Page 39 of The Seal's Promise

“I also wanted to mention I’ll be at Max’s practices this week, so if you want, I could just drop him off at home after. It might give you a chance to have some time to yourself. Unless you really enjoy sitting at baseball practice for two hours every night?”

She laughed. “Why are you going to be there so much?”

“The coach found out about my previous stint as the high school baseball starter and asked if I’d help him run some extra drills this week. Sort of a skills camp.”

“That’s really nice of you. Max will be ecstatic.”

“I’d like to say my motives are pure, but the truth is, it’s been really fun to put a glove on again, and Max is a fast study.” He stepped closer and leaned his back against the edge of the doorframe.

“He carries that mitt everywhere he goes in the house. It’s probably got toothpaste and waffles on it.”

“Just let me know if you want me to run him home any night this week after practice,” he said, then started to back out of her office.

“Okay, thanks. I’ll see what Max thinks.”

A smile lit up his eyes. “I figured the hard part would be getting you to agree to take a break.”

His blue eyes danced with humor and his cocky smile made her want to kiss him.

“I’m overdue for several breaks and I rarely leave Max with anyone besides family, but I feel confident I can trust a former SEAL and medical professional to get Max home safe a whole three blocks from the park.” He started to open his mouth but she cut him off. “I appreciate the offer. Let’s see if your biggest fan agrees.”

He nodded then walked away. Had she just willingly taken a step into the lion’s den? It was clear Dalton wanted to spend time with her, and she was getting tired of fighting it. She was under no illusions that Dalton would fall in love during his time home in Sandy Point, or stay—but maybe that made him the perfect person for her to misbehave with, because she knew it would end. She wouldn’t need to worry about getting attached. And that sounded way better than waiting to hear about any other single women in town he hooked up with. The only problem was she had no idea how to make a move. She’d literally dated one man seriously and he’d pursued her, which ended in a messy divorce. If she was going to hook up with Dalton she was probably going to have to make the first move, and she didn’t want anyone in town to know about it.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Dalton

Blinded by Desire

“What do youmean Missy is going to move in and be my companion?” Gran said with a laugh as she flipped bacon in the frying pan.

Dalton sat with his coffee at the table, watching and getting more nervous with each turn that she would flip the grease into the open flame of the gas stove.

“Remember, I agreed to stay out at Levi’s place if we had some help for you here at the big house, and now that I’m working full-time at the hospital, we need someone close by in case you need help.”

“Dalton, I’m not some senile old woman who forgets to get dressed or eat. I don’t need a babysitter.”

She moved the rest of the bacon out of the pan and set a full plate on the kitchen counter. But the burner remained on, and the grease in the pan began to spit and smoke. Dalton stood and walked around her to turn off the burner and move the pan back to a cooled area of the stovetop.

“Gran, I know you don’t want to need help. But it would really make Wes and me I feel so much better if you just let Missy look in on you. This house is so big, you won’t even know she’s here.”

His grandmother set her coffee mug down with more force than needed. “What are you not telling me, Dalton James?”

This was the moment of truth. Could he convince her to let this young woman act as her companion? Would his plan even work?

“The truth is, Missy could use some feminine wisdom. Declan is worried that she’s flailing after the death of his mom, who was basically like a mother to Missy also. She quit law school in the last year and wants to be an artist. She’s living with him and his twin boys in his small house that doubles as his home office in town, but there’s no room for her.”

“And she’s agreed to babysit an old lady so she can live out in the sticks and do what with her life?” Gran asked.

He could tell that she was intrigued and had softened to the idea.

“I thought we could let her turn the sunroom into a bit of an art studio. She’ll believe she’s getting free room and board to look out for you, and you can help guide her through a tough time. Maybe she’s not cut out for law, but she has to find something to do or go back to school. I will say, from what I saw, her art is very good. Maybe she can make something of it.”

“I’m just surprised any young woman would want to look out for an old woman and live out here.”

“Are you kidding? This house has the best views in Sandy Point,” Dalton said, moving out to the sunroom just beyond the kitchen. It was a smaller space with wood floors and a wall of windows, where you could see the beach through the tall grass and a few massive willows. But the space got hot in the afternoon even with the ceiling fan, so it was rarely used most of the year.

“Well, alright, I’ll meet her at least. I knew Declan’s mother, Ms. Honey, she was kind and hard-working. If Missy needs a place to land for a time, she may as well do it at Hart House.”

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