Reckless Faith

“Uncle Jace, can I ask you a question?”

He smiled down at his eight-year-old niece. He’d spent his Saturday night crashing Eastern, Sadie and Avery’s dinner at the local Italian restaurant, and he didn’t feel bad about it at all. Of course, he’d pushed for ice cream for dessert, and Avery had been in full support.

“Shoot.”

“Do you think you’ll have kids one day?”

Whatever he’d thought she’d ask, it wasn’t that. But then, maybe it should have been. She’d already asked if he planned to get married, how many girlfriends he’d had, and whether he had one right now.

“I don’t know, kid. Maybe, if the right woman should be so lucky.” He grinned at her, not missing the eye roll from Eastern.

A little girl with gray eyes and dark hair flashed in his mind.

He shook his head, needing to get that image out of his head because it would drive him crazy.

Avery nodded. “Good. Because I want cousins like my friend Quinn at school, but Daddy said I might be waiting a while.”

Jace shot a look at Eastern, who simply lifted a shoulder. He was holding Sadie’s hand and the two of them looked too damn cute. “I’m putting my money on Kay and Tilly being the first.”

Sadie shook her head. “No, I think Cody and Harper.”

Avery jumped up and down. “I know! They can have babies at the same time and grow up like sisters.”

“Or brothers,” Eastern cut in.

Avery wrinkled her nose. “I want girl cousins.”

They’d just reached the ice cream shop when Jace’s phone rang. His muscles tensed when he saw who it was. AJ, a member of his former team. For a moment, he just stared at the cell, memories he preferred to keep buried crawling to the surface. It was only Eastern grabbing his shoulder that pulled him out of it.

His brother frowned at him. “Hey. You coming in?”

He looked at the ice cream shop. “You go. I’ll take this call real quick.”

“I’ll choose Uncle Jace’s flavor,” Avery said, already tugging her father toward the door. “I’m good at choosing flavors.”

“Pick me a good one,” Jace called.

Avery’s grin widened, and Eastern gave him one last look before stepping into the shop with Sadie.

Jace took a breath before answering the call. “AJ, hey. How are you doing?”

“Good, brother. Just got home from a trip. I wanted to check in. None of us have heard from you for a while.”

Jace ran his fingers through his hair, knowing he should have reached out at least once by now, since leaving the Air Force. “Sorry. I’ve been busy getting settled back into my hometown.”

“So you’re not avoiding us because of what happened to Dean?”

Looked like Avery wasn’t the only straight shooter tonight.

A part of him wanted to lie. To tell AJ he was fine and that the mission was behind him. But he’d never lied to a teammate before and he didn’t plan to start now.

“I’m angry,” he said quietly.

AJ’s voice lowered. “Me too, J. We’re all angry. But what happened to him wasn’t your fault. He knew the risks of the mission.”

“I should have had his back.”

“We all did everything we could to stay alive that day.” AJ paused. “The kid worshipped you, but that didn’t make him your responsibility.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. Hearing his friend’s assurance didn’t make it any easier. “Have you spoken to his family since the funeral?”

It was AJ who’d passed on the note to Dean’s family for him. And he was grateful to his teammate for doing so. Because even though he hadn’t been able to bring himself to attend, the family deserved to know what had happened from his perspective. They deserved his apology.

“I’ve checked in on his mom and dad a couple times. They’re doing as well as can be expected. I haven’t made contact with the brother or sister.”

Jace nodded as Sadie stepped out of the ice cream store, cone in hand. “I’ve got to go. I’ll talk again soon.”

“Don’t be a stranger, man. I mean it. You may have taken off the uniform, but we’ll always be family.”

His chest clenched. It was true. He might have five siblings by blood, but he had several more brothers from his time in the service. “You too.”

He hung up and turned to face Sadie. “Hey. Avery and Eastern still choosing?”

“Oh yeah. Avery is taking her job as flavor chooser very seriously. I think she’s taste-testing every one they have.” She tilted her head. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just excited to see what I get.” He pushed his phone into his pocket. He should keep his damn mouth shut, but the question was out before he could stop it. “You’re friends with Elle, right?”

Her brows rose. “Elle?” Her gaze flicked down the street. “Um, yeah, we’re friends.”

He frowned and followed her gaze, checking out the few businesses farther down the street. The only one open was the Thai restaurant. When he looked back at Sadie, her features were completely blank.

“Did she tell you about our fight the other day?” he asked, again knowing he shouldn’t ask. But Elle had been avoiding him since that day, and it was killing him.

Sadie’s mouth opened and closed. “Yes…no…I mean, she mentioned it. Briefly. Something about a fight about a guy from an online dating app.” Again, Sadie’s gaze flickered to the restaurant before hitting the ground.

Why did she keep looking over there?

Suddenly, a sick feeling began to churn in his gut as suspicion made him step closer. “Sadie, tell me she’s not in that restaurant, on a date with Art.”

Her head shot up, her eyes widening. She was silent for a full five seconds. It told him everything he needed to know.

“They are,” he growled under his breath. Suddenly he was angry, even though he had no damn right to be angry. But the thought of her eating dinner with some guy she didn’t even know, that man walking her home, touching her…

Hell no.

He stepped back. “Can you apologize to the others for me?”

“Wait, Jace—where are you going?”

“I’ll see you next time, Sadie.”

She continued to call out to him as he strode down the street, but he was past stopping or slowing or, hell, thinking the least bit rationally. Elle was in his head. In his skin. All he could think about was the fact that she was on a date, a fucking date, with someone who wasn’t him—and how he wanted her to be as far from the guy as possible.

