Page 70 of Shea's Hero

I give him a tiny lift of my chin before steering Shea across the room to the blackjack tables, where Mrs. Plimpton is nowhere to be seen. Once we’re alone, I take both of Shea’s hands in mine, rubbing her chilled skin to warm it.

After a deep breath, she says, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to act so… weird.”

“It’s fine. Are you okay?”

Her gaze goes distant for a second. Then she sets her shoulders and raises her chin. “Yes. I’m okay.” Another deep breath, and then, “He was a counselor at the facility I went to. Not my counselor, but I saw him there.”

My defenses go up. “Did he do anything inappropriate?”

“No. I didn’t really care for him, he always seemed a bit… I don’t know. Fake. Like he didn’t really care about the patients. But he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why?—”

“I guess… I don’t like thinking about back then. The time I spent there… it wasn’t their fault. Most of the people were really nice. Helpful. But my head wasn’t in a good place. I was so upset about everything that happened. With Niall. Jade. And…” Sadness fills her eyes. “You.”

“Oh, Shea.” A hand reaches into my chest and gives my heart a painful twist. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. And anyway—” A smile lifts her lips. “I needed to be there. And it helped. So I can’t be upset about it.”

As a couple moves past us a little too close, I lead Shea out of the way and over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s a full moon outside, its light streaming in through the glass and casting a soft glow across her face. “It’s okay, Shea. We all have memories we don’t like to revisit.”

“I know. It’s just…” Stopping, she gives a little shake of her head. “You know what? I’m not going to let this bother me. So what if I saw someone from a time in my life that wasn’t the best? I’m not there now, am I?”

“No.” I brush her hair over her shoulder. “You’re not.”

“Right.” There’s a defiant note to her voice. “I’m at this wonderful party, with games to play and delicious food to eat and more of your friends and coworkers to meet. I’m not letting some brief blast from the past ruin it.”

Pride fills my chest.

My Shea.So strong. Resilient. Smart. Wonderful.

With a little squeeze of my fingers, Shea meets my gaze. Her mouth curves into a soft smile. “So. What do you think? Some games and food? And then we’ll find this Mrs. Plimpton so I can meet her for real?”

A beat, and then she leans close, her lips brushing my jaw. “And don’t think I forgot about later. Two times, you said. And maybe we can break out that oil again.”

Shit.

I love her so much.

“Yes.” I kiss her, lingering for a few moments. “That sounds like agreatidea.”

CHAPTER 15

SHEA

What if he doesn’t like it?

I know I’m being silly. Paranoid, even.

When I first came up with the idea, it sounded great. It would be something I could do to show Oliver just how important he is to me. Not because I think I owe him for all the wonderful things he’s done—the romantic dates and flowers and how he gamely let me basically redecorate his entire house—but because I want him to feel special. Appreciated.

If circumstances were normal, there would be lots of options. We could do something outdoorsy, which Oliver loves, like hiking in the Catskills or picnicking in Rockefeller Park. We could go into Manhattan to visit the Natural History Museum, one of his favorite places to visit ever since he was a kid. Or we could head up north to the Adirondacks to see some of the old Revolutionary War battle sites, something Oliver’s been talking about doing for years.

Ifthings were normal, that is.

But they aren’t, so I had to get a bit more creative.

Fortunately, thanks to the magic of the internet, I can get pretty much anything I want sent right here. Including everything I need for this surprise date.

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