Page 56 of Fire and Rain
“You keep saying that, but I don’t care what anyone else thinks. When I started dating Justin, Coasties told him to stay away from local women because we’re all just looking for a man to get us off the island.”
Sean remembered hearing about that from Justin. “Some people are idiots.”
“Exactly. My ancestors have lived here for thousands of years. In two years, most of the Coasties here today will be stationed somewhere else.”
“Including me.” He let that sink in. “My CO is pushing to advance me. If they do promote me, they’ll almost certainly transfer me somewhere else.”
“But you can ask to remain here, right? That’s what Justin did.”
“I can, of course.” Sean had already planned to do that. He loved living on the island—and he didn’t want to be far from Eden and Maverick. “But you know how it works. In the end, I have to go wherever they send me.”
Her gaze dropped to the table. “Orders, not options. I know.”
“I’m single for a reason.” He knew this wasn’t news to her. They’d joked about it while Justin had been alive. “Life in the military is hard on families. You know the lifestyle. Long hours. Round-the-clock duty shifts. Never knowing when you’ll be called in. Risky SAR and medevac calls. I don’t want to put a woman through that.”
“I know what you do for a living. Does it scare the hell out of me at times? Of course. Is it a deal-breaker? I wouldn’t be much of an Alaskan if it was. I was proud of Justin for the work he did, and I’m proud of you, too.”
Sean said it as clearly as he could. “Wecan’tbe together.”
He saw the hurt on her face—and hated himself for it.
“So, what do you want me to do? Should I go back to treating you like Justin’s best friend, try to forget that I have feelings for you, and pretend that amazing kiss never happened?”
He willed himself to say the right thing. “That’s probably for the best.”
She gave him a withering look. “I’ve played poker with you, remember? I can tell when you’re bluffing. You want me, too. I felt it when we danced together—the way you held me, the way you nuzzled my hair. And I sure as hell felt it in that kiss. Your heart was pounding—and so was mine.”
Shit.
“Eden, I…” Somehow, he’d lost control of this conversation. “I’m not bluffing. Life isn’t just about what I want. I have a duty to the Coast Guard. One day soon, my job will take me away from here.”
“But you also get some choice. What doyouwant, Sean?”
That was one hell of a question, but the answer was easy.
He wantedher.
From the laundry room came the buzz of the dryer.
“It sounds like my clothes are ready. I should probably get back to the barracks.”
ChapterTwelve
June 12
Eden bundledMaverick into his rain gear—pants, hooded jacket, boots—then slipped into her own boots and jacket. “Let’s go for a little walk, okay?”
“We go to the beach?” He was putting new words together every day now.
“Not today. The waves are too high.”
Last night’s rain had only been the leading edge of a major storm. Her neighbors would probably think she was crazy heading out into this weather. But this was Alaska. If she kept Maverick indoors every time it rained, snowed, or was cold, they would rarely leave the house. It was her job to teach Maverick to feel at home outdoors, no matter what the conditions. As her grandparents had taught her, there was no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.
Checking to make sure she had her keys, she took Maverick by the hand and led him out the front door. The moment they left the cover of the porch, cold rain lashed their faces.
Eden laughed. “That’s cold, isn’t it?”
Seeing her reaction, Mavie’s shocked distress transformed into laughter. “Wainy cold.”
