and cracked her neck, attempting to banish the urge to tell her father to get out. “Dad, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here and stop pussyfooting around?”
Surprisingly, her dad didn’t comment on her language and instead got right to the point. “How has Martinez been working out?”
Eve hesitated. “Sergeant Martinez is good.”
“Really? He hasn’t tried getting out of the fund-raiser at all?”
“No, he’s been a big help,” Eve said. Suspicion overwhelmed her. “Was that your plan? For me to report back to you on this guy if he didn’t fall in line?”
“I don’t have a plan, I was just asking a question,” he said casually.
Too casually.
“Why don’t I believe you?” she asked.
“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t.”
“I know that Oliver is the guy who kicked Hank’s ass a few weeks ago. This wouldn’t be about avenging the family honor or something stupid like that, would it?”
Her dad watched her thoughtfully, and Eve squirmed. The last thing she wanted was for her dad to know she liked Oliver.
Whoa, when did attraction turn to like?
“I am not petty, Evelyn. Oliver was taken off MP active patrol because he was fighting with a civilian off base and I wanted to make an example of him.”
Shit, he’d noticed she’d dropped Oliver’s name.
Eve’s phone went off in the nick of time, blaring Meghan Trainor’s “All about That Bass.” She looked around for it and saw it on the coffee table next to her dad. Before she’d even taken a step, he picked it up and looked at the front.
His expression was blank, but when he held the phone out to her, his tone was cutting. “Speak of the devil.”
Eve nearly groaned out loud, then snatched the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Evelyn, it’s Oliver.”
“Hi. You know, it’s really not a good time.”
“I don’t want to keep you, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I was out of line and I just wanted to let you know that I will be on my best behavior from now on.”
“That’s great, why don’t we go over those ideas later on today, okay?” She hoped to God her dad hadn’t heard Oliver’s apology; she definitely didn’t want him to start asking questions. Especially when it was nothing. Less than nothing.
“Huh? You want to meet up today?” He sounded so adorably confused.
“Yeah, I’ll text you the details in a bit, but I’ve got to go, okay?”
“Okay—”
Eve hung up and went back to preparing the coffee.
“Evelyn,” her dad said behind her.
“Yeah?” She turned and caught the deadly look on his face.
“I’ve always thought you had a good head on your shoulders and, besides that one hiccup when you were a kid, were an excellent judge of character,” he said.
That hiccup had been Andy Briggs when she was seventeen. Her father had never liked him, but she’d fallen hard for the blue-eyed army private, only to find out he was playing her. And once her father found out, he’d managed to have Andy transferred, but he’d never let Eve forget about it.
“Thank you? Why do I hear a big ‘but’ coming?”
“ But , I am worried about Sergeant Martinez taking advantage of you—”
“Let me stop you there,” Eve said, setting her cup down. “No one is going to take advantage of me, and there is nothing going on between me and Sergeant Martinez. We are just working together, that’s it.”
“I just worry that he isn’t pulling his weight and is creating more work for you.”
Eve finished doctoring her coffee and sat down on the couch. “Honestly, Dad, he has done everything I’ve asked and hasn’t shirked his responsibilities once. You might want to lighten up and give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I’ve seen Hank when he’s had a few, and I’ve been tempted to knock his ass out myself.”
“I know exactly how difficult your brother can be, but it doesn’t change anything. Sergeant Martinez should have known better.”
Eve sighed. She wasn’t going to
Surprisingly, her dad didn’t comment on her language and instead got right to the point. “How has Martinez been working out?”
Eve hesitated. “Sergeant Martinez is good.”
“Really? He hasn’t tried getting out of the fund-raiser at all?”
“No, he’s been a big help,” Eve said. Suspicion overwhelmed her. “Was that your plan? For me to report back to you on this guy if he didn’t fall in line?”
“I don’t have a plan, I was just asking a question,” he said casually.
Too casually.
“Why don’t I believe you?” she asked.
“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t.”
“I know that Oliver is the guy who kicked Hank’s ass a few weeks ago. This wouldn’t be about avenging the family honor or something stupid like that, would it?”
Her dad watched her thoughtfully, and Eve squirmed. The last thing she wanted was for her dad to know she liked Oliver.
Whoa, when did attraction turn to like?
“I am not petty, Evelyn. Oliver was taken off MP active patrol because he was fighting with a civilian off base and I wanted to make an example of him.”
Shit, he’d noticed she’d dropped Oliver’s name.
Eve’s phone went off in the nick of time, blaring Meghan Trainor’s “All about That Bass.” She looked around for it and saw it on the coffee table next to her dad. Before she’d even taken a step, he picked it up and looked at the front.
His expression was blank, but when he held the phone out to her, his tone was cutting. “Speak of the devil.”
Eve nearly groaned out loud, then snatched the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Evelyn, it’s Oliver.”
“Hi. You know, it’s really not a good time.”
“I don’t want to keep you, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I was out of line and I just wanted to let you know that I will be on my best behavior from now on.”
“That’s great, why don’t we go over those ideas later on today, okay?” She hoped to God her dad hadn’t heard Oliver’s apology; she definitely didn’t want him to start asking questions. Especially when it was nothing. Less than nothing.
“Huh? You want to meet up today?” He sounded so adorably confused.
“Yeah, I’ll text you the details in a bit, but I’ve got to go, okay?”
“Okay—”
Eve hung up and went back to preparing the coffee.
“Evelyn,” her dad said behind her.
“Yeah?” She turned and caught the deadly look on his face.
“I’ve always thought you had a good head on your shoulders and, besides that one hiccup when you were a kid, were an excellent judge of character,” he said.
That hiccup had been Andy Briggs when she was seventeen. Her father had never liked him, but she’d fallen hard for the blue-eyed army private, only to find out he was playing her. And once her father found out, he’d managed to have Andy transferred, but he’d never let Eve forget about it.
“Thank you? Why do I hear a big ‘but’ coming?”
“ But , I am worried about Sergeant Martinez taking advantage of you—”
“Let me stop you there,” Eve said, setting her cup down. “No one is going to take advantage of me, and there is nothing going on between me and Sergeant Martinez. We are just working together, that’s it.”
“I just worry that he isn’t pulling his weight and is creating more work for you.”
Eve finished doctoring her coffee and sat down on the couch. “Honestly, Dad, he has done everything I’ve asked and hasn’t shirked his responsibilities once. You might want to lighten up and give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I’ve seen Hank when he’s had a few, and I’ve been tempted to knock his ass out myself.”
“I know exactly how difficult your brother can be, but it doesn’t change anything. Sergeant Martinez should have known better.”
Eve sighed. She wasn’t going to
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