“What should we do tomorrow?” he asked the empty house. He had no idea, and that meant it was time to call for reinforcements. His youngest brother, Joey went out a lot. Maybe he’d have some non-ocean ideas for dates.
“Hey, bro,” he said when Joey picked up.
“Do you know what time it is?” Joey asked. “This better be a huge emergency.”
“What time is it?” Dave asked, walking into his kitchen to look at the clock on the microwave. After ten. “Oh, wow. I had no idea. Sorry.”
“I’m up now.” Joey sighed. “But wow, three is going to come fast.”
“I’ll make it quick.”
“Please do,” Joey said with some measure of sarcasm.
“I’m dating Brooklynn Magleby. Perrish. Whatever.”
“You’re dating Brooklynn?” The level of disbelief in his brother’s voice sent annoyance through Dave.
“Yes,” he said. “And I need some fun ideas for dates. No beach. No ocean.”
“In the rain.”
“Right. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow too.”
“So there’s the movies,” Joey said.
Dave rolled his eyes. “The movies?”
“Hey, it’s dark in there,” he said. “There’s snacks. It’s not a bad date.”
“What else have you got?”
“The apple cider mill,” he said. “They do tours on Sunday afternoons. I think there’s a tasting too.”
“Okay, that’s interesting,” he said.
“Or go up to Seattle for the day,” Joey said. “Time in the car. Lunch. Walk down to some of the sights. That’s fun.”
Dave liked the sound of that too, but he wasn’t sure what Brooklynn was up for. “All right, thanks,” he said. “Sorry I called so late.”
“Yeah,” Joey said. “And I guess this was an emergency. I mean, you’ve had a crush on Brooklynn for what? Like two years now?”
More like five, but Dave just said, “Yeah, something like that. Thanks, bro.”
“Yep.”
The call ended, and Dave navigated back to his texts. He suggested the cider mill and the movies to Brooklynn, and she texted back with Movies. I’ll pick it and let you know what time to come get me.
He chuckled and shook his head. So it really was that easy. And he really did feel bad about calling his brother so late. He sighed as he opened the fridge and pulled out a can of soda. His gaze went naturally to the table where he usually stacked things, his eyes landing on the retirement packet he’d brought home that week.
He hadn’t looked at it yet. Heck, making the first step and going to ask about it at all had nearly taken the whole week. But he had the packet now, and adrenaline still buzzed through him with an electric force he didn’t understand.
Sitting at the table, he pulled the packet toward him and started reading.
Several minutes later, he said, “July. I have to get to July to get my full year of service.”
And July felt so very far away.
“Oh, you’re trying to drive me crazy,” he said when Brooklynn answered the door the following morning. To be fair, it was almost noon, and he’d been sitting down the road a bit for a good half-hour, too antsy to stay in his house but too early to pick her up.
He whistled as he let his gaze slide down her body one more time. She wore a little black dress that screamed flirty and fun. She’d piled her hair on top of her head in a messy bun, and she wore only pink gloss on those very kissable lips.
“This is what you wear to the movies?” He swept her into his arms, getting a nose full of strawberries and flowers and chocolate. “Mm, you smell nice.” He let his lips drift down to her earlobe, and he’d simply go insane if he didn’t kiss her today. Right now.
“We’re standing on my front porch,” she said, putting pressure on his shoulders.
“Yeah, so let’s go inside,” he said, nudging her backward.
“The movie starts in thirty minutes, and you said you’d buy me lunch.” She smirked at him, a sexy, flirty gesture that had his heart bouncing around behind his ribs.
“Fine,” he said, bending down to kiss her cheek. “A promise is a promise.” He secured his hand in hers as they walked toward his SUV. “Tell me how you met Ryker.”
She pulled in a breath, and Dave waited. He didn’t regret the question. She’d been married before; they should be able to talk about that relationship.
“Have you ever been in love?” she asked.
He looked at her, surprise pulling through him. “With a woman? No. With a ship? Yes.” He grinned at her and opened the door.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Ryker was…great. I loved him a lot.”
“Loved? Past tense?” He’d seen the pictures of the two of them still on her end tables in the living room.
“I still love him,” she said, meeting Dave’s gaze head-on. “I think I always will, Dave.”
“I think you will too,” he said. “I think that’s normal. Natural.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about her still being in love with her first husband. But he supposed she had every right to be. It wasn’t like they’d gotten divorced, and if Ryker were still here, Dave certainly wouldn’t be taking Brooklynn to the movies right now.
He sighed and looked away. “Let’s go.”
She reached up and cradled his face, drawing his eyes back to hers. “The human heart has an unlimited capacity to love.”
Dave had never been in love before, no. But looking into Brooklynn’s eyes, he sure felt like he was falling that way. And fast.
“I sure like you,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.
“And I like you.” She held his face in both hands now, and Dave felt something deeper than just hormones. The moment continued, and he basked in the warm glow of it.
“But if we’re late to this movie, I will seriously punch you,” she said, still in that soft, throaty voice.
He opened his eyes as the laughter came bubbling out of his throat. “All right, ma’am. Let’s get going.” He stepped back and closed her door before rounding the front of the vehicle.
