them would be at lunch now. Stupid me, forgetting there’s another deployment gearing up immediately. I didn’t know how to introduce you, so I didn’t.”
Skye was about to say that was fine when the door opened.
“O’Shay, I need you to—oh. Sorry, ladies. Madison!” A man who looked to be in his late forties stood in the doorway, a smile on his face for Madison. “I didn’t know you were here.” He took a step in the office, propping the door behind him. “Tim’s not around?”
“Afternoon, sir.” Though she didn’t pop a salute or anything, Madison’s posture became stiff, almost rigid. “The PFC said he’d be back soon so I thought we’d wait. Is that all right?”
“Sure is.” He looked over at Skye. She could feel his gaze raking over her from head to toe. Observing, judging. She should be used to it by now, really. She must have some sign on her back that said Peruse at your leisure . “And who is this young lady?”
A movement in the doorway caught Skye’s eye. She turned and, with a combination of relief and dismay, found Tim standing there. His mouth was set in a grim line, eyes shuttered and unreadable.
“Afternoon, sir. This would be my wife.”
***
So much for easing into the marriage slowly.
Colonel Blackwater turned, his face a blank slate. “Wife?”
Tread carefully, man . “Yes, sir. My wife, Skye…” He hesitated, not sure whether to use her own name or his. She hadn’t legally changed it, but keeping her own last name might not sound right to a conservative man like the Colonel. So he pushed on. “My wife. Skye, this is my CO, Colonel Blackwater.”
The man wasn’t an idiot. He might have questions for Tim, but he turned a smiling face to Skye and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. You’ll have to excuse my surprise. Apparently Tim was keeping a lid on this one.”
The man had no idea.
Skye smiled and nodded, then gave the Colonel a firm handshake. But he could see she was nervous. “Nice to meet you, sir.” From Tim’s angle, he could see as she reached back to covertly wipe her hands on her flowing, ruffled skirt. Sweating palms. Tim could relate. Then he took a moment to look over her whole outfit.
With her blouse and sandals, and her hair a curling mess, she looked like a wild gypsy come to entertain the troops. He half-expected her to break out a tambourine and start dancing for coins.
And why did that mental image make him want to smile?
“How long have you two been married?”
Skye started to answer, but Tim cut her off. “Newlyweds, sir.”
Blackwater gave him a long look, then nodded. “I’ll just head back to my office and give you a few minutes alone.” The Colonel paused by Tim as he headed out the door. In a low voice only Tim could hear, he warned, “We’ll talk about this later,” then left.
The silence in the room was deafening. Tim had no clue what to say. He was glad to see Skye, yes. But not here. Not in his office. Not yet anyway. He wasn’t even close to ready to make the news of his marriage public knowledge before he had a chance to figure out the angle.
Guess that was just too damn bad.
He wanted to say something, but she looked so miserable. Her hands were clenched around the edge of his desk, and she wouldn’t make eye contact. Well, wasn’t this marriage just off to a great start.
Madison cleared her throat. “I, uh, found an apartment. I’m moving in over the weekend.”
“I’ll see if Jeremy and Dwayne can come over to help.”
“Oh, don’t bother them,” she said quickly.
“They’ll want to help.”
“Great!” Her voice was cheerful. But Tim knew that smile was the one she used every time she wanted to pretend the world was right, but everything was really wrong. What the hell was that all about?
She grabbed Skye’s arm and tugged. “Sorry we intruded. I thought we could just slip in really fast and catch you to say hello but…” She shrugged. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Skye was about to say that was fine when the door opened.
“O’Shay, I need you to—oh. Sorry, ladies. Madison!” A man who looked to be in his late forties stood in the doorway, a smile on his face for Madison. “I didn’t know you were here.” He took a step in the office, propping the door behind him. “Tim’s not around?”
“Afternoon, sir.” Though she didn’t pop a salute or anything, Madison’s posture became stiff, almost rigid. “The PFC said he’d be back soon so I thought we’d wait. Is that all right?”
“Sure is.” He looked over at Skye. She could feel his gaze raking over her from head to toe. Observing, judging. She should be used to it by now, really. She must have some sign on her back that said Peruse at your leisure . “And who is this young lady?”
A movement in the doorway caught Skye’s eye. She turned and, with a combination of relief and dismay, found Tim standing there. His mouth was set in a grim line, eyes shuttered and unreadable.
“Afternoon, sir. This would be my wife.”
***
So much for easing into the marriage slowly.
Colonel Blackwater turned, his face a blank slate. “Wife?”
Tread carefully, man . “Yes, sir. My wife, Skye…” He hesitated, not sure whether to use her own name or his. She hadn’t legally changed it, but keeping her own last name might not sound right to a conservative man like the Colonel. So he pushed on. “My wife. Skye, this is my CO, Colonel Blackwater.”
The man wasn’t an idiot. He might have questions for Tim, but he turned a smiling face to Skye and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. You’ll have to excuse my surprise. Apparently Tim was keeping a lid on this one.”
The man had no idea.
Skye smiled and nodded, then gave the Colonel a firm handshake. But he could see she was nervous. “Nice to meet you, sir.” From Tim’s angle, he could see as she reached back to covertly wipe her hands on her flowing, ruffled skirt. Sweating palms. Tim could relate. Then he took a moment to look over her whole outfit.
With her blouse and sandals, and her hair a curling mess, she looked like a wild gypsy come to entertain the troops. He half-expected her to break out a tambourine and start dancing for coins.
And why did that mental image make him want to smile?
“How long have you two been married?”
Skye started to answer, but Tim cut her off. “Newlyweds, sir.”
Blackwater gave him a long look, then nodded. “I’ll just head back to my office and give you a few minutes alone.” The Colonel paused by Tim as he headed out the door. In a low voice only Tim could hear, he warned, “We’ll talk about this later,” then left.
The silence in the room was deafening. Tim had no clue what to say. He was glad to see Skye, yes. But not here. Not in his office. Not yet anyway. He wasn’t even close to ready to make the news of his marriage public knowledge before he had a chance to figure out the angle.
Guess that was just too damn bad.
He wanted to say something, but she looked so miserable. Her hands were clenched around the edge of his desk, and she wouldn’t make eye contact. Well, wasn’t this marriage just off to a great start.
Madison cleared her throat. “I, uh, found an apartment. I’m moving in over the weekend.”
“I’ll see if Jeremy and Dwayne can come over to help.”
“Oh, don’t bother them,” she said quickly.
“They’ll want to help.”
“Great!” Her voice was cheerful. But Tim knew that smile was the one she used every time she wanted to pretend the world was right, but everything was really wrong. What the hell was that all about?
She grabbed Skye’s arm and tugged. “Sorry we intruded. I thought we could just slip in really fast and catch you to say hello but…” She shrugged. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
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