Distinguished Service & Every Move You Make (Uniformly Hot!) (11 page)

19

H
E
SHOULD
HAVE
CANCELED
.

Mace knew that.

Still, even though his mind was occupied with the day’s event, he was late as hell and probably in hot water, the thought of seeing Geneva, even for a few minutes…well, it eclipsed everything else.

He straightened his Marine full-dress uniform jacket and scanned the good-sized crowd at the outdoor dance, his mind still going over the second attempt against Norman’s life.

After pinpointing the position of the assailant, he’d rushed into the business building with backup on the way only to find the vacant office from which the rocket had been launched empty…although very recently occupied. The suspect had left behind items he probably hadn’t intended to, which indicated Mace had just missed him. A scope bore a good fingerprint that Mace had immediately entered into the system. While nothing had come back yet, he had men out pulling samples from hotels and motels in the area hoping for a match and a further lead. He also had guys reviewing video from cameras in the area.

The two security men in the target car had suffered minor burns and concussions but thankfully, they were okay.

And General Norman had gone on to his rally as if nothing had happened, not learning the full extent of the second attempt until afterward.

It had been after seven before Mace realized what time it was…and remembered his promise to Geneva.

Now it was after nine.

The Harvest Dance was set on a farm outside Colorado Springs in a hulking old barn. A big band was set up in a corner among hay bales and there was a large dance area in front of the makeshift stage, while tables full of those taking advantage of the unseasonably warm night were set up both inside and outside the barn under large tents.

He didn’t know how he was going to find Geneva. He hadn’t heard anything from her after her simple “Okay.”

Maybe he should call her.

Then he spotted her.

His stomach tightened in a way not all that different than it had in the wake of today’s events, yet was entirely different. She was standing near the barn doors, a glass of what looked like wine in her hand though he guessed it was likely juice, her profile turned to him as she took in the scene. She had on a red high-waisted dress and heels, her hair swept back from her beautiful face, looking perfectly matched to the nostalgia-era setting.

He stood still, merely watching her when she seemed to sense his presence. Her chin went up and she turned her head, meeting his gaze.

Her smile erased everything that had happened that day. Nothing existed but her.

They met in the middle of the distance separating them and she hugged him. He happily hugged her back.

“Thank God you’re okay,” she whispered into his ear.

She smelled of gardenias and something spicy. It was all he could do not to press his lips against the long line of her neck. Damn, but she looked beautiful.

He hadn’t thought about her worrying earlier. It wasn’t until later he’d discovered the news about the car explosion had been pretty much broadcast live, which meant she’d probably seen it.

“I’m even better now,” he whispered back, settling for brushing his lips against the shell of her ear as he pulled her slightly closer.

She smiled up at him.

As he smiled back, he couldn’t help feeling as if he’d known her forever…yet as if they’d just met.

“You want something to drink?” she asked.

He watched her mouth say the words, but didn’t immediately register them. The band had launched into a slow classic.

“What? Oh. No.” He offered his arm. “But I would like to dance with you. Do me the honor?”

“The honor would be mine.”

He took the glass from her hand, placed it on a nearby table, then walked her the short way to the dance floor. As he pulled her close, he couldn’t help thinking there was nowhere else he’d rather be in that one moment. She fit just so against him, her soft sigh communicating she likely felt the same.

It had been a good long while since he’d danced with anyone. But Geneva wasn’t just anyone. She was…she was…

He looked down at her.

She was beautiful. In every way.

“I was worried about you,” she said softly.

“I know. I’m sorry. I should have called.”

“I know you had more important matters to attend to.”

Just then, he couldn’t think what those could be. He was filled with the sweet scent of her, the feel…and wanted more. Oh, so much more.

“I was afraid you weren’t going to make it tonight,” she said.

“I was, too.”

He smiled down at her and then held her closer still.

He closed his eyes, listening to the music, content to feel her heart beating against his, for now.

“About your text this morning…” she said so softly he nearly didn’t hear her.

Had it really been only that morning since he’d texted those three words? Yes, he realized, it had been.

“Shh,” he said into her ear. “Let’s just enjoy the moment, okay?”

Her head nodded against his cheek.

He pressed his lips against her temple.

So much, so quickly. From one extreme to the next. Given the drastic swings, part of him wondered if his instincts and emotions could be trusted. But it was a small part, if only because this felt so right.

A tap on Mace’s shoulder. “May I?”

He turned to look at Dustin.

He grimaced as he gazed into Geneva’s surprised face.

She looked back at him.

“Sorry. The lady’s dance card is full,” he said, experiencing a possessiveness with which he was unfamiliar.

Geneva gave Dustin an apologetic smile and then Mace danced her away from reality back into the dream…

* * *

A
HALF
HOUR
LATER
, Geneva reluctantly left Mace with some friends to go in search of Dustin. She’d much rather stick by Mace’s side, get to know more about him and talk to his friends’ dates and wives and girlfriends, but she needed to talk to the man who was making it his business to complicate her life in ways she didn’t appreciate.

