Page 30 of Shielded Hearts

“There’s stuff we haven’t talked about.”

He withdrew his attention from the range and directed it all to her. “I’m listening if you need an ear.”

She knew that the Black Heart Ranch also housed a therapy program for military veterans. The way he said that made her wonder if he spent time with the vets, listening to them and responding in that same soothing voice.

With a fingertip, she traced a line of wood grain on the table. “I know I can seem uptight. That I have all these perfectionist tendencies, but…I’m living my life for two. Me and my mom.”

Tongs in hand, he fixed her in his stare.

“I lost my mom to cancer.”

“I’m sorry, Aspen.”

“There’s more. I got diagnosed before she did.”

His eyes widened. “Jesus.”

“I had the whole thing—double mastectomy, chemo. While I was undergoing treatment, my mom got tested too. And hers was more advanced.”

“That’s why you kept your bra on last night.”

She nodded. “I haven’t been with anybody since the reconstructive surgery, and I’m still self-conscious.”

“You’re beautiful no matter what, princess.”

His words came as a soft embrace to her emotional state of being. She dragged in a deep breath and told him everything in that difficult time of her life and how she’d coped with a fight for her own life after losing her mom.

“There was a woman who was also getting chemo. I was at my darkest point, and Vivian was there for me. I was there for her too. We formed a tight bond, and after we both battled our way to remission, Vivian told me that she wanted to travel while she could.”

“I see her point.”

She nodded. “I didn’t initially feel like traveling. Somehow, I thought that having fun after all that happened was wrong.”

He gave her a serious look, like he knew what she was talking about. Then again…he was a SEAL. He’d probably watched friends fall, and survivor’s guilt was real.

“In the end, Vivian told me that my mom would want me to live my life and have experiences that she never did. She was right.”

After the funeral, she tried reaching out to some of Vivian’s family, to keep her memory alive. She pictured one man in particular, a nephew who shut the door in her face. Aspen only had herself to share her memories with. No one else seemed to care.

A short time later, she realized the reason Vivian’s nephew’s had a problem with her.

He switched off the pans and abandoned his post by the range. When he approached Aspen, she balled her hands in her lap, unsure what to expect from Colt. He wasn’t like any man she’d ever known.

When he took her arm and lifted her to her feet, she gulped back the tears she’d been holding inside. As soon as his strong arms wrapped around her, she felt a new emotional comfort. He’d listened to her story and offered her unconditional support in that moment.

He didn’t say anything to undermine her experience either, and that was huge for her. She didn’t need to hear a comparison to his own difficult times. She knew he had them, but the fact that he allowed hers a moment to be in the spotlight left her feeling closer to him.

He held her tight, giving her time to let her emotions ebb out of her.

He brushed a tender kiss between her brows, and she turned her face up to meet his stare.

“Thank you, Colt.”

“Of course.” He held her for another full minute. When he started to pull away, she fisted his shirt.

“I…”

He waited with all the patience in the world.

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