SEAL Forever by Anne Elizabeth Page B

definitive direction. Make each action count. Slow down and take your time. Then, when you act, it comes out a logical and instinctual choice rather than a knee-jerk emotional reaction.”
    She smiled. “Good advice. I’ve never heard it explained that way. My coach was a lot like you—steady and stalwart.”
    Gich nodded his head. “What kind of coach?”
    She took another sip. A warm pathway heated toward her tummy. “Gymnastics. I was on the short list to compete in the Olympic trials.”
    â€œInteresting.” He said the word slowly and without sounding impressed.
    It was the greatest experience of her life, competing at that level. Not that she ever talked about it, or her wish to win Olympic gold. She hadn’t gone down that road with anyone for a long, long time. Here she was opening up, and he all he had to say was “interesting”!
    Her eyes snapped to his. “No, it’s not just interesting. It was my everything!”
    He lifted the glass of whiskey to his lips, took a long sip, and said, “Tell me about it.”
    Man, I seriously unloaded. Poor guy! But Gich took it all in stride.
    The night ended in a friendly manner. It was what she had hoped the date with Bosco would be, and yet it was Gich who walked her all the way from Coronado to Imperial Beach. They talked companionably the whole way, and she hadn’t realized how much she missed talking in-depth with someone. Declan hadn’t been gone that long, but she was already anxious for his return. She missed the closeness, and if she was being honest, the physical intimacy too.
    Gich, like Declan, had a vibe that reminded her of her family, and he’d been a gentleman the whole time. Never once did Gich sneak a grab or grope her, make unwelcome innuendos, or make her feel weird; instead he kept a comfortable and respectful distance.
    Before he left—grabbing a cab back into town—she’d asked him, “Why is it I can talk to you…like this?”
    â€œI’m a stranger,” he said and shrugged.
    She grabbed his arm, breaking the unspoken no-contact rule between them. “No, you’re not. You feel familiar to me. Tell me something about yourself, so I understand why I am at ease with you.”
    â€œBecause you don’t want anything from me,” he said bluntly.
    â€œThat’s…that’s true.” She didn’t believe that was the reason. There had to be something else.
    â€œAnd you don’t see me as a threat either. So you’re willing to be honest. Personally, I like the fact that you’re on the reserved side. It’s classy.” His cell phone buzzed. He checked it and scratched his chin. “I have to go, my daughter needs me.”
    â€œLucky girl, your daughter. Thanks for a nice night, Gich.” She gave him a quick hug.
    â€œHey, I’m around, if you want to talk again. Just come to McP’s.” As he reached the bottom of the staircase, he said, “Don’t be too hard on Swifton. He’s a good guy.”
    â€œHow…how did you know about my neighbor Declan?”
    â€œI’m retired from the Teams. I keep in touch with Teammates that come through my life. When I saw where you lived, I put two and two together.” He pointed to Declan’s door. “Him, I know very well. He’s a good guy. One of the best I know.”
    Her mouth was open wide enough to catch fireflies, and she couldn’t say a single word. She watched Gich walk down the street and hail a cab before going into her apartment, closing and bolting the door, and then picking up Declan’s letter. The edges were so worn from reading it that she held it gently. Her eyes scanned over the few brief lines, and then she put it back in its place of honor on her bookshelf.
    Stripping out of her clothes, she pulled on her worn white cotton nightgown and robe and walked to the window, where she could watch the ocean waves