Page 25 of Cowboy SEAL Homecoming

Becca wasn’t sure how much to tell him. She didn’t particularly like broadcasting her weaknesses, but at the same time, they were basically living together. Keeping everything a secret didn’t make any sense.

“Mom was never sure about us spending much time together.”

Alex straightened, his gaze sharpening on her in the yellow porch light. “Why the hell not?”

“It’s not personal. She actually didn’t want me spending much time with Burt at first either. Or anyone, really. She’s always been overprotective.”

“Why?”

She bristled a little at the demand in his tone. “Does there have to be a reason?”

“There doesn’t have to be, but I get the feeling there is.”

She fidgeted in her seat, focusing on the stars and the reassurance she got from that sight. “When I was five, I got very sick. Meningitis. It was a serious case and it took me a long time to recover. I had a lot of autoimmune issues afterward. So even after I’d recovered from the meningitis, the threat of a common illness was much worse because my body had lost a lot of its ability to fight germs and the like. Flu—hell, even a cold. It was dangerous to my well-being.”

“So she kept you away from anyone who might have germs?” He sounded so judgmental when it was actually completely reasonable, if a little…stifling.

“She was constantly worried I would get sick again. That I would die. I’m her only child. My father disappeared before I was even born, after her parents kicked her out for getting pregnant. I was all she had, and she did everything to protect me. Maybe it seems weird now, from the outside, but she did what she had to do.”

“I had no idea.”

“Mom didn’t like to talk about it. I didn’t really care to either. It’s a very weird existence, knowing how precarious your health is and being a kid and… Well, anyway. She didn’t even tell Burt at first. I think she felt guilty or to blame, but your dad did so much for both of us. My life was different for Mom marrying him, for moving here. Things were getting looser, but Burt dying so suddenly… She found him, and it kicked things into high gear again. So I know she can come off harsh, but don’t be too hard on her.”

“That’s…a lot.”

“Yes. It is. I worked really hard to get her to move into town where she’d be happier, but that doesn’t mean trusting me to take care of myself is easy for her. If she said something about watching after me and making sure I’m safe or whatever, ignore it. She thinks I’m fragile, and I haven’t figured out how to convince her I’m not.”

“You’re not?”

It would have irritated her, but he asked the question with a hint of a smile, as though the idea of her being fragile was smile worthy.

“No. I’m not. I’m completely healthy. Admittedly people aren’t my strong suit, but I’m getting there. I’m not a responsibility, Alex. Certainly not yours. I’m not anybody’s responsibility but my own.”

“So that’s why she said something about your…” Alex cleared his throat and looked away.

“My what?”

“Ah, your weight.”

Becca rolled her eyes. “She always thinks I’ve lost weight. Even when I’ve gained. She can’t help her worrying and I just have to go with it. I dream someday she’ll believe I’m fine, but sometimes I think that might just be a dream.” Becca clasped her hands together. She needed to stop babbling and go inside and get some sleep.

But Alex had come out here and she had a feeling he had a mission. She had a feeling Alex didn’t do anything without a distinct mission. “She did ask you to watch after me, didn’t she?”

“I’d say it was more of a warning.”

Becca had to smile at that. “And were you and your soldiers intimidated by a middle-aged woman’s warning?”

Becca snuck a glance at Alex, and the way his lips curved made something flutter and tumble in her stomach. She could count the number of genuine smiles he’d flashed in her presence on one hand, and every time, it hit her like that—a flutter, a horse galloping underneath her dip of feeling. He seemed so different when he smiled.

“Intimidated isn’t the word I’d choose, but she’s certainly formidable. But then again, so are you.”

“Me?” she scoffed. He was messing with her. She wasn’t about to believe he viewed her as formidable. Maybe, maybe not a total basket case, but not formidable.

“What? You see yourself as some sort of retiring weakling?”

“No, but intimidating might be a step too far.”

“You got Jack up on the horse. You made us dress and behave a certain way for this dinner. Intimidating, maybe not, but when you want to be, Becca Denton, you can be very, very forceful.”

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