As he got behind the wheel, she said, “Don’t ever call me ma’am.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, flinching when she playfully punched him in the arm. They laughed together, and Brooklynn reached over and slipped her fingers between his. Dave smiled the whole way to the movie theater, because he simply couldn’t believe this was his reality now.
Couldn’t believe it.
Sure, he’d dreamt of it. Fantasized about it, even. But the real thing—the real conversations, the real touches, the real secret looks, were so much better than even his imagination had conjured up.
As they hurried toward their theater, their hands full of food, Dave prayed they wouldn’t be late and miss the beginning.
But when someone said, “Brooklynn?” with a heavy dose of shock in his voice, Dave’s hopes and prayers dried up.
“Robbie,” she said, her voice just as shocked. Dave looked at her to find her eyes wide and all her nervous energy back. She met his eye, her gaze skittering away in the next moment.
“Dave,” she said calmly, but he could still hear the tremor beneath his name. “This is Robbie Perrish. Ryker’s brother.”
Dave almost dropped his hot dog combo meal, barely remembering he couldn’t shake the man’s hand and hold food, a drink, and a bucket of popcorn at the same time. “Hey,” he managed to say.
“Robbie, this is Dave,” Brooklynn said. “My new boyfriend.”
Robbie’s shock morphed into fury almost instantly, and Dave had no idea what to say or do. “Hey,” he said again, watching the storms pass through Robbie’s eyes.
He finally turned back to Brooklynn, as if he’d sized up Dave and found him lacking. “Can I talk to you alone for a moment?” he asked. He stalked away before waiting for her to answer.
“We’re going to be late,” Dave said, not liking the way Robbie made him feel guilty and made Brooklynn transform back in
to the anxious version of herself.
“I know.” Brooklynn stepped over to a closed concessions counter and set down her food. “I’ll be right back.”
Dave watched her walk away, hoping what she’d said was true and that she’d really be right back. But he had his doubts.
Chapter Ten
Brooklynn’s insides quaked like gelatin as she followed Robbie. He looked so much like Ryker. So much. Too much.
He finally spun back, and she almost crashed into him on her next step. “You’re dating him?”
She lifted her chin, looking the other man right in the eyes. “Ryker’s dead, Robbie. Not sure if you knew that.”
Robbie’s eyes stormed, and he was so, so angry. Brooklynn cared; she didn’t want to hurt him. A lot of people had suffered when Ryker had died.
“So yes,” she said. “I’m dating Dave. He’s the first man I’ve been out with in three years, and I’m…I’m ready to move on.”
“You know who he is, right?” Robbie asked, glancing behind her to where Dave presumably still stood.
“Yes, he’s David Reddington.”
“You can’t even walk down the beach,” Robbie said. “He works for the Coast Guard.”
“I’m aware,” Brooklynn said. And no, she didn’t like Dave’s job. But she sure did like him. “Is that all? Our movie is about to start, and I don’t want to miss the beginning.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt again,” he said. “You’ve already been through so much.”
Brooklynn had a hard time keeping her scoff in her mouth, but she did it. “Thank you for your concern. I know what I’m doing.” She gave him a quick smile that held no joy and turned around.
You’ve already been through so much. As if Robbie had been there to help. None of Ryker’s family had come over after his death. Not even once. So why Robbie cared now was beyond Brooklynn’s understanding.
“Ready?” Dave asked, his eyes full of concern. “You okay?”
She picked up her food and drink. “I’m great. Let’s hurry so we don’t miss the beginning.”
He nodded her toward the right theater, and she went inside. The previews had already started, but they found their seats and settled in. She ate her chicken bacon ranch wrap and stole some of Dave’s French fries. They shared the popcorn, and only a few minutes into the movie, he lifted the armrest between them and brought her into his side.
She sighed, the comfort running through her something she’d been missing for three long years. He pressed his lips to her temple and asked, “Will you tell me about him after the movie?”
“Yes,” she whispered, snuggling deeper into Dave’s body and hoping she could make this Sunday afternoon movie a weekly occurrence.
The following evening, Brooklynn had been home for five minutes when her doorbell rang. She glanced toward it while Cinnamon, Cory, and Callie started yapping, the sounds layering over one another.
“Hush,” she said, but they didn’t listen to her at all.
She hadn’t showered yet, and she was considering ordering delivery for dinner so she didn’t have to leave the house again that night. But when she opened the door and saw Dave standing there in his Coast Guard uniform, she wanted to parade him all over town.
Brooklynn couldn’t even breathe as she drank in his dark blue suit jacket with all those colored squares, that white hat perched perfectly on his head. And that grin. Oh, that grin should be illegal.
“Thought we could go to dinner,” he said, reaching for her hand. He was one of the handsiest men she’d ever met, and she really liked it.
“I’m exhausted,” she said. “I had two huge dogs today, and one of them was terrified of everything.” She stepped back, tugging on his hand to get him to come with her. “Come in. Let’s order something.”
“Pizza?” he asked.
“If you want,” she said, “But you can get anything delivered these days.”
