Uniform Desires (Make Mine Military Romance) (38 page)

Turning back to him, she said, “Are we ready?”

He didn’t answer except to nod without words. Oh yea. He was ready all right. This one was special. He was going to have to work very hard to win her trust.

He loved a good challenge.

Their lunch was served and they began the obligatory small talk. Devon knew about Nick’s parents, of course, but Nick learned she had also lost her parents in high school, in a private plane crash. She’d known his sister since grade school, but they’d lost touch after high school, then gotten reacquainted at a Pilates class. Devon came to Sophie and asked to be mentored in real estate when she couldn’t get a job after graduating from college.
 

“So what’s the deal with my sister. Why hasn’t she settled down?”

“I think all the economic uncertainty of your parent’s passing made her feel like she wanted to get her career in order first, get stable. I completely understand. I’m the same way,” she said.
 

“I guess I missed all that. I was just a kid finishing up high school. There was no college fund, so I got the Navy. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Would you have gone?”

“To college? I don’t think about that at all, Dev—Devon.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“Does that mean I get a treat?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

That spark of connection between them was brief, but very intimate. He very much felt like pushing his luck with her right here on the café table. He cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind.

“Is this so difficult now, being with me?” he asked.

She smiled. “No. Not what I expected.”

“I’ll take that as a good sign, then.” He sat back and hoped he wouldn’t get a smart-ass comment.

“I think you’re a nicer person than I realized. Sophie said to give you time to show your better side.”

He had to look away. Why was it so important that he make a good impression on her? What did he really want? A hookup? That brought on all sorts of visions. A portion of
 
his brain was working overtime like a Bollywood movie.

She waved her hand in front of his face. “Hello? We have some work to do, remember?”

The plates were cleared and he brought out the disclosures. But he quickly tired of
 
trying to explain things upside down.

“Can I sit there next to you? It would be easier,” he asked.

She tilted her head and gave a smirk, and then she scooted over and made room for him on the burgundy vinyl bench seat.
 

Her intense scent was making his nose itch but every other part of his body was cheering with more intensity than a Stanford vs. Cal game. His thigh was close enough to hers that through the fabric of his canvas cargoes he could feel the hairs on his legs stiffen and rise to attention, even with the fabric of his canvas cargoes between them. And they weren’t the only things rising either.

“Here,” he said as he pointed out a couple of questions and boxes he was supposed to check off. “I’m not sure what they are asking. The place is old. How would she know if any of these things work or not?”

She leaned in and her shoulder brushed his. He let the feeling warm him for a moment, then backed away to give her space. She angled her head to look at the question and that beautiful swan’s neck came so close to him he could have leaned forward only inches to give her a kiss there. And he really wanted to.

“She just has to say what she knows. She can’t be responsible for what she doesn’t know. Fill it out with what she thinks is correct. Find out if she has any old reports, and I’ll go back and check the old file. When she bought the property I don’t think there were any reports given. She bought it in foreclosure.”

“Speaking of that. Have you asked Sophie if she’s current on her payments?”

“Well, it’s a question on this statement. You’ll have to ask her.”

“But do you know if she is?”

“No. You think she is?” Her brown doe eyes pulled at his heart and made it ache. Their lips were close. He wanted to put his arm up on the top of the booth, but then he’d be looming all over her and he knew it would scare her again. Besides, he’d been sweating and that was always a turnoff to women. Suddenly, his arms, hands and legs were awkward appendages and he couldn’t find a comfortable place to put them.
 

“She’s gotten some nasty notices. She was trying to hide them from me.”

Devon sighed. He felt a shudder run through her body though they were barely touching. “I was afraid of that. I’ll have title check to see if any notices were filed. This is something, unfortunately, we have to disclose to a potential buyer.”

“Dev—on,” he stumbled and noticed her smile again. It was getting easier to get her to do that. “There are some things I can discuss with my sister, but her financial status is not one of them. She’s pretty much shut me out for years. And I’ve been telling her she’s killing herself with all this folly about the nursery. She practically forbids me to ask about any of that stuff.”

She nodded.

He pulled out the delinquent power bill. “I’m going to go by this office and pay this bill today.”

Devon looked from the statement to Nick’s face. “That’s nearly a thousand dollars.”

“I’ve got savings.”

She grinned again.
 

“What’s so funny?”

“She thinks you buy toys all the time. Guns and trucks and equipment.”

“I do. But I don’t spend it all.” He paused and focused on her mouth. “Besides, I have nothing else to spend it on.”

She had focused on his mouth too, and for just a second, there was the possibility of a kiss.

“Anything else I can do for you guys?” the cheerful high school-aged waitress chirped.
 

Nick reached for his wallet and gave her his credit card. “No, thanks.”

I think you’ve done enough.

Chapter 7

Devon could hardly breathe all afternoon. The closeness to Nick’s body felt like it made her blood boil. Her pulse was pounding like she’d had three cups of coffee.

She nearly got into an accident on her way back to the office. After daydreaming in front of the computer for an hour, she realized she wasn’t going to get anything done. Since she had no appointments, she decided to leave early and pack her suitcase for a stay at Sophie’s.
 

Was she doing this for Sophie, or did she secretly want to be close to Nick? The way he moved, the way his voice sent a shiver down her spine were all pleasant recollections as she moved with zombie-like slowness, picking out her tops and jeans, a pair of old running shoes she knew she’d need for working in the yard, sunscreen and all her shampoo sample bottles.

