Chapter Seven
W ith the taste of Sam still lingering on his lips, Julian turned his truck into the driveway of her neighbor’s house. When she spoke to the man Fred on the phone, he had to lock down the white-hot jealousy souring his gut at the obvious affection in her voice. Asking about their history had been on the tip of his tongue before he could rein in his emotions. He’d never been a jealous person, but something about Sam brought out a bit of Neanderthal in him. He parked his truck behind an old station wagon and rounded the vehicle to help Sam. Between the big drop from the truck’s cab to the ground and her love of high heels, he was afraid she would break an ankle. His hands went to her hips, and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her forehead as he placed her on the ground. She was goddamn addictive.
“You don’t have to help me out of the truck every time.”
The only light was from the truck’s interior, but he could make out a shadowed smile on her face. He took her hand in his and with the other, shined the flashlight on his phone app at the ground, so she didn’t trip. Several things about her street had him on edge, starting with the lack of lighting along the sidewalk. The tiny homes were spread far away from each other and backed up to a wooded area where someone could easily lie in wait. When they were halfway across the driveway, the light over the side entrance went on, and the door opened.
The man who stood there was not what he expected. Relief washed through him, calming whatever angst had remained. This man was the very definition of a senior citizen. The light above him shined off of his bald head. He had a scowl on his weathered face and suspenders holding up the pants on his thin frame. In one arm, he cradled what he assumed was Angel, even though, Jesus, the dog was hideous, and in the other hand, he held a long-barreled shotgun.
He immediately pushed Sam behind him.
“This here’s for you, not her,” the old man barked, gesturing toward the weapon.
Sam slipped from behind him and rushed up the steps, planting a kiss on the man’s cheek, then one on the dog’s lips. “Fred, that is completely unnecessary. Julian is a friend. Plus, you shouldn’t be answering your door with that thing,” she said, gesturing to the gun.
Fred’s eyes were still boring into his, and he wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of looking away, despite his advanced age. “You get fresh with her, son, and it’ll be the last thing you do.”
Julian schooled his expression and walked toward him. “I respect that. Glad someone’s looking out for Sam. If you want to answer the door with your Orion at your side, that’s fine by me.” He glanced at the dog, whose tongue hung out of the side of its mouth. He’d never met a dog with an underbite, but its jagged lower teeth jutted out over its top lip.
“Got experience with weapons?” the man grunted.
“Yes, sir. Love my carbine and MK 15, but I’m never outside the wire without my 9-mil.” He could feel Sam’s gaze on him. They’d never discussed his job before now, but for some reason, he wanted to make an impression on this man because he was important to Sam.
Fred let out a long whistle. “What branch, son?”
“Navy.”
Fred looked him over and smirked. “You’re no ordinary sailor, though.”
“No, sir,” he said, not missing the way Sam looked from him to Fred and back.
The man nodded, newfound respect reflected in his eyes. “I’m 5th Marine Regiment. Vietnam.”
He rocked back on his heels. “The Fighting Fifth,” Julian said, referring to the regiment’s nickname. “Buddies call me Joker.”
“Mine called me Axe. Not too many of ’em left.”
“Well, anytime you feel like shooting the shit, you can borrow mine.”
“Appreciate it.” His voice was gruff like he was hanging on to his emotions with every fiber of his being. “You take care of this one. She’s special.” He passed Sam the dog. “Lock up when you go inside tonight.”
Sam rolled her eyes but smiled. “I know, I know.” She kissed the dog’s face as she walked down the steps, but Julian went forward, holding out his hand.
“Good to meet you, Axe. My friend’s hosting a Halloween party for his teenage brother and some friends. I’m going to try to convince Sam to come along, and I know the guys would love to meet you. Let her know if you’d like to come, and I’ll pick you both up.”
The man jerked his head back and scoffed. “I may be old as shit, but they haven’t taken my license from me yet. Samantha says she can go, I’ll drive us both. I know how pretty my girl is because my Maria was a looker, too, and I could hardly keep my hands off her.” Axe nodded at him and shut the door without another word.
“What just happened?” Sam blinked a couple times.
“Your neighbor is a badass. That’s what happened. Now tell me about this dog because something that looks like that has a hell of a story behind it.”
“Shush.” Sam glared at him. “She has ears, you know.”
“She also has three legs, a grizzly snaggle-toothed underbite, and a combination of skin and a mane. Are you sure that’s a dog?”
“I’m positive, and she’s unbelievably courageous. She was found with her leg in a coil spring trap, and it was so infected it had to be amputated. The shelter thought she was a mix of Chinese crested, a mostly hairless breed, and maybe Brussels griffon and some Chihuahua.”
“Well, Angel. It’s nice to meet you.” He held his hand to pat the dog just as Sam drew a quick breath and began to turn, but the dog simply licked him and wiggled in her arms.
