Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (11 page)

He stopped. The next part was the hardest. His muscles tightened, reducing his ability to breathe. The wound in his shoulder burned with the memory. He shook his head and forced air in and out of his lungs.

"What happened?"

"After searching the area behind the buildings where he suspected the noise came from, I couldn't find anything or anyone. I stepped out to give him the all clear and… I don't know what happened, but he must've thought I was the bad guy. He raised his rifle and took a shot at me."

"Oh, God…" Evelyn's voice resonated with a horrified whisper.

His heart thudded violently in his chest as the rest of the events of that night played out. "After he shot me, I crawled to hide behind one of the buildings."

"Why? Didn't he realize his mistake?" The horror in her voice morphed into shock.

"I guess not. I radioed for help, but with the lateness of the hour and the fact we were all the way at the back of the compound, no one would arrive in time. The shot fired would have alerted someone, but without a sitrep, they'd have to proceed carefully. I managed to get myself hidden behind some barrels, and despite the pain in my shoulder, my weapon was raised and at the ready."

"He found you, didn't he?" A solemn statement rather than a question from her.

"He did. I tried talking to him. Needed him to realize I was the good guy. But something inside of him had snapped." Cody closed his eyes, picturing the young man standing before him. "I don't scare easily, but this soldier…eyes wide, body trembling, his skin glowed from beading sweat. He wasn't himself. I knew in that moment…"

"You shot him."

Her saying it out loud challenged his emotions on this whole subject, robbing him of any measure of happiness he'd found over the past few days. "I did. I truly believed it was him or me. He'd raised his weapon, and it was aimed squarely at my chest."

Evelyn moved to her knees and ran her hands over his arms and chest in a soothing motion. "It was. You did what you had to do to stay alive."

This was the hard part. "It's more than that. Not only did I shoot an unstable man, but I set the whole damn thing in motion by not reporting him to my CO before we left. I then compounded matters by sending him off by himself. The whole situation makes me angry."

"You were doing what needed to be done to ensure the safety of your camp."

"If you say so…" He waited. He knew she'd ask. She may not be as curious as her sister, but you don't become a successful attorney without knowing the right questions to ask.

There was a long silence. He couldn't take it anymore. "Ask me."

"I don't need to. I already know the answer. You were trained to shoot to kill. Trained over and over again. That training saved your life."

He'd killed before, in battle, but this was different. "The investigation is still pending. I'm supposed to hear something in the next few days. When they took the statements of others who'd interacted with him during the day, they reported edgy behavior as well." He looked at Evelyn. The lack of his action taunted every fiber of his being. "Just like me, none of them had reported it. I had to kill a man that day because no one bothered, myself included."

Evelyn pulled him into her embrace. Her voice comforting him the same way he'd witnessed her do with Jason from time to time. "This was a clear-cut case of self-defense, no question. You can't blame yourself. We all have bad days. Edgy behavior can be caused by many things—excessive caffeine or lack of sleep to name a few. I imagine you see quite a bit of that over there. You're not a trained psychologist, and you did your best under difficult circumstances."

She cupped his chin and lifted his face until her blue-eyed gaze blazed into him, reaching into the very depths of his soul. "You listen to me. If anyone is to blame here, it's the doctor who cleared him as fit for duty."

Deep down, he knew she was right. But, she couldn't possibly understand the full depth of his guilt and anger. She'd never killed anyone standing in front of her, wild eyes or not. Looking into those fathomless blue depths, he prayed she never had to make such a life and death choice. He'd deal with his anger and whatever decision the review board handed down. She'd already mentioned how complicated her life was. He wasn't going to make it any worse.

Her warmth left him as she stood. The air trapped in his lungs refused to move. She'd finally come to her senses and realized how horrible he truly was and decided to leave his sorry ass alone on the beach. He'd take the next flight home and hole up at his sister's house until he finished his commitment to the government or eighteen months at Leavenworth. Then he'd try to figure out what the hell he was going to do with the rest of his life. His parents had clearly shared their plans. Maybe they were right, and he should give up on his dreams. He wasn't ready for that either. This whole situation sucked.

A T-shirt hitting his face brought him back to the present.
What the hell?
He looked up to see Evelyn unbuttoning her shorts and slipping them down her long, slender legs. No black lingerie this time—matching baby blue. "What are you doing?"

