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As Quinn’s security guy, I had a stable career and rented my own place in town over the diner. But lately, I’d been feeling restless, and I put it down to one of two things. The first was when one of my old SEAL team colleagues, Zach, reached out. He’d been up in Canada on some mission and part of a covert team, and he’d approached me to ask if I wanted in. Being part of a team again was tempting as long as I didn’t recall the nomadic lifestyle, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave this life behind. The crossroads were clear, but the path wasn’t.
The second was that I hadn’t gotten laid in three months. Or six.
No, wait, Christmas. Shit. Ten months.
Shit. Ten months of using my right hand was why I was antsy. That was my excuse, and I was sticking to it. It had nothing to do with the one man I wanted and couldn’t have who simultaneously rocked my world, kept me at arm’s length, and spent every moment we interacted shutting me down or being angry with me.
Sheriff NeilfreakingWindham and his gorgeous blue eyes that sparked fire whenever he saw me, and his soft dark hair, and his body… I was spending too much time thinking about him and not about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. But had that been a nearly-kiss? Had heactuallyleaned toward me?
“Stop fucking moping,” I warned myself. “Normal-everyday-Sheriff is not interested in messed-up-former-SEAL with commitment issues.”
I’m a badass SEAL who can handle a storm, rejection from a sexy sheriff, and do one stupid party all in the same night.
I parked the SUV and took a deep breath. My exit strategy was planned: stay for cake, mingle just enough to be polite, and then slip out quietly. Years of training had made me good at disappearing when I needed to.
The front door opened before I knocked, and Noah stood there with a wide grin. “Con, you made it!”
Given I lived over the diner Noah owned and ran, and I hadn’t been able to escape being told I was coming, how surprised could he be?
He smirked. “Come on in. You’re just in time for cake.”
I’d seen the cake Noah had been working on this week, a towering confection of chocolate he was so proud of.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I lied, stepping inside and shaking off the rain in the entry. The warmth of the house hit me, along with the aroma of home-cooked food. The vast kitchen-diner held a loud group of people, laughter and conversation filling the air. Finn’s family and friends were all familiar faces, but there was no one I wanted to stand around chatting to.
The door had barely closed behind me when a small, energetic whirlwind collided with my legs. Laurie, Quinn’s ten-year-old nephew, had tracked me down, as usual. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he stared up at me, clutching a notebook to his chest. He loved art and was skilled at drawing, never far from a sketchbook and pencils.
“Connor! I’ve got something to show you!” Laurie’s voice was a mix of excitement and admiration.
“Hey, kid,” I said, ruffling his hair. “What’s got you so hyped up?”
“I made a cartoon book!” Laurie flipped open his notebook, revealing a detailed drawing of a Navy SEAL action adventure. “Look! I made this. It’s about a Navy SEAL called Connor, who has to rescue a hostage from a secret base under the well in our barn. Isn’t it cool?”
A SEAL called Connor? I glanced over the drawings of a tall, dark-haired man who looked suspiciously like me, and the meticulous planning he’d put into his story.
“Is that me?”
“Sure is,” Archie announced from his side. Where Laurie was, Archie was never far away. Closer than brothers, they were the light and life of Lennox Ranch, and I loved their absolute focus on cartoons, art, horses, and having fun.
Although enthusiastic exploring had led to Laurie getting trapped down a well, and that was maybe pushing fun too far. You’d better believe that well was concreted tight now.
I bent down to talk closer to Laurie’s ear. “You’re not going anywhere near the well, right?”
He went scarlet, as did Archie.
“No, sir,” they chorused and stood to attention.
I chuckled. “At ease.”
They both relaxed before I returned to checking out the strip.
“It’s awesome, right?” Archie asked. “Like really good.” He was so proud of his best friend’s work.
“Sure thing, buddy. Laurie’s got a real talent for making strips.”
Laurie’s face went more red. “Do youreallythink so?”
“Absolutely,” I said, genuinely impressed. “Tell me more about this mission,” I prompted. Anything to avoid talking to the adults
