Her Marine Bodyguard
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Her Marine Bodyguard
Copyright © 2014 by Heather Long
ISBN: 978-1-61333-700-4
Cover art by Mina Carter
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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Always a Marine
Series so Far (in order by release)
Once Her Man, Always Her Man
Luke & Rebecca
Retreat Hell! She Just Got Here
Logan, Jazz & Zach
Tell It to the Marine
James & Lauren
Introduction of Matt McCall and Damon Sinclair
Features an appearance of Logan Cavanaugh
Proud to Serve Her
Damon & Helena
Matt, James, Lauren, Luke and Rebecca mentioned
Her Marine
Brody & Shannon
No Regrets, No Surrender
Logan, Jazz & Zach
James featured
The Marine Cowboy
A.J. & Sheri
Phone call from Luke
The Two and the Proud
Rowdy & Kim
A Marine and a Gentleman
Brenden & Liam
Appearances of James, Logan, Jazz, Shannon, Rebecca, Lauren
Combat Barbie
Kyle & Mary
Jazz makes an appearance via phone
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Joe & Melody
James makes an appearance
What Part of Marine Don’t You Understand?
Matt & Naomi
Appearances by James and Logan, Damon is mentioned
A Marine Affair
Eli & Rick
Marine Ever After
Paul & Lillianna
Multiple appearances at Luke & Rebecca’s wedding
Marine in the Wind
Greg & Georgia
Appearances by A.J. & Sheri
Marine with Benefits
Derek & Kara
Appearance by Logan
A Marine of Plenty
Charlie & Jana
Appearance by Naomi
A Candle for a Marine
Isaac & Zehava
Appearances by Zach & Shannon
Marine Under the Mistletoe
Kaiden & Rowan
Have Yourself a Marine Christmas
Rebel & Noel
Appearances by Derek, Kara, Luke and James
Lest Old Marines Be Forgot
Tom & Brenda
Appearances by Luke, James, Logan, and Damon
Dear Readers,
Two years ago, I introduced you to Second Lieutenant Brody Essex and Shannon Fabray. They met during a 1Night Stand in the book
Her Marine
and—I admit it—I fell a little bit in love with Brody. He was a strong guy, determined. While on leave, he stepped in for one of his fellow Marines (or so he thought) and met a woman who took his breath away. By the end of the story, Brody had to return to his duty station and say goodbye to Shannon. I knew from the moment I wrote the scene that I wanted to see these characters again, but that it would take time before Brody could come home.
What you have here is his homecoming. We caught glimpses of Brody and Shannon in other books—Brody’s call to Zach and Logan about Jazz during
No Regrets, No Surrender
, later Liam Gardiner’s introduction to Shannon in
A Marine and a Gentleman
and Shannon’s cameo in
A Candle for a Marine
and once more, Brody was mentioned during
Have Yourself a Marine Christmas
. Not once in the sixteen books that followed
Her Marine
did I forget that Brody and Shannon were waiting—he was waiting to come home and she waited for him to get there.
I always knew what the story would entail when I brought Brody and Shannon back together—and while they’d maintained their relationship long distance, there is a very distinct difference for a couple to come together after so much time apart. This same challenge faces so many of our military servicemen and women and the significant others who love them.
Brody never had anyone waiting for him before and Shannon lived with the constant worry that something could happen to him. They each had to be strong for the other. Life went on at home, Brody couldn’t be there with her to meet challenges she faced and sometimes weeks could go by without word from him. It’s damned hard and it takes a lot of determination on both sides for these kinds of couples to withstand the pressure.
When I sat down to write this novel, it was like coming home for me, too. I’d waited so long to write those words, they were burned into my brain and poured out onto the page. I hope you enjoy Shannon and Brody’s reunion as much as I did.
Semper fi,
Heather
Her Marine Bodyguard
Always a Marine
By
Heather Long
~Dedication~
For my readers. You Rock.
Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan
Lieutenant Brody Essex threw the baseball up and caught it, only to repeat the motion. For three weeks, he and his team had been stuck in a holding pattern waiting for the final orders to be cut that would send them to Bagram and from there, aboard a C-130 for Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, debriefing, psych evaluations, and finally he would discuss his terminal leave—if approved.
Of course, all of that required he get back to the States. His unit’s exodus, like his promotion and so many other day-to-day issues, remained tied up in bureaucracy. Keeping the ball in motion, he concentrated on patience. Each day brought him a step closer to seeing Shannon again.
Maybe he’d even sneak up to Boston and surprise her at her show. She’d been so excited when she’d Skyped a month before—the last time they’d had to chat.
A rapid three-beat knock hit his door. Brody caught the ball and sat up. “Come.”
“Lieutenant, there’s a call for you in Coms.” The private wasn’t one Brody recognized.
Rising, he retrieved his cover from the shelf and set the ball in its place. The room—one he split with another lieutenant—remained bare of anything personal. He and his team hadn’t planned on staying. The forced inactivity coupled with the transition state had him less inclined to make his mark.
“Dismissed,” he told the private and followed him out. Maybe the call included his orders. When he’d last checked, Colonel Jamison had told him his orders would get there when they got there. Until then, stand by. Like Brody, the rest of his unit waited, their patience dust-covered and grim-faced after months of dodging and delivering gunfire, seeing comrades killed, tracking targets across the countryside, and sleeping on dirt more often than a bed.
Marinestan had been an upgrade of sorts. Two sergeants stood having a smoke, and they straightened, saluting him as he passed. He returned the gesture and eyed the butts on the ground. One sergeant shifted, put his boot over them and nodded. They’d police the area before they left it. Noting their names, Brody kept walking.
In the building housing Coms, a private directed him to a black phone with a flickering light indicating a call on hold. The private moved away, a tacit offer of privacy.
Retrieving the handset, Brody hit the button. “Essex.”
“Brody, Luke Dexter.” The former Marine had been Brody’s commanding officer for his first three tours and his friend for longer. Also, the absolute last voice he expected to hear.
Spine stiffening and his blood running cold, he frowned but kept his voice low and controlled. “Sir? What’s wrong?” Because Luke had no reason in the world to pull strings and get a call put through to Afghanistan. None except….
“It’s Shannon. She was attacked….”
Boston, Massachusetts
Three weeks earlier….
“I told you that you were going to be a hit.” Liam Gardiner put a hand to the open elevator doors, holding them and allowing Shannon Fabray to precede him.
She glanced at her host and laughed. “Yes, you did, and thank you for saying I told you so.”
After sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks, he walked with her toward her room. He’d initially invited her to stay at his townhouse, but she’d declined. Most men made her uncomfortable, and though she’d gotten to know Liam better over the last several months and knew without a shred of doubt he was no threat to her physically or romantically, she’d preferred the privacy of the hotel. It made her more comfortable.
Like her, Liam waited for his Marine to come home. “How is Brenden?” she asked.
“He’s good. Always has a new story when he calls. I didn’t realize how
interesting
Embassy duty could be.” A hint of a smile softened his mouth. Vice-president of a local bank, he possessed a quiet, determined charm and impeccable taste. He’d been passionate about advocating her show, helping her with the venue negotiations, facilitating arrangements from the backers to the show itself, and finally escorting her tonight.
“And how long ’til Brody is home?”
They had a pact, the two of them, for mutual support and general bitching as needed—Liam’s words, not hers.
“Soon, I think.” Excitement bubbled in her stomach. “He’s due to be back in North Carolina anytime now, I just don’t know exactly when. Apparently, dates are flexible when it comes to PCSing from combat to relief—or however that goes.” She still didn’t get all of the military terminology, despite all her lessons over the last two years.
Two years. It made her head spin. Two years since she’d met Brody and more than a year since she’d gone to Italy and met him for a long, fabulous week. Both seemed like a lifetime before.
At her room, Liam gave her a quizzical look. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she covered and dug her room key out of her purse. “Tired.” Worried about everything. “Thank you for tonight, really—it meant the world to me.”