Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Saints Protection & Investigations Book 7) Read online

  Sliding into a seat after pouring herself a cup of coffee, she smiled at the others coming in. While it may be a man’s world, she had to admit that she enjoyed the other employees…for the most part. Norman Oysten, the owner and president of Geotechnical Manufacturing Systems, along with his oldest son, Gary, as vice president, ran a top-notch company that managed to be employee friendly. The younger son, Saul, was head of the Financial and Accounting Department.

  Sipping her coffee, her eyes landed on the last person to enter the room, his ever-present glower firmly in place. Ed Snyder plopped in the seat next to her, then glanced at the coffee in her hand.

  “Any more of that?” he asked, his voice sounding like an order instead of a question.

  “Yes, over on the credenza where it always is,” Evelyn replied evenly. Forcing the grimace from her face, she caught the grin from Saul across the table. Ed grunted as he hefted himself up and over to the coffee, and she returned Saul’s grin. Ed had been slow to accept Evelyn and she knew that he would continue to treat her as an assistant if she allowed him to.

  The meeting soon came to order and she concentrated on taking specific notes. Having only been working at GMS for a few months, she still felt as though she needed to prove herself. But, as usual, she was well prepared and when called upon to answer questions, she was professional and succinct.

  Evelyn applied at GMS, a national leader in geotechnical materials, for an engineering job, but a position would not be available until one of their current engineers retired. She had been promised that would be within six months and she decided to take them up on their offer of working in the military sales department until then. If it had been any other company but GMS, I’d never be doing this, she thought as the meeting droned on. But Norman and Gary wanted her—a woman geotechnical engineer was not easy to find and the need for diversity was a point in her favor. Plus her credentials were perfect. Gary convinced her that starting for a few months in sales would allow her to see exactly where her designs would be used in the real world, something many Engineers did not get to observe.

  “That’ll do for today,” Norman finally announced, adding, “I hope everyone has a good weekend.”

  Weekend…yes! A chance to relax! Not that she had any plans, but Evelyn used her weekends as a chance to recharge her batteries before hitting the work-week once more. She watched as Ed stomped out of the meeting, his usual demeanor still intact.

  “Hey, girlie, why don’t you get me some coffee?” Saul asked, his voice barely containing his mirth.

  Pretending to spear him with a glower, her laughter forced its way out. “You know, it’s not that I’d mind getting someone coffee if I was standing next to it getting my own, but I swear that man lives in the dark ages!”

  “I know,” Saul agreed. “I just had to tease you, though.”

  Walking over, Gary grinned. “I wish you could have seen your face, Evelyn. It was priceless.”

  The three started to walk out when Norman stopped them. He stepped up to her and laid his hand on her arm. “You mustn’t mind Ed too much. He’s a good plant manager…if a little rough around the edges. But never doubt, Ms. Sinclair, you are a valued team member here at GMS. We were thrilled to get you.”

  Warming at his praise, she thanked him. “I love working here,” she admitted. But I really hate sales and can’t wait until I get the engineering position!

  The group walked out of the conference room, each heading to their offices to pack up for the weekend. As she made her way to her car, she lifted her face to the spring sun, feeling the freedom that only comes with a Friday afternoon.

  * * *

  Evelyn stretched out on the lawn chair next to the pool at her condo complex, thrilled to have nabbed one of the nice, spacious condos to rent from owners who had to go out of the country for two years. It came furnished and, while not cheap, she found that her salary from GMS offered her the luxury of being able to afford it. The gym and pool were bonuses…okay, so I never go to the gym, she thought ruefully, looking down at her curves. Glancing at several of the other young women with their trim, athletic bodies, she thought, perhaps I should make an effort to make it to the gym.

  Having spent Saturday morning cleaning and then grocery shopping, she closed her eyes, allowing the warmth of the sun to seep into her body as she drifted off to sleep. Several minutes later, the tittering of the girls sitting close to her woke her up. Looking over, she saw what was causing the commotion. Several men, each chiseled and tan, walked by, heading to the condo’s volleyball sandpit.

  One of the men turned his face toward them, his gaze, hidden behind reflector sunglasses, appeared to roam over the women in a cursory manner until landing—and holding—on her. Damn, she thought as she met his perusal. Tall, muscular arms and legs, sandy-blond hair, square jaw. Unable to discern his eye color, she found herself staring at his reflective glasses. I guess trim isn’t his cup of tea. A smile played on the corners of her lips before he reached up and jerked his t-shirt over his head. Double damn. His chest and ripped stomach muscles were just as defined as his arms and thighs. Around his neck hung two chains. One with some kind of medallion and the other…dog tags. Military. Just my luck…I see someone interesting and they’re a soldier.

  Evelyn had nothing against the military—she had been an Army brat herself. But years of having to start over in school every two to three years and she swore she would never put her children through that. For some, it was great. Her outgoing older sister loved it, but for her? The shy, smart girl never felt like she had time to fit in or make friends.

  Sliding her sunglasses back down on her face, she leaned her head back, dismissing any thoughts of the handsome soldier still staring at her.

