Distinguished Service & Every Move You Make (Uniformly Hot!) Read online

  One she really didn’t really care to explore her own response to, either.

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  Trudy shrugged as if it was of no importance. “That new Julia Roberts movie is out. I thought maybe you and I could catch a matinee or something.”

  Geneva raised her brows.

  While she considered her employer a dear friend, they’d never really socialized outside the diner.

  “Sure. Let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a show.”

  “Me, too.” Trudy stiffened. “I was thinking it was time to change that.”

  Geneva smiled then returned to her proposal. It seemed her friend was making a lot of changes lately.

  It seemed both of them were.

  Her hand went to her belly and she stared off into space. The thought of Mace not playing a role in any of those changes was so impossible to fathom, she couldn’t bring herself to consider it. Not just now. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, he was there, on the fringes of her thoughts, a presence that made her blood hum and her mouth smile. To consider otherwise…

  No. She wasn’t ready for that.

  But she would have to be soon.

  Whether she wanted to or not.

  “Maybe we can do some shopping for baby clothes afterward,” Trudy said.

  Geneva’s hand stopped and she smiled, grateful for the happy distraction. In just a few short months, the baby growing within her would be a separate human being with needs of his or her own. And as each day passed, that reality grew more and more. She couldn’t wait to meet her child.

  “Yes. Maybe we can,” she said softly.

  She glanced over at the stool of Dustin’s choice, hopeful that after their conversation last night, he’d accept his role as father and let the rest fall aside.

  “Wow!”

  So seldom was it that Trudy was impressed with anything, it was worthy of note. Or, at the very least, her attention.

  “What is it?”

  Trudy turned the newspaper so Geneva could view the page she was reading. It took a moment to understand it wasn’t a story her friend was sharing, but a photo. More specifically, a photo of her and Mace, taken last night.

  Wow, was right.

  With her in her retro forties dress and him in uniform, the big band behind them, the shot could have easily been taken decades ago. And the way Mace held her, looked at her…

  She shivered.

  “I hate to tell you this, sweetie, but he’s going to break your heart.”

  She heard the words of warning, but paid them little mind as she caught on something under the caption. “Can I see that?”

  “Sure.”

  Geneva opened the paper at the crease. “Local Hero to be Awarded Navy Cross.”

  Talk about wow…

  When Mace had told her he wanted her to attend an awards ceremony with him, she’d had no idea he’d be the one getting the award. She’d assumed it was an event he was required to attend. And while the occasion certainly was that, well…

  Wow!

  “What?”

  Trudy took the paper back and read the caption.

  “That’s our Mace, isn’t it?”

  She didn’t miss the “our” as she nodded.

  “Give that back.”

  Geneva did so blankly, unable to read the rest of the story.

  “It says here that he rescued five of his fellow soldiers, carried one out on his shoulders. Holy cow. The one they’re talking about is Darius Folsom.” She showed her that page and Geneva barely registered the photo of Dari, the regular with whom Mace had been dining the night she met him, featured near the end of the story.

  What kind of man didn’t share something of that nature? Didn’t tell her why they were attending a medals ceremony, what he had done?

  She knew. The type of man who truly was a hero.

  “I’m going to that.”

  “Going where? To Afghanistan?”

  “No. To the ceremony.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  She nodded again. “I’m his date.”

  She met Trudy’s gaze, seeing in her eyes the same type of emotion ballooning in her: an acute mix of awe…and fear.

  Awe that she had captured his attention.

  Fear that Mace was undoubtedly going to break her heart…

  21

  LARGER THAN LIFE and twice as evasive.

  Mace was beginning to really not like this guy. Not only had he made two attempts on General Norman’s life, he was proving harder to find than a glass of water in the desert.

  “Sorry. He checked out sometime before the maids hit the room at around noon yesterday,” the motel owner said from behind the counter.

  “Can we see the room?”

  “There’s another couple in there. They checked in late last night.”

  Mace pulled a hundred out of his wallet and placed it on the counter under his hand. “A call telling them the exterminator needs to get in there should help them decide to move to another room.”

  The owner didn’t hesitate. He picked up the motel phone and dialed. A moment later he hung up.

  “I’ll have them moved in ten minutes.”

  Mace nodded then walked out of the office to join Reece where he stood under the entrance port.

  “Anything?” he asked.

  Reece shook his head and pocketed his cell phone. “The guy’s off the grid.”

  The term meant the fingerprint hadn’t turned up an ID. The guy they were after wasn’t registered anywhere and had no arrest record that they knew of.

  He watched the couple in Room 13 exit and the owner hurry out of the office to take them to another room on the other side of the complex.

  But it was the sight of a baby carriage that caught his attention.

  He stared at the simple blue fabric and then the baby within. The little guy couldn’t be more than a couple of months old. And it was all too easy to imagine the pretty blonde pushing the stroller as Geneva.

