Chapter 7
Sleep didn’t come easily, and she woke early. She didn’t want to bug Keel, but then she heard him out on the patio. She opened the door and moved to the rail, leaning out to watch the sunrise.
“Good morning,” she said without looking over. Hopefully, he had clothes on.
She heard him stand and move to the rail, his coffee mug casually dangled over the edge in one hand. The coffee smelled delicious.
“Good morning. You ready for breakfast?”
“Your coffee smells great.” Her breath caught as she turned and met his gray gaze. The man looked beautiful. She knew guys didn’t like beautiful used to describe them, but Keel was beautiful.
“I’ll get you a mug. Do you want milk and sugar?”
“Yes. I like it a little sweet. I know that’s bad.”
“It’s not bad. I’ll fix a mug. Do you want to come over and watch the sun rise from here?”
She shouldn’t, but she wanted to. “Sure. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“I’ll prop the door open.”
The first thought she had was that he was a fool for propping the door. He lived in a different world than she did. A guy like him wouldn’t be attacked if he left the door open. Not here. This wasn’t the hood. It was a vacation destination.
She made her way through the apartment, taking a deep breath before checking outside the peephole, seeing if it was clear. Forest was an idiot, but she didn’t think he would come back so soon.
The coast was clear, and she opened the door, checking the lot, not seeing the shiny car Forest had been driving. Relief spread, and she knocked before opening his door, then made sure the door was firmly shut and locked after she closed it.
“Hey, coffee is ready. Come on, let’s go out before the sun actually comes up. I think we have a minute or two.”
She picked up the mug and took a sip. It tasted like heaven. “Thank you. This is good.”
“Thanks. I’m a coffee snob when I’m not in the field.”
He stepped out onto the patio, and she followed. The clouds were painted in pinks and oranges.
“Beautiful,” Keel said.
“When I was a kid, we came here. I loved the sunrises. My mom hated that I woke early, but I’ve never been a good sleeper.”
Keel chuckled then took a sip of coffee. “I used to drive my parents crazy. I’d climb trees, and they thought I was going to die. A few times, I got stuck really high and couldn’t get down. One time, the fire department had to be called.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was always into stuff, doing crazy things.”
“I was very obedient. I did what my parents told me. I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke. My friends took pills and did edibles. I was a goody two-shoes.”
“My parents were strict. I loved them, but they took punishment to the next level. It’s why I left home so young and joined up.
I needed an escape, and part of that escape was getting with Shana.
She said she accepted me. I enjoyed basic training.
I got to do stuff like climb towers and do fun exercises where I climbed up rope ladders and ran obstacle courses.
We camped out under the stars and swam naked in lakes and streams. It was good. ”
“It sounds like you made the most of it.”
“I did. I was one of the weird ones who liked training.”
“I really liked college. I should have gone back for my master’s.”
“No time like the present.”
She blew out a heavy breath and sipped more coffee. A tiny sliver of sun was visible at the horizon. This was what hope felt like. New beginnings. Could she reach out and grasp onto the hope she felt, or would it melt in her grasp?
Keel liked standing beside Frankie watching the sun rise. He liked nature, liked mountains, waterfalls, and the beauty of the world amazed him. It sucked that people screwed it up.
“So breakfast, you ready?”
She turned to him, her eyes dancing over his face to his arms. “Sure. I don’t get hungry often, so I don’t eat.”
“Hopefully my omelet will be delicious, and you’ll eat it all. I’m doing a three-egg omelet. I’m guessing you don’t want one that big?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No way could I eat three eggs.”
“Okay. A two-egg omelet.” She followed him inside, and he started preparing the eggs. He’d already cut vegetables and grated the cheese.
The pan heated, and Frankie took a seat at the bar. He liked her hanging out while he made breakfast. Her being here felt comfortable.
“So how far did you get into the book yesterday?”
She sipped her coffee before answering. “Through the first part of forgiving yourself.”
He nodded. “That chapter was hard, but it set me free. Unlocked the way I was using blame and hate as a crutch.”
“It really sucks that one mistake can lead to something like this.”
“It does.”
He poured his eggs into the warmed pan. Though he was used to making omelets, he still had to watch the eggs to get everything right. He added the vegetables and waited until the eggs were just right to add the cheese and fold them over.
Once it was done, he plated it and then put it in the microwave. Then he started in on hers. He paid special attention to get hers right. When he finally folded her egg, he felt like it was almost restaurant-worthy.
“Breakfast is served.” He slid her plate onto the bar and handed her a fork before getting his out of the microwave.
He moved around the bar and sat beside her, digging into his food. Frankie took a bite and moaned.
“So good. You’re an excellent cook. If that Army thing doesn’t work out for you, you have a future in the kitchen.”
He chucked. “Glad to hear.”
They ate, him clearing his plate, her eating a little more than half. He was glad she was eating. Hopefully, she could put a few pounds on. When she’d been on his shoulders, he could feel her bones. She had no extra padding, and that worried him.
After they finished eating, she went over to her place to change into shoes she could walk in. She was back at his door in about ten minutes. He was ready to go, and they took off. He slowed his pace, matching hers. They didn’t go as far as he normally would, and they kept their conversation light.
When they finished, she thanked him for the walk. “Sure. I enjoyed it.” And he had. He would have to work out later just to get his energy out.
“I’m going to read more and start journaling like the book says.”
“Journaling.” He shook his head. “That part was hard. I didn’t enjoy it.”
The pain in her eyes seemed less now. Maybe it was the book or just being away from her ex.
He hoped she could keep on the path of healing.
It would be good for her, and it made him feel good that he could help someone.
She could take off, and he would never see her again, but they might stay friends. He’d like that.