The kind of woman he’d be mighty tempted to sleep with…
“So it was nice seeing you and everything, Isaac,” she chirped in the same bubbly voice that had landed her a spot on the cheerleading squad freshman year. She maneuvered her chair around his toes. “I think I’ll head up to bed now. Got a big day tomorrow.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, to untangle the words that had twisted up in his brain, she shot toward the door like she was competing for gold in the Paralympics.
How did…? When did…? What the hell just happened?
“Come on, man.” Ben jerked him toward the dance floor, where a mob of people were doing some lame line dance that he must’ve missed out on being stationed in the Middle East for the last decade of his life…
He ripped away from Ben and stared at the hallway where Julia had disappeared. “I can’t believe that was Julia.” The shock of it—of seeing her—still sent currents ripping through him. “She looks so different.” So different, he’d made a pass at her. When he saw her sitting there, he figured the woman was the only other person in the room not dancing, so the two of them might as well talk. Now he knew why she wasn’t dancing.
“You didn’t recognize her?” Ben asked through a sloppy grin. “And here I thought you two were over there catching up.”
“No.” She’d hardly said two words to him. He’d assumed the woman was just shy. Why didn’t she tell him the truth? Why’d she sit there and let him make small talk? “I asked her to dance,” he said in disbelief. Damn. He slapped a hand into his forehead and swiped it down his face. What an ass…
That got Ben’s attention. His friend gave him an elbow to the ribs. “Dude. That’s my sister.”
“I didn’t know!” How was he supposed to know? He hadn’t seen her in over a decade . And a hell of a lot had happened to him since he’d walked out on the high society life. “I have to talk to her. What room is she staying in tonight?” He had to at least apologize. For not recognizing her. For embarrassing her…
“You think I’m gonna give you her room number, you’ve got another think comin’,” Ben muttered, taking on his protective brother stance—the same one Isaac used to adopt when it came to Julia. He hadn’t had any sisters of his own. Only two brothers who were holy terrors.
“Did you hear what I said? I asked her to dance.” Like a tool. He’d been so focused on her body, he didn’t realize she was his best friend’s little sister. The girl he’d thought about every single day since he’d left Texas. The girl whose school picture he’d kept in the pocket of his fatigues, pulling it out when he needed to remind himself to fight…
Ben waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it, man.” Swaying, he steadied a hand against the wall. He was clearly enjoying the special brew they’d imported for the party. “She’s fine. Trust me. Things like that don’t faze Julia.”
Then why’d she leave?
“Come on,” his friend stumbled back toward his hot fiancé, who’d rejoined the line dance. He tried to pull Isaac along with him. “Let’s tear up the floor. For old time’s sake. Remember that time at junior prom?”
A smile flickered as the memory came back into focus. He and Ben had had an electric slide routine that could’ve won a competition. At junior prom, he’d gone skidding across the floor on his knees, tearing the legs right off of his tuxedo pants.
He sized up his old friend. They’d once been inseparable. They’d raised all kinds of hell together. But since then, Isaac had been to war. He’d become a SEAL. He’d killed other men. He’d walked through a village half an hour after a bomb hit. Things were different. He was different. Ever since he’d arrived at the party, he’d felt like he was on the fringes, like he couldn’t quite grasp the relationships he’d once had with so many of these people. People who were close friends of the
“So it was nice seeing you and everything, Isaac,” she chirped in the same bubbly voice that had landed her a spot on the cheerleading squad freshman year. She maneuvered her chair around his toes. “I think I’ll head up to bed now. Got a big day tomorrow.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, to untangle the words that had twisted up in his brain, she shot toward the door like she was competing for gold in the Paralympics.
How did…? When did…? What the hell just happened?
“Come on, man.” Ben jerked him toward the dance floor, where a mob of people were doing some lame line dance that he must’ve missed out on being stationed in the Middle East for the last decade of his life…
He ripped away from Ben and stared at the hallway where Julia had disappeared. “I can’t believe that was Julia.” The shock of it—of seeing her—still sent currents ripping through him. “She looks so different.” So different, he’d made a pass at her. When he saw her sitting there, he figured the woman was the only other person in the room not dancing, so the two of them might as well talk. Now he knew why she wasn’t dancing.
“You didn’t recognize her?” Ben asked through a sloppy grin. “And here I thought you two were over there catching up.”
“No.” She’d hardly said two words to him. He’d assumed the woman was just shy. Why didn’t she tell him the truth? Why’d she sit there and let him make small talk? “I asked her to dance,” he said in disbelief. Damn. He slapped a hand into his forehead and swiped it down his face. What an ass…
That got Ben’s attention. His friend gave him an elbow to the ribs. “Dude. That’s my sister.”
“I didn’t know!” How was he supposed to know? He hadn’t seen her in over a decade . And a hell of a lot had happened to him since he’d walked out on the high society life. “I have to talk to her. What room is she staying in tonight?” He had to at least apologize. For not recognizing her. For embarrassing her…
“You think I’m gonna give you her room number, you’ve got another think comin’,” Ben muttered, taking on his protective brother stance—the same one Isaac used to adopt when it came to Julia. He hadn’t had any sisters of his own. Only two brothers who were holy terrors.
“Did you hear what I said? I asked her to dance.” Like a tool. He’d been so focused on her body, he didn’t realize she was his best friend’s little sister. The girl he’d thought about every single day since he’d left Texas. The girl whose school picture he’d kept in the pocket of his fatigues, pulling it out when he needed to remind himself to fight…
Ben waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it, man.” Swaying, he steadied a hand against the wall. He was clearly enjoying the special brew they’d imported for the party. “She’s fine. Trust me. Things like that don’t faze Julia.”
Then why’d she leave?
“Come on,” his friend stumbled back toward his hot fiancé, who’d rejoined the line dance. He tried to pull Isaac along with him. “Let’s tear up the floor. For old time’s sake. Remember that time at junior prom?”
A smile flickered as the memory came back into focus. He and Ben had had an electric slide routine that could’ve won a competition. At junior prom, he’d gone skidding across the floor on his knees, tearing the legs right off of his tuxedo pants.
He sized up his old friend. They’d once been inseparable. They’d raised all kinds of hell together. But since then, Isaac had been to war. He’d become a SEAL. He’d killed other men. He’d walked through a village half an hour after a bomb hit. Things were different. He was different. Ever since he’d arrived at the party, he’d felt like he was on the fringes, like he couldn’t quite grasp the relationships he’d once had with so many of these people. People who were close friends of the