Page 69 of Leave

“Uh-huh.” Nolan materialized beside me again and elbowed me. “And doesn’t the Navy stand for ‘never again volunteer yourself’?”

I rolled my eyes. “Ugh. And yet some of us keep reenlisting.”

“Masochist,” he muttered.

“Shut up.” I bumped my shoulder against his.

Leann gave me a sour look I couldn’t quite read, then turned to her husband. “I’m going to go say hi to your parents.”

“Okay. Right behind you.” Andrew clapped Nolan’s shoulder. “Good to see you again for once. While you’re in town, we need to get together. Outside of…” He gestured around the room.

Nolan’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Sure. Let me know when.”

Andrew nodded sharply. To me, he said, “Good to meet, you Riley.”

“Likewise.”

Then he followed Leann into the more crowded living room.

I surreptitiously watched Nolan as he watched his brother and sister-in-law. When he shook himself and looked away, my stomach wound tighter. All my cop senses tingled, and I didn’t like what they were spelling out.

Nolan met my gaze, and his expression hardened. The“fucking drop it”in his eyes was plain as day.

Okay. Fine. But I was curious about something.

I tipped my head in the direction she’d gone. “Um, why does she call you Gumby?”

Nolan bristled. “It was a nickname I had in high school. When I was a wrestler.” He must’ve seen my confusion. “I was kind of known for beingreallyflexible.” He laughed without a trace of humor. “Right up until I stretched too far the wrong way and messed up my back.”

“Ouch. Right. You mentioned that.” I made a face. “That sucks.”

“Eh. It is what it is.”

Uh-huh. Sure it was. I stole a glance at Leann, who was currently chatting with Carol and Sophia, the bride-to-be. Facing Nolan again, I asked, “Why does she still use that name?”

He glowered in her direction. “Because she knows it riles me up.”

“Oh.” I tongued the back of my teeth, debating how far to push this.

Nolan put up a hand. “Whatever you’re thinking—no.”

I blinked. “No, what?”

He rolled his eyes. “I know you. I know you’re trying to suss out who the problem is.” He gestured toward his sister-in-law. “She and I—we’ve never gotten along. And we never will.That doesn’t mean she was…” He trailed off, pressing his lips together.

“That has to suck,” I said. “Not getting along with your sister-in-law.”

Nolan laughed dryly. “You’re telling me. I didn’t like her in high school, and then when I found out she and my brother were engaged…” Another eyeroll. “Anyway, I should introduce you to my Aunt Judy and Uncle Charlie. Looks like they just got here.”

I recognized a subject change when I heard it, so I nodded and followed along.

And every time I caught a glimpse of Leann, my blood turned a little colder.

Though my job in military law enforcement didn’t involve as much investigative work as civilian police, we still learned the various techniques. We still learned how to interrogate suspects and pick up on clues.

And we still had it hammered into us, same as our civilian counterparts, not to stop investigating because wethoughtwe had the answer.

Today, a couple of hours after I’d gone full mental judge and jury on Nolan’s sister-in-law, I was smacked upside the head with that teaching.

---