Chapter Two
“Hey, lady!” Davin grinned when he walked into the gym and saw Echo sitting in her usual spot on the pile of mats near the free weights.
Echo’s tail swept the mats behind her as she sat up and smiled at him.
Lucky was running on one of the treadmills and he nodded, then inclined his head toward Echo, anticipating the question that Davin hadn’t yet asked. Echo was a veteran, a teammate of Lucky’s, a former Navy SEAL in her own right. Lucky had been her handler, and Davin always made sure to check with him before he approached her. Maybe it didn’t matter anymore now that they were all retired, but he didn’t know what order she might be under while she waited.
She let out an excited sounding little yip when he sat down on the mats beside her. She licked his ear and then sat back with that expression on her face that always looked to Davin like she was smiling at him.
“I thought I’d have the place to myself tonight. I’m glad you’re here,” he told her.
Lucky slowed the treadmill down so that he was jogging, no longer running full out as if the hounds of hell were on his heels.
“Dee’s finishing a book, and I’ve been out of town for a couple of days. We came in here to kill some time,” Lucky explained. “We usually run on the beach but there were a lot of tourists down there. What about you – do you usually come in in the evenings?”
“No. I just …” Davin didn’t want to explain why he was wandering around town like a lost soul. He’d intended to go back to Clay’s place when he left the grocery store, but he hadn’t wanted to face Alec and his sympathy. He’d parked in the square at the resort, intending to go into The Boathouse, but changed his mind and gone for a stroll down Main Street which had brought him here.
Lucky cocked his head to one side. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just a bit out of sorts. That’s all.”
“Anything I can help with?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
Echo leaned all her weight against him and rested her head on his shoulder, making him smile.
Lucky nodded. “She’s better at that kind of thing than I am anyway. I never know what words to say – she doesn’t need them.”
Davin nodded. It was true. He doubted that a conversation would make him feel any better, but Echo’s warm, furry support was helping.
“Are you still looking for people to hang out with her?” he asked.
Lucky grinned. “I was about to say no. I was letting her go hang out with other people to distract her from her obsession with Michael’s dog, Ollie. For a while there, all she wanted to do was go down to the beach to look for him. Now, we’ve figured things out and we get her and Ollie together for play dates a couple of times a week. So, she’s settled back down. But I’m guessing you were asking more for yourself?”
Davin gave him a sheepish smile. “Like you said, she’s pretty good at helping when you don’t want to talk about your troubles. I just thought …”
He stopped, and they all turned to look when a woman walked in through the front door. Davin did a double take; she wasn’t just any woman – she was the woman from the grocery store.
“Hi. Sorry to disturb you. Is one of you Russ?”
“No. He’s not here,” said Lucky. “He’s usually only around during the day.”
Davin smiled when her gaze fell on him.
“Oh. Hello again.”
“Hey. Is there anything we can help you with?”
Echo turned to look at him then jumped down from the mats and trotted over to the woman.
“Echo, where do you think you’re going, lady?” Lucky’s tone held a warning note, but the woman smiled.
“I’m okay to say hi to her, if you don’t mind. She’s a Belgian Mal, isn’t she? Which I’m guessing makes you one of the men who Cal told me about.”
Davin sat up a little straighter at that. She knew Cal? He’d assumed that she was a tourist.
“I work with Cal,” said Lucky.
Davin wasn’t surprised that he didn’t elaborate further.
Echo had reached the woman and she sat back on her hind legs and waved a paw at her.
The woman waved back. “Well, hello to you, too. It’s a pleasure to meet you. May I pet her?” she asked Lucky.
“Yeah. She won’t …”
As he spoke, the woman reached her hand out. Instead of sitting to be petted, Echo took the woman’s finger ever so gently between her teeth.
“Echo,” Lucky said sternly.
“It’s okay. I’m fine with it,” the woman reassured him. “I think she wants me to …” She allowed Echo to lead her toward them.
Davin’s heart pounded in his chest when instead of taking her to Lucky, who got down from the treadmill, Echo brought the woman straight to him. When they reached the mats, Echo let go of her finger and gave a happy sounding little yip.
Lucky grinned at him from behind the woman, who gave him and Echo a puzzled smile.
“You’re a clever girl, aren’t you?” She ran a hand over Echo’s head.
“Do you two know each other?” Lucky asked.
