Page 68 of Chasing Sunrise

“What does Barry do?”

“His degree is in nuclear science. From the moment we met, he spoke of joining The Navy and becoming a submarine commander. Barry would be out for at least six months at a time and volunteered for every extra assignment available. His career was, and still is, very important to him. I respect that. It’s always been his dream.”

“Not yours, though.”

“I didn’t have a dream. After I graduated, I continued to wait tables. That allowed me to take off whenever Barry returned to town. When he got orders for a yearlong unaccompanied assignment, I realized my life revolved around him. I thought, ‘What am I doing? What do I want?’ It wasn’t Barry’s fault. After my parents’ death, I think I needed time to decompress. Connecticut and being alone much of the time helped me do that. But I needed to join life again, and I didn’t want to do it with a part-time husband.”

“So how did you end up here?”

She grinned. “Well, I stayed in Connecticut for two years and worked as a counselor. I hated it. I wanted a fresh start. So, Barry blindfolded me and taped a huge map of the U.S. to the wall. I didn’t know if he’d put it upside down, sideways, high or low on the wall, or more on one side than the other. Then he spun me around, put a dart in my hand, and I threw it. I hit the center of Houston, crazy as it sounds.”

“You let fate decide your whole future?” He tugged her closer to the water.

“No, just my next step. I checked into being a school counselor. Until just a couple of years ago, Texas required school counselors to teach for two years but changed that law. I applied for the job at Goodson High School and got it.”

They stopped and stood next to each other, still holding hands. Cool, refreshing water rushed over their feet.

He squeezed her hand. “Thank you for telling me about your parents. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

“You made it easier than I thought it’d be.”

They started down the sandy shoreline, staying where the water lapped at their feet. The black sky began to give way to gray.

“My doctor suggested I spend time at the beach to recover from the shooting.”

“Makes sense.” Amanda nodded. “The ocean has been known to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system in people. The sound, the breeze, and the water help them relax and feel calm.”

“It did. I even slept on the deck at night.” He walked away from the water and spread the blanket hanging over his shoulder on the sand. He held her hand as she sat and took the spot next to her.

“You commented on me being high maintenance the night of Quinn’s party.”

Regret weighed on his shoulders. “I was a drunken ass. Please don’t hold me responsible for the things I said.”

“I just want you to know you were wrong about me. I didn’t have much money after my parents died, and it takes a lot for me to spend money. I do like finer things, but I buy them secondhand or at greatly reduced prices. I color my own hair because I started getting gray at the age of nineteen. I do my own nails and spend very little money on them. My makeup is from the drugstore instead of a specialty store. The renovations on the house I’m doing are with discounted or free materials. I’m probably the most frugal person you know.”

“You’re amazing. You should have a DIY show.”

She laughed. “No, thank you. I judge myself enough. I don’t need others doing it as well.”

He understood. Many of the people who watched Hunter Kase gave their opinions on different media channels. Sometimes the reviews were awesome, other times they were frustrating.

The gray sky lightened to red.

She stretched out on her back. “It’s lovely out here.”

“You’re lovely.” He leaned over her and looked into her eyes.

“So are you.” She blinked, looking like it took great effort to keep her eyes open.

“I want to kiss you.”

“I wouldn’t object.”

He shook his head and settled on his back beside her. “I’m not sure I could stop at a kiss.”

“I wouldn’t object.”

His heart skipped a beat. “You’ve been through too much turmoil lately. When and if you help me break my celibacy vow, I want you to be one hundred percent.”

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