He grunted a reply before the phone went dead. It wasn’t the most welcoming or reassuring conversation, but at least he’d taken my call and had agreed to let me come over.
Without bothering to change out of my stretchy old housework T-shirt, I lifted my purse off my dresser and took off back downstairs. Dad was sitting at the kitchen table, silently fuming as he pierced thin air with his gaze.
“Where are you going?” he asked when he saw me darting toward the door.
I stopped only long enough to say the first thing that came to mind. “I’m going to go help Haley with something at the deli. Did you need me here today?”
“No.” He scowled. “I’m going to be taking off myself again soon. I just want to finish my coffee first. I need to get back to work.”
“Except you’re retired,” I reminded him once again, shaking my head at the way he rolled his eyes at me. “Just be careful, please, Dad?”
“I’m going to the base, kiddo. Not off to war. This might take a while, though. Will you be fine by yourself for dinner?”
“Sure.” I didn’t know whether I’d even be back by then. All I knew was that I’d stay with Lincoln for as long as he needed me. “Good luck, Dad. See you.”
“See you.” He waved, looking considerably less pissed off than he had even a minute before. Whatever this incident had been, together with the fact that suspended men had been involved, had obviously rattled him, but he was already working through it.
Dad would be fine. No doubt he’d be back on the golf course by tomorrow.
But Lincoln? His future was a whole different kettle of fish.
Chapter 21
Lincoln
The only person who knew where I was was Sofia. When a series of loud knocks banged at the door, I knew it had to be her.
Walking the few feet from the living room to the front door took me longer than it should have since my legs were still leaden, and the knocking intensified. As I pulled it open, Sofia barreled into me.
She threw her arms around my neck and pressed her front tightly against mine as she hugged me close. I briefly wondered if she was about to climb onto me, which I wouldn’t have been opposed to, but her feet remained firmly planted on the ground.
My arms closed around her on instinct, hugging her back as we stood in a doorway that was no longer mine but the closest thing I had to a home. God. Things are really fucked up right now.
“I heard about what happened,” she murmured, and I stiffened but didn’t say anything. “Well, I mean, I heard something happened but not what it was. Are you okay?”
The worry in her voice chipped away at the wall I’d thrown up around myself, and I found myself holding her just a little bit closer. One of my hands moved to her head, and I stroked her hair and her back as I rested my chin on top of her head.
“I’m okay. I wasn’t hurt.”
“That’s a start, I guess.” Her voice was muffled by my shirt, but I heard her loud and clear.
“If you’re planning on staying here with me, I don’t want to talk about it,” I warned her before letting her go.
The blue-green swirls of color in her eyes darkened as she looked up at me, and the golden flecks in them turned a shade of amber. “You don’t want to talk about it, as in, no details because it’s all classified, or do you mean acting like it didn’t happen?”
“Acting like it didn’t happen,” I replied without hesitation. “I want you to be here if you want to stay, but I can’t talk about what happened.”
“If you want me here, then here is where I’ll be.” She took a deep breath, then plastered a smile across her face. “Before we forget it happened, can I just tell you how happy I am that you’re not hurt?”
“Nope.” I stepped back into the house, moving to the side and gesturing her in. “Do you want to come inside? I just made popcorn and there’s a shitty, B-rated movie starting in a few minutes.”
“Good thing I love shitty B-movies.” She winked as she walked past me, but despite her best efforts, I could see her worry was lingering.
I couldn’t blame her. We might not have known each other for a long time, but I’d have been beside myself if I thought she had gotten hurt. Still, at least she had agreed not to talk about it.
Once she was clear of the door, I shut and locked it, turning to find she had stopped just a few paces away. She slid her purse off her shoulder and placed it on the round dining-room table, then shot me a look over her shoulder.
“Whose place is this?”
I hooked my fingers into the pockets of my jeans and lifted my shoulders. “Eden and I used to live here. Friends of ours took it over during one of our deployments, but they’re away at the moment. I still had keys and we have a standing invitation to stay here whenever we want.”
She looked around, frowning when she realized we were alone. “Where is Eden?”
“Not here,” I said curtly. “You want something to drink? There are a few beers in the fridge, or water.”
“Water’s fine. Thank you.” Concern flickered in her gaze again when she watched me move past her and into the kitchen. I heard her exhaling a deep breath, knowing that she was trying to keep from asking about where Eden was.
I couldn’t tell her, though. Not only because I didn’t want to and couldn’t legally talk about it, but also because I didn’t think I’d be able to say the words out loud. The guy had been right there by my side for so many years that
