Page 7

“This is the weirdest conversation I’ve had with you, and I’m not even sure what the fuck we’re talking about now.”

“Really? After almost eight months of working with me, this is the weirdest?”

“It’s close.”

It was hard to believe he’d been assigned to Fort Dale for only eight months and even harder to believe it had been mainly spent on guard duty. How he’d gone from a soldier in the field,leader of his squad, to manning a hut on some far-flung base was a mystery.

Sloane rubbed his brow. “I don’t care if people start talking about Dean and me being something, alright? It’s not true, but it’s not going to stop people. Just fucking wish people could mind their own business.”

Sloane was comfortable with who he was and with who Dean was. What did it matter to him if Dean was attracted to guys? All that meant to Sloane was that it would be useless to talk about women with him if he even wanted to. It wasn’t like Dean had been dating while they’d been friends; he was too busy working or deployed.

The two months Sloane had been taken out of the field and posted to Fort Dale, while Dean had continued to be deployed, had been lonely. Sloane had been ecstatic when he learned Dean was not only coming stateside but that he was being assigned to the same base. That was until he’d seen Dean for the first time, and something had been...wrong.

Trisha shrugged. “I don’t care if you two are an item, banging quietly on the side, or simply cuddle buddies. I’m just telling you what everyone else is going to say.”

“They’ve been saying that shit since boot camp. I don’t give a fuck. Dean’s a good guy and my best friend. Everyone else can fuck right the hell off,” Sloane snapped.

Trisha looked up again. “Need an aspirin?”

Sloane pulled his hand away from his forehead. “I’m fine. It’s just a headache, probably from the stupid conversations I’ve had to endure today.”

Trisha hummed thoughtfully. “How’s the family?”

Sloane glanced at her, unsure if he should be relieved that she was changing the subject or suspicious. He’d been working alongside her long enough to know the woman was far more devious than her casual demeanor let on. Then again, more thanmany people he dealt with save for Dean, she knew how far she could push him before he lost his patience.

“Fine. Shawna’s learning what dating is like,” Sloane said, easing back into his seat.

Trisha chuckled. “Poor thing. I remember dating at that age, don’t recommend it. And how’s big brother dealing with it?”

“I’m just fine. Thank you very much.”

“Really?”

Sloane looked up. “I’m not some asshole who’s going to go barging into her business.”

“Really?”

“Shut the hell up.”

Trisha chuckled. “You and I both know you’re very protective of the few people you let yourself give a shit about.”

“And I can’t do anything from here, now can I?” Sloane asked.

“But you can text her,” Trisha noted.

Sloane shrugged. “Best I can do at the moment. I will call her later, though, to ensure she’s alright. She’s a good kid, got a good head on her shoulders when she can remember it’s there. Sucks for her now, but give it a few weeks, and she’ll realize it’s not a big deal.”

“And probably have found another boy to do the same thing with,” Trisha said.

Sloane wrinkled his nose. “I hope she learns better than that.”

“When it comes to matters of the heart, nobody learns,” Trisha said.

Sloane sighed, unable to argue with her logic. He’d gone through his own trials regarding romance when he was younger, and he supposed everyone had to go through it at some point. In many ways, he’d been like a parent as much as a brother to Shawna when she was growing up and, to a lesser extent, hisother sister. Sometimes, it was difficult to accept he couldn’t do much for them except be a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.

“And your mom?” Trisha continued.

“The same as always. I keep trying to get her to take some time off, but she won’t,” Sloane grumbled.