Page 56 of Honor ’N’ Duty

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but how long exactly might it take for you to finalize this plan?” Laia looked skeptical. “If I have to take more than a week off, I’ll probably lose my job.”

“I’ll do my best.” And pray his best was good enough.

Jamie cleared his throat, then stood and went to a credenza. He opened the biggest drawer and pulled out a blanket. “Why don’t you two go down to the beach and talk some more? It’s a warm night, and I’ve always found there’s something about the sand, the water, and all that fresh ocean air to help clear the mind. It’s a calm night. Take one of the boats out if you want.”

A boat ride would help to ease the tension. If only Laia didn’t look ready to punch Kade’s lights out.

“Thank you, but I can’t ask you to watch Rosa for me again,” she said to Jamie.

For the first time since he’d returned from wherever he’d disappeared to, Jamie smiled, revealing the same lady-killer pearly whites that had landed him the nickname Romeo so many years ago. “Smoke and I’ve got this. We’ll watch Rosa for you, and as for asking me to… Any family of Kade’s is family of mine.”

Kade sent Jamie a grateful look, one that said, Thanks, bro. Whether it was dire circumstances or moral support, one thing he never doubted was that his friends would always be there for him. Anytime. Anyplace.

Laia opened her mouth, clearly ready to object again when Kade stood and held out his hand to her. “C’mon. He’s right. A little fresh air might do us some good.” And God knew they needed to talk.

She took a deep breath, then placed her hand in his. His rough, callused fingers closed around her smooth slim ones, making him realize once again just how delicate she was. In body, that was. Her spirit was the size of a dragon.

When Kade opened the door, the warm, humid night air settled around them. He led the way down the stairs, pausing at the boats.

“Boat ride?” he asked.

When Laia shook her head, they began walking in silence and didn’t stop until they’d reached an isolated section of beach about a hundred yards from the shack. No houses. No roads. No lights. Sand dunes and tall grasses concealed their location from the street and the park behind them. The only sounds were from the gentle waves rolling onto the beach, and the only witnesses were the twinkling stars in the night sky.

He unfolded the blanket and laid it on the sand. When they sat, it was with a good two feet between them, as if they were both afraid of the potent emotions that, apparently, were so strong that Jamie had orchestrated this little beach blanket bingo.

Now that they were finally alone, fear kept Kade from forming a single coherent sentence. What if he said the wrong thing?

She’d go running for the hills, which was probably the best thing for them both. The reasons he’d stayed away all these years were still valid. Besides, after marrying his brother, she probably hadn’t given Kade a second thought. Maybe the only thing hovering in the air between them was physical chemistry.

Even as he thought the words, he knew there was so much more between them.

Laia made a soft hmpfing sound. “I never told you this, but when we met in the elevator that day, I felt…happy.”

“Because you were about to get married.” His tone sounded bitter, even to himself.

“No. Because I’d met you.”

He stopped breathing. Had she really just said that?

“For that brief moment, I let myself believe that I actually could be happy. All we did was talk, but we connected in a way I haven’t connected with anyone. Before or since. I just didn’t want to admit it then. Afterward, it was too hurtful to think about.”

“Hurtful?” The one thing he’d never meant to do was hurt her.

“I should have said something before I married Josh. I should have said something sooner, but I didn’t. I—”

“I’m sorry,” he interrupted. “I never should have said anything to you that day. You were right, it was none of my business why you were marrying him.”

“Perhaps. I guess I can understand why you backed off and never visited us.”

He couldn’t see her face clearly but heard the sadness in her voice.

“Yeah.” When Josh had ruined all his fantasies by dropping the bomb that Laia was his, he’d backed off, all right. Straight into a deep, dark hole that he was beginning to realize he still hadn’t managed to crawl out of.

The selfish side of him wanted to grill her about why, if she felt such a strong connection to him, she’d still married his brother. Just as it had been then, it still wasn’t his business.

“I worried then that I was making a mistake.” In the near-darkness, she turned to face him. “At the time, I felt I had no choice.”

“No choice?” Again, he couldn’t contain the bitterness in his voice. “About marrying someone?”