Read Online Heart of a Marine (The Wounded Warrior Series Book 1) by Patty Campbell - Free Book Online

Did you know she had a twin sister who doesn’t look anything like her and twin brothers who nobody can tell apart but her? Her dad is best friends with Grampa Johnny, and her mother’s name is Silvia, but they call her Silly Silvia when she isn’t listening. They make a surprise party every year for their dad’s birthday, but Marla always tells him before because she says he doesn’t like surprises. I like surprises.”
    Dwayne laughed as he followed her running dialogue to the kitchen. “I’m calling the FBI Monday morning to see if they’ll give you a job interview. You wormed more information out of Marla Danaher in one evening than I have in the last six months.”
    “She said we could be girlfriends and tell each other everything. She wondered where my mom was, and I told her you revorced her last year because she had to leave and wasn’t ever coming back and she wanted to know if you had a girlfriend and I told her no.” Amber opened the fridge and set his Dr. Pepper on the table.
    “Whoa. I changed my mind about the FBI. You must already be moonlighting as an agent for the CIA.”
    He propped one of his crutches against the counter and opened the door of the barely warm oven. Holding a dishtowel, he lifted his plate off the rack. “Mmm, mmm, mmm, just the way I like it. When it’s brown it’s cookin’ and when it’s black it’s done.”
    Amber set the salad bowl on the table and removed the plastic wrap. “Marla made me eat all my salad.”
    “How’d she manage that miraculous feat?”
    Amber wrinkled her nose. “She’s rilly bossy.”
    He laughed. Yes, Marla was “rilly bossy.” Definitely a take-charge woman. A woman he liked more every day, and who apparently had some interest in him, or why had she wormed so much information out of his daughter?
    He shook his head when he thought of the monumental paperwork battle required to finally get his divorce from Francine. She’d deserted them, and he hadn’t seen or heard a peep from her in nearly six years. He’d spent a fortune on all the legal advertising and hoops he’d had to jump through. For all he knew, she was dead by now.
    The way Francine liked to live in the fast lane, he wouldn’t be surprised. He’d been totally seduced by her wild child ways in those days. Their first explosive sexual encounter had been her idea, and he’d enjoyed every down-and-dirty minute of it. What a dumb kid he’d been back then.
    “If I eat all my salad will you let me have some ice cream, nurse? I promise to clean up my act.”
    Amber pursed her lips with skepticism. “You always promise.” She scowled across the table, arms crossed in front of her. “OK, but this is the last time. I rilly mean it, Daddy.”
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    “Dang it!” Marla was halfway home when she remembered she’d forgotten her promise to Charlene to return to their parent’s house after she met with the Wylands. She’d left her cell phone in the car while at Dwayne’s. Her mother and sister had probably left a gazillion hysterical voicemails by now. She looked at the screen and groaned.
    “What am I going to do, Skippy?” She sighed and made an abrupt U-turn in the middle of the block to retrace her route. Might as well face the music.
    Her parent’s house appeared quiet when she pulled in the driveway. Charlene’s car wasn’t there. Gritting her teeth against the expected meltdown, she picked up Skipper, went to the front door, and pushed the bell.
    Her dad opened the door. “Hi, honey. Come on in.” He stepped aside and held the door open.
    “Hi, Dadley. Is Mom here? She’s probably ready to kill me.”
    “No, and I doubt it.” He took Skipper from her and let the dog lap his face. “Why would you think that?”
    “She called me in a fury over your birthday party. I got the impression you’d soon be divorced or she’d be a widow. She said you told her you wouldn’t come to your own party if John Dempsey couldn’t bring his wife. What a