Chapter 17

Naomi had been beside herself, needing to see Reid yet not wanting to intrude on his grief. But sitting next to him at her brother’s banquet felt weird.

She leaned in to whisper, “Are you positive you’re okay being here?” They sat at a large table with her family, including Ben and his wife.

Reid whispered back, “If you ask me that one more time, I’ll go down on you in the middle of this crowded dining room. I’m fine.”

She flushed and pulled back, glaring at him.

He grinned, and she sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I don’t know how I’d act in your place. I should be here for you, not the other way around. This is just a dinner. You’re dealing with serious stuff.”

“Hey, I got a free steak out of the deal. We’ll call it even.”

She glanced at their plates, now empty of filets, and had to admit they’d been well fed. Ben stood at the podium thanking his family and his peers for having nominated him for the clinic’s award. She tuned out her brother, glanced at her family glued to his speech, and let herself slide closer to Reid.

He’d met her at the banquet looking dazzlingly handsome in a suit and tie. Good lord, but had she seen him dressed like that from the first, she might have embarrassed herself by jumping the man. Talk about tall, dark, and gorgeous. She wasn’t the only woman to think so either. Reid had gotten second looks from many of the women, and a few men, in attendance. Had her sister-in-law, Donna, not been so happily in love with Ben, Naomi might have socked her one.

Reid clasped Naomi’s hand resting on his knee. The warmth of that weight comforted, and she didn’t know how it was that he was the one bolstering her through this evening. She’d been waiting to talk to him alone, but between work, giving him space, and her visiting family, she’d had no opportunity to talk to him before they were seated at their large table.

“Thanks again for doing this,” she whispered and turned to watch him, enamored with the twinkle in his eyes. The color seemed so light, in direct contrast to his dark hair and naturally tan skin tone.

“My pleasure. Really, Naomi. This thing with Mom was coming sooner or later. She’s no doubt happier where she is now. And so am I.”

“Okay. I’ll stop bugging you about it.” She caressed his hand with her own.

“I like that you care.”

“I do.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother watching her. “Can we talk after this? It’s too hard now with everyone around.”

His eyes narrowed. “Sure.”

“Nothing bad,” she said to reassure him.

“That’s what they all say.”

“Shh,” Naomi’s mother hushed them.

Put in her place, Naomi turned back around and watched her brother finally step down from the podium. They all clapped and congratulated him, and as Ben returned to the table, she realized what a spectacular family she had. Yes, she hated feeling inferior, but that was on her, not them. Ben’s big grin made her eyes fill with happy tears.

She wasn’t the only one moved either.

Donna wiped her eyes. “Oh shoot. My mascara’s running.”

“Better catch it then,” Ben teased.

“God, that was terrible,” Harley said. “You might be an outstanding surgeon, but your sense of humor is on par with Gabe’s.”

To Reid, Naomi explained, “Gabe, their son, is seven.”

Reid chuckled. “It’s good Dr. Ben excels in other areas.”

“Dr. Ben?” Ben took a seat next to his wife. “Seriously, Naomi. I hate when you call me that.”

“Why? You’re a doctor. Your name is Ben.”

“Yes, but I’m Dr. Starr. Dr. Ben sounds like some dippy celebrity schmuck. Like Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Dr. Drew.” He grimaced. “Don’t get me started.”

“Hey now, you’re in good company, Dr. Ben,” Naomi said. “Don’t forget Dr. Who. And what about Dr. Dre? He’s amazing.”

“What about Dr. Dolittle?” Reid added. “Animals love him.”

“Or Doc Holliday.” Naomi was doing her best not to burst out laughing at her brother’s pique. “He had such a cool mustache.”

“Even closer to home, there’s Dr. Scholl’s. He seriously helps people walk, everywhere,” Reid chimed in.

“You two are hilarious.” Ben’s expression said otherwise.

The others laughed though, and the conversation and drink continued to flow freely. A live band started playing, and couples gathered on the dance floor. When the medical people at the pricey clinic where Ben worked went big, they really knew how to celebrate.

