A Marine for Christmas (Hearts Ablaze: Men in Uniform) Read online

  “He did really love you. He asked you to marry him! Maybe he just needs some time? Or got cold feet?”

  “Pfffffft,” Melissa said, expressing her distaste in that idea. “Michael had his chance. He had the girl, bought the ring, set the date….It’s over.”

  “So no second chances?”

  “We broke up. Finito. Finished. Over.”

  Amy eyed the wine bottle and wondered if her friend had poured even more when she wasn’t looking. Melissa wasn’t one to overindulge, but she didn’t blame her for needing an extra glass or two tonight. Anyone who was just dumped by her fiancé would be equally as upset.

  “Anyway. I saw that hottie across the street when I was coming in.” She let out a long whistle, and Amy laughed in surprise.

  “Who?”

  “The Marine across the street from you. I don’t know his name. But I saw him jogging by when I pulled up—bulging biceps, a tattoo peeking out from underneath his sleeve, broad chest, strong legs….” She eyed Amy wickedly.

  “You mean Jason? You just broke up with someone!”

  “I was just dumped by someone. But I didn’t mean for me. I was thinking more along the lines that you haven’t dated anyone in a while….”

  “Jason? He’s way too old for me. And that’s really weird; I’ve never seen him jog by here before. I go running all the time….” Amy looked puzzled as she contemplated this new piece of information.

  “He’s what? Ten years older than us?” Amy’s attention snapped back to her friend. “That is hardly too old. Ten years is nothing. And look at it this way: He’s also got ten more years of experience.”

  “Experience?” Amy asked, somehow sensing where Melissa was going with this.

  “Experience.”

  “Was Michael lacking in that area?”

  “Of course not! Michael was amazing in bed. A-MAZE-ing! But I was thinking more for you.”

  Amy burst out laughing. “Great. I’ve been upset about Ben all this time, and my new lover could very well have been just out my front door.”

  “Just across the street. I like your way of thinking,” Melissa said with a grin, spilling some of her wine on the table as she excitedly picked up her glass again.

  “I was being sarcastic! And I think it’s time I cut you off,” Amy said, taking the second bottle they’d opened away. She’d had two glasses compared to Melissa’s…four? Five? Who was counting? “Ex-fiancé or not,” she continued, “we still have to get to work in the morning.”

  “Oh, I don’t have to be in until 10:00,” Melissa said carelessly.

  “Lucky you. I’ve got a roomful of kids coming at 9:00—and I have to be ready for them.”

  “All right, whatever. I’ll hang out here and watch some reality TV with you while you do your crafty stuff. That new dating show is on tonight. Maybe I should sign up….”

  Amy laughed as she cleared their plates away. Apparently the evening of cheering up her best friend had worked like a charm. Melissa had called her sobbing only several hours ago and was now checking out the men who lived on her street and talking about signing up for a dating show. She knew Melissa’s newfound cheerfulness was only the wine talking—her friend would be upset again tomorrow, once the reality of her situation set in, and they’d have to deal with cancelling the wedding. Amy had just picked up her bridesmaid’s dress two weeks ago and wondered if she could return it since it hadn’t been altered yet. She sighed, wondering what on earth had gotten into Michael. One thing was more true than ever though: their girl’s weekend couldn’t get here soon enough.

  Chapter 5

  Jason opened the front of his mailbox, pulling out a pile of bills, an ad, and one lonely sports magazine. He glanced at the football player on the cover, jumping midair to catch the ball. Although the guy was in good shape, Jason wondered how he’d fare during their early morning training runs. It was one thing to run around a field holding a football, but could this guy handle running distances in uniform with gear strapped to him? That was another beast entirely.

  Jason had been on a different shift down in Quantico this week but would be back to his usual arrival time of 0600 on Monday morning. The change in schedule had thrown off his whole routine. He didn’t normally jog around the neighborhood in the evening, preferring instead to train on base. He’d seen the redhead staring at him as he jogged down the street earlier. Was she a friend of Amy’s? Although he’d just gotten a glimpse of her as he ran past, he thought it looked like her face was red from crying.

