I was sweaty and hot. Jake looked at me, wiping his forehead.

"That was great."

"You were suppose to focus on the ball, not my butt."

The brunette leaned back on the bench, grabbing the water bottle from his bag. "Then you shouldn't where short-shorts."

"I have ones shorter than this." I replied as he took a drink of water, choking. I took the bottle from him as he coughed, sipping the cool liquid. "I won't wear them on this base. The Major would kill me, bring me back to life and send me to a convent."

"They would kick you out the first week." He assured me.

If only he knew how many confessions Bianca had hypocritically ordered me to a week before her deployment. "More like the first hour. I was raised by a radical Catholic that made three priests and a bishop resign from their jobs on post."

Jake shook his head, taking the water bottle back from me and pouring some over his head. He ran his fingers through his hair, breathing hard. "What time do you have to be back today?"

"Everyone's at work . Nobody will get home until three."

"Then lets head to my place. I'm starving- God damn, this post is too small." Jake looked up as he swore. I followed his action and saw Burton walking towards us. "That's the last person we needed to see us together. He's your step-mother's best friend."

So much for keeping the Army out of my personal life. My blood boiled as Denise's friend neared us, making me tense beyond belief. Jake glanced over at me, thinking I was cautious over my guardians finding out we were screwing each other. God, I wished it was that.

"Hey Williams, Jordon. It's muggy today." We both nodded. "Jordan, I just came from Claudia Joys. Emmalin said you were shopping with Denise today."

"She was called in." I told him simply, glad that trip had been cut short. And as if he had a right to nose into my life. He was just another bitch that was married to an enlisted wife.

"Well don't overdo it. Williams, walk the girl home and make sure she eats. Denise said the doctor's near proclaiming her underfed."

His wife just had a kid and he was commenting on my weight? "The obsession with averting anorexia is starting to flaw the medical profession."

Burton looked at me, a brow raised at my lip. "I suggest you listen to the expert on this one. You don't want to fool around with your health."

"I thought you were a psychiatrist, Burton? Become a family physician and then I'll take you advice."

"Hey, let's go. I'm hot." Jake cut in before Burton could answer back. "See you around, Sir."

I rose and followed Jake. Burton watched me with a stunned expression as we passed, his eyes wide. Once we made it to the street, Jake looked at me in shock.

"What the hell was that about? Dad's set to deploy with his wife in two weeks! The last thing I need is for LTC Burton to inform him that I'm liping off to her husband!"

"I don't like psychiatrists." I told him, ignoring his self-absorbed words. He wasn't the center of the universe."They scam money out of people by feeding off their every little problem. They're almost as bad as lawyers."

"Wasn't your mom a J.A.G.?" He shot in response.

Oh please. "'Your Mom' jokes are a little immature for someone I'm coming down on, don't you think?" I glanced over at him, a brow raised. Jake pursed his lips, deciding not the retort. "And how did you know that?"

"Rumor going around is Sherwood was attracted to the freak your mother exhibited in court and decided to take it to bed." That was probably true. Bianca's bitch act in court always drew men to her bed like flies to honey. I think there are at least eighty married military personnel in Meridian that can confirm that. We dunk into woods by the Holden's as he continued. "I can't blame them. You have a fiery edge yourself. You ever thought of becoming a lawyer?"

"No thanks. I hate pantyhose. What about you?"

"Nah. I'm looking into accounting or banking. I'm apparently 'as good in math as I am on the court.' Or so my math teacher claims."

"If your work with mathematical digits is anywhere close to the accuracy you do with mine, you're set for life." Jake smirked egotistically at my comment and turned, pinning me to a tree. He kissed me chastely, nibbling on my lips and cupping my chest. I shivered as he slipped his hands under my shirt, causing my eyes to roll in the back of my head. "Can you wait until we get to your place? I'm sweaty."

"You're going to be sweaty anyway when I'm through with you." He pinched skin under my breasts, making me whimper. "You like that?"

"Mmh-huh." I muttered as Jake hitched my legs around his waist, grinding into me. My cell rung, making me growl. I pulled it out as he slid a hand into the left leg on my shorts, messing with my thong strap. The boys lips went to my neck as I answered the phone.

"Hello?" I spoke, forcing myself to sound casual.

"Hey, it's Emmalin. I'm heading to the pool in an hour and a half. Want to join?"

