Chapter Fifteen
Sloane
I turned the Camry onto Ryan’s street and immediately noticed his driveway was already full of cars and tried not to scowl. I wondered how many people from last night he’d invited.
Hopefully not Nicole. He was there when Sara had been a bitch to Ashley, so I knew that wouldn’t be a problem, but Nicole had hit on me at the bar, away from everyone.
I was glad at least she hadn’t insulted Ashley—not to her face, anyway. But coming onto me when she knew I was there with someone else was a shitty thing to do. Didn’t girls have their own version of a bro code?
“Thanks again for coming with me,” I said as I put the car in park at the end of the driveway. “And for making food. Although, I still say we should have just stopped and bought something.”
“Of course. And no, we shouldn’t have. I like baking and cooking.”
“And your food is delicious. I just think we could have put that time to better use.”
“I don’t know,” she said with a naughty grin as she opened her door. “I think we used that time quite well.”
I mirrored her grin when I got out of the car, thinking about her spread on the counter with my face between her thighs.
“The Marines have taught me how to change course when necessary.”
“Well, ‘Oorah’ to your pivoting skills.”
I loved that she used the Marine’s rallying cry in her response and couldn’t help but kiss her temple when I took the dessert dish from her.
“I’ll pivot for you anytime, sweetness.”
****
Ashley
Ryan was coming out of the hall bathroom when we walked in the front door.
“Hey! You made it!”
“Sorry we’re late,” Sloane offered, although his tone wasn’t very contrite. Or maybe I only thought that because I knew he wasn’t really sorry.
I’d had to cajole him to get dressed after our shower together. He’d adamantly said he didn’t want to go.
“I saw everyone last night,” he said as he flopped on the bed naked. “I don’t need to spend another night with them.”
It was only after I reminded him that Tank was at Ryan’s that he relented and put on a pair of faded jeans and a long-sleeved olive-colored Henley.
He’d looked so hot, it almost made me change my mind about insisting we go. But as I watched him drop to his knees and hug Tank, I was glad we came.
He really did love that dog and vice versa.
Ryan gestured toward the hall leading to the family room/kitchen area.
“Come on. Grace made hors d'oeuvres.”
“That was sweet of her,” Sloane replied as he stood up.
“She’s the daughter of a socialite. There’s no way she was going to let me not have food ready when you got here.”
“You two looked cozy last night…” Sloane said quietly as we moved out of the entry.
“I wish, but I don’t see that happening for a while. She was pretty set on this year-rule.”
Sloane let out a low whistle. “I’m sorry, buddy.”
Ryan winked. “I’ll wear her down before then.”
“I told you to be patient, Kennedy,” a female voice called from the other room.
“Did I mention she has owl-like hearing?”
That made me giggle. I really liked his friends, and I loved how much they all seemed to care for each other. The way they’d welcomed me last night and at the airport on the day Sloane arrived, it was easy to imagine becoming part of the group someday.
We walked into the family room that was only separated from the kitchen by a counter that was bar-height.
A chorus of, “Finally!” rang out and people swarmed the kitchen. “Can we eat now?”
Grace greeted us with a warm smile as she stood in front of the oven, wearing an apron.
“Hi, guys!” then turned to the starving horde. “I told you when Sloane and Ashley got here, you could have some.”
Craig distributed plates to those waiting at the counter dividing the two rooms.
“Hi! It smells so good in here!” I said as I set the deviled eggs on the counter next to the platters of appetizers and asked Grace, “Do you need any help?”
She leaned down with an oven mitt on her hand and pulled a baking sheet from the oven to set it on the stovetop.
“These are the last of them.” She pointed to one of several platters on the counter with its contents quickly disappearing. “We’ve got bacon-wrapped water chestnuts,” then moved to the next. “Bruschetta,” she said as her finger moved down the line. “Pita chips with three cheese dip, and a spinach and artichoke dip, Prosciutto di Parma, and those,” she pointed to the flaky pastries cooling on the oven sheet, “are cranberry, fig, and goat cheese phyllo rolls.”
My mouth watered at the sight of it all. It seemed Grace liked to cook as much as I did.
“Babe, does this need to go in the fridge?” Sloane asked as he held up the dish with the mud pie.
“If there’s room.”
I heard the sound of skin being slapped and Grace admonishing, “You have to save some for other people!”
“But I’m starving,” Ryan whined.
“Don’t hand me that. I saw you sneak some earlier.”
“I almost feel bad now for being late,” Sloane murmured in my ear after closing the refrigerator door. Then he winked and said, “Almost.”
“You two better grab a plate if you want any of this,” Maddie said from the counter.
As I put food on my plate and sat down at the kitchenette table next to Sloane, I noted who was in attendance. Craig and Maddie sat across from us, Ryan and Grace were bickering in the kitchen, and at the other end of the table were a few guys who had been at the bar last night. Tank sat patiently at Sloane’s side on high alert for any dropped food.
