CHAPTER 14
By nine o’clock the next morning, Beth was ready and waiting for Bryce to pick her up.
She’d been up since six, battling a stomach that had apparently declared war on her.
For a couple of miserable hours, she was convinced she’d have to call and cancel, but after managing to keep down some dry toast, she took a shower and felt human again.
The swelling around her stitches had gone down overnight, leaving only the faintest bruising.
She stood in front of the mirror for several minutes debating whether to try and cover it with makeup—then decided against it.
It wasn’t worth the risk of irritating the skin…
and besides, Bryce had already seen worse.
Deciding to power through, she got ready for their “date,” as Bryce had called it.
Now, dressed and with time to spare, she brewed a fresh pot of coffee and curled up on the couch with The Fake Date by her favorite author.
The sweet military fake-relationship romance had always been a comfort read—but today, the ladies’ man and the bookworm dynamic felt a little too familiar to ignore.
She was so engrossed in the story that the doorbell startled her. Marking her place, she tossed the book into her purse and headed for the door. She didn’t bother checking the peephole—it had to be Bryce.
What she wasn’t expecting was what he held.
A dozen—no, wait, eleven—long-stemmed white roses.
“Good morning,” Bryce said smoothly, offering her the bouquet with a slow, teasing grin.
Beth just stared at them in confusion. Bryce jiggled the flowers, as if she might not have noticed them.
“Lizzy, these are for you,” he prompted, his eyes dancing with amusement.
Beth finally took them but shook her head. “I mean… thank you. But… why?”
Bryce gasped, feigning offense. “Excuse me? A devastatingly handsome man shows up at your door with flowers, and your first response is confusion? Clearly, I have my work cut out for me.”
Beth laughed despite herself. “It’s just… I wasn’t expecting
them. And you picked my favorite color and kind.”
“Of course I did. What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t?” He smirked, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Did you think I’d bring you a bouquet of weeds?”
She shook her head, still baffled. “I’ve just never had a guy bring me flowers before.”
Bryce groaned. “That is a travesty. He raked a hand through his hair. “I need to right this wrong immediately.”
Beth chuckled. “I think you just did.”
“Oh no, honey. I’m just getting started.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger long enough to make her breath hitch. Then, pulling back, he gave her a wicked grin. “I’m thinking daily deliveries for the next two months to make up for lost time.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s not necessary.“
“No guarantees. Now, where’s your jacket?”
Beth wordlessly pointed to the counter where her purse and coat were draped. Bryce grabbed them, handed them to her, and winked. “You look beautiful, by the way. Ready to go?”
Not long into the drive, Beth gave up trying to figure out their destination and instead relaxed into the heated leather seat. Bryce was a vault when he wanted to be, and she didn’t have the combination—yet.
“Tell me about your brother,” she asked, breaking the comfortable silence. “Brent, is it?”
“Brock,” Bryce corrected, with a chuckle. “What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know. What does he do? Is he married? Are you guys close?”
Beth sipped the coffee she’d brought and turned slightly in her seat, watching Bryce as he carefully considered his answer. He wasn’t the type to blurt things out without thinking. She liked that about him.
“We used to be really close. He’s just a year younger than me, so we grew up pretty inseparable.
We both got football scholarships to the same college—UC Santa Barbara—so we played together for a while.
We even lived in an off-campus apartment two blocks from the beach.
Brock got into surfing pretty fast and started competing. ”
“That was all in the past tense,” Beth noted. “You’re not close anymore?”
Bryce exhaled. “When I walked away from God, I kind of walked away from my family too. Their faith is a big part of their lives, and being around them just reminded me of everything I’d turned my back on.”
“Have you told Brock that you rededicated your life to the Lord?”
“Not yet.”
“What do you think he’ll say?
“Something like ‘About time you got your head out of your butt. What miracle finally smacked you upside the head?’”
Beth let out a laugh. “Wow. Rude.”
Bryce grinned, feeling unexpectedly warm at her defense. He wasn’t used to anyone standing up for him.
Then again, he hadn’t exactly let anyone in close enough to want to.
“He will want to meet you,” Bryce added. “He’ll ask for us to visit.”
“So, he’ll want to meet me but won’t want to come here?”
“He’s in Santa Barbara. This is the start of his busiest season, so he can’t travel. He’s one of the pastors for FCA—Fellowship of Christian Athletes—and runs surfing camps.”
Beth’s brows lifted. “No way. Kim worked with a pastor in Belize who ran FCA surf camps before moving there. I wonder if Brock knows him?”
“What’s his name?”
“David Lambert.”
Bryce blinked in surprise. “Yeah, I know him too. He’s the guy who got Brock into surfing. We met him at an FCA banquet in college. Brock was so impressed that he and a friend went out and bought surfboards the next day. Lambert actually taught them to surf.”
Beth shook her head in amazement. “Wow. Small world.”
“It is.” Bryce exhaled, his voice quieter now. “Unfortunately, I spent years trying to erase every trace of my past faith. Looking back, I can’t believe what an idiot I was.”
He pulled off the road, put the car in park, and turned toward her. His usual confidence was shadowed by regret, his warm brown eyes clouded with something deeper.
