She shrugged. “No idea. I always figured I’d retire from the Air Force and I’d have plenty of time to figure out what I wanted to do afterward. I guess I could go back to school and get my PhD.”
“You don’t sound too excited about that.” He bent down and scooped up a flat pale rock.
“Yeah.” She had no desire to go back to school, but if she wanted to use her degree in psychology, she’d have to.
“What are you passionate about? What excites you?”
You.
But she couldn’t say that. They weren’t there. Yeah, they’d had some seriously awesome sex, but sex didn’t mean feelings, and past experience had taught her not to equate orgasmic endorphins with feelings of the heart. Most guys cut and run at the first hint of a lasting attachment. Easier to stay detached. That way she could shrug and move on when he did.
Plus, she needed to take Braedon home. Her parents…God, how was she going to handle that? How were they?
“Addison?”
Right. Passion. Excitement. “Honestly? I don’t know anymore.”
Devon threw a rock, skipping over the gentle surf. “What if you—”
“Hey! We found it!”
They looked down the beach. Connie waved her arm for them to join them.
“What if I what?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Later. Let’s find out what’s in the cave.”
She thought about telling him no and forcing him to finish his question, but the rest of the group was waiting for them at a rocky outcropping at the base of the cave.
The entrance was about five feet up, and they had to climb up the rocks to reach it.
“Did anyone bring a flashlight?” the blonde woman asked.
Devon pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and turned on the light.
“Oh.” The woman stared at the phone a moment and then laughed. “I swear I’m not really this airheaded.”
“It’s okay,” Addison said. “It didn’t occur to me either.”
With five lights shining, they could see fairly far into the cave.
“Where do you think it goes?” This question from the brunette.
“Let’s see.” Connie set off, shining the light from her phone ahead of her.
More of a tunnel than a cave, three of them were able to walk side-by-side without touching the sides. The women were able to walk without stooping, although Devon, Graham, and one of the other men had to dip their heads in a few spots to avoid hitting the ceiling.
“Do you think there are bats?” the woman closest to Addison whispered.
“Probably,” Devon said, directing his light overhead.
Nothing moved on the ceiling that they could see, but that didn’t stop the woman from grabbing onto Addison’s arm.
“They’re more afraid of you than you are of them,” Addison said.
“That’s what they always say,” the woman said. “Until they get attacked by a rabid vampire bat.”
“Pretty sure vampire bats aren’t found in Europe,” Addison said.