"I don't know, I'm hanging out with Jake right now." I ran a hand through his hair, causing him to look up. He saw my expression and put me back on my feet. I leaned against the tree for support as I spoke to her, catching the boys heavy look.

"He can come too as long as you two don't screw each other in front of the entire crowd." She told me, her voice stern. What the hell? Who did she think she was, Bianca?

"We'll be there." I hung up and looked at him, my chest heaving. "Feel like going for a dip around one-thirty?"

"If I agree, can we have sex first?"

"I don't think the major will like hearing I showed up to a family setting with a horny boy on my tail."

"Okay then." Jake smirked at me. "Last one back to my place is on bottom!"

***

Jake pulled into the Fort Marshal Public Pool, sighing. "I don't think I've been here since I was nine."

"I don't blame you." I commented, looking at the crowded setting.

Bianca was stationed in Brussels for eleven months when I was thirteen and brought me along. She paid a private instructor to teach me to swim and then almost skinned him alive when she saw he was teaching me in the traditional, European swimming attire. I almost laughed at her when she filed sexual abuse charges on the guy. As if that was the first time a guy had tried to fool around with me under her nose.

Jake grabbed his back pack and we headed for the line as Claudia Joys car pulled up and Emmalin got out, taking cash from her mother.

"Hey Jordan, Jake; we're going out for ice cream later. Wanna tag along?"

"No thanks. Jeremy and I were going to see a movie tonight." I told her, putting on my polite face. Jake turned her down too, getting a sour face. Army wife-Nazi much?

"Hey Brianna!" Emmalin called over to a red head in a blue one-piece once we entered. The brunette grabbed my hand and practically dragged me across the busy pool area. Jake followed, frowning as we neared the girl. "This is Jordan. Jordan, this is Briana Ashland."

"Wow... Emmalin, you weren't kidding when you said she was pretty." The girl looked up at me from her chair, turning sides for the sun to catch. "Hey Jake, how was basketball camp last month?"

"Okay." Jake threw down a towel and proceeded to pull his shirt off. I heard Briana suck in as he grabbed my arm. "Come into the water. It looks nice."

I pulled off my shirt and shorts as he left my side, hearing the red head snort.

"Of course Ample Arms would grab you. I've been on his tail for three years and he has yet to even try to get in my pants."

Emmalin snorted, pursing her lips as I caught her eye. If birdie talked, she wouldn't sing again.

The water was nice on my slowly darkening skin. Unfortunately, I was going to be Cherokee red after today and I knew it. I moved around the water and bumped into a black boy, catching his eye. I went rigid as the smell of sun tan lotion and his sweat filled my nostrils.

"Hey James, get your own!" Jake came up next to me as the black boy man-hugged him. I slipped as far back from the boy as I could without making it obvious. I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling naked in my modest two-piece. "How was Monte Cello?"

"Man, I know my mom's a history major, but that don't mean I gotta be one too!"

They continued to talk and I moved to the deep end of the pool where less people where at. Three adults talked as a kid played with toys in the water from the edge. I caught sight of a ladder and decided to get out. I pulled myself up and was almost out when a ball hit me in the face, causing me to fall back. Water flowed around my face like a wool blanket and I started to shake.

Bianca pulled my shirt off and pushed me in the bathtub, turning the shower on. I felt her climb in and sit down, pulling me on her lap so the water still fell on me.

"Paramedics will be here soon, Baby. Do you remember who gave you the drink?"

I shook my head, wondering how long she was going to buy that lie.

I rose from the water, inhaling sharply. I jumped when I felt hands on my shoulders, looking around to face Emmalin. "Hey, we're playing water polo- are you okay?"

I nodded, shaking lightly. She watched me hesitantly as LeBlanc walked over in an one piece.

"Hey Jordan, sorry about that! My boys didn't see you! You okay?"

"I'm fine. It was a bad throw anyway." She laughed, watching me as I wadded across the pool to a group of high schoolers that had formed around the water polo net. "Who's team am I on?"

An hour later, our team lost by a landslide and I told Jake I needed to leave in order to get home to meet up with Jeremy. My phone rang as we pulled out of the parking lot and I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Carlton Richmond's secretary. I'm calling to confirm a phone number. Is this Jordan Richmond-Sherwood?"

