Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (13 page)

Evelyn sipped on the Merlot she'd been nursing since returning home from picking up the boys from Nathan's. Based on the hugs and smiles they gave their dad, he hadn't told them anything. She had no desire for Monique to be a part of their life, but she didn't see a way around it. Nathan had chosen her, so by extension, she was here. For as long as it lasted anyway.

Her phone buzzed. The muscles in her jaw clenched involuntarily. If this was work… A quick check of the caller ID revealed the late night caller to be her sister. "Hey Mel. How goes the packing?" Daniel and Melodie had been sharing time between the two residences during the year of their engagement allowing Mel to finish her work at the library before transferring to Mississippi after the wedding and honeymoon.

"I can't believe how much stuff I collected in the past few years."

"Our belongings duplicate faster than bunnies. I'm never moving." The thought of clearing and moving out of the home representing the pinnacle of her success and career sent a shudder down her spine.

"Well, in all fairness, you have a bigger place and more people's stuff."

Less stuff now that Nathan had moved his belongings out, including the bed they'd shared. She'd sleep on the floor before she slept in the same bed he slept in with Monique. Not that they'd slept much… She'd substituted a queen size bed for the king after he left. "True. So, to what do I owe this late night call from my favorite little sister?"

Melodie laughed. "I'm your only sister. Nice try, though."

Evelyn grinned around the rim of her wineglass. "Can't blame a gal for trying."

"I got an envelope at work today."

Evelyn's spine straightened. If those people fired her after all she'd done for them and their library… "And?"

"Oh my God, Ev. They named me Librarian of the Year!" The excitement in her voice transcended the space between them.

Evelyn could almost imagine the energy bursting from every limb. "That's fantastic. I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks. That means so much to me. You have no idea."

She was pretty sure she did. Melodie had spent her life trying to make her family proud. "Mother will be very proud of you as well."

There was a long pause. "Do you really think so?"

"No. I know so!" If, for some reason, Marie didn't share in the enthusiasm for this accomplishment, Evelyn would take her to task. Though she wasn't in their mother's good graces at the moment, she'd not let Melodie's achievement go unrecognized.

"I'm calling tomorrow to tell her. Wish me luck."

"You won't need it, but good luck, and, Mel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for calling me first to share. It means so much." An errant tear slid down her cheek. At least this time it was for a happy reason.

"Love you."

"I love you, little sis." She disconnected the call. Glad at least one of their lives remained in the happily ever after lane. Her life had taken a serious detour.
Have I ever really been on that road?

At the thought, she remembered the strained conversation with Cody earlier. He'd called for a reason, she assumed. The call had ended politely, but things were left unsaid.
Maybe he missed me?
No, there was more to it than that. Her instincts, at least when it came to things like this, had served her well over the years. He wanted off the phone with her, and he'd wanted off in a hurry. Her thumb hovered near the call log for today. Several calls down, she arrived at Cody's number. The temptation to call and finish their conversation fought mightily against her better judgment. Life circumstances kept sabotaging any and all of their attempts at a relationship. Why did they keep coming back for more?
Because somewhere, deep down, I want him to be part of my life, even if it makes zero sense.

If Cody wanted to be a part of her life, either now or at some point in the future, they needed to talk through this. She shook her head and prayed her heart would forgive her for not being able to move away from Cody, her enigma. With renewed conviction, she selected his number in the log and hit redial.

After three rings, a gravelly voice answered. "Hello?"

Evelyn quickly glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Was it late? Nine. No self-respecting adult should be asleep at this time. "Cody? It's Evelyn. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously? Are you ill?" Concern outweighed her surprise for the moment.

"Just exhausted." He sounded a little more awake.

"I can talk to you tomorrow." The righteous winds of determination blew out of her sails, leaving them hanging listless in silence. "Sorry to have bothered you."

She moved the phone away from her ear to click the disconnect button.