  He guessed the redhead must be a friend or coworker—definitely not a sister. Whereas Amy was brunette, tanned, and toned, the redhead was pale and slightly more curvaceous. He wondered if Amy had any family close by, if she were even from the area. Jason had grown up a military brat, traveling all over the world. His parents had retired out in California. His brother was also a Marine, currently deployed in the Middle East, and his cousin was an Army Special Forces officer. He barely knew any other lifestyle. To serve and protect had been ingrained in him since he was a young boy. Since he, his brother, and cousin had all joined the military like his father and uncle, he knew the call to serve ran deep in their family.

  Tossing his mail on the kitchen table, he headed upstairs to grab a quick shower before dinner. Catching a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror, he could see the way his biceps bulged in the white tee shirt that he was wearing, the anchor and globe of his Marine Corps tattoo just peeking out from beneath the sleeve. He was dripping in sweat from his run, but he looked strong and healthy—his blue eyes alert, his skin still slightly tanned from time spent outdoors, his dark brown hair cropped short. He smirked at the memory of Red watching him. Although he was used to getting attention from women, she wasn’t really his type. Any woman that would stand there on the street ogling him as he jogged by wasn’t exactly his style. That was way too obvious. He seemed to always fall for the more sweet and subtle, girl-next-door type.

  Stripping off his shirt, he turned on the shower, letting the water heat up. Nope, Red definitely wasn’t anyone he’d be chasing after. Now her friend, on the other hand, was another story….

  Chapter 6

  Amy glanced around her classroom the next morning, ready for the fifteen little faces that would soon come walking in through the door, hand-in-hand with their parents. When she was a kid it was always her mom who dropped her off at school. But these days moms, dads, grandparents, and even nannies were the norm. It was rare that she didn’t have a full assortment of caregivers coming in with her preschoolers. She’d set an activity out at each seat, ready to engage each child until everyone had arrived and she could begin today’s lesson.

  “Hi Chelsea!” she called out to a little blonde girl walking into the classroom, holding on to her daddy’s hand.

  “Hi Miss Amy,” the little girl said shyly.

  “I think she’s coming down with a cold, so please give me or Emily a call if we need to come pick her up.”

  “Of course,” Amy replied, guiding Chelsea over to a seat. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Two more kids came walking in with their parents, one crying as he clung tightly to his mother. The beginning of each class was the hardest until the kids were all seated, the parents gone, and the class had started the day’s activities. Then they could ease into their routine and before she knew it, three hours would have passed by and the parents would return.

  Her phone began beeping in her purse, and she hurried over to turn it off. It was unlike her to forget and leave it on, but she’d been so distracted this morning as she rushed off to work. Melissa had ended up spending the night, which was for the best given her state the night before. Melissa had been in no hurry to leave this morning, since it turned out her first showing was pushed back until 11:30 a.m. Amy had rushed around trying to get ready as Melissa lounged on the sofa. Then her ex-boyfriend Ben had randomly texted her, asking if he could stop by one day to pick up some skiing equipment that he’d left in her basement. She
couldn’t even recall why he’d needed to store it there and wondered where he could be going skiing in November, but she hoped he’d at least come by alone. Then as she’d been packing up her car, ready to head off to work, her neighbor Jason had called out “Good Morning.” She’d been so startled she almost dropped the materials she was carrying for school. Jason wasn’t ever around when she left in the morning, and truth be told, she wasn’t used to neighborly chats with anyone at that hour.

  She quickly glanced at the message on her phone before turning it off completely.

  Are you out of coffee?

  She rolled her eyes before stuffing her phone back into her purse. Couldn’t Melissa figure out how to open the cupboard and look for a fresh can? Honestly.

