2. Bristol
“Are you sure we can’t just stay here and watch Golden Girls?” I ask Leia as I grab one of the many outfits she’s picked out for me and pull it on before turning toward the mirror. “With how many people I know your dad invited, no one is going to miss us.”
Leia called me about an hour ago and told me she was on her way over before hanging up on me. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary for Leia. If it wasn’t for her, I’d spend most of my time at home, watching Golden Girls reruns and eating peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon. I know it’s not the healthiest of food options, but it’s my favorite.
The moment Leia walked through the door, she shoved me towards the bathroom and demanded I take a shower because we were going out. I grumbled for a few minutes but eventually headed towards the bathroom, where I found Leia on a video call with our other friend, Audrey, trying to choose the perfect outfit for me to wear on this mysterious outing.
“No. You need to go somewhere other than Nurture Space every once in a while.” Audrey snorts as she rolls her eyes at us through the computer screen.
Audrey Wilde and I have been friends since right after my dad was stationed at the military base in New Orleans. My family rented the house a few blocks down from hers instead of living in base housing. My dad had promised my mom this would be the last move, and we would finally put down roots as a family, but as always, he was lying.
Honestly, if I had known that we were going to move again in a few years, Audrey and I probably never would have become friends in the first place, but I’m glad that I didn’t. Audrey and I needed each other back then. I knew the minute I saw her standing at the bus stop with her dark curly hair pulled into a messy bun at the top of her head and her body enveloped in clothes that were obviously two sizes too big that she needed a friend as much as I did.
She tried to keep me at arm’s length, especially when we were at school, but slowly, I convinced her to lower the walls she had up around her heart and slowly let me in. After a few months, she told me she was pregnant by the most popular guy in school and that he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. Instead of pushing her aside like she expected, I wrapped her in my arms and promised to babysit whenever she needed help.
My parents were the same way, especially after her parents were killed in a car accident. Neither of them hesitated to offer Audrey a place to stay with us, making sure she and her daughter felt as if they were a part of our family, because they were. My parents told her she was welcome to stay for as long as she needed.
But, of course, duty called, and my father was transferred to Tennessee shortly after Love’s first birthday. I begged Audrey to come with us, but she was determined to make a life of her own for the two of them. The two of us have stayed in touch with weekly video calls and almost daily phone calls, even through college. We are as close as two people can be, with hundreds of miles between us. We tell each other everything, even our deepest, darkest secrets.
“Starting a business from scratch is hard,” I retort before pulling off my outfit and reaching for another one off the bed.
After graduating college, instead of chasing my parents around the country until my dad retired, I came back to Tyson’s Creek with Leia. Once I got my bearings, I combined my love for yoga and a business degree to open a yoga studio. Business has been all right—nothing too spectacular, but steady—thanks to all of Leia’s family for their support. I’d love nothing more than to have Audrey right here with me, helping to run the business. It would be a win-win for everyone involved.
“You could always move here. Love and I would love to have you live closer to us,” Audrey retorts quickly.
“She isn’t moving there. I’d miss her too much.” Leia grabs the set of clothes I’m holding and shoves another into my hands. “You could always move here. Audrey.”
“Yeah, what she said.”
Audrey is currently living in San Antonio, Texas, with her daughter, Love, although I try every time we chat to get her to move here to Tyson’s Creek. I know she says she’s happy there with her current boyfriend, Ian, but something feels off about their relationship. Something I can’t seem to put my finger on. Ian seems to be the perfect guy for Audrey, but there is this nagging voice in the back of my head that keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Not this again.” Audrey sighs loudly. “Love has a life here and friends. I don’t want to uproot her just because I miss being near my best friend. And there’s also Ian…”
“Oh, yeah, Ian.” Leia huffs. “How’s this amazing boyfriend of yours?”
“He’s fine. On another business trip to the East Coast, but he should be home this weekend.” She grimaces slightly before plastering a fake smile on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Leia and I ask in unison.
“Nothing,” Audrey eyes looking anywhere but at the two of us.
“Do we need to call Selina, too? I’m sure she’ll convince you to tell us what’s going on.”
Selina is the other person missing from our friend group. Leia and Selina grew up here in Tyson’s Creek together but didn’t get close until after their friend, Lydia, passed away during childbirth. Currently, Selina is living her dream as a ballerina in the New York City Ballet after graduating from Juilliard. She doesn’t come back to town at all to visit, but we all stay in touch through our weekly video calls.
