Friendly Fire (The Echo Platoon Series, Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Marliss Melton
finished off his whiskey, and stood up. "Excuse me," he said to all three of them before stalking off.
Mortification seared Emma's cheeks. He'd accepted her apology, but it was obvious that he hadn't forgiven her. Wiping the condensation off her glass, she suffered Juliet's keen stare, knowing she would have to explain to her later.
"Don't mind him," Tristan said, moving to stand between them. "He's in a weird mood today. Plus, he's out of practice with the ladies."
Emma frowned at him. "What do you mean?" She cocked her head, curious to hear about his love life.
"Oh, hell," Tristan said, realizing he was saying too much. "He's just...." He seemed to search for words, then shrugged. "He's complicated." He put a hand to his heart. "Me, I'm a much simpler guy to figure out."
"You're admitting that you're shallow," Juliet pointed out.
"Juliet!" Emma glanced at the nearly empty glass in her sister's hand. "Don't be rude to the man."
He patted her shoulder in a familiar manner. "Don't worry, honey. I can hold my own." He turned to Juliet. "Shallow? No. Just easier to satisfy."
Juliet regarded him quizzically. "Why would I want to satisfy you?"
He belted out a good-natured laugh. "You remind me of something." He studied her a moment. "I know what it is—a type of fruit called lychee. Have you ever seen one?"
She lifted her chin. "I believe I have."
"Covered with a gorgeous reddish rind, the color of your lips. The lychee is rather tough on the outside, but if you take the time to strip it, the globe of flesh inside is absolutely succulent."
Juliet visibly inhaled. "They're not very common around here," she said at last, her voice sounding a little breathy. "Perhaps you've done a bit of traveling?" she observed.
As Tristan ticked off a list of countries he'd visited, Emma's thoughts drifted back to her brief discussion with Jeremiah.
I don't regret a damn thing that happened, he'd said. Did that mean he cherished the memories of their time together, the way she did?
How could he think that she'd dismissed him from her life without giving him another thought? Nothing could have been further from the truth. She'd searched for him online. Most young adults had a social media account, but regardless of how persistently she hunted, Jeremiah Winters hadn't existed anywhere on the Internet. And now she knew why: he had dropped out of college to become a Navy SEAL.
She'd seen the documentaries on TV about the grueling training program that weeded out potential candidates until a mere handful remained. Considering the slender, intellectual young man he had been, his mental toughness alone must have kept him from ringing the bell that would have signified his quitting.
A proud smile curled the corners of her mouth as she marveled over his accomplishment.
A droplet of water fell on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Sammy standing behind her sopping wet. "Mom, I'm thirsty."
The back and forth between Juliet and Tristan had shifted into a discussion on national security. At least the two seemed to be in agreement on the current administration's aggressive policy against drug cartels and terrorists.
With nothing meaningful to add, Emma excused herself to show Sammy where to find free lemonade. Taking note of how engrossed Juliet had become in conversation, and how engaged Tristan seemed, Emma felt the sharp needle of envy prick her unexpectedly. She would have enjoyed sharing a rich exchange with Jeremiah, the way they used to back on campus.
Stop it, she scolded herself silently. Any deep dialog with Jeremiah would have surely roused the feelings of affection she still harbored for him—and frankly those feelings terrified her.
Love led to heartache, and heartache wasn't something she ever wanted to experience again. It was for the best that he had walked away.
* * *
Juliet found herself amending her initial perception of the handsome Navy SEAL.
Tristan the SEAL wasn't all looks and no brain—of course not. SEALs
Mortification seared Emma's cheeks. He'd accepted her apology, but it was obvious that he hadn't forgiven her. Wiping the condensation off her glass, she suffered Juliet's keen stare, knowing she would have to explain to her later.
"Don't mind him," Tristan said, moving to stand between them. "He's in a weird mood today. Plus, he's out of practice with the ladies."
Emma frowned at him. "What do you mean?" She cocked her head, curious to hear about his love life.
"Oh, hell," Tristan said, realizing he was saying too much. "He's just...." He seemed to search for words, then shrugged. "He's complicated." He put a hand to his heart. "Me, I'm a much simpler guy to figure out."
"You're admitting that you're shallow," Juliet pointed out.
"Juliet!" Emma glanced at the nearly empty glass in her sister's hand. "Don't be rude to the man."
He patted her shoulder in a familiar manner. "Don't worry, honey. I can hold my own." He turned to Juliet. "Shallow? No. Just easier to satisfy."
Juliet regarded him quizzically. "Why would I want to satisfy you?"
He belted out a good-natured laugh. "You remind me of something." He studied her a moment. "I know what it is—a type of fruit called lychee. Have you ever seen one?"
She lifted her chin. "I believe I have."
"Covered with a gorgeous reddish rind, the color of your lips. The lychee is rather tough on the outside, but if you take the time to strip it, the globe of flesh inside is absolutely succulent."
Juliet visibly inhaled. "They're not very common around here," she said at last, her voice sounding a little breathy. "Perhaps you've done a bit of traveling?" she observed.
As Tristan ticked off a list of countries he'd visited, Emma's thoughts drifted back to her brief discussion with Jeremiah.
I don't regret a damn thing that happened, he'd said. Did that mean he cherished the memories of their time together, the way she did?
How could he think that she'd dismissed him from her life without giving him another thought? Nothing could have been further from the truth. She'd searched for him online. Most young adults had a social media account, but regardless of how persistently she hunted, Jeremiah Winters hadn't existed anywhere on the Internet. And now she knew why: he had dropped out of college to become a Navy SEAL.
She'd seen the documentaries on TV about the grueling training program that weeded out potential candidates until a mere handful remained. Considering the slender, intellectual young man he had been, his mental toughness alone must have kept him from ringing the bell that would have signified his quitting.
A proud smile curled the corners of her mouth as she marveled over his accomplishment.
A droplet of water fell on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Sammy standing behind her sopping wet. "Mom, I'm thirsty."
The back and forth between Juliet and Tristan had shifted into a discussion on national security. At least the two seemed to be in agreement on the current administration's aggressive policy against drug cartels and terrorists.
With nothing meaningful to add, Emma excused herself to show Sammy where to find free lemonade. Taking note of how engrossed Juliet had become in conversation, and how engaged Tristan seemed, Emma felt the sharp needle of envy prick her unexpectedly. She would have enjoyed sharing a rich exchange with Jeremiah, the way they used to back on campus.
Stop it, she scolded herself silently. Any deep dialog with Jeremiah would have surely roused the feelings of affection she still harbored for him—and frankly those feelings terrified her.
Love led to heartache, and heartache wasn't something she ever wanted to experience again. It was for the best that he had walked away.
* * *
Juliet found herself amending her initial perception of the handsome Navy SEAL.
Tristan the SEAL wasn't all looks and no brain—of course not. SEALs
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