"Hey Dolly, it's me." I told my grandfather's secretary.

"Oh good, dear." The Southern black woman told me. "He just arrived back from the U.N. and wanted me to confirm ya hadn't changed ya number. How ya doing at yo father's, Sweety?"

"Fine." LTC Richmond... another maternal family member that had turned me down like a bad habit. "Hey, I have to go. Tell him I'll e-mail him tonight."

"Do I wanna know?" Jake asked as we pulled into the empty driveway of the Sherwood residence.

"Probably not. I'll see you later." I went to get out but he grabbed my arm, pulling me back and kissing me. I shivered as he pulled me onto his lap, slipping his hand under my swimming top to graze my back. God damn...

"You know, Jeeps aren't really good at concealing make-out sessions." I jumped as Jeremy looked in from the passenger window, an amused look on his face. Jake glanced at him, his face pale. "Williams, when your done eating my sisters face would you send her in? Thanks."

I slid off of Jake, looking at his fearful expression. "Would you clam the hell down? He's too afraid of the Major to tell him about seeing us."

"Your brother's still enlisted... if my Dad finds out, he'll be pissed." He told me bluntly.

"Well, he won't. I'll see you later." I told him, kissing him good-bye. He kissed me back but it wasn't very convincing.

I walked back inside and found Jeremy sipping a beer. I raised a brow, catching his eyes.

"A little under aged, aren't we?"

"I'll keep mine shut if you do too."

I raised a brow to him, snorting. "Let me have a swig then."

Jeremy hesitated but passed me the bottle. I sipped it, sighing. It'd been three months since I'd had a drink. I took a few more sips and passed it back to him, leaning on the counter as he spoke.

"So what do you want to see?"

"I don't know. What sounds good?"

"I'm going to go take a shower. Pull the airings up on the computer and find one you like."

I pulled my hair up and opened the family laptop, noticing someone was still logged in. The Major's email laid open to me. A message from Mary with a large attachment caught my eye, encouraging my curiosity. I opened the attachment and saw a psychological evaluation from middle school. I skimmed it, snorting. 'Alcohol and intercourse consistency are common with the patient'... yeah, it's called being fifteen and horny. I scrolled up and looked at the mention of Bianca's account to Doctor Randal.

'Mother says daughter is disobedient and acting her age. There is reason to believe the LTC is withholding information.'

I snorted. So that was why he lasted a week? No one told Bianca she wrong on anything unless they were above her in rank. Jeremy walked in and I closed out the Majors email.

"You find anything you like?"

"Not really. You want to go bowling instead?"

He nodded, pulling a leftover sandwich from the fridge. "You eaten today?"

"Yeah." I lied, not much in the mood to eat. The Major now had a professionals evaluation to support his assumption that I was a whore. That was going to be lovely to deal with when it came up.

***

Saturday afternoon, the Major knocked on my door to tell me we were having dinner with the Holden's.

"The Post Commander wants to meet you. Apparently Emmalin's said good things about you." I wanted to laugh. Holden was pissed about Briana's complaints about me being with Jake. She'd sent me nine texts, blaming me for the red heads complaints. I forwarded them all to Emily who found them hilarious. "Claudia Joy wanted to know whether you preferred chicken or beef in your stir-fry?"

"Either or." I told him, dreading the dinner already.

"I'll ask you a second time so that you'll be eating something you like, because you will be eating this evening." He informed me, leaning against my door frame. "You're fifteen pounds lighter than you should be."

"Would you rather I be a lard ass, Major?"

"I'd rather you be a healthy fifteen year old that wasn't so sensitive over her appearance."

I looked at him from my bed, scoffing. "Anyone who claims that after sleeping with Bianca is obviously not taking genetics into account."

The Major entered my room, closing my door and sitting on the end of my bed. He looked at me, his face dark. I wanted to tell him Bianca could have taken him in her sleep but decided I didn't want slapped tonight.

"What happened between your mother and I is in the past. You will not bring it up again. Are we clear?"

I stared at him, speaking evenly. "Bianca had me listed as illegitimate my entire life so your 'history' could be protected. The day they revealed she'd left my paternal personnel in her will was the day that one-night stand became my reality. Do you realize that as long as I'm here, that story will be apart of your reputation?"

