Page 8 of In the Arms of a Hero

She would surreptitiously watch him in the halls and often volunteered to take photographs of the football and baseball teams so she would have a few seconds to snap pictures of him. All while she stood on the sidelines. Since she was never invited to dances, she would volunteer to take pictures for the yearbook. Homecoming. Winter fling. Spring prom. Aaron was always with a different girl on his arm, and if he’d been an octopus, he could’ve easily had eight different girls vying to grab one of his tentacles.

That caused her to snort, and she sat up, pulling up her legs to prop them on the coffee table.

Aaron left a slew of broken hearts behind, but she never heard anyone say anything mean about him, and as much time as she secretly watched him, she never witnessed him being rude or mean to anyone. He was loyal to his girlfriend of the month… it seemed he never stayed with the same girl for long.

She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. “I am so ridiculous,” she said to the empty space in her apartment. “I’m giddy because I got asked out on a date. It’s not like that’s never happened before, but not with somebody I used to have a crush on years ago. God, I hope I don’t make a fool of myself!”

Turning on the TV, she immersed herself in the historical drama she’d been watching, glad to take her mind off Friday night. But by the time she showered and was ready for bed, she lay awake, her mind no longer on high school crushes but on the man she hoped she’d see the following morning in the coffee shop.

5

It was finally Friday night. Dressed in jeans, a button-up shirt, and a black leather jacket, Aaron pulled to a stop outside the bakery and looked toward the door. He’d visited the coffee shop every morning since they’d arranged a date, finding that he didn’t want to go a day without seeing her. She smiled widely and greeted him asdeputyeach time. He was looking forward to hearing her call him by his name.

The door next to the bakery opened, and she walked out. He started to get out of the driver's seat when she trotted over and threw open the passenger door. Her broad smile met his, but he admonished, “You need to wait on me so I can open the door for you.”

She lifted a brow as she twisted to look at him. “Under other circumstances, that would make sense. But it’s chilly outside. There’s no reason for you to get out of a warm vehicle just to open the door for me while I’m outside, getting cold, waiting on you.”

Her response caught him off guard, and he couldn’t think of a witty retort. He shook his head and chuckled. “From now on, I just need to get to your place earlier so I can park and meet you at the door.”

Now, both of her brows lifted. “Oh, is there going to be another date after this one? Are you being presumptuous or hopeful?”

Laughing, he admitted, “Probably a little of both.”

Her gaze held his, and her smile exuded what he hoped was the same happiness he felt that they were finally meeting somewhere other than the bakery. He’d given the place of their dinner a lot of thought. It wasn’t far to drive to the tiny town of Seaside. While Baytown had more restaurants, he knew people would recognize him, and he wanted a chance to be with Belinda without the possibility of constant interruptions.

He parked outside of what could be considered a shack. Now that he looked at it more critically, he winced, second-guessing his choice. “I know this place looks like a dive, but it has some of the best burgers in the county.” She looked out of the windshield, but her facial expression just held wonder and not disdain. “I’ve never been here. I can’t wait to try it.” With an overly dramatic tone, she glanced to the side and said, “I warn you that I can be a hamburger connoisseur. So I can’t wait to see how they do.”

“The fries are great, but their onion rings are out of this world.”

She rubbed her hands together and exclaimed, “Let’s go try them!”

She waited for him to exit the vehicle, and he hurried around to open her door. The last time he’d brought a date to this establishment, it was not well received, so he had to admit, he was thrilled that she was all in for trying food at a place that didn’t look like a five-star restaurant. He caught himself from snorting, thinking that this dive wouldn’t come close. He opened the door, and they walked inside. Tables and chairs filled the space, and a bar lined the left side.

As soon as they were seated, they looked over the menu, gave their orders to the server, and then turned their attention toward each other. Before he had a chance to say anything, she blurted, “I’m really glad you asked me out.”

Her honesty was refreshing. “I’m glad I did, too. I’m sure a girl as beautiful as you has a choice of dates, so I’m glad you’re taking a chance on me.” He meant exactly what he said, but he was also fishing to learn more about her.

“There might not be a dearth of someone showing interest,” she admitted before sipping her beer. “I turned thirty on my last birthday, and I’m no longer willing to go out with just anyone.” She scrunched her nose. “I suppose that makes me sound like a snob, doesn’t it?”

“No, I know exactly what you mean.”

“It’s just that I work weird hours, and between the photography gigs and helping Bess get her bakery going, I don’t have much free time.” She shrugged while keeping her gaze on him.

They were sitting close, and he leaned in her direction. He liked that she didn’t attempt coy mannerisms while talking, but it also made him realize that he was better at flirting than deeper conversation. “Then I’m glad I asked, and I’m glad you said yes. And here we are about to have the world’s greatest burger.”

Her lips curved, and he was struck by how her smile was just part of her natural expression.

Laughing, she nodded. Right on cue, the server set their plates down, and they proceeded to dig in. She took an enormous bite, and he was impressed. The former girlfriend he’d brought to this restaurant had complained about the size of the hamburgers, then finally cut off a few bites that she nibbled on.

But Belinda dug into her meal with gusto, moaning with enjoyment with each bite. She was only able to eat half but hadthe server box up the other half and some of the onion rings. Looking over at him, she said, “I’m stuffed, but I don’t want the food to go to waste. Anyway, I’ll wrap it up when I get home, and it’ll make a great meal when I finish the wedding shoot.”

“What are your favorite types of photo shoots besides nature?”

Without hesitation, she replied, “Families. Even weddings, except occasionally, I have to deal with a bridezilla or a mother of the bridezilla. I even like photographing babies, although I sometimes have to wait for hours if they’re sleepy or hungry or just pissed off about somebody wanting to take their picture.”

Her eyes were bright as she continued to explain. “I love doing family get-togethers where they want to have the sunset behind them on the beach. I love anniversary pictures of couples who have been married for a long time. I even did one last year for a couple who’d been married for seventy-five years. They got married as teenagers, and were about ninety-three years old. They were adorable!”

He remained quiet, loving her enthusiasm, hoping she would keep talking.

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