Page 72 of The Runaway Bride of Blitzen Bay (Blitzen Bay)

She smiles. “You know for someone I’ve only known for two days, you take really good care of me.”

“Someone has to or you’d be running all over the place with no shoes, jumping into the backs of stranger’s trucks, trying to fight people with insufficient protein supplies.”

“Well, thank God, I have you looking out for me.” She’s smiling at me—her eyes sparkling. “So, I answered the question about Steve. I get to ask you another one.”

I shake my head and laugh. “I think we’re about even right now.”

“Nope. Not even close. You definitely owe me one.”

“All right,” I say, sighing. “Let me have the question, but I reserve the right not to answer, as always.”

She sits up straighter. “Why did you retire from the army?”

I take a deep breath and sit back. My face must reflect what I’m suddenly feeling inside because her eyes get very serious. She crawls across the couch until she’s sitting next to me.

“Nash, you don’t have to answer. I’m sorry.”

I take another breath and wrap my arm around her. She puts her head on my shoulder.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t talk about it a lot. I got injured on a mission. Some shrapnel in my knee. It messed up my kneecap pretty badly. There’s no way I could stay on the team I was on. I couldn’t move as fast as I needed to anymore.”

She takes my hand and starts massaging it. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how hard that was.”

I nod my head, burying my face in her hair. I have a sudden urge to tell her about Mikey—about how he died on that same mission. She’s nuzzling into my shoulder. I want to tell her so badly, but I stop myself.

“So what do you want to do now that you’re retired?”

“I’m not sure to tell you the truth.” I start running my hand up and down her arm. “Gabi and Izzy want me to buy into the bar. They need someone to handle the books and I’ve always been pretty good with numbers. I’m thinking about it. I’m living off my army retirement right now and some savings I have, but yeah, I’m going to have to figure out something to do at some point—more to keep me busy than for the money. I don’t require much to keep me happy, especially living up here.”

“You could seriously make those toy blocks into a business—”

“Naw, I do that for fun and to work with Sam. I think sometimes when you turn a hobby into a business, it loses its fun, you know? I guess I sound a little unambitious to a woman who’s about to start law school.”

“Not at all. I’m happiest when I’m doing yoga. If I could make real money teaching yoga, I would rethink law school.”

“So why do you want to go to law school then?” I’ve been wondering that since I met her. She doesn’t seem like that would be something she would enjoy.

“Uhh, because I want to practice law.” She shrugs and laughs.

“Try again.”

“What? You don’t think I can be a lawyer?” she says, folding her arms over her chest.

“That’s not what I said—at all. You can be anything you want to be. I just want to know why you’re interested in law.”

“Oh.” She relaxes a little bit and puts her head back on my shoulder. “Everyone except Kit has discouraged me from going. I’m just sensitive about it, I guess.”

“I’m not discouraging it. Do you really want to go though? It seems like every time you talk about it, you get kind of edgy.” I laugh and kiss the top of her head. “Maybe you should drop out and move up here.”

“What?” She leans back defensively.

“Whoa, whoa, Elle,” I say, holding my hands up. “I was kidding. Just a stupid joke.”

“I just told you that everyone’s been trying to discourage me. Why would you say that? And I’m not edgy.” She’s definitely edgy. “Being a lawyer pays well. And it’s steady work if you’re good at it.”

“Elle, take a breath.”

“Stop telling me what to do.” She stands up and looks around like someone’s chasing her. “Why does everyone want me to move out of L.A.?”

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