Page 9 of A Very Grumpy Navy SEAL

I shrug.“It seems fitting.”

Our breakfast is boxed up, and when Lula steps up to pay, I reach out, grab the back of her shirt, and tug her away from the register.

“No,” I tell her sternly.

“It would be good if you weren’t always pushing or pulling me when you’re trying to do something sweet,” she points out.

I grunt, and she rolls her eyes.I hide my smile as I pay for our breakfast and pass Lula’s pastries to her.We each grab a coffee and wave goodbye as we exit the bakery.

“Where now?”I ask, sipping my coffee.

“How about we eat over there?”She points to a small park across the street.

“Sure.”

I follow her to a picnic bench and sit across from her.We both dig into our food and Lula moans as she bites into her Danish.My cock hardens, and I shift on the bench.

“You have to try this,” she says, shoving the pastry in front of my face.

I take a bite and swallow a groan when the cheese melts on my tongue.“That’s damn good,”

“What was the best breakfast that you’ve ever had?”she asks after another bite of her Danish.

“There’s this little place in Virginia, right outside the base.They have the best breakfast.I’ve probably been there a hundred times, ordered everything off the menu, and it’s all delicious.”

“Are you a savory or sweet person?”

“Usually savory, but after this, I might be swayed to the sweet side.”

She laughs and finishes her Danish.

“What about you?”I ask.

“There was this crepe place in San Francisco.We went every Sunday morning, and I had the lemon and sugar crepes with a scoop of ice cream,” she says with a nostalgic smile.

“I’ll have to check it out sometime.”

Her smile dims.“You can’t.They closed a few months ago.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“So why did you decide to move here?”

“I woke up one morning and realized there was nothing left for me in San Francisco.I was alone, working a boring job, in a city that didn’t feel like mine anymore.I wanted a change.I wanted to make something that was mine.Find somewhere that felt like home.”

“And that’s Wolf Valley?”

“I think it could be.”

Lula is so optimistic and resilient.She’s lost her parents and been left behind by her brother, but she’s still going strong.The world and all its ugly parts haven’t corrupted her.I want to keep it that way.

“What about you?Where’s home?”Lula asks.

“Right now, Virginia.”

“And before that?”

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