She went to her underwear drawer and exposed the bright pink Rabbit vibrator amongst her lacy things. She’d won the orphaned device at a bachelorette party. The new feelings she was having as a result of being so close to Nick were like those first stolen moments when she dared to turn the thing on and let it touch her. Closing her eyes, she imagined what it would be like if he touched her there.

With a shudder, she willed herself to finish her packing and get over to Sophie’s. Inquiries were already coming in about the property, and if Nick was right and Sophie was in foreclosure, they’d have to hurry to get it sold in time. It would be the worst thing in the world to have her watch the bank take it back. Devon decided she would not let that happen.

The meandering roadway on Bennett Valley was always a pleasant drive for her. Turning down Sophie’s drive she was disappointed to note Nick’s Hummer was not in the lot. But Sophie’s car was.

The sign read closed, which was odd. The door to the office was locked so she went around the back. The house was also locked up.

She dialed Sophie’s cell phone and got voicemail.
 

Thirty seconds later, Nick returned her call.

“We’re at her oncologist’s office.”

“What’s going on?”

“She hasn’t stopped vomiting since last night. They’re giving her fluids and sending her home with some pain meds, but he thinks we need to call hospice.”

“Oh no. Already?”

“He said he was trying to get her to do it a month ago.”

“That’s our Sophie.” She waited for tears in her eyes to subside so her voice wouldn’t waver. “So, should I get anything for her, or just wait here?”

“You’re at the house?”

“Yes, I decided to stay over.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Finally, Nick said, “I’m glad. Sophie will be relieved.”

Devon walked down the rows of gallon cans set on black plastic cloth. She knew Sophie had started most of the plants either from graft or seed.
 
At one time these had been lush and green. Now the lack of attention had created a slew of yellowed leaves and dried flowers that needed deadheading.

She wandered into the greenhouse where Nick had soaked her with the hose. There was a small wooden sign that read “Sophie’s Specials” with a variety of unusual plants underneath on wooden benches. Sophie told her she had collected heirloom seeds of all sorts from local organic growers, and exchanged them for grape cuttings or fruit trees she’d multigrafted. Devon had accompanied her on her bi-weekly trips to the local farmer’s market, where she always found something interesting or new. All the farmers shared a common bond: what they do they did because they loved it, not because it made any of them any money.

Devon wished one of them would be able to buy the nursery. That way, “Sophie’s Specials” would survive a few years longer.
 

Will anyone care about it half as much as Sophie does?

Big tires on the gravel driveway signaled Nick was back with his precious cargo. She saw Sophie in the front seat, looking even smaller than before, dwarfed by the huge roaring, snorting beast of a vehicle. She would never understand why men liked big trucks. They were expensive to maintain, she’d heard, and, like expensive racehorses, broke down frequently.

Devon was smiling at Sophie through the passenger window when Nick came up behind her, put his hands on her waist and moved her aside. “Excuse me pretty lady, but Marc’s gotta carry her.”

He’d dropped his hands immediately. Marc wiggled his eyebrows and opened the passenger door. He carefully extracted Sophie, who looked a pale shade of green. Holding her under the knees and around the waist, he carried her to the back.
 

“Nick, I’m gonna need you to unlock the door, please, so don’t get in any water fights yet,” he yelled over his shoulder.
 

Sophie had laid her head against Marc’s chest in an uncharacteristic move. Devon’s eyes immediately began to water.

“Oh God, Nick. I’m going to lose her.”

He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a safe squeeze. “I’ll be right back.”

Devon had known this day was coming, but it was happening so fast. She thought she’d have time to prepare, to get used to the idea that Sophie was leaving this world forever. What had she been thinking? She was filled with regret for all the times she hadn’t called her friend right back, for the lunches she’d cancelled because of clients. She wished she’d helped her paint and run the shop, and weed or just do anything to help out. And now it was all too little too late.

Nick returned, his white T-shirt glowing in the late afternoon sun. “We’ve got someone from hospice coming over tonight for the initial interview. They send a caseworker first. I wish they’d just send a nurse.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Devon said.

“Unfortunately, Devon, I do. It’s what I’ve done a lot of. Except this time it will be my sister.” He abruptly turned his back to her. The pain between them was becoming unbearable but there was also something good about being there, feeling it as she stood beside him and looked out at the golden peaks of the surrounding hills and the big cloudless sky above. She understood she was standing in the doorway of the end of things. And the beginning of something else.
 

A new adventure. But this time, without Sophie.

Marc stayed with Sophie and Devon changed into her grubbies and went out to the nursery to join Nick. He had a clipboard and was making notes.

“Making a list. The guys are coming tomorrow and to help get everything ready for a big sale this weekend.”

“Guys?”

“From my Team.”

“Oh. How many?”

“Six I think. Maybe more later.”

“They’ll just come up here like that?” she asked.

“Sure. It’s what we do. We’re family. We take care of our own. Someone leaves us, we take care of their family. Any one of us needs someone, someone is provided. We work as a team both on and off the battlefield.”

“The Navy train all that into you.”

Nick lowered the clipboard and stared off in the distance. “I don’t think so. I think we were always this way, just found out after we became teammates. We have this bond, this brotherhood. We never leave each other behind. We never forget. We never stop grieving, and we never stop rejoicing for the things we do have.”