Falling for Her Soldier Read Online Free PDF Page B

skeptical tone.
    Hunter folded his arms on the table and leaned toward her, his T-shirt sleeves tight around his biceps. “Meaning?”
    “You don’t seem like the volunteer type,” she said, taking a fry off his plate and biting it in half. “It’s not an insult, just an observation.”
    “Really?” Hunter wiped his mouth and scooted back his chair. “Observe this.” He stood and peered meaningfully toward the administration office. “Who do I talk to? Is there a manager?”
    “Yep,” Ellie said, trying not to crack up. She hadn’t meant for him to take her comment as a challenge, but a little volunteer work would be good for anyone. “Do you know Chick?”
    Hunter’s forehead creased. “I know plenty of chicks. Why?”
    Sam coughed, nearly choking on his burger. “You’re worse than a sitcom, bro. Let it go.”
    Ellie did laugh now. “Chick Taylor’s a man.”
    “Oh, right.” Hunter nodded, like he was trying really hard to understand. “Obviously, Chick is a man. I knew that.”
    It was just…silly. Why did it seem like he was trying to please her? Weren’t her “hands off” signals crystal clear? “He’s probably at lunch, but there’s a schedule on the office door.” She stood. “I’ll go check to see when he’s in. Be right back.”
    “I’ll go with you.”
    But as he went to stand, Sam held his arm in place. “She’ll be right back,” he said, kind of under his breath.
    Ellie narrowed her eyes in confusion, but then shook her head and walked toward Chick’s office. A few paces away, she glanced back. Sam still had a hold on Hunter’s arm.
    …
    “I know what you’re doing.”
    Charlie blinked, then looked around for a second, wondering if he’d missed something. “What am I doing?”
    Sam let go of Charlie’s arm and sat back. “Nothing you do will change what she thinks of you.”
    “Oh.” Charlie sighed. Apparently, he wasn’t as slick as he thought. “That’s not what this is about.”
    “Really? You’re saying if my sister weren’t involved, you’d willingly volunteer at the WS?”
    “Why not?”
    Sam chuckled, but it had a dark undertone. “Yeah, right. I know what you think of this place. Everyone knows you’re not comfortable here.” Sam pushed his own plate away. “You think it’s a weakness.”
    Charlie felt a pain at the back of his throat. His impulse was to go on the offensive, which was probably a huge overreaction. “That’s not true, Sammy,” he said coolly.
    “Look, whatever.” Sam waved him off. “It’s great you want to volunteer, but if you think it’s a way to get to Ellie, you’re wrong.” He interlocked his fingers and laid them on the table, looking very…protective. “Not that you’d stand a chance with her, anyway. She hates bad boys.”
    Charlie pointed at his own chest. “I’m a bad boy?”
    “Dude, your face is in the dictionary.”
    “Funny,” Charlie said, grateful for a joke to break the tension.
    “When I first got home, Ellie and I had a heart-to-heart.”
    “Was that when you told her Hunter stories?” Charlie asked.
    “Among other things. She’s been through a lot of crap, relationship crap I didn’t know about. She’s had bad breakups, dude.” Sam looked down and lowered his voice. “Dated some real losers. She deserves better.”
    Better than me , Charlie couldn’t help thinking, though he did feel affronted at being thrown in the bucket with losers. “Fair enough,” he said.
    “So don’t screw around with her.”
    Charlie flinched at the comment, though he shouldn’t have been surprised. “I won’t.”
    “She’s coming back,” Sam said, glancing past him. “I mean it, Hunter, don’t do anything to upset her. She’s my sister.”
    Like Charlie needed the reminder.
    It was actually kind of ironic. It wasn’t too long ago that Charlie had warned his now-brother-in-law, Jack, away from his sister, Tess. He might’ve even used the words: “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you and