those muscles. The word mouthwatering totally applied here.

  “I’m listening.” His voice was neutral, but his face was stiff and expressionless. “I’d love to hear why you didn’t tell me your real name and why you lied about who you are.”

  “And like I said, I want to explain. I was hoping to see you here today to do just that. But can you give me just a minute? I promised my sister-in-law that I’d bring her some food. She’s got her hands full with the baby.”

  Owen’s eyes softened a little, and he nodded. “Yeah, sure. Here, let me give you a hand with it.” He pushed away from the counter and slid a plate from the stack next to him. “You get the cold salads, and I’ll heat up some chicken for her. It’s only lukewarm now.”

  “Thanks.” We worked alongside each other in silence for a few moments, until Owen had carefully added the chicken croquette to the plate that held the rest of Leah’s food. He handed me a napkin along with a plastic fork and knife.

  “I’ll be right back. Wait here, okay?” I hoped he wouldn’t run off, insulted by what he assumed were my lies or hurt that I hadn’t been straight with him.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” He resumed his position, and with a forced smile, I hurried to find Leah sitting on a wide wing chair with a matching ottoman. On the floor by her feet, another woman with long dark red hair was holding Emma, playing peek-a-boo with my niece.

  “Thanks so much, Jacey. You’re a lifesaver.” Leah accepted the plate from my hands and settled it onto her lap. “You remember Delia, don’t you? I think you met some time in the past week.”

  “I’m sure we did,” I laughed. “I’ve been introduced to so many people, it’s hard to keep them all straight. Nice to see you again.” I flickered my eyes to my sister-in-law. “Do you need me to wrangle the princess while you eat?”

  “No.” Leah shook her head. “As long as Dee doesn’t mind holding her, I think we’re all right. Go get yourself some food.”

  “On my way.” I hesitated. “Uh, Leah, if I don’t come right back, don’t send a search party, okay? I sort of need to talk to someone, too, while I’m getting my grub.”

  Curiosity flooded her face. “Talk to someone? Who do you know here besides me—and maybe Sam and Max, who seem to be a tad busy just now?”

  “Can I explain later?” I whispered, feeling my face heat.

  A wicked grin curved her lips. “Sure, you can. As long as you promise to do it in vivid detail. From the look on your face, this isn’t a job opportunity you need to discuss with someone.”

  “You’re not wrong.” I gritted my teeth. “I’ll be back in a few. Let me know if you need me before then.”

  She shrugged. “Go, do your thing. We’re good.”

  Returning to the kitchen, I felt my stomach tense. I hoped I knew what I was doing here. And I hoped I could come up with a good way to explain why I’d gone incognito last night when I wasn’t even entirely sure I knew that myself.

  Owen was still standing where I’d left him. His gaze tracked me as I came to a stop in front of him and took a deep breath. But he spoke before I could.

  “Your name’s not Jacqueline, then.”

  I tilted my head. “Actually, it is. Jacqueline Christine Braggs is on my birth certificate and my drivers’ license. But everyone’s called me Jacey my whole life, for my initials. So that wasn’t precisely a lie.”

  “It wasn’t precisely the truth, either,” he retorted. “And why didn’t you say something about being Kade’s little sister?”

  Winc
ing, I sighed. “For that exact reason. You just pigeonholed me as someone. Kade’s little sister. If I’d told you that your buddy Kade was my brother, what would you have done last night when I approached you?”

  It was Owen’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I would have . . . I don’t know.” He ran a hand over his short hair. “I probably would’ve shared the wine with you, and I guess we would’ve talked, but if your point is that most likely I wouldn’t have kissed you, that’s accurate. Making out with my friend’s baby sister is a definite violation of the bro code, and I would’ve been seriously uncomfortable.”

  I flipped over one hand, in a see what I’m saying? gesture, but Owen only scowled at me. “But you didn’t give me the choice, did you? Maybe you can make a case for the fact that you didn’t outright lie to me, but you damn well didn’t tell me the truth, either. You talked about friends you were staying with, not family.” Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “Fuck. How the hell am I going to look Kade in the face now? He’s not here today, is he?”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, he’s not here. And you’re acting like we live in some bizarro society, where I’m my brother’s property or under his guardianship or something. I’m not. I’m my own person, no matter what anyone else might think, and I’m old enough to know my own mind and make my own decisions. You didn’t deflower me or anything like that, Owen. So we kissed and made out a little in the dark. You don’t need to feel guilty around Kade. He has nothing to do with what happened between us.” Tears of frustration were beginning to sting behind my eyelids, which only made me angrier. I hated this tendency of mine to cry when I was super pissed or annoyed. I never wanted to be that girl, the one who used a weepy face to manipulate a guy.

  “You just don’t get it,” Owen insisted. “You’re not a dude, and you can’t understand this. I know that you don’t belong to him or any shit like that, but it’s still not how we do things. If I had a sister, I don’t think I’d want her dating one of my friends. It would feel weird.”