Page 115 of A Soldier's Return

He watched a black oystercatcher hop down the shore and his muscles hummed with a fierce desire to be out there on the hard-packed sand running for all he was worth.

He couldn’t leave Chloe sleeping alone inside their beach house, so he had to be content with watching the daybreak from the sidelines.

He sipped his coffee, remembering the morning only a few days ago when Sage had taken it out of his hand and sent him off running with her dog. Had it only been a few days ago? It seemed like forever since he had returned to find her asleep on the couch, warm and tousled and sexy, and had stolen a kiss.

He jerked his mind away from the memory and focused instead on the day ahead. He was meeting with Stanley and Jade that afternoon, for possibly the last time. If they still balked at the sale, he knew he would have to return to San Francisco and all the work waiting for him there. He couldn’t linger here indefinitely, hoping he could change their minds.

He sighed, depressed at the realization that this would likely be his last Oregon sunrise for some time.

It was a glorious one, he had to admit. The sun coming over the Coast Range to the east tinted the sky above the ocean a pearly pink, with shades of lavender and pale orange.

Sage would love this.

He sighed. Couldn’t he go five seconds without thinking about her? He was obsessed. He definitely needed to return to San Francisco soon so he could start shaking her from his mind.

As if in response to the direction of thoughts, he suddenly spied two shapes running down the beach, one of which was unmistakably a familiar shaggy red dog.

Anticipation curled through him and he knew with grim realization this was the reason he stood here at the railing—not to watch the sunrise, but on the off chance she might run past with Conan.

As they drew closer, he saw immediately his subconscious hope of seeing her would be dashed. Conan’s companion didn’t have unruly honey-gold curls. Instead, she had dark hair scraped back into a sleek ponytail.

Anna Galvez was taking her turn with the dog’s morning run, just as Sage had told them the day before she planned to do.

The depth of his disappointment shocked the hell out of him.

How had a wild-haired nature girl become so important to him in a few short days? His fingers curled around the coffee mug. He should have done a much better job of keeping her out. What was the point of coming to care about her? He was leaving soon, tomorrow at the latest.

With sudden, hard dread lodged in his gut, he hated the idea of saying goodbye to her.

Conan barked an exuberant greeting and rushed over to his deck. Eben unlatched the gate and headed down the wooden stairs.

“Hey bud. No Chloe this morning. She’s still sleeping.” He scratched the dog’s chin and was rewarded by furious tail-wagging.

Anna arrived several moments after the dog, panting hard. “My gosh, he’s fast. I had no idea. Morning.”

He smiled. “Good morning.”

“How does Sage do this every morning? It’s torture!” She straightened and he thought again that she was a remarkably lovely woman, with her glossy dark hair and delicate features.

He could appreciate her loveliness on a purely detached basis but he realized she did nothing for him. The realization was unsettling. He wasn’t at all attracted to Anna Galvez—because all he could think about was Sage and her winsome smile and her untamed beauty.

“I guess you’re the reason he insisted on dragging me in this direction,” Anna said.

“Sorry.”

She smiled. “I’m not. At least he’s giving me a breather for a minute. Anyway, the ocean view is spectacular in any direction. I never tire of it.”

“You’re lucky to see it every day.”

“I think so, too.” She paused. “I never intended to stay here forever but I came a few years ago for a... vacation and I never left. I think seawater seeped into my blood or something. Now here I am a homeowner, a business owner. Settled. Life takes some strange twists sometimes.”

He sensed there was more to her story, but didn’t feel he knew her well enough to pry.

“I understand you may be joining the ranks of Cannon Beach property owners.”

“Your mouth to God’s ear.”

She smiled again. “Will you be sticking around if you buy The Sea Urchin?”

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