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“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” Nina said, looking so content Sage couldn’t even teasingly chide her. “Besides, I didn’t think you could get back until summer and I didn’t want to wait that long to become Mrs. Jeffrey Philips.”
“I can’t believe you married my doctor,” Sage said, laughing as she wandered through Nina’s new living room. Filled with thick carpets, rich wood and silk-covered furniture, it was posh to say the least. She wasn’t surprised that after less than two weeks her friend had already unpacked and settled in. Nina was good at that.
“Well, you weren’t going to date him. I figured I’d give it a try,” Nina said, stretching out on the divan with a contented look on her face.
“You said you’d never marry a guy who had a job that might come before you, remember? I can’t imagine a doctor doesn’t put his career in the top slot.”
Nina’s shrug was as luxurious as the room itself. Clearly priorities were adjustable if the bank account was big enough.
Hey, that might not be her way, but Sage couldn’t fault her friend. At least she knew what she wanted. Unlike some people who had spent over a decade claiming they knew what they wanted—even if whatever that was changed from year to year.
Sage pushed her hand through her hair, recently dyed back to her original golden-blond. After three months of bouncing from job to job in Sedona, Arizona—the woowoo capital of the desert—she’d finally accepted that she actually had no idea what she wanted. Or where she wanted it.
So she’d done what anyone would do. She’d slinked home without a word to anyone. She’d hoped to sneak into her father’s house and hide until she’d figured out what was missing from her life. But she’d run into the new Dr. and Mrs. Philips at the airport, of all places.
“You realize now that I’m settled, you’re the last one of our circle still single,” Nina pointed out, inspecting her manicure as if checking to see if she were up to the coming task of taking care of that little problem.
“No. No, no, no,” Sage protested, sinking into the chair opposite her friend and offering a look of horror. “No fix-ups. You married the last guy you tried to fix me up with, which should tell you how bad you are at matchmaking.”
“I have other guys in mind this time,” Nina informed her. “I’ve been making a list since Cailley’s wedding.”
That sounded ominous enough to send a chill down Sage’s spine. A list that long meant Nina was determined. A determined Nina was a pain-in-the-ass Nina. And Sage just couldn’t deal with it right now.
Not while she was fighting the horrible suspicion that everyone had been right about her for years. That, instead of being a free spirit in search of bliss, she was really a wishy-washy flake who’d never be satisfied with anything.
“That’s sweet of you to think of me,” Sage said quickly. “But I’m not available.”
“Of course you are.”
“No. I’m not.”
Nina gave a pitying click of her tongue, as if Sage thinking she had any say in this was funny.
“You need a guy. I’m going to find you one. The perfect one,” Nina stated. “Even if we have to go through dozens to get there. Which is fine, since I have a lot of options on my list.”
Good God. Sage shuddered. She had to stop this. Now. There was no way she was going to get her head together and figure out why her life was so blah if she was fending off blind dates.
“I’m not available,” she insisted. Maybe if she pretended to have a boyfriend, Nina would leave her alone.
“Why? Because you’re dating some schmo who you’ll dump in two weeks? That’s fine. I can wait.”
“He’s not a schmo. He’s a great guy. The perfect guy.” After all, why would she date an imaginary guy who wasn’t perfect?
“Who?”
Sage shrugged, trying to look coy while her mind raced. She wanted Nina off her back, or she’d be fending off fix-ups from her, AnaMaria and Cailley until she left town. But she was lousy at lying. She was a great dancer, though, so hopefully sidestepping would be enough.
“Is it serious?”
“I wouldn’t say serious,” Sage prevaricated.
“Then you are okay to date other guys.”
“Although we are talking marriage.” The words flew off Sage’s tongue before her brain even realized they were an option.
She wanted to grab them back. Marriage? Her? Nina was sure to laugh in her face, grab her phone and arrange Sage’s first fix-up date before she’d even unpacked.
Before she could grab, or think up a better lie to cover up her first lie, Nina flew into a sitting position, going from mellow to shocked in a single breath.
