Grey Skies - A Military Romance (Complete)

Grey Skies: Chapter 1

Max was nervous.

Not in the obeying his commander's orders to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and land in unfriendly territory kind of way. Even six years in, his missions with the Navy still caused a jittery rush of adrenaline. Also not like when he stood in the batter's box, bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with the team down by three runs. No, he was nervous in a way like he hadn't been for a long, long time. Maybe ever.

Across the lawn, the source of his agitation tipped back her glass of champagne. He watched her long neck bob, just like it had the first day he'd met her a month ago.

Sophie.

While all eyes were on the bride that sunny June day, Max couldn't keep his eyes off of one of the bridesmaids. The moment those church doors opened and the vision in pale purple floated down the aisle, she enthralled him. At least his body had been. Mouth dry, fingers tingling, and the stiff collar of his uniform itched the back of his neck. A shaft of sunshine from the tall stained-glass windows illuminated the woman like a spotlight meant only for him and the fog he'd been living in for a year, maybe even longer parted.

Finn's face blocked his view of current-day Sophie. "Need another." His friend pointed to the empty beer in Max's clutch.

He nodded, his throat parched again, simply at the sight of her. What if he got to hold her again? He shifted, his chinos grinding against the part of his anatomy where blood was currently rushing. No, he'd never be so lucky. He'd blown his one shot with her. Duty had called, and he'd left the wedding early. No choice but to follow orders. Usually, he liked the singularity of thought, or rather, no thought in adhering to the chain of command. Not that day. Then they'd robbed him of spending time with her.

Losing sight of Sophie, he focused on his ex-commander. "Thanks for letting me stay."

Finn slapped him on the back. "I remember how hard the beds are at the barracks. Here, you'll get a decent night's sleep before you head back tomorrow. Em insisted you get the room with the softest mattress." His fingers dug into Max's shoulder. "Seriously though. You're welcome here anytime. Stay as long as you like, too."

Max nodded again. This time, the desert in his throat wasn't because of anything good. For different reasons, both men avoided coming back to the state for years. Finn, under the mistaken impression the love of his life, didn't want him, Max certain his family had no interest in him visiting. A year ago, they'd both been forced to return to the United States for Casey's trial, and Finn had reunited with Emily. Max had spent an awkward lunch with his sister and parents, where his father refused to once meet his gaze throughout the meal.

"Try the ribeye strips. The spice reminds me of those kabobs we had in Palermo." Finn tipped his head in the direction of the picnic table laden with food. "I'll get your beer."

Max clocked each patron as he headed for the grub, scanning for a pale yellow dress. No luck. He picked up a napkin and a plate as he contemplated the bowls and platters and groaned internally. With no idea what most of them were, he dug a spoon into the nearest bowl containing what looked like pink snakes to him.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Max's head snapped up and came face to face with the woman he'd obsessed over for a month. Except she was far more stunning in real life. With less makeup on than at the wedding, tiny freckles highlighted her high cheekbones. His thumb twitched, longing to glide along the patterned surface. Glossy lips formed a smile and deep brown eyes regarded him. Her short hair met her chin on one side, swept away from her face by a sparkling clip on the other.

"Hey." He cleared his throat and tried again, an octave lower this time. "Hi Sophie. How are you?"

She reached across the table, the shell of her ear brushing past his face, and plucked up a concoction wrapped in pastry. "Starving." As if to prove it, she bit into the morsel.