Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
G ranger stood and offered his hand to Shiloh, helping her out of the booth now that their dinner was done.
“Thank you,” she murmured. It was a little funny. Their dinner had started with heavy talk of pasts and fears and ended with peaceful quiet.
Not talking was different for Shiloh. She had a lot to say and had never been afraid to say it, yet their inaudible conversation had been one of the best times of Shiloh’s life.
There was such an ease between them, and Shiloh wanted more. She wanted more of his warm hand holding hers. More of his genuine smiles. More of his teasing and deep chuckle. She wanted to sit back and watch him with Zane or joking with his guys. Most of all…Shiloh just wanted more time with the man.
If he hadn’t been scared off by her crazy childhood, then maybe Serenity was right.
This was love.
She’d never reached this level of emotional connection with a man before, and for the first time ever, Shiloh didn’t want to stop it.
“So…” She swung their hands between them as they stepped outside. “What now? A kiss and then goodnight.”
Granger grinned and shook his head. “If you want.”
“What do you want?” Shiloh countered.
“I thought a walk on the beach might be nice.” He rubbed his chin. “Though, I’ll admit I didn’t consider that we wouldn’t really be in beach clothes for this. Maybe we can put that aside for another time.”
Shiloh shrugged. “Shoes come off. I don’t mind a nice stroll through the moonlight.”
Granger gave her a loaded look. “Do you like long walks on the beach, Shiloh? I have to admit, I didn’t exactly peg you for a romantic.”
Shiloh sniffed and stuck her nose playfully in the air. “I like romance as much as the next girl. Whatever gave you a different idea?”
“The fact that I’m pretty sure you would have broken my nose if I tried to kiss you too early.”
Shiloh dropped the proud act and laughed. “Technically, you did kiss me too early. But while I admit I would’ve had words with most men, I’m not exactly the type to smack people in the face without good reason.”
“A guy who kisses a woman when he doesn’t have the right is a very good reason,” Granger said in a low tone.
Shiloh knew his mind had gone to Arthur. Her rival hadn’t exactly stolen a kiss, but he’d definitely stolen other things from Shiloh, including a feeling of safety. Now was not the time to tell Granger that she’d continued to find small notes around her car and office.
The thing was, she wasn’t sure if the law could do anything about it, since Shiloh couldn’t prove he’d broken the restraining order. And she was afraid the Granger would take things into his own hands, which wouldn’t be good for anyone involved.
The last thing Shiloh wanted was for the man she was falling for to end up in jail. That would be a horrible turn of events, and Zane would never forgive her.
“You’re right,” Shiloh soothed, rubbing her free hand up Granger’s arm. “But I don’t want to focus on that tonight. I want to enjoy our first date, and if walking on the beach in my bare feet means I’ll get a few kisses, then I’m all for it.”
Granger stopped their walking and swung Shiloh around, his hands going around her waist. “We don’t have to be on the beach to share a kiss,” he whispered, leaning down.
Shiloh, in turn, reached up with her hand and pressed it to his lips, stopping Granger’s descent. “Uh, uh…I was promised beach, sand, and waves. Better deliver, Garden Man.”
Granger smiled against her fingers, pressed a small kiss to them, and stepped back. “Whatever you want. Sand and surf, it is.” Intertwining their fingers again, he led her to the truck and helped her get situated before driving down the road to a beach entrance.
It took almost no time at all for them to be strolling side by side, shoes dangling from their fingertips.
“Wow,” Shiloh whispered. “So this is why couples like to walk in the moonlight.” It was the perfect night for their little outing. The moon was nearly full, and the few clouds in the sky were spread out enough to allow the moon to light the entirety of the beach.
The tide appeared to be somewhere in the middle of its rotation, allowing firm sand to walk on without fear of being drenched.
“Have you lived around here your whole life then?” Granger asked. “I don’t remember you from high school.”
Shiloh nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been friends with Serenity since middle school, so a long time.”
“Did your mother bring you here?”