“Would you like to dance?” Reid asked her.

Flushed with pleasure, she accepted, still aware of her mother watching her. The blasted woman had been studying her with Reid all night.

“You can dance?” she asked. “I thought macho types didn’t like dancing.”

“I’m macho?” He blinked in surprise as he led her to the dance floor and gathered her close. They swayed to a slow song, and Naomi sighed, feeling like she was dancing on clouds. They fit together so well. She wondered if she was the only one to notice it or if Reid felt the same.

“I guess not,” she amended, staring up into his beautiful eyes. “I’ve never had a boyfriend who liked dancing.” That hadn’t come out the right way.

He lifted a brow.

She felt her cheeks get hot but ignored her embarrassment. “I’d planned to talk to you about this later, but I need to say something.”

His amusement faded. “Go ahead.”

The hand against the small of her back felt hot.

“It’s just… I don’t need to pretend anything for my mother. I’m thirty years old, and I’m not ashamed of how I live my life.”

“O-kay,” he said slowly. “So you want me to leave?”

“Wait. What?” She dragged him closer when he started to draw back. “No, you idiot. I’m telling you I’d like us to date, for real.” She closed her eyes when she heard herself. “Ack. I’m not saying anything well tonight.”

He chuckled and kissed her.

She blinked her eyes open.

“Baby, you’re just fine. You can call me an idiot anytime you like. It might even fit now and then.”

She smiled. “Just now and then?”

He kissed her again. Nothing inappropriate about the kisses, but they started giving her very inappropriate thoughts. And by the stiffness wedged against her belly, he felt the same.

“Now let’s talk about something normal so I can manage to get back to the table without embarrassing myself.”

She laughed. “This is all my fault, I take it?”

“Sure isn’t mine. I was trying to behave.” He leaned closer and murmured, “Your family has been staring at us all night. Isn’t this Ben’s big evening?”

She pulled him closer to talk into his ear, brushing his nape and reveling in his tiny shiver. “They haven’t seen me with anyone but Tanner in a while. And it was six months ago the last time I saw them, and then I made excuses for being alone. I don’t date much.”

“Fair warning. Neither do I.” Reid sighed into her neck, the warmth of his breath sweet with alcohol. “I might suck at this.”

“You seem to be good at everything you do.”

“Yeah, right.” He sounded amused again. “Well, in truth, I am, but only because I work my tail off all the time. It’s exhausting, let me tell you.”

“I know. I do the same.” She and Reid seemed like halves of a whole. They had family they cared about, jobs that sucked up a lot of time and effort, and a need to take care of others.

“I like your family,” he said and pulled back as the next song sped up a little.

“Me too. It was nice to remind myself of that fact.”

“Yeah, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve lost until it’s gone.” He caressed her cheek. “And I’m not talking about my mother.” He stared into her eyes, and as they danced, she felt as if only the two of them existed.

It took her sister cutting in to remind her to let go of her boyfriend. Reid.

“My turn.” Harley pushed Naomi into Kyle’s arms.

Over her shoulder, she saw Reid laughing at something Harley said and ignored a stupid twinge of jealousy. As if Reid would make a move on her pregnant sister.

That simply, the jealousy vanished. She had a lot more to learn about Reid Griffith, but one thing she didn’t question—his core of integrity.

He winked at her and turned back to Harley.

“We like your boyfriend,” Kyle said.

“I’m so glad. Now I get to keep him,” she responded, her voice syrupy sweet.

Kyle chuckled. “Still such a smart-ass.”

“You bet.” She watched her sister and Reid dance. “How’s Harley doing, really?”

Kyle sighed, and she studied him, aware he seemed…tired. “She’s pretending everything’s fine, but she’s having trouble.”

Naomi stared. “Harley?”

“Yeah. She’s under a lot of pressure, you know.”

“But she thrives on that.”

