Page 37 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

“Think you could bring me back to swim once more before you open?” she asked. “If that’s okay. I can always see if Sophie can take me sometime. I hate to ask, but I always loved the water and it’s been so long—”

Braxton placed a finger over her lips. “I’ll bring you. Don’t be afraid to ask for something just because you aren’t able to do it on your own.”

“I don’t like to,” she murmured as he slid his hand away.

“I know, but that doesn’t make you weak.”

Her humorless laugh angered him. “Depends on who you ask.”

The family of ducks circled by as the moonlight reflected off the water. Braxton would make a point to bring her back every night until they opened if that’s what she wanted. This was the only place she’d relaxed and the time for being here alone, like this, was closing in on them.

“I don’t like your family,” he stated. “You don’t have to say anything, but I know that’s who you’re running from and I know they’re the reason you’re so defensive.”

“I’m not defensive and I’m not running.”

“No? I ran like hell from my feelings when my fiancée left me. I thought I recognized the look.”

She stiffened against his side. “The look?”

“The one where you don’t trust easily.”

“And you do?” she retorted.

Braxton squeezed her shoulder and ran his hand over the blanket up and down her slender frame. “No, I don’t trust easily, but I can admit it. We’re more alike than you want to realize. Neither one of us trust ourselves with what we’re feeling, let alone trusting someone else.”

Cora remained silent, most likely digesting his bold statement. He prided himself on honesty, but more important, he wanted her to see that while he may be leery, he wasn’t afraid to take a chance when fate smacked him in the face with an opportunity.

“Tell me about your fiancée.”

Her request had him gritting his teeth, ready to refuse, but if the only way to get her to open up was to do so himself, he’d lay it out there. Hell, what did he have to lose at this point?

“Anna and I dated for two years when we got engaged. She came from a family with money, but they were impressed with me because I’m a college professor. I didn’t give a shit what they thought, but it was important to her to have their approval. Looking back now I should’ve seen the red flag waving in my face.”

When Cora remained quiet, but still rested her head on his shoulder, he continued. Once he’d started talking about this so openly, it wasn’t as hard as he’d thought.

“At the time I was saving for a house. I figured we’d have Zach build it, that way we could have exactly what we wanted.”

“And she was cheating on you the whole time?” Cora guessed.

“Not the whole time.” Admitting he’d not been good enough was a tough pill to swallow. Male pride and all that. “I have no idea why she cheated, to be honest. I know what she said, but I just kept thinking it was my meager salary and my background.”

“How old were you when you came to live with the Monroes?”

Braxton swallowed. This was not a territory he was going to get into. Rehashing his broken engagement was enough emotional angst for one night . . . for one lifetime, actually. Discussing the time before he came to live with the Monroes was more than anyone wanted to hear. Oh, she’d asked about his past, but revealing the ugly truth wasn’t something she was ready for.

“I was nine.” He shifted so he could fully wrap both arms around her. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

The breeze was drying her hair and every now and then a strand would lift in the air and tickle the side of his face. He smoothed down her wayward strands with one hand before holding her once again.

“I shared a bit of my baggage.”

Cora shrugged beneath the blanket. “Doesn’t mean I have to open mine.”

No, it didn’t. But a piece of Braxton ached for her to and never before had he been so ready to discover what made up a woman. This woman.

“What color are your eyes?” she asked.

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