“No. Besides, she’s at practice. She won’t be able to answer anyway.” Audrey huffs before sighing loudly. “Everything is fine. I promise. You four would be the first to know if it wasn’t.”
“We better be,” I respond quickly with an affirmative nod before stripping down to my underwear and changing clothes for the second time.
“And don’t forget, we know places to hide a body. Just say the word.”
“You know that makes it premeditated, Auntie Leia, right?” Love shouts from somewhere off-camera, causing Leia and me to laugh loudly.
“Yeah, I know,” Leia replies before checking the time on her watch. “Not that I don’t love chatting with you two, but if we don’t get Bristol dressed and out the door soon, my brother might send a search party.”
Before I met Leia in our junior year of college, I kept to myself. Sure, I had a few friends, but I wasn’t close to anyone besides Audrey. I chose to keep people at arm’s length as much as possible so that when I had to leave them, it didn’t hurt nearly as much. However, Leia wasn’t having it. After we were partnered up for a project in class, Leia continued sending me text messages and asking me to hang out. I ignored all of them, hoping she would get the hint and leave me alone. But she didn’t. Instead, she started sitting next to me during class, asking me to have lunch with her, and even planning study dates for the two of us. After a while, Leia started asking me about my family and friends, both subjects I rarely spoke to others about, and I found myself telling her everything. It was as natural as breathing, just like my friendship with Audrey. With Leia came Selina, and the four of us all became fast friends. I never had a close-knit family, but these three are the family I always dreamed of having. I know deep down that these ladies will have my back, no matter what happens.
“Why didn’t you say so?” I shout with glee. “Gotta go, Audrey. Love you, and give Love a kiss for us.”
Leia doesn’t even have time to say goodbye before I slam my laptop shut and grab her hand, pulling her toward the door. “You should’ve told me this was just us hanging out with Walker. I would’ve been dressed and ready to go hours ago.”
The first time I met Leia’s family, I was nervous. She grew up living in the same place her entire life, nothing like the way I grew up. Sure, we found something in common while we were at college, but I wondered if things would be different now that we weren’t in our little insulated bubble at college. I know it was silly, but I was worried I’d no longer have anything in common with her.
That all went out the window after meeting her dad, her older brother, Walker, and her younger sister, Skye. Yes, you read those names right. Leia and her siblings are all named after Star Wars characters. I don’t know the entire story, but her mom came to Tyson’s Creek to see some comet or something and never left. Her parents met when her mom was on that trip, and the rest is history.
“My apologies.” Leia huffs, blowing a loose tendril of her blonde hair out of her face as I shove her out the front door and pull it closed behind me. “Who knew that all it took was mentioning my brother was home to get you out of the house?”
Walker Armstrong is two years older than Leia and me and has become just as much my brother as he is Leia’s. The moment he smiled down at me, I felt safe and cared for. Not romantically, but how a brother looks at his sister. That moment was when I became his Bri Bri, and it’s been that way ever since. He lives a few hours away in Rose Hill, a small town in Magnolia County, where he’s the fire chief. If he isn’t busy saving the townsfolk of Rose Hill from fires and rescuing kittens from trees—Leia’s description of his job, not mine—he’s volunteering at the local community center or building homes for the homeless. Basically, he’s the male version of Mother Theresa—again, Leia’s description, not mine.
“That’s not the only way, but it helps. You know I love hanging out with your family, so leaving the house is an easy decision. If you were forcing me to go to a bar or on a double date, that would be a different story,” I make my way down the driveway toward her car. “But just for that, you can drive.”
“As if you weren’t going to make me drive anyway.”
“True.” I snort before stopping suddenly. “If this is just a dinner with the famjam, why did you have me put on a fashion show and go through so many outfits?”
Leia’s cheeks turn bright pink before she scurries to the other side of the car. “Look. We really need to get going.”
“Leia. What are you up to?” I question as she ducks into the car, and I pull the passenger door open and climb in.
“This is the first time Walker has been home in months, and he decided it would be a good idea to host a BBQ to thank the staff for all the extra work they did while Dad was in the hospital.”
“That’s not the worst idea in the world,” I say as she pulls away from the curb and heads toward her dad’s place in the hills a few miles outside of town.