“She pretends she does,” Kyle said. “Truth is, your sister is handling a promotion, a wedding, and a tough pregnancy, and it’s starting to wear on her. But she’d never tell you or your mother that because Harley always thinks she has to stand taller than everyone else.” He sounded exasperated. “She’ll only lean on me so much. I’m worried about her.”

“She does look a little thin.” And tired, but Naomi had assumed that was due to being pregnant.

“She’s had awful morning sickness.” Kyle paused, and they danced in silence for a few steps. “I think she’s missing David and thinks she should have had kids with him.”

Naomi almost stopped right there on the dance floor. “Kyle. Why would you say that?”

Mr. Perfect suddenly looked downright miserable. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have—”

Naomi pulled him off the dance floor while trying to act as if she wasn’t dragging him away. They reached a corner by one of the small bars, and she faced him, keeping the rest of her family in sight. “Okay, buster, explain that.”

“I shouldn’t have—”

She poked him in the chest. “Kyle Proctor, you will tell me what the heck is going on.”

He ran a hand through his hair. Not even mussing it a little. “I saw her looking at their old wedding photos. She was crying and saying his name.” He looked sick. “She had her hand over her belly.”

“Oh, Kyle. Of course she misses David. They were soul mates.” Great, now Kyle looked even more dispirited. “Until she met you. I’ve never seen my sister so happy. I mean it.”

“You think?”

“I know. I can’t believe she managed to find not one but two perfect men when it’s hard enough to find even one that’s passable.”

Kyle seemed to revive. “You don’t think she’s just settling for me since her ‘soul mate’ is gone?”

Naomi punched him in his rock-solid arm. “No, you doofus.” Yes, men were stupid. “My sister has never settled for anything in her life. She sets impossible standards to live up to. Let’s not even get into all my issues with being the loser of a little sister.”

Kyle blinked. “What? That’s nuts.”

“Hey, we all have crosses to bear. In this family of overachievers, I’m constantly trying to keep up with everyone else. And the one I’m always behind is Harley. She’s beautiful, getting to marry the second great love of her life—her words, not mine—and so incredibly happy to be having your baby. Kyle, she’s going to mourn David. But that’s natural. You are a real, vital, new beginning. Frankly, I’d be surprised if my sister hadn’t snapped with all that’s going on in her life.”

“Naomi, you’re the best.” He hugged her until she squeaked.

“Hey, you have your own woman. I want mine back,” Reid said from behind them.

Kyle let her go, laughed, and swept Harley into his arms. They moved away and danced together. Naomi could feel the love from where she stood, watching as Harley placed her head on Kyle’s shoulder.

“God, I want that.”

“Kyle?” Reid wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“If I call you an idiot again, will you be offended?”

“Nah.” He chuckled and placed a kiss to her temple.

“I meant that. That whole lovey-dovey feeling they have for each other.”

“It is nice.” He watched them, rubbing her arm with his hot hand, distracting her. “So what were you and Kyle talking about? Harley was concerned.”

“She was?”

He nodded. “Said she always worried her hot younger sister would one day steal her man.”

Naomi gaped up at him. “She did not.”

Reid grinned. “Oh, she did. I told her not to worry. No way was I letting you get away. Then she told me how much better I was than Tanner could ever hope to be.”

“She did?”

“Well, not in so many words. But she did say we looked good together. I extrapolated the rest.”

Naomi continued to gape at him. “Extrapolated. You actually used that in a sentence. You are so getting lucky later tonight.”

He laughed and kissed her. By the time he pulled back, he was breathing heavily. “Maybe best not to do that again. I need a few minutes to recover before we head back to the table.”

Unfortunately, Ben had started toward them. “Better recover fast or Ben will think you’re excited to see him.”

He glared at her before turning to order them both wine.

She had already mentioned how much she liked the red she’d had earlier. Reid, of course, paid attention to details. Was that because the Marine Corps had made him into a detail-oriented person? Or had he always been like that?

