Page 40 of In Love with a Ranger

“Enough out of you too, Beck,” Houghton snapped, looking thoroughly amused. “Jill, let’s head home before we have a catfight in the van.”

Gideon did not look away from the other man named Logan as they climbed in the van. Logan took the seat furthest away from Gideon, and he wondered if the man was scared. He wasn’t a small man and had been known to stop a fight several times by simply getting in the middle of it. When you towered over a wimp and were at least fifty to seventy pounds heavier than them – and it was all muscle – things tended to wrap up quickly. No, he wasn’t afraid to get dirty in the slightest, but this man was obviously wanting to avoid a confrontation for Christina’s sake.

The two had their heads bent together, talking the entire ride home. His temper was simmering like a volcano ready to blow and had never felt so threatened or possessive as he did right now. No, this was not cool in the slightest and went against every unspoken ‘bro-code’ in the military, making him wonder if this fool actually was in the Army or if he was a ‘wannabe’ simply donning the uniform to pick up women.

If he was, he’d be buried in it too, Gideon thought hotly. Seventeen years serving Uncle Sam only to get medically discharged three years before retirement, and his pension really chapped his hide. Yeah, he had a bone to pick with anyone who wasn’t willing to put in the blood, sweat, or tears for their country.

An hour later, Gideon was still steaming.

Christina was avoiding him.

There was no doubt about it. She was sitting at the opposite end of the table talking with Logan, Max, Houghton, and Ortega. That was fine. Two could play this game. Gideon took a seat beside Daphne.

“Hey,” he said simply.

“Hey yourself,” Daphne replied, looking miserable and staring at Max in the distance. As the men started laughing again wildly, wiping tears of laughter from their eyes, Christina’s eyes met his, and he didn’t back down. He sat there looking at her, waiting for any indication that she wanted to talk to him, to sit near him, and a part of him died as she looked away.

“What’s going on with you two?”

“Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

“Why are you sitting here instead of sitting beside Max?”

“No reason.”

“Uh, huh. My nothing and your no-reason, eh?” Gideon muttered under his breath, not looking away from where his wife was sitting, ignoring him.

‘Oh Morrison…? I found your pet, and Fido wants to go for a walk,’ Max was laughing wildly, pointing at Ortega. “Remember him saying that?”

“Remember he named the thing Fido?” Ortega chuckled, causing all of them to laugh once more as Christina leaned toward Max. Gideon’s entire being tensed, ready to jump forward as she leaned over to whisper something to him.

Christina then flashed Max a smile, laughing aloud as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. Gideon’s nose flared as his vision darkened, on the edge of sanity as Christina laughed again and playfully slapped Max on the arm. She never did that to him. His conscience screamed in outrage.

“Hey, Collins,” Logan interrupted. “I brought your things from Afghanistan instead of shipping them. Got a second?”

“Yes!” Max said quickly, shooting out of his seat. He followed that ‘blow-hard’ Logan out into another room. Moments passed, and Max walked back in, with a military grade duffel bag strapped to his shoulders… and looked at Gideon.

“Gideon,” Max blurted out flatly. “Go sit by your own wife. Get away from mine, buddy.”

You could have heard a pin drop at the silence that descended. Daphne sitting beside Gideon let out her breath as her mouth dropped open. The woman seemed to bloom at Max showing a bit of dominance or possession, causing him to look at Christina.

Gideon met her eyes and saw her chin lift slightly, as he rose from his seat. He walked toward her, not breaking the shared gaze across the room. As he got closer, he edged his crutch and his body pointedly between Logan and Christina, looking down at his wife. That was his wife, and he was going to make sure she knew it, ignoring Houghton and Logan’s chuckle from behind him.

“Get up,” he said quietly.

“No.”

“Christina, don’t make me ask you again.”

“Don’t act like my husband when you haven’t acted like it yet,” Christina hissed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she glared at him.

“Chris,” Logan interrupted. “Go.”

Gideon turned on the man – who immediately held up his hands quickly in mock surrender, smirking. “I’m only trying to help, buddy… she’s my wife’s cousin and stubborn as heck. It’s a family trait, and Juliet gives me fits sometimes.”

Wait, what?

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