Hemingway - Zoe Dawson Page 0,77

needing his arms around her. He shifted to make room for her in the narrow bunk, bringing her against him, his body curling around hers. She settled with a measured breath. Gritting her teeth against the slow fall into heartache, tears welled and burned.

“I think we were both dreaming,” she whispered. He kissed her temple and snuggled warmly, yet as she drifted on the edge of that beautiful dream, she wished she didn’t have to go, that Maddy was alive. She wished the terrible burden of her sister’s death hadn’t fallen to her. But it had and she was the only one who could make it right, since she’d been the one to encourage Morgan to follow the secret investigation to the end.

Any other alternative, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

She turned off her thoughts and snuggled deep against Hemingway, his closeness smothering the loneliness she could never escape.

She was going to leave. She had to, and she’d never been under the illusion that she wasn’t going to walk away.

Her phone vibrated, and reluctantly, she pulled herself away from him as he slept on. She put the chair back where it belonged and slipped out the door, more tears pooling without any relief. She pulled out her phone with every expectation it would be Rebecca’s number on her phone, but instead it was a voice mail.

Her heart almost stopped when she played the message.

“Ma’am, this is Staff Sergeant Randall Debarge, the aide for Colonel Brett Johnson. I regret to inform you that your brother Corporal Jason Palmer has gone missing. Please call my office back for the particulars. We would be interested in talking to you about his disappearance. Thank you. Goodbye.”

14

Glasses clinked and conversation buzzed softly in the room. All the toasts were over, and people were mingling and getting acquainted. Anna, dressed in the pretty, icy-blue lace bridesmaid dress, hadn’t taken her eyes off Dodger since he arrived Friday night for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Max’s teammate was looking way too fit and together in the dark blue tux with white shirt, gray tie, and vest. Max pulled at his own tie, realizing that he was being an ass, but Dodger getting involved with Anna was a no go. Being with a Navy SEAL was too much for his sweet Anna to handle. It would be nothing but heartache.

Speaking of heartache.

He spied Hemingway when he walked in…alone. Shea had left two weeks ago to deal with her brother’s disappearance, and then she was heading off to Egypt. The kid was hurting, but he wouldn’t admit it. Tough as they came. In addition to finishing up First Phase and recovering from Hell Week, Hemingway’s plate had been full.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anna lean over to Rhonda and whisper something. Her sister, taking her eyes off her new husband, looked across the room and smiled. He was glad to see her so happy and the wedding had gone off without a hitch. Partly due to—fuck—Dodger. When the vintage doors that they had ordered didn’t arrive, Dodger had gotten them in record time, set up and ready to go at the outdoor wedding venue.

Max’s mom waylaid his teammate, and he smiled at her as they conversed. The guy was smooth and suave like James Bond and his accent was considered dreamy among his sisters and his mom. Dodger had charmed his whole damn family. Even his dad for fuck’s sake. His grumpy-old-man dad.

When even his mom couldn’t talk the old man into a suit, Rhonda in tears, Gina getting sassy, and the rest of them adding in their two cents—in other words, the usual pandemonium—Dodger had talked to him in low tones, and Bob’s your uncle, as Dodger said often, his dad was wearing the damn suit.

2-Stroke’s voice broke into his thoughts. “If looks could kill. Dodge would be cold stone, double-tapped dead, my friend.”

“Anna.” The best man got up and called for the dad and daughter dance. Max watched his dad, looking great in the suit Dodger talked him into, dancing with his slim sister in her gorgeous lace and pearl dress. His throat got a bit tight.

“Yeah, too bad your sisters are all so damn beautiful. What happened with you?”

Max found himself nodding and then just realized what 2-Stroke had said. He turned his glare to him.

“Shut the fuck up.”

2-Stroke laughed softly.

“You’re going to be the death of me. My sisters already think you’re a stud.”

His dad turned Rhonda over