Page 22 of Salute, To Bravery

T he rest of the ride back to the RV was silent and tense.

I really wanted to ask what was going on, but I was honestly too afraid to ask.

I knew the cemetery set him off, but I didn’t know why.

It could have been a number of things, and honestly, they were all understandable.

Still, I didn’t want to make him more upset than he was.

My assumption was maybe it was just a stark reminder of where he’d be buried someday, or maybe he even knew someone buried there. I hoped it wasn’t the latter.

“Hey, do you mind if I borrow the bed?” Ian pulled into our spot next to the RV and shut the Jeep’s engine off.

“Borrow the bed?” I cocked my head to the side. “Where are you taking it?”

He smiled. “You know damn well what I meant.”

I smiled back, glad that he seemed a little better. “Yeah, go ahead, I’m just gonna catch up on emails and social media.”

“That shit will rot your brain, you know that, right?” He grabbed our bags and what was left of his shake and hopped out of the Jeep.

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my own shake and followed him into the RV. “Are you telling me you don’t have any social media accounts?”

“I used to, but honestly it just lost its appeal. Not everything should be posted online for the world to see.” He set his shake and our bags on the counter before pulling his shirt off. “I’m gonna grab a power nap.”

I’d seen the man shirtless before, but I found myself averting my eyes.

How could someone’s back be a turn on? I shook the thought from my head, only looking up after he’d closed the flimsy door to the small room.

I had a feeling his need for isolation came more from whatever happened at the cemetery than it did from actually being tired.

Either way, I’d give him his space. Plus, it gave me a chance to deal with my mother.

I pulled out my phone, which had a million messages on it.

My mother, my father, Sophie, and Emmy. They all basically said the same thing over and over again: asking where I was, when was I going to be at the Engagement Party, and threatening to call the police if I didn’t answer.

I sighed, opting to tackle the head of the problem first and get it out of the way.

The phone only rang twice before she answered.

“Odette! Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick.

You weren’t at your apartment when your father showed up.

We have so much to do and only a week to do it!

” She wasn’t even attempting to give me a chance to answer or comment before moving on to the next question.

“Mom, take a breath.”

Finally, there was a pause at the other end of the line. “We’re just worried.”

“I understand that, but you have to give me a chance to talk if you actually want answers.” I forced a chuckle, trying to both hide my annoyance and lighten the mood.

I heard her sigh. “Okay, you’re right. Just tell me what’s going on, please.”

She did seem a little more relaxed, which I hoped would help the rest of the conversation.

“First of all, I called and left Dad a message not to come and get me. I had some stuff to take care of. I also sent him a text, so if he showed up anyway, that’s not really on me.”

“I told him to go ahead and get you, he could have helped you finish up with whatever you had going on there and bring you home.” Great. She was back to being annoyed.

“Again, I said not to come. That’s on you guys. And you guys threatening me with the police isn’t really appreciated either.” I was desperately trying to keep my tone in check.

“We were worried. You weren’t where you were supposed to be.”

“Mom, I’m an adult. An adult who told you I wouldn’t be there. An adult who has checked in letting you know I was fine. All the messages and calls are completely unnecessary. I’m allowed to have a little bit of time to myself and some privacy.”

“Odette, you’re not allowed to go off to God-knows-where when we have a huge engagement party to plan. Josh and his family will be here in less than a week, and we need to put our best foot forward.”

“Mom, did you ever stop to think that this whole ‘arranged marriage’ thing is a bit archaic?” I gritted my teeth, my patience finally running out.

“Excuse me? This is a great opportunity for you! Josh is a great kid with a great future. You’ll be well taken care of for the rest of your life. It’s just smart.” My mother huffed. This was a no-brainer to her.

“You ever think I have the skills to take care of myself? Did you ever think I would rather just take care of myself?” My voice rose.

“Is this what this is? Are you running to avoid this?”

I clamped my mouth shut. Shit.

“You realize if you don’t go through with this, you’re going to hurt your family?

How would it look if we let you continue to live in that horrid little apartment in Chicago?