“We met briefly,” said the woman.
“Too briefly,” Davin said as he scrambled to his feet and held his hand out. “There wasn’t time for introductions. I’m Davin, Davin Johnson. I’m glad to see you again.”
She shook hands with him and smiled. “Likewise. I’m Aleh, err, Alma.” She frowned. “Alma.”
Lucky cocked an eyebrow at him, and Davin understood why. Even when a person was nervous, they didn’t usually stumble over their own name, and Alma – or Aleh-something-or-other – didn’t strike him as nervous in the least.
Lucky came over and shook her hand, too. “You used to work with Cal, right? I’m Lucky.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled. “You’re one of the Navy guys. I wasn’t sure how to introduce myself, but given that Cal, Ryan, and Manny all know me as Alma …” She shrugged. “It sounds as though there’s quite a band of brothers who’ve teamed up here. Cal told me that there’s a whole selection of former Navy guys, Marines, and even a couple of Deltas.”
Lucky grinned and jerked his chin toward Davin. “Delta.”
She swung her head to look at him. “Oh! Then it’s even nicer to meet you.”
He had to smile – that meant that she already thought it was nice to meet him. “I’m going to guess that since you know Cal, your background is with one of the agencies who shall not be named except in alphabet soup.”
She laughed, and he’d swear he could feel the sound of it travel over his skin. “Something like that, yes.”
Echo sat down beside her and leaned all her weight against her leg.
Alma petted her head. “I have to say, you’re a lot friendlier than I’d expect.”
Lucky laughed. “She isn’t usually. At least, not with civilians. But then, you’re not exactly a civilian, are you?”
Alma’s smile faded. “I am now.”
The look on her face hit Davin hard. He remembered how he felt when he and Adam left the unit. He hadn’t known who or what he was outside of it anymore.
“You’re no more a civvy than the rest of us,” he told her. “You don’t just stop being who and what you are – you just have to adapt to new circumstances, that’s all.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks. I needed to hear that. I don’t know how to stop being who and what I am – and more than that, I don’t want to.”
“You’ll figure it out, and there are plenty of us around here who understand.”
“There are,” said Lucky. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, but I have to get home. Come on, lady,” he told Echo. “Let’s go see Dee.”
Echo looked up at Alma and yipped. Then, she came to Davin and pressed her nose into his hand.
“Let’s go,” Lucky told her.
She looked over at him but didn’t go to him. Instead, she circled Davin then went to Alma and circled around her. Then she walked around each of them in a figure eight circuit, herding them a little closer together with each pass. When they were standing almost toe to toe, she gave a happy little yip and ran over to Lucky.
Lucky shook his head with a smile. “Call me,” he told Davin. “I want to talk to you.” He turned to Alma. “I’m sure we’ll see you around.”
When they’d gone, Davin looked down at Alma. She was still standing close – she hadn’t taken a step back. Her eyes were the kind of hazel that might be brown or might be green – whatever the color, they seemed to shine as she smiled at him.
Her hair was … he didn’t know whether to call it dark blonde or light brown. She wasn’t short, but she wasn’t tall either. He wasn’t as tall as some of the guys – he was just shy of six feet tall – she was maybe half a foot shorter. It was crazy thing to think, but she was just the right height for him.
Say something! The little voice in his head kicked in, making him aware that he was just standing there smiling at her as the seconds ticked by.
“Thanks for the note.” Thanks for the note? Seriously? That was all he had?
Luckily, she chuckled. “Thanks for helping, and I apologize if I was little brusque in refusing further help. I could have used it, but I was irritated with myself for needing it. I hope it didn’t come across that I was irritated with you for offering.”
“No. I … did you need Russ?”
She gave him a puzzled look, and he couldn’t blame her – way to change the subject! “You came in here looking for him,” he explained.
“Oh, no. I wasn’t looking for him. I came in to check the place out. Cal told me about it. I guessed that one of you must be him, that’s all.”
“Ah. Okay.” What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he string a coherent sentence together? “Are you moving here? Have you come to work with Cal?”
Her expression changed, and he knew he’d messed up. “No. I’m not here for work and … I’m not sure what my plans are yet.”
He smiled. “And there’s no reason you should tell me if you did know. I’m sorry for being nosy.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
She finally stepped back, and it was only when she did that he realized how much he’d enjoyed the feel of her presence so close to him.