“Who? Who’s the guy?” Eyes narrowed, Nina shook her head. “The perfect guy, who you’re crazy enough about to stick with for more than five minutes, and willing to consider marrying, which means introducing him to your father and friends.”
She made it sound like that guy didn’t exist.
Sage frowned. She might have a point.
Then, like a lightbulb flashing on, she had it.
“Aiden.” She gave Nina a triumphant smile. “Aiden Masters and I are engaged.”
* * *
FEELING A LITTLE SMUG and a lot relieved to be off the matchmaking hit list, Sage walked into her dad’s house, calling his name as she moved through the rooms.
She’d emailed last night to tell him she’d be here today. When she’d gone straight from the airport to Nina’s, she’d texted to let him know she’d be a few hours. His lack of reply hadn’t worried her. He always read her notes, but rarely replied.
But his lack of presence in his own house was starting to make her twitch.
She reached the study and stopped short, frowning.
She always found him in the study, buried in books, papers and his own brilliant thoughts.
Where was he?
“Dad?” she called again, heading back to the front of the house. “Are you here?”
“Sage?” Coming from the kitchen, her father pushed a hand through his hair, sounding confused. “When did you get home? I wasn’t expecting you.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
It’d only been eight months since she’d seen him. What had happened? He looked horrible. Like he’d lost weight, color and half his life force. Her feet felt like they were glued to the floor with dread as he shuffled over to wrap his arms around her. Instead of being engulfed in the usual bear hug, it was like being patted down by a skeleton. And what did he mean, he wasn’t expecting her? Her frown deepened and a heavy knot took hold deep in her belly.
Before she could comment, another man joined them in the foyer.
“Dr. Brooke?” she said in greeting, sounding as confused as she felt. She thought that while her father respected their neighbor as a skilled oncologist, he also considered the guy as boring as dried mud. Now they were coffee buddies?
“Sage, I’m glad you’re home,” the doctor said, his expression gravely relieved.
“What’s going on?”
She looked from her father to the doctor then back again.
“Dad?”
“Sweetie, I’ll explain everything,” he promised, patting her icy hand. Despite his horrible appearance, he looked like he’d just won the lottery, discovered a time machine and had spent the weekend with a roomful of exotic dancers, combined. His huge smile was at direct odds with the dread in her belly.
“But first, sweetie, I want all the details of your great news. I hear we’re having a wedding.”
2
The present
AHH, VILLA ROSA.
He’d been gone quite a while. Two tours and his last couple leaves spent in sunny places meant he hadn’t been back in well over a year. Long enough that Chief Petty Officer Aiden Masters wondered why he still considered Villa Rosa home. Or if he did.
For a guy that spent most of his life on a naval base, transferring from the east to the west coast and back and called an APO his mailing address, home was an odd concept.
There were plenty of odes to coming home in literature. Hell, Odysseus had spent two decades obsessed with the task. Movies were sold on the theme month after month. People made a big deal out of it all the time.
But for Aiden, coming home was a mystery. Was he supposed to feel nostalgia over crossing the city limits of Villa Rosa, just because he’d spent time here as a kid? Or was that special feeling reserved for the little corner of Idaho he’d been born in, even though he hadn’t been there since he was two? Was familiarity a qualifier to calling a place his own? Was it longevity, since he’d lived here longer than any other place? Maybe the fact that he owned a little cottage on the outskirts of Villa Rosa? More for a place to store his parents’ things than because he wanted a tax write-off.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t sentiment. Aiden was too smart to make decisions based on vague feelings of longing or silly emotions.
Yet, that morning he’d left Coronado Naval Base with a vague plan to take the first plane heading somewhere hot. But he’d hit the airport, and found himself asking for a ticket to San Francisco instead. From there, he’d rented a car and drove the three hours north.
And he still wasn’t sure why.
He just knew something was missing, off.
What, he hadn’t figured out.
Yet.
Driving through the narrow, familiar streets, Aiden watched the people, recognizing many of them. So if he was home, as per some definitions of the concept, why was he still so unsatisfied? What the hell was wrong with him?
