You Can't Go Home Again (10 page)

It had never occurred to him that she might have a boyfriend
back in L.A. Now, images of her with another man flashed across his mind. Some
other guy, kissing her, touching her. Some other guy hearing her laugh, sing.
Some other guy feeling her body respond.

Biting back his fury, dropping his hands back down to his
sides in fists, he growled out, “Someone special?”

* * * * *

She knew what he was really asking, but saying yes wasn’t a
lie. Nina was special, one of her best friends. And what right did he have to
question her love life, with his girlfriend sitting twenty feet away? “Yes, you
could say that.”

“Don’t you think he’d be upset if he knew what you were
doing yesterday morning? Wearing his necklace?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t we go ask Nicole and see if she’s
upset? Shall we?” Dani lifted a foot, turning to go back to Jenn and Nicole.

Jace smirked, a slightly evil grin on his lips. “Sure. Let
me just run home and get your bikini bottoms first. We’ll just explain
everything while we’re at it. I seem to recall the last one was black, wasn’t
it?”

He knew she didn’t want Jenn to know what happened between
them.

Damn him! She knew she should walk away, before this
escalated into another brawl. She took another step forward, heading down into
the pool. Just before she swam off, she couldn’t resist one last parting shot.

“So, they’re black, huh? I had forgotten.” Before he could
do more than grit his teeth, she ducked her head under the water, pushing away
to swim to the far end.

* * * * *

Jace was tempted to dive in after her, shirt, shoes and
everything. He had no idea what he’d say, or what he’d do, to prove her wrong,
but he was sure he could. If there hadn’t been an audience, he just might have
done it and damn the consequences. However, he remembered his promise to Jenn
not to cause any more problems. He fisted his hands, turned and stomped off to
grab a beer.

* * * * *

Nicole watched Jace with Dani. There was something between
them. She didn’t know what it was, whether it was really just anger. She didn’t
think so. She had thought she and Jace were on a good path, in a good place in
their relationship. Had thought that a proposal wasn’t too far in the future.

Watching him with Dani, the play of emotion across his face,
she realized that she might be very, very wrong. She wasn’t sure what she was
seeing, but it was way more than he’d ever let on.

She’d never even seen him angry before. He didn’t yell,
rarely ever cussed, and he never insulted her. She should feel good about that,
should feel like that meant he loved her.

She didn’t.

* * * * *

Brian saw Jace talking to Dani, and he watched for any
warning signs that things were about to get ugly. He hadn’t seen anything amiss
until Jace had stomped off. As he marched back toward Bri, downing the beer
while he walked, Bri saw the anger in his face.

“So, what was that about? It seemed like a pleasant enough
conversation, and yet, here you are, all pissed off again.”

“Nothing. Just trying to make nice, like I said I would.”

When he saw Jace’s head swivel around, his gaze locking off
to the left, Brian followed his line of vision. Dani was climbing out of the
pool. Brian was happily engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world, but
even he could recognize how great she looked. Apparently so did Jace.

“Uh-huh. Just making nice.” Brian smirked.

No response. Nothing, not even a blink.

When he heard Brian laugh, felt him slap his shoulder, Jace
finally brought his head back around. He felt confused, like he was coming out
of a trance. “What? What’s funny?”

Guys being guys, Brian just laughed harder. He raised his
eyebrows, glancing quickly in the direction of the three women, lying in the
loungers. When Jace followed his gaze, locking onto Dani once again, Brian just
leaned in and said, “Dude, you’re screwed.”

Jace scrubbed his hands over his face, finally settling them
into a fist on his hips. As his eyes wandered back to Dani yet again, he
mumbled under his breath. “Ah, fuck! I am completely screwed.”

Brian just laughed harder, watching as he tossed back the
rest of his beer.

With another curse, Jace asked, “Is there any tequila?”

* * * * *

Dani swam for a couple of minutes, as much to calm her
temper and her body’s response as to cool off. She used the time to meditate a
little, to calm her mind. She also promised herself that tomorrow, after her
run, she would have a solid hour of meditation. If she could just get through
the rest of this day.

