The Soldier's Secret Affair

My best friend’s brother was out of the army.
I heard he’d been injured on a mission. Lost the ability to have kids.
My friend, Carol, was practically in mourning.
“I’m child-free by choice, and now my brother’s shooting blanks,” she’d wailed. “It’s like our family name, Finley, is at its fin. The end of the line. We’re finished!”
A few days later, I finally met this legendary, tough-as-nails brother of hers.
And my world tilted on its axis.
He looked exactly like my daughter’s father—the man I’d slept with years ago.

1
“It’s all my dad’s fault for giving us such unlucky names. I’m Carol, he’s Jasper. Our last name is Finley. It’s like our family is destined to be finished! How could we ever have good luck with that?”
Carol was sobbing dramatically into her beer bottle at a BBQ joint.
“I was even planning on setting you two up when he got back,” she slurred. “Nellie could have been my honest-to-god niece.”
“But a man who can’t… you know… he’s basically a dud. And you’re my best friend. I couldn’t do that to you!”
As she spoke, her phone buzzed on the table.
I glanced at the screen.
Jasper.
Carol was already passed out, her head on the sticky table, completely oblivious.
I hesitated, but when the insistent ringing started up for the third time, I picked it up for her.
“Mom says if you’re not dead, get your ass home.”
The voice was deep. Rough around the edges. And strangely pleasant.
I pinched my earlobe, which had suddenly gone hot. “Hello, this is a friend of Carol’s.”
“We’re at a grill house. Would you be able to come and pick her up?”
There was no way Carol was getting home under her own power tonight, and I’d had a few drinks myself. A ride would be a lifesaver.
Before the man on the other end could respond, Carol’s head shot up from the table as if she’d been resurrected.
“Oh, my poor brother!” she howled. “Spent his youth at the academy, got to be an old man and he’s probably still a virgin, and now… now no one’s ever going to want him!”
The other end of the line went unnervingly silent.
The sheer awkwardness of the moment sobered me up a little. “She’s… had a lot to drink.”
“Address.”
“Number Eight, South Ring Road.”
The line went dead.

2
I’d heard stories about Carol’s brother for years.
A man with a will of iron. Her childhood hero. But he’d already been deployed on long-term missions when we first became friends, so I’d never had the chance to meet him. It was only a week ago, when he was honorably discharged, that I learned about the severity of his injury.
When the time felt right, I helped Carol stumble to the curb to wait.
Soon, a black SUV pulled up, and a tall man got out. He wore a rugged work jacket, his frame defined by broad shoulders and long legs. I couldn’t see his face in the dim light, only a sharp, imposing silhouette.
At that exact moment, a video call came through on my phone.
“Is that Nellie?” Carol mumbled, squinting at my screen. “Calling so late… I hope everything’s okay. You should take it. My brother’s here.”
She waved a floppy hand at the approaching figure.
A knot of parental anxiety tightened in my stomach. Without a proper greeting for the man, I just waited for him to get closer before stepping aside to answer the call.
Nellie’s tiny, beaming face immediately filled the screen.
“Mommy!”
Her cheerful smile was an instant relief. “Hey, sweetie. Why are you still awake?”
“I missed you!”
In the background, I could hear my mom’s voice. “We took her down to the creek to catch crawfish today, and she’s been wired ever since. Refused to sleep until she talked to you. You’re still out?”
“Just catching up with Carol.”
My mom had taken Nellie to visit our old family home for a few days, giving me a rare bit of quiet.
“Is Auntie Carol there?” Nellie’s face squished against the camera again. “Mommy, I wanna talk to Auntie Carol!”
I glanced back towards the restaurant entrance.
Carol had been hoisted over the tall man’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes and was being unceremoniously dumped into the passenger seat of the SUV.
That’s right. Dumped.
The corner of my mouth twitched. He really was… a man of action.

