Off Limits Marine

Sky nodded. “I walk with Riv on this side and Breezie on this side. And Riv carries the rings and Breezie throws the petals. And then we stand next to Annie and try not to squirm. And if we’re good, we get to drink as much soda as we want to.”

Annie laughed. “That’s a nice reward.”

“You dance with a few men, and I’ll let you have soda, too,” Lisa said.

“All right.” Annie grabbed Sky’s hand. “Let’s go have a wedding. Are you excited?”

The little girl nodded.

“Me, too.” They walked out into the hall, Lisa trailing behind them. As they reached the first floor, the rest of the bridal party was waiting. River and Breezie looked more nervous than excited, as did Lisa’s father, John.

They arranged themselves on the back deck, taking last-minute instructions from Lisa, before they began their walk to the orchard. They were in sight of the guests when a dark-haired man in a blue Oxford shirt came jogging past them.

He turned and faced Lisa, his hands up, his expression contrite. “Sorry I’m late. You look great. Where should I go?”

“Gabe! We didn’t think you’d make it.”

“Change of plans,” he said. He glanced over at Annie and for an instant their gazes locked. The smile faded from his face. “Annie? What are you doing here?”

She swallowed hard, unable to fashion a coherent reply. All that she could manage was a very meek “Hello.”

He quickly turned and headed toward the gathering of guests. Annie let out a tightly held breath and tried to keep her whole body from melting into a puddle. How many times over the past seventeen months had she thought about that kiss? Too many to count. And every time it had come to mind, always in speculation of what might have happened had she responded, it had been followed by waves of guilt.

“What was that?” Lisa asked, looking back and forth between the retreating Gabe and her matron of honor.

“Nothing,” Annie murmured. “I was just startled. I didn’t know you were going to invite him.”

“He’s one of Nellie’s buddies. Remember? He and Nellie were in flight school together.”

“I remember. Erik, too.” She drew a ragged breath. “I...I just haven’t seen him since that night. You know, the kiss.”

Lisa’s mother grabbed her daughter’s arm. “Darling, they’re waiting. We need to go. We’re already seven minutes late.”

“They’ll wait,” Lisa said. She turned back to Annie. “What kiss?”

“Didn’t I tell you about that?” Annie asked.

“No.”

“Oh, I thought I had. Well, a few weeks after Erik’s funeral, Gabe kissed me. In the boat shed. We were talking and I was crying and he was holding me and...it just happened.”

“Darling, they’ve started the processional music. Everyone is waiting.”

“Mother, I’m the bride. Nellie has been waiting all these years to marry me. Believe me, he’ll wait a few minutes longer.”

“I’m fine,” Annie said. “We have to go.” She took River’s hand and gently drew him along. “Come on, let’s go get married. Your mother and I can talk later.”

“Damn right we’ll be talking later,” Lisa muttered. “I’m going to want all the details.”

When they reached the far end of the aisle, Annie sent the children down, pointing to their father and their uncle Peter, who were waiting next to the minister. River chose to run, while Breeze took her job seriously, plucking one pink rose petal at a time from the basket and placing it on the ground in front of her. Meanwhile, Sky was forced to walk at a snail’s pace behind her, rolling her eyes and urging her little sister to speed it up.

The processional music finished before Annie had even taken a step up the aisle, so to everyone’s laughter, the vocalist began the song all over. Annie slowly walked toward the flower-covered arbor, her gaze fixed on the white ribbons as they blew in the breeze.

She knew he was watching her, but she was afraid to look around and risk meeting his gaze. If she had told Lisa about the kiss, then she could have written this off as a setup, pure and simple. They were best friends and she should have at least mentioned it. But Annie had kept that night a secret and, over time, tried to rationalize her response.

She’d been mourning her dead husband, she’d been emotionally overwrought, she hadn’t been thinking straight. Her whole world had been turned upside down, and Gabe had offered her comfort in the only way he knew how—by kissing her. By kissing her?

Even she wasn’t deluded enough to admit that the kiss wasn’t about just comfort. There was an underlying passion, a need that couldn’t be ignored. It had been the last thing she’d expected Gabe to do.

Since that unexpected moment had happened, she’d wondered what Gabe had been thinking. Had he been so crude to believe that now that she was a widow she was free to indulge? She couldn’t come up with any other explanation. In all the time they’d spent together before Erik’s death, he’d always seemed mildly annoyed with her, as if she were standing in the way of “bro” time with his best friend.

She clutched her bouquet more tightly, trying to focus on the job at hand. Just five more steps. Four. Three. Two. And stop. She slowly turned to watch the bride come down the aisle, flanked by her parents.

Maybe he’d been testing her. That was probably it. Testing her loyalty to her husband. What better place than after his funeral. Annie felt her anger rise. How dare he question her fidelity. After all, she was the one left behind all those times when Erik was deployed.

