Part 9 (1/2)

The voice that interrupted them was definitely female and oddly familiar. They all turned to see a woman coming through the curtain-gorgeous and young, with thick blond hair tumbling down around her shoulders. She was wearing a little black hormone-jangling dress that hugged her trim yet completely female body, topping it off with a pair of strappy high heels and red toenail polish at the south end of a pair of truly exceptional legs.

Despite it being 0940, she looked like a million bucks, dressed and made up for an evening out in one of the town's pricier restaurants.

Izzy was certain that he knew her from some somewhere, but he squinted, unable to remember where they'd met, or even when. d.a.m.n, she was hot. And, to be honest, if he'd sat down next to her her at that bar last night, the evening could well have ended with a different outcome. at that bar last night, the evening could well have ended with a different outcome.

Of course, she was probably supernice, too. And as long as he was being honest, he needed to admit the fact that, should he have sat down next to her at that bar last night? He would've come up with a dozen solid reasons for not sleeping with her her, too.

1. She was not Eden.

2. She had never been Eden.

3. She was never going to become Eden...

Yeah. He was such a loser. He would have said no to her, too.

Dan and Jenk were also struck dumb and staring-gaping almost-and the woman laughed as she came around to the other side of Dan's bed.

”You have no idea who I am, out of uniform like this, do you?” She was looking at and speaking to Dan, whose messy hair and need for a morning shave now made him look like he belonged on the cover of GQ GQ-now that his eyes were open and his mouth was closed, that is. She held out her hand to him, and the gold bracelet she wore on her slender wrist sparked in the fluorescent light. ”Sheila Anderson. I'm glad to see you're still in one piece, sir.”

Ah, of course. It was Marine Private S. Anderson, who'd helped Izzy save Dan's life. She'd cleaned up pretty d.a.m.n nice.

But Danny, in his wooziness, still hadn't put two and two together. He did, however, shake lovely Sheila's lovely hand.

”I'm sorry,” he said, no doubt frantically searching through his vast system of mental files of women he'd banged, and coming up-correctly-empty. ”Sheila...?”

”Or maybe I should say, I'm glad to see you're still in one piece, Oh Great One. It was touch and go there, for a while.”

Dan laughed his relief as dawn broke. ”Oh! Right. Yeah. Private, um, Anderson. Out of context, you know? That and, um...” His gaze slid almost involuntarily down to that awesome dress's extra-awesome neckline, and he forced it back to her face. ”The hair.”

Yeah, right.

But she laughed again. ”I usually wear it like...” She tipped her head and exposed a very lovely length of smooth, soft neck as she gathered her golden fairy-princess tresses into a severe ponytail. ”Does that help?”

Dan nodded. ”Yeah, sorry, I, um-”

”No worries,” she said as she let her hair bounce back around her shoulders. ”I am am a little overdressed for a hospital visit. There was a party last night and...I had too much wine and stayed over with a friend who's a nurse. I thought I'd pop in to say hi, as long as I had the chance.” a little overdressed for a hospital visit. There was a party last night and...I had too much wine and stayed over with a friend who's a nurse. I thought I'd pop in to say hi, as long as I had the chance.”

Okay, so the magnificence they were seeing was actually morning-after-Sheila, and yes, on closer examination, Izzy could see that her mascara was slightly smudged. But only slightly. And he knew that Dan and Jenk were thinking the same thing he was. If this this was what Sheila looked like after an evening of too much wine...It was hard not to imagine what she'd look like during a very private party, one held in bed, sans that dress. was what Sheila looked like after an evening of too much wine...It was hard not to imagine what she'd look like during a very private party, one held in bed, sans that dress.

Of course, she chose that exact moment, while Izzy was-despite her not being Eden-imagining her naked, to turn to him and say, ”Nice to see you again, too. Zanella, right? I'm glad you're okay.”

And oh, s.h.i.+t. Private Anderson had no clue that she was on the verge of revealing a state secret.

Izzy nodded, uncertain of what to say, but she was already on to Jenk.

”How's your wrist?” she asked.

But Jenk didn't get a chance to answer her, because someone else had come to the curtain.

”Excuse me. I'm looking for Dan Gillman.”

This time the voice was that of a heavy smoker, his baritone gravelly and rough, with a hint of N'Orleans. He was older and Army-a master sergeant-in BDUs that were faded yet neat and sharply creased, his boots polished to a high gleam.

