Page 16 of Not Faking it with the Colonel

“He goes to Dallas for two weeks of training starting next week. I’ll drive up and spend the weekend with him so we don’t have to be apart for two weeks.”

Ah, young love. Erin said a silent prayer that would never change as Madison told her about their plans to see a rodeo in Fort Worth. They ended the conversation on a good note, with Erin saying she’d send pictures of Tink and Smokey. As she tried to get the uncooperative felines to look at the camera for another picture, a chat notification popped up.

Not only did the message say the grill’s name, but Graham—yes, the real Graham Holmstrom—even told her what they’d both been eating.

Believe it’s really me now? ??

Yes.

But why was he messaging her? If he had a question about the USO, he could call there. He hadn’t come off as the kind of man who would initiate a relationship with a single woman, yet here he was messaging her after listing widowed as his relationship status.

Sorry, you’ll have to try Tinder if that’s what you want.No matter how handsome he was, or how bad his marriage might be, she would never be the other woman. She was probably wildly off-base with thinking he was interested in her anyway. It’s not like she’d been putting lonely, horny divorcee vibes out into the universe—yet.

You’ve convinced me, so I don’t have to block and report the account like I’ve done to all the divorced and widowed generals wanting to friend me.

Would he pick up on the hint?

His reply was almost immediate.

Would you give me your phone number so I can call?

From what she knew, scammers usually made excuses about why theycouldn’ttalk on the phone, and definitely not video chat, but she wasn’t going to ask him to video chat to prove his identity. Still, she wasn’t giving her number until she knew what he wanted.

Not yet.

Dots showed he was typing. They disappeared, then started again, but nothing came through.

Your profile says widowed, but you wore a gold wedding band.

Send.

She held her breath as the dots showed up again.

My wife passed away a year and a half ago. I hadn’t taken the ring off.

A jumble of emotions waged battle in Erin’s head and mind. Sympathy offset the giddiness he inspired as she typed her phone number and hit send.

Her phone rang almost immediately with a 253-area code. “Hello.”

“It’s Graham.”

She recognized the voice. “I’m sorry about your wife.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m also sorry about . . .”

“Making me prove I really am me?”

She pictured a grin on his face to match what she heard in his voice. “Well, not really.”

“No worries. My daughter warned me against setting up social media accounts and contacting women. I went by the USO. You weren’t working and the director said he couldn’t give me your schedule or contact information; however, he did mention you were active on their social media. It seemed to be the only way I could find you.”

That he had not only gone by the USO but set up the account to connect sent electricity buzzing through her. All of her.

“And now that we’re ‘friends,’ I wanted to see if you would go to dinner with me.”

How could she say no? “I’d like that.” It was hard not to sound over-eager, considering this was the first time someone other than Phil had asked her out in nearly three decades. Unless she counted the much older, lonely divorcé two doors down from the apartment she rented when she had moved out.

---