Make Mine a Ranger (Special Ops: Homefront Book 4) by Kate Aster Page B

vegetarian
thing when I fried up some bacon the other day.”
    “Yeah, I’m with you, Abby. Hard to resist
bacon.” Tyler sat next to Abby. “So did you like class?”
    Bess knew her grin must seem a mile wide.
“It was incredible.”
    Tyler laughed. “Good for you. I thought
you’d like that one. The kind of fighting you learn in that class is really the
most like reality. Fights end up on the ground.” He took a bite of the chicken
piccata and his eyes dropped to half-mast in appreciation. “Oh, this is so
good. I’ll buy you a new gi every week for a meal like this. And how are you
liking the child care there, Abby?”
    “It’s fun. They had a bouncer yesterday.”
    Tyler nodded. “I know. They have it up on
Thursdays, too. I wish I could use it.” He faked a frown.
    Abby giggled. “You’re too big. You’d pop
it.”
    “You’re right, I probably would.”
    Abby squirmed down from her chair. “Done,
Mama.”
    Bess smiled at the sight of her
daughter’s nearly empty plate. Her appetite had definitely increased after an
hour on that bouncer. “Then go upstairs and get ready for your bath.”
    “Okay.”
    No argument today. Or yesterday. Apparently,
going to the gym after work agreed with Abby, too. She wore herself out and
seemed actually anxious to go to bed.
    “So you like the gym?” Tyler asked after
Abby had disappeared up the stairs.
    Bess rinsed off Abby’s plate and loaded
it into the dishwasher. “Like you need to ask? I’m loving it. I don’t
understand why I get to go for free on your membership, though.” She narrowed
her eyes slightly, bracing herself for whatever lie might follow.
    Tyler waffled. “Um, the kind of membership
I have allows for a spouse. And since I didn’t have a spouse they just let me
put you on there with me. Are these little brown things capers?” he asked,
clearly trying to distract her.
    Raising her eyebrows, she ignored the
question. “Really? That’s interesting, since I asked at the front desk and they
said that you were actually paying extra for me.”
    Tyler lowered his head, swallowing a
curse. “I told them to keep that quiet. Look, I’m sorry, but I just figured it
was my responsibility, since I’m the one who is pretty much forcing you to go.”
    “You’re not forcing me. It was a good
idea.”
    “Good. I’m glad. The matter is closed,
then.” He shoved a fork full of chicken into his mouth.
    “No, not till you let me pay you back
every month for this.”
    “Denied,” he responded, his voice muffled
with a mouth full of food. “Bess, I’m saving so much money by staying here. Seriously.
It’s a ton less than those apartments I was looking at. Plus, you’re always cooking
for me. Hell, you even do my laundry half the time, though I wish to God you
wouldn’t ’cause I know my PTs smell like ass after a workout.”
    “Won’t you let me at least—”
    “No,” he cut her off, looking ten times
as stubborn as her temperamental three-year-old.
    Bess stood there, feeling the need to
argue the point further, but unable to form words. He was… taking care of her
again. Protecting her. Helping her. It was an odd sensation, one that seemed to
send her hormones racing through her veins like an Olympic bobsledding team.
“Okay, then,” she finally said. “Thanks, Tyler. More than I can say.” She
sighed, giving his arm a squeeze, yet desperately craving more contact with him
than that.
    “My pleasure.”
    She brushed down the front of her gi and
gave a little twirl. “So do I look intimidating in my gi?”
    Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’d
look a lot more intimidating if you hadn’t tied the belt wrong.”
    “I tied the belt wrong?”
    “Yep. There’s a whole art to doing it.”
    “No kidding?”
    “Let me show you. First, uhh—never
put a bow in it.” He gave an adorable snort. “Makes you totally look amateur. I
can’t believe someone didn’t correct you before you walked out of the gym.”
    “But it’s so