“You are,” Shiloh said, smiling gently. “It’s unusual. Unless... is this usual now?”
He smiled back at her. He shook his head.
“I like it,” she said, tipping her foot against his hip. “I don’t like how awful this is—but I like listening to you think out loud.”
“There’s no one else I could say all this to.”
“I’m sure you have people who would listen.”
“I’d have to tell them the whole backstory first,” he said dismissively. “It’s not worth it.”
“You could sum it up...”
“No. I mean, it’s not worth peopleknowingall that. It’s not worth carrying my past around and handing it to new people. That’s what Ilike about the Navy. Everyone who wants a fresh start, gets one. You are what you bring to the table.”
Shiloh wanted to keep arguing her point—that understanding the fullness of Cary wouldn’t be a burden. Didn’t he talk to his friends or the women he dated about his family? And his childhood?
Maybe he just meant that there wasn’t anyoneat the momentwho he could talk to...
“I think there are probably people in your life who would be happy to listen,” she said. “But one of them is me. So...”
Cary rested his hand on her ankle and squeezed.
“Who’s managing thedestroyerwithout you?” she asked.
“The rest of the Pacific Fleet.”
“Those good-for-nothings?”
The waitress came by with the check. Cary let go of Shiloh’s ankle to pick it up.
Shiloh tried to take it. “Let me.”
“No way.” He held it out of her reach.
“Come on, Cary. I’ve never bought you dinner. I don’t think I’ve even paid for myowndinner in your presence.”
“I like that so much about us,” he said.
She gave up.
They had to pay at the register. Shiloh waited in line with him.
“Thank you,” Cary said.
“Don’t thank me.”
“You said I could thank you.”
“Well, it’s too much,” she said.
Cary paid for dinner and bought them peppermint hard candy. He walked her to her car.
They stood there for a minute, clinking their candy against their teeth. Then Shiloh tugged on his sleeve. “You’ll call me?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
