Page 7 of Protection for Rowan

“I should get out of your hair.”

“Dude, you’re welcome to stick around.”

Shine shook Thario's hand. "I'll be by sometime next week. Maybe you could come by for dinner."

“I’ll tell you if I have an open day next week.”

"Sure. And Thario, don't work too hard. You need time to play, too."

Thario rolled his eyes. “I’m good. I’m happy. I have Frog and my work. I’m satisfied.”

Shine wasn't sure Thario was satisfied, but he wouldn't confront him. Thario had been through a lot. He'd come out better than he'd been before. At least they hadn't lost Thario to abuse or anger. He could have turned dark after what happened to him. Lots of guys and women couldn't get to good places after life-changing injuries. He got it. Learning your entire life would be different would affect even the strongest.

After leaving, Shine headed home. He thought about calling Rowan, but they’d just reconnected. It would be wrong to expect too much from her. They might not ever become more than friends, and that was okay. He was just glad she seemed to have had a good life. He couldn’t imagine how weird he would feel if he knew something bad had happened to her. He only wanted what was best for Rowan.

Chapter 4

Rowan couldn't believeshe'd actually found Dwight Boon. Eight billion people on the planet, and she'd found the one guy who had been in her life when tragedy hit. The odds of finding him were crazy, and yet she had his number.

After work, she headed home, stopping to pick up food at the store on the way. About midway through the shopping excursion, she had a weird feeling. Something like tingles on the back of her neck. She turned, trying to see if someone was watching her.

There were people in the store, but no one looking her way. It had to be her overactive imagination. No one was paying any attention to her.

After brushing off the weirdness, she checked out and took her bags, going directly to her car. She hated feeling like she was being watched. She wasn’t being overly paranoid because she knew a doctor who had been murdered by a disgruntled client. The man she’d pissed off was probably over it. Maybe. But she would talk to a private investigator and see if they could catch the guy watching her. Itwould be worth it for peace of mind to find out if someone was watching her or if she had imagined it. With that settled in her mind, she drove home feeling lighter.

After eating, she stared at her phone, wondering if it was too early to text Shine. It would take a bit of time to get used to thinking of him as Shine. It wasn't a bad nickname. Over the years, she'd heard a few names that were concerning. She didn't judge. She just wondered how it made the service member feel to have a nickname with negative connotations.

A little before bedtime, she decided to send a note telling Shine she’d enjoyed seeing him. She wasn’t expecting a reply back, but her phone buzzed seconds later.

Her smile grew wider as she read his note. He was happy to see her, too. That made her day. She texted back, saying that she was looking forward to talking more.

When her phone rang, she jumped and then laughed. She answered, glad he wanted to speak to her.

“Hey, how are you doing?” Rowan asked.

“I really appreciate you texting. I was worried that you’d be freaked out if I texted.”

Rowan couldn’t believe he’d wanted to text. She wasn’t anything special and had been married and divorced. Some guys wouldn’t even date her because they considered her used. “I’ve thought about you often over the years.”

"Same." It sounded like Shine had settled on his couch because of the leather-sounding squeak. She moved to her den and took a seat. She guessed they were talking.

“I’m not glad you needed help, but I’m glad fate pushed us together again.”

"Same. I don't want you to have the impression that I'm some great guy. I've had issues, and I know there isprobably a long list of women who would tell you I'm shit because I've never wanted a relationship before."

His words gave her pause. Was he warning her off? “Do you want one now?”

“No, but I want you.”

She gasped. “Oh.”

"I know it's premature, and I shouldn't have said that. If I date you, I know whatever we have isn’t temporary. This won’t be a one-night thing or a week, or even just a month-long fling. If we go into this, it's a relationship from the second we start doing more than just being friends or acquaintances."

Heat rose from her chest to her face. She hadn't expected him to be so direct. "Wow. I wasn't expecting…I know we don't really know each other. That was over a decade ago. We're different people. But I agree. If we go out and it leads to us being more than friends, it's not something I can walk away from."

“This is personal, and you don’t have to answer, but have you ever had any one-night stands?”

Heat rushed up Rowan’s face. He couldn’t see her, but she wasn’t used to talking about her sex life so openly. “Um?—”

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