“I thought I might find you here.”

May turned to see Jessup standing behind her. He was wearing a loose tan V-neck sweater and faded tight jeans, looking even sexier than when she saw him earlier.

“How did you find me?” she asked, taking a healthy gulp of her second drink.

“You left me a voicemail, remember?”

“I didn’t tell you where I’d be,” she said.

“It’s a small town,” he noted. “I didn’t think you’d go to a dive. That in itself ruled out most choices. I took a chance.  Besides, this is where I’d come.”

“Well, have a seat, Mr. Jessup. I’ll buy you a drink. What will you have?”

“I’ll take a Fat Tire?”

“Barkeep,” May barked, perhaps a little too loudly. “Give my friend here a Fat Tire, and I’ll take another V and C.”

“You got it, miss,” the bartender acknowledged.

Jessup glanced at May. Her business dress fit her tightly but professionally, accentuating all the right curves. She was shapely, not thin, nor did she appear to be toned by a regular workout regimen. But she wasn’t heavy, either. Her hair was sensational. It wasn’t long; it wasn’t short. It was thick, styled beautifully, and an amazing deep auburn color. And her skin… creamy… unblemished… even with so little makeup. And the eyes… those incredible ice-blue eyes. She was… perfect. Did he just think that?

“Looks like you’ve been hitting the sauce hard,” he observed. “Tough day? What is this? Three drinks?”

“Two,” she corrected. “And yes, I’ve had a very tough day.”

The bartender opened a beer and sat it in front of Jessup. He took a long swig, “Your message said the attorney was, in fact, an investor.”

“That’s right. You nailed it. How did you know?”

He pulled up his sleeve and pointed to his tattoo.

“What is that? Military?”

Jessup nodded, “Navy SEAL, retired. I was an interrogator. I’ve spent most of my professional life listening to men trying to manipulate people, advance an agenda or bullshit their way through a conversation. I can spot deception a mile away. That attorney had his own agenda and was spoon feeding it to you. He knew you were overwhelmed and intimidated by everything that was happening all at once. He was playing you.”

“It was that obvious?”

“It was to me.”

“You know listening in on other people’s conversations is very rude.”

He smiled softly, unable to tell if she was serious or playing with him. He checked her out again. She was so classy looking. He didn’t see women like May Major in Oceanside very often. She was a pleasant change from the tourists and locals.

“In my job, I often had to listened to conversations on the down low,” he said. “To this day I’m always aware of what is going on around me. Force of habit. When I realized who you were and who he was, I couldn’t resist. But you’re right, I was out of line. I’m sorry.”

“I’m glad you did,” she said. “What gave you the first clue?”

“My internal radar went off the moment I saw him walking into Starbucks,” Jessup said. “His gait was confident but arrogant. The way he first addressed you… he was condescending, smug, perhaps even self-righteous. I thought the guy was a slime ball from the moment I saw him.”

“And you were right,” May affirmed.  “What was your first assessment of me?”

He let out a breath, smiled and shook his head, “That’s confidential.”

May scoffed playfully, “That’s BS. Come on, tell me. You can be honest.”

He sighed and smiled.

“Ok. You looked out of place; tentative; hesitant; vulnerable. Your body language told me you were uncomfortable and out of your element.”

May nodded, “Right again.”

“But you handled yourself well under the circumstances,” Jessup added. “He was doing his best to get you to sign that proxy on the spot and you didn’t back down.”

“So, you were a SEAL interrogator?” she said, changing the subject.

“That’s right.”

She glanced at Jessup’s broad shoulders and the outline of his pectorals underneath his shirt. She wondered what it would be like to dig her fingers into them. She downed half her third drink. She was feeling a little buzzed. And with the buzz came a little bravery.

“What did Mrs. Jessup think of that line of work?” she asked. Her face formed a flirtatious grin.

Jessup shrugged and took a swig of his beer, “There is no Mrs. Jessup.”

May feigned surprise, “How can the hottest man in Oceanside not have a missus waiting at home?”

“I was married once—for thirteen years.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” she said. “What happened?”

“The job. It's tough being a SEAL and maintaining a relationship. You’re gone all the time to god knows where. More often than not you can’t call home regularly and your spouse doesn’t even know where you are or if your hurt or even alive. It can be very stressful for family members.”

“Did she leave you?”

“My, my, you are direct, aren’t you?”

Her eyes widened, and she placed her hand over her mouth as if trying to catch further embarrassing questions from escaping, “I’m so sorry. It’s none of my business. It’s the alcohol talking.”

