Page 8 of Love and Other Trials
She turned her mouth up at that. “That’s ridiculous, but Rob is strategic, which makes him a good aviator, I imagine. He thought it was important to get to know me when he came for Thanksgiving to meet the family for the first time after he proposed.”
His diaphragm seized up, prompting him to sit up straighter to ease the tension.
Ariel immediately reached across the yellow table and gently touched his hand. “Ready to tell me?”
He nodded crisply. “Best get it over with. Here goes. I was talking with Rob. About you, actually, and how I was looking forward to meeting you.”
Her face registered shock before she glanced over and rubbed Sherlock under the ears, almost as if she couldn’t maintain eye contact after that admission.
“We’d read about you and Sherlock saving those people in Nebraska. Maybe it’s being in the military, but me, Rob, and our other military buddies have a lot of respect for you. Sherlock too, of course. It takes guts to do what you do. Maybe even more than what we do.”
“Let’s not start comparing.”
They paused to thank their waitress as she set down their iced teas and three glasses of water, with a wink at Sherlock.
“We all do what we do,” Ariel continued. “But you’re digressing…”
He was, and he knew it. “Anyway, your sister came over. She’d been drinking with your other sisters, if you don’t mind me saying. Another reason I didn’t want them driving.” Rob hadn’t been a candidate either, but that wasn’t unusual. Dax had been the designated driver since college.
“Tequila, likely.” Ariel frowned as she filled the dog’s water bowl. “My sisters and tequila have a longstanding relationship. Keep going.”
He could still see the way Tiffany had cozied up to Rob and wrapped her arms around him before leaning in and giving him a long, deep kiss. Dax had almost excused himself to give them a moment, but before he could, Rob had pulled away and said he had to hit the men’s room, leaving Dax with Tiffany.
“Rob went to the head after they’d had an affectionate moment. She looked at him like a bride should, I thought. But then she turned to me and smiled. The vibe felt a little off when she kept staring at me. Then she said she could see why people thought I had the best buns this side of Biloxi. How she’d been watching me… Jesus, this is mortifying.”
He never blushed, but heat was crawling up his neck.
“Keep going. It can’t be more embarrassing telling it than having it happen.”
That was a perspective. “After that, she did some itsy-bitsy spider thing with her fingers up my chest before sliding her hand around and patting my butt, saying I looked good enough to eat.”
“Grabbing it or patting it?” she asked seriously.
“Patting.” He gave her a strained smile. “Like I was her pet.” Or her love slave, but he would never say those words out loud.
Ariel heaved out a breath. “And then what?”
“She leaned in closer.” He could still smell how strong Tiffany’s perfume was, but oddly he hadn’t smelled any alcohol on her breath. “Then your sister, Tricia, shouted out something about you being at the airport, and all hell broke loose. Tiffany headed over. Rob returned. Phones came out. Arguments ensued. I was upset no one had remembered to pick you up.”
Her lopsided smile grabbed him by the throat. “That’s really sweet.”
God, she was easy to impress, but then again, her family had forgotten her. Who did that? Whenever he flew into Austin, his family met him with signs saying,Welcome Home, DaxorWe Missed You, Captain.
“If I’d known, I would have been there when you landed, but I thought it was handled. And that’s when I volunteered to get you.” He fiddled with his straw. “I left in shock, trying to make sense of things and then figure out a way to tell my buddy.”
That lovely hand of hers found his again, and this time, he took it and held it firmly. Her hand was slender and fit his perfectly, her touch carrying warmth all the way to his rapidly thudding heart.
“I’m so sorry that happened, Dax. You can’t know how much. I’ve been on the front lines of a lot of the so-called Three Tornadoes’ damage, and this is top of the charts. But while it doesn’t make any of it better, I can tell you that my sisters are all abominable flirts—even while involved or married. It’s mostly harmless, although that doesn’t justify it. They have this compulsion I’ve never understood to make sure every living and breathing male between the ages of twenty and seventy wants them.”
Call him old-fashioned, but he still didn’t think it was right. Even flirting had intent, and it wasn’t how someone should act when they were in a committed relationship. Also, it would surely make Rob crazy given his past with Erin. “I’ve known women like that, Ariel. I just don’t want my best friend to marry one of them.”
“I get that.” She gave Sherlock another pat when he leaned his head against her side. “But it’s possible Tiffany got jealous of you talking about me and wanted to assert her…”
“Dominance?” He scoffed. “Doesn’t pretty it up.”
“No, it doesn’t.” She bit her lip, her inner turmoil obvious now. “You said you plan to stop the wedding. You’re going to talk to Rob?”
“I have to, Ariel.” He squeezed her hand since she looked pale now, his own mouth flattening at the coming conversation. “He has to know. I wouldn’t be his best friend if I didn’t tell him. Do you disagree?”
