Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
Oh. Em. Gee! Why hadn’t she met this incredibly handsome man during one of her visits to Florida?
Cass had been holding out on her. Well, probably not intentionally.
Her sister was one of the sweetest people Chris knew, and she thanked God that Cass was there for her all these years, even if it was mainly over the phone.
She’d been Chris’s moral support through all the ups and downs of her marriage to Randy, never saying “I told you so” or anything else to make her younger sister feel worse about the failed relationship.
She and Randy eloped not long after graduating high school—two stupid kids thinking they were in love and everything was sunshine and roses.
At least that’s what she thought. Randy’s idea of a good marriage was having a few girlfriends on the side.
She foolishly trapped herself in a cycle—walking away only to let him talk her into taking him back again and again, convinced that she couldn’t do better.
Naively, she believed his lies—that he would change, and she was the only woman he truly loved.
She still couldn’t believe she let their sham marriage drag on for seven years before walking away for good after he got an eighteen-year-old pregnant.
She finally took her mother’s and sister’s advice and divorced his unfaithful and ungrateful ass.
Last she heard, his baby mama was suing him for child support, and he had another kid on the way with someone else. Good riddance.
It took some time, therapy, and a lot of tears before she got over that scoundrel and turned her life around.
In the meantime, she earned her real estate license and was now doing well with a company that had offices along the East Coast. Yoga and meditation had become her go-to for relaxation, and she’d joined a book club.
Recently, she started dating again, but none of the guys lasted more than a week or two.
That was okay, though. She wasn’t in a rush to get serious with anyone.
However, she eventually wanted the kind of loving relationship her sister had, and perhaps have kids someday.
Cass had hit the lottery with Stefan—he was kind, caring, and swoon-worthy—and Chris was happy for them.
The line inched forward, but two people stood between Josh and the next available desk clerk.
Chris scrambled for something to say to keep the conversation going with the good-looking man she hoped she was paired with in the bridal party.
She didn’t know the logistics yet of who was walking down the aisle with whom, since Stefan’s sister, Elin, would stand up as his best woman.
The two were close, and he’d been her best man when she married her wife, Tara.
“So, are you retired from the Coast Guard like Stefan or still in?”
“Still in. I have three more years before I’m eligible for my full retirement, but I might stay longer.
Haven’t decided yet. I enlisted when I was eighteen, so being in the Guard is all I’ve known my entire adult life.
” He shrugged. “But I’ll figure it out sooner or later. What about you? What do you do?”
“I’m a real estate broker in Salem, Massachusetts, where Cass and I grew up.”
“Salem? Really? I didn’t know that’s where she’s originally from. I remember reading about the witch trials years ago. Pretty wild stuff.”
They were down to one person in front of Josh in the line. “Yeah. A lot of people go there because of that, to see the places that are supposedly haunted, and all the woo-woo stuff, but most of Salem is nice and quiet, like any other small city.”
“Woo-woo stuff?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Some of my friends and many tourists are into crystals, horoscopes, tarot cards, palm readings, the moon and tides predicting things—spiritual stuff like that. You know—woo-woo.” She bent her elbows, lifted her hands, and waggled them back and forth as if performing an incantation.
“Woo-woo. Gotcha.” His grin widened. “So, are the Woo Woo cocktails and shots popular there?”
“I love those!” She cocked her head to the side, and her brow furrowed. “And they are, but I don’t know if that’s because they’re delicious or because of the name.” She smiled at him. “I haven’t had one in ages, and now I know what I’m drinking later. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Two desk clerks became available simultaneously, and the person ahead of Josh hurried over to one of them. She expected him to take the other open spot, but he stepped aside. “Please, go first. You’ve had a rougher day than I had.”
“Oh, thanks. But you were here first.”
He placed a hand over his heart, dipped his chin, and lifted his gaze to hers. “Please? I’m trying to be a perfect gentleman here.”
A laugh bubbled up from her chest. “And you’re doing an excellent job of it. Thank you. I appreciate it.”
She gave him a grateful smile as she grabbed her luggage and passed by him, making her way to the desk.
He didn’t have to wait long, though. When the couple to her right finished up and moved away, Josh took their place.
After handing his ID and credit card to the clerk, he pivoted to face Chris.
“So, will I see you at the get-together Stefan and Cassie planned for tonight in one of the bars?”
“Absolutely!”
“Great.” He winked at her. “I’ll buy you a Woo Woo then.”
They parted ways on the elevator. Chris’s room was on the fourth floor, while Josh was sharing a room on the fifth with his teammate, Ensign Doyle Peters.
She left him with a flirty wave and a promise to get that drink with him later as she stepped out of the car.
When the doors closed behind her, Josh couldn’t help but think the upcoming weekend looked better and better as each moment passed.