3
Having Nellie was an accident.
Four years ago, I’d just gone through a bad breakup. I was at a bar, trying to drown my sorrows, when I met him.
He was a paradox of smoldering intensity and buttoned-up restraint. Every breath he took seemed to land squarely on every one of my weak spots. Fueled by liquid courage, I took him home.
To my surprise, we were perfectly in sync.
Even now, I can remember the shiver that went through me when his calloused hands brushed against my skin. At the time, I thought maybe this could be the start of something real.
But when I woke up the next morning, he was taking a phone call, his expression suddenly grim and serious.
“Copy that. I’m on my way.”
He hung up and was on his feet in an instant, pulling on his clothes. He scribbled a string of numbers on a notepad. “I have an emergency deployment. You can reach me at this number.”
And then he was gone. I never even learned his name.
I assumed that was the end of it. But a month later, I found out I was pregnant.
With no other choice, I tried the number he’d left. Again and again. No one ever answered.
It dawned on me then that I’d been played. He wasn’t interested. The “emergency” was just an excuse to leave, and the number was a fake to get rid of me without a scene.
For health reasons, I couldn’t terminate the pregnancy. So, I had the baby.
And I’ve never once regretted it. Nellie is the sweetest, smartest kid, and these past few years with her have been the best of my life.
The next morning, a hungover Carol called me to complain.
“My brother is so rough! He bruised my arm getting me out of the car. I’m telling you, Ava, you can’t ever date a guy like that. He’s got violent tendencies…”
Her rant was cut short by a low, warning voice in the background. “Carol.”
She went silent immediately. Then, a new, sycophantic tone took over. “Brooo, are you free this afternoon? My friend needs help moving some boxes.”
“No.”
“Perfect!” Carol said to me, completely ignoring his response. “I’ve found you some free labor for this afternoon. He’ll help you move your stuff.”
“No, no, it’s fine, I can handle it.”
“He’s practically family, don’t be shy! He’s unemployed and just sitting around the house all day anyway.”
I thought she was joking.
But that afternoon, she showed up at my shop.
And trailing behind her was a tall, familiar man.

4
I own a women’s lingerie boutique in the city. I’ve been running it for years, and business is good. I’ve never hired any staff; I just handle everything myself. Carol helps out sometimes when I get swamped.
I was in the middle of taking inventory when I heard arguing outside.
“The boxes you want me to move… are for a lingerie store?”
“What’s wrong with lingerie? You walk around commando? Jasper, if you give me any more attitude, I’m telling Dad you’re a misogynist!”
“You really want to test me right now, don’t you?” The man’s voice was laced with impatience.
“What, you’re going to hit a woman? I’ll tell the whole world!”
As their argument escalated, I hurried outside. “It’s okay, really! There aren’t that many boxes, I don’t need this much help.”
I looked up to apologize to Carol’s brother. “I’m so sorry, Carol didn’t explain what kind of shop it was before she dragged you over here. I…”
The words died in my throat. I was finally seeing his face clearly.
Sharp, angular features. A handsome, commanding presence. He wore a dark brown jacket, and a wave of pure, masculine energy seemed to roll off him.
I forgot what I was going to say. The memory from four years ago hit me like a tidal wave: knuckles tangled in my hair, the corded muscles of his forearms, the deep, ragged sound of his breathing.
It was shocking how vividly I remembered every single detail.
“Fine, whatever. If you don’t want to help, then just leave! Don’t stand there scowling at us like we’re begging you!” Carol huffed, linking her arm through mine. “Don’t apologize to him. He’s been gone for years and came back with zero manners!”
“Wait.”
The man stepped in front of us, blocking our path.
His gaze was locked on me.
I fought to control the storm raging inside me and met his eyes, feigning a calmness I didn’t feel.
He cleared his throat. “Where’s the merchandise?”
“What merchandise?”
“You said you needed help moving boxes. Where are they?”

