Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Retired Captain Price Sanderson shifted his weight, searching the crowds of Quincy Market.
Would Adeline show up? He’d been tempted to use his resources with his famed boss Aiden Porter and find her address or place of business, miraculously show up close by and claim it was serendipity or some excuse that a beautiful lady might find intriguing, or laugh at.
Adeline was brave and had impressive self-control.
She’d ended their first pudding date far too quick.
There was a defensive do-not-cross line in her eyes.
It wasn’t in his best interest to be pushy.
He was intrigued by the teasing Adeline, and he could sense she needed him to take things slow.
Had she been hurt in the past? His wife ditching him while he was deployed had stunted his emotional growth, according to his friend and teammate former lieutenant River Einheart.
Price was no kind of expert with relationships or women.
It was the one area in his life that gave him cold sweats.
He had no problem following Adeline’s cues and taking things slow. As long as she showed up.
He spotted her smooth blonde curls and beautiful face.
Her blue eyes darted around as she also searched the crowds.
As soon as her gaze zeroed in on him, she stopped walking.
People streamed around her, but Price could only see Adeline.
He felt like River had sucker punched him during a sparring match and he was struggling to catch a breath.
Her blue eyes sparkled and her lips turned up in a welcoming smile.
She crossed the distance. He waited. She was like the dolphins he used to chase in the ocean off of The Cape when he was a teenager.
If he was patient and they believed he was part of their environment, they’d get close enough he could study them and sometimes even touch them.
If he swam their direction, their curiosity would only hold out so long before they’d retreat and disappear.
Price reached out his hand, wanting to touch Adeline’s hand and see if it was as soft as it had felt four days ago.
Four days was a long time to wait to see her again.
He should’ve set up a date the next day, but he was going off her earning her banana pudding for four days of self-control.
It had taken a lot of self-control not to see her again.
Especially when he knew he could receive another assignment from Aiden or his second in command Nick Jacobs and be gone within hours.
“Adeline,” he said in a husky voice he hardly recognized.
“Addie, please.” She looked from his outstretched hand to his face and back again. He wondered if he needed to drop his hand. Too pushy? She swallowed, her blue eyes became determined, and she placed her hand in his.
His heartrate picked up and warmth filled him.
“Addie,” he repeated. Two positive steps forward—her asking him to use a nickname and her settling her hand in his palm. He threaded their fingers together, relishing her soft palm and fingers. Her hand fit perfectly, and he didn’t want to let go. “Four days was too long.”
“Poor military hero, longing to see the woman he hardly knows.” She gave him a smirky smile.
“You have no idea,” he said, and lowered his gaze. “I can’t get you out of my head.”
When he lifted his eyes to hers again, he could see a shield had come up to hide her reaction. He’d pushed too far.
She pulled her hand back, confirming his fears, and said, “It’s not that deep, Price.”
He chuckled and forced himself not to act like a sap. “Banana pudding?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She blinked long, wispy lashes at him. He was mesmerized by her blue eyes.
Addie turned and strode to the bakery, glancing over her shoulder at him. Price was enraptured. He kept pace behind her, ordered for them, paid, and carried the treat to a table near where they’d sat the first time. He prayed he could keep her here longer than a couple minutes this go-around.
He pulled his coat off and thankfully she followed suit, revealing an off-white sweater paired with brown slacks. Last time her coat had been unzipped but she’d never removed it.
Taking her first bite of the pudding, she let out a sweet moan that made his pulse quicken. “Heaven,” she murmured, immediately scooping up another bite. “Do you live in Boston?”
He did a mental fist pump. She was asking questions. Hopefully she wouldn’t take two bites and walk away again.
“I grew up in Cambridge,” he told her. “My family is still there, and I have a condo near my parents’ home. I came home to visit between assignments.” He took his own bite of the creamy pudding. Had he shared too much or not enough?
He didn’t tell her he’d bought the condo for his wife almost twenty years ago now, wanting her to be close to his family when he was away.
His ex had been awarded the paid-off Maxima and two years of alimony payments from the judge.
Jaydyne’s name hadn’t been on the steeply mortgaged condo, and her attorney had advised her it wasn’t an asset worth fighting for.
The condo was paid off now, but he rarely used it for more than a few days a month.
“So as soon as you have an assignment, you’ll ditch me and I’ll be waiting for my banana pudding buddy and eating it all by lonesome?”
He chuckled. “If you give me your number, I won’t have to stand you up.”
“Too fast, Price, my impressive military man. Far too fast.” She took another bite and avoided eye contact. At least she didn’t bolt. Yet.
“All right. I can go slow.” He gave her what he hoped was a meaningful look when she raised her eyes again. Her cheeks darkened and she focused on her pudding. Had the look been wrong, or the words? Price was confident in all areas except women and relationships. There, he was a child.
“Are you from the area as well?” he asked to cover his blunder.
