Page 16 of An Adventure For Aster

“Beaumont, Texas.”

“I don’t notice an accent,” she said.

“I worked hard to get rid of it and traveled a lot for the past sixteen years.”

“So you’re thirty-four or thereabouts?”

“You’re good at math,” he said.

“I assume you went into the service after high school.”

“I did. Don’t take offense to this, but school wasn’t my thing.”

“No offense,” she said. “It’s not everyone’s thing. I tell my students that not everyone is made to go to college. That people are needed in trades and the armed services. Someone has to do that work and they are compensated well for it.”

“Most of the jobs are,” he said. “If you go to trade school. As I said, not for everyone.”

His father made decent money doing maintenance at the oil company but not like those in the field. Aster didn’t want to work on an oil rig. He wanted to get away from Texas and his family even though he hated leaving Daphne.

“No,” she said. “And you went into the Army. What did you do there? Construction?”

“I did everything,” he said. “I was a fixer.”

“I don’t know if I like the sounds of that.” He turned his head to look at her confused expression.

“It’s not like you think. I’m the guy that could fix anything broken. I was in charge of supplies and equipment and making sure everything worked the way it should be.”

“That makes more sense,” she said.

“Did you always want to be a teacher?” he asked.

“I did. Brooks didn’t care for school all that much and went to a community college for two years and then worked as a security guard before getting into the academy. River was the smart one of us. He got a full ride to Yale. Not medical school, but his undergraduate.”

“Good for him,” he said.

“Yeah. He’s great. Both of my brothers are, though if you know Ivy then you know Brooks is a little rough around the edges.”

“Could be why some of my short answers aren’t bothering you.”

Raine laughed. “I’ve had good practice too. Ivy said that Lily had once said Zane was the same way, but he’s not now. I understand the comment about the women wearing off on you.”

“That’s pretty much it,” he said.

“So what brought you here if you don’t mind me asking? Were you just ready to leave the service like Zane and Luke? Fate that Zane reached out needing help?”

“You don’t know?” he asked.

“Know what?” she asked. “Ivy doesn’t know we are on this date. She likes to talk and if something was interesting to say even in passing she would. That is how I knew Zane hired someone he was in the service with, but nothing more.”

“Oh,” he said. “It might explain why no one has said a word to me.” That or they were afraid to.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” she said. “If it’s a secret and only Zane or Lily knew, neither of them would say a word and I’ll understand if you don’t want to.”

“Not a secret,” he said. “Just that I was shot and almost died six months ago. I couldn’t go back into the Army. I wasn’t medically cleared.”

Her jaw dropped. “I’m so sorry. That had to be devastating. Can I ask where you were stationed when it happened or don’t you like to talk about it?”

He normally didn’t, but around here no one asked either.

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