adventure.
Omitting,
Madeline noted,
his name.
“She wants to turn this place into a restaurant.”
“You’re kidding.” Madeline looked around the cozy country kitchen she’d spent five wonderful years of her life in.
“I was kind of surprised, too. But that’s what she says. And she hired me to help her make it happen.”
“Since when do Navy SEALs cook?”
He laughed at that. The rich, deep, all-too-familiar sound sent waves of emotion flooding through her. Pain. Anger. And, dammit, an unbidden, knee-weakening burst of hormones so strong it had her reaching for the edge of the counter for balance.
“She said she’s going to start interviewing cooks in the next month or so. As for me, other than heating up an MRE, which is military speak for meals ready to eat, more commonly referred to as Meals Rejected by the Enemy—and believe me,
you’d
never want to try them—I’m pretty much sunk.
“Jake, down at the Crab Shack, rubs his hands in glee when he sees me coming. I suspect he’s got his eye on a new fishing boat. And I’ll probably end up funding Kara and Sax’s kid’s college tuition with takeout from Bon Temps.”
“Kara’s pregnant?”
Her grandmother had caught her up on how Kara had come back to town with a son, and was now engaged to Shelter Bay’s former bad boy, who just happened to be a former SEAL teammate of the man who’d invaded Sofia’s kitchen. But she hadn’t mentioned a pregnancy.
“Not that I know of. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if she was. You pretty much risk pheromone overdose being anywhere in the proximity of those two lovebirds.”
Although he’d broken her heart, then stomped on it, Madeline felt her lips threatening to curve. “That’s sweet. They were such good friends in high school. It’s nice they ended up together.”
“Yeah. They’re good people who’ve both been through a lot and deserve to be happy. Though it was a bitch Kara lost Jared. I guess Sofia told you about that?”
Madeline nodded. “It must have been awful for her.”
And, she admitted, put her own failed relationships more in perspective. As bad as being cheated on was—andit felt like hell—she couldn’t imagine losing her husband and the father of her child to murder.
“I’m sure it was about the worst thing that could happen,” he agreed. “Which is why seeing the two of them together, with Sax playing dad to Jared and Kara’s son, is so cool.”
“I’m sorry about your father.” Sofia had called her about Duncan Chaffee’s unexpected death while she’d been packing for her trip to Omaha. As much as she still disliked Lucas for what he’d done to her, she never would have wished this pain on him.
He shrugged shoulders that appeared wider, more muscled than when she’d loved running her hands over them. Before continuing and moving them down the smooth, warm flesh of his back, and…
Madeline gave herself a stiff mental shake. Reminded herself that she was not the romantic girl she’d once been. The teenager who’d been forced to rebuild her life from the ashes of the pyre that had been what she’d honestly believed to be true, forever-after love.
Will you never learn?
“Yeah…well…” To the young girl she’d once been, the two-years-older Lucas had always seemed so confident. So sure of himself. It was strange to see him struggling now.
“Dad had a good life, you know. Actually, a pretty great life, with a few hard speed bumps along the way.” He shook his head. And although it might have been a trick of the sunlight reflecting off the water outside the window, Madeline thought she saw a suspicious sheen in his eyes. “Damn.”
He dumped the tape and clipboard on the table and thrust a hand through his hair. “It hurts, Maddy.” The fingers of his other hand, which she could still remember exploring every inch of her body, splayed across his heart. “It hurts like hell.”
Even as Madeline fought against it, she could feel
Omitting,
Madeline noted,
his name.
“She wants to turn this place into a restaurant.”
“You’re kidding.” Madeline looked around the cozy country kitchen she’d spent five wonderful years of her life in.
“I was kind of surprised, too. But that’s what she says. And she hired me to help her make it happen.”
“Since when do Navy SEALs cook?”
He laughed at that. The rich, deep, all-too-familiar sound sent waves of emotion flooding through her. Pain. Anger. And, dammit, an unbidden, knee-weakening burst of hormones so strong it had her reaching for the edge of the counter for balance.
“She said she’s going to start interviewing cooks in the next month or so. As for me, other than heating up an MRE, which is military speak for meals ready to eat, more commonly referred to as Meals Rejected by the Enemy—and believe me,
you’d
never want to try them—I’m pretty much sunk.
“Jake, down at the Crab Shack, rubs his hands in glee when he sees me coming. I suspect he’s got his eye on a new fishing boat. And I’ll probably end up funding Kara and Sax’s kid’s college tuition with takeout from Bon Temps.”
“Kara’s pregnant?”
Her grandmother had caught her up on how Kara had come back to town with a son, and was now engaged to Shelter Bay’s former bad boy, who just happened to be a former SEAL teammate of the man who’d invaded Sofia’s kitchen. But she hadn’t mentioned a pregnancy.
“Not that I know of. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if she was. You pretty much risk pheromone overdose being anywhere in the proximity of those two lovebirds.”
Although he’d broken her heart, then stomped on it, Madeline felt her lips threatening to curve. “That’s sweet. They were such good friends in high school. It’s nice they ended up together.”
“Yeah. They’re good people who’ve both been through a lot and deserve to be happy. Though it was a bitch Kara lost Jared. I guess Sofia told you about that?”
Madeline nodded. “It must have been awful for her.”
And, she admitted, put her own failed relationships more in perspective. As bad as being cheated on was—andit felt like hell—she couldn’t imagine losing her husband and the father of her child to murder.
“I’m sure it was about the worst thing that could happen,” he agreed. “Which is why seeing the two of them together, with Sax playing dad to Jared and Kara’s son, is so cool.”
“I’m sorry about your father.” Sofia had called her about Duncan Chaffee’s unexpected death while she’d been packing for her trip to Omaha. As much as she still disliked Lucas for what he’d done to her, she never would have wished this pain on him.
He shrugged shoulders that appeared wider, more muscled than when she’d loved running her hands over them. Before continuing and moving them down the smooth, warm flesh of his back, and…
Madeline gave herself a stiff mental shake. Reminded herself that she was not the romantic girl she’d once been. The teenager who’d been forced to rebuild her life from the ashes of the pyre that had been what she’d honestly believed to be true, forever-after love.
Will you never learn?
“Yeah…well…” To the young girl she’d once been, the two-years-older Lucas had always seemed so confident. So sure of himself. It was strange to see him struggling now.
“Dad had a good life, you know. Actually, a pretty great life, with a few hard speed bumps along the way.” He shook his head. And although it might have been a trick of the sunlight reflecting off the water outside the window, Madeline thought she saw a suspicious sheen in his eyes. “Damn.”
He dumped the tape and clipboard on the table and thrust a hand through his hair. “It hurts, Maddy.” The fingers of his other hand, which she could still remember exploring every inch of her body, splayed across his heart. “It hurts like hell.”
Even as Madeline fought against it, she could feel
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