that Ghost had found the woman who’d had him in such a bad mood for so many months. He and Rayne were perfect for each other, and he couldn’t be happier for his friend.
“I still think you should’ve let me bring something,” Rayne griped.
Fletch shrugged. “Got everything I need. Nothing left for you to bring over.”
“But something…brownies? Chips? Something?”
Fletch laughed. “Nope. Got it all.”
They pulled into the driveway of Fletch’s place and Rayne looked toward the apartment over the garage. “Is your tenant going to join us?”
“No.”
The word was bitten out.
“Why not? I thought you said she was nice?”
“She is nice. But she’s busy,” Fletch said flatly.
“Oh. Did you ask nicely?” Rayne pushed. “Sometimes you can be a bit abrupt. You said she had a little girl. Maybe they both could’ve come over.”
“I did ask nicely. And she has a boyfriend, so get that matchmaking gleam out of your eye right now, Rayne,” Fletch warned, putting his car in park.
“That’s a bummer,” she sighed.
It was a bummer. Fletch had no idea what he’d done to make Emily dislike him so much. Yes, he’d told her it wasn’t cool to put Annie on the same diet she was on, but he hadn’t thought it was harsh enough for her to never speak to him again. Ever since he’d had her and Annie over for dinner, she’d gone out of her way to make sure she wasn’t alone with him. He’d hoped she would relent and let Annie spend more time with him, and then maybe she’d come around, but that hadn’t happened. If anything, he saw less of the little girl now than he had before he’d invited them over for dinner. It sucked.
It had been about three weeks since they’d had dinner, and he’d been gone for some of that time on a mission. But the colonel had finagled them all some time off, and Fletch decided it was way past time to have the team over to his place for a cookout. He’d knocked on Emily’s door earlier, biting the bullet, wanting to invite them over, but she hadn’t answered.
Fletch knew she was home, because her car hadn’t left the garage since Thursday when she’d gotten home from work. It was unusual for her to take time off, or to keep Annie home from school, but she’d made it perfectly clear through her actions toward him that it wasn’t really his problem.
He couldn’t help but worry about them though. He wished Emily would’ve answered, just to put his mind at ease.
As they all entered his house, joining the others who were already there, Fletch looked longingly back at the apartment over the garage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman he couldn’t keep out of his thoughts, and the little girl he was beginning to care for much more than a landlord should.
----
A few hours later , Fletch looked around at his six teammates, and Rayne, in contentment. There was nothing better than being around friends, at least in his opinion. Ghost, Coach, Hollywood, Beatle, Blade, Truck, and himself had been to hell and back…and were still alive to tell their stories. Fletch had never trusted another group of men as much as he did this one, and he knew they all felt exactly the same way.
Rayne was a fun addition to their circle. Sometimes she brought her friend Mary to get-togethers, and it was hilarious to watch her and Truck go at it. Mary was a tough woman, had been through a scary bout with cancer, and she didn’t take shit from anyone. But for some reason, she and Truck were like oil and water. She’d snipe at the big man, and he’d just smile and take it, which only infuriated Mary more.
The dynamics of having women in their inner circle was interesting. In the past, when they’d all gotten together, they’d spent their time talking about hook-ups and sports, but with Rayne there, and Mary when she joined them, they had to curb that kind of conversation. The result was more personal exchanges about their lives, families, and what was going on at work.
Though
“I still think you should’ve let me bring something,” Rayne griped.
Fletch shrugged. “Got everything I need. Nothing left for you to bring over.”
“But something…brownies? Chips? Something?”
Fletch laughed. “Nope. Got it all.”
They pulled into the driveway of Fletch’s place and Rayne looked toward the apartment over the garage. “Is your tenant going to join us?”
“No.”
The word was bitten out.
“Why not? I thought you said she was nice?”
“She is nice. But she’s busy,” Fletch said flatly.
“Oh. Did you ask nicely?” Rayne pushed. “Sometimes you can be a bit abrupt. You said she had a little girl. Maybe they both could’ve come over.”
“I did ask nicely. And she has a boyfriend, so get that matchmaking gleam out of your eye right now, Rayne,” Fletch warned, putting his car in park.
“That’s a bummer,” she sighed.
It was a bummer. Fletch had no idea what he’d done to make Emily dislike him so much. Yes, he’d told her it wasn’t cool to put Annie on the same diet she was on, but he hadn’t thought it was harsh enough for her to never speak to him again. Ever since he’d had her and Annie over for dinner, she’d gone out of her way to make sure she wasn’t alone with him. He’d hoped she would relent and let Annie spend more time with him, and then maybe she’d come around, but that hadn’t happened. If anything, he saw less of the little girl now than he had before he’d invited them over for dinner. It sucked.
It had been about three weeks since they’d had dinner, and he’d been gone for some of that time on a mission. But the colonel had finagled them all some time off, and Fletch decided it was way past time to have the team over to his place for a cookout. He’d knocked on Emily’s door earlier, biting the bullet, wanting to invite them over, but she hadn’t answered.
Fletch knew she was home, because her car hadn’t left the garage since Thursday when she’d gotten home from work. It was unusual for her to take time off, or to keep Annie home from school, but she’d made it perfectly clear through her actions toward him that it wasn’t really his problem.
He couldn’t help but worry about them though. He wished Emily would’ve answered, just to put his mind at ease.
As they all entered his house, joining the others who were already there, Fletch looked longingly back at the apartment over the garage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman he couldn’t keep out of his thoughts, and the little girl he was beginning to care for much more than a landlord should.
----
A few hours later , Fletch looked around at his six teammates, and Rayne, in contentment. There was nothing better than being around friends, at least in his opinion. Ghost, Coach, Hollywood, Beatle, Blade, Truck, and himself had been to hell and back…and were still alive to tell their stories. Fletch had never trusted another group of men as much as he did this one, and he knew they all felt exactly the same way.
Rayne was a fun addition to their circle. Sometimes she brought her friend Mary to get-togethers, and it was hilarious to watch her and Truck go at it. Mary was a tough woman, had been through a scary bout with cancer, and she didn’t take shit from anyone. But for some reason, she and Truck were like oil and water. She’d snipe at the big man, and he’d just smile and take it, which only infuriated Mary more.
The dynamics of having women in their inner circle was interesting. In the past, when they’d all gotten together, they’d spent their time talking about hook-ups and sports, but with Rayne there, and Mary when she joined them, they had to curb that kind of conversation. The result was more personal exchanges about their lives, families, and what was going on at work.
Though
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