Page 123 of Over the Edge

“But long term goals. My career. Financial planning…“

“I understand that we can’t all live entirely in the now and that a certain amount of life planning is necessary. But life is a gift toallof us. Every single day is a special and wonderful opportunity for joy. For fulfillment. For whatever else floats your boat. You just have to choose it.”

He nodded slowly.

She continued soberly, “I swore to myself when we left Zagistan that I would stop pushing you, and I’m sticking by my vow. But Trevor, I say this with love. My darling man, you need to get your head out of your ass and get on with living your best life, with or without me. I just want you to be happy.”

He laughed. What else could he do in the face of such pithy truth, particularly since she was absolutely right? “You sound exactly like my therapist.”

“Ahh, but I come with fringe benefits. Like hugs. And kisses. And great sex.”

He gathered her into his arms for a hug. “Have I told you recently how much I love you?”

She froze in his arms.

Frowning, he leaned back to look down at her. “What?”

“You’veneversaid that to me before,” she declared a shade indignantly.

“I haven’t?”

“Say it again you big, sweet, gorgeous moron.”

He grinned broadly. “I love you.”

“For real?”

“For really real. Spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you, head-over-heels, gobsmacked real. You, my dear woman, make me happy.”

She reached up and grabbed his head, pulling him down to her for a kiss that left him gasping for air and aroused enough to consider carrying her down to the sand right here, right now, to make love to her.

“I love you too,” she declared when they finally came up for air.

He kissed her again and this time their smiles intertwined.

“Problem,” she muttered against his mouth.

“What’s that?”

“Who’s gonna tell Cal?”

He groaned and buried his face in her hair.

“He does owe us a really big favor for rescuing Kenny,” she reasoned. “I say we cash in on it by asking him to let us date each other.”

He laughed in spite of himself. “Cal will hate it.”

“But he’ll agree to it. It’s the only honorable thing to do. And after all, he’s letting Sherri and Griffin date.”

Her suggested tactic was brutally efficient and likely to be effective. Classic SEAL thinking. He commented, “You really are a SEAL, aren’t you?”

“From the top of my head to the tip of my toes.”

“Shall we go find Cal and make it official?” he asked.

“I’m not pushing you into this or rushing you in any way?” she asked cautiously.

“Not at all.”

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