Page 107 of A Soldier's Return

On a purely intellectual level, Eben knew he shouldn’t be enjoying himself so much.

It was only a run, after all, just a brief interlude before he jumped right back into his normal routine of business calls and strategy sessions.

But the air was cool and sweet, his muscles had that pleasant burn of a good workout and the scenery was beyond spectacular, with the broad expanse of beach below them and the needles and sea stacks jutting into the sky offshore.

He wasn’t sure where he was going, but Sage obviously had a destination in mind. Every once in a while she called out a direction—turn here, over that hill. They continued to head south until they finally turned into a parking area with no cars in sight.

She parked the bike on the pavement, then led them down a short trail to a gorgeous, isolated beach, complete with an intriguing sea cave and gnarled, funky rocks.

He let Conan off the leash when they were away from the road and the dog and Chloe both jumped around in the sand with delight.

Sage watched them, the seabreeze playing in her hair.

“This is one of my favorite spots along the northern coast.”

“I can see why.”

“I like it not only for its beauty, but for its interesting history. It gives a rare glimpse into an earlier time.”

“How?”

She led him to a rocky outcropping that looked as if it had been blasted through at one point. “See that? That was once a road carved into the headland there.”

“A road?” Chloe asked. “For what?”

“Well, the highway we came here on wasn’t built until the 1930s. Before then, this was the only way carriages and early cars could move up and down the coast, right on the beach.”

For the next fifteen minutes, she gave them a guided tour of the place she called Hug Point. She pointed out many features Eben knew he wouldn’t have paid any attention to had he been on his own and many more he wouldn’t have understood even if he’d noticed them.

He was particularly fascinated by the stoplight still embedded high on the rocky headland, more evidence of the beach highway.

“You have to be careful here, though,” Sage said with a serious look. “The tide comes in faster than you expect. I have a friend who was trapped in the cavern for several hours by the tide and had to be rescued by the Coast Guard.”

“I love it here.” Chloe twirled her arms around, whirling across the sand with Conan barking alongside her.

Sage smiled at her with a soft affection that did weird things to Eben’s insides. “I do, too. I think it’s my favorite place on earth.”

“Can we come back here tomorrow, Daddy?”

Eben wasn’t quite sure how to answer. On the one hand, he hoped he could conclude his business with Stanley and Jade today and be back on his way to San Francisco by morning.

On the other hand, he hated the thought of leaving behind this smart, fascinating woman who made him feel things he never thought he would again.

“We’ll have to see,” he said, giving the classic parental cop-out. Chloe didn’t seem to mind, especially when Sage picked up a piece of driftwood and tossed it far down the beach. An exuberant Conan bounded through the sand after it, then delivered it back, not to Sage but to Chloe. His daughter giggled and threw it again—not quite as far as Sage had, but far enough to make Conan work for it.

He and Sage stood some ways off and he was astonished again at the peace he felt with her.

He wasn’t used to these moments of quiet. Usually his life was busy with troubleshooting and meetings and conference calls. Taking a few moments to pause the craziness, to focus only on breathing in sea air and savoring the morning, seemed healing in a way he wouldn’t have expected.

He caught a glimmer of something in the sand and reached to pick it up—a baby-pink agate.

“Wow! That’s really rare. Finding one is supposed to be lucky. Go ahead, make a wish.”

He glanced at Chloe, too far down the beach with Conan to overhear them, then spoke with heartfelt—though no doubt unwise—honesty. “Okay. I wish I could kiss you again right now.”

She froze and sent him a quick, startled look. Heat flashed there for a moment but she quickly veiled it. “Probably not a good idea.”

“On several levels,” he agreed. “I’ll give it to Chloe and let her make the wish.”

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