“I should let you get on. I’m sorry I interrupted you.”
“You didn’t. I mean … I only came in to see Lucky and Echo.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Sorry. I should take the hint and let you go, huh?” He might as well say it – he couldn’t make things any more awkward.
She chuckled. “Probably. It wasn’t a hint, though. I took a walk around town to get a feel for the place. Do you recommend the food at The Boathouse? I think I’m going to have dinner there.”
His heart started to pound again. Alec had told him that he should go to The Boathouse. What if …
“Is there any chance you’d like to join me?”
“I don’t suppose you …” They spoke at the same time, but he stopped mid-sentence. She’d asked him to join her?
He nodded his head vigorously. “I would. I am. There is. I mean …” Shit! What was wrong with him?
She laughed. “Great! Are you good to go?”
“I am.”
When they reached the door, he held it open for her and she stepped out onto the street.
“Is it okay to leave the place unlocked?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s on a keypad so that members can come in whenever we like.”
“I was able to walk straight in.”
Davin checked his watch. “I think it switches over to the keypad at a set time, and it’s just after seven now, but I’ll text Russ to make sure it’s okay.”
He shot Alec a quick text, too, to let him know that he’d changed his mind and was going to spend the evening at The Boathouse, after all.
~ ~ ~
As they walked down Main Street back toward the resort, Alma was still trying to process her encounter with Echo. She’d swear that dog had smiled before she led her over to Davin. She hadn’t even started trying to process encountering him again yet. She slid a sideways glance at him as they walked. Wow! He was something else.
She’d spotted him in the parking lot at the grocery store just before that car had backed out. If she hadn’t been so distracted by his good looks, she would have been able to get out of the way without a problem. She couldn’t complain, though. Since she’d dropped the box, he’d come to help, and she’d experienced not only his good looks, but also his kindness. There was just something about him. He seemed … calm. That wasn’t the right word – it didn’t go far enough in describing the air of … something about him. He wasn’t as big as many of the guys she was used to working with. They were mostly taller and bulkier. He was probably just this side of six feet tall and … a little shiver ran down her spine, he was muscular, just not one of those great big hulking guys like Cal. In her opinion, he was way more attractive.
That thought stopped her rambling brain in its tracks. Attractive? She was attracted to him? Yes, she was. But she shouldn’t be. She’d sworn off men – at least, getting involved with them. Relationships were not her strong suit. The fact that she was here in Summer Lake was proof of that. She’d had to move all the way across the country before the man she’d been involved with finally accepted that no, she didn’t want to see him anymore. He’d wanted to marry her! She wasn’t opposed to the institution of marriage in principle, she wasn’t even averse to the possibility that she might one day get married herself – although she’d made it through the first fifty-six years of her life without walking down the aisle, and her chances probably diminished with every year that passed.
No, it wasn’t the thought of marriage in general that she had a problem with. It was the thought of marrying Gordon. He’d changed over the time that she’d known him. Perhaps that wasn’t true – perhaps he’d always been the same and she’d blinded herself to his less desirable qualities in the beginning? She wasn’t sure – and it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was needy. He demanded her time and her attention in a way that she found most unattractive. She’d spent her whole adult life working with take-charge, capable men. She saw them as her equals – and mostly, they saw her the same way, even if she did have to earn their respect in the beginning. Perhaps she’d been attracted to Gordon because he’d respected her and her strength from the get-go. However it had started, it had soon morphed into her feeling as though he saw her as a mother figure. She’d known all her life that she didn’t want children, so acquiring one in the form of a fully grown adult male when she was in her fifties hadn’t sat well with her. She shuddered again. She was well rid of him – she hoped.
“Are you okay?”
Davin’s question roused her from her musings. Why was she wasting time thinking about Gordon when she was right here – about to enter The Boathouse – with Davin?
She smiled. “Sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I got caught up in my thoughts. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
He smiled. “Not a problem. The look on your face tells me that they weren’t very pleasant thoughts. Anything you want to talk about, or would you rather I distract you and talk about something else?”
They’d reached the entrance to the restaurant, and he held the door open for her.
“Thanks.”She didn’t think that Gordon had ever held a door open for her. “I’d rather get to know you and pick your brain about Summer Lake than share my tale of woe with you.”
He chuckled. “Okay, but just so you know, I don’t mind if you want to vent.”
