Page 115 of Daddy, Sir

“You look good.” The truth was, he’d looked just as good in fatigues. The casual clothes didn’t change his posture or bearing. She’d tag him as military no matter what he wore. “So, how long have you been back?”

“A few months. I’m still getting used to it. I’ve been overseas for a long time.”

He asked her something about her job, she replied, and it went back and forth as she sipped her drink and tried to figure out how to move things along. Jamie was interested in his life. Shewantedto know all about it, but at the same time… she wanted to skip all the small talk and bring the conversation to the serious topics. They only had the weekend after all.

“So, now they’ve got me in this teaching position, and I think it’s probably going to be a long-term thing. I’ve got six years left, and I might be able to stay here for all of it. At least, I’m hoping.”

“Do you really think you’ll be stationed here for six years?”

He shrugged. “I’m told it’s possible. They’ve been trying to fill this teaching position for a while.”

There were so many possible responses to that, and all of them would make her sound desperate and silly. She forced herself to be cool about it. “It will be nice being in one place for a while, after all the moving, right?”

“Absolutely. And if I don’t get rotated back out into the field… well, that would be… good.” The words had an odd tone. There was a hint of dark emotions, and she wondered what it had been like for him.

She wasn’t going to ask, not while they were just getting reacquainted. Instead she focused on other aspects. “So, any kids?” It was easier than asking if he was married.

He snorted. “No. No kids. No anything, to be honest. My life, until now, hasn’t really made any of that easy.”

She tried not to react to that information. “What? They don’t have women in whatever countries you were sent to?”

He sat back in his seat, grinning. “Oh, they had women. Plenty of gorgeous women, and I had a few moments. But?—”

She fought to keep her eyes from narrowing as a surge of jealousy shot through her. “But?”

He shrugged. “Anything more than temporary wouldn’t have worked out. The job wasn’t conducive for relationships.” His eyes settled on hers. “And you? Kids? Husband?”

“Nothing, and for the same reason, I guess. My job uses up most of my time. I don’t really get the chance to socialize, and dating is too much effort.” Too much effort for a man who wouldn’t behim.

Before she could blurt out something embarrassing, a waitress wandered over to take drink orders. Jamie asked for a second rum and coke. Oliver ordered a beer and a shot. The pause gave her a chance to catch her breath and cool her emotions.

He was single. She was single. There was chemistry, surely, he could feel it. And he would be stationed only two hours from her, for the foreseeable future.It has to be fate, right?

The conversation never went to a more intimate place, as much as she wanted it to. People kept stopping by to say hello to one of them. Once things got rolling, Sara Ann briefly invited herself to sit down and completely monopolized the conversation, until something distracted her, and she bounced off to another table.

And then, just when Jamie was working up the nerve to ask some more questions, Sara Ann announced that she’d planned some games.

“Games? Are we still in high school?” Jamie groaned and shook her head. “I just wanted to drink and talk.”

Oliver laughed, and then he laughed harder when Jamie won a prize for remembering and performing the school song. If the prize hadn’t been a fancy gift basket full of wine and snacks, she wouldn’t have gotten up, but it was worth the humiliation.

The waitress brought Jamie another drink after that, but Oliver declined. When she ordered her fourth, his eyebrow went up, but he didn’t say anything. Things were wrapping up by then and people were starting to leave, but she wasn’t eager to go.

They were the last ones out the door, aside from Sara Ann, who was packing up her games, and paused as they passed her. “You kids behave now. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said in a smug tone.

“Is there anything youwouldn’tdo, Sara Ann?” Jamie tossed back.

“Hmm, with him? Probably not, so don’t blow it.” She gave Oliver a wink and made shooing motions at the two of them.

Jamie tried to ignore the hot flush that crawled over her face. Trust Sara Ann to bring everything to the surface like that. Theystepped out into the parking lot, and she was happy for the cool evening air against her skin. “Sorry about her, she’s… a lot.”

Oliver grinned. “She is, but I had fun tonight. And hey, you got a basket out of it, so not a total loss, right?”

Jamie decided to be honest. “It would have been worth it to spend the time with you anyway. I just wish we’d gotten to talk more. But it’s not that late… maybe we could go get something to eat?”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll drive, of course.”

She squinted at him. “Why ‘of course’? Is this some macho man rule? Can’t be in a car with a woman driver?”

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