When she felt more in control, she climbed out of the pool
and went to sit with Jenn. She settled into her chair, taking a minute first to
swap out her now warm beer for a cold one.

A couple hours later, Dani was having a good time talking to
Jenn and Nicole. Mostly they all kind of lay there quietly, with short bursts
of conversation interspersed. This was perfect in Dani’s opinion, allowing her
to relax and unwind a little. It had been a surprisingly emotional day. An
emotional week, for that matter. Being still, lying in the Texas sun, casual
conversation… This was just what she needed.

Until Nicole started to steer the conversation around to
college. And the gang of four. Specifically, Jace and Dani.

Nicole sat up, curling her legs sideways and looking past
Jenn to Danielle. “So, can I ask you something?”

Behind her sunglasses, Dani rolled her eyes, knowing what
was coming before she even said it. Knowing she wouldn’t let it go. “Sure.
Shoot.”

“Well, you guys were all friends in college, right? I mean,
Jason never really talks about it to me, but I’ve heard him with Brian and Jenn
sometimes. It seems like you guys used to be really close. All of you.”

Though she hadn’t asked a question, Dani heard the pause.
Apparently she was waiting for confirmation? “Yeah, we were.”

“You were?”

Dani nodded again, silently assuring Nicole that they had in
fact been friends. A long, pregnant pause ensued before Nicole finally asked,.
“So…then…well, what changed?”

“I don’t know.”

“No, I mean, what happened? With you and Jason? It doesn’t
seem like you two…well, you don’t seem to get along…anymore.”

“No, I know what you’re asking, I just don’t know the
answer. Basically, I left. I guess a five-year absence was more than our
particular friendship could handle. If you want more than that, I’m afraid
you’ll have to ask Jace. I don’t have an answer.”

“I did.”

“Did what?” This from Jenn.

“I did ask Jason.”

“Well, okay then…so…why ask me?”

“Because he didn’t tell me anything.”

“What?”  “Huh?” Jenn and Dani said in unison.

“Well, he just said that he was angry at you. That the past
was the past and this was the present. So, basically…nothing. Then he changed
the subject.”

“Oh, well then…there you go. I guess that’s the answer.”
Dani was honestly surprised that Jace hadn’t told her something. Probably not
the truth. No girlfriend really wants to know she was talking to someone her significant
other had slept with, but she figured he would have told her more than that.

“Dani, I need more wine, want another beer?” Jenn asked. At
her nod, she turned to Nicole. “You need anything?”

Nicole shook her head no, leaning back again in the lounger.
Dani thought she heard her mumble under her breath, “You’re no better than he
is. No wonder you guys were friends.”

But she could have been mistaken.

Dani was stuffed. She’d just eaten more food in one sitting
than she normally ate in two days. It was already after six but still hot as
Hades. The fireworks were set for eight, right after it got dark. Sara and Beth
had come over and joined Jenn, Dani and Nicole, and they were now all sprawled
on the chairs like beached whales.

Some of the guests had left already. The party was still in
full swing, but had winnowed down to only family and close friends.

Jenn decided they all needed champagne. At the chorus of
groans, she insisted that the bubbles would help settle their stomachs.
Laughing, she went to grab the bottle and five plastic glasses.

As they sat there sipping their drinks, Dani noticed the
guys all lining up on the edge of the pool. She had no idea what the
conversation was about, but it was apparently getting drunk out, because they were
all flexing their arms and doing the male strut thing.

She elbowed Jenn. “Take a look at your husband-to-be. I
think we’re about to get a show.”

Sure enough, Sean pulled his shirt off first, flexing the
muscles, doing a body-builder pose. When he heard the laughter and catcalls
from the girls, he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. Joanna, his girlfriend,
wandered over to the other ladies, perching on the end of Nicole’s seat.

Knowing they were watching, the men all hammed it up even
more. Zack, who probably had the best body, and knew it, peeled away his shirt
and did a full catwalk stride around the pool before diving off the board. Not
to be outdone, Brian did a little stripper dance and cannon-balled in. Colonel,
Sara’s boyfriend, followed suit and did a front flip off the board.

