“Where did you get it?”
Tess didn’t glance his way but he saw the smile. Normally, he would get pissed and just ignore her, but that smile…it did weird things to him. It was so subtle, so downright sexy, that he had to fight an urge to lean over and kiss it off her face.
“Vegas.”
“Vegas? When did you go there?”
“About a year ago. I had some mileage points and wanted to get away. I met up with an old friend and we did the town up.
“An old friend? Like a girls’ weekend?”
She laughed. “Yeah, no. You know I never had a lot of female friends. It was a guy I dated a couple of times. He was leaving for Afghanistan and he wanted to meet up.”
“Ah.”
He didn’t know what else to say. Why did he find it so odd that she would do things like that? Probably because Tess planned everything. He found it out of character, but then, since they had avoided each other the last few years, he didn’t really know her character. People changed all the time.
“Where have you gone lately?”
“Nowhere much. Right now though I’m saving up for a big trip.”
“Oh?”
She nodded but said nothing else, as if evading the subject now. He knew where she had always dreamed of going. She’d talked about it all the time when they were in high school.
“So, when are you planning to make it to Scotland?”
Her head shot up and he wished he could see behind those dark glasses. He had always been able to tell what she was thinking by looking into her eyes.
“You remember that?”
He tried to keep it light even as he recognized the tone in her voice. Her parents had been nice enough, but they had always ignored her. Tess’ mother was a girl’s girl. He’d never seen Ms. Keller without makeup and dressed to the nines. Her father had always thought women should know their place. It was one of the reasons he knew she hung around their house so much while they were both in high school. Even in a house that was filled with men, he knew she’d found acceptance.
“Of course I do. You talked about it all the time, Tess.”
She smiled and looked down at her Kindle. “I’m thinking next year. I have a lot saved up, but I want to make sure I have the money to do whatever I want.” She looked up at him. “So, are you excited to be joining the MEU here?”
And her vacation plans had been locked away. He knew Tess, knew just how she used distance to keep her thoughts private. At one time, she didn’t hide anything from him. Now though, it seemed she had erected a barrier between him and certain parts of her life, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it. Scratch that. He knew he didn’t like it.
For now though, he would go along with her diversion and talk about his job with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“Yeah. It’s different from what I was doing before. Plus, I needed some distance from the guys.”
“Ah. Not liking having the big brothers in your orbit?”
He laughed. “You know Jesse. He thinks he should tell us what to do, including our careers.”
“I would think he would be good at that.”
“He’s very good at being a know it all.”
“No, I think it would be marvelous to have someone to guide you. I don’t have anyone like that I’m close to. It would be nice to have some kind of suggestions about what I should do. Admit it, Jesse agreed with this job.”
He laughed. “Yeah. Although I didn’t have much say in it, Jesse was sort of surprised I campaigned for it.”
Military folk didn’t always have a lot of say in their assignments, but there was always a way to work the system. Bran was proud of the fact that he didn’t call in his brother or his father to help. Both of them could have put some pressure on people to get him the job. Bran didn’t want that. He wanted to make it on his own merits.
“And Jack, how’s he doing?”
That was the one big worry in the Johnson family. “He’s still a little…off.”
He was looking out over the water but he sensed her nod. Jack had been deployed and come back with demons. Bran knew he was having problems dealing with them, but Johnsons didn’t always share things like that.
“Do you know if he’s spoken to anyone about it?”
“No, although MJ has been working on him.”
“Good. Now, tell me how you feel about being an uncle for the first time.”
And, enjoying the woman and the beautiful day, he did just that.
* * * *
Tess was on her way back from the restroom when someone grabbed her from behind and picked her up off the sand. She screamed, unable to help herself, then raised her elbow ready to strike.
“Whoa, watch it there, Tess.”
She found herself face to face with Tony Walker. Good thing he stopped her because she probably would have shattered her elbow on his stomach. Tony was the epitome of muscled Marine.
“What do you expect when you grab someone from behind like that? Really Tony, put me down.”
He gave her a lopsided grin and pulled her closer. “Aw, I just got a hold of you, Tess.”
She opened her mouth to chastise him, but a lethal male voice drifted over the air to them. “I think you need to put the lady down.”
They both looked over to find Bran watching them.
“Hey, sugar, who’s the protector?” Tony asked as he ignored Bran’s order.
Oh, Bran didn’t like that. She was torn. She didn’t like being treated like ragdoll, but she definitely didn’t like someone acting like he had to protect her. Okay, she liked the protecting part a little bit. She was enough of a girl to admit that. But she didn’t need it. Tony was as harmless as he was adorable.
“Oh, for the love of God, put me down, Tony.”
He laughed and set her on her feet, but either to irritate Bran, or claim her in front of the crowd that gathered there, he slipped his arm over her shoulders. Knowing Tony, probably a little of both. She wiggled away from earning a frown from him.
