Page 83 of Ripped & Shipped
Maybe it’s for the best that Duke is coming over here. Otherwise, I’d be likely to do something foolish like show up at Ella Mae’s without a reason or a plan.
I have to come out of hibernation this evening anyway. Duke and my sister are announcing their pregnancy to Mom and Dad over dinner. Duke and I will head that way after we hang out here. Being with my family for such an important event should distract me from everything else in my life.
The screen door opens and shuts, and I look up from my spot on the couch to see Duke smirking at me.
“What’s up, loverboy?”
I stare at my best friend. Yes. We always joke around. But he’s never gone so far as to call me loverboy.
“Come in.”
I ignore his greeting on purpose.
“Aren’t you going to fill me in on the latest developments in your love life?” he asks as he flops down on the other end of the sofa.
“Yeah. Here are the developments in a nutshell: nothing.”
“Hmmm.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, rumor has it you were at Ella Mae’s the other day alone with her while Meg and Joe were out. In her house, not outdoors. Yes. You worked on the porch, but then you spent more than an hour inside.”
This town. And Duke.
“Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“Seriously, Chris? Are you going to sit there and tell me you weren’t inside Ella Mae’s house?”
“I was inside her house.”
“And?”
“And maybe that’s not your business. Or anyone else's, for that matter.”
Duke crosses his arms over his chest. Then he pulls out that good-ol’-boy charm of his.
He gets serious and says, “Look, I know I came in teasing you, but really, I want to know what’s up. Are you interested in Ella Mae?”
“I don’t know. Okay?”
I blurt out the words in aggravation before my brain even gets a chance to consult about the wisdom of saying anything. But this is Duke. Aside from dating my sister in secret, he’s always had my back. And when it comes to Shannon, I can’t really blame him for how they went about things. He was in love. And love makes a man crazy—apparently. Not that I’m in love. But I’m in something. Deep, murky, relentless something.
“Okay,” Duke says, gently.
We sit together, looking around at nothing in particular, saying nothing in particular. We’re just letting my truth bomb sit undetonated between us.
Finally, I speak. “Ella Mae was in need of some help that day out at the Big Boy. I go there sometimes on Wednesdays. I work downtown, and I stop in on an army friend after I get off work. Then I usually go hit Frisch’s to sort through all the thoughts and feelings of my day.”
I look over at Duke. He’s as still as a statue—as if he knows any sudden movement might force me back into secrecy. But I’ve hit some sort of limit. And it’s not really fair that Aiden knows I work for the DOD and Duke’s still in the dark.
“I’m in cybersecurity. It’s not glamorous, but it’s private, and a lot of what I deal with is classified. So, I figured it’s better you—and everyone—didn’t know what goes on in my work life. I do odd jobs around town because I can flex my hours, and also because it gives me a little cover for what I really do. And the friend I visit, his name is Alex. He was wounded while we were serving together. I go each week to check up on him and his family.”
“Man. I’m sorry.”
“About Alex?”
“Yeah.”