Stopped at a red light, he scrubbed one hand over his face and sighed. Or maybe he’d just sleep. Damn, he was tired. This last mission had been a bitch. Rough enough to have him entertaining the rare thought of hanging up his naval uniform and doing something else.
Something chill.
Like sleeping.
That could be the fact that other than zoning out on the hour-long flight, he hadn’t had any shut-eye in about two days. No biggie. Aiden was used to operating at peak efficiency under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Still, sleep would be good.
Or maybe his bunkmate, Castillo, had been right when he’d told Aiden to go get laid on leave.
Sex had definite appeal.
But sex in Villa Rosa? Not such a hot idea.
He returned a couple of waves, even though he didn’t know the people’s names. Of course, they probably didn’t know his either. In a town the size of Villa Rosa, waves didn’t tend to be personal. They were more a random greeting offered to friend and stranger alike. Or a warning that yes, they’d seen his vehicle and were noting his license number. Just in case.
Or maybe too much time in the Middle East, facing distrust, destruction and despair had gotten to him.
Maybe that’s why he’d felt the need to see this place. Because nothing in his life was personal, and he was starting to wonder why.
Including sex.
His stomach growled, making itself heard over the Stones pounding out of the radio. A timely reminder that once he reached the cottage, his cupboards were gonna be bare.
So when the light turned green, he turned left instead of going straight, deciding to get a few things to tide him over. At least until tomorrow, when he’d visit the Professor and get some real food.
Thinking of the old guy made him smile. It’d be good to catch up. Visit. Talk about things that required brains, not brawn. Get his ass kicked at chess and expand his mind a little. He could always count on Professor Lee Taylor for all of that.
Parking in front of the small grocer’s, Aiden pocketed the keys and headed for beer and cereal. All he’d need, he decided, to last until he could hit the old guy up for eggs Benedict in the morning.
“Well, well, look at the soldier boy.”
Aiden glanced over as a bruiser the size of Lieutenant Castillo and twice as ugly sauntered over. It took less than a second to place him. Two years older than Aiden and three grades behind, the star of the football team had a reputation for being an ass to the ladies.
“Aren’t you supposed to wear a little white uniform or something, Soldier Boy?” the guy asked as he reached Aiden.
“That’s sailor, not soldier, and I’m off duty,” Aiden responded quietly, sliding the guy a sideways glance that didn’t pack any more punch than he’d offer any other asshole who was in his way.
The guy blinked a couple of times, then shifted a step to the right, putting a little distance between them and lifted both hands as if in surrender.
“Dude, no offense. Just wanted to stop you and say congratulations,” the guy said, slapping Aiden on the back. His just-this-side-of-nasty grin and the extra force of that slap were in keeping with Aiden’s memory of him being a dickhead. “You caught yourself a wild one. Good luck taming her.”
Taming who?
Aiden didn’t ask, though. He had a policy against engaging dickheads. Instead, he offered a dismissive smile and kept moving toward the grocery store.
He didn’t make it through the automatic doors before he was grabbed by a very large, very plush woman who he thought he might have taken a piano lesson from once in first grade.
Before he could ask what the hell was up, she started babbling and blubbering at the same time, pulling him into a hug that smelled like cinnamon rolls.
“Oh, Aiden, I’m so happy for you. Congratulations. You’re a lucky man.” She leaned back to pat his cheeks with both of her plump hands, smiling so wide he didn’t have the heart to let her know she was crazy. “After all this time, you’ll have a family again. Such a blessing.”
He’d been seventeen when his parents were killed. He was thirty years old now. Hardly a helpless orphan then, or now. So what was she talking about, he’d have a family? Afraid to find out, Aiden smiled instead and mumbled a thanks. His stomach growling, he quickly extricated himself and headed into the store.
A minute later, six-pack in hand, he headed for the cereal aisle.
“Aiden? Aiden Masters?”
Hanging his head, wondering why he’d thought Villa Rosa was a good place to rest, Aiden sighed then turned. A little of the edgy exhaustion faded at the sight of Sergeant Gary Davis, a local cop and a great guy.
The two men came together in a solid chest-bumping hug, shaking hands and grinning at each other as they took stock of how each had held up over time.