"Ev, wait. I want to talk to you."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I want to say I'm sorry for earlier today."

"No apology necessary." An explanation was what she wanted. Apologies were overrated, at least that had been her experience with her mother and Nathan.

His warm chuckle melted some of the ice from Michael's earlier comments. "I don't believe that for a second. You were pissed, and I don't blame you."

Despite herself, the corners of her mouth tilted upward. "More frustrated than pissed."

This time he laughed that full belly laugh she remembered from their night on the beach in India right before he conned her into a picnic the next day. "Fair enough. Someday you'll have to make me a chart so I can know how far I've tipped the scales."

"The scales that tell you how much trouble you're in?"

"Those would be the ones. The amount of trouble I'm in directly equates to the amount of groveling I'll have to do to get back in your good graces."

This man could charm the habit off a nun. He'd certainly charmed her out of all her clothes…multiple times. "This time it's easy."

"I'm all ears."

"Hardly." The sensual sound of her voice surprised her. She twisted on the couch and lay back, propping her feet on the arm. In less than two minutes, Cody had shifted her mood from anger to laughter and now…a base emotion—need.

A pause on the other end of the line allowed time for the temperature in her body to rise a few degrees, either from embarrassment or arousal—could be both. Maybe she'd surprised him as well.

"You may be many things, but easy isn't one of them." Cody's admission made her stop and think.

Compliment or curse? She'd never thought of herself as overly complicated. Set goals. Work hard. Don't stop until you achieve them. Repeat. "If you say so." Tired of the nonstop arguing she'd engaged in today with Nathan, Michael, and at work, she opted for the path of least resistance. Who said she couldn't be reasonable?

"I know so, but you know what else?"

"I know I don't like to play guessing games." The irritation in her voice wiped away any lingering traces of sensuality.

"You're worth it."

Three words from him, and the warmth returned. A serious ding in her tough girl exterior. A trace of a smile formed again. "Well, you did say you liked my curves and edges. Figured you had more than your fair share of curves while we were in Mexico, so…"

"So, time for some edges. I'd prefer to get the edges in person, though. Gives me an opportunity to use my hands to rub them until they're smooth again."

Thoughts of Cody's hands touching her knocked a few more cracks in her exterior. If he kept this up, no amount of repair would restore it to full strength again. Time to change the subject. "Before we get too far off track, I really want to know why you called today. Is it something with your sister? I want to help."

An audible sigh announced the pause this time that lasted at least half a minute. "Those sharks at the law firm are circling for blood. When my sister told them I had given her the design for the studio, they filed an addendum to the lawsuit naming me as a defendant as well."

"Did you give it to her?" Might as well get to the bottom of this as soon as possible so she'd know what they were up against.

"Hell yeah, I did. It's my design, my drawing. I drew it
for
her."

She imagined if he were in the room, his face would be beet red with anger.

"How did they get it then?"

A long exhale, "I don't know."

"Think, Cody. This is important." Not only important but the key to building a proper defense. "Where did you work prior to joining the military?"

"I did a paid internship with Alpha Design Marketing, a graphics design firm."

"Is Mega Music a customer of Alpha's?" She sat up, her full attention on every detail.

"How the hell should I know? I was an intern. I sat in my cubicle and completed the assignments they gave me, filed paperwork, fetched coffee, and anything else they wanted me to do. You've probably never had to be low man on the totem pole."

"Of course not." She tried, successfully she hoped, to keep the smile out of her voice.

"Figures," he grumbled.

"I was low woman on the totem pole. I know it's been almost a week since we've spent time together on the beach, but surely you haven't forgotten my curves, the ones that indicate, without a doubt, I'm a woman, have you?"

And just like that, her focus switched from professional to personal. Maybe it was good she hadn't met Cody years ago. She'd probably still be a court runner or clerk with all the worthy distractions he provided.

A happy court runner, though.

"You were the grunt worker? I call bullshit."

