Make Mine a Marine by Julie Miller

might not be the same man Colonel Ramsey knew.”
    BJ didn't think her confusion would ever go away. She had come to Damon this morning to try and make sense of everything once more. Her world bordered on insanity. If the man who knew her better than anyone couldn't straighten things out, then where could she turn? With her history, psychiatric help was still too frightening a proposition to consider.
    BJ pushed herself away and slipped on her shoes. She needed to seize these clearheaded moments and reason the mystery out for herself.
    She started by evaluating the pros and cons of Brodie Maxwell. “He's a good bodyguard, actually. He pried Rick Chambers off me when Rick got a little too fresh.”
    Damon seemed willing to follow her train of thinking. “Chambers? That sleaze? I warned you about him.”
    BJ smiled indulgently. “You warn me about every man I meet.”
    “Isn't a father supposed to?”
    She leaned over and planted a kiss on his tanned cheek. “You bet he is.”
    She never minded when he called himself her father. Jake was Jake, the treasured dad every little girl wanted. Damon was her father, a loving, guiding force in her adult life.
    “I'd better get over to work and help clean up the mess from last night.”
    Damon stood with her. “Don't you have people to do that for you?”
    “You know I like to get in the trenches with the staff. Besides, I want to take a look at that program again, see if I can figure out where the transmission came from.”
    He walked her to the door. “You never quit, do you?”
    She elbowed him in the side. “Now who was it who taught me that giving up without an answer is not an option.”
    “Did I say that?”
    “Once or twice.” Sharing laughter with Damon revived her spirits, giving her strength to open the door and face another day.
    “You can't go in there! Doctor Morrisey has another appointment with him.”
    “Lady, I'm not big on manners or patience.”
    “Brodie?”
    BJ stopped the confrontation between the stern, gray-haired administrative assistant and the scarred, unsmiling giant.
    He spun around at her appearance. “Are you all right?”
    Raw, blatant fear leaped from his eyes, stunning her. “I'm fine.”
    Damon's calm voice intervened, dismissing his assistant. “Abby, it's all right. Shall we go into my office?”
    “How the hell could you leave without telling me or without even leaving a note?” Brodie spoke over Damon, ignoring the invitation.
    BJ flushed indignantly. “Am I a prisoner now?”
    “Mr. Maxwell—”
    “What did you tell her?” Brodie looked as if he might do physical violence to Damon.
    BJ wedged herself between the two men. “Tell me about what?”
    Damon's cool, cultured voice answered. “I recommended she get rid of you.”
    Brodie's eyes blazed like fire behind the ice when Damon put his hands on BJ's shoulders. “Judging by your behavior today, I'm even more convinced it's a good idea.”
    “Stop it. Both of you.” BJ placed herself in the age-old position of breaking up a fight, turning sideways and pushing a palm against either man's chest.
    She looked first to Damon, the more reasonable of the two. “I know you mean well, but I'll make my own decisions.
    “And you?” She tilted her face to Brodie. “You have no right to barge in here like that. I'm sure you scared Abby to death.”
    “You weren't at home when I got up. You know what we discussed.”
    “You're staying at her home?” asked Damon. “I didn't realize the relationship was so personal.”
    “It's not—“
    BJ lost her breath when Brodie's hand nipped around her waist and pulled her to his side.
    “It's not anybody's business but ours,” Brodie finished.
    BJ would have argued the point, but she was distracted by the sensation of Brodie's hard, muscular body imprinting itself so squarely against her. The change in him was subtle but tangible. His hand spanned the right side of her ribcage, his thumb resting beneath the weight of her