Page 65 of Surge

She huffed a laugh, elbowed him. “I know, I know. But it’s also true I go rogue.”

“You go rogue to test whether He believes in you?”

Her eyes blinked fast. “My maverick stuff in high schooldidlead me to A Breed Apart. And yeah, I wouldn’t be here if He didn’t believe in me. Maybe? I’m going to have to think about that.”

She tipped back her head, closed her eyes. Silence grew between them. Peace.

“I still want to get Dad a new prosthetic,” she said after a couple minutes. “Not to prove myself, though. Because I love him.”

Garrett nodded. “It’s cool that you get along. I wish my dad was like yours. Mine is, let’s say, full of rage.”

She winced. “I’m sorry.”

“When I was ten, I got detention because of a fight with the bullies hurting my brother. I got home late, so my chores weren’t done when Dad got home.”

“Rage.”

He held up his left arm. “Broken arm that time. Told the doc I fell down the stairs.” He pinched his lips together. “I won’t be like him.”

Her heart broke. But you didn’t hug a SEAL, right? She gently laid her hand on his left arm—couldn’t help it.

He flinched but didn’t move away.

Beneath her hand, she felt his muscles relax. But her blood sped up.

Delaney let go and pushed her hair behind her ear. “You like to always be in control. Like your dad wasn’t.”

He turned his head, looking through the neighborhood. “Sort of. I learned to be in control to avoid making Dad angry.” His voice dropped so low she could barely hear him. “But I can’t always maintain it.”

She swallowed hard. Garrett lumped his dad and God into the same category. No wonder he walked through life on eggshells. He was sure he’d be punished and unloved if he ever messed up. “God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, Garrett.”

His lips set in a hard line.

“Garrett, I saw you fight in the combi plane. I saw you undercover, procuring the chem vials. Thanks to you and Heath.” She whooshed out a breath. “Thanks to God, I see your leadership of this team every day. Yeah, you’re called Bear. But you are fiercely protective, not a bear on a rampage. Nothing like what you said about your dad.”

He didn’t respond, just shoved his hands into the pockets of his tactical pants.

This man was frustrating. She gazed out at the multicolor bridge across the stinky brown river, then looked back in his face. “You talked about Christ and my DNA. I-I thought you believed.”

He shrugged. “I do.”

A motorcycle throttled past the house, making some dog a couple houses down bark.

“Okay then,” she said. “Just remember, you’re not like your dad. And God is nothing like your dad either.”

Garrett gave her a brief nod. A leisurely breeze rustled her hair, and clouds lazed across the sky. He suddenly pushed away from the wall, turned to her. “I’m not like Dad?”

Her throat thickened, and she couldn’t answer. She nodded, their eyes locking as they had on the couch.

His voice was a husky whisper. “Thank you.” He stepped toward her.

She bit her lip. He was going to kiss her. Like he was a magnet, she stepped closer to him.

“Bear!” Caldwell and Zim stormed out the door.

He and Delaney backpedaled fast as the men appeared in the doorway.

Garrett’s Adam’s apple bounced. He turned toward them, and they all returned to the living room. “What’s up?”

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