I hike an eyebrow that gets judiciously ignored.
He pops a stack of cheese slices into his mouth and tips his beer bottle at me to continue talking.
The ocean breeze whips my hair across my face, tickling at my lips. I gather the wild, dark curls to one side and twist it into a loose braid, tucking the ends into the collar of my shirt. It’s not a permanent fix, but it’ll do to temporarily tame the mess.
I dig my phone from where it sits in the depths of my tote and check the time. I really should go. “I teach high school math at Cox, my parents live inland, and you’ve met Jake. Oh, and Bronson. You had the pleasure of meeting my dog as well. That’s it. That’s all there is,” I tell him, rifling back through my purse for keys. I desperately need to clean this bag out.
My phone buzzes in my hand with a text from my mom.
“Everything okay?” Miles asks.
“It is.” I nod slowly as I read. “My parents fed my kiddo an early dinner and are grabbing some ice cream on their way to bring him home for the night.” I tap out a response that I’ll be home soon, only to be met with my mother’s standard,No rush.
I close the Messages app and let my gaze linger on my locked screen. The last picture we ever took together—Dallas, Jake, and me. Bronson is photobombing us over Dallas’s shoulder.
It was just before another deployment—“a playdate in the sand,” Dallas said.
We had our whole lives left to live. Until his was cut short and my heart was left in tatters.
FOUR
Miles
Whatever has grabbed Chloe’s attention on the screen of her phone is not as okay as she would like me to think it is. A hint of sadness clouds her eyes, pulling the corners of her mouth downward. After my world imploded, I’ve made it a point to be observant as hell, and I have no doubt there’s more to her sudden shift than what she’s giving me.
“Chloe?”
Her delicate shoulders rise with a deep breath, and she schools her features. “Sorry. Um, I guess I’m fine to stay for a bit.” Flipping her frown, a polite smile flashes across her face before settling to a neutral expression. She reaches for her nearly empty wineglass and swirls the pale gold liquid around the bottom, directing all of her focus on it.
With her hair pulled off her face, she’s all big blue eyes, thick lashes brushing against her cheeks with each blink. Absently, she pulls at a loose black curl that escaped its confines and tucks it between her lips.
Blake slides the door open, pulling her attention back from wherever her thoughts ran off to.
I pick up the bottle from the table and hold it up to Chloe in question.
She passes me her glass, asking, “What about you, Miles? Are you a native Virginian? Are you on Blake’s team? Wife? Kids? Or just hiding in plain sight, ready to swoop in and save the day?”
Wine sloshes into her glass as I stiffen slightly, caught off guard by her questions. Thankfully, Chloe’s got her back to Blake because, no matter what the guy thinks, his poker face has gone to shit. He knows how I ended up here and that this was never in my plan.
I huff out a laugh and shake my head, making sure to catch Blake’s eye so he knows to lock his shit down. I’m not talking about Aly, about what I had, and how it’s no longer mine. We’re not going there. “I’m from the Midwest, a small town in?—”
“Please tell me you’re not from Kansas,” she says, mirth dancing in her eyes, all hints of sadness melting away.
Our fingers brush as she takes her wineglass back. Electricity, chemistry—whatever it is, I feel it zinging through me from even the briefest of touches.
“Iowa, but close enough.” This isn’t the first time I’ve fielded this question. “And I was a SEAL, but I left the glitz and glamour of that life behind. Fire Born Security has been kind enough to let me keep my superhero status, so now, I get to sit behind a desk and just pretend to be as badass as Blake. All the glory, none of the risk.” I nod in Blake’s direction.
Thankfully, he just presses his lips together, giving me a tight nod in return. Subject officially closed.
“So, Virginia, by way of Iowa cornfields instead of Kansas. Do you miss Midwest living?” Chloe asks. “We spent a little bit of time out there before… before settling in New York.” As ifrealizing she said more than she’d wanted to, she brings her wineglass to her lips and turns her gaze out to the ocean.
We.She saidwe, but there’s no wedding ring in sight.
So much is not being said in this conversation. Probably more than what’s actually being vocalized, and it is way too heavy for dinner with friends. A casual, accidental dinner at that. At least, I hope it’s just casual and not a fucking setup.
Blake wouldn’t pull something like that, but I wouldn’t put it past Erin. She’s the one with access to my employee file. She’s the one who knows all of my secrets.
“There were other stops along the way,” I say, watching her for… what? A tell? Some hint at what she’s holding back?