  * * *

  Patrick, glad to get the call on Saturday to join some friends for a few games at their condo, had noticed the women lying in the sun. A group of athletic women caught his eyes first as he walked by, but it was the stunning woman sitting by herself that had him looking twice.

  A curvy figure showcased in a black one-piece swimsuit, her long brown hair cascading down her back, red highlights glinting in the sunshine. And she was staring back at him appreciatively. Her sunglasses were pushed up on her head and he considered walking straight over to her to introduce himself as he jerked his t-shirt off.

  Her gaze moved up and down him, seemingly interested until landing on his chest. Then she slid her glasses down and leaned her head back, no longer gazing at him. Wow, that’s a brushoff, he thought ruefully. His hand moved up, fingering the St. Patrick medallion. It’s just as well, Gramps. I don’t have enough time to build something carefully now anyway.

  With that, he jogged over to his friends and began the game. Looking over several minutes later, he noticed the chair was empty and the beauty nowhere in sight.

  Chapter 3

  Patrick walked his report down the hall to his supervisor’s office. “Major Trumble? I need you to take a look at this and let me know what you want me to do, Sir.”

  The Major looked up, immediately taking the report from the young Captain’s hand. “Is there a problem?”

  “Yes, Sir. The latest shipment from GMS appears to be missing some of the order. I filed the requisite claim with them, but they’re disputing the discrepancy. They have the shipping order from their end that was signed off by their sales division and their plant manager. On our end, we’re missing half a truckload of the transoms and side panels for the latest Bailey bridge order.”

  The Major took several minutes to read over Patrick’s report and then looked up, nodding. “All right, I’ll suggest you take a trip to GMS and see if you can handle the discrepancy issue in person. It would normally be difficult, but with them in the Sacramento area, you can easily handle that. We will brief tomorrow before you meet with them.”

  Accepting the assignment, he walked back to his office. Sitting at his desk, he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment allowing the sun streaming throug
h the window to warm his face. Sucking in a deep breath, he turned his attention back to his computer. Geotechnical Manufacturing Systems. He moved through their website, finding the email of his contact. Evelyn Sinclair. Geotechnical Engineer. Military Sales.

  He imagined the woman he would be meeting with. Dark hair…probably grey. Perhaps fuzzy. Thick Glasses. Sensible dark slacks and white blouse. And loafers…or pumps.

  Giving himself a mental shake, he rubbed his hand over his face. What a prick thought, he chastised himself, sitting up in his chair and composing the professional email requesting the meeting. When in college, the Engineering School was certainly not a place to meet women when only about fifteen percent of the class was made up of females. Well, hopefully, we can call a quick meeting and they will acquiesce to our demands for the lost items to be replaced.

  He received a response from her quickly and the meeting was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Nodding, he felt more at ease. Good, the last thing I want is to end my Army career with a problem…or a complication.

  * * *

  Evelyn closed her computer for the day but left her office a little early planning to stop by Saul’s office on her way out. They had created an easy friendship, including a little innocent flirting on his side and she had carefully let him know she did not date co-workers. Sticking her head in, she nodded as he held up a finger indicating he was almost finished with his conference call.

  “Hey,” he called out, grinning as she entered. “What’s up?”

  “I forwarded a claim to you and wanted you to know that I’ve accepted a meeting with the Army’s representative on Wednesday.”

  “I saw that,” he said, concern crossing his expression. “What do you think’s going on?”

  “I’ve got no idea. I’ll talk to Ed tomorrow to find out who signed off on the shipment when it left and make sure we have our ducks in a row before the meeting.”

  Saul nodded, then checked his calendar. “I’ve got a meeting myself on Wednesday, but I can move it if you want me there.”

  She cocked her head to the side in question.

  He looked up, saw the look on her face and immediately said, “No, no, I don’t mean to imply you can’t handle it. I just thought if you’d like my presence, I’d be glad to—”

  “Glad to what?” Gary asked, moving past Evelyn into his brother’s office.

  She opened her mouth to explain, but Saul spoke first. “There’s been a claim sent in from the Army Corps of Engineers. They claim part of the shipment was missing. They have requested a meeting this Wednesday with Evelyn.”

  Gary turned around, saying, “You want me to be there too?”

  Throwing her hands up in the air, she chastised her bosses. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys. I think little ol’ me can handle the big, bad, Army Captain.”

  The two brothers grinned, both having the sense to blush as she put them in their place. “Sorry,” Gary and Saul said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

  Grinning as well, she stepped the rest of the way into Saul’s office and sat down with them. The two looked like brothers and both younger versions of their father. Almost black hair, cut fairly short and swept to the side. Gary was a bit bulkier while Saul was a couple inches taller. The three sat and chatted amicably for a few minutes before Gary stood to leave.

  “How’s Sandra?” Evelyn asked.

  “She’s great,” Gary answered. “Only a month to go and I’ll hold my son.”

  Smiling, she replied, “Well, tell her I said hello. I’ve got a baby gift for you…I’ll bring it to you next week.”