“If you would act like a normal human being, Tony, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Sorry, Tess. I just thought I’d sneak up on you. Kind of hard catching you unaware.”
Which was true, and that was how much Bran had left her off balance. Tess wasn’t sure what she was going to do about that. It seemed to get worse each time they spent time together. Her only hope was to get him out of her house. Once the crowd realized there wasn’t going to be a fight, they started to fade away.
“Wanna introduce us, Tess?” Bran asked, not taking his gaze from Tony.
Oh, she hated that tone. It aggravated her on so many levels. He sounded as if he were just as pissed at her as he was at Tony. She did not owe him an explanation, or even an introduction, but she’d been raised by a Southern mama who didn’t allow for bad manners.
“Not really but I will.” That earned her a glare from Bran, but she ignored it. “Tony Walker, this is Bran Johnson. He’s going to be working with you on the AEF.”
Tony nodded. “Ah, yeah, you’re replacing Ghost.”
And, as men normally did, they forgot her and started to talk about planes. She didn’t say anything and started to walk away, only to hear Bran say, “Here’s my number. Give me a call.” Then he jogged to meet up with her. “Where ya going?”
“I thought I would leave you alone with your new BFF.”
He chuckled. “So, I take it you dated him too?”
“No. He asked me out several times. Turned him down every time.”
“Why?”
She shrugged, as she started back to where their towels were. “He’s kind of obnoxious at times, like you witnessed. Plus, he’s a pilot.”
“What?”
“Pilots. You’re all kind of… well, obnoxious. I mean I get it. You have to have that God complex to fly a jet and not worry about dying. But, doesn’t mean I want to date it or put up with it forever.”
He was quiet for a few moments as they walked
side-by-side back to their spot on the beach. “You said you dated them before.”
Again she shrugged. “Once or twice, but the relationships never really took off.”
“Why?”
Because they weren’t you.
Dammit, no.
“Just didn’t click with them.”
“Ah.”
There was something off, and not just with her. Maybe it was too much to expect people of the opposite sex to remain friends. It wasn’t like he was attracted to her, but it was still strained. Then, he blew away those ideas with his next comment.
“Race you back to the towel,” he said as he took off.
She was competitive enough to growl and start running after him. She easily caught up to him and pushed past him. He arrived just a step behind her.
“Damn, woman, you don’t know when to give a guy a break.”
She shook her head as she drew in deep breaths. “You should know better than to expect me to let you win.”
Bran sighed. “You’re still the best friend a guy could have.”
Then, as if he didn’t say anything important, he settled back down on his towel.
As she sat down, Tess reminded herself this is what she was. A good friend. A little buddy.
And wishing for more would just lead to heartbreak.
Chapter Four
Later that evening, Tess’ cell rang just about the time they finished up dinner. When she saw the caller id, Tess knew her three-day mini vacation was over.
“Keller.”
“Keller, this is Lt Commander Black.” His weary voice told her there was trouble at the hospital. Time off was sacred to people at the hospital and everyone understood downtime was needed. Black was known for being a stickler about rules, but he understood that every person in the hospital needed time away to be effective in their duties.
“Yes, sir.”
“We have an issue. Apparently, the stomach flu has hit full force and we need another nurse in tonight.”
“No problem. I’ll be in ASAP.”
“It won’t be on just labor and delivery. You might have to work some other department, but it seems that many people are sick, and it doesn’t bode well for tomorrow.”
“No, problem, sir. I’ll be there in less than thirty minutes.”
She hung up and sighed. She wanted to be there, to help. It was in her blood to be a nurse, but she hated to give up her veggie time on the couch.
“Gotta go in?” Bran asked.
She nodded. “Apparently, the stomach flu is marching through the hospital.”
She stood and started to gather up the dishes. “Nope, go on. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks.” She hurried back to her room and started to get ready. There was nothing to be done now but to get into work.
* * * *
Bran had just put the last dish in the washer when Tess came striding out of her room. One thing about TK, she never really took very long to get herself in order. As he watched her grab her purse and keys off the counter, he realized how much he admired her. From the time they’d met, she had said she wanted to be a nurse. Seeing the determination on her face definitely proved how committed she was to it.
“So, will you be on all night?”
When she glanced up at him, her eyes were guarded. He had the feeling she was hiding things from him and it irritated him, again.
“Uh, I’m assuming.”
There was something in her voice that caught him as strange. “Something wrong?”
“Nope. Just weird answering to someone. I come and go as I please most of the time.”
He thought it was something more than that, but he didn’t push it. “Ah, well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Not sure if I’ll be back. There’s a good chance I’ll have to stay on.” She started toward the door to the garage.
He frowned. “Don’t they usually have protocol for that? Like you can only stay so long?”
