Distinguished Service & Every Move You Make (Uniformly Hot!) Page 14

  Her cell phone chimed. She’d left it on her desktop to prevent herself from checking it every few seconds and now rushed to answer it.

  “Hello?” she answered without checking the ID.

  “Geneva?”

  It was a woman. Not Mace.

  She swallowed past the wad of sandpaper in her throat. “Yes.”

  “Hello, dear. I hope you don’t mind my calling, but this is Mace’s mom? Sharon?”

  “Oh, yes, yes. How are you?”

  While it wasn’t Mace, she welcomed the distraction.

  “I’m fine. How are you doing? And the baby?”

  Geneva smiled, her hand automatically going to her belly. “We’re both fine, thank you.”

  “Good. Good.”

  It dawned on her that she likely shouldn’t welcome contact from Mace’s mother. It would only make things more awkward when they parted ways.

  Parted ways…

  Her heart swelled painfully against her rib cage.

  Not only the reality, but the inevitability of their parting after tomorrow hit her hard.

  But she’d known the deal going in, hadn’t she? She’d understood that what they had was only temporary.

  Then what was she doing speaking to his mother? Surely she was only inviting disaster.

  Especially since she didn’t imagine Mace would appreciate her continuing any kind of connection with his family.

  Then again, Sharon believed them only to be friends. So anything that did develop…well, would be between her and Sharon.

  Right?

  “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something…”

  “No, no.” Geneva hadn’t realized she’d gone silent until Sharon spoke again.

  “I can try back again later if this is a bad time.”

  Geneva walked back to her spot in front of the window, telling herself it was to enjoy the fall foliage and had absolutely nothing to do with her hope she’d spot Mace pull up. “Now is just fine. How’s Mike?”

  “Oh, he’s well. He’s in the other room reading the paper. I just cleaned up the dinner dishes…”

  And suddenly, the two of them settled into a pleasant conversation about nothing and everything.

  Fifteen minutes in, Sharon circled back. “Anyway, the reason I called was to ask if you’re attending the ceremony tomorrow?”

  Geneva briefly bit her lip, wondering what her answer should be. While Mace hadn’t retracted the invitation, his silence might be exactly that. She didn’t know if it was a good idea to continue a ruse that had already snowballed into so much more.

  “Yes,” she said softly, unable to deny herself any chance of seeing him.

  “Good! I was hoping you would be there. You see, I’d like very much for us to sit together…”

  And just like that, Geneva found herself tumbling straight down the rabbit hole…

  * * *

  MACE SAT IN HIS RENTAL CAR outside Geneva’s apartment building, staring up at her dark windows. It was after midnight and he’d spent the better half of an hour trying to figure out what he should do.

  An hour? Try the past day.

  His earlier conversation with Dari left a bad taste in his mouth.

  Had he been irresponsible for getting involved with a mother-to-be?

  Mother-to-be…

  Such a narrow term to describe Geneva. She was so much more. But the fact that she would be a mother soon, very soon, should have played a larger role in his decision to see her. Strangely, it hadn’t.

  Then why was it such a big deal now?

  He imagined her in the coming months growing plumper, rounder, softer, sexier. Saw her holding a tiny infant, smiling. But somehow he couldn’t insert himself into that picture. When he envisioned her, her future, he saw only her.

  He rubbed his face as if trying to rid himself of his skin.

  Still, she deserved better than his silence.

  He should have called her. He’d started to several times.

  Tomorrow… Was it really his last day in Colorado Springs?

  Yes. He left on the first transport out, first thing Sunday morning.

  He knew such an acute sensation of…was it sadness? Yes, he suspected it was.

  Never before had he not looked forward to heading out. Not because he wanted to escape anything, but because being a Marine was his job, what he did best. And that job required traveling to where he was needed.

  And now?

  Now the idea of stepping onto that plane left him feeling…reluctant.

  Perhaps it was simply because he’d be leaving Geneva behind. There was so much change laying on her horizon that he wouldn’t be a part of. Was that why he was feeling this way?

  Whatever it was, he wanted to shake it off. Put on his sweats and run until he wasn’t merely physically exhausted, but mentally, as well.

  He should call her now.

  He wanted to call her now.

  What he really wanted to do was go up there, kiss her senseless then lose himself in a way no run would ever match.

  But to do so would prolong the inevitable.

  It would give her cause to hope there was going to be more.

  Damn. When had something so simple grown so very complicated?

  And what was he going to do about it?

  His cell phone beeped.

  He took it out of his pocket and stared at the text announcement, not realizing he was hoping it was Geneva maybe having spotted him, taking the decision out of his hands.

  It wasn’t.

  It was Janine.

  I’m at The Barracks. Meet me? We need to talk.

  He sat for long moments after putting the phone back into pocket. Geneva’s windows remained dark.

  Janine.

