Grey Skies - A Military Romance (Complete)

Grey Skies: Chapter 15

Max's lungs deflated, a weight landing on his shoulders. The invisible cloak of rejection from a girl he had a crush on. A far too familiar sensation.

Hope had sprung in his chest at the sight of Sophie in the kitchen earlier. The privilege of seeing her every day for the next few weeks set his pulse pounding faster than the three-mile run he'd just finished. The words he'd practiced on the tip of his tongue.

Last night he'd laid in bed working up the courage to approach Sophie, ran imaginary conversations in his head to ask her out on a date. A quick internet search confirmed that just like Balder, Bridgetown was a one-stoplight place, with a main street whose entertainment options boasted one bar and The Waterfront Café, owned by Finn's brother. Unlike Balder, which was surrounded by cornfields, this town was on the edge of an inlet to the ocean. Pictures of the waterfront showed a quaint, pretty boardwalk he imagined he could stroll hand in hand with Sophie down on a summer's day. But winter was around the corner and that plan was not happening.

Either was any plan, apparently.

There's no need.

His offer to talk about their night together flew by quicker than the rows of leave-less grape vines out the Jeep window. If there was one thing Max was good at, it was taking orders. Sophie made it clear that there would be no repeat of the greatest night of his life.

Message received.

Up ahead, a broad white sign with the words Wainwright Winery scrawled in gold indicated the entrance he was looking for and Max maneuvered the Jeep down the vineyard's long driveway. Simon and his wife Mary stood in front of a collection of two freshly painted white buildings, two resembling upscale barns with dark grey shingles and another that once might have been a farmhouse with a grand widows-walk circling the brick structure that also appeared newly renovated.

Simon stepped forward as Max pulled the jeep alongside the couple.

Sophie's hand paused on the handle. "Thanks for the ride."

"Should I come back to pick you up?"

She didn't even look at him, her short hair hiding her face. "I'm sure Simon can drive me."

A knock on the driver's side window made Max jump.

A face framed in blonde waves beamed at him. "Don't you two make a cute couple?" Max suppressed an urge to snarl at Mary.

"My rideshare cancelled." Sophie called out as she exited the jeep.

Pink rimmed lips curved wide. "Very nice of you, Max."

He lifted two fingers in the air and placed his hand on the gearbox, shifting into reverse. There was another tap on the window, and he slammed the shaft back into park.

Mary made a come here signal. "Simon brought breakfast. And there's coffee. Come inside and grab some before you go." At the mention of food, his stomach roared, reminding him the granola bar was not enough for what his body called breakfast. She tilted her head. "What? Got something better to do?"

Heat blazed at the back of Max's neck. She'd poked at the tender wound that always reopened when he was home. In the Navy, there were orders to follow, a pace to keep up, but as soon as he got home, that rigid structure disappeared, and it became painfully evident he had nothing else in his life. No hobby to indulge in. No career to work toward. No girlfriend to love.

The prospect of a long day with nothing to do yawned in front of him and he contemplated doing something he never thought possible. Voluntarily spend time with the two people who had robbed his best friend of years with the woman he loved. The happy couple he found hard to forgive.