“Sounds good. Walking is an exercise I can do.” She flashed him a mischievous look. “But don’t break into a jog, because I won’t follow.”
“Deal. No running or jogging. On one condition.”
A condition? She paused and suspicion reared its ugly head. “What?”
“You hold my hand while we walk.” After a pause, he continued, “I’d hate to lose you.”
She warmed at his comment. “I think I can handle that. Let’s go.” She turned to open her door, but he put a hand on arm. Raising her gaze to his, she shot him a questioning look.
“Please wait. I want to open your door and help you out.”
“Why? I can do it.”
“I know you can. Humor me.” Heath smiled to soften his request.
“Perfect gentleman, huh.” In her few dates, she’d never been with a guy who helped her in or out of a car. Hell, none of them had even held a door open. “Yes, I’ll wait, and I’ll hold your hand. I don’t want you to get scared.”
Heath’s rich laughter rang out. “I’ll try to be brave, but the world can be a scary place. You might have hold my hand the rest of the day.”
The appeal of the possibility stole her breath for a moment. “I think I can handle that. Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He exited and came around to help her out. Holding out his hand, he waited for her to lace her fingers with his. His calluses created a delicate friction against her softer skin. The slightest movement sent electrical charges coursing through her. For the first time in forever, she’d been able to have a conversation with a good-looking guy without stuttering. Maybe there was hope for her. Dare she imagine—for them?
They strolled the pier, then spent a long time touring the Queen Mary. The historic ship and images of bygone eras fascinated her. She imagined untold stories about the people who had traveled on her, the golden age movie stars, the World War II troops, the war brides and kids as well as the regular cruise line patrons.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” Heath said.
His hand slid into the small of her back and guided her down the walkway. The warmth his touch generated spread through her. She felt cherished. She’d never experienced the same sensation with anyone else.
“Didn’t you like this?”
“What?” Cassie brought her mind back into focus. “Sorry, I was thinking. Yes, I liked the tour. It was fascinating. Can you imagine yourself standing on her deck on her maiden voyage? Or cruising on her after the war?”
A grin split his face. “Your imagination is working overtime, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is. I love history. Especially, the stories of ordinary people who ended up doing extraordinary things. That’s why my minor is history. Don’t know how well that goes with a business major though.”
“Did you want to tour the sub that’s here?”
A submarine. Small, tight dark spaces? “No, thanks. I’ll pass.”
“Good. I don’t fit well in those sardine cans.” When she shot him a questioning look, he shrugged. “I didn’t say I can’t travel in them, but they aren’t my favorite mode of transportation. Not even the new larger ones.”
“Are you claustrophobic?” She’d never considered him having any fears or phobias.
He shook his head. “Not really, but as a big guy I don’t like small spaces for fear I’ll get stuck. It’s hard to defend yourself when you can’t see anything behind you. But there are guys on some of the teams who have issues with small spaces. Others may not like flying in helicopters or parachuting out of a plane. Everyone has something that makes them uneasy. We’re not indestructible.”
“How do they get past their fears?” Maybe she could find a way to overcome hers.
“Part of our training involves forcing each candidate to face their biggest fears, then learn how to cope with them. Facing those fears made more than one guy ring out.”
“Ring out?”
“SEAL training can be brutal. If a candidate quits, they ring an actual bell to let everyone know they gave up. It’s a public and humiliating experience.”
“Really? They can’t just resign?” The thought of being forced to publicly face everyone, would traumatize her to stay in regardless. Granted she’d never make the selection for the training, but the idea of ringing out could give her hives.
“In order to quit, they have to ring out. That’s the rules.”
“Okay, correct me if my perception of your training is wrong, but aren’t SEALs really elite soldiers? You have to be the best of the best to get into training?”
“Getting selected isn’t easy. You have to work you ass off. Both physically and mentally. Most people don’t realize how much knowledge is needed.”
“Like you need brains as well as brawn to make it? What types of knowledge?”
“Math, geography and physics for starters. We need to be able to do things like calculate the weight loads that we can carry, or figure the correct mixture of gasses for our diving tanks.” He opened the passenger door on his truck.
Their conversation had distracted her, and she hadn’t noticed they had arrived at his vehicle. “Where to now?”
“We can eat in the park. If that’s okay?”
“Sounds great. But you didn’t need to go to all this trouble.” She was impressed with how well he’d managed everything considering she’d give him her choices an hour before he arrived.
He pulled into traffic and about fifteen minutes later they reached a block long park.
After grabbing their food, drinks, and a blanket, they strolled toward the center of the park. In a lush shady area, they unpacked their picnic and relaxed.
“You have a choice of ham and Swiss, roast beef and provolone or turkey and brie. I had the deli pack toppings and condiments separately. Got some chips, too.”
“What no onions?” She flashed him a grin. “Otherwise, you thought of everything. I’ll take the turkey and brie with lettuce, tomato and mayo, and a bag of Fritos.”
“Onions on a first date.” He shuddered in mock horror. “It just isn’t done.”