Leia’s dad grew up on his family farm right outside of Tyson’s Creek, but after her parents were married, her mom helped him take things to the next level. It’s tucked into the lush and rolling hills just outside of town, but instead of being just a working farm, there’s now a warm and inviting inn, spa, and even a rustic farm-to-table restaurant. The story goes that the family farm suffered a drought or something right after Leia’s grandfather passed away suddenly from a heart attack, and the family had to survive. It was then that Leia’s mom came in with a fresh perspective on things. By turning part of the acres of land into tourist destinations, they could generate revenue for the entire town and save the farm, as well. And the rest is history, as they say.
Now Tranquility Retreat is one of the hottest resort destinations in all of Tennessee. People come from all over the country for a chance to take in the views of the mountains at sunset and learn what it’s like to work on a farm at the same time.
“Walker wants to keep it as low stress as possible. He’s hoping to have some time to relax while he is home. Work has been very stressful lately.”
“How much does he plan on relaxing? I thought he was coming home to help you take care of your dad?”
“He is, but we can’t very well tell my dad that.” Leia huffs as she turns the corner and heads down the covered bridge road towards the hills outside of town. “If it were up to him, he’d have been right back to tending to his bees the moment we pulled into the driveway.”
“Didn’t the doctor tell him it was time to slow down? He’s almost seventy years old, for goodness’ sake. It’s not like he’s the only person who works at the retreat.”
“Yes, he did. I’m just worried that if he doesn’t slow down soon, his next heart attack will be his last.”
I reach over and give her shoulder a squeeze. “Your dad is as stubborn as a goat, but I doubt he’ll do anything to intentionally damage his health.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. If he would keep his behind in the office instead of trying to follow everyone around like he’s still thirty years old, that would be amazing.”
“We both know that won’t happen anytime soon. Not unless he gives up some of his control over the business.”
Leia has been begging her dad to retire since his last health scare a few months ago. The man is almost seventy years old. Any sane person would have retired by now, but Mr. Armstrong just won’t let go. He still wakes up every morning to feed the cattle, check the fields, and do all the daily chores that need to be taken care of. They have plenty of staff with the tourist season being in full swing, so there is no need for him to be out on the grounds as much as he is. Leia has tried a million different things to convince him to take it easy and focus more on the admin side of the business, but he refuses, much to her chagrin.
The only person Mr. Armstrong seems to listen to is Walker, which, to me, makes no sense. He’s the oldest, but he doesn’t live here anymore and has no intention of moving back to town. Walker has a life and career in Rose Hill. I highly doubt he’s going to give that up to come run the family farm, especially when Leia has been taking care of it since her mom passed away after we graduated from college.
“Maybe Walker can help you convince him to finally retire and turn the place over to you. You practically manage the entire operation on your own anyway.”
“From your mouth to the Lord’s ears. But that’s not the reason for the fashion show…”
My eyes narrow as I stare at her, waiting for her to speak before turning and pinching her side.
“Bitch! That fucking hurt!” she whines, the car swerving slightly to the right as she flinches away from me. “You could’ve caused an accident!”
“There’s no one on the road. Now tell me what’s going on.” I cross my arms over my chest before turning my entire body in her direction and waiting for her to answer.
“Walker invited Brady, Seth, and the bane of my existence, also known as Riggs Monroe, tonight.”
“Oh,” I whisper, trying not to let Leia know how much this news affects me. “Aren’t Brady and Seth leaving on deployment again soon?”
“Yeah, they’re shipping out in two weeks. Beckett’s parents are having a huge going away party for them next weekend.”
“That’s great.” I force a smile. “I’m sure everyone is going to miss them.”
“Some more than others, I’m sure,” Leia responds knowingly, causing my head to whip in her direction.
“Don’t start with me.” I huff before turning my entire body toward the door, hopefully ending the conversation.
Seth Williams is the last man I should be interested in, but apparently, my heart didn’t get the memo. I met Seth and Brady before I finished my certification and opened Nurture Space about a month ago. I was working to get my instructor certification, and Walker, being my pseudo-big brother, took it upon himself to invite anyone who was available to help.
Brady, Riggs, and Walker played on the football team together during high school. However, instead of moving on to become a firefighter like Walker and Riggs, Brady joined the military, and that’s where he met Seth. Which, for me, was a huge red flag. I promised myself I’d never date a military man, and until meeting Seth, I never thought about it. However, now I may be having second thoughts.