The more time she spent with Reid, the more she wanted to know him. To no great surprise, his charm and looks made him that much sexier. She found all of him attractive, and she didn’t think she’d ever felt that with Tanner. She’d been aware of Tanner’s flaws before, during, and for sure after their relationship.

“What’s that look?” Reid asked her as he handed her the glass of wine. Ben, fortunately, had been waylaid by several people with congratulations.

“Tell me something bad about you.”

He paused in the act of drinking. “Ah, why?”

“Because you’re charming me just by breathing, and I don’t like it.”

He grinned. “I can be crass. I sometimes forget that second i in liaison. And I hate chick flicks.”

“Hmm. I can probably work with that. I mean, forgetting the second i. That’s almost unforgiveable.”

He laughed.

That sound wound its way into her head and into her heart. Naomi took a step closer to him, uncaring that she’d started to seriously fall for this man she still didn’t know as well as she should. But she had plans to rectify that.

Tonight.

* * *

Reid hadn’t thought he’d enjoy himself so much at a fancy award function with a bunch of snooty doctors. He’d done plenty of ceremonial dinners while in the Marine Corps. But the chance to be near Naomi had been too good to pass up. And Naomi’s family cracked him up, all of them trying to outdo each other. Talk about competitive. No wonder Naomi felt like second best. Her family held pedigrees in success times twelve.

“I take after Mom,” Ben was saying as Naomi sat with her mother and sister at the table. She’d ditched him to Ben and Kyle. Girls at the table, boys at the bar.

Worked for him.

Reid would think about all Harley had told him about his girlfriend later. Right now, he put on his work face, needing to hold tight to the fact he wanted to jump for joy because Naomi was into him. Like, really into him.

Fuck, he’d finally done something right. His mother had died without seeming to give two shits about him. Yet a woman he felt for felt something back.

“How exactly do you take after your mom?” he asked Ben.

Kyle snorted. “Try not to be overwhelmed. Kim’s a surgeon at St. Mary’s in Walla Walla. I’m sorry, she’s head surgeon.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” Ben smiled. “She’s the reason I got into medicine.”

“So we have a doctor. Naomi mentioned your brother is a lawyer?” Reid asked.

Ben nodded.

“Harley is a big business type. What about your dad?”

“Corporate lawyer. Big money.” Kyle shook his head.

“Wait. So what do you do?” Reid started to feel ill. Sure, Naomi had mentioned her amazing family. But he hadn’t realized he fell far short of the mark in comparison. Not that money should make a difference, but when it came to collars, he fell on the blue side, not the white, no matter what the guys at work thought.

“I’m a nobody.” Kyle smiled. “And I’m fine with that.”

Ben snorted. “Don’t let him fool you. Kyle owns a small tech firm that’s designed some apps you might have heard of.” He rattled off some of the more popular games even Reid had tinkered with on his phone.

“No shit?”

“Well, I can’t take all the credit. My nephew started me doing it. I was really into coding and computers as a kid. Kind of nerdy.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Reid did his best to shake off feelings of insecurity. Hell, he’d been in Cash’s shadow most of his life. He’d learned to deal. So what that these guys had money?

Ben laughed, and Kyle made an impressive muscle before downing a beer.

“So what about you?” Ben asked. “My little sister’s been pretty closemouthed about you. And I have to wonder why.”

Ah. The big brother talk. He’d seen plenty of friends make the same speech to others interested in their sisters, but he’d never been up close and personal with one. Reid grinned. “If I tell you I’m actually married with seventeen kids and several outstanding arrest warrants, will we get into a fight right here, right now?”

Ben wasn’t a big guy, but he clearly had some muscle. Reid could take him down with one, maybe two blows. Kyle would be easy. One thing that had never left him from his time in the Marines was the ability to detect physical weakness. Reid had been a hand-to-hand wonder during training, his skill with a sniper rifle near unbeatable. Of course, none of that was taking into consideration getting sucker punched by fake victims.

Now he was more aware. He continued to exercise, though he’d let his weapons training lapse.

Ben, though, wouldn’t want to damage his skilled hands.

