“Yep, this overly enthusiastic Marine who was missing his Lab back home or something. Dropped to his knees and put his arms around Bosch, tried to kiss his nose.”
“Oh, God. Did he get bitten?”
“Nice little rip in his tear duct. Hey, the guy was stupid,” he went on when she groaned in sympathy. “You never put your face near a strange dog’s mouth, no matter if it’s a chihuahua wearing a fuzzy pink coat or a Malinois in a war zone.”
Lani sat rigidly in her chair as Geo gave Bosch a command, and almost delicately the dog got up and crossed the floor to stand in front of her. He sniffed her knees, then down to her sandaled toes, before sitting with an eager, expectant look.
“Pet him if you want to,” Geo said softly. “He loves a good ear scratch.”
After a long moment’s hesitation, she reached out tentative fingers and rubbed the top of his head. When Bosch didn’t react, she fondled his ears lightly, then more firmly, at last scratching behind them and even down his neck. “Hey, Bosch. Nice to finally meet you.”
Geo knelt next to them. “This beautiful lady is my friend,” he informed him, and Bosch thumped his tail as if in reply, which made her giggle.
“You’re so handsome. Thanks for helping to keep the guys safe,” she said with another hearty scratch to Bosch’s neck. “You’re such a good boy.”
Lani could’ve sworn she saw the dog smile.
Geo had her feed Bosch treats from the palm of her hand, and taught her a few Dutch commands, like “lie down” and “sit.” By the end of their little get-to-know-you session, she’d completely relaxed.
“I think I’d built him up in my mind to be some sort of lion,” she admitted, “and while I wouldn’t exactly call him a teddy bear, he’s not as scary as I was picturing.”
“There’re some guys in the platoon who won’t go near him if they can help it, and that’s fine. Like I tell them, he’s not there to be a mascot or a pet. He doesn’t have to be loved, but he needs to be respected for what he’s trained to do.”
She watched as Geo led Bosch to his cage and ushered him inside, the affection in his body language, his voice, making her chest ache with something she couldn’t define. Despite Bosch’s toughness, not to mention Geo’s toughness, it was obvious how much they loved each other.
The ache deepened into longing and, clearing her throat, Lani glanced down at her knees. Was she really envious of a dog? No way.
As Geo flipped the lights off and pulled the kennel door shut, he asked, “You want to go for a walk?”
“Mmm. I do if you do.”
“Yeah.” He thought for a moment. “Why don’t we head over to the beach by the Navy Lodge? It’s just about a mile from here.”
“Perfect.” She grinned up at him, her nose wrinkling. “Close to bathrooms. I’ll probably have to pee ten times while we’re there.”
He eyed her. “The joys of pregnancy, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say joy is the word for it, but...” She sighed. “I’m sure all of this is nature’s way of making sure I don’t dread what’s to come.”
The parking lot at the beach seemed surprisingly full, although the beach itself looked deserted. Luckily, Geo found a spot close to the path leading down to the water. Once they’d reached the sand, the reason for all the cars became clear.
“I think there’s a wedding over there.” He pointed to a small reception hall and gazebo about a hundred yards away from where they were standing. The amplified voice of the DJ echoed over to them, along with the throbbing beat of some dance music. “You want to go somewhere else?”
“Nah. We won’t hear them down by the water.”
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world for her to take his arm while they strolled. She hugged his muscular biceps, enjoying the warmth and closeness. When they reached the reception hall, they stood just outside the pool of light, watching while the wedding couple danced together on the gazebo. The bride was radiant in a light pink cocktail dress, her groom in khaki pants, the sleeves of his matching pink button-up shirt rolled to his elbows.
“Aww, they look so beautiful and happy together, don’t they?” Lani whispered. “Best wishes to them both.”
Loud laughter drew their attention to a knot of young men leaning against a nearby railing, bottles of beer in hand, their boisterousness and camaraderie instantly recognizable. Geo nodded at them. “Team guys.”
She grimaced, her pleasure at the sight of the happy couple draining away. The bride had not only married her husband, she’d married the whole community and the demands it brought with it. It wouldn’t be an easy or glamorous life, not by a long shot.
“Well, good luck to them both, then,” she said. “They’re gonna need it.”
Geo quirked his lips at her. “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, huh?”
“Hell, yeah, I got the T-shirt.” Tugging on his arm, she steered them past the wedding and on down the beach. “How about you? What sort of relationship skeletons do you have in your closet?” She’d said it lightly, teasingly, and was surprised to feel his biceps tense.
He didn’t say anything for a few beats, then, “I lived with someone for about a year once. His name was Jake.”
It took a moment for his meaning to sink in. Careful to keep both her face and voice neutral, Lani said, “His name?”
“I’m bi. So yeah, ‘closet’ is a pretty good word for it.”
Risking a glance up at him, she could see how rigid his jaw was, his lips compressed into a tight line. How much trust had it taken for him to reveal that? A pang shot through her. More than she’d ever know.
Instinctively, she hugged him tighter. “Thanks for telling me that,” she said softly. “What happened with you and Jake?”
He took a deep breath, the stiffness in his body slowly, incrementally, draining away. “He got tired of pretending to be my roommate. It was during DADT, so he couldn’t ever be anything else.”
Lani didn’t reply, because what was there to say? She leaned her cheek on his shoulder as he went on, “I loved him, but not enough to fight for him, you know? When he walked out, I...let him.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
After a lengthy pause, he shrugged. “Me, too. It was a long time ago, though.”
“No one since?”
“No one serious. I really don’t let myself do serious anymore.”
“Yeah.” She grunted. “I’m with you on that, even if my one foray into a no-strings hookup didn’t end with, uh, no strings.”