There. She found him talking to Tiffany from the diner near the open bar set up outside.

“May I speak to you for a moment?” she asked, after saying hello and telling Tiffany she looked great.

“Dance?” Dustin asked.

“Talk.”

They both looked at Tiffany, who appeared curiously disappointed.

“Sure.”

Geneva led the way and stopped on the fringe of the happy crowd.

“You’ve got to stop this, Dustin.”

“Stop what?”

“You know what,” she said. “You’ve got to stop acting like we’re anything more than just friends.”

His gaze dropped to her belly. “Oh? I’m thinking you need to stop acting like we’re just friends.”

“We’re going to share parenting, but as for anything romantic…”

She watched as his expression darkened.

She touched his sleeve. “I’m sorry if this flies in the face of your basic instincts, Dustin. Really, I am. But…well, I just don’t feel that way about you. And the days of marrying just for the sake of a baby have long since passed.”

“But…”

“There really isn’t a but.”

Then it struck her. She suddenly realized because she spent so much of her time dodging his advances, she wasn’t including him in a way that might allay some of his fears…and get him to accept a more fitting role.

“I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week,” she said quietly.

His brows raised.

“Would you like to come with me?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’d love to come with you.”

She smiled at his quick answer.

“Will we learn the sex of the baby?”

She laughed. “No. Not yet. We’re still a few weeks away from that, but you’re welcome to be present then, as well.”

He seemed to search her face long and hard.

“I’m not going to exclude you, Dustin. You are the baby’s father. You’re welcome to participate any way you’d like in that role.”

“But nothing more.”

“Friendship. You know, like what we shared before.”

He nodded.

Thankfully, he appeared more thoughtful than genuinely hurt.

Had he really been afraid she’d cut him out?

“And Mace?” he asked.

“Mace?”

Then it struck her: Dustin wasn’t only afraid of being cut out; he was concerned he might be replaced altogether.

“I don’t know,” she said truthfully.

While she hoped Mace might play a role in her future—and by extension in the future of her child—well…

“But whatever tomorrow holds,” she said to Dustin, “you’ll always be the baby’s father.”

He appeared satisfied with that. More than satisfied, he looked happy.

“Can I be there for the birth?”

Her eyes widened and she laughed. “How about we leave that decision for when we’re closer to the birth?”

He grinned. “Fair enough.”

She looked over his shoulder at the way Tiffany was watching them in a curious way.

She squinted.

Oh. Another light bulb moment.

Geneva cleared her throat. “Now that we’ve settled that, it looks like someone might like to dance with you.”

“Who?”

She nodded in the other woman’s direction.

“Tiffany?” he said incredulously. “We’re just friends.”

“So are Mace and I…” Geneva said. Then she smiled.

20

S
HE
DESERVED
BETTER
…

Mace hated parting ways with Geneva at the end of the dance, but he needed to hightail it back to Denver before the suspect trail grew cold. Now, hours later, all he could think about was her, all warm and sleeping in that big bed of hers, alone. And how much he’d like to crawl in behind her, draw her close, then lose himself in the touch, feel and taste of her.

He couldn’t recall a time when a woman had captivated him to the degree where she was always on his mind. To where his every thought, every action, automatically extended to how it might affect her or them.

He’d never achieved that state of…consumption with Janine. In fact, every time he found a message waiting for him on his cell phone, which had thankfully trickled down to once a day instead of several, he was mildly surprised to find he’d forgotten about her.

“Match.”

Reece’s one word snapped his attention away from thoughts that might concern him if given further examination. He looked up from where the documentation on yesterday’s reports from various team members was spread out on the conference room table before him.

Jon came over to where he sat. He placed a printout of the fingerprint found at the scene yesterday next to another. “Falcone lifted this from the front desk counter at a budget motel on the outskirts of town an hour ago.”

They had their man.

Though if he was correct in that assumption, there was little chance their guy was still at the ratty motel on the edge of town. Especially if he’d spotted Dominic Falcone.

Still, it was a lead where previously there hadn’t been one.

“Falcone still on the scene?”

“No. He’s moved on.”

With countless hotels and motels in the metro area to accommodate conventions, there was a lot of ground to cover, so it was anybody’s guess where any of the men were at that given moment.

Mace pushed from his chair and grabbed his jacket. “Then let’s go…”

* * *

G
ENEVA
SAT
AT
THE
DINER
counter, the breakfast rush having slowed to a hushed trickle, proposals from her other job open before her in preparation for a meeting in an hour scheduled to take place at the eatery, since she wouldn’t have time to go home and change and get back in time to meet her client.

Trudy plopped down on the stool next to her and sighed, slapping her morning paper onto the counter. “What a morning.”

Geneva made a notation in the margin of the proposal. “Any luck replacing Cindy?”

Trudy made a sound that verified what Geneva had already suspected. “I haven’t had time to interview much less hire anyone.”

“You could always hire her back.”

