He laughed, shaking his head. “Naturally, it’s my date that notices.”
She batted her eyes at him. “None of them hold a candle to you, muffin. You’re like the prize in a box full of Cracker Jacks.”
“Bro, did she just call you ‘muffin’?” Sara whirled around, surprised to have been overheard. The man looking back at her in amusement was handsome—there was no disputing that. But he didn’t compare to the one who owned her heart. Speaking of Gabe, she was afraid she’d embarrassed him with her silly comments, but he appeared unfazed.
“You’re just jealous, Keller,” he said dryly. He winked at her before adding, “Sara, this is Captain Jason Keller.”
She understood their camaraderie immediately. She knew they were not only colleagues but friends as well. Jason took her hand between both of his. “Sara, it’s a pleasure. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Likewise.” She smiled shyly. “Gabe mentioned you many times during his deployment.”
At Gabe’s pointed look, Jason released her. “Oh, I’m sure he did. He’s always been jealous of me. I’m good-looking, intelligent, popular with the ladies, and—”
“Full of it,” Gabe tossed in. “Angel, he’s a prime example of why your uniform theory is incorrect.”
She giggled at their private joke while Jason rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response.” He eyed her curiously, but she could detect nothing negative there. “Sara, on behalf of myself and everyone we were stationed with in Iraq, I’d like to give you our heartfelt thanks for making our time there more pleasant.” He nodded his head in Gabe’s direction. “You turned this irritable grouch into a ray of sunshine. Granted, it scared the hell out of us when he began flashing those dimples, but eventually we figured out he was actually smiling. Well—either that or he had a severe case of gas, possibly both.”
“What is she doing here?” Both Sara and Jason turned to follow the direction of Gabe’s stare. Melanie? Why?
“Hey, isn’t that your old . . .” Jason’s voice trailed off as he winced at his friend. “Yeah, a lot of us wouldn’t think anything of it, but that’s a little awkward for you, isn’t it, buddy? That’s why I always fly solo to these events. I’ve witnessed too many Jerry Springer moments over the years.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Gabe muttered, but Sara could tell he wasn’t happy with the other woman’s appearance. It didn’t thrill her either. She saw enough to know that Melanie was wearing a sexy black dress that made her appear even tinier. Great, she looks like a size 0, while I probably resemble Clifford the Big Red Dog. As if sensing the direction her thoughts were taking, Gabe pulled her into the crook of his arm and whispered against her ear, “She’s not even in your league, Angel—never was.”
“I need a drink before you two get any mushier,” Jason joked. “I swear, I don’t know how to deal with this kinder, gentler version of you, Randall. Can we at least go glare at some of the newbies? Make their balls draw up around their throat? You know how much you enjoy that.”
Sara cocked her head up at her date, who gave her an innocent smile. “Have no clue what he’s referring to. I’d never do anything so juvenile.”
The banter continued as other soldiers joined them. Soon, she had forgotten all about Melanie’s presence and was enjoying herself. “Hey, we better find our places, the Color Guard is getting into position.” Sara glanced in the direction he pointed to see a group of soldiers holding several different flags. Everyone seemed to be of the same mind, because they were forced to walk single-file through the crowd until they reached their table. She was startled when the soldiers suddenly stood at attention. After the national anthem, it was a blur of toasts, speakers, and even a cake cutting. She was moved to tears at the ceremony around the missing man table. Gabe explained it was in honor of fallen, missing, or imprisoned military service members. She was also fascinated by the history of his unit. The only downside to the evening was Melanie seated at the table beside them, and the fact that she caught the other woman staring at Gabe more than once. It was obvious she still had feelings for him, even if he didn’t return them.
When Gabe’s boss called him over after dinner, Jason leaned closer and said, “He was never into her, so don’t let it bother you. I’ve known Gabe for a long time. We met years ago when we were stationed in Florida. We’ve been split up a few times, but we ended up here together. He’s always been very careful about getting seriously involved with a woman because of the military lifestyle. It’s tough to keep a relationship intact with the separations.” He took a drink from his beer before adding, “You’ve been good for him. He was the most human in Iraq that I’ve ever seen him. Normally he’s kind of like a machine. Focused on the mission to the exclusion of all else. That shit will take a heavy toll on you unless you learn how to decompress. If it means goofing off with the other soldiers, you do it. It’s survival—it’s sanity. And I think he’s finally seen that. Knows there’s more than the job. Doesn’t matter what you do, or who you are, there must be balance in all things.”
She smiled, touched by his insight as well as the trust he was placing in her. He might seemingly be the less serious of the two men, but she sensed that he could be just as intense as Gabe. She also knew instinctively that by telling her what he had, he was giving her his approval. “It’s something I’m learning too, Jason,” she admitted. “Coming here was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken. And I still have a near panic attack several times a day over it.” Just then she spied Gabe holding center court in the midst of a dozen other soldiers, and she was filled with a sense of pride. That’s my man.
Sara had no idea how long she’d zoned out, but the amusement in Jason’s voice said he’d noticed it. “You two crazy kids will figure it out. The best advice I can give you is not to do anything stupid. My father imparted those wise words to me when I was a kid, and they cover damn near everything.”
“That was deep, Captain. You should have that put on a patch for your uniform.” He chuckled in response. She hated to leave the amusing conversation, but she was in serious danger of peeing herself. “Do you know where the restrooms are?” she asked him as she got to her feet.
“They’re out in the hallway, right outside the doors,” he replied as he made a show of stretching his neck. “I think I’ll go dazzle your boyfriend and his cronies with some of my wit.”
She waved, then walked in the direction he indicated as fast as her heels would allow. By the time she opened the door to the ladies’ room, she almost had her knees crossed. She was a timid tinkler from way back, so she took the last stall and heaved a sigh. It was nice to have a quiet moment. It had been a great evening, but she wasn’t used to being around so many people. Thankfully, Gabe and Jason’s banter kept it from being too overwhelming.