Page 26 of Baring All
“I was a ‘troubled teen’ and headed down a path of destruction. Someone, well, the only person I respected and looked up to, sat me down one day and told me that if I kept it up, I’d wind up in prison one day. The look of disappointment on his face that day made me re-evaluate my life.
“He’d taken me in when I had nowhere else to go. He’d offered me a home because I didn’t have one of my own. And here I was, fucking it all up. I promised to do better. So the day after graduation, I went down to the recruitment office and signed up for the Navy.”
“Well, all right then. Not at all what I expected.” I take a moment to lick the trail of ice cream running down my finger. Bear’s eyes track the movement. They darken, and I feel my belly tighten in response. Shaking it off, I ask, “And? How did he feel about it?”
Bear smiles, and I stumble to a stop. The smile is soft and radiant, not words I would have ever thought to describe anything related to him. The man is already indecently handsome, the fine network of scars on his temple not detracting from that in any way. But this smile – it makes him indecently good-looking, and I can’t seem to take my eyes off him.
“He’s happy with my decision.”
“All’s well that ends well then.” Just then a puppy comes dashing down the beach toward us. Bear drops to his haunches and waits for it to come over to him, which it does. It hunkers down, and the booty wiggle has us both laughing.
Dropping down beside him, I give some ear scratches, and the puppy’s little back leg starts beating the sand in enjoyment. A lady comes running up to us, apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry. She managed to get out of her harness – she’s such a wiggle worm.”
“No problem, ma’am.” Bear says, giving a last belly rub, now that this sweet scrap of fur has thrown herself over on her back. The same back leg bicycles in the air in enjoyment. He straightens as the lady bends to pick her dog up.
“Thanks for distracting her long enough for me to catch up. Who would have thought something so tiny could move so quickly, right?” She grins at Bear, ignoring me completely.
“True. Have a good day.” With a hand to the small of my back, he guides me around the woman as she’s kneeling to put the dog’s harness back on. As we continue walking, he seems to be having some kind of internal debate. Then out of the blue he asks, “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I have a hot date with some laundry. Other than that, nothing. You?”
“Nothing.” He grins over at me, then grabs my hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
12
ELOISE
Bear tows me across the sand, clearly excited to show me whatever it is he wants me to see. “Um, Bear, what about my car?” That stops him in his tracks. He considers it for a moment.
“We can drop it off at your place and go from there.”
“Sure, okay.”
My mind races, and my heart beats faster as I ponder the new direction events have taken. Even before the shooting, I was happy on my own. A husband and children were sort of a distant dream, not something I was in a rush for. But after, I knew that’s all it would ever be. I packed those dreams away and made peace with the fact that it’s only going to be me going forward.
Or at least I had until Bear came crashing into my life. Something about him makes me mourn the death of those dreams. No man has made me regret my choices before. But this man – what is it about him that makes me want to explore my options?
By the time I’m parked back at my apartment, Bear’s found a spot curbside and is waiting for me. I dash over to him, and to my surprise he hops out to open my door, making my heart melt into a puddle in my chest.
Easy there, tiger. Not looking for anything, remember?
Then he goes and makes it worse by securing my seatbelt for me too. Gah. How am I supposed to deal with such sweet gestures? I watch him as he comes around the truck and hops in.
“Ready?” I’m not sure what’s happened since we were at the beach, but somehow his mood seems a lot lighter.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Is there any way I can convince you to tell me where we’re going?” I pout over at him and am rewarded with a deep belly laugh.
“Dang, you’re cute when you pout. But no. Won’t be a surprise if I tell you, will it?” Bear’s sudden good humor is infectious.
“Fine.”
“Atta girl.” He pats my thigh before returning his hand to the steering wheel.
I can feel the heat of Bear’s touch long after he’s removed his hand. We travel in companionable silence. I like that it doesn’t make me feel twitchy, like I need to fill the quiet with mindless chatter. Sitting back, I enjoy the scenery, all the while taking note of the route we’re going.