Beth swallowed, unsure how to comfort him.
Bryce pushed open his door. “Wait here.”
Beth frowned as he stepped out, circled the car, and opened her door. “What are you—”
“Come on.” He grabbed a bag from the trunk, slung it over his shoulder, and took her hand.
Beth let him lead her up the road, glancing around in confusion—until she recognized where they were. Her lips parted in delight.
“Helen Hunt Falls!” She beamed up at him. “We used to come here when I was little. Lynn and I always ended up having snowball fights.”
Bryce’s grin turned boyish. “Want to hike to the top and have a picnic?”
“Sounds perfect.” Beth hesitated, then smirked. “If you’re sure you can make it. I know you’re… old…er.”
Bryce froze mid-step, his jaw dropping. “Old? I’M THIRTY-FIVE!”
Beth burst into laughter and took off running across the small bridge over the waterfall.
Bryce shook his head, muttering something about “disrespectful wives” as he followed at a more measured pace.
Beth stopped at the first overlook where the trail bent toward the ridge. Wind stirred the trees around her, and as she took in the view, she tried to breathe deeply. The car ride had been relaxing, but now her nerves were back.
Moments later, Bryce’s footsteps crunched up the trail behind her.
“There you are,” he said softly, not out of breath in the slightest.
Beth glanced at him, suddenly embarrassed for sprinting ahead like that. Unsure how to be playful with the man she found herself married to, she blurted, “I wasn’t hiding. Just… uh, waiting.”
His brow quirked. “You okay?”
She shrugged, wondering if he could see her heartbeat in her neck. It felt like it was thudding hard enough to be visible. She adjusted her hair to cover it, just in case.
“Yep. I love this trail. It’s so beautiful up here.”
He stepped beside her, crowding her space but not touching—and looked out at the mountains and waterfalls.
“Yeah. It is.” A beat passed. Then Bryce tilted his head slightly, studying her. “Thanks for coming with me.”
Beth didn’t meet his gaze. She just gave a small shrug instead. Then, in a quiet voice “I almost texted you this morning to cancel.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She hesitated, wanting to answer honestly but suddenly caring that he’d think she was pathetic.
“I don’t know. I guess… I didn’t want to miss my chance at a real first date. I’ve never actually been on one. And now that I’m married, it sorta felt like… this might be my only chance.”
Bryce didn’t laugh. Didn’t tease. He just nodded. Then, gently, he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Beth stiffened—not because she didn’t want his touch, but because she did. This was all so new to her, and it felt like she wanted it more than she should. She finally looked at him—and realized just how close they were.
Her breath caught. His face was inches from hers, eyes steady, watching her.
The chill in the air was replaced by the heat radiating off him.
Her gaze dipped—just briefly—to his lips.
Bryce didn’t move. But she didn’t either.
How do you initiate a kiss? Beth wondered and finally understood why her one and only kiss had felt so awkward. Even though she wasn’t sure how to kiss him, she wanted to.
That felt dangerous, but still, she didn’t back away.
Bryce saw the shift. Felt it. Unlike Beth, he wasn’t new to moments like this. But instead of closing the distance, he stepped back—just a little.
“Sorry,” he said quietly. “Should I have not touched your hair without asking?”
“You didn’t make me uncomfortable.” Her voice was too fast. Too eager.
He gave her a soft smile. “Good. I’d hate to think I give off danger vibes.”
Her heart leapt to her throat at his use of the word ‘danger’
and how it mirrored her thoughts.
Then, in that sexy, confident way of his, he added, “For a second there, I was terrified.”
Beth blinked.
“I thought you were gonna kiss me and give me cooties.”
Completely caught off guard, laughter burst out of her before she could stop it.
“Oh, stop. You were not.” She swatted at his arm.
“Was too,” Bryce insisted, crossing his arms with a dramatic shudder. “You had this funny look in your eye. I thought you were gonna grab me and plant slobbery kisses like a golden retriever all over my face.” He shuddered again. “Ugh! The horror!”
“Slobbery?” She gasped in mock offense. “Do I look like a retriever?”
“Eh. Maybe a cute one.”
She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm again.
“Kissing you was the furthest thing from my mind,” Beth insisted, knowing it wasn’t exactly a lie. Her thoughts had gone far beyond just kissing.
Bryce grinned like a man who knew exactly what she meant. “Good,” he said.
“Good?” she echoed, suddenly unsure if he was still joking.
“Yup. I’ve made it thirty-five years cootie-free. I would hate to break the streak.”
Beth laughed again, shaking her head.
Then, with no shame whatsoever, he stepped in, slid his hand to her hip, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear—repeating the action that had brought them to this moment.
“You are beautiful, though,” he murmured. “So, if you were thinking about kissing me… I might be willing to reconsider my stance on cooties.”
Beth’s face lit up like the Fourth of July.
Bryce saw it. All of it. A wave of satisfaction washed over him as he realized his wife wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Instead of teasing more, he just squeezed her hip gently and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple—the same way he had the night before.
Then, with a tenderness that completely disarmed her, he took her hand.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s see if we can’t give you a first date worth remembering.”
This time, Beth didn’t pull away. She really should have. But her fingers fit so well between his.