His dark hair was graying at the temples and his face...

It was like looking into a wormhole and seeing a version of Danny from the future.

If, that is, Danny quit the SEAL teams, joined the U.S. Army, smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, and drank himself into an alcohol-induced stupor every night for twenty-five years.

Beside him in the bed, Dan looked as if his tension level had ratcheted to DEFCON two. Izzy was on a similar edge. This was also Eden's Eden's father. Which made this guy Izzy's father-in-law. father. Which made this guy Izzy's father-in-law.

”You found him,” Sheila said brightly, failing to pick up on Dan's discomfort. Her tone, unfortunately, held a come on in come on in subtext. ”Wow, you've subtext. ”Wow, you've got got to be his father. Genetics in action...” to be his father. Genetics in action...”

Izzy stood up as Dan Gillman the elder came into the little curtained-off area, as father and son were face-to-face for the first time in G.o.d knows how long.

He didn't know all of the details of the Gillman family history-only bits and pieces. Such as Dan senior had left his wife Ivette for good after Dan junior-aged eleven or twelve-had threatened to kill him. Or maybe the threats were the result of Danny finding out that his father was leaving and not coming back. Izzy wasn't sure of the exact chronology.

But he suspected domestic violence of some sort had been involved, and he knew that Danny still hated his father with a pa.s.sion. It had been a point of contention between Dan and his sister Eden, who'd gone to live with the man when she'd turned eighteen.

The older Gillman now smelled as if he'd stopped at the nearest bar and consumed a serious amount of liquid courage before coming here.

He was playing it upbeat and friendly, though. ”Hey, son, how're you feeling?” he asked, but didn't give Danny time to answer. ”I spoke to the captain. He's an excellent doctor-a good man. I've known him for years. He says you're going to keep the leg. I was glad to hear that.” He turned to Sheila. ”And you must be Danny's girlfriend, come all the way from New York. Aren't you a pretty little thing. I swear, this boy has the sweetest tooth when it comes to women. He must've gotten it from his father.”

And yes. There was Jenn, back from the mess hall with her coffee in hand, stopped short by the master sergeant's words, just outside of that curtain. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked over at Sheila, as the blonde laughed her musical laugh.

Oh, s.h.i.+t. Izzy stood up, uncertain of what to do.

Sheila was too busy flirting with Dan Gillman the elder, to notice Jenn standing there. Or maybe she was flirting with the younger Gillman, because she sent Danny a loaded little smile, too. ”Don't I wish, but...No, I'm not. We're just...good friends. I'm a marine. We were stationed at the same base for a while. I was there when the sniper opened fire and I helped get Dan airlifted out.”

Dan was too busy trying to incinerate his father with his eyes to notice either Sheila's suggestive pauses and smiles or Jenn.

”Well, doesn't that that give a whole new meaning to give a whole new meaning to send in the Marines, send in the Marines,” Dan's father said, but then he sobered. Figuratively. And took the opportunity to take Sheila's lovely hand. ”Thank you for saving my son's life.”

Sheila turned to Izzy. ”It was actually Zanella who did the actual lifesaving, by sharing his blood,” she said, spilling that very big secret, even as Danny talked over her.

”Oh, please.” He spoke to his father-apparently he couldn't keep it in any longer. ”You have some nerve, coming in here and-” But then he turned to Sheila. ”What did you say?”

”No, that was Jenk,” Izzy corrected her, trying to signal her with his eyes, but she wasn't looking at him.

”Yeah, that was, um, me,” Jenk agreed.

Sheila laughed. ”I was there. It was totally Zanella.” But then she noticed the shock on Dan's face and the now-awkward silence in the room. She finally looked back at Izzy and then over to Jenk. ”Was that...something I shouldn't have said?”

”It was you?” Dan asked Izzy. ”What the h.e.l.l... h.e.l.l... ? Did you actually think I would have a problem with that?” He turned and saw Jenn and included her in his disbelief. ”What am I, a f.u.c.king child?” ? Did you actually think I would have a problem with that?” He turned and saw Jenn and included her in his disbelief. ”What am I, a f.u.c.king child?”

”You watch your mouth in front of a lady,” his father admonished, his focus still on Sheila.

Dan looked at the man. ”You're f.u.c.king kidding me, right?”

The elder Dan bristled and even took a menacing step toward his son, and both Izzy and Jenk moved to intercept. Jenn, too, came farther into the room.