Page 15 of Love Shots

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It was Summer’s day off and she wasn’t at her apartment. Teddy knew because he’d checked. He’d also checked Laney’s, and she wasn’t there either. He’d not had any luck finding her in the shops or cafés around town. Which meant only one thing. She’d gone to their spot.

It had been years since he’d gone back there. Only venturing out one time when he first arrived back in Bluestone. Being there without Summer just hadn’t felt the same. They’d discovered it together when they were kids, and it had been their retreat when life got tough. Hours had been spent there, talking, laughing, they’d even snuck beers out there.

Taking his truck, he braved the dirt roads past Moonrock Ranch, where he and Ivy had grown up, and toward the old Monroe plantation.

He parked up and started the ten-minute hike across the fields. For once, he was thankful for the drier weather. A few weeks ago, this would have been a much muddier trek. Spring had most definitely arrived, a fact he was more than aware of as his skin began to heat under his jacket.

It took a moment for Summer to notice him. When she did, he didn’t miss the frightened jolt or the slight shake of her delicate fingers.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Teddy sank into the crisp grass beside her.

“What are you doing here, Teddy?” She sighed, not taking her eyes from the view in front of them.

You could see for miles up there. The mid-afternoon sun beating down on the palettes of green. If he looked closely, he could even make out Moonrock.

Taking in a deep breath, he let the fresh air fill his lungs. “I came to find you.”

“Why?”

“I fucked up.” He chanced a glance in her direction; she was still looking ahead of her. “I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving your apartment the other morning, but ... I was wrong. I’m sorry, Summer.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Teddy. And I really don’t need you feeling sorry for me. I know I freaked out the other night ... but if it’s all the same to you, I’d really rather just forget it, okay?”

Yeah right.

Like he could forget how she trembled and sobbed in his arms. Not to mention, his body had already memorized the feel of her warm skin plastered against him as she clung to him all night long.

He stayed quiet for a bit. She was obviously on the defensive, and he had no intention of riling her up. He just wanted to fix this. Make it right. And get some answers.

They sat quietly for a while, taking in the view. Once he was certain she’d relaxed a little, he decided to answer her previous question. “Why don’t we start by you telling me who hurt you ... and then I’ll decide whether to forget it?”

Teddy felt her glare burning into the side of his face. Nope. Still prickly. “Sure, Teddy. I’ll get right on that. But before I do, are you gonna tell me why you left the Navy? You know, the only job you’ve ever wanted? The one you gave up everything for?”

It was his turn to tense. Not even his sister knew the details of why he left. It wasn’t a pretty story. Life wasn’t always sunshine and roses. Not that he needed to tell Summer that. But still, he wasn’t exactly in the mood for a heart-to-heart.

“Don’t try and change the subject, Summer,” he bit out, sounding harsher than he wanted.

“You want me to cry on your shoulder, Teddy? Hear all my secrets? Well, tough shit. It doesn’t work like that. You want me to open up to you ... then I damn well expect you to do the same.”

She’d turned her whole body toward him now and sat crossed-legged in the grass. He decided to shift too and face her. There was no way he was ready to lay everything bare for her, but he could share just enough to get her to open up. He already knew there would be no other way. Ivy was right; Summer was insanely stubborn. Just like him.

“Okay. Fine. I left because on my last mission I was captured. I was a POW. Fifteen days in total. The longest fifteen days of my life.”

“Shit. Teddy. I’m so sorry.” Going to her knees, she did something he wasn’t expecting, something very un-Summer-like. She threw herself into his arms and held on to him for dear life.

Immediately wrapping his arms around her, he let his head fall into the crook of her neck. He breathed in the familiar notes of vanilla and ignored the tightening of his chest as he did. They stayed like that for a while. It gave him time to get his thoughts in order. He hated talking about what happened. Not that he’d spoken to very many people about it. His commander, his team, and a Navy-issued shrink were the extent. But even that had been hard.

He cleared his throat when she eventually pulled back. He tried his best to push down all the messy emotions threatening to spill over. He needed to stick to the facts. “Four of us were captured. Only two of us made it out alive. After that ...”

I had a breakdown. I still can’t sleep without seeing my teammates’ blood-stained faces. I thought about giving up in more ways than one.

The words sat in his throat. There was no way he could say any of them out loud. As if sensing his struggle, Summer took pity on him.

“It wasn’t the same,” she finished his sentence for him. “I get it now. I’m so sorry that happened to you, Teddy. Truly, I am. And if you ever need to ... you know ... talk. I’m here. Always.”

He was surprised and relieved that she wasn’t pushing him for more. “Thank you.” As raw as he felt, he hadn’t forgotten his reason for sharing. “Do I get to hear your story now?”

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