How could this be happening? He was finally interested in a woman. Finally, wanting a relationship, but Liana was having none of it. She used him. Jus... as he used this woman sitting beside him. He didn’t want to hurt Melanie anymore. He felt it would make things worse if he let her continue thinking there was a chance they could become more. ‘Melanie, you will find a man who is willing to take care of you. To share his life with you. He is out there. Just give it more time. I am not him. Get cleaned up and then come up to the conference room. We’ll be holding the debriefing there. Captain Roanoke and the Marine Squad Leaders will be joining us. We’ll need to report exactly what happened to Admiral Stanfield,” I told them.“Will Natalie be there?” Naomi asked in a strained voice.“That’s up to the medics,” I told her, before moving over to Captain Roanoke and his Squad Leaders, who were waiting for me.“Didn’t do very well staying out of trouble,” Roanoke told me, as I joined. . okay."So I went to my room, got naked, wrapped myself in a big beach towel, and walked through the sliding glass door off the breakfast nook to join my mom out on the patio. Our house is on a cul-de-sac and has a good sized backyard with a patio, a small pool, and several large trees with bushes and flowers between them. Because of the curve of the cul-de-sac, the neighboring houses are offset and our fenced backyard is very private.Mom arranged two chaise lounges next to each other, and then. There was just one thing missing in my life, and I went hunting for a beautiful, young, and trendy girlfriend. Hope springs eternal.Hope was her name.We met at the top of Mt. Si on a Saturday afternoon, looking across the lowlands toward Puget Sound. We hiked back down the mountain together and shared a drink at a cozy North Bend watering hole. Much to my surprise and delight, we spent the night in my trendy, downtown apartment. Smart, funny, and beautiful, Hope was twelve years my junior; but.