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“Love?” Noelle laughed. “He’s using you to keep his command—and for sex.”
Talk about nerve. Erin took a deep breath. She forced a smile onto her face and sweetness into her voice. “I don’t know why you have a problem with him being happy. Are you jealous of what we have?”
Noelle shook her head. “That’s absurd.”
“So, when you knew I was out of town, and you invited himanda military widow over to dinner, that wasn’t an attempt at a setup?”
Noelle’s eyes opened to an oh-shit, wide-eyed stare.
“If you had a clue about Graham’s character, you’d know he wouldn’t cheat. Besides, he’s not using me for sex. It’stotallyconsensual,” she couldn’t resist adding.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Graham’s voice alerted Erin to his presence before he touched her arm. “Ready to hit the dance floor with me?”
“I’d love to.” She smiled at him, her heart hammering and anger coursing through her. “Enjoy the ball,” she said to Noelle, who gave a definitively angryhumphin response.
“Tell me about that in a minute,” Graham said under his breath. They joined the crowd doing the “Cupid Shuffle.” When she turned, she saw Pete consoling a distraught Noelle. By the time Erin had done another rotation, Noelle had her purse in hand. The look she shot Erin’s way before the pair left the ballroom didn’t quite have the power to kill or bodies would be dropping.
* * *
Graham and Erindanced to several more songs before he caught Megan pointing to their empty dinner table. He steered Erin off the floor as Megan marched up to their table like a woman on a mission, with Reece only a step behind.
She took a quick surveillance glance around before sitting next to Erin. “Someone from Reece’s team just asked if what Noelle said about you being ordered to marry was true. Did she really announce that to the whole ballroom?”
“Not thewholeballroom,” Erin said.
That didn’t matter since word could spread faster than grenade fragments and be as deadly.
“How did Noelle even know?” Megan said.
“Sally. It had to be.” Especially after what Sally said earlier. “But if Noelle knows what General McKittrick wants, why would she deliberately work against it?”
“Mom once said Dianne Mahinis told her Noelle had hoped her husband would get command of 3rdGroup after the Thomsen debacle. Hell, she may think he could replace McKittrick if he was removed from command.”
Graham motioned to Bryson, who had alerted him to something going down and now stood at attention a few steps away. Bryson and Elizabeth took the empty seats. “What have you heard?” Graham asked his trusted captain.
Bryson watched the men on the dance floor rather than make eye contact. “Cruz signaled me after he overheard Mrs. Ayers claim McKittrickorderedyou to marry to keep your command. You two are the real deal, right?”
“I thought it was crazy when you brought up me getting remarried, but due to the rumors and McKittrick’s concerns following Boatman and Thomsen, he felt the only way to reassure the teams and keep me here was for me to remarry. It wasn’t an order. More like an ultimatum.” Graham placed his hand over Erin’s. “But this is real.”
“Very,” she added.
“However, if this rumor spreads as it having been an order, it’s not a good look for me—or McKittrick.” It could guarantee Graham getting a new posting. Likely far away from McKittrick—and Graham’s family.
“We can try to contain it.” Bryson studied the room. “If that’s what you want, we need to move. Now.”
“And we have to control the narrative by saying the same thing,” Reece advised. “That way, if McKittrick’s ultimatum gets outed, the damage is limited.”
“Agreed.” Graham and Bryson said in unison.
“Stick to the truth. Between Bethann’s death and a false rumor, McKittrick feared team members were worried about a three-peat of Thomsen and Boatman. With his priority being that you men focus on the mission, he planned for a change of command.” Graham strategized on the fly. “That I’m seriously involved with someone may keep me here.” Or not be enough.
“I’ll get word to Elauria to tell his men to keep a lid on it. He owes me,” Bryson added, then sketched out a notification chain to split with Reece.
“Don’t forget the women. They gossip more than men,” Megan said. “Elizabeth and I will circulate among them. You two put on smiles and hit the dance floor. We’ve got your six.”
While Graham was used to being in command and giving orders, this situation warranted letting his men and bossy daughter lead the containment effort.
* * *