“Explain,” he said, and she wondered if that was how he ordered his men around on the ship.
“It’s called Grub to Go,” she said, swiping on her phone. “It’s an app, and it’ll tell us how long until the food comes. I need to shower, but now that you’re here, you can answer the door.” She handed him the phone. “And you can order for me.”
Something wonderful twinkled in his eyes. “Yeah, this is going to change my life.” He looked at her phone. “I can get a sandwich from The Anchor delivered?”
“Yep,” she said. “And they’ll text when they’re coming, when they’ve picked up, all of it.”
“This is…wow.” He tapped and swiped. “We can get hot dogs from Coneys?”
“Not hot dogs,” she said, starting down the hall to her bedroom.
“Not hot dogs?”
“Something good,” she called over her shoulder, laughing when he said, “Hot dogs are good.”
She locked the door behind her and sighed. She’d texted Dave a little bit today, and they’d spent almost all day together yesterday. After the movie, they’d wound up walking down Main Street, holding hands where anyone could see and talking. She’d told him about Robbie, and the Perrish’s and how they’d essentially cut her out of their lives the moment Ryker died.
She hadn’t even known what she’d done. His death was an accident, and she wasn’t even there. Dave had listened to it all and then said, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. No one deserves to be treated like that.”
His words had healed something inside her she hadn’t even known was still bleeding.
After she showered and dressed, she went down the hair, still trying to towel out as much of the water from her hair as she could. “So is this going to become a thing?” she asked.
Dave looked up from his phone, and he looked so natural sitting at her kitchen counter. “What?”
“You coming over after work.” She nodded to his sexy uniform jacket hanging over the back of the couch. “You didn’t even go home and change first.” He’d also loosened his tie, and wow, he was just so handsome.
“I was excited to see you,” he said with a smile. “And it can become a thing if you want it to.”
The thought of seeing him every evening practically sent her heart into an attack, and she was glad he couldn’t see her most vital organ. “What did you get for dinner?”
“Is that going to determine if I can come over tomorrow?”
“Maybe I’d like to come to your place,” she said.
“My door’s always open for you, sweetheart,” he said, and Brooklynn knew he meant it.
Her phone went off, and he glanced at it on the counter beside him. “Food’s almost here.”
“What did you get?” she asked again, her stomach grumbling for something to eat.
“You’ll see.” He got up and moved toward the front door, as if he needed to be waiting for the delivery guy. All three of her dogs followed him, so he’d charmed them as completely as he had her.
“You don’t have to stand on the porch,” she said as he opened the door. “Don’t let Callie out. She likes to bolt.”
He bent and swept the little dog into his arms. “It’s pouring out here.”
As soon as he’d spoken, Brooklynn could hear the crash of the raindrops against the roof, the sidewalk outside. “Come back in,” she said, stepping over to him and wrapping her hands around her upper arm. He turned and looked at her, the spark between them flaring into something huge in less than a breath.
Headlights cut through the deluge of water outside, and he said, “They’re here.”
She took Callie from him and nudged the other dogs back. Cinnamon growled deep in her throat, as if her twelve pounds could warn anyone away from the house.
“Grub to Go,” the guy said from the porch, and Dave took the bag from him and came back inside.
The logo on the outside was a dead giveaway, and Brooklynn’s breath caught in her throat.
“I hope you like fried chicken,” Dave said, continuing into the kitchen. He didn’t seem
to notice how still she’d gone, and she told herself to move.
But she felt rooted to the ground, even when Callie squirmed to get down. She almost dropped the dog, and she ended up bending slightly before tossing her to the ground.
“You don’t like fried chicken,” Dave said, and Brooklynn tore her eyes from the red rooster head with the yellow beak logo.
She swallowed and tried to speak, but her voice didn’t work.
“What?” Dave asked, leaving the chicken on the counter and coming toward her. “Are you allergic or something?”
She shook her head, the numbness starting to wear off. “That was—” She cleared her throat. “That was Ryker’s favorite place to eat. We went there on our first date. Royal Rooster.”
Dave paused, and his face transformed into one of pure horror. “I didn’t know.”
“I know you didn’t.” She nodded like everything was fine, but inside, she felt like someone had stuffed fireworks in her chest and lit them all at the same time. Her eyes burned, and she didn’t want to cry about this. Not in front of Dave. Not about this.
“Hey,” Dave said in a gentle voice. He came forward and put both hands on her arms and rubbed them. “It’s fine. I can see it’s triggered something for you. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “I’m fine.”
“Honey, you’re crying.”
She hadn’t even felt the tears tracking down her face. She crumpled into him, stealing strength from the safety of his arms. He held her tight until her emotions passed, and she stepped out of his arms and wiped her face.
“I’m okay,” she said. “I am.”
Dave retreated a few steps, and he looked unhappy and upset, which was rare for him. Brooklynn hated that things had changed so quickly, that she hadn’t been able to contain her memories and her emotions over a stupid chicken logo on a paper bag.
“I…don’t know what to do,” Dave said, the helplessness in his voice so heavy. So heavy.
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