His Off Limits Best Friend - Vivian Wood Page 0,37

he said.

“How so?”

“I don’t know. It suits you. Being with all the flowers.”

She blushed, grateful for the barely-there light. Here, in the greenhouse, it was like they’d built their own little world. Almost all of the sounds outside, including the chatter of the party, were silenced. Faintly, she could hear the jazz quartet as they played on.

Suddenly, she was very aware of her heartbeat. “They say plants and flowers respond to the sounds of music,” she said.

“Who are they?”

“Who knows? Plant experts,” she said with a laugh.

They each came to the end of their rows and faced one another. There was no longer a stretch of green to be used as a buffer. “I wish I’d come here more often,” Connor said. “It’s peaceful.”

“It’s an escape,” she said.

“Yeah. I could have used that. I could use that,” he said quietly.

“How come?” Her heart hammered into her ribs harder.

“Tough childhood,” he said with a smile. “Though I’m sure you could have guessed that.”

She looked at her feet. Her toes peeked out from the strappy golden Brian Atwood heeled sandals. “Your father?” she asked.

“Both of them. All of them. My mother isn’t just depressed for the hell of it. She’s an alcoholic—which, I’m guessing, is partially why my brother is, too. It started slowly, you know? I don’t… I don’t remember her drinking when I was very young. Or maybe I just didn’t realize. Maybe she was better at hiding it.”

Sam mulled it over. “I don’t recall either of my parents ever drinking in front of me,” she said. “Oh, once! There was this big party at my house. I was in junior high, and it was their twentieth wedding anniversary. My mom was tipsy on champagne, my dad on beer, and one of his friends pushed him into the pool.” She laughed at the memory. “Somebody caught the perfect moment in a photo. The smile on his face was huge, even as he was inches from the water.”

Connor smiled at her and moved closer. “I don’t have any memories like that,” he said. “I’m envious. My father—well, you know. The rageaholic, powerholic asshole. He was pissed as hell when I decided to enlist.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t stop you,” she said. They walked side by side, slowly, around the greenhouse.

“He couldn’t. I didn’t tell him until after I’d signed up.”

Her mouth fell open. “You didn’t! I can’t even imagine his reaction.”

“I was scared shitless driving to the recruitment office. And driving back to my parents’ house. I didn’t know which was going to be worse.”

“What did he say?” she asked. They came to a little bench, likely used solely for employees to rest. It was barebones and simple, with cascading green all around. He gestured for her to sit.

“My mother started bawling right away. My father, he didn’t believe me at first. Said I was just trying to get to him. I mean, he was right,” he said. “But he couldn’t fathom that I’d gone all the way.”

She shook her head in awe. “So, why the Navy? Why the SEALs?”

“I wish I had a more impressive or honorable answer for you,” he said. “But honestly? It was the first office to call me back. And I knew a friend’s older brother who was in the Navy, so that helped.”

“Is that what you told the recruitment officer?” she asked with a smile.

“Hell no! I don’t remember what bullshit excuse I came up with on the fly. Probably something about being a good swimmer.”

“And is that true? That you’re a good swimmer?”

“I am now,” he said with a wink. “But I think in some regards the whole thing backfired. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I served. And I’m thankful I was a SEAL. But it didn’t take my father long to turn everything around and use my service as a platform to boast to his friends, colleagues and investors.”

“That’s terrible,” she said.

“Honestly, I’m not even sure the extent of it. All I know is I left for basic, went all the way to SEAL training, made it through my first deployment—and when I got back, he’d gone full stars and stripes patriotic on me. Shit, you should have seen that first homecoming.”

“What happened?”

“I didn’t know what to expect. I’d been away from them for quite some time by then. I was a bit surprised he even allowed me back into the house, honestly. But when I walked in the door? It was like the flag had vomited all over the property and the