Jessup chuckled softly and downed the rest of his beer. He caught the eye of the bartender and raised his empty bottle. The bartender nodded and reached for another.

“One more for me too,” May said, raising her glass.

“Did you drive here?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You know, you won’t be in any shape to drive home, right?”

“I know, but there’s always Uber.”

Jessup laughed, “No there isn’t. This is Oceanside, not Seattle. No Uber. No cabs. No bus.”

“Oopsie,” she giggled. She looked at him with a mischievous grin, “Maybe I’ll just ask some big strong man to give me a lift home.”

Did she just say that out loud? It was the alcohol talking. She never normally spoke to a man so brazenly, not even one this hot and gorgeous. Damn, he looked delicious, she thought.

“Maybe I can help you find one of those,” Jessup replied.

“Huh?” she asked.

“Big strong man,” he repeated. “Maybe I can help you find one.”

“Oh.”

They both laughed.

“Now, where were we?” he continued. “Oh yeah. You wanted to know—did my wife leave me?”

“Please, I’m shooting off my mouth. It happens when I drink. You don’t have to answer.”

“That’s ok,” he said. “She left me nearly ten years ago.”

“Did you love her?”

He paused and looked down as if in deep reflection, “Very much. It devastated me. I didn’t see it coming.”

“Did you try to work it out?”

The bartender slid a frosty beer in front of him and another vodka and cranberry juice in front of May. Jessup took a long pull on his beer before answering, “It was too late. She’d found another man and got pregnant. When she found out she was having a baby that’s when she told me she was done.”

“Jesus! I’m so sorry. That had to be horrible.”

She touched his arm. She couldn’t believe she was being bold enough to touch him. She was certainly feeling buzzed, but this wasn’t like her at all. He looked into her eyes. He smiled; it was a sad smile but still; it revealed his beautiful set of white teeth.

“It was horrible, I won’t lie,” he said, finally. “I went through a serious bout of depression.”

“I can imagine,” May said. “That sounds awful. I mean, I know they sent you away a lot. It couldn’t have been easy on her, but dammit, you were serving your country. I can’t believe she would…”

“It wasn’t her fault,” he said. “When she and I first married I was in the Navy but wasn’t a SEAL. They stationed me in San Diego. Came home at night in those days. She thought I’d be home for good in four years and that was the original plan. I applied for SEAL training over her strong objections. It became a career. She never signed up for what she got. I never blamed her for what happened.”

May’s eyes grew moist listening to the pain in his voice as he told the story. What an incredible man she was sitting with, she thought. She instinctively touched his left forearm again, this time giving it a little squeeze. He squeezed it back. His touch sent tingles up her arm. She turned away to avoid him seeing her blush.

“So… you’re retired now?” she asked.

“Yep, six years ago,” he said.

“You don’t strike me as the librarian type,” she noted.

“What’s wrong with librarians?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied. “In fact, now that the shoe is on the other foot I think I understand the male fantasy about hot librarians.”

He chuckled. Her face turned a little red. Did she say that? Out loud? She did her best to recover.

“What I meant to say was, you look more like a businessman than a librarian, or even a Navy SEAL for that matter.”

“My work involved business, to be sure,” he said. “In addition to operating as a human lie detector, the military also brought me in to help set up new governments when a regime was over thrown.”

“Now that sounds fascinating,” she said. “I didn’t know they had that.”

“It’s not exactly advertised,” he said. “I went to school at Stanford—majored in psychology but had a knack for business. Went to the University of Washington for my MBA. While I was in Seattle, I met a Navy SEAL. We became best friends. He told his commander about me. I met him. We hit it off and he recruited me. The rest is history. I spent thirty years in the Navy.”

“Why did you leave the Navy?” she asked. “You seemed to love it.”

The smile and the natural glow from his face seem to fade. The light in his eyes dimmed. The question had triggered a sadness. He took a sip of his beer and struggled to smile again, though his heart didn’t seem to be in it.

“I was removed from active duty,” he said, finally. “During a… routine physical the doctors discovered a… medical condition.”

“I am so sorry,” May said. She grabbed his left hand and pulled it to her lap and stroked his arm compassionately with her free hand. His arm was solid, muscular. His hand felt like he could pulverize a cue ball on a pool table by squeezing it. She was hot for this man, pure and simple, and growing hotter by the minute. “That was none of my business. I didn’t mean to dig up pain. God knows I understand what that’s like…”

“No, it’s ok,” he said. “I could have stayed in an administrative position, but I was a field guy. The medical condition is manageable but disqualifies me from field duty. At that point I wanted to retire. I’ve been here living the quiet life for years now.”

