Once a Marine by Patty Campbell Read Free Book Online

matter?”
    Between racking sobs BD heard her voice. “Everything.”
    In spite of her lingering anger and frustration with her job, BD’s sympathetic nature came to fore. She had no way of knowing for sure, but she suspected that despite Shari’s veneer of cool sophistication, she teetered on the brink of fragility.
    She put her arm around Shari’s shoulders. “It can’t be that bad. Everything?” She pulled Shari close. “Tell me what’s wrong.” She hugged Shari’s shoulders. “Come on, tell me.”
    Regaining some of her composure, Shari raised her head, her beautiful face a mask of devastation. BD brushed tears away from Shari’s blue eyes and wiped her fingers on Rafi’s T-shirt.
    Shari sucked in a ragged breath. “My parents pulled the rug out from under me. They appointed Judd Logan as the new CEO of Grayson.”
    BD reared back. “Old grab ass? That Judd?” She couldn’t believe it. “When did you find out?”
    Shari sighed. “They told me yesterday, just before the show. Said they were going to announce it at the reception. That’s why I left town.” She rubbed her knuckles into her tear-stained eyes.
    BD pulled her hands away. “Don’t do that. Bad for the delicate tissue around the eyes, remember?” She made a cross-eyed face at Shari.
    Shari giggled. “Yes, I remember. How many times have I said it?”
    “Millions.” BD shook her head. “What a thoroughly rotten thing for them to do. I don’t blame you for leaving.” So that was why she’d been in such rare form after the spring showing.
    Shari pulled up the bottom of her three-hundred-dollar T-shirt and blotted her eyes. “That’s not all.”
    BD waited. She felt bad that Shari probably ruined the shirt with big smears of black mascara. Easy come, easy go. “Tell me. What else could they do to make you feel like this?”
    “Not them. Mark. I read in the paper this morning that my fiancé announced his engagement to Sylvie Athena.” She pulled the shirt up and dabbed her eyes again. Her chin trembled pathetically.
    “What? That emaciated, bad-tempered, rich bitch whose father owns all those hotels in New York and Miami?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    BD patted Shari’s knee. “I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt me, but you’re well rid of that charming jerk. They deserve each other. She’ll make his life a living hell. Mark Rich is a total class A a-hole. You can do a lot better than him.”
    “Sure. Look at that big group of upstanding citizens in the Shari matrimonial line over there. I can have my pick. If I don’t mind knowing they married me for my money.”
    Definitely a problem BD would never have. What you saw was what you got, buster. She could hand a guy her bank book and point out all the zeros not following any numbers. It was her, her good looks, her used, bruised body, and, up till today, her clawing her way up the ladder of career ambition. Money couldn’t buy happiness. BD sat next to the living proof.
    Shari started with the sobs again and built up to some good chokers. “Then, then—”
    “Then what?” She squeezed Shari’s shoulders and rocked her from side to side. “Then what?”
    “Then you went missing.” A full-throated bawl erupted from her mouth, sounding as if it started in her toes.
    Datu peeked from the door. “You lady OK? Oh, Missy BD, you not rape and murder. I wake up Angara tell her. She be happy happy.” He closed the door.
    BD tilted Shari’s chin up and stared into her eyes. “See Missy? I no rape and murder. I in fine good shape. I happy happy.”
    Shari laughed and shook her head, “God, how I hate you.”
    BD laughed. “Yeah, I hate you too. Can we go inside? I need a shower.”
    Shari stood and brushed off her silk pants. “Where have you been all day?”
    “Taking surfing lessons over by Kaneohe Marine Base.”
    “All day?” She puckered her bright red lips. “I don’t believe that for a minute. What were you really doing?”
    BD stood. “It’s true. Come on.