Shiloh’s smile drooped just a little. “Yeah…but I actually liked this move. And while we didn’t have our own home, we did stay in the area for a lot of years, which let me have friends. So that was good, at least.”
Granger squeezed her fingers and smiled down at her. “I’m glad she brought you here, but I’m sorry it was so hard being dragged around.”
Shiloh smiled back and leaned her temple against his shoulder as they walked slower and slower. “I’m glad we came here, too,” she softly replied.
The couple grew quiet for a few minutes, their stroll turning into something more closely resembling a crawl, but neither seemed to care. The sound of the crashing waves was comforting and peaceful, taking away the need for constant conversation.
Shiloh frowned a little. “So…you’re friends with the McCoys.”
“Yeah.”
“Were you all buddies in high school?” Shiloh lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up. “It seems weird that we didn’t cross paths because I hung out with the McCoys a lot because of Serenity.”
Granger shrugged. “Not really. I was older than the McCoys. I knew who they were, but we didn’t hang out as teenagers. I mean…” Granger chuckled. “It was hard not to know who Luca was. The dude is a beast. He barely fit down the hallways of the school.”
“True.” Shiloh smiled. “I think he’s literally double my weight.”
Granger’s fingers slipped out of hers and slowly moved across her lower back, curling at her hip. “I believe it.”
Shiloh sighed and melted into his side. So, this was love. This was what it was to want one person above everyone else and to be willing to do things outside your normal character to be with them.
Shiloh had a moment’s regret that she had judged her mother so harshly. The feeling of being Granger’s was overwhelming and beautiful all at once. Was this what her mother had been through over and over again? Was it possible to fall in love that many times?
Serenity had said no, and Shiloh was inclined to believe her friend.
This wasn’t the kind of feeling that Shiloh had experienced, nor did she want to experience this with every guy she’d ever met. This was a different level of intimacy…and Shiloh finally was ready for it.
This kind of peace didn’t come very often. With a child running through his home, Granger seemed to only catch bits and pieces of this kind of quiet.
Those moments when he stood in Zane’s doorway, watching him breathe while he slept.
The moments in front of a decorated and lit Christmas tree before Zane came barreling down the hallway screaming at the top of his lungs.
The moments with a cup of hot chocolate on his back porch while he watched the sun go down, often with Zane curled into his side reading a book.
And now…the moment with his arm around a beautiful woman as they experienced Mother Nature put on a nighttime spectacular.
Crashing waves, bright moonlight, soft sand, and a warm breeze…yeah…Granger had a wish that this moment could last forever. There was only one thing that could possibly make it better.
Using his hand at her hip, Granger slowly urged Shiloh to turn, shifting her weight from her shoulder so they were now standing facing each other, his other hand joining his first around her waist.
“Have I fulfilled the requirements to get a kiss now?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
Shiloh slid her hands up his chest, locking them behind his neck. “I think that’s a distinct possibility,” she whispered back. Rising up on tiptoe, she held herself a couple inches from his mouth. “Are you going to take it? Or am I supposed to give it?”
Granger laughed quietly. “I suppose it’s best if we plan on a little of both.” He came closer to her. “Shared kisses are better than one sided ones.” Before she could tease back, Granger closed the last inch.
He’d been right. There was only one thing that could make their walk on the beach better.
For a man who seemed to live by the clock, Granger had to admit that he completely lost track of time while he was holding Shiloh. The moon had drifted, the tide had climbed, and both of them were breathing heavily by the time they came apart.
Granger couldn’t help but stare down at Shiloh. He could see the flush in her cheeks and her lips were swollen from his attention, and Granger found himself feeling a little smug in his ability to affect Shiloh the same way she affected him.
She couldn’t see how his heart was pounding against his ribs, and the back of his neck felt as if it were on fire. Hopefully, she didn’t realize that he was barely keeping his hands from trembling as they roamed her back and played with her hair.
