Page 46 of Issued

Marge props a hand on her hip. “I’m assuming, by water, you mean the pot of oil I set up for the fries?”

Taya blinks rapidly. “Yes?”

Marge looks like she’s about to join her pressure cooker in the ceiling, but a large chunk of still-frozen sauce falls. It lands in Taya’s hair, sloughing down the side of her head and leaving a bright red streak along one half of her face. Marge is just as quick to forgive as she is to get angry, and the sight sets her off in a peal of laughter.

“You dolt.” Marge grabs Taya and pulls her toward the door. “You’re lucky nobody was in here or we’d have burns to deal with. Bear, get the lid out of the ceiling. You and Jim can fix the hole in the morning.”

“Why drag me into it?” I mutter, and Bear throws me a dirty look.

Marge waves a dismissive hand in the air. “Probably because your wife is the one who managed to flash-burn cold food.”

I haven’t seen much of Taya’s cooking, but the one time she’d given it a shot, she filled the house with smoke. I’m beginning to think for a badass biker chick, she wouldn’t be able to cook her way out of a wet paper bag without setting off a few smoke detectors. “Defrosting can be hard and Taya’s not the most experienced cook. Tell Marge to buy the bottled stuff next time. It’s easier than homemade, and it’s impossible to fuck up.”

Bear snorts. “Marge has been on some Martha Stewart bullshit lately. She even made homemade potpourri. Can you smell it?”

I sniff the air and answer honestly. “All I smell is burnt sauce and plaster.”

“I can’t tell the difference either.” Some of the annoyance fades from Bear’s face. “Have you told her yet?”

“Told who what?”

Marge strides back into the kitchen, already rolling her eyes. “Taya. That you love her. Duh.”

Love. I snort. “What are you two going on about? And where is Taya?”

“I gave her an extra top and pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.” She tosses a grin in Bear’s direction. “I told you, he hasn’t told her. You owe me twenty bucks.”

“And I told you, he probably hasn’t even realized it yet. So, technically,youoweme.”

“How could he not know?” Marge slaps Bear’s hands away when he tries to grab her sauce-covered wallet.

“He’s always been more street-smart than emotionally intelligent,” Bear says. “It’s not his strong suit. In fact, you can’t really quantify it as a suit at all.”

“I’m not in love with Taya,” I snap, bringing the couple’s attention back to me.

Marge is decidedly less friendly, now that money is on the line, and briefly, I regret reminding them that I’m standing here. “Don’t mess this up for me, Jim. I have money riding on you not being completely obtuse.”

I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

My best friend, Dr. Fucking Phil, strokes his red beard and winces sympathetically. “Look man, if you’re not in love yet, you’re headed in that direction.”

I’d be lying if I said he was wrong. Not when my damn heart wants nothing more than for the universe to give me a definitive answer that this woman won’t leave me because I’m losing this damn battle to keep my feelings in check when it comes to my wife, especially when my feelings are growing stronger for her each day.

But her reaction to the idea of me returning to the field worries me. She might not be able to handle staying married to me. The deployments might be too much, along with the worry about what could happen. Taya may not be strong enough to handle all that.

And I don’t want to walk back down that road again.

Bear wiggles his fingers, and Marge shoves a crumbled wad of cash into his hand, lips tight and eyes dark with frustration. The woman is not a fan of losing, and she and Bear bet money on everything, including whether Leslie’s next “accident” at preschool will be a number one or a number two. The loser will have to leave work to bring the kid an extra set of clothes. Usually, their bets are funny. Not so much when I’m the topic of conversation and suddenly feeling like a poorly performing racehorse.

“Look,” Marge says, her voice stern. “You’re falling for her, and she’s clearly falling for you. The sooner you accept it, the easier things will be. And from what I’ve seen so far, Taya’s more than capable of being a military wife.”

“I’m not... there’s no... she’s falling for me?” I can’t stop the next words from spilling out of my mouth, even though I know they confirm every suspicion Bear and Marge have. “How do you... did she say something?”

Marge shakes her head, and Bear sucks air through his teeth, his face a mask of pity. I hate these games, but can’t help but play. “Taya doesn’t truly understand what being married to a SEAL encompasses. I’ve been stuck home so far. What happens when she learns what life would really be like? I’m not quitting, not for her.”

“Jim, I don’t think she’d ever ask you to quit.” Marge’s eyes and smile soften abruptly as I visibly scramble. I’ve seen her calm Leslie with the same expression. It works all too well. “It’s okay to love someone, Jim. Nobody survives for long on a diet of one-night stands.”

“It’s not that bad.”

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