“Why move to Oceanside?”

“It’s where I grew up,” he replied.

“Really? You grew up here?”

He nodded, “Born and raised. Went to Oceanside High School. Heck, my first job was in your daddy’s timber mill as an apprentice which means I was a glorified gopher and carried a lot of heavy stuff.”

May chuckled, still holding his arm, “Did you ever meet my father?”

“No, not really. I crossed paths with him at the mill site a few times but never spoke to the man. To tell you the truth, he scared me. He was intimidating.”

“No shit,” May said. “Imagine living with him.”

“I can’t. What was it like?”

May turned on her stool to face him more directly. As she turned, she felt her skirt riding up her thigh revealing an ample amount of her leg. Under any other condition she would have quickly reached for her skirt and pulled it down but the alcoholic haze caused her to do things normally unnatural to her. She allowed the skin to show hoping he’d notice.

She saw him take a quick glance downward. He noticed. She took a quick drink to hide her smile.

“He was an absentee father and husband mostly,” May reflected. “He was building Major Timber Logging. The company was the true love of his life, not mom and me. He measured his life by business successes and failures. Being a father and husband was secondary. When he was at home, he was self-absorbed, preoccupied and distant.”

“That does not sound like the man I read about in the paper today,” Jessup noted.

“The Mike Major of the last ten years was nothing like the man I knew as a father,” May said. “Mom finally got fed up and moved us to Seattle. I was eleven. Dad made a few token gestures to remain part of my life, but that waned quickly. There was always a meeting or business matter that kept him from coming to my birthday parties or Christmas or Thanksgiving.”

“Must have been tough,” Jessup said.

“It was tough,” May agreed. “Mom never got over it—she never remarried. She died when I was twenty. He was late to the funeral and left shortly thereafter—IRS audit, he said.”

“Despite everything, you seem pretty well adjusted,” he noted.

“I’d like to think so,” May said. “I went to school for graphic design and got a great job working for a tech company designing websites, book covers and internet ads. I love being creative. I like my life.”

“So that begs the question,” Jessup began, “is there a Mr. May Major in the picture?”

“Oh, hell no,” she snapped quickly, shaking her head. “I was married once, for four years. We were happy for the first six months but the relationship deteriorated quickly. I’m shocked it lasted as long as it did.”

“What caused the deterioration, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“He was gay and struggled to come out.”

Jessup shrugged and nodded, “That’d do it.”

“It’s a Seattle thing,” she said. “It’s a progressive city. Gay people are increasingly comfortable being themselves. I think it’s true for much of the country but particularly so in Seattle.”

“As it should be,” he said, raising his glass. “To gay husbands.”

She clinked his glass, “And to cheating wives.”

They chuckled together and drank.

“So, turning back to the subject at hand, what will you do about your proxy?” he asked.

“I signed it,” she said.

Jessup froze. The smile faded. He looked at her for a moment… stunned into silence. May cringed a little as a look of disappointment formed on his face.

“You didn’t,” he said, finally.

“I did, about an hour ago,” she said.

Jessup moaned, “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. It’s sitting in my car right now waiting to be delivered.”

“So, you haven’t given it to him yet?”

“No.”

“Have you told them you signed it?”

“I told them I’d think about it, but I never want to go through what I went through today—ever again. I just want this done. I made up my mind. I’m delivering it, signed, first thing in the morning.”

“Don’t do it, May,” Jessup urged. His face reddened, “Marbury has his own agenda, and it serves his needs, not yours, not the company’s. He’s taking advantage of you.”

“Not true,” she argued. “I stand to make millions when the company sells.”

“That’s what this is about for you? Money?”

“It’s funny you should say that,” she replied. “Money has never been the thing I covet most. I guess I wanted a few nice things in my life as much as the next person, but I’ve never had this burning desire to be rich.”

“I… don’t think I understand, then” Jessup said.

“Until someone dangles a large amount of it in front of you, I don’t think you ever could understand,” she replied. “It makes you think, I won’t lie. The concept of buying a big house on the Puget Sound, perhaps a Porsche, some nice clothes… whatever, and never having to worry about how to pay for it? It’s pretty enticing.”

“And I guess it doesn’t matter to you that once the company sells, Redwood Timber will break it apart, absorb its assets and shut it down.”

“What?” she asked. “No, you’re misinformed.”

