Page 64 of Cowboy SEAL Homecoming

She could barely stop herself from giggling as she walked back out where she’d just come from. Whatever Gabe and Jack said to Alex as they walked out of the bar was lost on Becca. She was happily oblivious in her own world of, well, whatever this was. Having a guy interested in her. Having him be a little conflicted about it. Having something as exciting happen as a guy jerking her to him and kissing her senseless.

She sighed dreamily as they reached the truck.

The ride home was mostly silent. Occasionally Gabe or Jack would relate some story from their time at the bar, but Alex never showed any reaction, and Becca was mostly too busy reliving that kiss to pay them any mind.

Alex drove up the crest of the hill that led to the ranch. Darkness and starlight enveloped the entire vista in front of them. Alex pushed the truck into park, then gave them each a glare.

“You will go to bed. I’m going to go check on Hick.”

Gabe and Jack got out of the back of the truck, but Becca stayed where she was, staring at Alex. He pressed his lips together in a scowl, then shoved out of the truck himself.

“Don’t be difficult,” he muttered before slamming the truck door behind him.

It was probably childish to want to be difficult, since he’d ordered her not to be, but she was a little too—well, not drunk exactly, but a bit tipsy—to care.

She thought maybe Alex needed a little bit of difficult. Someone to be a pain in his ass. So he could realize he wasn’t in the military anymore. There were no rules and no codes or regulations on how any of them had to live.

It wasn’t that she didn’t empathize with him on how hard it must be to adjust to a brand-new way of living, but that didn’t mean she was going to be easy on him. He had a whole amazing life ahead of him. He needed to realize it.

She’d help him realize it. That was her mission.

She slid out of the truck, but she didn’t go to the house. She walked in the opposite direction, toward the fence that looked out over the mountains. Everything around her was dark, but with the moon and starlight, she could vaguely make out the looming peaks of those beautiful, majestic rocks that made up the landscape around them.

She wanted to breathe it in. Appreciate it. Feel in awe of it—and she wanted him to see and feel that too.

“Becca,” Alex said in a warning voice she was sure he used on his soldiers.

“I’m not quite ready to go inside. Go check on Hick. I’ll be fine.” She stepped up onto the first rung of the fence, lifting her face to the moon.

“I’m not leaving you out here to drunkenly freeze yourself to death.”

“Honestly, Alex, I am not that drunk, and you are not that overprotective. Or you need to stop trying to be. As we’ve discussed.”

He didn’t say anything for a while and she didn’t move. She soaked in the clusters of stars and listened to the rustling of an early spring night. She listened to Alex’s steady, even breathing, and she traced dark mountain peaks with her eyes.

She wanted to stand here and dream of summer and kisses and a million other beautiful things.

She should’ve known Alex wouldn’t make it easy.

“Do not make me throw you over my shoulder and take you inside myself.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Is that an order, or like a sex thing? Because if it’s a sex offer…”

He sputtered and she laughed—at the fact that she’d said something so outrageous. That she’d made Mr. In Charge Navy SEAL sputter. This really was the best night.

“What are you trying to do to me?” he demanded, pained and irritated.

“Believe it or not, Alex, I’m not trying to do anything to you. I am trying to live my life. I’m trying to enjoy a moment. I am trying to…” She stepped down from the fence and turned to face him. The moonlight gilded him silver or marble, some majestic, ancient Greek god standing there. He looked grim and angry, but underneath that was a sense of loss she understood so well.

He needed to come through the other side.

“The past year has been so hard and sad. I have fought my mother for independence. I’ve fought through my grief and knowing I’m never seeing Burt again. I have been barely holding on by a thread, and I am tired. I’m tired of being sad, and I’m tired of being frustrated. I am damn tired of not doing what I want. I don’t want much. I want to work hard on this ranch and on our foundation. I want to help people. And I want to kiss you. Again and again and again.”

“You keep saying you want…me, but you’re drunk and…”

“Do you really think you’re not worthy of that?”

“Are you trying to sound like a shrink?” he demanded, clearly at his wit’s end with her. Which, by her estimation, was exactly where he needed to be.

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