He’d expected to enjoy the wedding and its coinciding events—like the rehearsal dinner and tonight’s gathering—especially since he was friends with several of the guests.
However, after meeting Ms. Christine Beaumont, he looked forward to it more than ever.
When the elevator doors opened again, he stepped out and found his room, halfway down the hallway.
He slid his keycard into the slot and opened the door, surprised to see Doyle propped up on a pile of pillows on one of the double beds, casually watching TV.
He used the remote to mute the volume. “Hey, Chief. About time you got here.”
Even though Josh was a non-commissioned officer and Doyle outranked him, they’d been teammates for years, were close in age, and had a strong friendship. He only called Doyle by his rank at work, but the other man had a habit of using Josh’s even when they were off the clock.
“What are you doing in the room?” He hung his garment bag next to a nearly identical one in the closet, then sat on the unoccupied bed. “Figured you’d be hanging with the guys somewhere.”
“We were out for a bit and had lunch, but decided to take a break so we weren’t too smashed before tonight’s party started.
I came back here to relax since I picked up that late shift last night.
It was an easy one, but I only got three hours of sleep before I had to head to the airport.
Caught another two, two and a half on the plane.
At least we can sleep late tomorrow morning. ”
“You can. I have the rehearsal, followed by brunch with the bridal party. Speaking of which, have you seen Stefan and Cassie yet?”
“For a few minutes downstairs. A bunch of the Trident Security people and some of their other friends are already here. More are coming tomorrow. It’s gonna be a fun weekend.
” Doyle’s grin told Josh that a few pranks were in the planning stages.
Since most of the TS guys attending the wedding were retired Navy SEALs, a friendly rivalry always ensued when they got together with the Coasties.
“Oh, I’m sure it will be. Just remind everyone that Commander Lowe will be here tomorrow afternoon and to be on their best behavior while still having a good time.”
“I already did, although I’m still tripping up and calling him Captain.
” Their senior officer had only been promoted last week, so it was an adjustment for everyone.
“We’ll keep everything low-key. Besides, no one wants to do anything stupid and mess up Stefan’s wedding. He sure got lucky with Cassie.”
Josh stood, picked up his suitcase, and set it on the bed so he could unpack. “Hey, have you ever met her sister?”
“Uh, yeah. I forgot her name, but I stopped by Stefan’s place when she was visiting last September or October.” He tilted his head to the side. “Or maybe it was November. Whatever. Anyway, yes, I did meet her for a little bit. She’s hot.”
“Of course, you remember that part.”
“Well, she is—or at least she was. Why?”
He tried to present an air of nonchalance, not wanting the other man to bust his chops or, God forbid, do anything to interfere with Josh’s attraction to Chris. “Nothing. Just met her for the first time while checking in. Seems nice.”
“And hot! Admit it, man.”
Shaking his head, he pulled a few things out of his suitcase. “Okay, yeah, she’s good-looking. But she’s also Cassie’s sister.”
“So? Is she single?”
“Don’t know.” Yeah, that was a lie. After their conversation and the fact that she agreed to meet him for a drink, it was a good bet a man wasn’t waiting for her back home.
“Well, find out, dude. If she’s single, and we all know you’re single, what’s the harm in hooking up for the weekend? Seriously—when was the last time you got laid?”
Heading for the bathroom with his toiletry kit, he stopped short, slowly spun around, and glared at Doyle. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, sir.”
The ensign held up his hands. “You’re right, Chief. Not my circus, not my monkey. But I worry about you. It’s been years since you and that bitch got divorced, and as far as I know, you don’t date much. Don’t you get lonely sometimes?”
He took a deep breath and let it out, knowing Doyle’s comments were out of friendship and nothing more.
“Look. I know you and Sherry are madly in love and want to see everyone else in love too.” The man’s fiancée was a doctor who had just started her first year of residency at Tampa General Hospital and hadn’t been able to get time off to attend the destination wedding.
“But I’m fine. If I meet someone, great.
If not, that’s okay too.” Although he had a feeling Chris was a woman he could get interested in.
However, long-distance relationships didn’t appeal to him.
“All right. I’m just looking out for you, man. I should warn you, though—Sherry’s thinking about hooking you up with some of the women she’s met at the hospital.”
“Oh, God. Please talk her out of that.” He liked Sherry—she was a sweetheart—but the few blind dates she’d tried to set him up on in the past had been disasters.
Doyle laughed. “I’m trying, man, but she’s got it in her head that you need a woman in your life.”
Rolling his eyes, he headed for the bathroom. He didn’t need a woman in his life—he’d convinced himself of that long ago—but as he shut the door behind him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Christine Beaumont might just prove him wrong.