” I could almost feel the anger seeping through the phone, and I could tell she was pacing by the sound of her heels on the marble floor.

I decided to just defuse the situation as best as I could. I didn’t have the energy for this today. “Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I was okay, and I’m almost finished up with what I needed to do, okay? I will call you later, but please let everyone know I’m fine.”

She sighed again. “Fine, I’ll let your father know. You had better be here soon, though. We still need to find you the perfect dress for the party.” Once again, her mood lifted, and the excitement was back in her voice. She was so easy to placate.

“Thanks, Mom, love you.”

“Love you too, Odette.”

I rolled my eyes as I clicked the button to end the call. I wasn’t sure why, but her insistence on always using my full name drove me insane. She always thought nicknames were only something poor people did.

“You’re getting married?”

I nearly dropped my phone as I spun around. Ian stood in the doorway of the bedroom, still shirtless and quite the distraction.

“I thought you were taking a nap?” I tossed my phone on the table, nothing bothering to hide my frustration.

“Kinda hard to when you’re yelling at your mom.” Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the frame.

“You heard all that then?”

“Again, kinda hard not to.” He gave me a small smile. I knew he was trying to be gentle.

I sighed and flopped down onto the couch. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize how loud I was.”

“You’re avoiding the question. I thought you didn’t want to get married?” Ian crossed the small kitchen between us and took the other side of the couch.

“It’s . . . complicated.”

“We’ve got time.” Ian pulled the lever on the end of the couch, reclining and propping up his feet.

I glared at him.

“What, should I get the popcorn started first?” His grin only got bigger.

I crossed my arms. “What makes you think I’m gonna talk to you about this?”

“Honey,” his slightly Southern accent stuck to the word, “if I’m going to hide a fugitive, I want to know what I’m getting into.” Now it was his turn to cross his arms.

I sighed. It was hard to argue with him when he had that grin.

And he had a point, kind of. “My father and mother are a very wealthy couple. Old money, Legacies, the whole nine yards.” I rubbed my forehead.

“They expect me to marry a boy I grew up with, who is from a similar background. They expect me to play the role of the dutiful housewife who runs charities and stays home with the herd of children. Just like every other woman in my family.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Don’t you have a college degree?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, but in something completely useless because I listened to my parents. To them, college degrees for women are really only there to make you look better on paper. They don’t expect you to actually use your degree or get a real job.”

Ian pursed his lips, opened his mouth to say something, then clamped it shut again.

“If you wanna say something, do it now,” I gave him permission. Hoping he understood that I knew how ridiculous it sounded.

“First of all, your family is insane. Do they not realize that the real world doesn’t work that way?”

“Their world works that way. That’s the circle they surround themselves with. Old money, old families, small community.” I put my head in my hands and rubbed my face.

“So, they want you to marry this dude that they picked out for you?” I nodded. “Do you even love this guy?”

I dropped my hands and shook my head. “Mom always said you marry in order to make sure you’re taken care of, not for love. Being in love doesn’t mean you’re taken care of in the long run.”

Ian scoffed. “No wonder you didn’t want to be seen as my wife.” He shook his head and wouldn’t look at me.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not up to your standards. I’m just a lowly nurse and an Army vet.”

I could hear the tightness in his voice, his teeth grinding despite his trying to keep his voice even. “Ian, they aren’t my standards, they’re my parents’ standards.”

He sighed and stood from the couch. He started to pace the small kitchen but decided to lean against the counter instead.

“I always thought I felt something between us, and I could never figure out why we didn’t just go for it.

You never said you weren’t interested, so I thought maybe you needed time or didn’t like coworkers.

It never crossed my mind that I was beneath you.

” He pursed his lips and ran his hands through his hair.

I wasn’t sure why, but I started to panic. “Ian, I never said you were beneath me.” I stood and crossed the small distance between us to stand in front of him.

“You didn’t have to outright say it, Dottie.” He sighed. “I’m really sorry about my behavior, I wasn’t aware you were already engaged.” He slid past me. “I really misread the situation.”

