Mary Elise arched onto her toes, a soft breast pressed to .his side as she grazed a kiss against his cheek right at the corner of his mouth. If he moved his head even…
"Hey! Heads up, Baker."
Daniel blinked. The volleyball whizzed through the air, straight toward his face.
"Crap." He launched to the side and swung his cupped hands up into the ball with a microsecond to spare.
And damned if his gaze didn't land right back on Mary Elise to see if she'd been watching. He wasn't any better than Tag's son, Chris, drooling over a girl until he lost focus on the rest of the freaking world.
Chris punched the air with a victory shout. "Point, game and match for the visiting team."
Tag eased out of formation over to the side of the pool. "Perfect timing. We need to hit the road. My daughter's driving home from college for the weekend, and I promised Rena I'd move boxes out of Nikki's room before she gets here."
Daniel waded closer to Tag as Darcy launched out of her chair to join in the game. No doubt those boxes had been pulled down on his account as the loadmaster and his wife sorted through their son's old clothes to help fill Austin and Trey's empty closet. He stifled another wince at everything he owed his friends. He was a hell of a lot more comfortable being on the giving end. Did Mary Elise feel the same way?
And when the hell had he started analyzing feelings?
He shook off the thought faster than beading water in his hair. "Hey, make sure you pass along my thanks to Rena for the kids' clothes." Since the other marrieds had attended together, he couldn't help but notice Rena's absence in light of the conversation with Tag on the flight.
"Let Rena know I'll send 'em back your way once these guys get through with them."
Tag shook his head with a look of horror. "Don't come near my house with those things, man. We've almost got our nest empty. Our baby-making days are over." He hauled himself out of the water. "You ready Chris? Chris?">"Are you okay here while I swim? You know Darcy." He jerked a thumb toward their tomboy bombshell hostess sprawled in a lounge chair with a beer at her ringside seat for Bo's concert. "And you've met Julia Dawson, right?"
"Come on over," Darcy called from beside the woman Crusty had called Julia—wife of the prior Squadron Commander. The earthy blonde–Julia–wriggled her red toenails while her toddler son gripped them and giggled.
More families. More couples.
Mary Elise shook off the senseless frustration. Time to cut the self-pity crap.
Crap?
Geez, already Daniel was sneaking into her life and mind in so many ways. And now he had to soften her heart with sensitivity in making sure she didn't feel abandoned or awkward in the group. Yet, he achieved it without plastering himself to her side possessively as Kent had done.
No thoughts of Kent. Not tonight. Just enjoy the moment. "I'm fine, thanks."
Daniel knelt beside her. "I've got Austin now. Go visit or whatever."
Music and swirling water whispered a wake-up to her dormant creative muse. "In a minute."
He canted closer. "Are you okay? Everyone's being nice, right?"
Mary Elise struggled to keep her eyes on his face. She surely didn't want the sensual domino effect that would come from roving eyes, anyway. She'd seen his chest quite well a few seconds ago.
Now to try and forget those muscles. Just a body right? And she knew well what he looked like without the jean cutoffs. How really good he looked without them. Her heart rate kicked up a notch.
She willed her eyes to stay locked with his. "Everyone's been great."
And they had, welcoming her, yet not asking the umpteen questions that scrolled across their eyes every time she slipped and called him Danny instead of Daniel.
"Yeah, they have been awesome." He glanced back at his guitar-plucking buddy. "I'm still wondering how Bo financed both those bikes on his salary. I'm thinking lieutenants must be making more these days."
She couldn't help but marvel at the surprise thoughtfulness of the young bachelor, the pair of shiny mountain bikes a fun gift these world-weary kids would probably never forget.
Bo's speeding fingers slowed on the strings. "Every kid should have his own bike. Better for the little fellas to cruise the local sandbox for hot chicks," he said, dismissing his own generosity while he packed away his guitar.
Darcy wadded up a napkin and pelted him. "You're just trying to score points with unsuspecting women like Hot Tub Hannah over there."
A wicked twinkle lit Bo's baby blues. "Do you think it's working?" He directed the power of that lady-killer gaze toward the blonde in the steaming oasis at the end of the pool and received an encouraging grin in return. Bo stood. "My cue to soak away my troubles. Thanks again, Crusty, for introducing me to Hannah. I owe ya one. Don't hesitate to call me if you need a sitter."