  Not a day went by since his return when she hadn’t tried to contact him, talk to him. Their brief exchange at the bar the other night apparently hadn’t been enough.

  So much unfinished business.

  He started the car and began backing out of the parking spot. Maybe Janine was just the distraction he needed right now. Meeting with her might help him decide one way or another where his path lay.

  As he drove away, he looked up at Geneva’s windows one last time. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw her bedroom light switch on, her silhouette against the glass.

  He kept driving…

  23

  SHE STILL HADN’T HEARD from Mace.

  Yet there she was, in a simple yellow dress and brown suede jacket and shoes, at the awards ceremony that had been his first “faux date” request.

  The day was sunny and cool, frost on the grass at the site slowly melting off. Men and women in uniform wove easily through the crowd of civilians while those in higher command stayed closer to the stage. Geneva had never felt more out of place in her life.

  She must have decided at least a dozen times not to come. Yet she ultimately had. If this was going to be the last time she saw Mace, well, she still wanted to see him. If only to say goodbye, congratulate him and wish him well.

  “Geneva?”

  It was a male voice.

  She turned to find it wasn’t the one she was hoping for. Instead, it was Darius Folsom and his wife, Megan, whom she had seen only a few times but knew on sight.

  “Hi,” she said. “I’m guessing you’re here for the same reason I am?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Dari replied. “I’m responsible for Mace getting that medal.”

  Megan elbowed him. “He’s making it sound like he should be up there with him. What he means is that his is one of the many asses Mace saved.” She smiled at her husband. “Something for which I am very grateful.”

  Geneva recogni
zed several others she’d seen come into the diner with Dari, but couldn’t ignore the fact that neither Dari nor Megan were inclined to introduce them, although she was certain they all had to also be Mace’s friends.

  Like she wasn’t feeling awkward enough…

  “Geneva!”

  Once again, she found herself grateful for Mace’s mom’s interruption. She told the couple it was nice to see them, then turned to look for her.

  Mrs. Harrison waved her hand, making her easily identifiable where she stood before a front row chair.

  Front row.

  Of course. Where else would she expect a medal honoree’s family to sit?

  Only she wasn’t family. And her level of discomfort notched upward.

  She considered merely waving back and choosing a seat closer to the back, but thought better of it. First of all, she wouldn’t put it past Sharon to come get her. Second, the prospect of sitting near Dari and Mace’s friends wasn’t any more appealing.

  Had Mace said something to them? Or had they said something to Mace?

  She thought back to when she’d first discovered she was pregnant. She’d told Trudy, making it clear she had no intention of marrying the father, who she hadn’t immediately revealed was Dustin. The salty diner owner had frowned at her and said, “You do know you’re going to be the focus of gossip central for at least the next five years.”

  Geneva had laughed. “This isn’t the fifties.”

  “Maybe not, but it might as well be. We women may have come a long way, baby, but in a lot of respects I’m afraid we’ll never reach our destination.”

  Her next remark had helped erase a bit of the sting. “You’re also never going to have your figure back.”

  Of course, Geneva had never really given Trudy’s gossip warning any sort of weight. But as she made her way through the crowd with a weak smile, she couldn’t help filing away Dari’s expression as he’d spoken to her, which matched several of the other guys’ in the group to which she hadn’t been introduced. It had said: “Stay away from Mace. You have too much baggage.”

  She was somewhat relieved to note that Megan and the other women hadn’t seemed to be wearing that same look.

  She reached the front row and was enveloped in a hug by the sweet-smelling woman that was Mace’s mom. She felt the breath she wasn’t aware she was holding whoosh from her as a quiet sigh.

  For a moment she was tempted to close her eyes, imagine the fear away and replace it with something much nicer. The embrace was so genuine, it would be all too easy.

  Instead, she returned the hug then greeted Mace’s father and grandfather, grateful that not a glimmer of the gossip shadow existed on either of their faces.

  “You’ll be sitting next to me, of course,” Mace’s grandfather said after kissing her cheek, his eyes sparkling suggestively.

  For the first time, she felt slightly ill at ease, although at the lunch where she’d met them, she had been completely comfortable. The power of suggestion, she realized. If some people thought less of her, viewed her as unworthy, perhaps others might view her as loose and unfit for more than a romp.

  She forced the thought away, refusing to allow anyone to classify her as anything less than she was…including and especially herself.

  “She most certainly will not,” Sharon said. “You’ll surely talk throughout the ceremony if she does. No, she’ll be seated next to me.”

  Geneva found herself laughing at the light rebuke, happy to be rid of her concern, then turned to place her small purse on her chair…only to find herself staring straight into Mace’s handsome face.

  Mace.

  Chills that had nothing to do with wind raised every tiny hair dotting her skin.

  Mace…

  * * *

  DAMN. DAMN. Damn.

  Geneva looked so incredible, everything else instantly faded away; she was a vividly clear figure against a blur of blurry colors.

