by Hart, Lea
“She always needs help and has lots of other people to call.”
His phone continued to buzz, and she stared at him. “Okay. I’ll just text her again, and then we can leave.” Amelia shrugged and walked into the kitchen to refill Lilly’s water bowl. He started to return the text as his phone rang. He answered it and turned his back as he had a heated conversation with Shelby. This couldn’t be happening on his first date in eight months. Getting rid of her quickly, he hung up. Amelia’s face was scrunched up with her brows knitted together as she checked her phone. He never should’ve answered the call.
“Everything okay?” Amelia inquired.
“Yes. Are you ready to go?”
“Sure. Are you sure that she’s going to be okay?”
“Yes, she has a lot of people to call,” he firmly replied.
“But she called you,” Amelia replied flatly.
“It’s long and complicated story, and I’m no longer on call for her drama.”
“Please feel free to go. I won’t mind. We can go out some other time.”
Shaking his head in frustration, he frowned. “I want to go out tonight.”
Amelia set her purse and jacket down. “Please help her. We can try dinner another night.” Taking his hand, she led him toward the door. “I think this will work out for the best. Tonight isn’t the night, and you should take care of what you need to.” Opening the door, she gently shoved him out before he could protest too much. “Nice meeting you. Take care.”
When he heard a decisive click of the door, he knew she was never going to give him another chance. His feet hit the ground hard as he stomped to his truck; he threw the door open and slid inside. Banging his head against the steering wheel seemed liked a really good idea. He was so tired of Shelby and her crazy and how it infected his life. They’d only dated for six months, and a year later, he was still trying to rid himself of her. Finally, he’d met someone he was interested in, and he had allowed Shelby to screw it up.
He texted her one last time, messaged her brother, and then blocked her phone number from his phone. Counting himself ten kinds of idiot for not doing it sooner, he heard a door open and glanced up to see Amelia emerge from her house. She had changed her shoes and wore a big sweater over her dress and seemed pretty unhappy. He couldn’t blame her, but it didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to give it another shot. Jumping out of his truck, he jogged to catch up with her.
He must’ve been loud, because she turned around as he approached and gave him a withering glare. Nothing like seeing a woman frown at you to make you feel like you were on the right track.
“So, you’re just going to ignore me?” Ed asked flatly.
“Don’t you have someone to rescue? What are you doing here?”
“I took care of my business, and I want to go on our date.”
Stopping in the middle of the side walk, she placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t date men who have crazy around them. I dodged a bullet, and I’m determined to keep doing it. It was nice to meet you, but I’m not interested.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, pretty much. I don’t know how to be clearer,” Amelia replied.
“Where are you going?” He watched her body tense as her eyes darted around and he realized that he was making her uncomfortable. It was the last thing he wanted to do. Take a breath man and re-group. Don’t be an asshole. There was a reason that she had a security dog and he didn’t need to give her any reason to believe that he was a threat. He was the exact opposite of that, but she had no idea.
“I’m going to see my family. My brother is on SWAT, and he’s a former Ranger.”
He quickly understood; he had royally screwed up and now she was scared. This was turning out to be a craptacular start to a date that he was really excited about. Immediately, he made himself still and non-threatening. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. He wanted to kiss her and run his mouth along her neck, not make her uncomfortable. “I did a round of training with the Rangers after I was on the Teams. I have a lot of respect for what they do. I wore a Ranger tab on my uniform until I retired.” Watching her shoulders relax a millimeter, he decided to keep talking. “People always say how crazy SEALs are, but I think Rangers could give us a run for our money.”
“I think my brother would probably agree with you.”
“Can I escort you over to your family’s house?”
“I’m going to my nephew’s football game. I’m going over to the high school. My brother will come look for me if I’m not there in ten minutes.”
“I understand. Would it be okay if I walk you to the high school?”
“You don’t have to.”
“It wouldn’t be right to let you be out here alone. What position does your nephew play on the team?”
She started to walk and wondered why he was trying to tag along. “I think he’s a lineman, but I’m not really sure. I don’t know that much about football.”
“I grew up in Texas and played football from the time I was ten until I graduated college. In Texas, it’s God, family, and football—not necessarily in that order. Would you mind if I came along?”
“It’s a free country. You can go wherever you want.”
“You were never going to give me a second chance…were you?”
Staring him straight in the eye, she shook her head. “No, I wrote you off the minute I closed my front door.”
“I appreciate your honesty. I don’t like it, but I appreciate it.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve had enough drama in my life. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that it never comes back.”
“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me why?”
“No, I’m not.”
CHAPTER THREE
They had arrived at the gates of the football field and Amelia opened her purse to buy a ticket. “Nice meeting you…have a nice life.”
“I’m going to hang around and watch the game.” He stepped in front of her and bought two tickets before she could do anything about it. Placing his hand on the small of her back, he led her into the stadium. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“We are not on a date.”
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled down at her. “So that’s a no to a drink?”