  His throat choked off air.

  “They’re clear,” Reece remarked.

  Mace coughed, forcing himself to look at the room and not the baby. “Okay, I’m going to go check it out. In the meantime, I want you to ask for access to the surveillance footage from the night before last when the owner gets back.”

  Reece nodded.

  “See if you can get the names of the maids who cleaned the room and find out if they’re on the premises, as well.”

  “Roger that. You want me to interview them.”

  He’d thought of doing it himself, but he was coming to trust Reece nearly as much. “Yeah. Go ahead. See if the guy said anything, or was carrying anything of note.”

  “Got it.”

  With that, he strode in the direction of Room 13. The owner met him at the entrance.

  “I can give you ten minutes.”

  He didn’t argue the point; he only needed five.

  He stepped inside, blinking against the dimness after being out in the bright daylight. He pulled the cord to open the curtains, careful to visually skim the floor under the window as he did so. The place smelled of baby powder. He tried to ignore it as he gave the room a walk through, then went around again, checking garbage pails. Baby wipes and empty formula bottles.

  Damn.

  He could have done without the reminder that Geneva was expecting…especially since he wasn’t sure where he stood on the idea of children.

  Simply, he hadn’t given the idea much thought.

  But to have the decision already made for you…

  He dropped to one knee and checked under the first of two queen-size beds. He used the end of a pen to fish out a candy bar wrappe
r that was unnoteworthy along with a small slip of motel paper torn from a pad.

  Now that was a little more interesting.

  As he stared at the number written on it, he couldn’t help thinking that he couldn’t have gotten luckier had it said: “Answer here.”

  He pocketed the paper then sat down on the chair near the door, squinting at the room. But even as he tried to concentrate on his thoughts and where they were leading, his mind drifted back to Geneva and what the immediate future held for her.

  What was he talking about? Long-term was more like it.

  He ran his hands through his hair several times then drew in a deep breath.

  What was he doing?

  More accurately, what were they doing?

  In two brief days, he shipped out…

  He heard footsteps approach the door. He looked over his shoulder to meet Reece’s gaze. If the other man found his sitting in the chair unusual, he didn’t say anything.

  “The owner’s putting together a copy of the surveillance footage now,” he said. “And the maid on duty yesterday is off today.”

  Mace got up. “Have him hold on to the footage for pickup later.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. We’re heading to Lazarus.”

  Darius had gotten back into town that morning. He and his old friend needed to powwow…

  * * *

  “ASSIGNMENT IS DONE. Successful. We were even paid an unexpected bonus.”

  Mace walked through Lazarus headquarters with Darius, trading the offices for the outdoors. Recruits trained on the course but he paid them little heed. His attention was on his friend.

  Dari looked at him when he didn’t immediately respond. “The guy’s still alive. That was our job. And we did it well.”

  “The suspect is still at large.”

  “It’s not our problem.”

  Mace’s footsteps slowed. It took Dari a moment to realize he wasn’t keeping pace. Finally he stopped and turned back to him.

  His friend grimaced. “Look, I understand how you feel about loose threads. But when we began Lazarus Security, I learned quickly that more often than not, it’s best to cut them rather than follow them through to the end.”

  “Because there’s no profit in it.”

  “Because there’s no sense in it.”

  Mace stared out at the new recruits.

  One of the biggest reasons he’s signed up for the Corps was because it was the only thing that made sense to him in a world that made none. There was structure and discipline, a chain of command and a clear enemy. If working in the public sector meant the type of chaos Dari was suggesting, perhaps he’d be better off signing up for another stint, going pure career.

  Dari slapped a hand onto his shoulder and gave a good squeeze. “You’ve got two days of leave left. Why not spend it doing something you’d enjoy doing?” He grinned. “Or someone?”

  It was Mace’s turn to grimace. Referencing Geneva that way was so off base, it was offensive.

  “Aw, hell. Don’t tell me you’re still seeing that pregnant waitress?”

  Now he was offended.

  “Uh-oh. You are.”

  “And if I am?”

  “If you are…”

  Mace’s cell phone rang.

  He fished it out of his pocket even as his friend fished for words to complete his sentence.

  Janine.

  Damn.

  He repocketed the phone, sending her to voice mail.

  “That her?” Dari asked.

  “No.”

  He began walking again and Dari followed suit. Silence reigned as they skirted the training area, the autumn sun beating down on them, the report of gunfire from the firing range cracking the only sounds.

  “I’ve released Reece from his temporary contract,” Dari said. “He’s heading back to Arizona in a couple of hours.”

  Mace nodded. “Understood.”

  He felt Dari’s visual scrutiny.

  “Let it go, man,” his friend finally said.

  Mace squinted at him.

