[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
letting you bed my wife.”
“Bed your wife?”
“Yeah,” Luke said, a funny little grin claiming his lips. “It’s one thing to know your best
buddy plans on marrying the woman you love, and quite another to know they’ve consummated
the love they share.”
Brock shook his head. “You’re full of denial, aren’t ’cha?”
Luke winked. “Let’s keep it that way for now. Okay?”
Brock chuckled. Luke always made him laugh. There was a child living in that man’s
body, a little boy that would forever emerge whenever there was a situation to lighten or a sour
mood to brighten.
“I love her.”
“You said that, and it’s obvious. Although, I’m not sure she’ll forgive either one of us
now. You left her at the altar, and I died on her. Mary always had a great fear of being left
behind. You and I gave leaving a new meaning. We did it in the worst ways imaginable.”
“I wouldn’t have left her if you hadn’t decided to show your sorry face today. You know
that.” A beat later, Brock added, “You knew it when you had that damn letter delivered.”
“Actually, Brock, whether you believe it or not, I wanted you to decide how to handle
this delicate situation. You have a way with Mary, and her vows said it best. Your love
completes her. She relies upon you.”
“And you think she’ll walk away from that so she can reunite with you?”
“No,” Luke replied. “I think she’s gonna walk away from both of us now. Mark my word,
unless we come up with a way to stop her, this time Mary will leave us behind.”
Chapter Twelve
“Don’t you dare tell either one of them where I am,” Mary fumed, tossing the satin bridal
purse on the table.
“Don’t worry,” Anna grumbled. “I’m not overly anxious to spend time with either of
them. I loved my brother-in-law, and I’m happy he’s alive, but what he’s done to you today is
inexcusable.”
Mary sniffed. “He’s alive.”
“Yes, honey,” Anna said. “He’s definitely among the living and still using the same
childish tactics he used on you before he died, I might add.”
“And he seemed okay, right?” Mary asked, thinking Luke looked just as handsome as she
remembered. He had big dimples, blond hair highlighted by the sun, and bow-shaped lips she
still recalled kissing. “Oh God, Anna, what am I supposed to do now?”
Anna shook her head and motioned for a bartender. “You can get drunk and worry about
it tomorrow. What bride doesn’t get a little tipsy after leaving the chapel without her new
husband? Who could blame either of us if we sat here all night running up a tab I plan to have
your husband pick up.”
“Which one?” Mary asked, immediately sobbing. “Oh God, Anna. In my heart, I’m
already married to Brock, but the law would probably say I’m married to Luke!”
“Oh, honey,” Anna said softly, reaching for her hand. “This too shall pass.”
Mary glared at Anna through tear-filled eyes. “When? When does it pass? It goes from
bad to worse!” She blew her nose on a bar napkin. “Brock knew he was alive and didn’t tell me!”
“Honey, no. Didn’t you hear them? Brock only discovered Luke was alive right before
you did. He sent him a letter.”
Swiping away the fallen tears, Mary said, “Wouldn’t you like to read that letter?”
“Not really,” Anna said. “What I want to do is strangle both of them.”
The waiter approached. He studied Mary from behind, and pity washed over his face as if
he easily translated why a bride in her wedding gown was seated at his table. “What can I get for
you two pretty ladies?”
“Whiskey,” Mary replied immediately. “Straight up.” A nose blow later, she quickly
added, “And keep them coming.”
* * * *
Brock stared at his cell phone again several hours later. He paced the length of the cabin
he’d meant to share with Mary. Luke looked around the room once more, imagining the acts that
might have been unfolding there, if only he’d stayed dead.
Brock ran his hand through his hair. “I guess we could start walking. We might find them
downtown.”
“If I had to guess, they’re in a hotel bar somewhere.”
“Or maybe a hotel room,” Brock suggested. “Anna might have known better than to take
a runaway bride to a public place. Mary hasn’t been much for drinking in public places since you
passed away.”
Luke felt that sudden chill up and down his spine. It was so odd to think of himself as
dead, difficult to hear other people talk about “when he died” or how “Mary grieved him”, but
worse than anything was the tombstone he’d seen in the cemetery while he was in Beaufort. It
was peculiar indeed to walk over the marked place of where one supposedly rested in peace,
especially if the one resting was supposed to be one’s self.
He then wondered aloud, “She never had a body to bury. If I’d been in her shoes, I
wouldn’t have stopped looking. I never would’ve quit searching for her.”
Brock rubbed his chin. “Maybe if I’d left her alone, she would’ve tried harder. The fact is
the military closed your file. She had no one to rely upon, and after I started seeing Mary, Tom
became as tight-lipped with me as he was with her. Fact is, Luke, no one knew what happened to
you.”
“Wanna know?”
“If you want to talk about it.”
Luke took a deep breath and finally said, “Not really. All I want to tell you is this. When
you’re a SEAL or special ops of any sort with any branch of the military, your life isn’t your
own. Your demise can be at any point, and you can be written off easier than someone can sign
your walking papers.”
“You think officers made the call to leave you behind?”
“Think nothin’. I know.” He frowned. “I watched the choppers land and ran toward them
waving my arms. Unfortunately, the officer responsible for taking us out of there had better
motives for leaving us.”
“What motives could an officer possibly have for leaving a team of SEALS behind?”
“Actually, you can probably relate. He was banging Gibson’s wife, the guy who was the
first SEAL home.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” Brock said, pacing again. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m
sleeping with your wife, too, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Are you?” Luke asked, dismissing the revelation that never needed confirmation. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
letting you bed my wife.”