“Yes, that would be a no.” She walked along the fence towards the stands and pointed to a large man. “There is my brother, Roger. You two should hang out.” Strolling up to her brother, she gave him a quick kiss. “This is Ed. He’s all yours. Have a nice time.” Turning on her heel, she made her way into the stands and sat with a big group of people.
Roger turned to Ed and studied him. “So you managed to piss her off in less than an hour. That might be a record.”
Ed held out his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I may never see you again if I can’t get things turned around with your sister.”
Roger studied Ed for a moment and took pity on him. “Nice to meet you. Tell me a little about yourself.”
They exchanged stories, and by the end of it, Ed felt that Roger may decide to help him out with Amelia. “I think that is all the highlights from the last ten years.” Ed waited for verdict and hoped it was in his favor.
Roger ran his hand over his short hair and then let out a huff. “I’m going to give you a little help, because I feel sorry for you. The fact that you survived BUD/S tell me that your stubborn and may actually outlast her. That’s about all you have going for you right now, but it’s a lot more than any other man that’s come along lately.”
“I appreciate it.” He moved his boot along the ground and decided to ask another question. “Can you tell me the story about her dog?”
“My sister has an ex-boyfriend who doesn’t seem to understand that they are broken up. Saying he is crazy would be giving him a compliment. I’ve done everything I can to legally deter the guy. She won’t live with us anymore, so I got her the dog. It seems to make us
both feel more comfortable. She gets to have her life, and I sleep at night.”
“Where did you find the dog?”
“There is a woman in Escondido who trains them for various military groups.”
“I have to get her name. We may have some clients who could benefit from having a dog like that to protect them.”
“So, why are you interested in my sister?”
Looking at Roger straight in, he answered honestly. “I like the way she sees the world. She explained some of her photographs, and she’s someone I’m interested in getting to know. Also, she has pretty hair, smells like oranges, and her hand fits in mine.”
Roger nodded. “My sister is a big marshmallow and she used to believe the best about people. Her ex-boyfriend stole that from her. He’s been terrorizing her for the last year, and she has pretty much closed down as a result of it. She feels like she missed something and it’s her fault for ever going out with him. I see her struggle to hold on to who she is, but it’s difficult. The best thing I can tell you is to give her room and do what you say. Because, if you don’t, she will cut you off without a second thought. I wish you luck. You’re going to need it.”
“Anything else?” Ed asked.
“Don’t hurt her or I will hurt you.”
“Good to know.”
Roger turned towards the game and watched his son take the field. He pointed Roger Jr. out to Ed. “There goes my son, number twenty-two. He loves the game and seems to be getting attention from colleges.” Rubbing the back of his head, he let out a sigh. “I’m real proud of him, but I want to make sure this is something that he’s actually interested in and not something that feels like he needs to pursue. College is expensive, but there are lots of ways to fund kids’ education.”
“I loved the game my whole life, but I’m from Texas, so there was never really a choice. I played at Texas A&M, and being part of the Aggies was an amazing experience.”
Roger nodded his head in agreement as he kept his eyes glued to the field. “Did you want to go pro?”
“I was a great college player, but I would’ve had a hard time surviving in the pros. I always knew that I was going to serve in the military, so it wasn’t a hard decision not to pursue the draft.”
Roger stood against the fence with his hands looped over the top and studied the kids on the field. “I went into the Army right out of high school, and I knew I wanted a chance at Ranger School. When I finally got it, I had no doubt it was the place for me.”
“I felt the same way when I got the call that I could go to Coronado.” Roger gave him a nod, and he knew the man was starting to approve of him. Now if he could just get Amelia to feel the same way, then he would be on the right track.
Amelia sat in the stands with her family, glaring at Ed as he conversed with her brother. One of her nieces sat on her lap as she talked with her sister-in-law. “Look at him trying to get Roger’s approval. I bet you ten dollars my brother will see right through him.”
Rene glanced over and laughed. “His appearance isn’t the problem. He’s employed, and my husband doesn’t seem like he wants to kill him. What’s wrong with the guy?”
Amelia glanced at her sister-in-law and raised her eyebrows. “He has a crazy ex-girlfriend begging him to rescue her.”
“It’s the drama rule—right?”
“Yes, I’d like to go on a first date without any ex-girlfriends coming into play. I know it seems strange, but I’m okay with that. Had it been the third date, I might’ve been more understanding.”
“Was he in the military? He looks like a Spec Ops guy?” Rene asked.
“Yes, he’s a retired SEAL. Is it obvious?”
“They all seem to have the same bearing. He has the same quiet calm confidence that my husband has.”
“Whatever.”
“Oh…so you like him. Is that what made you so mad?” Rene laughed.
“No…maybe. I thought he was terrific in the first thirty minutes, and I feel foolish that I was wrong. Again. My instincts haven’t improved at all.”
“Maybe he is terrific and just a nice guy. He probably never wanted to totally abandon someone who needed his help.”