Elle pinched her left thigh under the table to stop herself from falling asleep. Yes, literally falling asleep. That’s how boring Art was. Like, never stopped talking about himself, or his life goals, or his job, or anything and everything Art-related—that kind of boring.

How could a person talk about himself for so freaking long?

She could count on one hand the number of questions he’d asked about her, and even then, he’d interrupted every one of her answers, directing the conversation straight back to himself.

She lifted her glass and took a big gulp of wine. It was her second glass, but there’d probably be a third. And good God, where was the food? It felt like they’d ordered hours ago.

Art had arrived in a suit—probably the only man she’d ever seen wear a suit to a Thai restaurant. And his black hair was packed with so much shiny gel, it looked plastic. She’d told herself not to judge a book by its cover, but it looked like she should have done some judging.

“So, yeah, that’s where I hope to be in my career in ten years. Of course, I’ll have to get out of Misty Peak to do that. This small town doesn’t offer much in the way of career progression. Have you thought about leaving?”

Her brows rose. He was asking her a question? Would she get a full answer out before he cut her off this time? “No, not really. I like it here. I like the mountains and my job.”

“You said you work in a café making coffee?”

Why did he say it like that? Like working in a café was something to be ashamed of? “Yeah, I work in the café connected to the visitors center. I’m good with people, and I’m good at making coffee, so it makes sense.”

He seemed to think about that for a second before leaning forward. “You know, I could probably get you a job at the firm if you want?”

Okay, he was definitely throwing shade on her profession. “No, thank you. Like I said, I enjoy what I do.”

His nose scrunched. “Really?”

Jesus, where was the food?

She took another gulp of wine as the waitress finally stopped at their table.

“One seafood pad Thai, and one green chicken curry with steamed rice.”

Thank the Lord. She breathed in her pad Thai as it was placed in front of her. At least the food looked good. “Thank you.”

She’d suggested they share a few dishes, but Art had said something about food sharing being unhygienic. Apparently, sharing was a boundary of his. He’d actually used the word boundary.

The server left, and Art wrinkled his nose for the second time. “Argh, I hate it when they use shredded chicken instead of whole thighs.”

“Isn’t it still the same?”

“Not even close. Next time, I’ll choose where we eat.”

Oh, there would not be a next time. But she’d let Art know that at the end of the meal…if she made it that far.

Honestly, she probably should have left by now. Why hadn’t she? Just because she wanted to prove Jace wrong?

Damn her stupid stubborn streak.

She looked longingly at the door. How quickly could she down this pad Thai and get home to her comfy bed and pajamas? Ten minutes? Fifteen?

She was still mentally calculating her escape when the door to the restaurant opened and Jace walked in.

Her back straightened, the air catching in her throat.

What in the ever-loving hell was he doing here? He scanned the room and when his gaze collided with hers, it felt like a kick to her midsection. But…he didn’t look surprised. Had he known she was going to be here?

When he started toward her, she almost felt like she was in a dream. One of those nightmares you wanted to wake up from but couldn’t.

Jace stopped at the table. “Elle. Fancy seeing you here.”

“What are you—”

“Funny you should ask. I was just down the street getting ice cream when Sadie let it slip that you were here, on a date.”

Her jaw dropped. Sadie told him? And his immediate reaction had been to come and crash her date?

Jace looked to the other side of her table, his smile so wide she wanted to slug him. “You must be Art. I’m Jace.”

Art frowned. “Uh, hey. You know Elle?”

“Really well, actually. We’re best friends.”

“Ex-best friends,” she cut in, but no one seemed to hear.

“Do you mind if I join you?” Jace asked. “I’m starved.”

“Yes.” Elle gasped. “We mind.”

But again, no one freaking listened. Jace reached behind and pulled a chair over to the table. He frowned at the plates. “You’re not sharing? Isn’t that a rite of passage at a Thai restaurant?”

Art cleared his throat. “I don’t share.”

The humor in Jace’s eyes made Elle’s blood boil. He turned toward her. “That must have made you sad, Tink. You love sharing. What did you used to say? Sharing food is a love language?”

Art lifted his brows. “Tink?”

Jace lifted her fork and swirled some of her noodles onto the tines. “She used to wear this Tinker Bell chain on her bag at school. It was cute, and she kind of looked like a fairy, so she became Tink. To me, at least.”

Elle huffed. “We’re on a date, Jace.”

“Ah, yes, and how’s it going?” he asked, a frown between his brows as he ate her food.

Art pulled at the top of his collared shirt and opened his mouth, but Elle got in first.

“It’s going great. And I’d like you to leave.” A lie…well, the first part. And why the hell would Sadie have told him she was here?

“Great? Really? That’s awesome.” Jace lifted her glass of wine and took a sip before looking at Art. “What do you do, Art? Accountant? Broker? Lawyer?”

She ground her back teeth together.

“Lawyer,” Art said. He still hadn’t touched his food.

“Man, I’m good at picking these things. Like your job?”

Art’s mouth opened and closed. “Love it. I’m working my way up to a senior position.”

“I thought you looked ambitious. How are you going to get there, exactly?”

Elle wasn’t sure what she expected. Art had already let her down on every other front for this date. But for him to start eating his food as he told Jace about his work goals, repeating everything he’d just said to her, still surprised her.

Un-freaking-believable.

She snatched her wine from Jace’s hold and gulped down the rest. She was definitely going to need a third. Maybe a fourth, depending on how long this three-way date lasted.