Braden climbed up behind her and glanced around. “What is this?”
Satisfaction spread through her chest as she glanced around the enclosed space. “It’s an old widow’s walk.”
“No way.”
“Way. Isn’t it cool? It’s my favorite place ever.”
Braden caught her gaze. “And you’re sharing it with me? I’m honored.”
Lisa shut the hatch. She kept blankets and oversized pillows against one side of the space—the side that faced the ocean. After they settled there, she lit a couple of candles and turned off the lantern.
“This really is incredible, Lisa,” Braden said, staring out the window at the dark sky outside.
“I know, isn’t it? You can see the stars. The moon. The ocean. I like to come here when I need to think.”
“I can see why.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and reached for the tray. “Shall we try some of these creations?”
“Yes, let’s.”
They sampled each of the three pies, doing their best to impersonate the snooty judges from all of those on-screen cooking competitions. In the end, they decided the apple pie made with cornmeal crust won.
With full bellies, they leaned back into the pillows and stared out at the ocean.
“That was really fun, Lisa,” Braden said.
“I’m glad you had a good time.”
He rested his hand on her knee. Lisa leaned closer and took his hand, feeling surprisingly comfortable. Instead of holding it, she glanced at his palm and began tracing the lines there.
How was it possible that she felt this deeply, and so quickly at that? Was she setting herself up for failure and regret? She wasn’t sure. Their relationship felt like treading unfamiliar—but thrilling—waters. In fact, she felt as giddy as a girl with a crush.
“So, I asked earlier what you were going to do with your future,” she started. “You really don’t know?”
Braden took a sip of his coffee, but a new somberness came over him. “No, I don’t. I know it sounds strange, but I feel like I’ve been swallowed by this hole that I can’t get out of, no matter how hard I try or push myself.”
“I’m sorry, Braden. I can’t imagine how difficult that must be.”
“Truth is, all the jobs I’m interested in, I’m not sure I’m cut out for.” He shook his head slowly, his gaze still fixated out the window. “I just don’t really know who I am anymore.”
“You really think someone is trying to kill you?” Lisa asked.
He frowned and lowered his head. “Yeah, I do.”
“Why? And who?” Lisa tried to put it together, to make sense of it, but she couldn’t. It just wasn’t her world.
He sighed. “I don’t know.”
Lisa shifted, turning toward him, desperate to figure out what made him tick. “You’re really not making much sense.”
Braden shifted toward her also, his gaze warm yet curious on her. “You really want to know?”
“I do.”
“You might think I’m crazy.”
Lisa smiled. “I already think you’re crazy.”
“At least you’re honest.” His chuckle quickly faded, and the heaviness returned around him. “I . . . uh, I keep blacking out. Anything traumatic in my life seems to trigger my brain to shut down. My therapist said it’s normal after a brain injury like the one I suffered.”
“So, for that reason, you can’t remember who’s trying to kill you?”
“It’s pretty complicated, I suppose. But it’s like my body is in fight-or-flight mode all the time. It senses that I’m in danger, but I can’t remember any of the details.”
“And that means you wouldn’t recognize the person behind the threats.”
He nodded. “That’s right. I know it sounds insane. But . . . that’s the gist of it.”
Lisa pulled her knees to her chest, deep in thought. “Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“A couple ideas.” Braden let out a long breath. “I helped stop a major terrorist attack in Washington, DC, sabotaging it before it ever even reached these shores.”
Lisa sucked in a quick breath. “What? A terrorist attack? I never heard about one in Washington, DC.”
“That’s because we stopped it. The Revolt had planned it.”
“The Revolt?” Lisa had heard of them. They’d been on the news often enough. They were a group of extremists who were only bonded by one thing: their hatred of America. They’d been responsible for hacking into the social media accounts of several key political leaders and exposing embarrassing information about them.
“Yes, they were hoping to take their attacks to the next level. They’d planned on hacking into DC’s metro line and wreaking havoc. It would have been devastating.”
“I had no idea.”
“Believe me, if the American public knew what I knew . . . what people who are truly on the front lines of fighting terrorism know . . . they wouldn’t sleep at night. It’s better if people can just continue on in ignorant bliss because there’s some scary stuff out there.”
Lisa shivered beside him. “I bet.”
“But, yeah, we heard about what this group was planning. When my colleagues got to the Metro to thwart the attack, they discovered The Revolt had gone a step further. They’d not only attacked the technology that operated the train, but they’d planted a bomb at the entrance to one of the stations.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I was overseas in Latvia. My mission was to try to pinpoint The Revolt’s base of operations there. I managed to find their hideout, and, with a little creativity, I convinced these guys to tell me how to disarm the bomb. I relayed the information back to my colleagues here in America.”
“It sounds like you were some kind of liaison between the military and the CIA.”
“You could say that. My job was commissioned by the president himself.”
“No way.”
“There were actually five of us on this team, but we usually operated independently.”