Amelia studied Ed standing next to her brother and felt the same zing of attraction. She shook her head, as if by doing so she could rid herself of the pull he seemed to have over her. “I realize that my past is influencing my present, and as much as I would like that not to be true…it still is. Look at him. He’s handsome, probably a hero, and smart. It’s too much.”
“Too much what? Perfection?” Rene laughed as she studied the field. “Don’t let that asshole steal the opportunity of having a great guy in your life.”
“I know….you’re right.” Amelia continued to study Ed and then noticed that he was making his way into the stands. Great. Now I’m going to have to pretend that I don’t like him...too much. He walked over and wedged himself next to her. “Great game! I haven’t been to a high school one in years.” He leaned across Amelia, held out his hand to Rene, and introduced himself. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ed…Amelia’s date.”
“We are not on a date,” Amelia stated flatly.
“Yes, we are. I’m going to prove it to you by buying you a hot dog and a soda.”
“No, thank you.”
Her niece, the traitor, popped up and looked at him. “I’ll have her soda and hot dog. I’ll be your date.”
Glancing down at the little girl, he grinned. “I think you have to ask your mama first.”
Zelda leaned across her aunt’s lap and stared at her mother imploringly. “Mama, can I go on a date and have a soda and hot dog?”
“You are too young to date, and we are having pizza after the game.” Rene laughed.
Looking back at Ed, she shrugged her shoulder. “No date.”
He grinned at Zelda and gave her a fist bump. “It was worth a shot.” She gave him a dramatic sigh as she settled herself in her aunt’s lap and waited.
Amelia watched her niece and Ed work out their relationship and wondered how soon she could leave. Apparently, everyone thought he was a great guy, and it was starting to bug her.
Ed gave Amelia one of his winning smiles. “How about popcorn and some Milk Duds? That isn’t date food, more of a snack food.”
“I like Milk Duds.”
Zelda straightened up in Amelia’s lap, “I like Milk Duds and jelly beans.”
Ed stood up and winked at the two ladies. “All right. I’ll be back.”
Watching him get up and make his way down the stairs, she found that she couldn’t help but admire the fit of his pants. The man had some very nice jeans. But she wasn’t interested in his jeans…at all.
The moment that Ed returned with the candy, Zelda crawled into his lap and had him open the jelly beans. Her loyalty was completely dependent on who had the best snacks. And right now, she was loyal to the man that was giving her candy.
Amelia noticed that he didn’t seem to mind that her niece was using him as a lounge chair as she munched on her snack. He handed Amelia a bottle of water and a big box of Milk Duds with a satisfied grin.
“I bet you’re pretty impressed with our first date.” He laughed.
“You have no idea,” she responded.
He understood her sense of humor and chose to ignore it. Instead, he decided to enjoy her leg against his. Glancing down, he noticed how smooth her skin was and wondered if it felt as soft as it appeared. He saw Zelda follow his eyes and, realized that she caught him studying her aunt’s legs. “More jelly beans?” he asked.
Zelda took the jelly beans and grinned. She understood them to be the payoff that they were and had no problem with it. Being the youngest of four had taught her the value of keeping her mouth shut.
The evening had started to cool off, so Ed wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close against his body. “Would you like my sweater?”
“No, thanks.” Feeling his big, warm body next to hers made some of her objections s
lip away. She knew she was being hard on him and should probably stop, but he seemed too good to be true. The last time she thought that it had turned out to be true. They spent the rest of the game with Zelda on Ed’s lap and his arm around her shoulder. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but somehow, she couldn’t seem to work up the energy to worry about it. She might have finally run out of worry. Maybe the last year had used it all up.
The game ended, and Zelda hopped out of Ed’s lap and made her way over to her mother. “Pizza?”
Rene looked down at her youngest and grinned. “Yes, pizza. Ed would you like to join us? We’re going over to Emilio’s, and you are welcome to come.”
“Thank you, Rene.” He wrapped his arm around Amelia. “What do you think?”
She shrugged her shoulders in defeat. “Why not? Let’s go have dinner with my family. It should be fun to watch them interrogate you.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Great.”
Nothing was deterring him from hanging around, and somehow, she was still on her non-date. Only now she was having it in the company of her family. This was pretty much the worst date she’d ever been on, and it didn’t seem like it was going to end soon. She was attracted to the guy, but this was not her idea of a good time. Maybe she could ditch them all and go home and watch a movie and have a glass of wine. “I have to go home first and check on Lilly. Why don’t I meet you all there?”
Ed leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You can’t ditch me.”
“I thought it might be worth a shot.”
“Would you like to go to the taco place instead? That way your family won’t have the opportunity to start placing bets on how long I’m going to last.”
Letting out a big belly laugh, she felt relieved to discover that he had a sense of humor. “I don’t think they were going to give you more than a week.” Pulling his hand, she led him down the stairs.
As they hit the bottom of the bleachers, Ed led her over to Roger and shook the man’s hand. “I’m going to take Amelia to the taco place and then home.”
Roger studied him for a moment and gave his approval. He kissed his sister’s head. “Have fun.”