"Everyone pays their dues, including me. I worked as a court runner for a law firm while still in school then clerked for a judge for a year before getting hired at my current firm. Oh, and lest you think my name on the door means something special, that translates into thousands of billable hours, sacrifice, and doing a hell of a lot of things myself while everyone else vacationed, played games, or enjoyed their life. So, yes, I started at the bottom of the totem pole and have slowly carved my way toward the top."

"So, what do you do after you make it to the top? Your name is on the wall. You've achieved success. What now?"

Try to have a personal life, maybe?
She shrugged her shoulders and slouched back into the cushions. "Now I have to work just as hard to stay there."

"Sounds like a vicious cycle. Is it worth it?"

A year ago, she would've said yes without hesitation. Now, she wasn't so sure. She inhaled and exhaled slowly. Focus. "You need to do some research and open up your memory bank. If you worked on that design for your sister while in the employ of Alpha Design, they may be able to claim intellectual rights to anything you created while you were there. You probably had to sign a document to that effect."

A muffled curse came through the line. "Yeah, that I remember. But I didn't work on the design for my sister while working for them."

"Can you prove it?"

"I'm guessing my word isn't good enough?" The agitation in his voice clearly resonated in her ear.

Her smile disappeared, a frown pulling not only the corners of her mouth downward but her mood as well. "It's a start, but concrete proof would be better. Don't worry. We'll figure something out."

"You take installment payments, right?" Cody's voice held a slight tease, but Evelyn knew this was an important matter they needed to settle.

"Do you trust me to resolve this for you and your sister?"

"You know I do, Ev. I have it on good authority that you're the best damn lawyer around."

She laughed a little despite the seriousness of the situation. "I hardly think Daniel qualifies as good authority, but in this case, he's right. If the facts all work out as I believe they will, you won't have to worry about my fees."

"I won't take charity from you."

"What kind of lawyer would I be if I gave away my services for free? Just focus on finding me the proof. That's the best way you can help both your sister and me so we can win this case. Deal?"

There was a long pause. "Deal. Good night, Counselor."

"Good night, Soldier."

Cody ended the call with Evelyn with a much higher level of frustration than when the conversation had started. He didn't blame her. Okay, maybe he blamed her a bit. Reminding him about her curves didn't help ease the sexual tension that existed between them. He needed her in his bed, in his life. Not going to happen while his personal life hovered on the rim of the toilet. Legal trouble on multiple fronts needed to be resolved. His JAG attorney had called earlier and communicated that the review board had almost finished with the army shrink and would then issue their decision. Talk about the wheels of justice turning slowly. Someone would be the sacrificial lamb for what had transpired.

God, please don't let it be me.
His future prospects for employment weren't encouraging either.

All of this made him a less than ideal candidate for the practically perfect in every way Ms. Evelyn Alexander. Not even the strong sexual attraction that existed between them would be enough, he believed, for her to consider him more than a pleasurable dalliance from her life—no matter what she might say. Or the way she looked at him. Uncertainty settled low in his gut, cutting into his courage. If possible, civilian life might suck more than the desert battlefields of Afghanistan. He shook his head multiple times to dispel the grey gloom surrounding his normally positive demeanor. Time for a distraction.

Thoughts of Evelyn's smoky baby blues undressing him prompted him to retrieve the only sketch he had of her. With extreme care, he ran his fingers over the soft, curved lines of the drawing.

So damn sexy.

Her picture enticed him far more than the bleak surroundings of the one-bedroom apartment he'd signed a short-term lease for upon returning from Mexico. Uncle Sam needed him in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—or Leavenworth—before releasing the claim on his life. Only an hour away from his parents and sister and, he admitted, only about two hours from Naperville, where Evelyn lived.