“I thought you were going to lose a finger.” She put her hand on her heart, and her shoulders visibly relaxed. “It typically takes her a while to warm up.”
“Maybe she likes military men,” he chuckled and opened the passenger-side door for her. “Hand her over. I’ll hold her while you hop up.”
Sam seemed to contemplate this before handing Angel over to him. The dog wiggled up his shirt and began licking his face. “Hussy.” She laughed as she climbed up. Despite Axe’s warning, he couldn’t stop his eyes from doing an appreciative once-over of her ass in those snug jeans. When she was buckled, he passed the dog to her and walked around the back of the truck.
“You don’t seem surprised that I’m in the military.” He started the engine and glanced over his shoulder to back out of the driveway.
“I saw your dog tags in the bathroom.”
At her hushed tone, he looked over. Sam was staring at the canine in her lap. “Does it bother you?”
She shook her head. He’d drop it for now, but he had a sick sensation in his gut that whatever she needed to tell him about her past was linked to him being a SEAL. Maybe she had an ex-boyfriend or husband in the military. Or had lost someone she loved. “What time do you start your day tomorrow?” The stretches between houses seemed to get longer and longer with each one they passed.
“I’m scheduled to be at the hospital at nine o’clock, but I can call my boss and let them know I’m having trouble with transportation.” She absently pinched the skin at the base of her neck, a worried expression pulling her brows together.
“I meet the guys at five o’clock to work out. When I leave the base, I’ll come here and pick you up for work, then check on the status of your car. We can look over the best options to either fix your vehicle, get a rental, or buy a new one when I come to get you after your shift.”
She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I want to make sure you get to work safely, which gives me an excuse to see you. Now, about the Halloween party, did Brynn mention it yet?”
“Yes, she asked me, but I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for you.”
God, she was killing him. Aside from Addy, no one had ever considered his feelings as much as Sam. “Those are your friends, too. No matter what happens between us, I never want you to sever those connections because of me.”
They drove farther down the street, his twin headlights cutting through the dark.
“That’s it. Right up there.” She gestured to a tiny home that looked more like a backyard cottage.
The size wasn’t what triggered the nagging sensation in the back of his mind, though. “You have an alarm system?” Her house was so far down the street from the rest that it was like she was on a road all her own. A sense of isolation shrouded the area, unsettling him. It would be easy for someone to sneak up on her under the cover of darkness.
“No. I’ve never felt the need for one. This is a quiet street, and although I’m only close with Fred, I still know my neighbors.”
He parked the truck, and Angel skittered across the truck bench, jumping to lick his face. “Someone’s happy we made it home safe. Did you doubt my driving skills, girl?” He rubbed the dog under the chin, and she looked at him with adoring eyes. Between the crooked little underbite and the wild puff of wiry hair surrounding her face, while the rest was totally hairless, he couldn’t help but smile. Even though Angel didn’t look like the most intimidating guard dog, she’d probably make some noise to alert Sam if someone was approaching the house. Still, he was going to talk to his team about it. They at least had some dating experience and would be the first to tell him if he was overstepping or being an overbearing prick.
“Stay there. I’ll come around.” Before she could protest, he was out of the truck, carrying Angel and the casserole dish with him.
She slid out of the cab before he even rounded the truck, and he swore a triumphant smile played over her lips when she stepped past the glow of the headlights. He walked her to her door, noting that the porch light was burnt out. At least she had a dead bolt in addition to a traditional lock. She turned her keys in the knob and pushed open the door, reaching inside to turn on a light before shifting to face him. “I owe you. Thank you so much for today.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Sam.” He wanted to kiss her, but if she asked him to come inside, it would be difficult to deny her anything once he was past the threshold. When he said sex was off the table for now, he meant it. His woman had some hang-ups and self-esteem issues. He needed her to know he was spending time with her because he liked who she was as a person a hell of a lot. “Lock that dead bolt before I leave. I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
He swore a flash of disappointment crossed her face, but maybe that was wishful thinking on his part. As much as he wanted to fall asleep with her in his arms like that first night, the urge to show her he cared won out.
“Night, Julian.”
He’d never liked his name, but hearing it on her lips? That he fucking loved.
“Night, Starburst. Sleep tight.”
He waited for her to step inside. Waited for the slide of the dead bolt before he returned to his truck. Lifting his phone, he pulled up the number to a former SEAL who had opened an auto repair shop when he received an honorable discharge from the Navy. Iron had been Ransom’s former teammate on an op that went sideways. A young SEAL named Scooter had sacrificed himself for the rest of the team, and Iron had lost a leg trying to save him. Iron would help him with a rental so Sam didn’t feel dependent on him while she sorted out what to do about her car. While caring for her today had given him a deep satisfaction, he didn’t want her to think he was trying to take over her life. He just wanted to be part of it.