Page 56 of SEAL of Valor

Stop reading into everything.

I clear my throat. Something I seem to be doing an awful lot in front of him. “She went to have lunch with some friends.”

He nods and is silent for a moment. Then, he wipes his mouth with a napkin and meets my gaze. “Why aren’t you working at a clinic?”

“Ahh, that’s because I got fired.” I laugh uncomfortably. “It wasn’t my fault, though. My ex—” And then I realize what’s about to come out of my mouth. “Uh, sorry.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t expect you to live in a hole.” But his mood has shifted, darkening.

“Uh, well. He was my boss. We weren’t serious, but we’d been on a few dates, and I thought we were exclusive. Long story short, he cheated, I caught him, then he fired me a few months later.”

Weston sets his sandwich down and takes a drink of lemonade. “Seems to me like you could fight that.”

“Doesn’t seem worth it to me. I’m tired. I know I’m a good vet, so I’ll find another job.”

He nods, not saying anything.

Silence settles in around us, and I fight the urge to randomly blurt every thought that comes to mind.

Weston takes another bite of his sandwich, but I can feel that the air around us has changed once more. He’s holding back, restrained by what was once between us and what I’m starting to hope might be between us again.

Or is there too much hurt?

My cell rings, so I pull it out of my pocket. But when I see the name on the screen, I wince. Max. Uh-oh. “Sorry, just a minute.” I get up from my seat and leave the dining room, stopping just inside the hall. “Hello?”

“Hey, Reese. I just wanted to check in; it’s been a few days since I heard from you.”

“Yeah, sorry. Been busy.”

“No worries. Just been missing you. Are you okay?”

I’m eating lunch with my ex-husband and just opened my mouth and blabbed about my ex-boyfriend firing me. Now, the new guy I’ve been seeing is on the phone. Is that okay? I’d say not.

“I’m okay. But I’m going to be here a while longer. I can give you a call when I get back into town? Maybe we can grab dinner or something?”

It’s a copout, and a bad one at that. Based on Max’s hesitation, he knows it, too.

He’s quiet for a moment. “Uh, sure. I’d like that.”

“Great. We’ll talk then. Bye.” I end the call quickly, then start toward the dining room again.

Weston is already in the kitchen, washing his plate, his movements sharp, expression hard.

“Wow, how long was I on the phone?” My attempt at a joke falls completely flat.

Weston’s sharp gaze finds mine as he turns off the water. “Long enough. Look, I don’t know what it is you’re trying to do here, Reese, but you clearly have a life outside of this place, and I have no interest in being entertainment while you’re here. See you around.”

He starts toward the door, and I rush after him. “Wait, what?”

“I don’t think Max would appreciate you having lunch with me. And I certainly don’t appreciate you stepping away to make a dinner date. It may have been a long time ago, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.” He grabs his hat.

“Weston, come on. That’s not what—” I stop, though, because from the outside, that’s exactly what it sounded like. “Max and I have been on a couple of dates, that’s all. I’m sure you date, too.”

Weston laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “I haven’t been on a single first date since the state fair when I was fourteen. Goodbye, Reese. I’ll call if the animals need anything.” He storms out, slamming the door behind him.

“I haven’t been on a single first date since the state fair when I was fourteen.” Fourteen. That was our first date. He bought me cotton candy and won me a little stuffed dog that I still have in my closet.

Has he really not dated at all? In two decades?