“No, I don’t mind.” He swallowed hard. “I don’t sleep here. I normally crash downstairs in the den.” Nervously, he scratched the back of his head. His bicep bulged again as he did, drawing Courtney’s attention.
“I like it,” Courtney said finally. “It’s a beautiful room. Thank you.”
Brett nodded, relieved that that was over. “Good. Well, let me know what you need to make it more like your own , and I’ll get it for you. I have to return back to work tomorrow. So, I’ll stop by the commissary and pick up some stuff.”
Courtney raised her brow, noticing he avoided any conversation about Amy’s death or how it made him feel. Evidently, he was a man of very few words, maybe too few , but she’d change that soon enough.
Brett could see that she was thinking something clever, but he did not want her to get any ideas. He looked down and realized that she had moved all the way from across the room and was now right in front of him. Her smell wafted up to his nose, familiar and sexy. Taking a deep breath, he shifted gears. After all, he had promised her that he could keep things Kosher between them. No point in ruining things on the first day.
“Well, I’ll help you get everything moved up here, now that I know that you like it,” Brett said, looking at the shape of her lips. His breaths quickened slightly.
“I’ll help you,” Courtney said, stepping past him and Cameron, who stood behind his father’s leg listening.
Brett growled as she passed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He had to be crazy moving her in here as vulnerable as he was, yet he knew that he needed her more than he wanted her.
He looked down at Cameron, who watched him carefully and shrugged his shoulders.
“Do you like her?” he asked his son under his breath.
Cameron smiled and looked down the stairs. “Yes,” he said with a giggle. “So do you, Daddy.”
Courtney smiled as she hit the bottom step. Strange thing about acoustics. They carried every sound. But she was glad that Cameron liked her. She liked him too. Only, she liked Brett a lot more.
***
Sunday evening at Camp Lejeune was bustling with people. As the sun set on the horizon, Brett and Courtney drove down the main road with the windows down and music low. Cameron sat in the back playing with his toys and staring out of the window.
On the sides of the road, people took their late evening run or walk, many with children trailing behind them or in front of them in buggies. The thing about enlisted and officers alike was the huge family syndrome. Due to lonely wives and serial deployments, many couples chose to insulate themselves with multiple children to ensure the family line or simply ended up with surprise pregnancies after a long time apart.
Courtney looked out of the window at the passing people while the wind jetted through her hair. With a smile on her face, she quietly sat in a peaceful daze that made Brett envious. He looked over at her and shook his head.
“Why do you always look so happy?” he asked, making eye contact with her.
Courtney trailed her finger over the side of the dashboard. “I imagine it’s because most of the time I am happy.”
A faint grin twisted his lips again. “But why?”
“You know, I’ve been asked that my entire life. And the truth of the matter is that I don’t know. I was just born happy.” She smiled at Brett.
Brett frowned. “But you’re not always happy, are you?”
“No. I’m not always happy. I’ve had some pretty shitty times before, but the bad doesn’t outweigh the good, and that is what is important.”
Brett chuckled. “You sound like that purple dinosaur right now.”
Courtney couldn’t help but grin. “Are you happy most of the time?”
Pulling into the commissary, Brett parked the truck and turned it off. Turning to her, he looked into her hazel eyes and sighed. “My life has been a comedy of errors, Cort. Some parts of it have
“I like it,” Courtney said finally. “It’s a beautiful room. Thank you.”
Brett nodded, relieved that that was over. “Good. Well, let me know what you need to make it more like your own , and I’ll get it for you. I have to return back to work tomorrow. So, I’ll stop by the commissary and pick up some stuff.”
Courtney raised her brow, noticing he avoided any conversation about Amy’s death or how it made him feel. Evidently, he was a man of very few words, maybe too few , but she’d change that soon enough.
Brett could see that she was thinking something clever, but he did not want her to get any ideas. He looked down and realized that she had moved all the way from across the room and was now right in front of him. Her smell wafted up to his nose, familiar and sexy. Taking a deep breath, he shifted gears. After all, he had promised her that he could keep things Kosher between them. No point in ruining things on the first day.
“Well, I’ll help you get everything moved up here, now that I know that you like it,” Brett said, looking at the shape of her lips. His breaths quickened slightly.
“I’ll help you,” Courtney said, stepping past him and Cameron, who stood behind his father’s leg listening.
Brett growled as she passed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He had to be crazy moving her in here as vulnerable as he was, yet he knew that he needed her more than he wanted her.
He looked down at Cameron, who watched him carefully and shrugged his shoulders.
“Do you like her?” he asked his son under his breath.
Cameron smiled and looked down the stairs. “Yes,” he said with a giggle. “So do you, Daddy.”
Courtney smiled as she hit the bottom step. Strange thing about acoustics. They carried every sound. But she was glad that Cameron liked her. She liked him too. Only, she liked Brett a lot more.
***
Sunday evening at Camp Lejeune was bustling with people. As the sun set on the horizon, Brett and Courtney drove down the main road with the windows down and music low. Cameron sat in the back playing with his toys and staring out of the window.
On the sides of the road, people took their late evening run or walk, many with children trailing behind them or in front of them in buggies. The thing about enlisted and officers alike was the huge family syndrome. Due to lonely wives and serial deployments, many couples chose to insulate themselves with multiple children to ensure the family line or simply ended up with surprise pregnancies after a long time apart.
Courtney looked out of the window at the passing people while the wind jetted through her hair. With a smile on her face, she quietly sat in a peaceful daze that made Brett envious. He looked over at her and shook his head.
“Why do you always look so happy?” he asked, making eye contact with her.
Courtney trailed her finger over the side of the dashboard. “I imagine it’s because most of the time I am happy.”
A faint grin twisted his lips again. “But why?”
“You know, I’ve been asked that my entire life. And the truth of the matter is that I don’t know. I was just born happy.” She smiled at Brett.
Brett frowned. “But you’re not always happy, are you?”
“No. I’m not always happy. I’ve had some pretty shitty times before, but the bad doesn’t outweigh the good, and that is what is important.”
Brett chuckled. “You sound like that purple dinosaur right now.”
Courtney couldn’t help but grin. “Are you happy most of the time?”
Pulling into the commissary, Brett parked the truck and turned it off. Turning to her, he looked into her hazel eyes and sighed. “My life has been a comedy of errors, Cort. Some parts of it have
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