halfway.
“Riley? What’s going on?” a voice called.
They sprang apart. Boone looked past Riley to see an ethereal blonde come down the stairs. A possible match for Clay, he thought.
“It’s our landlord.” Riley smoothed her dress. A blush tinged her cheeks.
“This early?” Another woman descended the stairs. A brunette. Boone paired her with Walker in his mind; she looked nearly as serious as he pretended to be. When a redhead joined the group, pattering down the steps so quickly her white nightgown billowed around her, he had to bite back a smile. Jericho would be pleased.
“Just had a few things to say. Riley, can you introduce me?”
“This is Savannah,” she said, indicating the blonde.
“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Savannah said with a little curtsy. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“It sure is. But I’m not a lieutenant,” Boone said. “I enlisted in the Navy straight out of high school and—”
“We appreciate you letting us stay at the manor, Lieutenant ,” the redhead interrupted. “I’m Avery, by the way. It’s a shame you aren’t wearing your uniform, you know.”
“I’m happy to have you here.” What was with the lieutenant bit?
“We’re very happy to be here, Lieutenant. And we’ll take care of the house as if it was our own,” the brunette said.
“Because it should be,” Riley added. “This is Nora, by the way. She’s a teacher.”
Boone forged ahead. “First things first. I’m not a lieutenant. I’m a non-commissioned officer and—”
“But lieutenant sounds so romantic,” Avery said. “They’re always lieutenants in Jane Austen novels.”
“That’s not even true,” Nora said. “There’s Colonel Brandon, Captain Wentworth…”
“Are you a colonel or a captain?” Savannah asked Boone.
“No, but—”
“See, he’s a lieutenant,” Avery said.
“Of course, Jane Austen would have pronounced it lef-tenant, being British and all,” Nora pointed out.
“I’m damn well not a lef-anything,” Boone growled.
“That’s okay, we’re not British.” Avery shrugged. “Lieutenant it is.”
Boone gave up. “I was explaining to Riley that I want you all to feel at home here. Three friends will be joining me soon. Until then, please let me know how I can to help make Westfield comfortable.”
“Lieutenant Rudman’s building a commune down by the barn,” Riley added sweetly.
“ Community . A sustainable community.” If he thought he’d have the upper hand by coming early, he’d definitely been mistaken.
“When are your friends arriving?” Avery asked.
“A couple of weeks.”
“Weeks?” She sounded disappointed.
“Avery.” Nora looked reproving.
“That’s a long time. It’s not like I can head into town on Friday night and go to a bar dressed like this,” Avery said.
Boone suppressed a smile. He’d like to see that.
“We’re not here to meet men,” Nora said.
“Maybe you aren’t.”
“We swore an oath, remember?”
“There’ll be plenty of men to choose from in my community,” Boone interjected. He could handle them screwing up his rank if they’d agree to marry his friends. “Maybe you’ll find your Mr. Darcy there. Come on down whenever you get lonely. You can take your pick.”
Nora’s eyebrows shot up. “Sounds like you’re running a brothel as well as a commune down there.”
Riley laughed. “Community,” she corrected just as Boone did the same. “Lieutenant Rudman is running a brothel and a community .” He shot her a dark look. She batted her eyelashes at him.
“No brothels. Just hard working men who’d maybe like to find a partner. A real partner,” he emphasized. “All the men joining me have served their country for years. They’ve put their lives on the line more often than you’ve taken out the trash. They’re coming here because they believe in our goals and want to make this world a better place. They don’t deserve your mockery.”
Riley sobered. So did her
“Riley? What’s going on?” a voice called.
They sprang apart. Boone looked past Riley to see an ethereal blonde come down the stairs. A possible match for Clay, he thought.
“It’s our landlord.” Riley smoothed her dress. A blush tinged her cheeks.
“This early?” Another woman descended the stairs. A brunette. Boone paired her with Walker in his mind; she looked nearly as serious as he pretended to be. When a redhead joined the group, pattering down the steps so quickly her white nightgown billowed around her, he had to bite back a smile. Jericho would be pleased.
“Just had a few things to say. Riley, can you introduce me?”
“This is Savannah,” she said, indicating the blonde.
“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Savannah said with a little curtsy. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“It sure is. But I’m not a lieutenant,” Boone said. “I enlisted in the Navy straight out of high school and—”
“We appreciate you letting us stay at the manor, Lieutenant ,” the redhead interrupted. “I’m Avery, by the way. It’s a shame you aren’t wearing your uniform, you know.”
“I’m happy to have you here.” What was with the lieutenant bit?
“We’re very happy to be here, Lieutenant. And we’ll take care of the house as if it was our own,” the brunette said.
“Because it should be,” Riley added. “This is Nora, by the way. She’s a teacher.”
Boone forged ahead. “First things first. I’m not a lieutenant. I’m a non-commissioned officer and—”
“But lieutenant sounds so romantic,” Avery said. “They’re always lieutenants in Jane Austen novels.”
“That’s not even true,” Nora said. “There’s Colonel Brandon, Captain Wentworth…”
“Are you a colonel or a captain?” Savannah asked Boone.
“No, but—”
“See, he’s a lieutenant,” Avery said.
“Of course, Jane Austen would have pronounced it lef-tenant, being British and all,” Nora pointed out.
“I’m damn well not a lef-anything,” Boone growled.
“That’s okay, we’re not British.” Avery shrugged. “Lieutenant it is.”
Boone gave up. “I was explaining to Riley that I want you all to feel at home here. Three friends will be joining me soon. Until then, please let me know how I can to help make Westfield comfortable.”
“Lieutenant Rudman’s building a commune down by the barn,” Riley added sweetly.
“ Community . A sustainable community.” If he thought he’d have the upper hand by coming early, he’d definitely been mistaken.
“When are your friends arriving?” Avery asked.
“A couple of weeks.”
“Weeks?” She sounded disappointed.
“Avery.” Nora looked reproving.
“That’s a long time. It’s not like I can head into town on Friday night and go to a bar dressed like this,” Avery said.
Boone suppressed a smile. He’d like to see that.
“We’re not here to meet men,” Nora said.
“Maybe you aren’t.”
“We swore an oath, remember?”
“There’ll be plenty of men to choose from in my community,” Boone interjected. He could handle them screwing up his rank if they’d agree to marry his friends. “Maybe you’ll find your Mr. Darcy there. Come on down whenever you get lonely. You can take your pick.”
Nora’s eyebrows shot up. “Sounds like you’re running a brothel as well as a commune down there.”
Riley laughed. “Community,” she corrected just as Boone did the same. “Lieutenant Rudman is running a brothel and a community .” He shot her a dark look. She batted her eyelashes at him.
“No brothels. Just hard working men who’d maybe like to find a partner. A real partner,” he emphasized. “All the men joining me have served their country for years. They’ve put their lives on the line more often than you’ve taken out the trash. They’re coming here because they believe in our goals and want to make this world a better place. They don’t deserve your mockery.”
Riley sobered. So did her
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