Page 21 of Protection for Rowan

"Oh yeah. He thinks you're nice. Come on, I want you to meet Thario."

Shine was surprised Thario was out of the car. He shook Rowan’s hand, his smile wide.

“Shine didn’t tell me how beautiful you were.”

Heat filled Shine, and he wanted to warn Thario to behave, but he didn't need to. Instead of kissing her hand or trying for a hug like he would have in the past, Thario dropped her hand quickly. He thought for sure he would have to tell Thario to back off. At least he would have a few years ago, but his buddy was behaving. Thario had changed, and he had to keep that in mind.

“How long have you two known each other?” Rowan asked as they got into the car.

“I think we met four years ago or so,” Thario said.

“Sounds about right.”

Rowan glanced over the seat at Thario. “Are you one of the SEALs?”

“Ah, so he hasn’t told you everything about me,” Thario chuckled.

“What? It’s not my story to tell,” Shine said.

“I lost my legs in an explosion. I’m retired. Some of the guys are nice enough to allow me to keep hanging out.”

“Oh, I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve come to terms with the facts. I get to have Frog now, which is great.” The dog made a noise, and he could hear Thario murmuring something to the dog as he scratched his head.

“Your dog is smart,” Rowan said.

"He sure is. When I first got him, I wasn't sure. But he's pulled me out of depression, and I'm doing better. I swear some of the guys only come around to see Frog, but he knows."

“What do you mean by that?” Rowan asked.

“Frog knows when people really like me. He likes Shine, but there are some guys who stop by, and I can tell they aren’t really sincere. Frog barely lifts his head for them. But Frog goes wild over seeing Shine and a few of the other guys.”

“That’s sweet.”

Thario chuckled. “Shine is a good man.”

Rowan didn't say anything, but her hand slipped over the console and into his lap. She squeezed his knee, and warmth spread. No question, he was making the right decision inviting her to meet his buddies. They would get along because Rowan really was a good person. Pleasure slid through him. More than luck had been at play when he'd run into her again, and this time, he wouldn't let her go.

Chapter 15

Because they were moving so fast,Rowan was nervous about meeting his friends. So far, she'd met a few, and they were all cool with her, which made her feel better, but she worried they wouldn't like her. The military, especially special forces, was more like a family, and most families didn't like new people coming in.

She spied a group of men who were tall, except for one of the guys who was much smaller than all the rest. They all had beards and longer than military regulation hair. There were two women standing close to them who seemed to be a part of the group.

“So the women, what are their names?” Her voice might have sounded a little strained, but neither Shine nor Thario said anything about it.

“Nichole and Danika,” Thario said.

“I guess you know them, too?” Rowan asked.

Thario nodded. “Yes. They’re both great.”

She hoped this went well. She wanted these people to like her. Rationally, she knew her fears were silly, but her emotions weren’t always rational. She was anaccomplished person who knew her own worth, but she had this fear of losing Shine. Maybe it was because she'd already lost him once and had only found him again by chance.

After the accident, she'd checked the list of dead time and time again, praying she didn't see his name. A part of her always wondered if she'd missed his name on the list and he had died. Now, she knew he was alive and well but getting over the fear of losing him had been hard.

Shine parked, and they got out of the car. Frog ran up to each of the men and gave them a sniff before going back to Thario's side. She was thankful Thario was there because everyone wanted to say hello to him before they turned their attention to her, giving her a chance to observe them all.

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