Major's face went red. Before he could speak, Denise opened the door. She saw her husbands expression and went pale. "Why's this door shut?"

I stared at the Major, waiting for him to answer his wife. "We were just talking, Dee."

"About?"

"Nothing important, Baby." The Major rose, smiling at her. "I'm going to take a shower."

Once he had left the room, Mrs. Joneses looked at me and smiled like nothing had happened.

"Are you wearing that sweater dress we found yesterday?"

"If you want me to." I told her, texting Emily back. 'Yeah, my brother's a booze hound at nineteen. Must be the coming home that's driven him to the bottle.'

"I have some shoes that would go great with it. Your an eight, right?"

After I had put on a sleeveless, maroon number with sandal pumps; I began to curl my hair when I received a text from Jake.

'My sheets smell like you.'

'Enjoy it then. Major's on three to eleven, the bitch seven to three and Jeremy eleven to seven. The chances of me meeting up with your for the next month are slim to none.'

He sent back a frown with his response. 'Any chance you can sneak out after you powwow at the Holden's?'

I thought about it as I curled my hair. When I was finished with the mess, I asked if his parents were in.

He told me his Dad was working tonight and his Mom was with his aunt in Chicago.

'I'll be there around eleven. Keep your window unlocked.'

"Jeremy, Denise, Frank and Jordon! Welcome!" Claudia Joy was in a green dress and white sweater, her face polite. I wanted to barf. We walked into the house as Emmalin came down the stairs smiling.

"Hi Jeremy."

He looked up and nodded at her, smiling as her mother ushered us into onto the patio. The girl sat next to me, her skin a million degrees warm. I pulled out my phone and texted her as her father entered the room in his dinner uniform. 'Do you have a thing for my half-brother?'

Emmalin blushed as she looked at her phone, her mother glaring at her.

"Ladies, please, no electronics!"

"Jordan, Emmalin tells me that you're a rumored history nut." General Holden told me as he sat down.

"That's what they say." I nodded, sipping a glass of juice that Claudia Joy had gotten me.

"What a coincidence! Micheal received his masters in American History!" The Generals wife exclaimed as if I cared. It was obvious the only reason we were here was so Denise could redeem her husband in his boss's eyes. Luckily she was best friends with his wife. Holden handed Jeremy a club soda, smiling at me. I began to wonder if she had been one of the those perfect, valedictorian, cheer leaders in high school.

Dinner was served within an hour of polite small talk. There was a lot of focus on Jeremy and his first term in the Middle East, which thankfully took focus off me for awhile. My phone rang right as we were sitting down and I excused myself to take Carlton's call inside the house.

"Hallo Opa. Wie gehts?"

The dark skinned man laughed, talking to me through his cigar. "I'm glad to see you're keeping up your German studies, Jordan. How are you?"

"Well, considering the circumstances."

"I see." Carlton took his cigar from his mouth, sighing. "How's Sherwood treating you?"

"He's an hard-ass that thinks he can order me around but I'm putting him in check." He laughed hollowly, coughing as I went on. I walked onto the patio and took a seat on the bench as I spoke. "Thank you for the flowers at Bianca's funeral. She loved daisies."

"I know. Ah, your mother... she could be a hard ass one minute and a delicate flower the next. From what Rosemary's told me, you're just like her."

"According to Rose, you were just as willing to push her away as you were me." I muttered, wanting a direct answer form him on the subject.

He sighed. "Jordan, I regret not being around for much of your mothers life. That's why I didn't allow you to come stay with me when Rosemary sent you back. I want you to have a relationship Bianca and I never did with Sherwood. Though it may seem unlikely, I think you'll gain a lot from this experience." Sure...

"Carlton, I have to go. I'm at dinner with the Major's Post Commander."

"Be nice to Micheal Holden. He's a nice guy." The man informed me. "Guten Nach, Jordan."

"Guten Nach, Richmond." I rose and came eye to eye with General Holden, who's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Can I help you with something, General?"

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop..." He trailed off as he looked at me with a dropped jaw. "Your mother's father is Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Carlton Richmond?"

"Yes Sir." I told him, a brow raised. "Is that a problem?"

"No, just... I've met your mother and the Lieutenant Colonel and they never mentioned each other."

I shrugged, putting my phone back in my bag. "Let's just say the relationship I have with the Major isn't as complicated as Bianca's with Carlton."