Chapter 3 #2
The argument had been his fault. He’d been dead tired after being out in the field for the better part of three days, and had been short with her. That’s what had started it. He’d apologized the next time they’d talked, but maybe she wasn’t over their fight yet.
Downstairs he took her hand again as they exited their building and crossed the lawn via a flagstone path to the next one over. Life was too short, and their time was too precious together to let a stupid argument ruin it.
This resort was classy and for the filthy rich, so he was glad Ruby had pulled some strings behind the scenes and comped all their rooms, because a stay here would have cost them an obscene chunk of their military wages.
Candace came from money and while it made him a little uncomfortable still, at least none of her family held it over his head.
The lobby was busy with guests checking in, and others sitting around the large stone fireplace in the center of the room with coffee or happy hour drinks. Maya and Jackson were waiting there with Erin and Wade.
He’d served overseas with Jackson but didn’t know Wade that well. Ryan liked the former spook well enough, though, and Wade was good to Erin, so he was glad he’d been able to make it here for their wedding.
“Where are Cam and Dev?” he asked after doling out handshakes to the guys and hugs to the ladies.
The PJ and his former army helo pilot wife, Devon, had already checked in when he’d arrived last night.
Of all the Bagram guys coming to the wedding, Ryan was closest to Cam, because they’d served over there the longest. They’d gone through hell together a few times and lived to tell about it.
There was nobody Ryan trusted more to have his back, except for his wife. Even when she was pissed at him.
“Not sure. Guess they must have lost track of time,” Wade said with a wry smirk.
“Lucky bastards,” Ryan said, snaking his arm around his wife’s waist to give her a squeeze, still hoping to smooth things over.
Her curves never failed to turn him on. She was lush and ripe and soft in all the right places. He’d rather be upstairs losing track of time with her right now too, instead of down here and dreading arguing with her later.
He was proud as hell of the wakeup call he’d given her last night, but this morning had been nice too. Slower. Sweeter. And yet he could feel her distancing herself from him now that they weren’t in bed together. He pulled her closer, determined to put an end to it.
“Did everybody get the itinerary I sent last night?” Candace asked, leaning into him as she slipped her arm around his waist. That simple gesture eased some of the tension in him.
“Yep. Us guys have to be back from our trip by Friday afternoon, in time for the welcome dinner,” Jackson said.
“And don’t be late,” Erin added, poking her husband-to-be in the chest. “Our families will be here by then, so everyone will want to see you. Us, together.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Wade answered, his lips twitching.
“We should go,” Candace said, glancing at her watch. “Don’t want to keep Grandma waiting.”
Jackson grinned. “No, we wouldn’t want that.”
Ryan shot him a look. “Trust me, man. You don’t wanna mess with Grandma, especially if it means keeping her from a glass of rye.”
Candace huffed out a laugh and tugged on his hand to get him moving. “She’s not that bad.”
As a group they crossed the lobby’s polished plank floor and walked toward the back of the building where piano music drifted out of the lounge. Someone was singing inside it.
Someone without formal training by the off-key sound of it. And judging from the clapping and cheering going on inside, it wasn’t your average piano bar music happening in there.
“Sounds like there’s a party going on,” Ryan said. They were all supposed to meet Ruby for a quiet drink before dinner.
“Yeah, it does,” Candace agreed with a frown.
A lineup of people waited at the lounge entrance, all wearing sport jackets and cocktail dresses.
Ryan angled to the side and craned his neck to see what was going on in there.
Once he spotted the source, he did a double-take.
But no, his bloodshot, sleep-deprived eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.
Grinning, he turned to the others. “You’re not gonna believe this. Or maybe you will.”
“What?” Candace pushed past him as the others maneuvered for a better look.
Two people at the head of the lineup entered the lounge, clearing a line of sight just as a raucous round of applause and whistles broke out. When Ace saw why, she gasped, both hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my God, Grandma...”
“Grandma?” Maya shoved past him to see.
And yep, there was Candace’s eighty-something grandma, wearing a glittery gold evening gown—sprawled out on her side atop the piano in what Ryan could only describe as a pinup pose.
Her short blue-white hair curled tightly against her head, she had a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other.
She raised her glass in a toast to her adoring, captive audience, then signaled the pianist and launched into the next song, her slightly off-key voice ringing off the wood-paneled walls and ceiling.
The audience seemed to be loving the hell out of the spectacle. So did everyone in their group, except Candace.
She groaned and hid her face against Ryan’s shoulder. He patted her back in sympathy even as he chuckled and pulled out his phone to record the show. This was too freaking awesome.
“Hey, what’s going on?” a familiar female voice said from behind them.
Ryan looked over his shoulder and smiled at Devon and her husband, Cam, as they walked up. “Hey, good to see you.” He shook Cam’s hand and slapped his buddy’s shoulder.
“Wow, Dev, you look fantastic!” Candace exclaimed, throwing her arms around the former army Blackhawk pilot.
“Civilian life,” Dev said with a shrug, her black hair now grown out to shoulder length. “What can I say, for some reason it agrees with me.”
“I’ll say it does.” There was something wistful in Candace’s expression as she said it.
Ryan nodded at the Seattle Seahawk scarf artfully wrapped around Devon’s neck. “Nice touch. Guess you’re looking forward to watching their first home game on Sunday?”
“I can’t wait,” Dev said, her gray eyes sparkling. “You can dress me up in a fancy outfit and put me in high heels, but I’m still a tomboy at heart.”
“A crazy hot one,” Cam told her, his arm around her waist.
“Please, I don’t believe her,” Candace said to him. “I know she misses flying the 60s. Tell me the truth.”
Cam gave his wife a gentle smile. “You totally miss it.”
Devon smiled back at him. “Maybe sometimes. But my pay and benefits now as a private pilot are a helluva lot better than what I made in the army. It just sucks that you and I are so far apart all the time now.”
Yeah, Ryan knew exactly what that felt like. Deployments were damn hard on relationships. Which was why the time together as a couple when they were stateside was so precious.
“We’re gonna make up for lost time this week,” Cam promised, giving her a squeeze.
“Us too,” Ryan said, hoping to start that right after he pried whatever was bugging Candace out of her once they got back to the room. “And to answer your earlier question,” he said to Devon, “payback is what’s going on in there.” He tipped his head toward the off-key singing.
“Is that your...grandma?” Dev asked Candace, eyes widening as she peered into the crowded room.
She made a strangled sound. “Unfortunately, yes.”
Cam chuckled and shoved his hands into his pockets, blue eyes twinkling. “That’s awesome.”
Ryan nodded and returned to filming, intent on capturing every moment of this. “For real. Especially once it hits YouTube.”
Candace gasped and swatted his arm, trying to grab the phone from him. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, baby, you know I would.” Damn, this was fun, and he was glad the mood had lightened between them.
“Ryan...”
He stopped recording and turned to capture her chin in his hand, leaning down to smother her protests with a smacking kiss. “I love it when you say my name like that, all stern and bossy.”
She swatted his arm. “Behave.” But he caught the flash of hurt in her eyes when she turned away to talk to Erin.
He smothered a disappointed sigh. Okay, he was definitely not off the hook then.
Looked like they were going to have to hash things out after all.
Instead of being impatient to get her alone in their room again, he suddenly found himself hoping this dinner would go on all night.