Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1)(112)

There were some framed photos and two framed flags that were much like the flags outside. One black with the word “Ranger” in yellow in a banner partially covering a star and under it was a gray skull over wings coming from a sword with blue curved embellishments all in a gray circle. The other was white with a black badge that had the profile of a white eagle’s head in it over a banner that stated “Airborne” in yellow.

And that was pretty much it. No Colts or Bruins jerseys pinned on mats and framed. No shrines to Sam’s life in football, trophies, plaques, team pictures or shots of fabulous plays to be remembered. And no shrines to Sam’s life in the Army, pictures with buds wearing fatigues and casually handling massive, scary automatic weapons or frames displaying patches or medals.

I thought this was interesting but I didn’t know why.

Memphis wandered into the kitchen.

I wandered to the table by the door.

In a frame sitting on the table was a younger Sam wearing a suit, smiling his blinding, trademark gorgeous smile. He had his arm around a handsome man nearly as tall as Sam wearing an Army uniform. The man was also smiling a blinding smile much like Sam’s. His brother Ben. On Ben’s other side was an attractive, older woman with a proud smile and clear Hispanic ancestry, her arm also around Ben but her body was turned to him, tucked close to his side with his arm around her. Sam’s mother, Marisela.

My body jumped and I turned when I heard Sam’s voice saying, “Baby, gonna hit the store.” I watched his long legs then the rest of his body coming down the stairs as he continued, “Hap’s gonna stick around. I’ll get enough to cover us and we’ll go back out tomorrow.” He made it to me and wrapped his arms loosely around me, his chin tipping down to hold my eyes. “I’ll get some beer, coffee, milk and dog food. We’ll get takeout tonight. Hap’s gotta get back to the base so he’ll leave after dinner. You need me to get anything else?”

“Breakfast?” I suggested.

“Got oatmeal. Got granola. I’ll get some fruit and yogurt. Anything else?”

I shook my head.

Sam dropped his and kissed my nose.

He pulled back an inch and I saw the warmth in his eyes when he whispered, “Make yourself at home.”

Make myself at home.

That was nice, so nice.

Boy, I wished I wasn’t pissed at him.

I nodded again.

He gave me a grin.

Then he let me go, walked into the kitchen and disappeared behind the stairs. Thirty seconds later, I heard a garage door go up then the growl of what had to be a truck or SUV (a big one) then a few seconds later a garage door going down.

It hit me then I didn’t even know what kind of vehicle Sam drove.

Then it hit me that everything that was hitting me about Sam was a surprise.

Then it hit me even more than it had been hitting me that I didn’t know anything about my boyfriend.

“Yo!” Hap called, my body jolted again and I saw he too was downstairs and grinning at me. “You’re in a different time zone, babe, but you didn’t fly to China. You okay?”

No.

I wasn’t.

My boyfriend was a Ranger and I didn’t know.

My life was in danger and I had no clue what was going on with that.

My mother was closing on my house in four days and, after that, I’d be homeless.

I had no job and I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life.

And I’d just flown to North Carolina with my boyfriend who I knew was a gentleman, he had a great sense of humor, my family and friends liked him, he was loyal to his friends and family, he was phenomenal in bed, he liked me and he also liked my dog.

But other than that, although I’d spent a month with the man nearly nonstop, I really didn’t know a thing about him. Or, I should say, nowhere near what I should know, nowhere near what he knew about me and not enough of what I knew was important.

So no.

I wasn’t okay.

“Great!” I chirped my lie then asked, “After I get Memphis a drink, can we take a walk on the beach?”

Hap approached, still grinning and answered, “Yeah, but only if I go with you. It’ll be a hit to my street cred, takin’ that rat for a walk on the beach but I’ll get in a bar fight or something this week, make up for it.”

I smiled at him.

Yes. Hap was carrying. I didn’t know where considering his dark gray t-shirt was skintight but he was wearing black cargo pants and they had a bunch of pockets so maybe he had his weapon skillfully hidden somewhere there.

Whatever.

That was his gig. My gig was getting my dog some agua, finding her leash and clearing my thoughts by walking the beach.

“Cool,” I grinned back. “Let’s go.”

* * * * *

“Drive safe,” Sam murmured, shaking Hap’s hand. “Owe you,” he finished.

“You bought dinner and beer and think you still got markers, dude,” Hap returned intriguingly, grinning up at Sam then he turned to me and engulfed me in a bear hug.

I hugged him back saying, “Text Sam when you get home.”

He pulled slightly away, didn’t drop his arms but did give me a big smile. “Babe, I don’t check in.”

“Practice,” I replied. “You ever land a fine piece of ass, she’ll expect that.”