Laughter bubbled out of her. “Smart man. You’ve obviously done this before.”
Heath handed the sandwich to her and set out the containers with the toppings. “Not really, but I didn’t think either one of us wanted onion breath. What would you like to drink? I have water, root beer or fruit juice boxes?”
“I’ll stick to water. Did you pack napkins?”
An ‘oh, shit’ expression widened his eyes. “Um.” He searched the bags and containers, before his shoulders slumped. “Well, there goes my good impression. You have permission to use me as your personal handy wipe.”
“That won’t be necessary. Let me see what I’ve got.” She opened her small purse and found a packet of tissues. “Problem solved.”
He wiped his forehead like he’d been sweating. “Whew, saved by the tissues.”
Cassie fussed with topping her sandwich. Heath had surprised her on several levels today. He wasn’t as serious as she thought he’d be considering his job. He was fun to be around, and she’d been able to talk to him without tripping on her own tongue. He was also a perfect gentleman. “Well, we couldn’t ruin those nice clothes with greasy food stains. What would your teammates say when you got home?”
“They’d give me their usual shit. I’m used to it.” He took a bite from his roast beef sandwich. They ate in companionable silence watching other people in the park.
A little boy of two or three escaped from his parents a third time. The little rascal was fast as he scampered toward them. But before he got too far, his dad swept him up in his arms and the boy squealed in delight.
She wondered what it would be like to chase after a child of her own. Not now, but one day when she was ready, she wanted to have kids.
“He’s a happy little fella isn’t he.” Heath’s deep chuckle pulled her gaze back to him.
; “Yeah, he’s a cutie and a ball of energy. If only someone could bottle his extra energy and sell it. There are days when I could use the boost. Especially during finals or when I have a term paper due. You know the normal ‘I waited until the last minute’ college student crisis.” She shrugged. “I do try to plan all of my assignments, but there are times things get away from me.”
“You really do need some way to organize your life. Or at least your class work.” His smile took the sting out of his words. “Have you tried a planner? A paper one or one on your phone or computer?”
“No, but I do ‘To do lists’ faithfully.”
“Those are a start, but unless you have a due date next to each item they may not help. I do better when I can see items laid out. I’m a visual and tactile person. I learn best when I do something and not when someone explains a process to me. It’s the way my mind works. Play around with different methods until one clicks.”
“I need to try that, since what I’m doing isn’t working. I know I procrastinate. I need to compensate for that or somehow trick my mind into believing everything is due at least two days before the date the teacher gives me. I don’t know if that would work. So, if you have any other ideas, let me know.”
“We can all use help some days.” He shot her a grin. “Even us tough Navy SEALs use help to achieve our objectives. We get intel from various agencies and support from other branches of the service. No one exists in a vacuum.”
Heath didn’t describe his actual work, but his explanation of the ‘help’ reaffirmed her thought that his world was dangerous. “I don’t interact with many people unless I my teacher assigns me a partner, I do most of my assignments solo.”
After a moment of silence, he looked her way. “Do you have to do all of the work yourself? Are there rules that you can’t work with a partner or a group of other students to prep for a test or a discussion group to help understand a subject better?”
“I haven’t found any discussion groups. I have studied with a couple of friends who are in my class.”
“Ask around for study groups and if there aren’t any start one. A good one can help you understand complex concepts or explain a different viewpoint you might not have thought of.”
She frowned. “Starting a group is scary. The people might expect me to lead the discussions and I couldn’t do that.”
“Okay, make a suggestion to your classmates to see who’d like to participate. I’d bet there will be at least one person who’d want to be in charge.” He finished his water, then packed up their trash and empties and slipped everything back into the insulated lunch container.
“I’ll have to think about this. I don’t know if I’m brave enough.”
He threaded his fingers with hers and gently squeezed her hand. “Baby steps. Could you pass around a signup sheet?”
Although, the relief sweeping through her made her feel like a wimp, the idea lessened her anxiety. A signup sheet might work. “Okay. I like how your mind works.”
A big grin brightened his expression. “Only my mind?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “What about the rest of me?”
She attempted to figure out if he was joking or serious. Damn, she was out of her comfort zone. Dating and flirting were not something she did often. Oh, hell, here goes. “We’ll since your mind is attached to the rest of you, I thought they were a package deal.”
“Good save.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “What do you want to do next?”
“What are my choices?” And what one would be in her comfort zone?
“We could walk the pier, tour the Aquarium of the Pacific, or rent bikes and check out anything that catches our interest.”
Bikes were out. She couldn’t coordinate pedaling and talking without falling off. Heath was too much of a distraction. “The Aquarium sounds good. Unless you’ve been before and would rather see something new.”
“Aquarium it is. I’ve been once and I didn’t see everything.”
Of course, he’d like the aquarium he was a SEAL. “Great. I haven’t had a chance to check it out. You can be my personal guide.”
