Excerpt
The words popped out of his mouth before he'd completely thought it through, but Danny knew this idea had real possibilities.
"Just hear me out a second." He rose to his feet, ready to make his argument before she had time to shoot it down. "You want a fresh start right? You can have that in Savannah. And I think you'd like it there. It's muggy as hell a lot of the year, but it's nice."
Bree watched him closely from beneath the brim of her cap, a hint of wariness in her eyes, but intrigue as well.
"If we get married, your insurance will be covered by the Army. You won't have to pay for coverage out of pocket in addition to your medical bills." She reluctantly nodded in agreement and he knew the first little battle had been won. So he pushed forward. "It gets you out of your parents' house," he said, ticking off each reason on his fingertips. "You can find a new job or go back to school, whatever you want to do. And since I'm gone a lot you'll have my place to yourself most of the time. You get freedom, space. You get your life back. And when you're back on your feet and ready to move on we'll get a divorce."
Bree shook her head in disbelief. "This is your great idea? You want me to marry you? I don’t know if I even like you anymore."
He flashed his best to smile. "Well then, you’ll fit right in with a bunch of the other wives and girlfriends since they don’t like me either."
Not one giggle or smirk. Not one single reaction from her. Maybe she really was immune to his charms now. Instead she just sat there, studying him carefully while absentmindedly chewing on her thumbnail. A bad habit of hers for as long as he could remember and a sure sign of her indecision.
"You're really serious about this?"
"Now’s not the time to cut off your nose to spite your face, Bree," he said. "When faced with a problem, I find a solution. You know this is one hell of an offer I’m making.” He paused a moment for the punchline. “Besides, I happen to like your nose.”
At least this time she narrowed her eyes at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
He waited patiently, somewhat surprised she hadn't grabbed this lifeline with both hands by now. But Bree had always been independent and self-sufficient. Relying on others for help never had been her style. They were alike that way. So when she described how trapped she felt, he could only imagine how crazy he'd be if he were stuck in her shoes.
"You're acting like this is no big deal. Couldn't you get in trouble for this?"
"Obviously you don't know about life in the military." He knew of guys who advertised on Craigslist for a contract wife. All for a bump in pay and the right to move out of the barracks. Luckily for him, he ranked high enough to live off post and had been doing so for some time. No one would accuse Bree of being a want ad wife. "Trust me when I say this will not be a problem. As a matter of fact, I bet no one even notices."
"No one will notice?" This time her laugh lacked amusement. "What about my parents? They'll flip. And not in a good way. Then there's your dad. What do you think he'll have to say about all of this?"
"It'll be fine. And if not, they'll get over it."
Bree shook her head in disbelief, but at least now she was smiling. "You haven't changed a bit. That used to be your answer for everything."
"True." Danny rose to his feet and made his way towards the side gate. "Think about it, but not for too long. Mike and I are heading back to Savannah at the end of the week."
"I'd always assumed there'd be music and flowers and a ring," Bree called out to him. "Maybe the guy would get down on one knee. Hell, buy me dinner at least."
He laughed at that. "Guess I'll have to leave that to the next guy." He tapped the face of his watch. "But for now you have a decision to make. Time's ticking."
"Just hear me out a second." He rose to his feet, ready to make his argument before she had time to shoot it down. "You want a fresh start right? You can have that in Savannah. And I think you'd like it there. It's muggy as hell a lot of the year, but it's nice."
Bree watched him closely from beneath the brim of her cap, a hint of wariness in her eyes, but intrigue as well.
"If we get married, your insurance will be covered by the Army. You won't have to pay for coverage out of pocket in addition to your medical bills." She reluctantly nodded in agreement and he knew the first little battle had been won. So he pushed forward. "It gets you out of your parents' house," he said, ticking off each reason on his fingertips. "You can find a new job or go back to school, whatever you want to do. And since I'm gone a lot you'll have my place to yourself most of the time. You get freedom, space. You get your life back. And when you're back on your feet and ready to move on we'll get a divorce."
Bree shook her head in disbelief. "This is your great idea? You want me to marry you? I don’t know if I even like you anymore."
He flashed his best to smile. "Well then, you’ll fit right in with a bunch of the other wives and girlfriends since they don’t like me either."
Not one giggle or smirk. Not one single reaction from her. Maybe she really was immune to his charms now. Instead she just sat there, studying him carefully while absentmindedly chewing on her thumbnail. A bad habit of hers for as long as he could remember and a sure sign of her indecision.
"You're really serious about this?"
"Now’s not the time to cut off your nose to spite your face, Bree," he said. "When faced with a problem, I find a solution. You know this is one hell of an offer I’m making.” He paused a moment for the punchline. “Besides, I happen to like your nose.”
At least this time she narrowed her eyes at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
He waited patiently, somewhat surprised she hadn't grabbed this lifeline with both hands by now. But Bree had always been independent and self-sufficient. Relying on others for help never had been her style. They were alike that way. So when she described how trapped she felt, he could only imagine how crazy he'd be if he were stuck in her shoes.
"You're acting like this is no big deal. Couldn't you get in trouble for this?"
"Obviously you don't know about life in the military." He knew of guys who advertised on Craigslist for a contract wife. All for a bump in pay and the right to move out of the barracks. Luckily for him, he ranked high enough to live off post and had been doing so for some time. No one would accuse Bree of being a want ad wife. "Trust me when I say this will not be a problem. As a matter of fact, I bet no one even notices."
"No one will notice?" This time her laugh lacked amusement. "What about my parents? They'll flip. And not in a good way. Then there's your dad. What do you think he'll have to say about all of this?"
"It'll be fine. And if not, they'll get over it."
Bree shook her head in disbelief, but at least now she was smiling. "You haven't changed a bit. That used to be your answer for everything."
"True." Danny rose to his feet and made his way towards the side gate. "Think about it, but not for too long. Mike and I are heading back to Savannah at the end of the week."
"I'd always assumed there'd be music and flowers and a ring," Bree called out to him. "Maybe the guy would get down on one knee. Hell, buy me dinner at least."
He laughed at that. "Guess I'll have to leave that to the next guy." He tapped the face of his watch. "But for now you have a decision to make. Time's ticking."