Notably missing was Josh, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Tammy hadn’t arrived, she’d sent me a text that she was on her way. And she was going to kill me when she found out Josh was Ryan’s brother.
The two had a falling out during our senior year after being partnered together for a chemistry assignment. She refused to give me a lot of details, but Josh became Public Enemy Number One after that. I hadn’t mentioned that detail to Ryan. I didn’t see the point: I didn’t harbor ill will toward Josh, and at the time, didn’t think the two would cross paths again, so it was irrelevant. But now that they might, I hoped since it was over eight years ago, Tammy would forgive me if I violated the BFF code and was nice to him again if I saw him. And who knows, maybe Tam forgot all about their tiff, or even better, Josh didn’t show, and we didn’t even have to address it.
“Hello?” came the soft voice of my friend who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
“Hi!” Ryan said enthusiastically. “Come on in.”
Tammy glanced nervously behind her toward the front door.
“I hope it’s okay that I just walked in.”
“We prefer that actually. Tank tends to go bonkers at the sound of the doorbell.”
Tank, upon hearing his name, came to investigate the new arrival. Tammy had her hands full with her casserole dish of macaroni and cheese, and she held it up high when the pup sniffed her.
“Here, let me take that.”
I stood and came around the counter separating the kitchen and family room.
“The soda is still in the car,” she said as she handed me the dish then put her hand down so Tank could further his vetting of her.
Ryan told her, “Oh, we’ll send Josh to get it when he gets here. The fucker probably makes more than all of us combined, but odds are good that he’ll show up empty-handed. So, I don’t hesitate to put him to work.”
The golden retriever obviously approved of Tammy, or at least the food she’d just prepared, because he licked her hand. She took that as a greenlight to scratch his ears.
“Careful,” Sloane said with a laugh while he walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. “Once you start, he’ll bug you all day for more attention.”
My friend smiled and rubbed both the dog’s ears at the same time.
“I don’t mind.”
I lifted the lid to her dish.
“This looks delicious, Tam.”
“Thanks.”
“What can I get you to drink?” Sloane called out as he stood in front of the refrigerator with the door wide open. “There’s just about every brand of beer known to man in here,”
“Thanks to Tommy and Randy,” Ryan interjected. “Plus, there’s liquor at the bar in the TV room.”
“There’s also lemonade,” Grace called out.
Maddie approached Tammy with a wide smile. “And a pitcher of sangria.”
“And her soda,” Ryan added.
Tammy looked at all of them trying to accommodate her and smiled.
“I think I’ll just have lemonade.”
“I’ll get it for you,” Grace said as she handed Tammy a plate. “Get some appetizers before they’re gone.”
With a whine, Tank took off like a shot toward the front door. Sloane looked at Ryan with a quizzical brow.
“Josh is here. He knows the sound of his car.”
Shit.
I glanced nervously at Tammy preparing her plate and said, “There’s a spot right next to me,” as I pointed to where my plate sat with the food I hadn’t finished before she arrived.
Tank barked excitedly like he had when he’d seen Sloane on Ryan’s sidewalk on Thursday.
Sloane tossed his beer cap into the garbage and grumbled, “Am I going to have to fight your brother for my dog when I get back? I thought it was you I was going to have to duke it out with.”
“Between me or Josh, Tank would choose Josh any day of the week and twice on Sundays. But come on, he still loves you the most, and Josh and I both know he’s your dog. We’re just borrowing him until you come home.”
Sloane’s shoulders slumped. “And I appreciate how great you’re taking care of him. Really.”
“There’s my buddy!” Josh’s voice was high pitched as it echoed off the walls and ceiling in the foyer. Tank alternated between barking and whining in response, then he came tearing into the family room.
“Aw shit. He’s got the zoomies,” Ryan commented and directed Craig, “quick, open the slider!”
No sooner had Craig opened the door than Tank raced past him into the backyard, and Ryan’s little brother appeared in the family room doorway.
Tammy was occupied looking out the window as Tank tore around the yard and hadn’t noticed Josh yet. Meanwhile, I wrung a napkin in my lap as I waited for her to recognize her high school nemesis.
“Hey, man! Good to see you!” Josh told Sloane as he went in for a hug.
“You, too!”
Everyone watched Tank run back in the house, make a lap around the coffee table in the family room, then fly back out the door.
Sloane turned to Josh. “Apparently my dog has grown pretty fond of you. I didn’t even warrant the zoomies when I got here.”
“I think he’s overwhelmed that all his favorite people are in one place,” Ryan offered.
This time Tank came back inside at a trot and immediately headed toward where Josh and Sloane stood. I was relieved the dog sat at Sloane’s feet, his tail wagging a mile a minute.
I could tell when Tammy recognized Josh, because her body went rigid, and she let out a tiny gasp that I only heard because I was sitting next to her.
Seconds later, Josh recognized Tammy and me because his eyebrows went into his hairline, and he asked incredulously, “Lily? Ashley? What are you ladies doing here?”
“It’s Tammy,” my BFF corrected him with an icy tone.