She met his gaze. He struck her as the kind of man who would listen. He’d probably ask insightful questions and help her to get clear in her own head. She didn’t need that, though – she was already clear. She was done with Gordon and hoping that he’d finally accepted that fact and would leave her alone to get on with her life.
When they reached the bar, a blonde girl greeted Davin with a grin. “Hey, gorgeous! It’s been a while. It’s good to see you.” She turned to Alma. “I’m Kenzie, nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too. Cal told me to look out for you. He said that I’d enjoy your company.”
Kenzie grinned. “Let me guess – he’s not sure how to handle you and sometimes thinks you can be a bit much?”
Alma chuckled. “Yes, that’s about right.”
Kenzie extended her hand. “Then I’d say we’re a pair together.”
As Alma shook hands with her, Kenzie’s smile faded. “Oh. Do you work with Cal, then? I thought you two might be …” She jerked her chin toward Davin and waggled her eyebrows “…together. I can’t figure out for the life of me why some lucky lady hasn’t snapped him up before now.”
Davin rolled his eyes at Kenzie and laughed, but Alma could see that he was a little embarrassed.
“What?” Kenzie asked, undeterred. “All you ex roughie toughie soldier boys move up here, and most of them met their woman in the first five minutes. You’ve been here for years now, and I’ve never even seen you take a woman out. Well, apart from Zoe and I mean, she’s …”
Davin scowled. “She’s out of the picture.”
His words were obviously meant to bring the subject to a close, but Kenzie carried on anyway. At first, Alma wondered if she just hadn’t picked up on the cue.
“I hate to say it, but I’m glad. She wasn’t right for you.” Kenzie shot Alma a quick glance, giving the impression that she was far from clueless. “If you can help him figure his shit out, I’ll be grateful.”
Alma chuckled. “Okay. For now, I think you’ve embarrassed him enough. I’d be grateful if you could pour me a decent cognac and …” She turned to Davin and raised her eyebrows.
“Whiskey. And a couple of menus. We’re going to eat, right?”
“Yes.”
Kenzie grinned at them. “Go find yourselves a table. I’ll bring your drinks and your menus over. After that, I’ll leave you in peace to enjoy your meal.”
Alma smiled at Davin before leading the way to a booth in a quiet corner. She automatically sat on the side that put her back to the wall. When Davin hesitated, she chuckled when she understood his dilemma. She patted the space beside her. “Sorry. I should have realized that you’d want this side, but I’m afraid I’m not going to give it up.”
He smiled and sat down beside her. “It’s not an issue with most people.”
“I know. There’s no reason that either of us should leave our back exposed though, is there?”
“Nope.”
She was surprised by just how comfortable she was with him sitting beside her like this. Whenever Gordon had tried to invade her space, she’d felt claustrophobic. There had even been a few times when they’d gone out to eat that she’d sat with her back to the room rather than have to sit next to him. It said a lot that she’d rather risk being attacked by an unseen assailant than have to share space with him and endure his incessant pawing.
Kenzie raised an eyebrow as she approached with their drinks. “I know I should keep my nose out, but you have to tell me – is this a date or a working dinner? You – ” she looked at Davin “– usually sit next to Adam while you both monitor the room.” She grinned at Alma. “Although what kind of threat they expect in here is beyond me. For most normal people, when a man and a woman sit next to each other, it’s a date. So, which is it?”
Alma smiled at Davin. “Neither. We’re just getting to know each other.”
“Hm. Well, do me a favor, would ya? When you decide which it is, let me know. And if I get a vote, I’d make this a date – you two are cute together.”
Davin groaned, and Alma had to laugh. “I thought you were going to give us some peace after you brought the drinks.”
Kenzie winked at Alma. “I’m on my way. Your server will be out to take your order soon. Don’t forget – I want to hear your verdict before you leave.”
When she’d gone, Davin took a drink of his whiskey and blew out a sigh. “Sorry about that. You’ll get used to Kenzie.” He frowned. “At least, you will if you plan to stick around. Have you moved here?”
She nodded slowly. “I think so. I was calling it an interim stop, but I think Cal has persuaded me that I should stick around for a while.”
His eyes seemed to twinkle when he smiled. “I hope you will.”
She held his gaze as she nodded – she was starting to like the idea of staying in Summer Lake a whole lot more than she had before.