"I'm celebrating life tonight. Whether you believe it or not, I worried about your safety every single night after I came home from India. I'm embarrassed to admit the number of times I slept in your shirt. Twice you've cheated death, and I want to commemorate the fact we're here together. Alive."

Evelyn started walking toward the water. Her hair blew gently in the breeze as she waded into the surf. Her silhouette against the moonlit water captured his imagination and attention as nothing—no one—else ever had. He might have unresolved crap in his life, more trouble than one man needed at any given time, but Evelyn's faith in him provided hope that someday he could move past the crazy twists and turns of life and find a little piece of happiness.

He lost his shirt and shorts in record time and jogged the short distance to catch up to her. Taking her hand, they walked until they were chest high in the water. She turned her back to him and pulled his arms around her.

Just like that last morning in India.
He wanted to show her how much he appreciated her faith in him. He nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck, plying her with gentle kisses.

Her head lolled to the left, giving him more access. Her earlobe, jeweled with a small gold hoop in the bottom piercing and a small diamond stud in the top, captured his attention. Using his tongue, he toyed with the precious metal before kissing the sweet spot behind her ear.

"Mmm, I like that." She guided his hands to her breasts. "I have no idea what third base is, but I enjoyed second this afternoon and would like to revisit."

His hands cupped the perfectly rounded flesh and squeezed gently. He closed his eyes and remembered the sun rising over the water in India. Remembered the way Evelyn felt in his arms that morning. Remembered his heart breaking, knowing they would have to say good-bye. He lowered his head enough to place tender kisses near her ear. "This brings back memories."

She turned in his embrace and lifted her legs until they were circling his body.

So perfect together.
He cupped her bottom and held her in place, never wanting to let her go.

Though the moon hiding behind the clouds lowered visibility, the sound of her breath whispering across his face and the rapid beat of her heart against his chest, spoke volumes. "I remember…"

The heat from her lips warmed his face. Light, airy kisses on his forehead, cheeks, and chin. Everywhere but where he wanted them most.

Stifling the urge to ignite the smoldering passion building below the surface, he inhaled and exhaled slowly. He needed to calm his body.
Focus. Be in the moment.

She wanted slow. He'd give her slow.

Continued deep breaths in and out muted the rest of the world, allowing him to see the vivid masterpiece of this moment. The feather touch of her hair as the wind gently blew it against his neck. The satin of her lips brushing across the stubble on his cheek. The pillow of her breasts rising and falling rhythmically with each breath. The strength in her long legs as they held his body close. Okay, the last thought didn't help him with slow…

Gently disengaging their upper bodies, he slid his hands around her waist—smaller than he remembered from before.
She's not eating right.
"Let me take care of you." He whispered into her ear.

The languid movements of her body tightened, and her head rose sharply. "I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Wait. What? Her legs moved away from his body.

Not good.
His grip on her waist allowed him to turn their bodies until her back pressed firmly against his front. He moved one arm around her waist to hold her in place. He guided the other hand lower toward the apex of her thighs. With a gentle stroke along the satin, he could feel the slight tremor in her body. "I meant
this
kind of taking care of you."

"Oh…"

Though he couldn't see, he could almost feel the blush covering her body. The smile against the curve of her neck wouldn't be stifled. "While I'm sure you
can
take care of this yourself…do you really want to?"

Her hand covered his and began to guide him in his efforts. Together. He liked the thought of that. Not just for tonight, but for many nights to come.

Evelyn woke to the sound of sizzling bacon. The rumbling in her stomach reminded her she could use some sustenance. Drawing in a deep breath, the smell of Cody's cologne mingled with the breakfast scents. She ran her hands lovingly over his T-shirt and smiled. Last night had been emotionally and physically rewarding. It felt good to finally tell someone about what happened in her marriage. Cody was the only one who knew the truth.

Cody.

The man who quietly and softly found his way into the innermost parts of her heart. He knew firsthand she wasn't perfect and still wanted her. Thinking of the way his hands brought her pleasure last night curved her lips into a smile. Yes, he wanted her. Curves and edges and all that went along with the complicated woman she'd become.
Or had always been.
She hoped when their vacation ended in a few days, they'd be able to find a way to make their relationship work. Truthfully, she had no idea if she could break away from a lifetime of habits to do something…someone so completely different.