Making himself comfortable on the couch, a hand-me-down from his parents and one of the few pieces of furniture in his apartment, he studied the picture. He recommitted every detail to memory, adding nuances and texture in his mind from his tangible experiences with the woman who'd captivated him from the first time she'd crossed his field of vision. Memories from their time in India led him willingly back to that weekend—to a simpler time. No legal trouble. No friendly fire. No distractions. Nothing but Evelyn's seductive smile, sultry eyes, and stunning body. The sweet allure of a fantasy-filled sleep called to him, a momentary escape from the difficulties that lie ahead.

Cody jerked awake, perspiration beading his forehead. His hands clenched in terror. Blinking rapidly, he fought to banish the image of crazed, sinister eyes peering at him from the barrel of a rifle. He forced air in and out of his lungs, trying to ease the frantic pounding of his heart. Facing death on the battlefield had been frightening enough, but one-on-one, completely terrifying.

He wanted the nightmares to end but doubted even a self-defense verdict from the board would do the trick. Some things a man never forgot. The best he could hope for was to bury that part of his life so deep the likelihood of the memory resurfacing would be minimal if not nonexistent.

Once his physical state returned to normal, his mental state jumped straight to Evelyn. He searched for her picture, alarmed it wasn't still in his grasp. Grabbing his phone to activate the flashlight app, his eyes adjusted to the bright light in the midst of the darkness. He scoured the entire floor for the piece of paper that grounded him and gave him hope for a future.

After a few minutes of searching, he located the precious sketch on top of a pile of magazines and newspapers he'd purchased at the nearby gas station. Job hunting factored into his near future, he hoped. His parents would give him a job on the dairy farm, but that life wasn't for him. Never had been. He switched on the light to make sure no damage had come to the picture when he flung it off his body during the nightmare. He panicked for a quick moment when instead of her image, he saw his initials superimposed together and a date, his trademark way of signing every sketch. Something he'd started from the first time he brought home a picture from preschool to be proudly displayed on the refrigerator. A picture his mother signed with his initials and the date.

The memory prompted a faint smile. His mother had proudly covered every available surface of the family fridge with his early works. Even though both she and his father had dreams of him taking over the family business, his mom had never failed in her support of his creative efforts. He suspected she ran a lot of interference between him and his father over the years as well. He needed to schedule a mother-son date. He didn't want to jeopardize his ally status with her. She loved the Friday night fish fry at the neighborhood bar and grill. Maybe he'd go for a visit this weekend and surprise her.

A date!
Sitting up straighter, he ran his thumb over the date on Evelyn's picture. He always signed and dated his work. Which meant…he could prove the image he drew for his sister was created after leaving the employ of Alpha Design. He still didn't know if Mega Music was a client of Alpha's or how they came to have possession of his work, but one problem at a time, right?

He needed to see if his sister still had the original artwork. He lifted a small prayer toward heaven that not only did she have it but also that his grief over Jerry's death hadn't prompted him to break from his norm and not sign and date this particular piece. With the exception of the sketch of Evelyn, the only other creative work he'd done after Jerry's death had been this piece for his sister. His creative and protective instincts merged. He needed to find a way to prove what he knew to be true.

Though it was crazy and even though he knew Evelyn would assign him to the stalker category, he opened a text message on his phone and typed. "Ev, may have way to prove artwork is mine. Heading to my sister's. Cell coverage sucks there. Call when I get back."

He stopped short of finishing with, "Love, Cody." Instead, he simply used his trademark signature—the one he hoped would get him and his sister out of this mess.
CJ
. Since it was the middle of the night, he didn't expect her to respond. Not that she would anyway. It was still the workweek, and as she reminded him, she was a busy woman. Regardless, he'd kept his attorney up to speed. He could check that detail off his list, at least.

Once his legal problems went away then, and only then, could he start rebuilding all the other pieces of his life. With one last glance at Evelyn's image, he hoped that meant finding his creative mojo again. With a sigh and a smile, he also hoped his future included the warm-bodied version of the woman he'd just tucked away in her sacred place between the pages of his sketchpad.