“Ian, stop.”

“Stop what, Dottie?” he finally snapped at me, the frustration boiling over.

“I don’t want him. That’s why I ran. I don’t want him or that life.” My voice rose.

He took a step toward me, but that put him firmly in my space.

Instinctively, I stepped back, effectively becoming pinned between the counter and him.

He took a deep breath, feeling it against my skin as he exhaled.

He lowered his voice. “No one can force you to do what you don’t want.

It doesn’t matter what they try to hold over you.

” He tilted my head up by pushing his finger under my chin. “We will get you out, if you want out.”

I tried to stop the tears from spilling over my cheeks as I met his eyes. “I’m scared.”

“We will figure it out. And I’ll be right here, no expectations.

Just a friend helping a friend.” He released my chin but kept eye contact.

“I really am sorry. I thought you were interested too. I guess my flirt radar is a little rusty.” He laughed sheepishly as he looked down.

His cheeks were slightly red, and I had to admit, it was pretty cute.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested, Ian.” It was almost a whisper. I’d been so afraid to say it out loud.

He cocked his head to the side like a puppy. “What did you say?”

Now it was my turn to blush. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested, I just didn’t see the point in saying anything if I was gonna have to marry some other dude anyway.” I shrugged and looked at my folded hands in front of me. Looking at him now might cause me to die of embarrassment.

“Dottie. Look at me.” He placed his hands on the counter behind me. I went from effectively pinned to actually pinned against the counter. I steeled my nerves before meeting his gaze again. He went from frustrated to that soft gaze that always made my knees turn to jelly. “What do you want?”

“You know what I want.” Again, it was barely a whisper.

“I need you to say it. Use your words.”

The gentle command did something to my gut, and I felt the butterflies like never before. I straightened my spine. “I want to be with you. Not him. I don’t know what this is, but I want it with you.”

Apparently, that’s all he needed to hear. “Good,” he said.

Before I could process what was happening, Ian had slid his fingers into my hair and pulled me toward him.

His lips pressed against mine, firm but gentle all at once.

The tip of his tongue ran along my bottom lip, begging for more.

I parted my lips, letting his greedy lips consume me.

I’d completely forgotten that he was still shirtless until I ran my hands across his chest, earning a moan from him. God, I loved that sound . . .

Riiiiing ring riiiiiiing.

“Damn it.” Ian pulled away from me. He went from frustrated to trying to hide his laughter when he saw how flustered I was. I put one hand over his mouth to muffle the sweet nothings he tried to whisper in my ear and used the other to answer the phone. I should have checked who was calling first.

“Hey honey, do you have a moment?”

“Mom?” All good feelings went out the window. Ian stopped trying to tease me and pulled away, giving me space to think. Even though he’d taken a step back, I couldn’t help but slide my fingers into the edge of his jeans. I didn’t want to stop touching him now that I’d started.

“Yes, honey, it’s me. I need to know where you are so we can get you a ride home. Or a plane ticket if needed. We have a lot to do.”

“Mom, we just talked about this.”

“I know, Odette, but I did some thinking, and I thought it would be best if I just brought you home now.”

Rage boiled in my chest; I took a deep breath, ready to give her a piece of my mind. My eyes met Ian’s, and I couldn’t explain what I saw there even if I tried. Was it hope? Was he curious? Was he mad? Scared?

I don’t even know, but I knew I couldn’t let her do this to me—or to him.

“Mom. I’m not coming home. At least not for a long time.

Don’t come looking for me. Tell Josh I’m sorry, but I’m not doing this.

I wish you all the best, but I’m doing what’s best for me.

I love you.” I hung up. I didn’t even give her the chance to argue or even recuperate from her stunned silence.

I turned the phone off and threw it on the counter.

Relief flooded Ian’s face, followed by his award-winning smile. “I can’t believe you did that.”

I shrugged as I pulled him back to me. His lips landed on mine for a quick kiss. “Well, now what?”

His grin got bigger. “Ready for an adventure?”