by Lora Leigh
She laughed, grabbed her purse and climbed into the Chevy and headed down to the waterway after making a quick stop at the local deli. She parked in the lot, switched out of her heels and put on canvas shoes, then walked down the plank dock, where Grange and Jed were busily cleaning a boat.
“Must be nice having a job where you get to hang out in the sun all day getting tan.”
Grange looked up and grinned, something he did a lot more these days. He still wore his hair in that severe military haircut, but he’d cut off his camos into knee-skimming shorts, wore canvas tennis shoes and a T-shirt that was a different color besides green. Today he wore a baseball cap on backward.
“Hey, we wear sunscreen. How’s my favorite niece?”
“Your only niece.” She climbed up onto the boat and kissed his cheek, then turned her attention to Jed, who looked mouthwateringly gorgeous in board shorts and a sleeveless tank.
Jed lifted his head from where he’d been busily sanding the deck. He was dripping sweat, and grinning like a kid.
“Afternoon, gorgeous. How’s my beautiful woman?”
“Taking a break. I brought you two lunch and a cold drink. Figured you’d be too busy to stop and eat.”
“We eat,” Grange said.
“Chips don’t count.”
“Nutrition nazi,” Jed said, but greedily took the sandwich she offered.
What he’d really liked was seeing the woman he loved showing up and making his day.
“Thanks,” Grange said. “I think I’ll take mine to go. There’s a paint supplier at the store I want to talk to. Nice to see you, Elena.”
“You, too.” She smiled and waved her uncle off, then turned to Jed.
He ate his sandwich and admired her in her cute capri pants, polka dot top and tennis shoes, her hair pulled up high on her head in a ponytail.
He was a sweaty mess, and she was a fresh goddess. He was one lucky sonofabitch.
“The boat’s coming along nicely,” she said, glancing down at the well-sanded deck of the first boat Jed and Grange had bought as part of General’s Fishing and Touring Charters, the business they’d started up together a month ago.
Once the general had asked Jed to go into business with him, it had taken Jed about two seconds to say yes.
Partly because it meant outdoors and adventure, something Jed had craved. Partly because it meant he could be with Elena, and mainly because now he had a family, and that family included Elena.
Maybe the general had known that, maybe not, but either way, Jed was damned grateful.
“What are you thinking about?” Elena asked as she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
“You. All this and how it worked out. How lucky I am.”
“Really? I think I’m the lucky one. You stayed.”
“I’d have stayed anyway, even if this job hadn’t happened. I wouldn’t have left you.”
Her cheeks turned pink and her lips curved into a sweet smile that never failed to make his heart squeeze in a way that was still new to him. “I love you, Jed.”
“I love you, too, Elena. It’s a perfect day, I have my beautiful woman in my life, and we’re on our boat. Life just can’t get any better.”
She leaned over, laid her hand on his heart and pressed her lips to his. “Oh, it will. This is just the beginning.”