He tucked a piece of that amazing hair behind her ear, letting it fall through his fingers. He’d never found himself quite so fascinated by a woman’s hair today, but he couldn’t stop touching Shiloh’s. It was so thick and soft. Far different than Ella’s thinner, finer hair had been.
Granger froze. He didn’t want to follow that line of thought. It wasn’t fair to Shiloh to compare the two of them, and Granger didn’t want to let himself even start that.
He’d compared them before he’d ever gotten to know Shiloh, and that had been one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He wasn’t going to let himself keep doing it now.
“I think maybe we need to call it a night,” Shiloh whispered thickly.
Granger gave himself a little shake, bringing his thoughts back to the present. “You’re ready to go home?”
Shiloh blew out a breath and let her forehead fall against his chest. “No, actually.” Her shoulders shook with quiet laughter. “And that’s why I need to go home.”
Granger groaned and wrapped his arms tighter, hugging Shiloh to him. “I’m glad you’re being the logical one because I’m not sure I’m strong enough to walk away on my own.”
Shiloh gripped the back of his shirt, pulling herself even closer. “I’m not strong enough either…Granger?”
“Hm?” He buried his face against her neck. Why did she smell so good?
“I never thought I’d say this to anyone, but…I think I’m falling for you.”
Granger froze and slowly pulled his head back until he could look her in the eye.
Shiloh shook slightly, trembling against him as if she were afraid to admit such a thing. Granger flexed his hand against her back. “You’re…falling for me?”
Shiloh nodded jerkily. She buried her face against him again. “Maybe that’s too soon, but I’ve been so scared to let it happen and now that I’ve realized it, I didn’t want to not say anything.” She shook a little harder with a wheezing laugh. “Holding back my thoughts has never been my forte.”
Granger relaxed and kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad you said it,” he said against her hair. “Because I feel the same, but I’ve been worried that it’s happening too fast, as well.”
Shiloh gripped him tighter. “So we’re really in this.”
Granger nodded slowly. “We are.” He sighed and rested his cheek on top of her head. Wow, that was simpler than he thought but still just as terrifying.
Shiloh patted his back. “Come on. Let’s get Zane so I can say goodnight, and then you can drop me off.”
If Shiloh had wanted to get any deeper under Granger’s skin, then she’d nailed it by saying she wanted to see Zane.
Feeling as if his entire life was changing, Granger forced himself to step away from Shiloh, keeping only her hand in his, and they began the long walk back to the truck. He hadn’t realized just how far they’d gone, but he wouldn’t complain at a little extra time just soaking up Shiloh’s presence.
As they stepped from the sand to the boardwalk, Granger shook out his feet and rubbed the sand off until he could put his shoes on without rubbing himself raw. By the time he finished, Shiloh was already waiting for him.
“Speedy,” Granger teased. “I like that in a woman.”
Shiloh gave him an arch look. “If you’re lucky, you’ll get to figure out what else you like about me.”
Granger kissed her forehead. “I’ll look forward to it.” As they drew closer to the truck, Granger slowed down, frowning. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
Granger let go of her hand and stormed over to the truck, yanking the paper off his windshield. Had he gotten a ticket? He’d parked legally, so why?—
Shiloh peered over his shoulder and gasped.
It took a concerted effort not to crush the picture. What Granger had thought was a paper was actually a copy of a picture. One of him and Shiloh on the beach.
Heat, angry, hot and boiling like lava, built in Granger’s core.
If Arthur hadn’t already been on the death list, this little stunt would have secured him the top spot. He’d obviously been busy tonight if he’d managed to take a picture and print it out so quickly.
Just what was he trying to accomplish with this little stunt?
Forcing himself not to cuss out loud, Granger pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial for Montoya.
“Granger, man, what’s up?”
“Sorry to call so late,” Granger said, his voice dark and low. “But we’ve got a problem.”
There was a moment of silence. “I’m off duty. Can you just come to my house?”
“Text me the address,” Granger commanded, ushering Shiloh toward the passenger door. “We’ll be there in five.”