Page 1 of Guarding Her Heart
Chapter 1
Ethan
The bar is buzzing with energy tonight, but I’m barely aware of the noise around me. The laughter, the clinking glasses, and the low hum of conversations all blend into the background as I stare into my drink, lost in thought. It’s been a few weeks since I got back home to Hibiscus Harbor, and the reality of what I’ve left behind is starting to sink in. I’m officially aformerNavy SEAL, medically discharged, and my life in San Diego is nothing more than a memory now—one I’m mostly trying hard to forget.
“Ethan, you still with us?” Declan’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I look up to see him watching me with concern.
“Yeah, I’m here,” I say, forcing a smile as I lift my beer to my lips. The cold liquid goes down smoothly, but it does little to ease the knot of tension in my chest.
Declan isn’t buying it. “You sure, man? You’ve been staring into that bottle like it holds the secrets of the universe.”
I let out a chuckle, “Just got a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?” Hudson asks, leaning forward with interest. “You’re back home, starting a new chapter of your life, and we’refinallytalking seriously about opening Hooplas. What could be better?”
“I’m with Hudson on this one,” Jax adds, nodding. “We’ve been dreaming about opening this bar since we were kids. It’s finally happening, dude. You should be pumped.”
“I am pumped,” I say, injecting some enthusiasm into my voice. “It’s just… a lot to process, you know? I spent years in the Navy, thinking that was where I would be the rest of my life. Now, suddenly, it’s over, and everything’s changed. And on top of that, there’s the shit with Amber.”
The mention of her name makes everyone at the table groan. They all know what happened, though I haven’t gone into too much detail. Finding out Amber was making porn behind my back was a blow Ineversaw coming. I was blindsided, and the wound is still fresh, still raw.
Reid, who’s been nursing his beer in silence at the other end of the table, finally speaks up. “That bitch is not worth your time, Ethan. You know that, right? You did the right thing dumping her ass.”
“I know,” I say, though the words feel hollow. “It’s just hard to shake off three years like they meant nothing.”
Kane leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You can’t dwell on the past, man. What she did was fucked up, and you’re better off without the skank. Now you’re back home, with the people who matter – friends and family. And we’ve got a new adventure ahead of us.”
“Hooplas,” Declan says with a grin, raising his bottle. “We’re finally going to make it happen.”
I can’t help but smile at that. The thought of opening Hooplas, a bar and restaurant, has been a dream for all of us since we were kids. Now that the Navy is behind me, it feels like the right time to finally make that dream a reality.
“You’re right,” I say, clinking my bottle with Declan’s. “Hooplas is going to be the best damn spot on the east coast. Let’s do this.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Jax exclaims, giving me a high five. “We’ll find the perfect location, get all the permits, and design a place that’s gonna blow everyone away.”
“Plus, we’ve got all our connections in town,” Hudson adds. “We can get the best suppliers, the best staff… this is going to be epic.”
“Hell, yeah,” Reid agrees, a rare smile crossing his face. “People are going to come from all over just to hang out at Hooplas.” The energy at the table shifts as everyone starts throwing out ideas, talking over each other in their excitement.
As the conversation continues, my gaze drifts around the restaurant, searching for something to latch onto. That’s when I see her.
She’s sitting alone at a table in the middle of the restaurant, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She’s not looking at her phone, not reading a menu, just sitting there, calm and composed, like she’s waiting for someone. But there’s a tension in the way she holds herself, a tightness in her posture that tells me whoever she’s waiting for is not someone she’s looking forward to seeing and they’re late. Or maybe not coming at all.
Curiosity gets the better of me. Without really thinking about it, I stand up, grabbing my beer as I push back my chair.
“Where are you going?” Declan asks, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll be back,” I say, already moving toward her table.
“Ethan’s on the prowl,” Hudson teases, earning a chuckle from the others.
“Give him a break,” Jax says, though he’s grinning too. “After what he’s been through, he deserves a little distraction.”
“Don’t be an asshole to the distraction, though,” Kane calls after me, his tone half-joking, half-serious. “We’ve got big plans, remember?”
I wave them off, not bothering to respond. As I approach the woman’s table, I notice the details I couldn’t see from a distance—the way her fingers tap lightly against the table, the way her eyes flicker toward the entrance every few seconds. She’s beautiful, in a way that’s both striking and understated, like she doesn’t need to try to turn heads, she just does.
“Is this seat taken?” I ask, stopping just short of her table.