The moment I laid eyes on Seth, I was a goner. My eyes kept drifting to wherever he was in the room, attempting to commit everything about that moment to memory. The way the sun created a warm glow on his russet brown skin as I strolled through the door. The way his white T-shirt and dark-colored sweatpants hugged every part of his body as if they were painted onto him.
Ever since that day, my dreams have been filled with images of his soulful brown eyes, chiseled jawline covered in black-haired stubble, muscular build, and the most breathtaking smile. I spent nights wondering if there was a difference in texture between the skin on his bald head versus his face and arms. I know those are strange things to think about, but this is where I’m at. Seth Williams makes me think and want strange things. Thankfully, he is leaving town soon on deployment, which will put an end to these delusions.
“I’m not starting anything, Bristol. I just think you should give Seth a chance. He seems to be a nice guy and is completely gone over you.”
“He barely knows me,” I mumble, wanting to end this conversation as quickly as possible.
“That’s easy to fix.” She flashed me a knowing smile.
She isn’t wrong. Every time we are near each other, Seth asks me questions. It’s as if he wants to learn everything there is to know about me as soon as possible. At first, I tried to keep him at arm’s length, letting him know there was no way we were ever going to be anything more than friends, but that’s been almost impossible. The more time we spend together, the stronger the pull I feel to be near him gets, making it almost impossible to stay away from him. But I have to. There is no other choice. I refuse to come second in my significant other’s life. I want to be the center of their universe. The sun to their moon, and there’s no way that will ever be possible with someone who’s in the military.
“I don’t have time to date, let alone start a relationship with someone who’s leaving in a few weeks.”
“Who said anything about a relationship?” Leia quips. “There’s nothing wrong with two grown adults blowing off some steam together. And what better person to choose than someone who is leaving town in a few weeks?”
I guffaw, which causes Leia to scowl in my direction as we pull up to a red light at the edge of town. “Look. I get you have issues with the military, but not all men are like your father. From what Brady has been saying, this deployment will be their last. No more deployments.”
“I’ll consider being more than friends with Seth if you stop giving Riggs such a hard time. Anyone can see that he’s head over heels in love with you.”
I know this is a sore spot for Leia, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Leia and Riggs have had this love-hate relationship ever since I’ve known them. Everyone else can see how much he cares about her, but I doubt either of them has noticed yet. Seeing these two interact is like watching a little boy pick on the girl he secretly has a crush on.
“Whose side are you on, anyway?” Leia scowls in my direction as she pulls into the long drive leading towards the family portion of the property.
“Yours. Always yours. I’m just saying that maybe if you were nicer to him sometimes, he wouldn’t give you such a hard time.”
“Bristol, I doubt that’s even possible for him at this point. Riggs has been giving me a hard time since we were teenagers, and I don’t see that ending soon. It’s like he gets a sick thrill out of pushing my buttons.”
“Some people might call that foreplay,” I retort as Leia pulls her car to a stop in front of her dad’s farmhouse, tucked into a corner of the property.
A large covered wraparound porch takes up almost the entire front of the house with a porch swing positioned to give you the perfect view of the sun setting over the mountains when you sit there. It’s a warm butter yellow color with white framed windows practically covering the front of it and a manicured garden with perfectly trimmed bushes and a bright array of flowers, which gives it an even more welcoming feel.
“Well, I just call it fucking annoying.” Leia sighs as I feel my door fly open, and a powerful set of arms comes around my waist, lifting me out of the car and into the air.
My entire body tenses for a moment until the smell of vanilla and sandalwood invades my senses, and the soft hairs of a beard rub against my cheek, causing me to relax. “Hey, Walker.”
I giggle before lifting my legs to wrap around his muscular waist and throw my arms tightly around his neck. I use every muscle in my body to squeeze him tightly to me before leaning back and resting my chin on his chest. Walker hasn’t changed a bit since he came back to town a few months ago. His dark brown hair is styled perfectly to give it that just-out-of-bed look without being too messy. His cerulean blue eyes are bright with happiness as he plants a kiss on my forehead.
“How’s my Bri Bri doing?”
“You could at least let her get out of the car first.” Leia groans as she smacks my captor hard on the shoulder, causing him to chuckle softly.
“I could, but I know the moment she and Seth lay eyes on each other, they’ll be in their own little world.”
