Joel followed and grabbed a can of cat food—because yeah, he was buying food for the animal. He emptied it into her bowl.
The cat had just started eating when his phone vibrated with a text.
Ryan: Reminder—gear check tomorrow at 0600. Don’t be late.
Zac: You couldn’t do a gear check at a time when the sun’s awake?
Ryan: I could…I’m not.
Ethan: This is because Joel slept through the last one, isn’t it?
Joel chuckled before responding.
Joel: I didn’t sleep through it. I slept up to it, then arrived fashionably late.
Connor: Or just late.
He set his phone down and grabbed the leftover Chinese from the fridge. He fucking loved his team. They’d served together as SEALs for over a decade, and now they got to work together every day.
Three guys from their team were still in the military—Tate, Linc and Kolby—but Joel was betting on the fact that, once they were done, they’d come to Deep River too. This town had a way of pulling people here.
His phone vibrated again. The smile dropped from his face when he saw it wasn’t his team this time.
Mom: Your father and I have had enough of this, Joel. You need to answer my calls and face the fact that you’re a Dawson, and being a Dawson comes with certain responsibilities.
He dropped the phone like the thing had burned him. It didn’t matter what he said or how he said it, the woman didn’tseem to understand that he wasn’t fitting into their plans. This was his life, and he’d live it onhisterms.
When the Chinese was hot, he took it over to the couch. Another text popped onto the screen, this one making him smile.
Polly: I’m leaving Bloom now. Happy?
Joel: You taking the half gallon of paint you’re wearing with you?
An eye roll emoji came back before her text.
Polly: I obviously took the overalls off.
Joel: Does that mean you’re obviously wearing very little?
Polly: You picture me naked and you won’t like what happens next time you see me, Dawson.
He fucking hated it when his mother used his last name. But with Polly, everything felt good.
Joel: You gonna attempt to hit me with a broom and knee me in the balls again?
Polly: Yes, but it will be less of an attempt and more of a bull’s-eye.
He couldn’t help it, he laughed.
Joel: I hope you get home safely, Sunshine.
He really did. There was something so refreshing about her. Back in Houston, everyone knew the kind of money he came from. Hell, even when he wasn’t in Houston, he was still a former SEAL, and that got him a lot of easy attention.
Polly made him work for it. And he liked that.
2
Polly plugged the phone into the charger, then drummed her fingers on her kitchen counter.
