Ace in the Hole (2 page)

“When I bought the house from Mom and Dad, I was leaving for a deployment. I barely had time to get my stuff from my condo and bring it over here. Since then, it’s just kind of piled up in that room. I keep hoping one day between deployments I’ll be able to deal with it, make room for it or just get rid of it, but it never happens.”

“Wynn said you’re never here, she can’t figure out why you wanted this place anyway.”

“It’s home. It might sound cheesy but if ever the day comes when I can have a family of my own, I want them here. I want the pictures that line the staircase to be of my children and family, to have them enjoy the treehouse my father and I built when I was a kid. Silly, right?”

“No.” She shook her head, wishing she could do the same with her child. For that, she’d have to have a place she considered home. Instead, she was going to find a cute little house on the edge of town, with a little land that her daughter could play in.

“It doesn’t matter how long I’m gone, when I walk through the front door I feel like I’m at home. I never had that with my condo. Plus, I couldn’t picture someone else living in this house. It’s the Diamond household, and since Wynn wasn’t going to move out of her beach condo, I bought it.”

The Diamond household.

Oh, she knew what that meant. It was so much more than just a name. They’d had some amazing parties in this house, and had a tendency to do it Vegas style. Not hard to believe since Mrs. Diamond had named her kids for their poker party days. The Diamonds weren’t gamblers, they preferred playing for favors or candy. Nothing illegal, but they played it like it was all or nothing. No one who knew them was surprised when she named the children Ace, Lucky, and Wynn.

The silence ticked by until he finally spoke. “Moving back here, what about your career?”

“I’m a virtual legal researcher, so it can be done anywhere there’s internet. Plus, the company I work for has a second branch in downtown Virginia Beach, so if I ever need to go into the office, there’s one close.”

“Where were you before?”

“Nashville, Tennessee, that’s where the main branch of Madison and Strine is. They hired me fresh out of college.”

“What did they have to say about…your pregnancy?”

“They only know I’m pregnant, not how.” She ran her hand over the curve of her stomach. “I paid for everything off the books, didn’t use my insurance for any of it. Not because I’m embarrassed by my choice, but because it was no one’s business.”

“Instead your employer thinks you’ve slept around.”

She shot to her feet. “How dare you!”

“I apologize, that was out of line.” Remorse was clear on his face.

“Damn right it was. You have no right to judge me.”

“Gwen, I’m sorry, I just wasn’t thinking. This all came as a shock. I never expected you to go about it the way you have.”

“I’ve changed from the little girl you used to know.” She grabbed the plate and glass from the table. “There’s a lot that happened over the years that would shock you. Maybe if you would have stayed in touch you’d know.” She stormed off into the kitchen before the tears came.

One of the things she hated most about being pregnant was the tears. She hated being so emotionally uncertain. She could cry at any moment, and the next she’d be laughing as if nothing happened.
Hormones
.

The soles of his boots echoed on the hardwood floor as he followed her. “Listen, Gwen, I am really sorry. I know it doesn’t change anything, but I am.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t. Sorry doesn’t fix anything, it doesn’t mend hurt feelings.” She placed the dishes in the dishwasher and started cleaning up the counter without looking at him.

He leaned against the island behind her, and kept his words low as if he wasn’t sure she should hear him. “All these years I hoped you had found a wonderful man and had that perfect family you always wanted.”

Pain shot through her heart. “You never bothered to ask Wynn what happened? Every time we talked I made sure to ask about you.”

“No.” It came out in a low whisper. She wasn’t sure he’d spoken until she turned around and saw him shaking his head. “I didn’t…I had hoped if I left things be, then you would be able to find someone to give you everything you deserved. We both know I wasn’t the one to give you what you wanted.”

“You
chose
to not be that person, without even giving me a say in it.” She didn’t bother to wipe away the tears that were freely falling down her cheeks. “What did you think would happen? That I’d just forget about you, the time we shared together, and find someone new? Do you really think I’m that much of a bitch?”

“I never said that. Damn it, Gwen, I did what I thought was right.” He slapped his hand on the counter.

“Here I thought I always had a say in what was right for me.” She threw the dishrag in the sink. “Just forget it.”

S
hocked and unable to believe how quickly things had gotten out of hand, Ace just stood there watching Gwen stalk from the kitchen. She was upset, tears streaming down her face, and he wasn’t sure how to make anything better. When he put distance between them, he did it for her. It hadn’t been easy for him, but neither was seeing her again.

He wanted to believe that all those years ago, he had made the right decision, that he wasn’t the reason she was single and pregnant now, but for the first time he had some serious doubt. Seeing her there in his family home brought back all the memories, bringing to life all the feelings he had for her.

