Page 8 of The Moments You Were Mine

I turned to JJ. “Why don’t you go back? I’ll be there in a second.”

JJ didn’t look too happy, but he headed off.

Silence fell, the crash of the waves beating between Parkerand me a strange warning instead of the peace it normally was. The rhythm of the music, some country song Parker would hate, vibrated over the air.

“You’ve got yourself a boyfriend, Ducky,” Parker said. His voice was completely bland. Neutral.

“It’s, like, our third date. I’m not sure we’re in boyfriend territory yet,” I said with a shrug.

“I’m pretty sure he tried to stake a claim with that handshake.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know that misogynistic, He-Man stuff doesn’t do it for me.”

A small smile returned to Parker’s face as he leaned in and said softly, “Then he’s doing it wrong.”

My stomach whooshed, my insides curled tight, and longing barreled through me.

“Don’t do that,” I breathed out.

“Do what?”

“Don’t flirt with me when you have no intention of ever doing more. I’ve finally found someone who likes me for me. Whowantsme—” my voice cracked, and it pissed me off. I took a minute and then continued. “I deserve that.”

Parker’s face went blank again. He was so good at it these days. Since he finished training and started going on missions, he’d become excellent at hiding every thought and emotion. I hated it.

“You do deserve that, Ducky. I’m just not surehedeservesyou.”

I blew out a breath. “You met him for two seconds. You tossed out an innuendo that made it seem like we were more when I’ve spent the last three weeks explaining you are just a friend, and now you’re pissed that he reacted to it. You don’t know him.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. “You’re right. I don’t. I’m sorry. I’m in a pissy mood.”

Instantly, all my anger and frustration disappeared. “What’s wrong?”

“Althea’s pregnant. She’s demanding Will marry her, and I’m doing everything I can to hold him back. Hell, I’m not evensure if the baby is his. Guys from another squad told me they’d seen her with a whole series of Marines while we were deployed.”

My heart hurt for Will. “That’s awful. Is he getting a DNA test?”

“I finally convinced him to get one and to wait until after the baby is born before making anything permanent with her.”

“I bet Althea loved that.”

Neither of us were crazy about Will’s girlfriend.

“You could say I’ve now become her least favorite person.”

Laughter broke out from the bonfire behind us, and I turned to see JJ standing on the opposite side, but his gaze was on Parker and me. If I wasn’t on a date, I would have gone with Parker simply because it had been months since we’d seen each other, but also so I could try to soothe his ruffled feathers.

We probably would have gone to the Taco Shack and then gone back to his house to watchBuffyreruns and take turns daring each other to listen to some song we both knew the other wouldn’t like. I would have helped him decompress after a mission that had obviously settled hard on his soul and had been made worse by the news Althea had given them.

Parker and Will had grown much closer since Will’s parents had died while they were at the Naval Academy together. The men were no longer just friends. They were brothers. Parker’s parents had all but adopted Will.

“Your parents are going to be excited. They’re finally getting a grandkid.”

Parker’s brows raised. “I didn’t even think about that, but you’re right. They will be happy.”

His gaze lifted over my head to the party raging behind me. He reached out and tugged my braid again. “Go. Have fun with your new guy and your friends. Just not too much fun.”

My lips twitched.