My cheeks burn instantly as I unwrap my legs from around his waist and wiggle in his grasp. It only takes a few moments for him to realize what I want before he lowers my feet to the ground. It seems everyone has picked up on my attraction to Seth, which can lead to nothing good. I know they mean well, but pushing Seth and me together is a bad idea. He has his career, and I have my business to focus on. Neither one of us can pick up and move to be with the other.
Sure, long-distance relationships are a thing and work for many people, but I refuse to be second in the relationship. My mom used to kid around and say if the military wanted my dad to have a family, they would have issued him one with his uniform. Which may have worked for her, but not me. No matter how much my heart might want Seth, there’s no way I can let that happen.
“Stop being so dramatic.” I huff before taking a step away from him. I’m average height for a woman at 5’5”, but Walker towers over me. I look more like a toddler standing near him than the thirty-two-year-old woman I am. “What the heck have they been feeding you, Walker? I thought people were supposed to stop growing in their twenties.”
“I haven’t grown at all. Maybe you’re shrinking in your old age.” Walker pats me on the head twice before I swat at him. “And I’m not being dramatic, and you know it. When are you going to give Seth a chance?”
“Bristol doesn’t have time for men right now. She’s focusing on turning her business into a success,” Leia says before wrapping her arms around his waist in a quick hug.
“And I don’t recall Walker asking you.” Riggs saunters down the front steps toward us, a devious smile spreading across his face.
“I don’t recall speaking to you.”
“Here we go again.” I groan before pushing my door closed with my butt and leaning against it. There’s no telling how long we could be out here for one of Riggs and Leia’s verbal sparring matches.
Walker leans against the car beside me before crossing his arms over his chest. “I really wish there was a way to get my two favorite people to get along with each other.”
Riggs’s chocolate brown eyes sparkle with amusement as he stares down at Leia, a mischievous smirk plastered across his face. His muscular body leans slightly forward, as if there’s a magnet pulling him closer to her. If it were anyone else, I would step in, saving my best from the torment, but Riggs is different.
“I was fine until he opened his mouth and started speaking,” Leia retorts as she lifts her chin slightly and glares at Riggs.
Leia can’t stand Riggs for some reason only the two of them know. Although, I have a feeling Walker knows, because why else would he keep forcing these two together? Whenever I ask her, I get a vague answer about him being immature and annoying, but never anything more. There must be some sort of history between those two, but after all these years, I’ve stopped trying to figure it out. If they want to fight with each other like children, so be it. However, I have a feeling that they don’t hate each other as much as they’d prefer for all of us to believe.
“You have a thing for mutes? If I had known, I’d have cut out my tongue and given it to you as a peace offering years ago.”
“I hate you.”
“You love me; you just haven’t figured it out yet.” Riggs snickers, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her to his side.
Leia’s entire body melts into his embrace as her eyes drift shut. For a few moments, she looks like she is in pure heaven, but then her face morphs into what looks like indifference before she pushes away from him. “I’m going to go check on Dad.”
“He’s inside on the couch. I asked him to stay inside until we got the fire going. It’s supposed to get chilly tonight,” Walker replies as Leia pushes off the car, and we all follow her toward the front door.
“Of course, all you had to do was ask. If I were here, it would have turned into World War III.”
“That’s mostly because I ask. You demand.”
“Suck-up.”
“Now, now, children. Can’t we all just get along?” Riggs laughs as Walker bypasses the door and heads down the wraparound porch, disappearing around the right side of the house.
“Shut up, Riggs,” Leia snaps back before pulling the screen door open and stepping inside.
“If you’re trying to get her to like you, this isn’t the best way,” I say, just loud enough for him to hear me.
“Oh, I know, but it sure is fun.” Riggs smirks at me before holding the door open and allowing me to step inside. “Walker and I will get the grill started. Have fun, you two.”
I smile at Riggs before stepping through the door right into the main portion of the house. There is no entryway to this house, just a great room filled with cozy-looking furniture and a grand fireplace tucked into the back of the room. There are small groups of people scattered around the room, but my eyes are searching for one person. After a few moments, I find Seth sitting on the arm of the cream-colored loveseat positioned near the fireplace.
“Aren’t you going to say hi?” Leia whispers into my ear, causing me to jump slightly.
“He’s having a conversation with your dad,” I mumble, my eyes shifting toward Mr. Armstrong, who is animatedly talking to Seth about something.
“No, he is humoring my dad, waiting for you to come inside so he can whisk you away.”
