useful, even when the SEALs weren’t up in the mountains. They would work better than a belt to keep Jenk’s broken arm supported by that piece of wood.
The wood, however, left much to be desired. So Izzy tossed Dan the cords, reaching down and untying his own bootlaces, even as he told Jenk, “I say go for it. Buy the house of your dreams.”
As he’d expected, Danny objected, which was good. Jenk needed a little distraction. “And hold two mortgages if the condo doesn’t sell?” Dan said.
“Sure, why not?” Izzy quickly stripped off his sock. It was a little soggy and extremely aromatic, but it would do the trick.
Dan was sputtering. “Because … it’s insane?” But he saw what Izzy was doing and held out his hand for the sock and covered the piece of wood’s ragged end with it, even as Izzy jammed his bare foot back into his boot.
“No, it’s not,” Izzy told Jenkins as he took the sock-covered wood from Dan and tested it against his own hand. Not great, but much better. Uncovered, that slice of raw wood would’ve scraped the shit out of Jenkie’s palm. His sock gave it at least a little bit of padding and protection. “Because if you don’t sell it, you can rent it. That’s a great Plan B, my brother. You know, my lease is up in a month. I could be your tenant.”
Jenk and Lindsey’s condo was much nicer than his current place—which stupidly still reeked of memories of Izzy’s too-short marriage to Eden. Although how that could be, Izzy didn’t understand. He’d been married to her for … what? A week? Damn, he’d only made love to her once—but it had been in his bed, in his bedroom, in his stupid, stupid apartment, on their wedding night.
It had been an event of momentous importance that Izzy still dreamed about—both feverishly at night and in unguarded moments during the daytime, when his thoughts wandered off to a fantasyland where wishes came true.
Not only was Eden uncommonly beautiful with her big brown eyes and lustrously dark hair, her flawless smooth skin, heart-shaped face, that sensual mouth that was quick to smile. But she also got Izzy’s jokes. She spoke his language. She was funny and smart and courageous, and yes, a little bit crazy. Reckless. Unafraid to dance to a different drummer.
All that, plus a body that didn’t quit …?
Back when they’d first met, Izzy’d fallen in lust with her at first sight, and solidly in love within the first five minutes they’d talked. But she didn’t stay in San Diego for long. She left almost immediately, to visit her Army sergeant father in Germany.
But then, six months later, when Eden had resurfaced back in the States, she’d been six months pregnant and in dire need of a knight in shining armor. So Izzy’d married her, even though there was no way on earth that baby she’d been carrying could have possibly been his.
But he didn’t care. He just wanted to be her hero.
And to get into her pants. Which he’d done after marrying her.
But then she’d miscarried, lost the baby, and run back to Germany. And spent the past ten months refusing to see him.
Even though he’d gone all the way to Europe to try to see her, more times than he could count.
“Jenkins has a two-bedroom,” Dan pointed out. “What are you going to do, get a roommate?”
“Ooh, Dan,” Izzy said. “Great idea. We could finally live together.” He held the splint out so that Jenkins could put his wrist against it. This was the part that was going to hurt, but Jenk nodded for them to do it, just get it over with. He closed his eyes.
But it was Danny who made the choking, gagging sounds as they got Jenk as patched up as he was going to be—at least until he returned to the base and saw a doctor.
But Izzy couldn’t resist pushing it, even though the last thing he wanted was Danny freaking Gillman for a roommate. “Seriously, Dan, if we split the rent it would be pretty cheap. You’re not going to keep bunking in the enlisted quarters, are you, now that you and Jenn are tight? What are you going to do when she comes to San Diego to visit? It’s time you moved into big-boy housing.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Dan said, genuinely pissed. Apparently Izzy had trod on a hot button. Interesting. Was it the mention of Jennilyn visiting or just the mention