#
He’d claimed her hand while they spent the next three hours wandering the aquarium. Cassie had a wonderful time. Discussing the various creatures and their antics made conversation easy. Some of the more playful animals made them laugh. She was surprised when Heath made faces at them. This silly side of him was totally endearing. They emerged from the aquarium then strolled the pier.
Eventually, they came across a carousel and watched the kids squealing in delight. Heath leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Want to take a ride?”
She shot him a startled glance. “It’s for the kids. They don’t need any adults except parents on the ride.”
“The ride is for everyone. That’s why they have the gondola seats. What do you say? Want to ride one of the horses or snuggle in one of the sleighs?”
She hesitated. It had been many years since she’d been on any kind of a ride. Maybe she wasn’t too old to enjoy the experience. She placed her hand in his. “Let’s do this.”
They bought tickets and talked while they waited their turn. When the carousel cleared, Heath grabbed her hand and quickly threaded his way to the other side. “Pick your horse.”
She chose a gorgeous black horse, claiming it before anyone else. “This steed looks good.” The horse had paused on the upside of the rotation when the ride stopped, so she studied the height of the stirrup. She wondered about her skirt and how far she could raise her foot.
“Turn around.” Heath settled his hands at her waist.
“I can’t mount backwards.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to. Trust me.”
Conceding defeat, she faced Heath. He lifted her onto the horse.
“Can you get your left foot in the stirrup?” He kept his hands on her waist to steady her.
Cassie shifted. “Okay. One side is in place, now what?”
“Stand up and swing your right leg over. Will your skirt hamper you?” Heath kept her steady.
She moved carefully and thankfully, her skirt had enough give so she could sit astride the horse. “Wow. I don’t remember the horses being this tall when I was a kid.”
He chuckled. “I’d think the opposite would be true. They’d appear smaller or shorter than you remember.”
“Nope. At least this one doesn’t.” She glanced around. Her horse didn’t appear any larger than any of the others. Heath continued to stand next to her. “Aren’t you going to ride one?”
“Not today. I’d rather watch you enjoy your ride.” He rested a hand on her thigh. “Unless you’d prefer to ride alone?”
“You don’t need to babysit me.” He shouldn’t miss out because of some misguided urge to keep her safe. “I promise not to fall off.”
“I’m not worried about you falling. I enjoy your company.” He glanced at the animal next to her. “Besides I don’t think I want to ride whatever that is.”
The mental image of him trying to mount the seahorse next to her made her chuckle. “I’m not sure anyone could mount and stay on that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”
“Oh, no. I’m not throwing down any gauntlet. I won’t be responsible for you getting hurt.”
“I think I could take that critter.” He flashed her a grin. “Even on a bad day.”
“Well, please don’t try on my account.” The last thing she needed was him getting hurt trying to show off. Music blasted from the speakers mounted to the enclosure in the middle of the carousel.
Her mount jerked to life under her. She tightened her hold until the motion smoothed.
Heath leaned closer. “Does this live up to your memories?”
Had she ridden a carousel as a kid? Maybe. “I vaguely remember music and riding on a white steed, but I can’t pinpoint how old I was.” Her gaze locked with his and a sensation of warmth and safe
ty closed around her like a soft blanket. “What about you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think either of my parents have ever been near a merry-go-round. We did ride real horses at my grandparents place.”
“We? Do you have siblings?”
“Yeah, actually I’m a twin.”
“A twin?” She studied him. “Do you look alike?”
“We’re identical, and it can be hard to tell us apart if you aren’t around us a lot.”
“Did you ever switch places to fool someone?”
“We tried several times when we were younger, but our dad put a stop to that. Once we got older most people could tell us apart since we have distinctive personalities. We’re both competitive and enjoy sports, but I’ve been told I’m more laid back than my brother.”
“Wait, you’re laid back?” She shot him a skeptical look. “You’re a Navy SEAL. Isn’t that extremely intense?”
“It can be, but between missions, we train, hang out and have fun. The down times aren’t intense. Not all our missions are either, some are just a case of hurry up and wait.”
“What made you decide to serve your country?”
Heath stared toward scenery spinning around the carousel. “I want to help people.” Then his gaze met hers. “I considered both the military and law enforcement. I want to make a difference in people’s lives. Especially those that are smaller and weaker than myself. I want to protect them.”
Either of the jobs he’d considered were too scary to her. “I admire you. I’d be a nervous wreck if I did either job.” She shuddered. “I’d probably run at the first sign of trouble.”
A sudden jolt caused her grip to slide off the pole and she wobbled in her seat. Heath wrapped an arm behind her to keep her steady.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m out of practice staying on a horse. Even a mechanical one.”
“Those can be the most dangerous. You never know what they might do.”
The movement of the ride slid his hand up and down her back creating a soothing sensual heat. Currents of awareness coursed through her, and she caught her breath. Even with her limited dating experience no guy had created such and awareness of him. Heath’s gentle nature and protectiveness toward her made him even more attractive. “I’ve never been thrown by a mechanical ride, but there’s always a first time. Especially since I’m a klutz.”
Yesterday's Promise Page 7