“I could…”

Geneva raised her brows. The usual Trudy response to such a suggestion would have been a snort and a dismissive scowl. Far be it from her to rehire someone who’d already proven herself unworthy. Her tolerance threshold was wide, but surpass it and there was no going back. Once you were out with her, you were out for good.

At least that had been the case before.

Although now…

Trudy opened the paper, pretending not to notice her open scrutiny although Geneva knew perfectly well she was aware of it; Trudy was aware of everything.

“Should I give her a call? You’re going to be shorthanded this weekend.”

Trudy didn’t respond, indicating the moment of Zen breakthrough had passed. At least for the time being.

Geneva returned to her proposal, figuring her suggestion was at least worth a shot. Truth was, considering how busy it had been lately, they needed an extra pair of hands. And while Cindy was known to call in sick once or twice a month without a hint of the sniffles, she was a good worker.

The idea of training someone new when there was already a well-trained waitress available was unthinkable.

And, according to Tiffany, Cindy was very much interested in having her old job back. Her new one at a nearby chain restaurant wasn’t exactly working out the way she’d hoped.

“What are you doing next Tuesday?” Trudy asked.

Geneva glanced up from her proposal. Tuesday. Was it really only four days from now? It seemed so far away…yet so soon.

She hadn’t taken much note of the time lately. She’d been existing in an oddly enticing clockless bubble full of emotion and sighs. But now that she was being asked, she realized only two days remained of Mace’s leave. Next Tuesday…

Next Tuesday, he would be long gone.

Her heart stopped pumping.

“Geneva?”

She looked at Trudy, but didn’t really see her.

“Did you hear me?”

“What? Oh. Yes. I heard you.”

“It’s not a complicated question.”

Maybe not. But it did involve a complicated response. Albeit one she would never dream of sharing with Trudy.

One she really didn’t really care to explore her own response to, either.

“Why? What’s going on?”

Trudy shrugged as if it was of no importance. “That new Julia Roberts movie is out. I thought maybe you and I could catch a matinee or something.”

Geneva raised her brows.

While she considered her employer a dear friend, they’d never really socialized outside the diner.

“Sure. Let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a show.”

“Me, too.” Trudy stiffened. “I was thinking it was time to change that.”

Geneva smiled then returned to her proposal. It seemed her friend was making a lot of changes lately.

It seemed both of them were.

Her hand went to her belly and she stared off into space. The thought of Mace not playing a role in any of those changes was so impossible to fathom, she couldn’t bring herself to consider it. Not just now. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, he was there, on the fringes of her thoughts, a presence that made her blood hum and her mouth smile. To consider otherwise…

No. She wasn’t ready for that.

But she would have to be soon.

Whether she wanted to or not.

“Maybe we can do some shopping for baby clothes afterward,” Trudy said.

Geneva’s hand stopped and she smiled, grateful for the happy distraction. In just a few short months, the baby growing within her would be a separate human being with needs of his or her own. And as each day passed, that reality grew more and more. She couldn’t wait to meet her child.

“Yes. Maybe we can,” she said softly.

She glanced over at the stool of Dustin’s choice, hopeful that after their conversation last night, he’d accept his role as father and let the rest fall aside.

“Wow!”

So seldom was it that Trudy was impressed with anything, it was worthy of note. Or, at the very least, her attention.

“What is it?”

Trudy turned the newspaper so Geneva could view the page she was reading. It took a moment to understand it wasn’t a story her friend was sharing, but a photo. More specifically, a photo of her and Mace, taken last night.

Wow, was right.

With her in her retro forties dress and him in uniform, the big band behind them, the shot could have easily been taken decades ago. And the way Mace held her, looked at her…

She shivered.

“I hate to tell you this, sweetie, but he’s going to break your heart.”

She heard the words of warning, but paid them little mind as she caught on something under the caption. “Can I see that?”

“Sure.”

Geneva opened the paper at the crease. “Local Hero to be Awarded Navy Cross.”

Talk about wow…

When Mace had told her he wanted her to attend an awards ceremony with him, she’d had no idea he’d be the one getting the award. She’d assumed it was an event he was required to attend. And while the occasion certainly was that, well…

Wow!

“What?”

Trudy took the paper back and read the caption.

“That’s our Mace, isn’t it?”

She didn’t miss the “our” as she nodded.

“Give that back.”

Geneva did so blankly, unable to read the rest of the story.

“It says here that he rescued five of his fellow soldiers, carried one out on his shoulders. Holy cow. The one they’re talking about is Darius Folsom.” She showed her that page and Geneva barely registered the photo of Dari, the regular with whom Mace had been dining the night she met him, featured near the end of the story.

What kind of man didn’t share something of that nature? Didn’t tell her why they were attending a medals ceremony, what he had done?

She knew. The type of man who truly was a hero.

“I’m going to that.”

“Going where? To Afghanistan?”

“No. To the ceremony.”

“Tomorrow?”

She nodded again. “I’m his date.”

She met Trudy’s gaze, seeing in her eyes the same type of emotion ballooning in her: an acute mix of awe…and fear.

Awe that she had captured his attention.

Fear that Mace was undoubtedly going to break her heart…