CHAPTER EIGHTEEN #3
She couldn’t help but smile. The day had been nearly perfect.
Great weather, a great turnout from the community, and hell, she had delivered her speech without reenacting the infamous kindergarten show-and-tell incident that Pierce was never going to forget about.
She should never have opened her mouth about that.
She had even overheard him asking Irish if he knew what a Zhu Zhu Hamster was.
She shook her head, her smile growing wider.
But the best part was getting to share it all with her friends and family.
And she couldn’t wait to celebrate with them right after this event was over.
They had all planned to meet up at a restaurant that the guys wanted to go to.
Apparently, it was “the” place to hang out at when they were all going through BUD/s back in the day.
It didn’t matter to her as long as she got time to spend with them.
Her eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on the person she was searching for. Pierce stood near the food tent, talking with Ray. Whatever they were discussing seemed to be pretty important, judging from the intense expression on Pierce’s face.
As if sensing her looking at him, he turned his head in her direction. When his gaze met hers, and his mouth curved into that slow, knowing smile, it made her stomach do that ridiculous little flip.
“Charley?” A voice called out from beside her.
Charley blinked, pulling herself back into the moment, and when she turned, she saw her aunt and uncle standing there with proud smiles on their faces.
“Oh, honey, this was just wonderful,” Aunt Bea said, pulling Charley into a big hug. “Everything was beautiful, and you were amazing up there. We’re so proud of you.”
Uncle Glen nodded beside her. “Your aunt’s right. You did really well, kiddo. This place is going to mean a lot to a whole lot of people.”
Charley smiled as her aunt released her. She was trying to keep her emotions in check. “Thank you so much for being here. I’m so glad I got to share this with you.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” her uncle said, giving her a side hug.
The three of them continued chatting for a little while longer. Charley had promised her aunt that, now that her nights were free again, she would go over to their place for dinner.
Her aunt was in the middle of telling her about someone she had met earlier that day when a gentleman approached her.
“Excuse me.”
The deep, masculine voice cut through her conversation with Aunt Bea and Uncle Glen, and Charley turned to find an older man standing a few feet away.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, still carrying himself with the kind of straight-backed authority that made her think military before he even opened his mouth again.
Silver threaded through his dark hair at the temples, and though his expression was polite enough, there was something in his eyes that felt sharp and watchful.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said. “But I was hoping I could speak with you for a moment,” he said, looking directly at Charley.
A small knot formed in her stomach.
Beside her, Aunt Bea’s brows rose, and Uncle Glen’s easy smile faded just a touch as he looked the man over. Charley gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
“I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Aunt Bea patted her arm. “We’re going to head out. Just give a call, and we’ll make dinner plans next week.”
Uncle Glen gave the man one last look before hugging Charley.
The gentleman inclined his head, and once her aunt and uncle moved off toward the parking lot, Charley turned back to him. “How can I help you?”
He extended his hand. “Colonel Neal Reed.”
She shook his hand, feeling the firm grip of someone used to command. “Charley Taylor.”
“First, congratulations on the opening,” he stated, a faint smile touching his lips.
“Thanks.”
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a photograph. “I was wondering if you’ve seen this man recently.”
The second she looked down, her pulse jumped.
It was him. Or at least a younger version of him.
It was the stranger who had approached her in front of the building.
He looked younger in the photo, a little harder around the edges, less worn down than the man she’d encountered, but there was no mistaking him.
Charley forced herself not to react. Instead, she lifted her gaze back to the colonel and asked evenly, “Who is he?”
Before Colonel Reed could answer, movement at her side made her turn.
Pierce, Ray, and Jessica appeared beside her so suddenly that it almost felt coordinated.
Pierce came to stand close enough that she felt the heat of him at her shoulder.
Ray took up a spot slightly to the other side, his expression neutral but watchful, while Jessica offered the colonel a polite smile that didn’t quite hide the curiosity in her eyes.
Charley didn’t have to look directly at Pierce to feel the subtle shift in him. There was something protective in the way he placed himself near her, and Ray had that same quiet alertness about him. It made her wonder what exactly they had picked up on from across the lawn.
Keeping her tone light, she said, “Colonel Reed, this is Pierce, Ray, and Jessica.”
The colonel nodded to each of them.
Charley motioned toward the photograph in his hand. “The colonel was just asking me if I’d seen this guy.”
As she said it, she flicked a look at Pierce, hoping he caught what she was trying to tell him without saying it out loud.
It’s him. The stranger.
Pierce’s gaze sharpened almost imperceptibly before he looked back at the colonel. “I don’t recognize him. Who is he?”
Pierce’s question told Charley everything she needed to know. He didn’t want her answering anything just yet.
Colonel Reed was quiet for a beat, as if weighing how much he wanted to say. “He’s someone I worked with in the past,” he said finally, his voice careful. “We lost contact some time ago, but I heard he could be back in the area. I thought he might have shown his face around here.”
Charley didn’t even need to glance at Pierce or Ray to know they weren’t buying it. Neither was she. The colonel’s words were too polished, too neat. Whatever this was, he wasn’t giving them the whole story.
And apparently Pierce knew exactly what he wanted from her, because the moment stretched just long enough for Charley to make her choice.
She handed the photograph back. “I’m sorry,” she said, keeping her expression calm. “He doesn’t look familiar. But I’ll keep an eye out.”
Colonel Reed took the photo, but his gaze lingered on her a fraction too long, like he was trying to decide whether he believed her. For a second, she thought he might push. Instead, he nodded slowly and offered a brief smile.
“Thank you.” He reached into his pocket again and handed her a business card. “If you do happen to see him, or if anything comes to mind, contact me. Or let him know that I was looking for him.”
Charley accepted the card. “Of course.”
The colonel gave a small parting motion toward Pierce and Ray, then turned and walked away without another word.
The second he disappeared back into the crowd, Charley opened her mouth to say something, but Pierce beat her to it.
“Not here,” he said quietly, his eyes on hers. “Let’s talk inside your office.”
Ray nodded once in agreement.
Charley’s fingers tightened around the business card as she looked between them, a fresh ripple of unease moving through her.
Did they find something out?