Dani looked around, expecting Jace to go next. He had always
been rangier than Zack, but just as sexy. And, from the feel of him next to
her, he had beefed up a little in the Marines, so she was looking forward to
seeing the new package. When she saw his head surface, she realized that he’d
simply climbed in the pool. No showboating.

Confused, she turned to Jenn, trying to ask why he would do
that. But Jenn was busy with wolf whistles and pouring more champagne. The guys
played and wrestled for a few minutes, then started climbing out one by one,
heading back to their beers.

Dani tried to be discreet—Nicole was sitting right there—but
she kept glancing toward the pool. When she saw Jace climb out of the water,
she stopped breathing.

Hearing something strange, Jenn turned her head toward Dani
just in time to see her drop her glass. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and
her dark blue eyes went almost black, her skin chalk white. Jenn followed her
gaze, seeing Jace climbing out of the pool. Dani had seen the scars.

She was frozen, locked in place. Unable to move or even to
breathe. Visions flashed in her mind. Noise, chaos, gunfire, an explosion.
Blood…everywhere blood. Men yelling. And pain, so much pain.

She had no idea how long she’d been like that when she
finally felt Jenn shaking her shoulders. Heard her repeating her name, panic in
her voice.

When Dani finally blinked, Jenn’s panicked expression slowly
came into focus. Dani looked around, seeing all the women staring at her. Apparently
she had been zoned out for a while. She tried to care, knew she should say
something to explain it, but couldn’t.

She looked at Jenn. When she could finally speak, she said
only two words. “What happened?”

“Afghanistan.”

With that single word, the tears started rolling down Dani’s
face. She barely heard Nicole, confusion plain in her tone, asking, “Not a
motorcycle accident?”

Jenn turned around, looking at Nicole. “What? What
accident?”

Nicole breathed in a deep breath. “Jason told me it was a
motorcycle accident, the summer after high school.” She shook her head, still
looking confused.

The other women quietly stood, slipping away to afford the
three a little privacy.

Nicole looked over at Dani. “But then, you would have known
about that. And clearly…you don’t.”

She stood, her shoulders back, her hands knotted into
fists.  “He lied to me. Obviously he lied to me. What else don’t I know?”

Dani and Jenn both watched as Nicole stomped off, heading
toward Jace.

* * * * *

Jenn felt like she should run after Nicole, warn Jace,
something. But Dani was shredded. She looked back at her; tears were running
down her cheeks freely, her shoulders shaking while she tried to process this.
Jenn knew there was more going on than just compassion for a friend.

She finally asked the question, though she already knew the
answer. “You saw it?”

Dani looked up, a haunted look in her eyes. She nodded,
grabbed her shoes in her hand and stood. “I have to… I can’t… It’s too much,”
she finally managed before running headlong across the pool deck and out the
side gate.

Jenn stood, torn over what to do, who to chase. Should she
leave Dani alone? Maybe she needed some time to herself.

* * * * *

Nicole came up to Jace, and he turned to face her with a
smile, until he saw the hurt in her eyes. Inwardly he groaned. Apparently he
was going to make another scene, but this one wasn’t his fault.

Nicole was quiet, even in anger, so instead of yelling she
calmly faced him. “Jason, how did you get those scars?”

“What? In an accident, I told you that.”

She nodded. “You lied to me. Then and now. What else have
you lied to me about?”

“What? Nicole, what are you talking about?” He had lied to
her, but this was not the time or place to discuss it.

“Dani saw the scars. Based on her reaction, she didn’t know
anything about them. If you had been in an accident after high school, she
would have known, would have seen the scars.” She took a deep, shaky breath.
“Jenn said they were from Afghanistan.”

He saw her watching him, trying to read his expression. He
knew he looked guilty, hell, he was guilty. When she shook her head, tears
brimming in her eyes, Jace felt every inch the ass he’d been behaving like
lately.

“Why? Why would you lie to me?”

Jace opened his mouth, trying to form words to explain,
unable to think of anything. His mind was completely focused on one thing. He
had to find Dani, had to talk to her.

He stood there, no words escaping his lips, his thoughts in
turmoil. When Nicole turned and fled, he thought about chasing her for about
half a heartbeat. But he already knew he wouldn’t. He was going after Danielle.