5
Jasper took off his jacket, revealing a plain black t-shirt underneath.
He was incredibly strong. The heavy boxes seemed like toys in his hands. He could carry four or five at a time. With him there, Carol and I were instantly rendered useless, decorative bystanders.
Carol sat on a stool, sipping a bubble tea and scrolling through her phone, happily directing her brother’s labor.
I hid in the stockroom, pretending to be busy with inventory, my mind in turmoil.
I couldn’t believe Nellie’s father was my best friend’s brother.
Did he remember me? Probably not. It had been so long…
My chaotic thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice. “That’s everything from out front.”
“Oh, thank you!”
The cramped stockroom felt even smaller with his presence filling it. I instinctively took a step back, knocking something off a shelf. Before I could react, he bent down and picked it up.
“You dropped this.”
In his hand was a black, bunny-eared bra. The delicate straps dangled from his fingers, a bizarrely harmonious match for his black shirt.
I remembered, with a jolt, that I had been wearing…
My face burst into flames. His eyes, fixed on mine, seemed to darken. He leaned in closer. “You seem afraid of me. Why?”
My breath hitched. Our eyes met, and there was nowhere to run. My brain short-circuited.
“Carol said you hit women!” I blurted out.
Not waiting for a response, I squeezed past him and bolted from the room.
Carol, hearing the commotion, wandered over. “Hit women? Which son of a bitch dares to hit a woman?!”
Jasper’s expression grew even darker. “You keep talking, and I might actually make an exception for you.”
Thanks to Jasper, the work was done in record time. A job that would have taken me until eight was finished by four.
Carol, not wanting to impose any longer, started to drag Jasper away. But he stood his ground, perfectly at ease amidst the racks of lace and silk.
“Is the owner so cheap she won’t even buy us dinner?”
My cheeks flushed. “Of course, I’ll treat. What would you like to eat?”
Carol’s eyes went wide. “Jasper, have you no shame? Making my friend buy you dinner? What kind of man are you?”
“You pick the place, I’ll pay.”
“Now that’s more like it!” Carol was finally satisfied. She hooked her arm in mine and whispered, “My brother’s actually loaded, so it’s rare to see him open his wallet. Think of something good, and don’t hold back!”
Whether by chance or by design, the place she chose was right next to the bar where Jasper and I had first met.
Neither Jasper nor I were big talkers. Thankfully, Carol was there to fill the silence, making things less awkward. But I could feel Jasper’s gaze on me the entire time, an intense, undisguised heat.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
Carol immediately leaned over to see the screen. “Is that Nellie? I haven’t seen her in ages! I miss her so much.”
Across the table, the man’s expression shifted, becoming unreadable.
I stepped outside to take the call. As I left, I heard his low voice ask, “She’s… married?”

6
Jasper’s question immediately set Carol off.
“What’s that supposed to mean? A woman can’t have a kid unless she’s married? You’re such a dinosaur!”
“So, she’s not married?”
Jasper’s posture relaxed back into its former casualness. He leaned back in his chair, took a sip of tea, and the corner of his mouth curved up. “Good. Not married is good. So, have you met the guy? What’s his story?”
Carol stared at him, her expression growing stranger by the second. “Bro, I gotta be honest, your glee is a little too obvious. Just because you can’t be happy doesn’t mean you can drag everyone else down with you, right?”
Jasper frowned.
Carol forged ahead. “When Ava comes back, do not bring up Nellie’s dad. I think the reason she hasn’t dated all these years is because she’s still hung up on that scumbag.”
At that, the smile on Jasper’s face slowly faded.
I waited until their sibling squabble died down before rejoining them.
I’d never told Carol the full story about Nellie’s father. For one, Nellie was already born when we became friends. For another, I never thought I’d see him again, so what was the point? I’d vaguely mentioned that I couldn’t get in touch with him after I found out I was pregnant.
Carol had clearly filled in the blanks herself, painting him as a love-’em-and-leave-’em villain. Out of respect for my feelings, she never pushed for details.
Which led to this incredibly awkward situation.
As much as I hated deceiving my best friend, I couldn’t bring myself to reveal Nellie’s parentage just yet. I didn’t know Jasper. If things went sour between us, it could ruin my friendship with Carol too.
Later that night, Carol and I had a few more drinks. Jasper volunteered to be our designated driver.
As the car headed north, Carol pressed her face against the window. “Wrong way, wrong way! Ava’s place is in the other direction!”
“I’m dropping you off first. I have to go out later, I’m not heading home.”
Carol pouted. “If I’d known you weren’t going home, we wouldn’t have let you drive. Ava and I could’ve found another spot for round two.”
Jasper shot her a look but said nothing.
He pulled up smoothly in front of the Finley house, and Carol got out reluctantly. The thought of being alone with Jasper was unnerving, so I started to get out too.
“My place isn’t far from here, I can just grab a cab. If you have plans, you don’t have to bother…”
“It’s no bother. It’s on the way.”
Carol nodded. “Exactly! Just let him drive you. It’s not like he’s got anything important to do this late at night anyway!”
Arguing further would just make it weird, so I accepted.
“Where to?”
“The Happiness Avenue apartments.”
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Didn’t you want a round two? I can take you now.”
“No, no, Carol was just kidding,” I said politely. “Thank you both so much for today. You were a huge help.”
“Acting like strangers, are we? Or have you forgotten?”
I wasn’t expecting him to be so direct. My breath caught in my throat.
Before I could answer, he said, “You remember.” It wasn’t a question.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar,” he murmured, his voice dropping lower. “Did Carol not tell you what I used to do? My specialty is reading people by their breathing.”
I instinctively held my breath.
He broke into a full smile. “I was lying about that part.”
“Jasper!”
“That’s more like it. You’ve been so tense around me all day.”
Afraid he’d read something else in my reaction, I clammed up for the rest of the ride.

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