One More Kiss by Katherine Garbera

Author:Katherine Garbera
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9781460300480
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

8

JAY HADN’T EXPECTED to be able to relax with the group at the bonfire, but one man stood up as soon as they arrived and greeted Alysse with a warm hug.

“How are you, amiga?”

“I’m good, Paulo,” she replied. “I want you to meet Jay. Jay, this Paulo Ramones. Paulo, this is Jay Michener.”

Jay shook the other man’s hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

“You, as well,” Paulo said. “This is my wife, Frida.”

A lovely woman with dark hair and olive-colored skin walked over to them and shook his hand. “So nice to meet you.”

Both Paulo and Frida had heavy Spanish accents and were fit and lean.

“The pleasure is mine,” Jay said.

“This is Tommy and Jean. They both work with Toby. And this is Toby’s girlfriend, Molly. She works with them, as well,” Alysse said.

He waved at the group. “What do y’all do?”

“Marine biology. Currently, we’re studying changes in migration habits of whales.”

“Interesting,” Jay said. “You, too, Paulo?”

“Nah. I play volleyball with Toby. We’re on a competitive team in the Cal King tournament.”

“Everyone ready for a veggie burger?” Toby asked.

The food was served and Jay found himself sitting on a large blanket with Alysse on one side and Paulo on the other. The group was all sitting fairly close together around the fire.

“Are you a baker like Alysse?” Paulo asked, after taking a huge bite out of his veggie burger.

Jay shook his head. “No, sir. I’m a Marine.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Does that seem hard to believe?” Jay asked.

“No, it’s just that I never thought a military man would be Alysse’s type,” he said.

“I guess I am,” Jay said. Focusing on his plate.

“I meant nothing by that comment. I was in the special forces before we moved here. Have you been to Iraq?” Paulo asked.

“Yes,” Jay answered, and saw the other man in a different light. They started talking about their respective deployments and places they’d been to. Paulo had gotten out and no longer did anything vaguely resembling what he had in the past.

“How do you like being out of the military?” Jay asked. He wanted to know how other people made the adjustment. It would give him some ideas on how he’d be able to do it if he decided to leave the Corps.

“I love it. But I went in because I’m the second son in my family and I was expected to have some military training. Though I play volleyball with Toby on the weekends, my real career is in wine. My family owns vineyards in Spain and here in California,” Paulo said. “Is it like that for you?”

“I am just a military man,” Jay answered. “Don’t have anything waiting for me outside the Corps.”

“I don’t know about that,” Paulo said, glancing around him toward Alysse who was having an animated conversation with Molly.

“It’s complicated,” Jay said. He didn’t want to discuss his brief marriage to Alysse with a man he’d only just met. In fact, Jay knew he never wanted to discuss that one week in Vegas with anyone, ever. But he did like the thought that other people looked at him and Alysse and saw a couple.

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