  Nodding, he started to walk away then stopped and turned at the door. “Evelyn, what do you think about the Army’s claim?”

  “I’ve emailed Ed…” she began, hating the feeling she always got when having to deal with the surly plant manager. “He says the shipment was personally overseen by him and it was fine when it left our plant. I’m going over to talk to him tomorrow.”

  She held Gary’s gaze, steeling herself. I won’t let them see that I’m intimidated by the man. Gary then gave her a satisfied nod and walked out of the office.

  Turning back to Saul, she said, “What do you think?”

  “I don’t know, Evelyn. My office handles the finances and billing…not the shipments themselves.”

  “Oh, I know,” she rushed to say. “I just mean about everything.”

  “Well, Ed’s worked here for a long time and I can’t imagine him suddenly not doing his job correctly. But…on the other hand, I hardly think the Army is trying to scam us.” He leaned back in his seat before adding, “At least I hope they aren’t. You’ll have to let me know what you think about the Army representative they send.”

  As she walked out of his office, he called out, “And you’ll have to let me know if I need to be jealous!” leaving her to wonder if he were teasing or serious.

  * * *

  Wednesday morning came and Evelyn found herself unusually nervous. This is ridiculous, she chastised herself. He’s not the first client I’ve met with or had to deal with. But she admitted to herself that she hated this part of the job. Hopefully, only a few more months of this and she would finally be in an engineering position and not in sales.

  She tried to envision what the Army Captain would look like and hoped she was not dealing with a grumpy old man. After having talked to Ed again, she really wanted to avoid that.

  Replaying in her mind the latest conversation she had with the plant manager, she shivered.

  Driving to the main manufacturing area, I had parked then walked into the manufacturing building. Moving through the production area, I came to the bottom of the stairs leading to the offices. Having emailed to let him know I was coming, I ignored his response about being too busy to go back over something they had already discussed. Now, I was determined to corner him, just catching him coming out of his office.

  He took one look at me, scowled and said, “Don’t got time now, Ms. Sinclair.”

  “Well, make time, Mr. Snyder,” I quipped, noting his eyes grew wide at my order and determined he was a little in awe that I had a backbone. Holding his gaze, I quelled the nervousness in my stomach. Disliking confrontation, I hated having to fight for respect even more.

  After a tense moment, he jerked his head up in silent response and turned to go back into his office, plopping down heavily in his chair. Following, I sat in the seat opposite, resting my hands in my lap on the folder I had brought with me.

  “You seem to think that I’m accusing you of wrongdoing,” I began, “but I’m not. I’m just trying to find where the discrepancy came from. Either we did not ship the requisite number of transoms and side panels, or they did not inventory them correctly on their end. Before I meet with the Army representative, I want to make sure I have my facts straight.”

  “I told you before and I’ll tell you again for the last time. Either I, or my second in command, Roger, checks each shipment before it goes out. We sign off, and then the truck driver signs.”

  “I understand the procedure, Mr. Snyder. What concerns me is that we’re missing the signature of one of the drivers and the shipment was missing one fourth of its contents.”

  “Says the Army guy,” Ed bit out.

  “I’ve got the papers right here,” I argued back, my voice rising in frustration.

  “And I’m tellin’ you, my end is straight. I don’t hire the fuckin’ drivers and if they can’t do their fuckin’ jobs then that’s not on me,” he growled, standing with his fists firmly planted on the desk as his large body leaned toward her.

  Fighting anger and intimidation, I stood on shaky legs and returned his glare. “Fine, I’ll have my meeting today, but without that driver’s signature, if the client requests, we’ll be sending another shipment and eating the costs.” With that, I turned and stalked out of his office, my insides quaking as I made my way back to the staircase.

  Now, Evelyn waited anxiously for the Army’s repre
sentative, Captain Cartwright to appear. She did not have to wait long, as he was on time. The secretary knocked on the conference room door and announced him before stepping back and allowing him entrance.

  “Captain Cartwright, what a pleasure to meet—”

  The words halted in her mouth as she took in the handsome man, dressed in his military uniform. The man from the condo pool! She narrowed her eyes as she took him in. Tall—way over six feet. Trimmed hair, a mixture of brown and sandy blond. Broad shoulders tapering to a slimmer waist. Neat. Proper. Wearing a blue uniform. Blue?

  Patrick startled as his eyes moved over Evelyn, cocking his head to the side. When he entered the room, he immediately recognized her as the beauty from the pool last weekend. Her rich, brunette hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Her subtle makeup was expertly applied…perfect for the workplace without being too overblown. Her luscious body covered in a fitted, gray, pencil skirt with a slight ruffle at the bottom, paired with a soft pink blouse, pink pearl buttons the only adornment. As his eyes trailed down, he noticed her heels…not sensible pumps, but not the fuck-me variety either. Perfect. Professional. And utterly—

  “I thought you were from the Army?” she blurted.

  Jerking his startled gaze back to hers, he responded, “What? I am. Army Captain Cartwright.”

  “But you’re wearing blue,” she stated the obvious.