The Marine

“All Marines are amphibious, ma’am.” His delivery was deadpan, but the teasing light in his deep blue eyes derailed her for a second. He was joking.

Her look must have mirrored the one he’d given her after she’d laughed, because he raised his eyebrows again and said, “What?”

“I didn’t take you for the joking sort.”

“Sorry to disappoint, ma’am.”

They exchanged a silent acknowledgment that there was more to each other than either had first thought.

Terrific. Lynn’s heart started to pound.

The major widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “But I’d be at the pool because I was relieved of my normal duties and temporarily reassigned to Recreational Aquatics Thermal Regulator.”

She didn’t have the chance to ask for clarification before he provided it.

“I have to check the pool temperature every hour.”

“Really.”

“It was either that or handing out basketballs in the gym.”

She winced. Talk about humiliating for a major to be reduced to such menial duties. And while it beat the heck out of sitting in jail, why in heaven’s name wouldn’t he want to be free of being the pool boy?

He watched her with his jaw jutted, clearly daring her to pity him.

Lynn contained the twinges of exactly that emotion by gripping the file folder to her chest. She cleared her throat. “Well, I’ll leave you to your repairs while I go grab my briefcase and files.”

He studied her, then gave a short nod. “Just be careful of the cat. Make sure it doesn’t bolt out the door.”

No worries there. The only one who’d be bolting out the door would be her.

“I’ll keep an eye out for it.” She turned away, then stopped. “Um, what’s its name?” Why she’d thought to ask, let alone care, was beyond her. She wasn’t the fuzzy-creature type. She wasn’t any creature type.

“Bud.”

“As in a flower or the beer?”

His mouth quirked. “As in Buddy.”

A masculine name from a masculine guy. Still didn’t make the cat any less fuzzy.

She nodded in acknowledgment and headed for the stairs to his second-story condo, her brain unnaturally sluggish given the choice she’d have to make.

If she could keep him out of jail, there would be nothing to prevent him from coming with her to Dependable.

If he pleaded guilty or she finagled the lesser charge and he paid the fine, the Marine Corps would be glad to be rid of him and she could give Joseph what he wanted, and he in turn would give her what she wanted.

But what if Rick Branigan was innocent?

She’d told him she didn’t care about his innocence or guilt, but she’d lied. She’d once been innocent and had had to pay the price for someone else’s actions. An injustice that had festered deep in her chest.

Lynn tucked the file folder under her arm and rubbed at one temple in an attempt to clear her thinking as she climbed the stairs. When she reached the major’s door, she opened it and entered quickly to keep the cat from escaping. She scanned the room as she latched the door behind her. Buddy was sitting on the glass-topped dining-room table, smack-dab in the middle of her files, and looking very much in control of his world.

A personal challenge if she ever saw one.

Lynn marched to the table. “Get off, cat.”

Not so much as a blink in response.

She picked up her briefcase and jammed the file containing the police report inside.

The cat stood, but only to stretch, raising his fluffy rear end in the air and digging his claws into her folders and papers. Lynn planted a fist on her hip and waited for him to finish. Once the claws were back in, she snatched a couple of the bottom files out from under him.

Buddy wasn’t impressed.

She muttered, “Stupid cat.”

The black phone on the kitchen bar rang, and they both jumped, Buddy off the table and Lynn back a step.

The phone rang again, and she glanced at the closed front door, wondering if she should let the major know he had a call. After the third ring and before she could decide, the answering machine kicked on and Rick Branigan’s voice, just as deep and compelling as it was in person, announced that he was out and instructed the caller to leave a message.

No “How’s it hanging?” or even “Hi,” but not rude, either. Just to the point, without embellishment. The man would not be an easy one to figure out.

She shouldn’t want to try.

The machine beeped and a woman’s voice filled the room. “Rick, honey, it’s Mom. You realize, don’t you, that it’s been ages since we talked. I called the base and all they would tell me was that you were unavailable. So, to keep from worrying about you, I’ve been convincing myself your answering machine must be broken.” A telling pause. “If you get this, please call me. And even if you don’t get this, you should still be checking in with your mother more often than this. The way you normally do.”

The woman was clearly striving to be light and joking, but there was a definite undertone of fear.

“I love you. Bye.”

Lynn stared at the blinking red light, the simple endearment making the backs of her eyes burn. Lynn would never have received a message like that from her mother, even if she were still in her life. It’d been years since the longing for family had been this bad.

Feeling ambushed, she swept the rest of the files into her briefcase with a careless hand and turned toward the door.

His mom didn’t know.

The thought stopped Lynn. She forced herself to consider. Why hadn’t he told his mother that his career, and freedom, were on the line? Because he didn’t want to face his mother’s disappointment?

Lynn shook her head. No. He struck her as the type who’d take it on the chin, sobbing momma or not. So why was he putting off the inevitable?

Because he doesn’t want to be talked out of doing what he’s doing.

The specter of his innocence rose again and made her conscience shudder. She shoved the uncomfortable sensation aside.

Maybe Major Branigan might find it easy to tell a stranger to go take a flying leap, but ignoring his mother’s pleas to make the best of the situation and get on with his life was another thing.

Hopefully, he’d be willing to get on with his life under the protective wing of the McCoys in Dependable, Missouri.