once and turned her gaze back to the pond. “Least favorite food?”
“Brussel sprouts,” I answered without hesitation.
“Huh. Me, too.”
“What scares you most?”
She flinched, but kept her face impassive. I watched as she swallowed the automatic answer that came to her mind. “Mice.”
“Mice? You don’t think they’re cute furry things?”
“Ugh. No. They’re creepy little disease-carriers.”
I laughed and sipped my water. “Your turn.”
“Wanna play Frisbee?” She spun and produced a blue disk from her bag.
“Wanna lose?”
She rolled her eyes. “How do you win or lose at Frisbee? It’s for fun.”
I stood. “So says the girl. Let me show you.”
She ignored my outstretched hand and rose on her own. “Mr. Competitive.”
“You have no idea.”
We played, and though she’d never admit it, I beat her soundly. We were pleasantly winded by the time we sat again to cool off and eat our lunch.
“Can I ask another question?” she asked.
“Are we still playing?”
“Always.”
“Okay.” I stuffed the last of my sandwich in my mouth. “Go for it.”
“Tell me about your brothers.”
“That’s not a question.”
“Sure it is.” At my narrowed eyes, she huffed a playful sigh. “Fine. Will you please , sir, tell me about your brothers?”
“That’s better. What do you wanna know?”
She shrugged. “Whatever.”
This one was easy. “Adam is the second oldest after me. He’s a carpenter in Austin. Nathaniel is next. He’s a bit of a nomad, doing this and that. Ethan is the baby. He’s in college.”
“Do you all look alike?”
“That’s two questions.”
“I’ll forfeit my next one.”
I shrugged, picturing my brothers. “Sure. I guess. Dark like our mom, except Nathaniel has light eyes.” She digested this like most girls, all dreamy-eyed. Girls loved my brother. “My turn. Craziest thing you’ve ever done?”
“Strip poker.”
My eyes about popped out of my head. “Strip poker?” I could not picture that and did not want to picture any man seeing her naked.
She actually giggled. “High school. My best friend and I were hanging out with some neighborhood guys in their garage. It was hot. We were bored. Someone suggested strip poker. We agreed, thinking we’d beat them.”
“Did you?”
“No, not exactly.”
Irrational, stupid jealousy filled me. It was only kid stuff, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
“Craziest thing you’ve ever done?” She turned my question back on me.
“Join the Marines.”
She studied my face as if searching for the truth. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I don’t regret it though. It was an adventure.”
“It changed you.” She stated the obvious.
I nodded, chugging the last of my water. “It changed me.”
She plucked a piece of crust from her bread and tossed it to a duck waddling by the pond. With a quack, it scooped it up before another duck could. “Any more questions?”
Always. “Do you think you’ll ever tell me?”
I didn’t need to elaborate. Her eyes clouded as she fought with whatever demons held her back from telling me the truth of her past. I was pretty damn sure he had abused her, and that thought nearly crippled me, but I needed to hear it from her mouth.
She took a deep breath. “I think so. Will you ever tell me?”
The blood-soaked ground of Afghanistan ripped through my memory like a hacksaw. I glanced away, my heart dark and heavy. “I hope so.”
As I drove Jewel home from the park, my phone buzzed with a text. At a red light, I checked the screen. Dempsey.
I peered up and tightened my hands on the wheel.
“Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Bad news?”
I faced her and concern was etched on her delicate features. “No. Just my old friend I told you about. I’ll text him back later.”
She didn’t push for more and I was grateful. I drove on and searched my mind for a way to extend our day. We’d spent a lot of time together lately, but I still
“Brussel sprouts,” I answered without hesitation.
“Huh. Me, too.”
“What scares you most?”
She flinched, but kept her face impassive. I watched as she swallowed the automatic answer that came to her mind. “Mice.”
“Mice? You don’t think they’re cute furry things?”
“Ugh. No. They’re creepy little disease-carriers.”
I laughed and sipped my water. “Your turn.”
“Wanna play Frisbee?” She spun and produced a blue disk from her bag.
“Wanna lose?”
She rolled her eyes. “How do you win or lose at Frisbee? It’s for fun.”
I stood. “So says the girl. Let me show you.”
She ignored my outstretched hand and rose on her own. “Mr. Competitive.”
“You have no idea.”
We played, and though she’d never admit it, I beat her soundly. We were pleasantly winded by the time we sat again to cool off and eat our lunch.
“Can I ask another question?” she asked.
“Are we still playing?”
“Always.”
“Okay.” I stuffed the last of my sandwich in my mouth. “Go for it.”
“Tell me about your brothers.”
“That’s not a question.”
“Sure it is.” At my narrowed eyes, she huffed a playful sigh. “Fine. Will you please , sir, tell me about your brothers?”
“That’s better. What do you wanna know?”
She shrugged. “Whatever.”
This one was easy. “Adam is the second oldest after me. He’s a carpenter in Austin. Nathaniel is next. He’s a bit of a nomad, doing this and that. Ethan is the baby. He’s in college.”
“Do you all look alike?”
“That’s two questions.”
“I’ll forfeit my next one.”
I shrugged, picturing my brothers. “Sure. I guess. Dark like our mom, except Nathaniel has light eyes.” She digested this like most girls, all dreamy-eyed. Girls loved my brother. “My turn. Craziest thing you’ve ever done?”
“Strip poker.”
My eyes about popped out of my head. “Strip poker?” I could not picture that and did not want to picture any man seeing her naked.
She actually giggled. “High school. My best friend and I were hanging out with some neighborhood guys in their garage. It was hot. We were bored. Someone suggested strip poker. We agreed, thinking we’d beat them.”
“Did you?”
“No, not exactly.”
Irrational, stupid jealousy filled me. It was only kid stuff, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
“Craziest thing you’ve ever done?” She turned my question back on me.
“Join the Marines.”
She studied my face as if searching for the truth. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I don’t regret it though. It was an adventure.”
“It changed you.” She stated the obvious.
I nodded, chugging the last of my water. “It changed me.”
She plucked a piece of crust from her bread and tossed it to a duck waddling by the pond. With a quack, it scooped it up before another duck could. “Any more questions?”
Always. “Do you think you’ll ever tell me?”
I didn’t need to elaborate. Her eyes clouded as she fought with whatever demons held her back from telling me the truth of her past. I was pretty damn sure he had abused her, and that thought nearly crippled me, but I needed to hear it from her mouth.
She took a deep breath. “I think so. Will you ever tell me?”
The blood-soaked ground of Afghanistan ripped through my memory like a hacksaw. I glanced away, my heart dark and heavy. “I hope so.”
As I drove Jewel home from the park, my phone buzzed with a text. At a red light, I checked the screen. Dempsey.
I peered up and tightened my hands on the wheel.
“Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Bad news?”
I faced her and concern was etched on her delicate features. “No. Just my old friend I told you about. I’ll text him back later.”
She didn’t push for more and I was grateful. I drove on and searched my mind for a way to extend our day. We’d spent a lot of time together lately, but I still
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