Michael's head popped into the room. "Mom, if you're going to say good-bye to Cody, you need to get up and get out here."

Good-bye? Good-bye! What the hell. Years of practice allowed her to keep her voice calm as she responded. "Give me five, and I'll be right out. Please tell him to wait."

"Okay."

Okay? Nothing about this moment was okay. What happened between all they'd shared last night and him leaving this morning? Throwing the covers back, she pulled on the pair of shorts she'd left beside the bed when she crawled in after spending most of the night out on the beach. She'd almost made it to the door when she stopped. No bra. While Cody wouldn't mind, there were lots of other people in the house. She scoured the room for something…anything she could put on. She spotted a sweatshirt hanging on the hook outside the closet. She grabbed it and pulled it over her head. One more deep breath. Calm. Cool. Collected.

The dark circles around Cody's eyes told a different story than the dark, passion-filled gazes from last night. What the hell had happened in the few hours they'd been apart? She grabbed a cup of coffee and took a swig. Hot! Biting back an expletive, she looked at Cody. "You're leaving?"

The sadness in his eyes said more than those beautiful lips could. "Yeah. Sorry. My sister called last night. She's freaking out from all this legal stuff. I have to go."

His sister. The legal trouble that wouldn't go away. "She going to be okay?"
Let me help, please.

He'd already turned down her offer though.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I don't know. That's why I have to go."

There was so much she wanted to say—needed to say. With an audience, though, only one thing she could say. "I hope it all works out." She moved forward and pulled him into a platonic hug. She prayed her whispered words were heard. "My offer for help still stands. Just call."

His arms tightened briefly, and then the chill of the air-conditioned room fanned across her legs, creating a layer of bumps. The chill weaving into the fabric of her heart at the thought of not being around Cody every day disturbed her on multiple levels and threatened her control. Another swig of the coffee helped keep the emotions at bay.

"Bye, Uncle Cody. Won't be as much fun around here without you." Michael fist bumped the older man.

"Hey, hey! Standing right here." Daniel chimed in, feigning hurt.

Evelyn enjoyed the embarrassed smile on her oldest son's face. "Nothing personal, Uncle Daniel." He pointed to Melodie. "She gets your attention this week, right?"

Daniel walked across the room and pulled him into a headlock, his knuckles rubbing on his head, creating friction. "That's right, dude. Gotta keep the missus happy. We can still hang out, though."

Michael grabbed Daniel's wrist and pulled it away from his head, the red now completely covering his face. Michael shot a quick look in Natalia's direction.

Young love.
Evelyn chanced a look at Cody. Waves of desire pulsed through her body at the unmasked look of longing in his gaze.

He apparently felt no need to hide what existed between them. Her face heated, most likely matching her son's but for different reasons.

"Call or text when you arrive home to let us know you made it safely." Again, not what she wanted to say, but the only words that would form.

Cody's smile temporarily warmed the ice layer forming. "Yes, Mom."

"She's not your mommy. She's mine," Jason piped up.

Cody laughed. "You're right, sport. She was acting like my mom, though."

"She worries about everyone she loves. Right, Mom?"

Just like that, the heat factor in her face ratcheted up another notch or ten. "Okay, Jason. Give Uncle Cody a hug. He has a plane to catch."

Jason ran up and threw his arms around Cody. A tear hovered at the corner of her eye as Cody's large hand tousled through Jason's curls as she'd done countless time over the past eight years. "Bye. I'll see you when you get home. We'll make a playdate."

"Yay! Can Princess come too?"

Cody's gaze found Evelyn's again. "You bet, sport. We'll invite whoever wants to come along on the date. You and Princess can pick where we go."

The tear made its escape, trailing slowly down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away, hoping no one else had seen. He made it sound so simple. Life tended to be more complicated than playdates and walks on the beach.

Sam's voice cut into the moment. "Van's packed. Let's go."

With one last look at his handsome face, she watched him wave and head out the door. Once back in the bedroom, she peeled off the sweatshirt and crawled back into bed. Lifting the fabric of his T-shirt to her nose, she inhaled deeply. She refused to admit how much his scent calmed her. Yet here she was. Ridiculous but true. Right now, she needed the comfort. Michael called it. It wasn't going to be nearly as fun here.