been happy, but most of it hasn’t been. I’ve experienced the whole spectrum of emotions from happy to psychotic.”
“And does my happiness offend you?” she asked seriously.
“No, it just intrigues the hell out of me…that and wondering what kind of accent you have.”
Courtney laughed. “I can’t believe that you’ve already given me a nickname. Cort? My grampies call me Cort.”
Brett glanced at her lips as she said the words. “Where are they?” he asked, leaning further over to her.
“In Austin, Texas. I used to visit them every summer when I was a girl. That’s probably where the accent comes from,” she said, feeling nostalgic. “Are your grandparents around?”
Brett nodded. “Not for a very long time.” He pulled back a little as he felt himself drifting off towards a kiss. “Okay. We’re here. We’ve got an hour before they close. Think you can go hog wild with your list before then?”
“I don’t know. Cameron, you feel like helping me shop?” Courtney asked, looking back at his son.
“I want cereal,” Cameron answered with a big smile.
Brett laughed. “That boy loves cereal.”
“Are you coming in?” Courtney asked, opening the door.
“Yeah, I have to. You have to have a military ID to check out.”
“Oh, I have one,” Courtney said, pulling out a military ID from her pocket. “Since I’m still in college, I have to use a dependent ID from my father.”
“Your father’s military? Is he retired” Brett asked, reaching his hand out. She had not mentioned that before. “Let me see.”
Courtney hesitated. “Just don’t freak, okay?”
Brett frowned. “Why would I freak?” Taking the blue, laminated ID out of her clutches, he read the sponsor’s name and rank and turned pale. There were no words to express his sudden shock. His nanny was also the daughter of his Lieutenant Colonel. Shit!
Passing the ID back to Courtney, he felt his mouth spasm as he dragged in a breath. “I thought you said that your name was Redbrook?” he asked, wiping his brow.
“That’s my mother’s maiden name. I’ve been using it since I graduated from high school, and I guess you know why.” She offered him the bottle water in the cup holder. “Brett, it’s not a big deal. He knows that I’m working for you. Well, not you. He knows that I’m working for a Marine.”
Courtney couldn’t name the number of times that she had gotten the exact same reaction from people because of her father. It was why she had chosen to withhold the information from most. There were automatic assumptions that she didn’t want, but always nearly received.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Brett said sarcastically. “As if my life couldn’t get any more complicated, you tell me that you’re Lawless’s daughter? Do you know who this man is? He’s like Zeus’s right hand. This man went Recon when it wasn’t even cool for Black men to even apply for Special Forces. He still holds some serious records in dive school and on the shooting range. You can’t get more hardcore than your father used to be before he ascended up the ranks. Plus, he’s my fucking battalion commander, Courtney,” he moaned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you wouldn’t have treated me the way that you have,” she said sincerely. She leaned into him.
“And how have I been treating you?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged her shoulders in frustration, “like a normal person. You would not have hired me if you had known my father’s last name.”
Brett quietly agreed and still wondered if he shouldn’t just call the whole thing off right now. “How does he feel about you working for me?”
Courtney smirked. “What does it matter?”
Brett’s eye twitched. “What does he think?” he asked sternly. His eyes locked on her for an answer.
With a sigh, she turned her head from him and stared out the front window. “My father has never been happy with anything that
“And does my happiness offend you?” she asked seriously.
“No, it just intrigues the hell out of me…that and wondering what kind of accent you have.”
Courtney laughed. “I can’t believe that you’ve already given me a nickname. Cort? My grampies call me Cort.”
Brett glanced at her lips as she said the words. “Where are they?” he asked, leaning further over to her.
“In Austin, Texas. I used to visit them every summer when I was a girl. That’s probably where the accent comes from,” she said, feeling nostalgic. “Are your grandparents around?”
Brett nodded. “Not for a very long time.” He pulled back a little as he felt himself drifting off towards a kiss. “Okay. We’re here. We’ve got an hour before they close. Think you can go hog wild with your list before then?”
“I don’t know. Cameron, you feel like helping me shop?” Courtney asked, looking back at his son.
“I want cereal,” Cameron answered with a big smile.
Brett laughed. “That boy loves cereal.”
“Are you coming in?” Courtney asked, opening the door.
“Yeah, I have to. You have to have a military ID to check out.”
“Oh, I have one,” Courtney said, pulling out a military ID from her pocket. “Since I’m still in college, I have to use a dependent ID from my father.”
“Your father’s military? Is he retired” Brett asked, reaching his hand out. She had not mentioned that before. “Let me see.”
Courtney hesitated. “Just don’t freak, okay?”
Brett frowned. “Why would I freak?” Taking the blue, laminated ID out of her clutches, he read the sponsor’s name and rank and turned pale. There were no words to express his sudden shock. His nanny was also the daughter of his Lieutenant Colonel. Shit!
Passing the ID back to Courtney, he felt his mouth spasm as he dragged in a breath. “I thought you said that your name was Redbrook?” he asked, wiping his brow.
“That’s my mother’s maiden name. I’ve been using it since I graduated from high school, and I guess you know why.” She offered him the bottle water in the cup holder. “Brett, it’s not a big deal. He knows that I’m working for you. Well, not you. He knows that I’m working for a Marine.”
Courtney couldn’t name the number of times that she had gotten the exact same reaction from people because of her father. It was why she had chosen to withhold the information from most. There were automatic assumptions that she didn’t want, but always nearly received.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Brett said sarcastically. “As if my life couldn’t get any more complicated, you tell me that you’re Lawless’s daughter? Do you know who this man is? He’s like Zeus’s right hand. This man went Recon when it wasn’t even cool for Black men to even apply for Special Forces. He still holds some serious records in dive school and on the shooting range. You can’t get more hardcore than your father used to be before he ascended up the ranks. Plus, he’s my fucking battalion commander, Courtney,” he moaned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you wouldn’t have treated me the way that you have,” she said sincerely. She leaned into him.
“And how have I been treating you?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged her shoulders in frustration, “like a normal person. You would not have hired me if you had known my father’s last name.”
Brett quietly agreed and still wondered if he shouldn’t just call the whole thing off right now. “How does he feel about you working for me?”
Courtney smirked. “What does it matter?”
Brett’s eye twitched. “What does he think?” he asked sternly. His eyes locked on her for an answer.
With a sigh, she turned her head from him and stared out the front window. “My father has never been happy with anything that
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