Page 14 of Rugged Courage

CHAPTER 8

DANE

After gathering our backpacks, I bring Cece back to my cabin. Thankfully, it’s not a long walk because I can see that she’s worn out from all the hiking yesterday and today.

“Welcome to my home,” I say, pushing open the door. I don’t have much of my stuff here, but I figured it’s a work in progress.

“This is cozy,” Cece says, shrugging off her backpack by the door and rolling her shoulders.

I move behind her, massaging her tight muscles.

She sighs. “That feels divine.”

“Come, let’s sit,” I say, gesturing toward my couch. We sit, and I take her hands in mine.

“Is everything okay?” Cece asks, her green eyes filled with concern.

“What? No. I mean, yes, everything’s fine.” Good grief. I’m stumbling over my words like a teenager. “I just…” I sigh. Staring down two mountain lions? Scary but doable. Wanting to open my heart to Cece? Fucking terrifying.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Cece gives me that dazzling smile, and I instantly know everything will work out.

“Look. I’m not great at this kind of thing.” I look at Cece, my heart pounding in my chest like it’ll explode if I don’t say what’s in my heart. “I’d like to invite you to stay here. With me.”

I watch as Cece shakes her head, turning to face me. Her eyes hold an intensity that makes my heart race. “Dane, I...I’d like that.”

For a moment, I’m frozen, unable to believe what I’m hearing. Then, I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. “Really?” I ask, my voice rough with emotion.

“Really,” she confirms, taking a step closer to me. Her nearness is intoxicating, and I can feel the warmth radiating from her body. “I know it might seem fast, but—”

“No,” I interrupt, closing the distance between us. I cup her face, touching her gently but firmly. “It feels right. You being here is just...right. You’re the partner I didn’t realize I was looking for.”

Cece leans into me, and I love the softness of her curves against my body. “I feel the same way.”

I wrap my arms around her, holding her close, her heart beating against my chest. “I was hoping you’d stay,” I murmur into her hair. “I know I don’t have much to offer, but—”

“Stop,” she says firmly, pulling back to look at me. I know she can see the insecurity in my eyes. “You have everything to offer. You’re kind, honest, and—”

“There’s something I need to tell you. I was discharged from the military,” I cut in, my voice tight. “Dishonorably.”

Cece blinks, caught off guard. “What? Why are you bringing that up?”

I pull back, running a hand through my hair. Tension firms my jaw as worry gnaws at me. “If you want to be with me, you need to know who I am. What I’ve done.”

Cece’s green eyes widen in surprise. Conflict mars her expression as if this revelation doesn’t match what she knows of me. “What happened?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself to share this part of my past. “We were on a mission. I was given an order that would have resulted in civilian casualties. Children.” I look at her, the familiar mix of pain and resolve welling up inside me. “I couldn’t do it. I refused the order.”

I watch a range of emotions flicker across Cece’s face—respect, admiration, and something deeper that I can’t quite place. “Dane, that’s... I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been,” she says softly.

I shrug, trying to downplay it even as tension tightens my shoulders. “It was the right thing to do. But my CO and the Army didn’t see it that way.”

“So they discharged you for refusing to kill innocent people?” Cece asks, her voice filled with disbelief.

“That’s the simplified version, yeah,” I say with a wry smile. “There were other factors, but that was the catalyst.”

Cece touches my arm, surprising both of us. The warmth of her hand sends a jolt through me. “I think what you did was incredibly courageous.”

Our eyes meet, and the air between us is charged with the electricity of desire.

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