Josh knew her name, but since her last name was White, he’d always called her Lily to tease her because he said she was so innocent and pure.
He shrugged with a soft smile. “You still look like a Lily to me.”
My friend scowled but didn’t say anything else, so Josh continued, “But, what are you do—”
Sloane interrupted him. “Ashley and I are… friends.”
He’d introduced me as his girlfriend last night and at the time, I’d wondered if he’d just said it to needle Sara. But now that there wasn’t a mean girl in sight, he hadn’t said it again.
I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Josh turned to Sloane with a grin. “No shit? How did you guys meet?”
“We—"
“They’re pen pals,” Maddie interjected, then looked at Sloane with wide eyes when she realized she’d answered for him. “Sorry! I just love your guys’ story.” She made a rolling gesture with her hand. “Please, go on.”
The corner of Sloane’s mouth turned up, revealing his dimple that I wanted to kiss every time it appeared.
“Thank you.” Turning back to Josh he continued. “Ash is part of Military Angels and was assigned to be my pen pal while I’m in the Middle East. We just clicked and decided to hang out while I’m home this weekend.”
So, we were hanging out.
Good to know.
****
Sloane
I looked around the room and felt nothing but contentment. For once, I didn’t envy other couples nor, as I had on a few occasions, count my lucky stars I wasn’t attached to someone. The gorgeous brunette sitting at the table made me feel complete.
I knew I should be gently applying the brakes; we only had one more full day together, and it wasn’t fair to ask for anything more from her once I left. But I couldn’t seem to find the resolve to do anything but lose myself in her.
Everything about her made me happy. She fucking smelled just like her letters, which was awesome. She was so beautiful and soft that my fingers twitched with the need to touch her. And being inside her had felt like heaven, and I couldn’t wait to be there again.
I watched as Josh plopped himself on the other side of the table and tried to start up a conversation with Ashley and Tammy. Ash smiled warmly and chatted up a storm with him, while Tammy was not as friendly. I saw her roll her eyes at the man more than once. Her disdain seemed to spur him on because he only grinned when he doubled down with his attempts to engage her.
Then he winked at Ashley, and that was my cue, because hell no . Nobody winked at my girl but me.
Wait.
She’s not my girl, my conscience tried to remind me, but my heart growled louder, The fuck she’s not.
I sat down next to Ash at the same time Tammy abruptly pushed herself away from the table and mumbled, “I’m going to grab the soda from my car.”
Josh quickly stood up, too.
“I’ll help you.”
“Yeah, I told her you’d bring that in for her,” Ryan called over his shoulder as he pointed the remote at his big screen TV and scanned through channels until he settled on the Arizona—UCLA football game.
“No, that’s okay,” Tammy replied as she quickly walked toward the door. Undeterred, Josh was right behind her.
The last thing I heard him say was, “Don’t be silly,” before I heard the front door close.
Nodding my head toward where the two had just disappeared, I said, “I’m guessing there’s more to that story.”
“Yeah, but I think I only know about a quarter of it.”
As I went to put my arm around the back of her chair, she slid her seat away, stood without a second glance at me, and made her way to the couch like there was nothing in the world she found more interesting than college football.
As I sat at the table trying to make sense of what just happened, Maddie moved closer to me and leaned her head against my shoulder, whispering, “It’s so nice to have you home.”
I glanced toward the family room where Ashley was talking with Tommy and Randy. They worked with Craig and Maddie and had been on my softball team last summer. I wasn’t sure if they were gay or just in a bromance. Either way, I knew they’d be friendly with Ashley without being pervy. Still, I watched her from my chair while I answered Maddie.
“It’s nice to be home.”
“I wish you were staying longer.”
Ashley must have felt me looking at her because she glanced my way and while my eyes were locked with hers, I replied, “Me too, Princess. Me, too.”
“Do you have any idea when you’ll be back for good?”
****
Ashley
My ears perked up to hear if Sloane answered Maddie differently than he had when we were on Ryan’s front doorstep a few days ago.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Like I just told Ash the other night, it could be three months, or it could be another year. They haven’t given an end date, not even an estimation.”
“So, why did they bring you home without your company?”
“You know I can’t talk about that.”
“Geez, you can’t tell us why you’re home earlier than planned, you can’t tell us when you’re coming back for good…”
“When I find out, you’ll be the first—” Sloane stopped and winked at me before he corrected himself. “The second to know.”
Despite being mad at him, I couldn’t help but smile back at him like the lovesick fool I was.
You are so ridiculous , my brain chided. Have some fucking pride .
Ryan spoke up. “Ahem. They’ll be the third to know. I’m watching your dog; I think that should afford me some privileges.”
Sloane shrugged at Maddie. “I mean… he’s got a point. He is taking care of Tank for me.”
“Plus, I’m your emergency contact,” his friend added.
“Oh my god, fine ,” Maddie grumbled as she popped a pita chip into her mouth. “I’ll be the third to know; just as long as I know!”
“I promise I will contact you as soon as I hear something from my commanders.”