  Last night, he hadn’t closed his eyes once. This morning, he’d felt every last minute of lost sleep, until now.

  Now…

  Now he felt like he could leap a tall building in a single bound.

  “Hi,” she said quietly.

  He allowed his gaze to slide over her skin, taking in the sudden pinkness of her cheeks, the almost shy flash of her teeth, the curve of her long neck. The scent of her filled his every sense.

  He’d missed her.

  He told himself that was ridiculous. It had only been a day since he last saw her.

  Still, he knew beyond anything that was tangible that he had missed her—on too many levels to count. He missed her laugh, her smell, her words, her body.

  He’d missed her.

  And if he could, in that one moment he’d take her hand and lead her away to someplace private where they could be alone. Make up for the lost time he’d so stupidly allowed to slip through his fingers.

  Talk about stupid…

  Against everything he knew was right, he’d gone to The Barracks last night and met up with Janine.

  “Your mom called last night,” Geneva said, hesitant in a way he’d never seen her before. “She invited me to sit with her.”

  He heard what she was saying but it took a moment for it to register. Did she think he needed an explanation? Obviously she did.

  He berated himself for ever making her feel that way.

  “Oh. Good.” He looked to his mother whose own smile seemed a bit brighter than usual. But when he glanced back at Geneva, he could have sworn he glimpsed the same sadness he’d experienced last night in her eyes.

  And his own sense of the dark emotion deepened.

  The event organizer touched his elbow and quietly told him it was time to take his place with the others.

  He nodded then met Geneva’s gaze again. “I…”

  He what?

  He swallowed hard.

  He had absolutely no idea what he was going to say, or where he went from here besides up on that stage to accept the award they insisted on giving him for simply doing what any other Marine would do.

  “Good luck, honey,” his mother said, stepping between them and kissing his cheek. “We’re so very proud of you.”

  He blinked at her. He’d half expected her to say, “Marcus would be so very proud of you,” as she’d said when he first shared the news.

  His father followed suit along with his grandfather, no mention of his brother.

  And then he and Geneva were alone in the gathering of others once again.

  She smiled at him, but not in the way he’d come to look forward to. No, this one was tinged with melancholy and caution.

  “You’d better go,” she said quietly.

  He looked over to find the organizer motioning to him.

  “Yes, I guess I’d better.”

  She didn’t move so he did…away from her and toward the others, his chest feeling heavier with each and every step.

  * * *

  PRIDE, SURE AND STRONG. That’s what surged through Geneva as she watched Mace walk center stage in his full uniform, already covered with ribbons and medals, and accept the Navy Cross, the highest Marine honor.

  If only he looked happier.

  In the time she had known him, she’d never seen his handsome face set in such serious lines. He appeared to want to be anywhere but there. Why? And was that why he hadn’t been more communicative about the importance of the day?

  Did it have anything to do with his brother?

  She didn’t know. But she desperately wanted to find out. Not only for his sake, but for his parents and grandparent beaming so proudly next to her.

  While she wouldn’t ever expect him to jump for joy or boast about the occasion, or the experiences that had led to it…well, humbled would
be preferable to grim.

  The audience rose to its feet, applauding the day’s honorees, the top one going to Mace. As Geneva followed suit, she realized she hadn’t heard a single word. She’d been too busy scrutinizing his face, his demeanor, the shadows that clung to him that had nothing to do with the light.

  Then she saw her—Janine.

  Somehow she continued clapping, even as she met the gaze of Mace’s tall, pretty ex-girlfriend back a row and halfway down the length. She looked…smug. Knowing.

  The unwanted emotion cut into her, adding to the other uncomfortable feelings she was experiencing—Mace’s silence, Dari’s rejection, his grandfather’s flirting—making it impossible to ignore. One on its own, a simple swallow and deep breath. Two, more concentration. Three…?

  Undeniable.

  “Geneva?”

  Mace’s mom was looking at her in concern.

  She was unaware of the tear that had streaked down her cheek until she viewed Sharon’s questioning gaze.

  She quickly picked up her purse. “Tell Mace congratulations for me,” she managed to choke out.

  “You’re not coming to the reception?”

  Reception? She hadn’t been told of any reception. Which meant she definitely wasn’t going.

  She was sure Janine would enjoy having Mace all to herself.

  “No. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  She turned to hurry away.

  And ran directly into Mace.

  24

  MACE STEADIED GENEVA with his hands on her shoulders. Shoulders that seemed to suddenly bear the weight of the world. He feared they might not be equipped to handle it any longer.

  He searched her face. Had she been crying?

  No. She was crying.

  The realization was like a blow to the gut, the medal with which he’d just been awarded like a stone he wanted to throw.

  Still, she somehow managed to smile. “Congratulations. I’m honored to have been included. And so very proud.”

  Her voice caught on the last word. Before he could say anything, she threw her arms around him and squeezed tight, her chin resting on his shoulder.