“You were like Jason Bourne, weren’t you?”
He let out a chuckle. “Not exactly. The assignments were off the books, though.”
“But you’re not denying it, either.”
Lisa let that thought settle on her. Certainly that would be reason enough for someone to want him dead. To want revenge and to make him pay.
She needed to be prudent and remind herself just whom she was getting involved with here.
Memories of the incident began to pummel him, and Braden shifted. He didn’t often talk about this stuff, only with his therapist. But Lisa was so willing to listen. And she was . . . amazing.
“Did The Revolt know you were responsible for stopping their attack?” Lisa asked.
“Word leaked, and it’s one of the reasons I got out of the military when I did. I knew I was putting everyone around me in danger by remaining. I was the number one target on The Revolt’s hit list, and they weren’t going to stop until they got their revenge.”
She leaned lower to catch his eye. “So you think it might be one of these guys who’s trying to kill you now?”
Braden shrugged. “Maybe.”
Lisa shifted, her full attention on him, and she looked sincere—not disbelieving or like she wanted to run. “Why do you think they found you?”
“I’ve gotten a few texts that are suspicious, indicating someone is watching me.”
She shivered again and something close to a flash of recognition lit in her eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, me too. My psychologist wonders if a lot of this is in my head. If it’s the aftereffects of war and my body is programmed to be in this state of fight or flight.”
“Is this therapist of yours worth his salt?”
“Dr. Larson? Yeah, he’s good. Really good. I actually served with his son overseas after I first enlisted. Dr. Larson and his wife, Laura, became like a second family to me. And the doctor is one of the best in the bu
siness. He’s grown an empire, to be honest, with his EMDR therapy.”
“EMDR?”
“It’s this revolutionary new therapy that helps people with PTSD. It’s like cognitive therapy, only faster. Through talking about the event that caused your trauma, you can actually forget it. Well, not totally forget it. But forget enough.”
“You said people wonder if this is all in your head.” Lisa pulled her knees closer to her chest, looking cozy and inviting and comfortable. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore, to be honest.”
She rested her palm against the side of his face. “You’re going to get through this.”
Warmth spread through his chest, and he leaned closer. It felt good to have someone believe in him, to not look at him like he was crazy. “You really think so?”
“I do. Look what you’ve already overcome . . . you’ve got this, Braden.”
Lisa’s words did something to his heart. Gave him hope. To have someone believe in him . . . it was more healing than Braden would have ever guessed.
“You’re a special woman, Lisa,” he murmured.
She squeezed his hand, and the tremors disappeared again.
“Can you just keep holding my hand? It’s the only thing that seems to help me.”
“Of course. Just tell me how long.”
“How about forever?” He cleared his throat, realizing what he’d just said. “Or I’ll just take this week. Whatever I can get.”
She grinned. “Sure thing.”
His lips met hers again. He could do this every day. For the rest of his life.
The thought sent a wave of shock through him.
He’d never thought long-term like that before. No, he’d always been content by himself.
But Lisa was different. Even though Braden hadn’t known Lisa that long, he knew a good thing when he saw it.
And Lisa was definitely a good thing.
But fear remained in the back of his mind, fear that his presence might end up getting Lisa hurt.
And he’d never forgive himself if that happened.
Chapter Fifteen
Lisa leaned into Braden, surprised at how comfortable she already felt around the man. It didn’t seem normal.
And maybe that was what made it so great.
Some people might say that she’d lost her mind . . . but she actually felt like she’d just found it.
So many fireworks were exploding inside her that she felt like she might burst with joy. Who would have thought that the man of her dreams would enter her life like this? But now she never wanted it to end.
Braden pulled away and let out a deep sigh. “I should go.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him, challenging his assumption. “Should you?”
He smiled and ran his finger down the side of her face before tapping her nose playfully. “I’d hate to tarnish your reputation by staying too late. I know how small towns work.”
“Everyone who knows me knows my character,” she said. “I’m not scared. But thanks for thinking of me.”
They unwrapped themselves from each other and climbed down the ladder to Lisa’s apartment and then down the stairs into the restaurant.
They paused by the front door, and Braden pulled her into his arms again.
He seemed to share her feelings—and the sentiment that neither could seem to get enough of the other.
It was so crazy. Lisa knew it was. But . . . Lisa had never felt like this before. Despite her hesitancies, her desire to take the plunge was greater, stronger.
Braden’s lips met hers once more, and Lisa lingered in his embrace.
“So, how was it?” Braden murmured.
She kept her arms around his waist, amusement rushing through her. “How was what?”
“Your first kiss?”
Lisa raised an eyebrow. “You fishing for compliments?”
Braden chuckled, a deep, rich sound that she could listen to forever. It washed over her like a warm balm that soothed the ragged edges of her soul.
“I just don’t want to disappoint you,” Braden said.
