Page 12 of Split Screen Scream
Chapter 4
She nodded as the warmth of his hand grounded her and eased the shaking. Letting him take the coffee pot from her to pour, she then sat, some of the stress easing.
“The shooting shook me too. I wasn’t expecting it.” His warm brown gaze met hers.
Everything about him seemed warm, safe, caring. She needed that warmth. She sat taking in his warmth without speaking.
“Want to talk about it?”
She nodded, and then tried to find the words. “It was…” she paused, unable to articulate what she wanted to say. “I don’t have the word for it.”
“You’re not used to gunfire. And I am. Very used to it. But it shook me, too.”
She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t seem shaken. You took charge. Your military training. You took care of everyone.”
“Yes. With your help.” He spoke quietly, watching her. “My training has given me a faster reaction time. But it still takes time for the brain to process what is happening and to take action, even for a trained soldier.”
“You seemed pretty fast to me. You save my life, pushed me down before you even started shooting. I owe you my life.”
“No.” He shook his head. “You owe me nothing. There’s no debt owed.”
“Then you have my undying gratitude and thanks.”
“Christie, this is what I do. What I’m trained to do. For a SEAL, taking bad guys out is just part of the job.”
“You’re a SEAL?” Her jaw dropped as her estimation of him rose way, way up beyond where it was already. She knew he was like a hero stepped out of a movie screen and this did more than confirm it. It sealed it in concrete. He was a true hero.
“Yes,” he said.
“Wow. I’m impressed. I’m so glad you were there. I’m glad you’re trained to do what you do and that you do it so well. And I am just happy to be alive.”
“I’m with you on that one. Happy to be alive.” He winked at her. “Now, how about we enjoy this coffee and get to know each other a little better.”
“Okay,” she smiled. “That sounds good.”
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“I’m from a little town in Pennsylvania that no one has ever heard of.”
“Try me.”
“Gouldsboro, PA. In the Pocono Mountains. There’s not even a flashing red light, and it’s thirty minutes to the nearest grocery store.”
He laughed. “No wonder no one’s heard about it. How did you end up here?”
“I couldn’t wait to get off that mountain and wanted to see more of the world, so I picked the farthest college I could find, which brought me out to California. I made it through three years before I ran out of money and started working for a wedding planner. Found out I loved working with flowers more than going to classes for a degree that might get me a job, so I finished that semester and never went back.”
Wow, I’m just rambling along giving him way more information than he asked for. He’s easy to talk to, and I’m still nervous and now talking too much. I need to ask him things too and not just talk about myself.“What about you? Where are you from?”
“Texas, my first nine years, and then Florida until my junior year of high school, and then California. I joined the Navy after graduation, and not long after that I went into SEAL training. Now here I am, when I’m not off on missions.”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Their gazes met, searching and connecting as that chemistry sizzled again, along with his strength and warmth and her softness inviting him in.
“I’m glad, too.” Her voice came out soft, and she blushed. His voice did things to her. And she was really glad he was here. She wished he would stay. Wished he didn’t have to go. But she would never ask him to. She’d just met him.
They finished their coffee, and when he stood, she followed, looking up at him.
