Page 15 of Assigned

Before either of us can say another word, the front door opens. Mason stands in the doorway staring at us. “Can we eat now?”

Riley smiles at him. “Absolutely.”

Before she walks off, I grab her wrist. “Listen, you’re right. I’ll be more forthcoming with the schedule as best as I can. Things come up unexpectedly at work, so can’t do much there. And sometimes with Mason as well. Part of being a parent. I’ll do what I can, though.”

“Thank you.” She quirks a brow at me. “Is your friend’s name really Bear?”

I chuckle. Mostly because when anyone meets the burly, redheaded giant who looks like a Special Forces terminator, the last thing expected would be that his name is Henry. “No, it’s a nickname. But it’s what everyone calls him. Even his wife. Well, unless he’s in deep shit.”

“Gotcha.”

The three of us sit around the table, eating, and answering all the questions Mason throws out. I sit back and take a swig of my lukewarm coffee, watching Riley and my son interact. She’s a natural with kids. And the way she thought about stepping outside to argue, then recentering herself when she got angry... she certainly has changed from the teenage girl I’d known.

And loved.

Shit. Can’t go there. Won’t go there. She left me once already, and just because she’s good with my kid doesn’t mean anything. She could easily walk right back out the door tomorrow. Doesn’t matter she gave me her word, especially not if deep down inside, she believes what her father told her all those years ago, that I would never be able to take care of her.

Granted, I’m a long way from the poor kid I was growing up. I know firsthand how money doesn’t buy love and passion, something Riley probably doesn’t understand since she never had to suffer in any way growing up in the big mansion her family owned. What hardship has she ever known?

Then the vision of that studio apartment I picked her up from floats through my mind. Something still doesn’t add up there. I’ll figure it out eventually, though.

*

Maybe I shouldn’thave had two cups of coffee. Certainly isn’t helping with my nerves. I scan the driveway and the area in front of Bear’s house as we pull up to the curb, a sense of relief flooding me that Tony’s car isn’t there. How I want to kick myself for feeling this way, but I need some extra time to prepare. My best friend certainly isn’t going to make this meeting go well. He’s a notorious jokester and he also knows my history with Riley, stories shared during those ominous moments during war when we welcomed any reprieve, even if it meant talking about our broken hearts.

“Don’t see Uncle Tony’s car,” Mason called out from the back seat. “You sure he’s back from the officer training school?”

“Yes. And it’s Officer Candidate School.”

Mason shrugs me off and goes back to scoping the street for my best friend’s truck.

Riley fidgets with her purse, a forced smile on her face. “So, are you close with all your teammates? Or just some of them?”

The question catches me by surprise. Most know how bonded the guys in teams were, but I forget Riley doesn’t know much about the life. “We’re like family. Been through a lot together. One of us even died a couple of deployments ago. Families are all close too.”

“Oh. Sorry for your loss.” She looks stricken.

I park the truck and we all hop out like a family. The feeling is odd. Even Mason hangs back with us instead of running off into Bear’s house. The front door is open, so we all walk inside and follow the voices to the kitchen.

“Craiger, nice of you to make it. Want a beer?” Bear holds out an amber bottle, all smiles until his eyes fall onto the woman standing behind me. Then his eyes shoot to mine, brows furrowed.

It’s not like I haven’t brought a date to one of our gatherings before, but never when Mason’s there. I scratch the back of my head and glance around the room. Trevor Graves—the newest member of the team and one of the youngest, and possibly a mite too pretty for everyone to feel settled around him—and Jim Stephens are staring, bodies completely still.

“Uh, this is Riley. My wife.”

Stephens chokes on whatever he was trying to swallow. Graves looks around the room as he forces back a smile. Bear blinks rapidly as if I were his eldest daughter informing her burly father I’d just eloped in Vegas.

“Oh my God. Did I just hear you correctly?” Marge walks in from another room, followed by Taya. “When did you get married?”

Taya tilts her head, gaze bouncing from me to Riley to Stephens, her husband. “Wait. Did you join the program? Is this another match?”

“Yes, Lucas and I were assigned to one another. We’re not strangers, though. We grew up together in Texas.” Riley steps around me and walks over to the women.

They all start talking while my friends remain tight-lipped. All except Graves. “Martinez know?”

I shake my head.

“Can’t wait for them to meet,” he says.

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