  “Miss Amy!” other little voices began to call out, and she turned her attention back to her students. There was little else that she loved more than being in the classroom, and the kids deserved her full attention. Melissa and Ben and everyone else would just have to wait until later.

  ***

  Melissa pulled her hair back into a sleek ponytail, examining her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were slightly puffy, but her face was no longer red like it had been from her sob-fest yesterday afternoon. God, she really shouldn’t have had so much to drink last night. She had to show a house to some potential new clients in less than an hour. Digging around in her purse, she pulled out the make-up that she carried with her. She carefully lined her eyes with a subtle brown that seemed to make her green eyes pop and then added a few swipes of black mascara. The pressed powder evened out her complexion, and the red lipstick provided the finishing touch. Hopefully the final result made her look calm, cool, and collected, not the heartbroken mess that she actually felt like.

  Amy had let her borrow some clothes so she didn’t have to go home and change. It wasn’t like she and Michael lived together, but his things were definitely around, and she just didn’t feel like heading home, facing them, and dealing with the shambles her life was currently in. Amy had pulled a black wrap dress from her closet that skimmed Amy’s curves but hugged Melissa’s nicely. It might be a touch snug but would have to do. Thank God they wore the same size shoe. Melissa slipped into a pair of black stilettos—“hooker heels” they’d jokingly called them back in college. It was true they certainly never failed to garner attention from the opposite sex.

  Of course the only attention she wanted right now was from Michael, and she was still in a state of shock over their sudden break-up yesterday. After all that, it was just over? She still had to tell her parents, friends, and coworkers; contact all the wedding vendors; cancel the honeymoon. Well, Michael had booked it, so that would fall on his plate. But the list was seemingly endless. The last thing she’d wanted to do yesterday was sit down and have a rational discussion with him. At first she’d screamed at him, and then after her anger had been fully unleashed, she’d broken down and sobbed. Although he’d offered to stay, she’d kicked him out of the house. As if having the guy who’d jilted you stick around would somehow be a comfort.

  Except they really did have things to discuss, and she knew at some point she wanted a little more closure. That was more than her little sister Becky had, when her boyfriend was killed in action last year in Afghanistan. She knew Becky would give anything to have one last goodbye. Yes, when she was feeling a little more calm and rational, she’d sit down and discuss things with Michael. There was still logistics to sort out, things of his she’d need to return, and the heartbreaking, impossible task of somehow finding a way to move on.

  Chapter 7

  Jason pulled up to the gates at Quantico, flashing his military ID. The guards waved him through, and he drove on base. God, some of these kids looked young. He’d undoubtedly looked the same way when he’d joined the Marines at eighteen, but man, if it didn’t make him feel old to see these fresh-faced guys jogging around base. He could keep up with the best of them, but while their priorities each weekend were hitting the bars with their buddies and looking for the nearest pretty girl, Jason had been there and done that. He had other responsibilities now and was looking to settle down.

  His four-year-old son Brian lived with his ex-wife Kristin in California. He flew out there as often as he could to see him, now that he was back stateside, but if that constant travel alongside his long work hours didn’t make finding and maintaining a relationship difficult, if not damn near impossible, he wasn’t sure what did. He’d barely had time to see his neighbors, let alone get out with any of the guys on base or meet any new friends since moving here over the summer. Hopefully once the new custody arrangement was settled he’d get to see more of Brian. He wasn’t holding his breath though. Although things with Kristin were surprisingly civil, his military status and constant deployments made it easy to see why the judge had granted sole custody to her. Now that Brian was a little older and Jason was stationed in Virginia, he was hoping they could work out a new agreement.

  Anything that would let him see his son more and avoid the constant cross-country flights was bound to be better for him. He just hoped it would also be better for Brian. A boy needed his father, and he would do his damned best to make sure he was there for him. Hell, Jason’s parents had been married forty years. It was hard not to want the same thing for himself now that he was older.

  “Morning, Sir,” one of the young Marines said as Jason walked in.

  “Morning, Smith. Do you have those briefs ready for me?”