“Oh, I’m not disappointed.” Lisa was nearly overwhelmed, but she didn’t want him to get a big head about it. In all the moments she’d imagined her first kiss, none of them had been this good. Not even close.
“Well, maybe we could try it again sometime, just to be sure.” His voice held a teasing sound that delighted her.
“Okay, I think we can do that.”
He smiled down at her, some kind of unseen force zapping around them, drawing them together and connecting them. “It was really fun tonight, Lisa.”
“Yeah, it really was.”
Something deeper glimmered in Braden’s gaze as he paused, on the verge of saying something yet hesitating. “I know I don’t have much game, that I’m supposed to hold my cards close.”
“I hate playing games.” She really did.
Life—and relationships—might require strategy at times, but never did it require toying with other people.
“Truth be told,” Braden said. “I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.”
A grin spread across Lisa’s face. His words made her exceedingly happy. “Neither have I.”
“Would you mind if I stopped by sometime in the morning?”
“You better or I’ll sic Ty on you when he gets back. Better yet, how about if I bring breakfast to you?”
“I’d like that.” Braden grinned again, started to lean close, but backed up instead. “I should go.”
Lisa hated for him to leave, but it was a good idea. They were both too caught up in this moment and . . . it was just better if they had some space. Besides, they had tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.
“Are you sure I can’t drive you?” she asked, glancing beyond him at the dark, cold island road.
Braden drew in a shaky breath. “No, it would be better if I walked. Believe me. I need to cool off a little.”
“Okay. Goodnight then. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Maybe?”
She grinned. “We can make it definitely, if you’d like.”
“I’d like.”
“Okay, I’ll definitely see you tomorrow.”
She could hardly wait.
Braden grinned as he walked along the edge of the deserted road. It didn’t even matter that it was freezing cold outside. No, he felt happier in this moment than he had in a long, long time.
He’d never thought when he’d come here that he’d meet someone like Lisa. Never thought that someone could so easily capture his heart. Someone could see past his brokenness like she had.
And now his thoughts were consumed. He couldn’t wait to see her again. To spend time with her. To listen to her unique take on life and to see her wrinkle her nose as she laughed at her own corny jokes or delighted in her kitchen experiments. She was as one of a kind as her recipes were.
Braden’s phone buzzed in his pocket. As he pulled it out, he held his breath, hoping it wasn’t another threat from whoever had been sending them. Instead, he saw Ty’s name on his screen.
He put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Ty. What’s going on?”
“Cassidy and I just got back to my parents’ house from my mom’s birthday party. I thought I’d call and check in.”
Braden considered telling him about Lisa. About him. About them.
But he didn’t. He wasn’t ready to share it with anyone. Because as wonderful as it had been, it was just one night. He knew relationships were built on more than a single experience.
But Braden had a good feeling about this one.
“Things are going okay,” he finally answered. His voice sounded lighter than it had in months.
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been praying for you.”
“Prayers go a long way, so I appreciate it. I have a feeling things are getting better.”
“That’s one of the reasons I want to open Hope House in Lantern Beach. There’s so
mething about the sea and the saltwater that gives people clarity. It worked for me, at least.”
Braden wished that everything sounded as clear as Ty hoped it was. He remembered that picture of Lisa someone unknown had sent him. No, everything wasn’t as rosy as he’d like. That fact lingered in the back of Braden’s mind. For that reason, he hadn’t left Lisa until she’d locked the door behind him, and he knew she was okay.
Ty paused. “No more incidents, right?”
Braden told Ty about the house being ransacked.
“You have no idea who’s behind this?” Ty asked.
“Only vague theories,” Braden said. “But I told Mac, and he’s looking into it. You’re going to regret inviting me here, aren’t you?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I just wish you’d truly been able to get away from it all.”
“Me too, man. Me too.”
Braden walked down the lane to Ty’s place, listening to the wind rustle the brush around him. The sound was cut by the mighty sound of the waves crashing in the distance.
Maybe Lantern Beach wasn’t that bad after all. Though he lived in a beach town, this place had a unique charm all of its own.
He ended his call with Ty, shoved his phone in his pocket, and climbed the steps to Ty’s place, whistling a little tune to himself.
As Braden stepped inside, he heard a footfall behind him. Before he could turn and defend himself, someone came at him from behind.
And everything went black.
Chapter Sixteen
Lisa felt herself glowing as she paused outside the door to Ty’s house the next morning.
She’d been glowing since last night and mentally replaying her time with Braden. She nearly wanted to pinch herself to make sure she hadn’t dreamed it all.
She knocked at the door and shifted the basket full of muffins she’d baked to her other hip. She’d made two different flavors: candy corn and pumpkin praline. One day, she would stop using her friends as lab rats . . . maybe.
A moment later, the door opened, and a smile spread across her face as Braden came into view. He looked stiff and standoffish. Had she woken him? Maybe she should have called first. But he was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt that softened his features. He’d at least been awake for long enough to shower and dress.
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