Thathad eluded him.
Or he supposed it was fairer to say he’d avoided it. Thinking himself smarter than the Average Joe not to get all twisted up with someone who might end up breaking his heart one way or another.
Lately, however, he’d begun to wonder if it was true what the philosophers said.
Was it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
Doc certainly thought so.
One night recently, the two of them had stayed up long after everyone else went to bed. Sitting around the beach campfire, listening to the crackle of the flames and the shush of the surf against the fine grains of sand along the beach, John had looked over to find Doc’s expression troubled.
It was a look he recognized. A look that came over Doc’s face anytime Doc thought of his wife.
“If you’d known how it was gonna end with your sweet Lily,” John had asked, “and how much you’d suffer, would you still have gone through with it? Would you still have let yourself fall in love?”
The shadow of memories had still been in Doc’s eyes when he’d said without hesitation, “Yes.” John’s frown had prompted an explanation. “I’ve had a lot of adventures in life, Uncle John. I’ve seen and done more than most men. But I swear to you, the best thing I ever did, the thing I’m most proud of, is that I loved a woman with everything in me, with my entire heart and my whole soul.Thatis my greatest accomplishment. My grandest adventure.”
Considering Doc was a bona fide physician, Navy SEAL,andtreasure hunter, that’d been saying a lot. And John was a little embarrassed to admit he’d felt a pang of jealousy.
Or maybe it’d been a pang of envy.
For the first time, he’d admitted there was a part of him that wanted to know what that particular grand adventure was like.
He was pulled from his recollection when Cami heaved open the front door and a gust of fresh air wafted into the living room. She yelped when the wind was followed by a giant palm frond.
Doc valiantly caught the branch before it could tumble in on her. He sent it sailing across the porch and into the front yard with a grunt.
Cami batted her sooty lashes. “My hero. I think I might swoon.”
Doc bared his teeth. “Stop your teasing, woman.”
“Make me,Doctor.”
Cami squealed and ran onto the porch when Doc made a grab for her. Then she squealed again when Doc caught her on the steps.
John wondered if it was possible for a man to havetwogreat loves in a lifetime,twogrand adventures.
For Doc’s sake, he sure as hell hoped so.
“Looks like we’ll have some competition during round two of the storm.” Olivia nudged Leo.
“Please.” Leo scoffed. “My only competition is myself. And you can bet I’m goin’ to beat my last score. How many was that again? Six? Seven?”
“Leo!” Olivia slapped his arm. “Not in front of your uncle!”
“I hate to break it to you, darlin’,” John told his niece-by-marriage, a woman he loved to pieces not only because she was smart and capable and kind, but also because she loved his nephew so well. “But your bedroom shares a wall with mine. Ain’t nothin’ happened in there that I’m not well aware of.”
Olivia was usually good at hiding her emotions.All that CIA training, no doubt.But she couldn’t stop her cheeks from blanching of color.
“Tell me you’re joking,” she wheezed.
“Wish I was.” He tried not to laugh at the look of horror that crossed her face.
“Leo!” She scowled up at her husband. “Did you know the walls between our bedrooms were paper thin?”
Leo had the grace to look chagrined.
“Youdid.” She gasped. “Why didn’t youtellme?”