“Bed your wife?”
“Yeah,” Luke said, a funny little grin claiming his lips. “It’s one thing to know your best
buddy plans on marrying the woman you love, and quite another to know they’ve consummated
the love they share.”
Brock shook his head. “You’re full of denial, aren’t ’cha?”
Luke winked. “Let’s keep it that way for now. Okay?”
Brock chuckled. Luke always made him laugh. There was a child living in that man’s
body, a little boy that would forever emerge whenever there was a situation to lighten or a sour
mood to brighten.
“I love her.”
“You said that, and it’s obvious. Although, I’m not sure she’ll forgive either one of us
now. You left her at the altar, and I died on her. Mary always had a great fear of being left
behind. You and I gave leaving a new meaning. We did it in the worst ways imaginable.”
“I wouldn’t have left her if you hadn’t decided to show your sorry face today. You know
that.” A beat later, Brock added, “You knew it when you had that damn letter delivered.”
“Actually, Brock, whether you believe it or not, I wanted you to decide how to handle
this delicate situation. You have a way with Mary, and her vows said it best. Your love
completes her. She relies upon you.”
“And you think she’ll walk away from that so she can reunite with you?”
“No,” Luke replied. “I think she’s gonna walk away from both of us now. Mark my word,
unless we come up with a way to stop her, this time Mary will leave us behind.”
Chapter Twelve
“Don’t you dare tell either one of them where I am,” Mary fumed, tossing the satin bridal
purse on the table.
“Don’t worry,” Anna grumbled. “I’m not overly anxious to spend time with either of
them. I loved my brother-in-law, and I’m happy he’s alive, but what he’s done to you today is
inexcusable.”
Mary sniffed. “He’s alive.”
“Yes, honey,” Anna said. “He’s definitely among the living and still using the same
childish tactics he used on you before he died, I might add.”
“And he seemed okay, right?” Mary asked, thinking Luke looked just as handsome as she
remembered. He had big dimples, blond hair highlighted by the sun, and bow-shaped lips she
still recalled kissing. “Oh God, Anna, what am I supposed to do now?”
Anna shook her head and motioned for a bartender. “You can get drunk and worry about
it tomorrow. What bride doesn’t get a little tipsy after leaving the chapel without her new
husband? Who could blame either of us if we sat here all night running up a tab I plan to have
your husband pick up.”
“Which one?” Mary asked, immediately sobbing. “Oh God, Anna. In my heart, I’m
already married to Brock, but the law would probably say I’m married to Luke!”
“Oh, honey,” Anna said softly, reaching for her hand. “This too shall pass.”
Mary glared at Anna through tear-filled eyes. “When? When does it pass? It goes from
bad to worse!” She blew her nose on a bar napkin. “Brock knew he was alive and didn’t tell me!”
“Honey, no. Didn’t you hear them? Brock only discovered Luke was alive right before
you did. He sent him a letter.”
Swiping away the fallen tears, Mary said, “Wouldn’t you like to read that letter?”
“Not really,” Anna said. “What I want to do is strangle both of them.”
The waiter approached. He studied Mary from behind, and pity washed over his face as if
he easily translated why a bride in her wedding gown was seated at his table. “What can I get for
you two pretty ladies?”
“Whiskey,” Mary replied immediately. “Straight up.” A nose blow later, she quickly
added, “And keep them coming.”
* * * *
Brock stared at his cell phone again several hours later. He paced the length of the cabin
he’d meant to share with Mary. Luke looked around the room once more, imagining the acts that
might have been unfolding there, if only he’d stayed dead.
Brock ran his hand through his hair. “I guess we could start walking. We might find them
downtown.”
“If I had to guess, they’re in a hotel bar somewhere.”
“Or maybe a hotel room,” Brock suggested. “Anna might have known better than to take
a runaway bride to a public place. Mary hasn’t been much for drinking in public places since you
passed away.”
Luke felt that sudden chill up and down his spine. It was so odd to think of himself as
dead, difficult to hear other people talk about “when he died” or how “Mary grieved him”, but
worse than anything was the tombstone he’d seen in the cemetery while he was in Beaufort. It
was peculiar indeed to walk over the marked place of where one supposedly rested in peace,
especially if the one resting was supposed to be one’s self.
He then wondered aloud, “She never had a body to bury. If I’d been in her shoes, I
wouldn’t have stopped looking. I never would’ve quit searching for her.”
Brock rubbed his chin. “Maybe if I’d left her alone, she would’ve tried harder. The fact is
the military closed your file. She had no one to rely upon, and after I started seeing Mary, Tom
became as tight-lipped with me as he was with her. Fact is, Luke, no one knew what happened to
you.”
“Wanna know?”
“If you want to talk about it.”
Luke took a deep breath and finally said, “Not really. All I want to tell you is this. When
you’re a SEAL or special ops of any sort with any branch of the military, your life isn’t your
own. Your demise can be at any point, and you can be written off easier than someone can sign
your walking papers.”
“You think officers made the call to leave you behind?”
“Think nothin’. I know.” He frowned. “I watched the choppers land and ran toward them
waving my arms. Unfortunately, the officer responsible for taking us out of there had better
motives for leaving us.”
“What motives could an officer possibly have for leaving a team of SEALS behind?”
“Actually, you can probably relate. He was banging Gibson’s wife, the guy who was the
first SEAL home.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” Brock said, pacing again. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m
sleeping with your wife, too, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Are you?” Luke asked, dismissing the revelation that never needed confirmation. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]