Page 61 of Just One Silver Fox

“Straight out of high school. It was my first snap and totally the right choice for me. Boot camp was hard, but I loved it. I just wanted more. The service gave me goals and good habits, and taught me how to take care of what’s important to me. I would have been a lifer, you know.”

“But instead, you’ll be one of Pierce’s spy guys.”

“Yes,” Nate exhaled the word with satisfaction. “It’s great.”

There was a little pause, then Sonia spoke. “What happened to your dad?”

“He had a heart attack when I was sixteen and died instantly. One day he went to work and he never came home.” It had happened so long ago that Nate could talk about it easily. At the time, it had been devastating to have his world shaken so hard.

“It must have been hard for your mom.”

“And I didn’t make it any easier. Diane was already in college so at least one of us had our shit together.”

“Did she marry again?”

“My mom? Are you kidding? We Buchanans are the once-is-forever team. No one gets divorced or remarried in my family. They get it right the first time and run with it.”

Sonia didn’t say anything for a few minutes but Nate knew she was still there.

He was thinking, actually, about his mom’s comments about Trish. He wondered whether he might have been the first to get divorced if they had gotten married. If he hadn’t lost his hand, how long would it have taken him to realize that she wasn’t as all-in as he was? Would he have stuck it out and been miserable in his marriage? It wasn’t something he wanted to think about.

“Did I spook you?” he asked finally.

“No, I’m just thinking that’s a pretty high bar. Not everyone gets it right the first time, and staying in a bad partnership can be unhealthy.”

“All true.” His stomach grumbled. He’d made spaghetti sauce the night before, adding ground beef to a jar of sauce, and had enough to have it again. Just the thought of it made him want to get off the phone and eat—and yet, as was typical with Sonia, he wanted to keep listening to her voice.

And she thought she had things to learn from Cleopatra about holding someone’s interest. One look and gone pretty much described his reaction to her.

Nate straightened, realizing why he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Against everything he knew to be sensible and smart, Nate had fallen in love.

With another woman who couldn’t—or wouldn’t—love him back.

What kind of moron was he to make the same mistake twice?

How could he havenotfallen for Sonia?

“That’s great about your podcast,” he said, trying to get off the phone and think it through. “I’m sure the team will pull it together beautifully…”

“That’s not the only reason I called,” Sonia said, interrupting him. She continued before Nate could speak. “I need to do something before we record the first class and I need your help.” Sonia’s voice dropped to a sultry whisper. “I need to lay my last ghost to rest.”

A lump of dread rose in Nate’s throat, but he didn’t say a thing.

Sonia took a breath, then her words spilled forth in a rush. “I want to do it naked and in the light, and it has to be with you.”

Nate nearly dropped his phone.

Sonia was propositioning him.

And everything within him was shouting YES.

Nate picked his jaw up off the floor and tried to think straight.

It wasn’t easy.

Eight

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