other women in line willing to be seated on my lap?”
Sunshine’s mouth opened, formed a word, then took it back before the air left her lungs.
Brody’s composure outranged her in more than height. Power, strength, and an air of arrogance lived within him.
“She walks in everywhere, at any time.” His lips were chapped, looking dry as an Arizona desert. “You should probably be on your way, Sunshine.”
“Fine,” she sputtered and stepped closer until their chests touched. “But if you’re even remotely interested, it’s your move now. I’ve done mine, and frankly I’m not ashamed of my actions. Over and out, Officer.”
* * *
Her hand graced her forehead in a salute and she walked out of the door, forgetting to close it behind her, making every nerve ending inside him sizzle with anxiety until he closed it himself.
Silence once more owned the office, just as it had done before the storm that was Sunshine had occupied it.
The dry leaves escaping their branches made the outside world look cold and harsh. The view outside the window resembled his insides and he cursed everything that was wrong: his continuous pain, his rugged scar, the way his war memories still made him grip the pillow in sweat every night, and the inability of his goddamn heart to trust or to kick Sunshine out of it. The world needed warmth and brightness just as much as he might need sunshine. Her. That Sunshine—his aura of energy and brightness. Hair so bright nobody could help but see it as anything less than rays attached to a fierce ball of energy staking its claim on the world, on him.
Suddenly the phone behind him on the desk vibrated in rhythm, three at a time, the most reliable rhythm, until he picked it up and swiped his thumb across the glass and smiled at Melanie’s message: “You know she is cute. And no, you are not too old for her. Stop wasting time, Brody.”
He placed the phone in his pants pocket, grabbed his lunch box from the chair by the door, and stepped out of the building, not knowing what his next move should be.
Chapter Seventeen
Sunshine digested a questionably edible dinner. The beans in the pot simmered under the lid and, thanks to the bacon and brown sugar in the sauce, a trailer that usually stunk of musky fabric and old wood smelled like sweet baked goods. Brutus’s large frame took up space in the walkway between the seating area and the burner by the door. A canine feat of which she was jealous: sleeping wherever, whenever, with a rumbling snore.
Not even her steps above him made any difference. He slept and Sunshine enjoyed the bowl of heated beans she’d poured herself and sat down on the rough fabric lining the cushions on the couch. “At least it’s better than being outside,” she sighed and closed her eyes, pleased she had a nonleaking roof over her head and food in her stomach. “It could be worse.”
The trailer turned quiet and she noticed Brutus’s head no longer resting on the cold linoleum floor. Instead his ears moved, an intensity showing in his eyes, trying to locate a sound he’d heard but she obviously hadn’t. His nose puffed lightly and with a raised eyebrow he met Sunshine’s stare.
“What is it, Brutus? What do you hear?” She placed the scraped-bare bowl on the table and moved down on the floor next to her companion, his heat radiating through his black fur. She rested her head against his side and stroked his dark hair, letting it run smoothly between her fingers. “Should we stay, Brutus? Is this safe?” A branch cracked and they stiffened but before Brutus had a chance to bark she placed a solid grip around his mouth and pressed his face into her chest. “Sssh, not a sound. Quiet, be very quiet.”
“Yes, darling. Be very quiet.”
She whipped around and through the cracked-open window where she had recently sat enjoying her ever so casual dinner, the barrel of a revolver
Sunshine’s mouth opened, formed a word, then took it back before the air left her lungs.
Brody’s composure outranged her in more than height. Power, strength, and an air of arrogance lived within him.
“She walks in everywhere, at any time.” His lips were chapped, looking dry as an Arizona desert. “You should probably be on your way, Sunshine.”
“Fine,” she sputtered and stepped closer until their chests touched. “But if you’re even remotely interested, it’s your move now. I’ve done mine, and frankly I’m not ashamed of my actions. Over and out, Officer.”
* * *
Her hand graced her forehead in a salute and she walked out of the door, forgetting to close it behind her, making every nerve ending inside him sizzle with anxiety until he closed it himself.
Silence once more owned the office, just as it had done before the storm that was Sunshine had occupied it.
The dry leaves escaping their branches made the outside world look cold and harsh. The view outside the window resembled his insides and he cursed everything that was wrong: his continuous pain, his rugged scar, the way his war memories still made him grip the pillow in sweat every night, and the inability of his goddamn heart to trust or to kick Sunshine out of it. The world needed warmth and brightness just as much as he might need sunshine. Her. That Sunshine—his aura of energy and brightness. Hair so bright nobody could help but see it as anything less than rays attached to a fierce ball of energy staking its claim on the world, on him.
Suddenly the phone behind him on the desk vibrated in rhythm, three at a time, the most reliable rhythm, until he picked it up and swiped his thumb across the glass and smiled at Melanie’s message: “You know she is cute. And no, you are not too old for her. Stop wasting time, Brody.”
He placed the phone in his pants pocket, grabbed his lunch box from the chair by the door, and stepped out of the building, not knowing what his next move should be.
Chapter Seventeen
Sunshine digested a questionably edible dinner. The beans in the pot simmered under the lid and, thanks to the bacon and brown sugar in the sauce, a trailer that usually stunk of musky fabric and old wood smelled like sweet baked goods. Brutus’s large frame took up space in the walkway between the seating area and the burner by the door. A canine feat of which she was jealous: sleeping wherever, whenever, with a rumbling snore.
Not even her steps above him made any difference. He slept and Sunshine enjoyed the bowl of heated beans she’d poured herself and sat down on the rough fabric lining the cushions on the couch. “At least it’s better than being outside,” she sighed and closed her eyes, pleased she had a nonleaking roof over her head and food in her stomach. “It could be worse.”
The trailer turned quiet and she noticed Brutus’s head no longer resting on the cold linoleum floor. Instead his ears moved, an intensity showing in his eyes, trying to locate a sound he’d heard but she obviously hadn’t. His nose puffed lightly and with a raised eyebrow he met Sunshine’s stare.
“What is it, Brutus? What do you hear?” She placed the scraped-bare bowl on the table and moved down on the floor next to her companion, his heat radiating through his black fur. She rested her head against his side and stroked his dark hair, letting it run smoothly between her fingers. “Should we stay, Brutus? Is this safe?” A branch cracked and they stiffened but before Brutus had a chance to bark she placed a solid grip around his mouth and pressed his face into her chest. “Sssh, not a sound. Quiet, be very quiet.”
“Yes, darling. Be very quiet.”
She whipped around and through the cracked-open window where she had recently sat enjoying her ever so casual dinner, the barrel of a revolver
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