“No, sir. I grew up in a small valley in northern Arizona. Jade Valley.”
“Is your family still there?”
“Only my parents full time. One sister splits time between Jade Valley and San Francisco. My other two sisters and my niece are in Seaside Cove, South Carolina. My nephew joined the Air Force after graduation last spring.”
“Air Force,” he groaned. “At least he’s serving his country.”
She smiled. “We’re proud of him.”
“As you should be.” They each ate a bite of pudding.
“All girls,” he said. “I bet that was fun.”
“You have no idea,” she said drily. “My poor dad. Luckily, he’s a complete smart aleck and could joke about all the drama. Siblings?”
“A brother and a sister. Both live close by. I have a two-year-old nephew. Cutest little guy ever.”
“Handsome as his uncle?”
“The spitting image.” He flashed her a confident grin and ate another bite of pudding. They were having an actual conversation. Please don’t let her leave again.
“How long were you in the Navy?”
“Twenty years.”
“Thank you for your service.”
The words he heard often were sincere. He nodded, never sure what to say when someone thanked him for defending the country he loved and doing the work he was passionate about.
“Rank?” she asked.
He didn’t like to brag about himself, but he admitted, “Captain.”
“Oh, Captain my Captain. I like it.”
He liked her. Especially the way she teased constantly.
It reminded him of his unit in the Navy, always teasing each other.
With Addie, there was the added element of extreme attraction that had never been a part of the banter with his military buddies.
There was also an underlying current of tension.
Was she afraid of military men or possibly men in general?
He hoped not as that could mean she’d been injured emotionally or physically.
“What brought you to Boston?” he asked.
“Work. I’m a graphic designer. Plus I love the city, the history, the food, the waterfront, the Bruins.”
“I knew I liked you.” He was referring to the Bruins, but he did like her. A lot. He liked her teasing, her self-control, her smile.
And he hardly knew her.
“What’s not to like?” She grinned, but then she did what he’d been dreading. Her blue gaze became guarded and she closed her container, licking off her spoon.
“Already?” he asked.
“There are a long line of men hoping for a snippet of my time, Captain Sanderson. Consider yourself lucky I stayed this long.” She stood, grinning, and turned to walk away.
Price darted around her, grateful for his quick reflexes. She stared up at him, her blue eyes wide and the pulse point in her neck racing. He wished he dared touch her hand again or even better cup that smooth jawline with his palm and then trail his fingertips from her jaw to her pulse point.
“That long line of men is going to be disappointed when you choose to only spend your time with me,” he said, hoping his confidence wouldn’t backfire. The words came out naturally with her.
She laughed. It was a delightful sound but didn’t up his hopes of her choosing to spend more time with him. It was a surprised laugh, and she didn’t concur.
He was afraid to push her away, but he had to take a chance. He could receive an assignment tonight and have to leave. He reached for her hand, and she let him cup her fingers and hand with his own. He appreciated the small victory and rushed out the words, “Have dinner with me.”
She shook her head, pulled her hand free, and took a large step back, almost colliding with a mom and stroller. “Excuse me,” she murmured, then turned back to him. “Too bold, Military Hero. I’ll see you Tuesday. If you’re lucky.”
“Forgive me for being too bold.” He’d never apologized for being bold.
“I’ll think about it.” The teasing light was back in her blue eyes.
Addie walked around him, and he reluctantly let her go. Pivoting, he watched her weave through the crowd. She glanced over her shoulder once and gave him a sweet smile.
Price rubbed at the stitch in his chest as she disappeared into the throng. He was forty years old and had dedicated his life to the Navy until River talked him into retiring at his twenty-year mark and they were blessed with coveted positions with Aiden Porter.
He’d married Jaydyne, his high school sweetheart, when he was nineteen. The marriage lasted five years before she got fed up with him being gone all the time, divorced him while he was deployed, and found a banker with a nine-to-five and unlimited PTO. They had five children now.
It had been painful losing Jaydyne because of his dedication to his country, the Navy, and his unit. He wanted her to be happy, but it still hurt. Since then, he’d gone on dates but never anything serious.
Why did he feel like Addie Belle was the woman he’d been waiting for all this time? The sparkle in her blue eyes and the way they could tease were unique and special.
How could he get her to stay with him for longer than a few minutes or go on a real date?
He headed back to his pudding. Most likely he’d have another assignment with Aiden soon and he’d stand Addie up for the pudding date and never see her again.
That thought stung. He wanted to see her again.
If he got an assignment before Tuesday, he might pull some strings with Aiden’s tech guy Ollie and get her phone number.
He prayed that wouldn’t flip her out and hoped he wouldn’t have to go that route. Addie was more intriguing than any dolphin he’d ever come close to, and even more skittish.
Sadly, he could relate to being skittish with relationships, and that made him wonder who had damaged her.