The sight coated Logan with a heavy dose of guilt and shame. Eleven months, three weeks, and five days ago today, he’d stood at the front of a small country church as Hunter’s best man.
And eleven months, three weeks, and five fucking days ago today, Logan had stood to the side while his best friend married the woman he tried every damn day not to love.
But Natalie wasn’t his, and he sure as fuck shouldn’t be coveting his best friend’s wife. Because the reality was hehadn’tgotten to that fucking bar ten minutes earlier, and Hunter—the lucky bastard—had been the one to buy Natalie that first drink. Not him.
They’re happy, dipshit. So be fucking happy for your friends.
Logan adjusted the M4A1 Carbine rifle in his fists, his gloved grip tightening with anger. He wasn’t pissed at Hunt. No, the anger he was feeling now was directed at himself.
Jesus, what kind of friend was he, anyway? Another sideways glance at Hunter’s smiling face, and Logan had his answer.
A shitty one. You’re a shitty, shitty friend.
Logan loved all these guys like they were his brothers. Even Donovan despite his sour expressions and cantankerous moods.
But the bond Logan and Hunt shared was different. It was stronger. Ran deeper. And meant a hell of a lot more to him than some misplaced crush he knew would eventually pass.
And even if it didn’t…even if he was forced to live with an unfulfilled need for a woman he’d never have…Logan would cut off his right nut before he even so much asthinkabout acting on whatever it was he’d been feeling. And that shit was never going to happen.
You just need to find someone different.
That was exactly what he needed.
Logan just needed to get his ass out there and find his own version of happily ever after. A different woman whose sweet laugh blanketed him in the same gentle warmth Natalie did. Someone who created the same swarm of butterflies he felt every time he saw Nat’s smiling face. And Logan really,reallyneeded someone else to star in the late-night fantasies that left him covered in sweat and aching for more.
Because these feelings were just that. Dumbass feelings that didn’t mean a thing and would eventually go away. They had to. For him, there was no other option.
Natalie was with Hunt. The two newlyweds as in love as any couple he’d ever seen. Hell no, he wouldn’t mess with that shit. His friendship with Hunt—and with Nat—meant too damn much to even consider it.
So yeah, he’d get past…whatever this was. Because really, when it came down to it, there wasn’t anythingtoget past.
It wasn’t like he wasinlove with the woman. More like he loved theideaof what Natalie and Hunter had found.
That’s really what this whole thing was about, anyway. He was simply jealous of the relationship. Not the woman, specifically.
Or that’s what you want to believe so you can sleep at night.
“Ain’t that right, Bossman?”
Hunter’s voice broke through his frustrated thoughts, snapping Logan back to the moment at hand. Blinking he turned to see the other man staring back at him expectantly.
“Sorry, what?”
“I said SECNAV wouldn’t have sent us back here if he didn’t think the tax dollars were worth it. Right?”
“Oh. Yeah. Absolutely.” Logan shook his helmeted head, clearing the remnants of his silent betrayal away. “No way Webb’s gonna go through the trouble of dropping us in this hellhole twice in two weeks if the intel wasn’t solid.”
Nowthatwas something he believed to his core.
“See?” Hunt arched a brow in Lucky’s direction.
“Okay, fine. But what about last time?” Lucky challenged. “We thought the intel was good then, too, and look how that turned out.”
With a few muttered expletives, Donovan shot Lucky an irritated scowl. “We’ve been over this a thousand times already. Doesn’t matter how good our intel is. Fact is, we can’t control every move these assholes make.”
An unfortunate but valid assessment.
“Exactly my point!” Lucky motioned a grateful hand toward the other man. “Like you just said, we can’t control these dumb fucks. Which makes this op even trickier than the last.”