He was out fighting wars and doing his patriotic duty, while she was at home, worrying about him. And never once, not in five years of marriage, had she thought about straying. Never once had she regretted marrying Erik, even though they’d been miles apart for more days than they’d been together.

She wouldn’t be tempted by Gabe again, Annie mused. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing between them. He was her husband’s best friend, but they had never had a relationship. She’d say hello, make polite chitchat and then leave him to his own devices.

She glanced over at him again and found him staring at her. He smiled, and Annie felt her stomach flutter. He looked good. He was even more handsome than she remembered. Oh, damn, this was going to be a lot harder than she could have ever imagined.

* * *

SHE WAS DELIBERATELY avoiding him. The reception was in full swing beneath an open-air tent at the edge of the orchard, people dancing to a country band after a meal of barbecue and burgers. Strings of lights crisscrossed the canvas above their heads, mimicking the stars that twinkled in the night sky.

The mood was casual, and everyone was out of uniform and primed to party into the night. Hell, most of the guests were already well beyond their limit, but Gabe had decided to forgo the alcohol and keep his mind sharp and focused on just one thing—Annie. Oddly, every time he moved in to try to talk to her, she slipped away.

He was beginning to feel like some crazy stalker, but he’d decided the moment he saw her that he was going to find a way to talk to her, to apologize for what had happened that night in the boat shed.

Annie had danced with nearly every single guy at the reception and was dancing with Lisa and her kids when he decided to make his move. She was distracted and didn’t see his approach.

“Hey, kids. Can I dance with you, too?”

“Uncle Gabe can always dance with us,” Lisa said, reaching out to pull him into their circle. “Annie, you don’t mind if he dances with us, do you?”

“Actually, I’m a bit tired. I think I’ll go sit down and rest.”

“No,” Sky said. “Stay with us!”

“Yeah, stay with us,” Gabe said.

Annie shook her head, then turned and walked off the dance floor. The three kids watched her leave, then gave Gabe a disapproving look. “She was tired,” he said with a shrug.

“Maybe you should go after her,” Lisa said.

“She’s been avoiding me all day. She’s so good at it, I’m thinking she might have gone through SERE training since the last time I saw her. Survival, evasion, resistance and escape. She’s got evasion down.”

“So go ahead and test her resistance,” Lisa teased.

Gabe grinned. “We do have a lot to talk about.”

“I’m sure you do. I’d start with that kiss.”

“She told you about...”

Lisa nodded. “She sure did. Bold move, Captain Pennington.”

“Stupid move,” he said. “I need to apologize.”

“Ask her to dance,” Lisa said. “I’ll go request a slow song, and you’ll have four or five minutes to say what you need to say.”

Gabe left the dance floor, more determined than ever to speak with Annie. She had to know that the kiss was just a simple expression of affection. He’d never meant to cause her a single moment of pain or regret.

He found her at the dessert table with a plate full of sweets. She watched his approach with a suspicious eye but didn’t make a move to evade him. Gabe decided that humor was the best option, so he stood next to her and stared out at the dance floor.

“If that plate is too heavy, I’d be happy to hold it for you,” he said.

“You once said I was the strongest woman you knew,” she said. “Were you lying to me?”

“I wasn’t referring to your biceps,” he said. “And I think I said that you were the most amazing woman I knew.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Trust me,” he murmured. “I remember every word we said to each other that day.”

“Just the words?” she asked.

He turned to her, their gazes finally meeting, her eyes flashing with defiance. Gabe grabbed the plate from her hand and set it on a nearby table. The band began a soft country ballad, and he jumped on the opportunity. “Why don’t we dance? It will make it much easier to talk. And it will burn off a few of those calories you were about to consume.”

“Do we have anything to talk about?” Annie asked.

“I’m sure I’ll find something,” he said, taking her arm and leading her along. When they reached the dance floor, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He’d never been much of a dancer, but he decided to do his best impression of Fred Astaire. “I’m going to start with an apology. I’m sorry about that night. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I never should have kissed you.”

“Why did you do it?” she asked.

He fought the urge to tell her the truth. That he’d been desperate, convinced that the moment between them might be the last they ever spent together. He was heading back into a war zone, and though he didn’t want to think about dying, he couldn’t help himself. For him it was a life-and-death decision, not the impulse of a horny Marine.

No, he wouldn’t tell her the truth. He’d take a page out of Erik’s playbook and let her believe that it was driven by some other form of desire.

“You know, I’ve tried to figure it out. I think I just wanted to make you feel better. Kissing is the only thing I know that always works with a weeping woman.”

The explanation sounded silly and shallow. He added a crooked smile as she regarded him suspiciously, hoping that might sell it.

“You’re speaking from your considerable experience with women?”

