Navy Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Navy Blue: Chapter 21

For the first time since returning to Washington, thoughts of Emily did not consume Finn's mind. He had a mission, intent on fulfilling it. One of his crew was in need, and he was determined to fix things. This was what he was good at. Taking action. Finding solutions. Bringing the mission to completion.

Max's plan for tonight was to shoot pool at a small bar he'd found on the internet. Campbell insisted a club was called for. The ultimate goal was to get Max laid, but just getting him to the club was a monumental effort. Finn eventually won the younger man over, using the excuse of needing a wingman himself. In the past, Max often played this role. Not that Finn had any intention of pulling a woman tonight.

The last thing Finn expected was to see Emily. A club didn't seem like her type of place. Of course, he wasn't in the know as to what her type of place was, but somehow the super chic, almost plastic crowd crammed into the warehouse space didn't seem likely.

Emily belonged in quaint intimate bars with signature cocktails, each demanding their own unique glassware, tables for two to encourage intimate conversation and live music playing. The Playground served beer or mixed drinks in plastic cups and bombarded its customers with a non-stop beat of techno music perfect for anonymous dancers to grind to.

His sightline had gravitated to the door and Emily appeared like she had so many times in his dreams.

Except she wasn't a figment of his imagination. Because Finn had never dreamt of Emily Montgomery like this.

She had always been beautiful; her simple sundresses were a constant temptation to him back in the day. Even in the office, dressed in her frumpy business suits, her exquisiteness shone through. But now Emily worked a green dress which was anything but simple. The garment was downright sexy and made his throat dry.

Silky fabric clung to her curves, a plunging neckline hinted at her perfect breasts and cinched at her tiny waist. The one Finn absently wondered if his hands could still wrap around, the tips of his fingers touching while his thumbs settled on her hips like they had that summer. The fabric ended mid-calf, showcasing her slim legs.

The familiar ache under his ribcage flared as she paused, scanned the room, and then caught him staring at her. Emily's mouth fell open for a moment before waving to him. Her auburn hair flowed over her shoulders, caressing slender arms Finn wished would hold him again.

After turning to talk to the curly haired woman in a short black dress, the pair made their way towards him. Butterflies danced in his stomach as she approached. A few men ogled her as she walked by, but Emily seemed oblivious.

"Hey."

"Are you stalking me?" Finn mentally slapped himself. He meant it as an attempt at being funny. Emily's reaction was anything but jovial, her face paling and falling. Before he could think of a way to fix it, Max and Campbell noticed Emily's presence.

"Emily." The scowl Max had been wearing all night disappeared.

Emily gave Max a quick hug and nodded at Campbell. Then, taking a step back, she introduced her friend. "Kerri, this is Campbell, Max and Finn." She didn't meet Finn's eyes when she pointed his way.

Campbell, ever the gentleman, inquired about her aunt's health.

"They might release her tomorrow." Emily offered him a small smile. "Thanks for asking."

Totally out of character, Max spoke up. "Ladies, you need drinks." He slipped off his bar stool, offering it to one of the girls. Kerri jumped up on it, and Max looked a little befuddled before he flagged the bartender.

Campbell said something, but Finn barely heard the conversation. It was that dress; it scrambled his brain. And ignited other body parts.

"...Finn." His name from Emily's mouth jolted him out of his trance.

"Sorry?"

Emily stepped away, separating herself from the group. "Can I speak to you?"

Like a magnet to steel, he followed. His heart beat louder than the pulsing music. She'd come here to talk to him. Had she changed her mind?

"You left the party before we had a chance to talk."

Finn nodded, unable to speak. A lump caught in his throat. She was here for him. Had wanted to talk at the birthday party. If only he hadn't left so soon, had waited around. They could be enjoying a very different night together. One that included dancing, but of a very different variety.

He inched closer, his fingers heading for her hand. "Max needed me."

Colored lights swept across Emily's face, her silver eyes shining in the glow. She glanced at the bar. "Max is lucky to have you."

The last thing he cared about right now was Max. "What did you want to talk about?" He could almost sense the softness of her skin, his fingers were so close.

"Right. I need some more details about the helicopter crash. I have a theory I want to validate."

His fingers froze. Helicopter crash. Validate. Her words made no sense. Until they did. "You're here to ask me about the case?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "That's what I'm trying to tell you."

"Right." His chest caved in, his hopes disappearing like the oxygen in his lungs. Heat prickled up the back of his neck. Of course, Emily wasn't here to tell him she wanted him in her life. This wasn't about him. It was about Lieutenant Casey. He was only a witness in her case, and she was a diligent lawyer, dedicated to proving her client was innocent.

Finn's shoulder blades snapped to attention. "Ask away."

Emily searched his face as if she'd lost something. "Finn...is everything okay?"

"Never better. Now ask your question so I can get back to my men."

"I..." Her mouth set in a straight line. "Lieutenant Casey mentioned the helicopter was slow to boot up."

"Correct. We took off five minutes late because of it."

She studied him. "You were in the helicopter when she started it?" He nodded. "Is that normal?"

"Pilots don't wait around for us grunts. You buckle in or they take off without you."

"That's good." Emily glanced over his shoulder before her pale eyes met his again. "Did Casey or the co-pilot Jakobski say or do anything while the system lagged?"

"Aside from complaining about the recent software upgrade being more like a downgrade? No." He crossed his arms and bent forward. "Why so curious about this?"

"I've been researching the effects of the upgrade on the autopilot system. Other pilots have logged issues with the system being slow to boot up and also lagging after switching the autopilot on and then off. Some pilots noted the helicopters pitching in the opposite direction of where they were steering, causing them to overcompensate."

The sick feeling of waking up on a roller coaster consumed Finn, and the room swayed. A hand grasped his arm. "Finn." Emily's steady grip and concerned expression grounded him.

"The alarms didn't wake me. I've slept through worse rackets. My shoulder had slammed into the metal door of the helicopter. We were tilting left at an odd angle."

"It is possible, then. The crash wasn't Lieutenant Casey's fault." Emily's hand tightened on his arm. "This is about a software malfunction."

Deep down in the dark pit Finn holed up the mounds of guilt he harboured over that accident, a small pile of black ooze shifted. Despite his insistence Casey was innocent, a small part of him wondered if she hadn't made a mistake because of alcohol, but because he'd kept her up all night, talking. That she was as exhausted as him. If Emily was right, Casey was truly innocent.

And so was he.