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Just that brief touch and her hormones roared to life. She pulled her hand away. “Thanks Jase. Time to go play referee.”
* * *
Three days later he was still thinking about Bonnie, which was the reason he started his run before oh-five-hundred on a Sunday morning.
Might as well be productive if I can’t sleep.
Halfway through his run, Jase pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. It was the third text he’d received this morning, and it was only oh six hundred. What was up with his family?
At least Angelica finally had the good sense to create a group text, but he still wasn’t going to answer it. He was going to need the calming effects of the run before interacting with that much drama.
The hard-packed, damp sand made him feel more in tune with the world around him than when he was running on the track at base. Hell, it was even better than when he was hiking in a forest. There was just something about the beach at sunrise. Here, as he was running all-out beside the Atlantic Ocean, he felt connected to a vast universe. It soothed him.
When he felt the buzz of his phone one last time, he ignored it. But he still turned around and headed for home.
Jase grinned. Talk about being connected to something larger than himself. Yep, his family was definitely like no other family in the world.
* * *
“And we’re here. Why?” Renzo asked, not bothering to take off his sunglasses. “They probably charge ten dollars for a five-ounce glass of orange juice.”
“It’s seven ounces, and it’s twelve dollars. Don’t worry, the production company is paying for it, so stop your bellyaching,” Angelica said as she took a sip of her mimosa.
“You need to have your production company send themselves a fruit basket to thank themselves,” Farah said as she held up her flute of champagne to toast Angelica.
“I didn’t even know they had some place so fancified in Virginia Beach,” Malik said as he pulled his ball cap down even lower. “Kill me now.”
“You’re the one who wanted to get together, just the family,” Renzo said as he grabbed a muffin out of one of the three baskets on the table. He took a bite and half of it was gone.
“You know, you could put it on your plate and butter it first. Like an actual human being?” Angelica said as she looked at her brother.
“Where would be the fun in that?” Renzo smirked at his sister.
In the corner, underneath a palm tree so he was in the shade, Jase sat back and enjoyed the show. Renzo lifted his sunglasses and sent him a look. He knew Jase was doing his best to stay in the shadows, and he was about to call him out.
Damn.
“So, Jase, Farah told me you agreed to take a pretty little thing out to dinner. I’m sure everybody here would love to know all about her.”
“I’m not sure that’s going to happen.” Jase took a sip of coffee and waited for the shit to hit the fan.
It didn’t take long.
“What are you talking about?” Farah’s tone was sharp. “You agreed to take Bonnie out. I was there. I heard you.”
Jase put down his coffee mug and held up his hands. “This isn’t on me, it’s her. You should have checked things out better. She doesn’t think much of SEALs.”
“What are you talking about?” Angelica said in a dramatically shocked voice.
Here it comes.
“You risk life and limb every time you leave the country. How could she think you were anything less than a hero? What kind of snobby you-know-what did you try to fix him up with, anyway?” Angelica glared at her sister-in-law.
“Angelica, retract those claws,” Malik instructed his little sister. “You know damn good and well that my wife would only set Jase up with the very best, yeah?” Angelica reluctantly nodded her head. Malik turned to Jase. “And you. Give us the entire story, not just the half that gets you out of a date.”
It sucked being called out on your shit. That was what happened when you were surrounded by people who had known you for most of your life.
“I’m not sure, but I think Bonnie might have been burned in the past, but she didn’t share. Anyway, she’s a little jaded by some things she’s seen. Mainly Little Creek’s revolving door with women.”
