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“Work.” And divorce.
“What kind of work do you do?”
“It’s classified.” She didn’t expect the pleasant laugh he gave.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “That’s supposed to bemyline.”
That was telling—and probably all he’d say. And she wouldn’t ask since doing so could land her on a watch list or get her banned from base. That’d be the worst thing that could happen. “I teach creative writing, and I tutor.”
“You had me going there for a minute.” He gave her another kick-up-the-heartbeat smile. “Is your husband or other family in the service?”
“My ex is in real estate development, but my dad did ten years in the Army. He volunteers at the USO in Charlotte too. Before he started volunteering, I thought the USO only put on entertainment shows, which, trust me, no one will come for my singing and dancing. That’s what I do to clear out the center at closing time.”
He laughed again. “I doubt that would work.”
The way he said that and smiled sent a rush of warmth through her. “You haven’t heard me sing. I need to head out for a USO family function tonight. Maybe I’ll see you at the USO or an event sometime.”
“Thanks again for volunteering. It means a lot. I’m Graham.” He held out a hand.
“Erin.” She put her hand in his tanned one, probably staring into his eyes a little too long. Get a grip. He was fine-looking. He was also married.She didn’t need some jealous military wife misinterpreting her intentions. She’d save that drama for the television series. With over fifty thousand troops based here, seeing him twice was a fluke. She probably wouldn’t see him again in the next five months if she launched an all-out search mission.
ChapterFive
Graham arrivedat Jace and Alex’s for the Sunday night dinner somewhat more hopeful than two weeks ago. That his kids and their spouses wanted him to stay at Liberty meant a lot. There’d been no hiccups with Bryson’s team, though it would take a lot more than merely smooth sailing for the general to change his mind and keep Graham in command beyond this initial assignment.
He made a point of interacting even more with the teams. Let the men get to know him personally to trust him as a leader and a man. He’d tackle this like any other mission—with thorough planning and accounting for multiple contingencies. While he hadn’t ruled out dating, to find a woman and get to the point where the men and the general were comfortable before Bryson’s team deployed in approximately six and a half months? He didn’t see that happening.
Voices carried to him, so he opened the screen door. “Hello,” he called out, noting the halt in conversation before Megan whispered something.
“Hey, Dad.” Megan gave him a falsely bright smile, as did Alex, who took the potato salad and coleslaw from him.
“I’ll put the burgers and dogs on.” Jace picked up the platter of meat from the kitchen island.
“I’ll join you.” Graham sensed his dilemma would be the topic of conversation at some point tonight, but he didn’t want it to be the sole focus.
The sizzle of meat soon accompanied the scent of applewood charcoal briquettes. While cooking, Jace shared some details and stories from his deployment with Graham and Reece.
Reece smoothly transitioned the conversation to baseball when Megan and Alex carried food and utensils to the patio table. A pattern both men learned from Graham. Their wives knew enough about the dangers of their jobs; they didn’t need to hear specifics or about close calls.
They’d nearly finished eating as Alex passed the tea pitcher for a refill. Megan fixed her gaze on Graham from across the table.
“So, Dad, did you make any dating decisions?” She made an effort to sound casual.
“I’m still considering the possibility.” After what Reece said, Graham wondered if merely dating someone might be sufficient to quell the concerns or provide some leeway in the deadline McKittrick mentioned. The general was fairly reasonable, and his wife had been Bethann’s friend. Any romantic relationship would have to be visible to convince the men in the unit and General McKittrick there wouldn’t be a threepeat of conduct unbecoming. “When I was picking up dinner at the grill on post, I decided I’d eat there rather than do carry-out. I did meet someone.”
“You met someone?” Megan eyed him warily. “What does that mean?
“I recognized a USO volunteer from Jace’s homecoming reception. I had a conversation with her. It wasn’t as hard as I feared it might be.”
“That’s a—start.” His son smirked.
“And she’s single?” Megan asked.
“I think so. She mentioned an ex and wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.” After his dad’s multiple divorces, he hoped he heard right that it wasanex, not exes.
“Did you ask her out?” Jace grinned.
“She had to go work a USO event before things got very far. I didn’t get her contact information or last name. I realized later that I was still wearing my wedding band. She may have noticed because she commented on my West Point ring.”