  “Yes, Sir,” he replied, handing Jason the stack of files.

  “Excellent. I’ll be in my office. See you in the meeting at ten hundred?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Excellent. Dismissed.”

  The young Marine walked away as Jason carried the files to his office. Dropping them to his desk and eyeing the huge stack, he knew he’d be reading through the materials all morning. First things first though—he really needed a strong cup of coffee.

  Chapter 8

  “Unbelievable,” Amy muttered that afternoon, heaving Ben’s skiing equipment up the stairs from her basement. Ben wanted to stop by with his new girlfriend? On their way to the airport? She didn’t think so. She’d told him she’d leave everything on the front porch. No way was she waiting around for them to come by on their way to a romantic ski retreat. No way. She could just imagine them holed up in some ski resort in Colorado. Snuggling in front of the fire—no, making love in front of the fire, in the privacy of their own suite. Why bother bringing skis at all? Would they even leave their room? Ha.

  As if she needed to start her weekend this way. Friday afternoons were supposed to be relaxing. Instead of going on a run, she’d rushed home to gather his things. And now she had to leave. It wasn’t like she was going to sit around waiting for him. Amy dropped the gear on the front porch, watching as one of the ski poles clattered to the ground. She could leave it there, but then Ben would think she’d thrown it down on purpose. He’d probably know she was still angry at him. Still in love with him was more like it.

  Amy sighed as she shoved the ski pole back into the bag. She had broken up with Ben. It was her fault they weren’t still together. But somewhere in the back of her mind she’d always thought they’d work things out. That he’d wait for her to be ready and not quite so scared. She just never thought he’d move on so quickly with someone else.

  Walking back inside, she hurried upstairs to change. She pulled on her black running tights, a snug tee shirt, and lightweight fleece zip-up. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she thought she heard a car door slam outside. Damn it. She’d been hoping she’d be long gone by the time Ben arrived. It was bad enough that she couldn’t have him anymore, but she certainly didn’t need to see him with someone else.

  Amy was just walking downstairs as she heard the doorbell ringing. No worry. She’d head out the back and cut through her neighbor’s yard, jogging down the street before circling back to her own street later on. She was not in the mood for a friendly chat with Ben and c
ertainly not in the mood for Ben plus one. Quietly sliding the glass door leading to her deck open, she smiled as she adjusted her ponytail. Hopefully Ben wouldn’t suspect her of sneaking out. Her car was in the driveway, so he knew that she was at home.

  Thankful that her neighbors weren’t there to see her jogging through their backyard, Amy came out on the street just behind hers. It ran parallel to her own, and she’d jog down it to the main road leading toward the trails she usually ran on. She’d have to make do with a shorter workout today, but she could already begin to feel the tension leaving her body and her head beginning to clear as her feet pounded on the pavement. There was no substitute for a great workout, and after a week of teaching preschoolers and dealing with the problems of seemingly everyone else in her life, she was finally, blissfully alone.

  ***

  Jason squinted at the sight of someone coming toward him in the distance. The sun was setting, but as it went down, it was practically blinding him as he jogged up the street toward his neighborhood. Still, the person running toward him almost looked like his neighbor Amy. At that moment she veered left, turning onto their street, and as he glanced away from the direction of the sun to catch sight of her profile, he was certain. He’d recognize that silky brown hair (now pulled back in a high ponytail that bounced up and down as she ran) and those luscious curves anywhere.

  He felt a tightening in his groin as he realized her ponytail wasn’t the only thing bouncing as she moved. Her tight tee shirt was stretched across her breasts, and although he was sure she had on one of those sports bras or whatever it was that female joggers wore, there was no doubt she was all woman underneath her running attire. Although the rest of her body was tight and toned, those breasts could be described as nothing other than voluptuous. In a flash he imagined her wet, naked in the shower after her run. He grinned to himself—he would be in need of a majorly cold shower if he kept up this line of thinking.