“I doubt that very much,” I reply as Seth and my eyes lock with each other, and he pushes to his feet, striding toward me.
Seth is about the same size as Walker, but instead of every part of him seeming oversized, he has a leaner build. His broad shoulders fill out a dark-colored T-shirt that looks as if it were painted onto his body. My eyes continue to make their way down his body, taking in the way his jeans hug his legs before stopping at his black leather boots, tucked neatly beneath his jeans.
“Close your mouth, Bristol,” Leia giggles as I snap my mouth closed moments before he comes to a stop in front of us.
“Hello, Bristol.” His gravelly voice sends a shiver down my spine as my cheeks heat in embarrassment.
“Hi,” I respond breathily, trying to calm my heart pounding behind my rib cage. We stand there for a few moments, the air becoming even more charged between us as I try to list all the reasons starting anything with Seth is a bad idea.
Seth is a Marine.
He is deploying in two weeks with no promise of return.
The Marines will always be his first love.
These are all excellent reasons why any type of relationship with Seth is a bad idea, but my heart has other plans. Maybe Leia is right. One night to get him out of my system should be enough. We can go our separate ways when he leaves, no harm, no foul. However, the little voice in my head keeps telling me that whatever this is between Seth and me is for more than one night. These are forever kind of feelings, but forever isn’t in the cards for us.
The sound of Leia’s voice brings me back to the present as she wraps her arm around my shoulder. “Hello to you, too, Seth. I forgive you for being so wrapped up in our girl to forget I was standing here.”
“How can anyone forget you, Leia?” Seth’s eyes sparkle in amusement as he says in a husky voice, “How have you been?”
“Great. How about you? Are you ready to leave for deployment?”
Seth’s entire demeanor changes. The playful smirk that was on his face a few minutes ago disappears. “If it were up to me, I’d stay right here in Tyson’s Creek and never leave.”
My eyes widen in surprise as I notice the truth in Seth’s words shining in his eyes. Seth and I have been doing this dance around each other for months now. Sure, we’ve flirted and spent more time talking to each other than our friends when we were together, but this is the first time he has even hinted at there being something permanent between us.
No, that can’t be what he meant. Just because he wants to stay here in Tyson’s Creek doesn’t mean I’m the reason. He’s told me several times that Brady and his parents are the closest thing he has to family. Of course, he’d want to stay here in Tyson’s Creek to be near them. That can be the only explanation for what he said, right?
“It was great catching up, but I really should go check on Walker and Riggs at the grill. If I leave them unsupervised for too long, all the food will be ruined,” Leia said.
“Please don’t leave me alone with him,” I murmur in Leia’s direction, causing her to burst out laughing.
“Don’t mind her. Sometimes the brain-to-mouth filter isn’t fully engaged.” Leia flashes Seth a bright smile before motioning toward the backyard. “Seth, do you mind grabbing some steaks out of the fridge and taking them outside? I’m gonna check on my dad one more time, and I’ll be right behind you.”
“Sure thing. It was nice seeing you again, Bristol.” Seth smirks at me, then heads out the back door.
“That man is head over heels for you,” Leia says as she pretends to fan herself.
I roll my eyes at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let’s go say hello to your dad.”
I try to focus on making it over to the couch, where Mr. Armstrong is sitting, without tripping over my feet, but I can feel Seth watching me as I walk past the French doors leading to the deck. His gaze caresses my skin as it travels down my body, like he’s trying to commit my features to memory.
“He’s just another pretty face. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last,” I mumble quietly to myself as I take a seat on the couch beside Mr. Armstrong.
I’m not a bad-looking woman by any means, so Seth isn’t the first man to find appeal in the way I look, but there is something about the way he looks at me that’s different. It’s as if he can see me, see my soul, not just the superficial parts most men search for.
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
My head snaps to the right at the sound of Leia’s voice. I watch her fuss over her dad, asking if he’s warm enough or if we can get him anything, being her usual mothering self. However, Mr. Armstrong isn’t having any of that.
“I said I was fine, Sugarplum. Don’t worry so much.”
“I’ll always worry about you, Dad.”
“It’s my job to worry about you, not the other way around.” He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest, which causes me to giggle softly.