  “Norman has moved on. Job is done.”

  He thought of the bit of paper he had in his pocket. The one that would sew everything up. He hadn’t had the chance to tell Dari what he’d found because he’d been cut off at the pass before he had a chance to try.

  Maybe Dari was right. Maybe he should just cut his losses and move on. Visit his parents. Take his grandfather out. It would be a good six months before he’d have the opportunity again.

  “I’d also suggest you let Geneva go.”

  Mace stopped dead in his tracks.

  Dari held his hands up. “Hey, I’m not saying anything any other friend wouldn’t.”

  “You’re out of line.”

  “Am I? Because I don’t think so.”

  Mace turned and headed back toward the compound.

  “Don’t get me wrong. Geneva’s a great girl.”

  Great didn’t begin to cover it, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

  “But…”

  Dari drew in a deep breath. “But you’re fresh out of one relationship, Mace. At a career crossroads. You don’t know what’s around the next corner much less five years from now. If you hook up with Geneva, your fate is sealed for the next eighteen years plus.”

  “That’s a shitty way of looking at it.”

  “Maybe. And I sure don’t like saying it. But Geneva’s a package deal. You take her, you take her kid. Life and relationships are tough enough without that kind of baggage.”

  “She’s not baggage.”

  “Yes, she is. Heavy baggage.”

  His back teeth locked together. Outside the choice of words, his friend wasn’t saying anything that hadn’t been hovering on the fringes of his thoughts for the past few days.

  Still, hearing them come from Dari gave him a target to focus on.

  “Continue seeing her and it’ll only get more complicated.”

  He wanted to tell Dari about his and Geneva’s temporary arrangement. Their ruse to pretend they were dating during the length of his leave. But somehow he felt doing so would be a betrayal.

  Besides, they’d gone beyond pretend some time ago, hadn’t they? What was developing between them now was very real, indeed.

  “Look, I know what I’m talking about. Not that Megan’s pregnant, I don’t know if I’m ready to be a father. Frankly, the idea scares me spitless. And I went in with my eyes open.”

  Mace listened.

  “Are you really prepared to take on the role with a woman you just met? Be a father to a child that isn’t yours?”

  His cell rang again, this time indicating a text.

  Geneva.

  Will I be seeing you tonight?

  He put it back into his pocket without responding, feeling the slip of paper with the phone number on it as he did so.

  “Just promise you’ll think about it,” Dari said as they continued walking back toward the main compound.

  “Trust me, thinking is about all I’m capable of right now…”

  22

  THE SINKING SUN SET the autumn leaves of the trees opposite Geneva’s living room window ablaze while a cold wind blew the ones that had fallen around the parking lot, signaling the change of seasons.

  She wished she didn’t fear the change of seasons wasn’t the only thing the wind was blowing in.

  She’d texted Mace hours ago asking if she might see him tonight. He had yet to respond.

  He was probably busy.

  He was probably avoiding her.

  She attempted to warm herself with herbal tea and sorted through emotions as varied as the color of the leaves outside.

  Even
when Mace was busy, he managed to drop her a text, no matter how brief. And she knew General Norman had moved on. National news said the guy was now in Chicago. Which meant Lazarus Security was no longer needed.

  So the only answer she had for his silence was that he was avoiding her.

  Her chest ached in a way that made it difficult to breathe.

  Heartache.

  She didn’t realize she’d come to expect so much from him in such a short amount of time.

  She told herself it had been only a few hours since she’d heard anything. And she was likely allowing her imagination to run away with her. But given the limited amount of time they had left, well, every precious second counted.

  She considered ways to distract herself. After all, it had only been a few hours. There was no need to think he wouldn’t call or come over tonight.

  Still, for reasons she was ill equipped to identity, she sensed that she wouldn’t be seeing him before tomorrow.

  Tomorrow…

  Seeing how stirred up she was getting now, well, maybe she should cancel. After all, their original deal had outlived its purpose.

  She closed her eyes. What an inappropriate way to refer to the bonds that had developed between them.

  “I love you.”

  His words still filled her lungs like a breath full of sweet, autumn air.

  Of course, he hadn’t vocally said the words; he’d texted them. Still, in that one moment, he’d been experiencing the type of emotion that inspired the communication.

  And she knew she loved him…

  She was unsure when it had happened. She only understood that she did. Sometimes it seemed her body was incapable of containing the enormity of what she felt for him.

  And the fear of losing him forever…

  The battle raging within her stole her breath away as effectively as the wind.

  She blinked to clear the moisture from her eyes. What did she know about battles? When compared to Mace…

  The Navy Cross.

  Wow.

  The one word was still all she could manage when she thought of what he must have endured, what he’d done to earn the award. Not because she was surprised—far from it—but because he’d shared neither the importance of the award nor what acts had merited it.