Page 13 of Keeping a Warrior

Instantly Rhys’s face went blank.

“My name’s Matt. My, uh, my friend Shane got into that brawl with the cops, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember.” Rhys’s voice sounded pinched.

“The guys talked about that night for weeks,” Matt went on enthusiastically. “About the fight, and about how pretty and nice your fiancée is. How is she, by the way?”

“Oh, she’s great, now that we broke up.”

Devon almost went down when Matt stumbled and lurched into her, a stricken look on his face. “Oh, shit. Way to stick my foot in my mouth.”

Rhys stopped, too, and linked his fingers behind his head. “No, man, I’m sorry. That was shitty of me. No way you could’ve known.”

A short, uncomfortable silence fell as they all tried to look anywhere but at each other. Finally Rhys said, “How’s Shane doing? I worked with him for a bit over in Charlie platoon before I transferred to Delta.”

“How’s he doing?” Matt grimaced. “Not sure. I actually haven’t seen him in a while.”

Devon was looking right at him, so she caught the spasm of pain that crossed his face. Uh-oh. Shane was obviously a painful subject.

Rhys didn’t seem to notice. “He’s a good dude.” He let out a chuckle, turning to Devon. “Really good-looking guy. Single, too.”

A strangled noise emanated from Matt’s throat, which he covered up with a cough as he started running again.

“Lani—my ex—kept trying to set him up with some of her girlfriends,” Rhys went on, still oblivious. “The other team wives did, too. Poor guy had a target on his back, what with all the women determined to get him settled down.”

Devon could’ve sworn she heard Matt growl.

“I’m pretty sure that’s why he finally came out as gay...to get the matchmaking to stop.”

This time when Matt stumbled, he went down hard, sprawling flat on his stomach with a loud oof!

“Shit, you okay?” Dropping to her knees next to him, Devon tried to make him turn over, but Matt resisted, keeping his face buried in his folded arms. The muscles of his shoulders were bunched tightly under her palms, his distress all but vibrating from him.

Ah. I guess Shane is someone special.

A wave of sympathy rolled through her. It seemed that Rhys wasn’t the only one with a broken heart here.

At last Matt rolled to his back. “Sorry,” he croaked. “First day on my new feet.” He avoided Devon’s gaze as he reached up a hand and let Rhys haul him to standing. “I, uh, didn’t know Shane’d come out. Good for him.”

He set a grim pace, and Devon had to focus all her attention on keeping up. By the time they reached the motor pool, she was sucking wind and soaked with sweat.

Tilting her face up to the bright, sunny sky, Devon walked in circles, hands laced behind her head. God, she’d missed pushing herself like this...having to dig deep for that last ounce of strength, only to find a well of it she didn’t even know she had. Sudden anticipation heated her blood.

A second chance. A new beginning. And it all started here.

“Hey, Knytych,” the motor pool chief called to Matt as he flipped through some paperwork. “When didja transfer to Team Three? Weren’t you with Five?”

“Checked in with Three today, Chief.”

“Damn, you gotta start all over with the FNG shit!” The chief shook his head. “Dumbass.” He tossed Matt two sets of keys. “Well, good luck, AO2.”

“Thanks, Chief. I’ll need it.”

As Matt handed Devon the keys, their eyes met. Devon recognized the expression in his, since it mirrored her own—sheer determination mixed with uncertainty over what the future held. Understanding arced between them, and they exchanged nods.

Rhys was watching them solemnly. She beckoned him over.

What a trio we are—the new guy, the outsider and the woman.