My eyes instantly wander back toward the French doors, locking with Seth’s over Riggs’s shoulder. I lick my bottom lip as I watch him lift a beer toward his mouth and wink. The temperature in the room seems to go up a few degrees as we continue to stare at each other. Neither of us dare to look away. It’s just like the first time we met. All the sounds in the room seem to disappear, making it feel like we are the only two people in the universe.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a man, no matter how gorgeous he is. But with Seth, it’s different somehow. He calls to me in a way no other man ever has with just one look. It’s as if my soul has finally found its other half.
Why the hell does he have to be in the military?
I know most people would think this is a ridiculous reason to keep distance between Seth and me. Especially since the chemistry between us is undeniable. But growing up, it was just me and my younger sister, Melissa, until Audrey moved in with us. My mom did try to be there for us and anticipate everything we needed but my dad was never around, choosing his military career over everything else. Sure, I get it. He has a job to protect our country. To make it safe for everyone, but what about our family? What about what we wanted and what was best for us?
We moved every couple of years, making it almost impossible to make friends or put down roots anywhere. With my dad being gone so much, he reminded me it was my responsibility as the oldest to help my mom hold down the fort when he was deployed, which was pretty much all the time. I had to help my sister with her homework, keep my grades up, and practically be the perfect child to ensure my mom had no added stress in her life. That’s a lot of shit to put on the shoulders of a little girl, and it took me a long time and a lot of therapy to realize that it wasn’t my responsibility. Sure, I should have been there to help my mom and sister when they needed it, but I was still a little girl. I had responsibilities to my family, but I also needed a chance to just be a kid. To make mistakes and learn from them.
This is one of the main reasons my father and I aren’t as close as we used to be. He was supposed to protect us, just like he vowed to do for everyone else in the country, but he put pressure on me to be perfect. Gave me the impression that I needed to become an adult long before my time in order to be there for my family, practically robbing me of the chance to be a child for as long as possible. I know my father loved all of us, but he loved being in the military more, and that’s a very hard pill to swallow. I refuse to be second fiddle in my relationship, so why even bother seeing where things between Seth and I could go?
“When are you going to stop kidding yourself, Bristol?”
“Huh?” My cheeks heat again as a deep chuckle filters in through the open window. I narrow my eyes at Seth before turning my entire body toward Leia so I can focus on what she’s saying to me.
“You haven’t heard a thing I’ve said, have you?”
I open my mouth to answer before snapping it shut. Sure, I could try and lie to her, but what’s the point? “Nope. Not a thing,” I reply with a smile, causing her to giggle softly.
“Just talk to him and see where things go.” Leia lays her hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze before spinning me around and shoving me toward the French doors. “Yes, he is a Marine, but he isn’t your dad.”
“I don’t know…” My voice trails off slightly as I spin around to face Leia. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as I try to find the right word to explain my hesitancy. “Seth has the potential to be more than just a fling, and I don’t know if my heart can take being second in his life.”
“Wow. Okay,” Leia’s eyes widening in surprise before she wraps me in a tight hug. “But what if you do nothing?”
“Then I can protect my heart from being broken,” I reply quickly, not understanding where she’s going with this.
She pulls away from me. A soft smile spreads across her face as she takes a step back. “And you could regret it for the rest of your life.”
“I…” I begin, but Leia covers my mouth with her hand.
“Nope, it’s my time to talk. I’ve never once heard you talk about someone of the opposite sex like this. You’ve had flings, but that’s it. You’ve never worried about getting hurt or about what would happen when things went badly.”
Leia is right. I’ve been dreaming about the perfect man to sweep me off my feet. Someone who will make me the center of their universe and the most important person in their life. Because of those dreams, you can imagine how hard it’s been for me to date anyone. I’ve gone on dates and had my fair share of one-night stands, but nothing that lasted more than a few months at the most. I was always the one to break things off with them for a multitude of reasons, but mainly because I didn’t feel that spark with any of them. The all-consuming need to be near them every chance I got. The same feeling I’ve felt any time I’ve been in the same room as Seth Williams.
“You can’t spend the rest of your life worried about being hurt or you’ll miss out on that great love you’ve been dreaming of. The chance for you to be the center of someone’s entire universe.”
“You’re right, but there’s no way I can find that with someone who’s in the military. Besides, the last thing I need is to get tangled up with a man that I’ve only known for a few months.”
“Maybe not, but sometimes fate has other plans,” Leia laughs before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the French doors.
I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about my attraction to Seth, but everything about him spells trouble.