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“I can do better than your brothers” Derrick really did have a nice laugh, deep and rich Sabrina was right I was a sucker for a good voice And the smile lines around his eyes didn’t hurt either “And thank you, by the way I do appreciateall this”

“You’re welcohtly better mood noaited under a tree while Derrick went into the barracks He and Calder were ale rooI had fun people-watching with all the fresh-faced recruits co in the short tione

He returned in civilian clothes—jeans and a gray shirt with buttons that old I didn’t have h before Calder and two of his friends arrived After Calder too changed, we ended up all riding together to the restaurant in Silverlake, and soainst Derrick, who smelled like the sexiest pine forest ever and as solid and warm

My body huain Preferably without an audience, just to see if he really was that good at it, if things between us could be that ical, or if it had simply been the ehis aftershave had ood that a repeat kiss would be even better

But also, not happening, so I ainst hiet to sit next to hi Speaking of, she started waving at us as soon as we entered the place, which was an upscale breith a huge drinks menu, but also steaks and some twists on bar food classics

“We’re over here,” Mom called out

“Damn Four tables” Calder led the way over to the bank of tables pressed together, where yetone of my other brothers and his family who had apparently driven up from his base in Tacoma

“Ollie! How the hell are you, htly younger than Calder but older thanat Oliver’s kids She’d been so happy when he got transferred to this coast after stints in Florida and Georgia

Not surprisingly, most of the conversation at our end of the table revolved around duty stations and deploy stories with occasional input frouage of acrony that made my head hurt Like ularly focused on advancing in rank, and honestly, their conversation was al as when the topic shifted to all the sports happenings Calder and Derrick had missed while deployed

Ordinarily I’d distract myself with the kids, but they were at the opposite end of the table on various tablets and phones until the food arrived

“You okay?” Derrick asked in a low voice after the server set our burgers in front of us, and the rest of the table was distracted by eating