Gabe chuckled. “See? We’re talking. That’s a good thing. Do you forgive me? Because I am sorry. And I do regret my behavior that night. If you forgive me, we might be able to be friends. And besides being an excellent dancer, I’m an outstanding friend.”

He could see her softening, and when she finally smiled, he felt a surge of satisfaction. It wasn’t over between them. He’d have another chance. And this time, he wasn’t going to blow it.

“Come on,” he murmured, leaning closer. “You’re not the type to hold a grudge.”

“All right. I forgive you. But if you try it again, I might have to punch you.”

“That sounds like fun,” he teased. “I guess I have something to look forward to.”

They continued to dance, leaving the banter behind and giving Gabe a chance to focus on the steps. It felt good to hold her in his arms, to feel her body sway against his. She was exactly as he’d remembered her—stubborn, feisty, opinionated. And sweet, funny and beautiful. All at the same time.

When the music stopped, she quickly stepped out of his embrace and clapped politely. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“I haven’t had any cake yet,” Gabe said. “Would you like to join me? I think we left your plate over there.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips. “Before you say no, remember that we have a lot to catch up on.”

“All right,” she finally said.

They found an empty table, and he pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit. “Can I bring you anything else?” he asked. “Champagne? Or some punch?”

“Punch,” she said. “No, champagne.” She forced a smile. “I better stick to punch.”

“I’ll bring you both. Be right back.”

Lisa and Nellie were standing near the cake table as he stacked a few more pieces on Annie’s plate. Each of the four layers was a different flavor, so he chose a variety. “Great cake,” he said.

“Have at it, buddy,” Nellie shouted.

Lisa sent him a knowing smile, as if she’d been watching the two of them. “Be nice,” she warned, handing him a cold bottle of champagne.

He stopped at the punch bowl and balanced a cup on the edge of the plate, then returned to the table. He carefully set the plate in front of her. “I didn’t know what flavor cake you liked, so I brought all of them.”

She stared silently at the plate for a long moment and he realized that bringing her so much might seem like a comment on her eating habits. Jeez, when was he going to learn to think before he acted?

“Didn’t you bring yourself a plate?” she asked. “What are you going to eat?”

He pulled out a chair and plopped down next to her, chuckling at the cool look she cast his way. “I thought we could share.” Gabe speared a bite of carrot cake, then popped it in his mouth. “Good cake. So, how have you been?”

“Good,” Annie replied. “Most of the time. The sailing school is doing pretty well. We had a record number of students register for the summer. I had to build a new bunkhouse. We added a couple more programs and brought in some great mentors for the students to work with. But it’s never going to make me rich.”

“I’d like to stop by and see it,” he said.

She gave him a sideways glance. “Why would you want to do that?”

“You rent boats. I might want to go sailing. I’m going to be moving to the area in a few weeks. I’ve been temporarily assigned to do some consulting on new avionics software at Pax River. I’m going to be working with Nellie.”

“So you’re making a career of the Marine Corps?”

“That’s always been the plan. Unless NASA comes calling. I’m thinking I’d like to fly the new space shuttle.”

“You have some big dreams,” she said. Annie picked at her cake, then set her fork down and pushed the plate away. “Can I be completely honest with you?”

Gabe nodded. “Absolutely.”

“If you’re thinking there might be something between us, you need to know that I’m never going to be with you. I’ve decided that I need to find a man who isn’t in the military.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. There’s just one problem with that.”

“A problem? What problem?” Annie asked.

“I’m in the military. And you already like me. I guess, if we’re going to hang out, you’re going to need to change your plans. I mean, you might just start to think of me as more than just a friend. I like to keep an open mind about things like this.”

Annie shook her head. “You’re very sure of yourself.”

“When I see something I want, I don’t stop until I get it.”

“And what do you want?” she asked.

Gabe shrugged. “Lots of things. But a summer on the Chesapeake would be a good start.”

Annie pushed to her feet. “I should probably get back to my duties as matron of honor.”

“And I’ve got a long drive back to Pax River. It was nice talking to you again, Annie.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss across her cheek. “I’ll be seeing you.”

He walked away from her without looking back, knowing that he was risking it all by playing it cool. Gabe wandered over to the bride and groom and promised that he’d be back for another visit now that they’d be residing on the same side of the country again.

When he leaned in to kiss Lisa’s cheek, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t give up on her,” she said. “You two would be great together.”

“I’ll be seeing you next month,” Nellie said. “Try to keep yourself out of trouble until then. I’m counting on you to make me look good to my civilian bosses.”

As he walked out to his car, Gabe smiled to himself. He’d looked forward to reconnecting with a few old friends. He’d never expected to run into Annie Jennings. But he’d managed to piece together something that a simple kiss had nearly destroyed over a year ago.

“Mission accomplished,” he murmured.

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