Every part of him itched to go after her, to comfort her. Instead, he kept himself rooted to the spot. Feeling her in his arms would be the end of him. He’d never be able to stuff his emotions and hide them away again. Before he realized it, he was halfway across the open space, nearing the steps.

“Get it together, Diamond.” With one last glare at the steps, he forced himself to turn away from them. He’d get himself under control and then go upstairs and get some rest.

In three days, he’d be leaving again. He couldn’t forget his life revolved around training and missions, there was nothing left over for a committed relationship. Gwen needed a man who would be there, and now she needed a father for her child. He couldn’t be that, and thinking otherwise wasn’t fair to her.

His cell phone rang, pulling him back from the brink of his dangerous thoughts. He snatched it from the table and checked the caller ID.

Rebel. What trouble is he getting into now?

Luke “Rebel” Rodríguez wasn’t that much younger then Ace, but he partied like he was still twenty-one. Wherever he went he managed to find trouble. It didn’t matter where he was or what he was doing, trouble followed him around like a shadow.

He slid his finger across the screen, and brought it to his ear. “I thought you’d be catching up on your sleep so you could get crazy tonight.”

“I’m about to do just that. I’m surprised you’re not already asleep. Diamond, with your old age, you need your rest. The guys and I are going out tonight, hitting this new club downtown. You coming?”

“No man, I already promised Wynn I’d stop over tonight.” The excuse slipped out before he could stop himself. They had barely been off duty for a couple of hours and already Rebel was looking for fun. This time Ace wanted nothing to do with it. He wanted to stay home and maybe find a way to make up his blunder to Gwen.

“Come on, old man. You can do that early, then meet us for drinks.”

“Next time, you have my word. Have a good time.”

“Damn man, you and Boom are getting too old for your own good. Successful missions should be celebrated, you never know when the next one might be our last.”

Wasn’t that the truth, but not tonight.

“Boom?” He and Jared “Boom” Taylor were in the same SEAL class, going through the torture of training together. Sticking together, they’d somehow made it through when most of their class dropped out.

“Yeah, he’s staying home tonight too. Something about a list of shit to do before we leave again.”

He didn’t like the fact that the boys were going out without him or Boom; they were the ones that kept the younger men in line and out of jail. “What’s the name of the club?”

“Pulse. It’s off Mediterranean Avenue, just past the Japanese restaurant. You can’t miss the signs. Does that mean you’re coming then?”

“I might stop by.” He left it open, so if he didn’t feel like going no one would be watching out for him.

“See you there.” Excitement poured from Rebel’s voice.

“Maybe,” he reminded him before ending the call.

Just what I want to do, go out to a loud club. Don’t the boys believe in resting at all?

With a shower calling to him, he slid the phone into his pocket, grabbed his olive top load canvas duffel bag and headed upstairs. Shower, some sleep, and then hopefully he’d have an idea how to fix the tension between Gwen and him without getting to close to her.

G
wen curled up on the king size bed. The tears had finally begun to subside when the shower kicked on in the hall bathroom. She had debated leaving. At this time of year, she could find a hotel without a problem, but something kept her there. Seeing Ace brought everything back with a vengeance. It broke her heart to hear the only man she ever loved stand there and criticize her choices.

It took a near fatal car accident to make her realize she couldn’t keep waiting for him. She had to move on with her life. She fell in love with Ace in high school and never got over it. Even the few short-term boyfriends she’d had since then could never compare to him.

She’d once believed they would spend their lives together, though she hadn’t been comfortable with the idea of being a military wife. That was where his ambition was, and she had accepted that. Then he just went off to boot camp and never looked back.

She didn’t understand how he could just leave her without explaining it to her. All she received was a Dear Jane letter. She had hoped to be able to talk some sense into him, to get him to see reason, but every letter she wrote went unanswered. Finally, she decided to wait until he came back, but each time he had a break in his training he made an excuse. By the time he finished his training and joined SEAL team two, she had moved to Tennessee and was busy with her own career. Too much time had passed for her to seek him out; there was no logic left, only pain.

Sliding her hand along the curve of her stomach, her thoughts turned to her unborn daughter, and she tried to convince herself everything had worked out fine. Maybe not the way she wanted them to, but that didn’t matter anymore. Now she had to focus on making a life for her and her daughter, and the first step was to find a new place to live.

T
wo houses down, Gwen and her realtor stood outside a condo building. The building was two blocks from the beach and just down the road from Wynn’s. It was at the top end of her budget, but still within it if it didn’t need a lot of work.

“This condo has two bedrooms, two baths, and the open floor plan you asked for. It also has a den you could use as your office.” Trudy read off the house details while Gwen looked over the outside.