“Not likely, and it won’t stop there. Major Timber is the largest employer in Oceanside by a wide margin,” Jessup said. “They employ over a thousand people. They will all lose their jobs. The taxes the company pays to the city—gone. All the businesses that generate their profits supplying MTL will lose their biggest customer, so they’re gone too. Think about the number of businesses who earn their money selling MTL large logging equipment, safety equipment, uniforms, vehicles, supplies. Your father bought all this stuff locally, from Oceanside businesses. It’s not just MTL—it’s all the others, too. When people lose their jobs, they quit going to movies and restaurants. They cut back on clothes, gas and food, so some of those businesses go under, too. But that’s all ok, right? You and the six other investors will be millionaires several times over. Everyone else gets crushed.”

“You do know your business, Jessup, I’ll give you that.”

He let out a breath but said nothing.

“But in this case, you’re wrong,” May continued. “My father loved this community. He would never sell it if what you said was true, and he wanted to sell?”

“How do you know?  Did he tell you that? Or… did the slime ball attorney tell you he said it?”

The question stunned her into silence. She never questioned Marbury’s statement that her father wanted to sell.

“You’re right,” she admitted. “It was Marbury who told me that.”

“Look, I didn’t know your father personally, but I knew plenty of people who knew him. You’re right. Your father loved this community, and he injected millions of dollars into developing it, building shelters and libraries, adding wings to hospitals, funding charities. He was already the richest man in town. He didn’t need more money. I saw him in town all the time. The man wore Wrangler jeans and shirts from Old Navy. He wore a Timex watch and drove a ten-year-old Ford Bronco. This was not a man who would step aside and allow the town to shrivel up and die just so he could build a mansion or buy a second yacht.”

“My father didn’t own a yacht.”

“I think you understand my point.”

May sighed; she rubbed her temples. The buzz was quickly fading, and the alcohol was now giving her a headache. Jessup was right. Her father could afford a fleet of Lamborghini's if he wanted them. He never lived lavishly. He never flaunted his wealth. Even as a child she remembered that money was never what drove her father.

“You’re right,” she said. “I don’t think my father would ever sell for personal benefit at the expense of the town. He loved this town. But there’s another side to the story. I sat through an entire financial presentation. If we do not sell to Redwood Timber Industries, they will lower timber prices in our region and poach our customers. That will cripple our revenue and dry up our profits. It would be a slow death but the company loses either way.”

“This presentation you sat through… who gave it?” Jessup asked.

“The investors,” she replied.

“So, a group of people with a personal agenda gave this doom and gloom presentation? The same people who will all be rich when the sale is concluded—those people?”

“Yes, but do you think everything is a lie?”

“I don’t know,” he said, “but it’s worth checking out.”

“The investors insist there’s a deadline,” she added.

“Maybe there is,” he said. “Then again, it could be another tactic to pressure you to sign quickly and get you out of their way.”

“What do you think I should do?” she said.

“Call them tomorrow. Tell them you want to talk to the CEO of Redwood Timber yourself.  Find out if all they are saying is true.”

“That’s crazy,” she said. “I know nothing about the timber business. I wouldn’t know how to talk to a CEO.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Jessup insistent. “You’re a smart lady. Your father entrusted this company to you.  He wanted it in your hands if anything happened to him. He’s no dummy. If he didn’t think you could make the right decisions, he would have made other arrangements for the stewardship of the company.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve made up my mind. It’s done. I’m turning over the signed proxy. I’ll stay for my father’s funeral, appoint a trustee to manage the sale of his home and property, and I’m back in Seattle by the end of the week.”

“May,” he said. “I understand. This won’t be easy. You went up against a group of powerful people today. They played hardball. They humiliated you—made you feel small. You don’t relish the idea of a fight. You can take the money and run back to the life you know. I get it. But…”

“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?” she interrupted. “You’re some ex-military guy who eavesdropped on a conversation. You don’t know me. You didn’t know my father. Maybe you should just butt out.”

Jessup stood; his face was red with anger.

“I can’t believe I misjudged you,” he said.

“You mean you can’t believe I’d cost myself millions by fighting the sale of a company run by a man who loved homeless people more than his own daughter?”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“You’re a misguided boy scout.”

Jessup picked up May’s car keys on the bar. He slid them down to the far end of the bar.

“Bartender, this woman is drunk,” he said. “She can’t drive.”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“I really don’t care. Just see to it she gets a ride home.”

The bartender sighed. Jessup reached into his pocket and pulled a fifty-dollar bill, slapping it on the counter. He looked at May with disdain. He turned and left without saying a word. She heard tires screeching outside.