Ben snorted. “You and my sister clearly belong together. You’re as warped as she is. Come on, Reid. Let me do my job.”

“Let him do his job,” Kyle parroted. At Ben’s look, he shrugged. “Hey, you did it to me. Now I get to sit back and watch some new guy get the Dr. Ben glare.”

“Shut up.”

Reid laughed. “Sure, whatever you want to know. Just don’t frown so hard at me. It’s lethal.”

“You shut up too. Well, I mean after you answer my questions. Now talk, Griffith. Tell me your life story.” Ben crossed his arms over his chest, clad in a suit that had to have cost a pretty penny.

“It’s no secret. I spent fourteen years in the Marine Corps. Did my time, liked it, but decided to get out to help my family. Dad and Mom are dead.” He suppressed the pang that came with his mother’s mention. “It’s just me and my older brother. We own Vets on the Go!, a local moving company. That’s how I met your sister. She helped me out with some business advice, then we hooked up. I mean, she’s hot…er, super smart and pretty.” He noted Kyle biting back a grin. Ben nodded to keep him talking. “I like her a lot. She likes me. Period.”

“So no kids, wives, or ex-girlfriends in the wings?” The guy seemed a lot more concerned with Reid’s personal life than his career.

“Ah, no.” Reid frowned. “Has she had trouble with that before?”

“No, but that’s because Pete or I scope out all her dates. Or we used to when she was younger, before she moved out here. I live in the same town and barely see her anymore.” He sighed. “But she was smart to move. More to get out from under Mom’s thumb than anything else, I think. My mother tends to be a little controlling.”

Reid chuckled. “Must be where your sister gets it.”

Ben nodded. “I know! She acts like she’s so easy to get along with. Let me tell you, you think I’m bad? You should have seen Naomi when I started dating Donna. Girl was all over my wife with questions.” Ben smiled. “Had to make sure Donna was good enough for her big brother. She can say it all she wants, as I’m sure she’s told you we’re so intimidating.” He huffed. “Please. It’s really the girls who are the problem in our family. Mom, Harley, and Naomi can be too assertive for their own good sometimes.”

“You got that right,” Kyle muttered. “So, ah, what did you do in the Marines? Or can’t you talk about it? Is it classified?” he teased.

Some of his work had been. Reid shrugged. “Not really. I was in a recon unit. We used to gather intelligence for the data dinks to go over.” He gave Kyle a once-over. “Guys like you.”

Ben laughed. Kyle gave him a sour smile. “Funny.”

“Hey, everyone has a job to do, and we know how to delegate.”

“So you shot guns? Like, in combat situations?” Kyle asked.

“Kyle.” Ben frowned. “He might not want to talk about it.”

Unlike many of his comrades-in-arms, Reid had come out of his time in service with a healthy attitude about what he’d done. He had no problem with his missions. Then again, his had been clear-cut. He’d been fortunate not to get dropped in the zones with civilian combatants in live fire. No, his teams had gone behind enemy lines but been very specific about verified targets.

“I can tell you that I can shoot pretty accurately. And I hit the gym a lot, so don’t even think of going toe to toe with me in a ring.” He held up a fist. “But I’d never hurt you, Kyle. Because I love Doodler Do way too much.” One of his favorite games on his phone. “Ben, I know other doctors. Your future is up in the air.”

Ben flipped him off, and Reid had to laugh. They continued to give one another a hard time until Kim signaled for them to return to the table.

“Uh-oh. Her majesty, the queen, wants us back.” Ben waved.

“Poor Harley. I should have gone back to save her earlier.” Funny, but Kyle didn’t look sorry.

“She’s fine. It’s Naomi you should worry about,” Reid said, defending his girlfriend. “She looks nervous surrounded by all those blood-thirsty Starrs.”

“Whatever.” Ben shook his head. “You poor fool. She’s the worst one.”

Which made Reid more than curious to see exactly how lucky he’d get tonight. What had Harley said about him?

For that matter, why was her mother scowling at him?