Page 33 of Fire and Rain
Ten minutes later, Sean tied down the balloons in the back of Eden’s SUV, while she buckled Maverick into his car seat and set the uniform and helmet beside him.
Sean closed the liftgate and walked over to Eden. “Are you okay?”
She smiled, her hazel eyes warm. “I got a little choked up when Mavie opened his present, but I’m fine. Thank you for arranging this.”
Sean reminded himself about controlling emotions. “You’re welcome. You know I’m happy to help. I took some photos. I’ll email them to you.”
“Thanks.” Eden climbed into her vehicle, rolled down the window. “I’m taking advantage of the good weather to go fishing. I hope to catch a yelloweye for fish tacos. Want to come along?”
That’s a bad idea.
Sean had spent a lot of time on theSea Nymph, Eden’s cabin cruiser, and he had so many good memories—including memories of Eden in a bikini. Given the direction his thoughts had taken lately where she was concerned, he needed to keep his distance, not throw fuel on the fire.
He looked into her hazel eyes. “I’d love to.”
* * *
Eden savoredthe rush of flying over the water. The ocean was her happy place. Ever since she was a little girl, she’d loved being on the water. She’d learned to pilot a boat as a teen, and theSea Nymphhad been Justin’s wedding present to her. Today was the first time she’d taken the boat out since Justin’s death. As much as it made her miss Justin to be aboard the boat again, it also felt like coming home.
She’d left Maverick with her sister Maria, hoping to spend some time alone with Sean. She had no idea where she wanted this to go. All she knew for certain was that she cared about Sean and liked spending time with him. She found him sweet, funny, kind—and incredibly hot. She hadn’t been able to get the image of his bare chest out of her mind. But she couldn’t say what she wanted or where she hoped any of this would lead her.
Did she want to date him? Did she hope to sleep with him?
She felt a flutter in her belly, and her pulse picked up.
Was that a yes? Or was grief playing tricks on her?
He stood beside her looking sexier than any man should in khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt with a Haida sea turtle on the front. “Whale, eleven o’clock.”
“I see it.” Eden cut back on the throttle. Humpbacks often napped just below the surface with only their small dorsal fins showing. Careless boaters killed thousands of whales each year. “You’ve got good eyes.”
He chuckled. “Believe it or not, Uncle Sam pays me to watch the water. You should see them from the air. You can see their entire bodies beneath the surface. It’s incredible.”
“I bet.” She piloted the boat carefully through the water to the other side of Long Island, stopping at one of her favorite fishing spots. “We’ll drop anchor here.”
“I’m on it.” Sean walked to the bow and tossed the anchor overboard.
She stepped out from behind the console, inhaled the fresh sea air, and looked around them. Sea lions lounged on an outcropping of rocks. An eagle perched on a tall Sitka spruce, surveying the water. On their starboard side was open ocean, where she could just see a huge cruise ship making its way to port.
With the boat bobbing gently in the water, they got to work, baiting their hooks with sliced herring and small bits of squid left from her uncle’s fishing trip this morning. They cast their lines, Eden on the starboard side and Sean on the port side.
Since they’d been talking about his job…
“I hear you’re working as a flight mech again.” She tried to sound casual, as if she were asking him about the weather.
He glanced over at her, his eyes hidden behind his aviators. “That’s what I signed on for. I love my job—most of the time.”
Eden fought to keep her temper in check. “Justin loved it, too—right up to the moment it killed him. I’ve never understood how you guys can survive a helicopter crash and then climb aboard a helicopter again like it’s no big deal.”
He set his rod in the rod holder, crossed the boat, and did the same with hers. Then he drew her down on the bench beside him, his gaze level with hers. “What’s wrong, Eden?”
Her emotions were too jumbled to explain, so she kept her inmost thoughts to herself. “I can’t help but worry about you. Every time you go out, you’re taking a risk. I felt safer knowing you were on the ground.”
An eyebrow arched, and he grinned. “So, you care about what happens to me?”
“Of course, I do! Joke about it if you want to, but I’m serious. I don’t know what I would have done without you these past five months. I … I care about you, Sean.”
“I’m sorry.” He drew her against him, held her close. “I shouldn’t tease you about it. I’m grateful for your concern, and I care about you, too.”