“I’ll take a break in the on call room. There’s a bed and showers there.” She studied him for a second then laughed. “Don’t worry, Marine. I’ve dealt with worse. Remember, I am a Marine brat.”
Then she smiled, waved and was out the door. After finishing up in the kitchen, he decided to call Jack. Since an assignment a little over a year ago, his brother had been distant. He hadn’t talked to any of them about what had happened in Africa, but Bran knew it was bad.
It was one reason Jack had accepted the assignment out in California. He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, there, Bran Man.”
He was the only one who still called him by his childhood nickname. “Hey, yourself. Sounds like you’ve been asleep.”
“It’s raining out here.”
And that meant Jack was sleepy. Unless he was on duty, Jack could never stay awake when it rained.
“And that damned dog finally shut the hell up.”
“What dog?”
“Next door neighbor’s dog. I swear, I am going to shave that dog’s butt if he gets into my garden one more time.”
For a second, Bran didn’t say anything. These were the most words Jack had said strung together in the last year. Their conversations had dissolved into one or two word responses from Jack.
“Okay.”
“That dog is always barking and always in my yard. You would think a vet would be better at controlling a dog.”
“A vet?”
“Yeah, I guess she’s a vet but can’t control her dog. So, she must suck at her job.”
Bran snorted. Jack was a black and white kind of guy. He rarely could see gray areas. “Sure.”
“So, I hear you’re mooching off Tess. Jesse said she’s hot.”
His family never could keep their mouths shut. They might not always get to spend a lot of time together, but they always got into each other’s business. It was comforting and annoying at the same time.
“First, I am not mooching. I cleaned up dinner dishes tonight after helping her cook dinner. So suck it, Jack.”
“Oh? Is she out on another date? MJ said she was dating a lot and you didn’t like it.”
Good lord. Did they have a freaking family meeting online without tell him? “And when did she tell you that?”
“This morning. You know, she gets on the phone and won’t shut up these days. Just goes on and on about being married and the baby.”
Bran was comforted by the amusement he heard in his brother’s voice. It had been a long few months after he returned. The fact that he was engaging in conversation again with any of them was a step in the right direction.
“And then she apparently decided to gossip about me.”
Jack snorted. “Yeah, well, you know our family.”
“Anyway, she didn’t have a date tonight for your information. She got called into the hospital.”
“Ah, sure.”
He chuckled. “So, why don’t you tell me about this vet you have living next door.”
And, happy that Jack seemed to be a little more talkative than he’d been, Bran settled on the couch to listen to his brother complain about a dog eating his flowers.
* * * *
Tess stretched her back as she walked down the hall. Sleeping in the on call room wasn’t fun or comfortable. She’d been stuck at the hospital for over twelve hours. It wasn’t common, not when with a stateside assignment. But, the hospital had been hit hard. So many people had called in with the stomach flu, and there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.
She yawned as she turned the corner and ran into a big, hard object. She looked up and found Bran laughing down at her.
“Hey, watch where you’re going, Keller.”
For a second, her brain shut down. It was like all the circuits were fried. She drew in a deep breath and that was a mistake. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey, that’s kind of rude,” he said.
“Uh, are you going to let go of me?”
“Sorry.”
It took him
a second or two, but he finally let go of her arms. She took a step back and hoped that her stomach would stop flip-flopping.
“So, what are you doing here?”
He grabbed a bag he apparently dropped. “When you didn’t come home, I realized you might start to get hungry. I assumed you had the legendary Tess Keller metabolism.”
As if to prove his point, her stomach growled. He laughed.
“I guess you do. Got time to eat? I brought you some coffee too.”
He had a thermos and if it was filled with coffee like he said, he was a god in her world at the moment.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“No, I really appreciate it. Come on.”
And it was one of the things she loved best about him. He had always been thoughtful, especially for a guy. It was because he came from a huge family.
Once they were settled in their seats, Bran studied her. “You need sleep.”
She rolled her eyes. “I would love a good night’s sleep, and I’m sure I’ll get it tonight.”
“You have no symptoms?”
She shook her head. “I rarely get anything. Always been like that.”
“Don’t you usually work maternity?”
“Labor and delivery, and yes. But, when something like this happens, they put the call out. It’s easier for me. One, the whole not getting sick that often thing. And two, I don’t have a family. Lots of the nurses have children so it’s harder for them.”
He smiled and she tried to ignore the way her breath caught in her throat. All the Johnsons were gorgeous, but only Bran had those dimples. The first time he smiled at her she’d been struck dumb—and it was the same each time. Dammit.
“And you hope someone does it for you someday?” he asked, his voice threaded with something she couldn’t seem to pin down. It was if he were asking her something important, but she couldn’t figure it out.
She shrugged, trying to come to terms with dealing with Bran again. She could do it again, and once he got back to work, he’d forget about her. “Not sure if I’ll get married.”
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