Page 306

Story: Men of Fort Dale

Matt sighed. “And I miss you both like Europe misses the plague.”

It took another couple of minutes of verbal sparring, mainly involving Aidan trying to be witty, before Matt finally got off the phone. By the time the conversation was all said and done, he was left scowling at his bag of Christmas decorations and the microwavable burrito he’d grabbed from the store.

With a sigh, he tried to ignore the ache in his chest in the shape of his absent teammates and pulled out his phone. He knew Nick was busy, but he sent a quick message. It popped up on the screen, right below Nick’s last message, asking when the base had gotten enough gay men on it to need so much mistletoe. Matt still wasn’t sure what that was about, but he’d find out later.

Humming a carol, he tucked the phone away and unbagged his latest purchases. His apartment door was positively aching for a big, gaudy wreath.

NICK

Doing his best to pretend the meeting was fascinating, Nick leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and clasping his hands under his chin. He honestly hoped it was enough to look engaged because he would be up shit creek without a paddle if someone asked his opinion on the subject. He’d lost the conversation thread over an hour ago when they circled back to the upcoming holiday celebration on the base.

Why they needed him there was beyond him, but General Winter had called him in, and that was all there was to it. The older man was exceptionally good at hiding his emotions, but Nick had worked under him long enough to see the signs. The faint tightness to his jaw and the shadow of a furrow on his brow as he talked about the upcoming celebration gave him away. Nick would never know how a man could manage an entire fort three hundred and sixty-four days of the year without a problem but get stressed over one party.

His phone buzzed, jerking him upright. Thankfully, no one noticed, and he prayed it wasn’t his mother again. Nick loved his mother to pieces, but for all her intelligence and knowing damn well what Nick was doing most of the time, Kimberly Engel had the worst timing when it came to calling. She’d already calledhim four times over the past couple of hours despite him texting to tell her he’d get back to her when he could.

Pulling his phone out, he checked the screen with trepidation. He nearly sighed in relief when he saw it was Matt.

Still in the meeting?

A sliver of his annoyance and tension edged away. Matt always swore up and down he’d respect the quiet and privacy when Nick was in meetings. That worked with shorter meetings, but after an hour or two, Matt would crack and send a message. Nick wasn’t complaining.

He tapped back that he was, and there was no end in sight. After hitting send, he turned the phone to silent and set it on his lap. He was seated at one end of the long table, and everyone’s attention was on General Winter at the other end. Ideas and how to execute those ideas were being tossed around. Nick wondered if someone would execute him if he asked politely to leave, if only to spare him another hour talking about the logistics of aparty,before his phone blinked.

Just got a call from the idiot duo.They’re still who the hell knows where, and apparently in one piece.

Nick smiled. Matt knew Nick would ask how they were before asking what they’d called for. It was a little like how Nick always knew Matt would eventually break his vow of silence given enough time. It was a vow Nick didn’t understand since he’d never once complained about Matt contacting him, no matter what he was doing.

Good to know, Nick typed back.What’d they want?

Half a minute later, the reply came back.

To tell me they weren’t going to make Christmas. Don’t think they know when they’ll be back.

Nick stifled a sigh, though he wasn’t surprised. With their disbandment, Team Maelstrom had been scattered worldwide. Ricardo was across the country but seemed happy. Despitehow abysmal things had looked at first, Aidan and Sean were wrapped so tightly around one another they were happy doing whatever. The only two left behind without any forward momentum were he and Matt.

It was a bittersweet thought. And maybe not a completely honest one. He’d been given a good position at Fort Dale, and he knew if he did well, he might have better options open in the future. Matt hadn’t been as lucky, and Nick knew his friend was struggling to figure out what to do with himself. Still, left behind or not, they had each other, which was all Nick could ask for.

I guess it’s a good thing I told Ricardo to hold off trying to buy tickets.Nick typed back.

Matt’s reply shot back quickly.

Yeah, they’re going to call him next to let him know. Kinda sucks. I was looking forward to a Maelstrom Christmas.

Nick sighed that time, reading more into the sentence than Matt had tried to convey. His friend had never really known a family until Team Maelstrom. Matt was a full-grown man and knew everyone else had their own lives and he dealt with their new lives with patience and understanding. Nick knew it still hurt his friend somewhere deep, though, to have everyone scattered, and on Christmas of all days.

It’s alright,Nick typed back.We’ll figure out something.

True, we always do. You and me.

There came the flare of an ache in his chest, which he shoved away with practiced ease. For years, it had been Nick and Matt. They had met at the beginning of their military careers, went through hell and back at one another’s sides, and experienced their personal lives together. Brother in arms, loyal and true friend, and a host of titles could be laid at Matt’s feet. That lover, boyfriend, future husband, or even partner couldn’t be one of them had been a source of frustration and heartache for Nick for years.

Always,Nick typed back, leaving it at that.

Matt had once commented that he thought it funny Nick had never dated other men despite having at least some attraction to them. Nick had shrugged and said that none of the guys he’d met held his interest, whereas some women did. The truth was, the only man Nick had ever felt anything romantic for was his best friend, but despite their shared honesty, Nick kept that little detail to himself.

“And what do you think, Engel?”

General Winter’s words brought his attention back to the discussion. The handful of other people in the meeting watched him, but it was Winter’s pale blue eyes on him that Nick was focusing on.

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