Page 14 of Wild Mistake
She smiles. “So, are you visiting for the holidays?”
“No, I’m actually staying in Wilder Valley. For good.”
“You?” Her brows arch and her eyes go wide before she shakes her head. “I didn’t know they assigned Rangers to Wilder Valley. Should I be worried?”
“No.” I scrub a hand across my jaw. “I’m done with active duty. For good.”
“You?” Her brows shoot up. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” I grin, loving that I’ve shocked her.
“Well, shit,” she mutters, then quickly glances around as if to make sure the restaurant is empty. “Sorry, I never thought I’d see the day you’d leave the military.”
“Yeah.” As much as I know it’s the right thing to do, there’s a part of me that still questions my decision. But I don’t tell her that. “You’re looking at someone who is officially retired.”
“Wow. That’s a big change.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what are you going to do with all your free time? Will you work on the family ranch?” She blinks and shakes her head. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”
“No.” I like that she’s interested enough to ask. There was a time we knew everything about each other. I miss that. “You can ask me anything. But I don’t think I’ll be going back to cattle ranching.” I shrug. “That’s Ryan’s thing. I was sort of thinking I’d take some time off before I decide what I want to do next.”
She laughs.
“What?”
“Sorry.” She presses her lips together, holding back her smile.
I can’t help but find amusement in her reaction. “Tell me what’s so damn funny.”
“It’s just . . . you aren’t good with idle time. Or, you didn’t used to be. I give you a month, tops, before you have your next career move settled on and started.”
She’s got me there. One of the things I loved most about my career in the Army was the sense of purpose it gave me. That, and I never stayed in one place too long. There were constant opportunities to learn something new or advance. One of my biggest worries about coming home is being bored with life. “What about you?”
“Me?”
“Are you back in town for good?” I already know the answer but I want to hear it from her lips. I glance to her ring finger and pointedly take in the absence of her wedding band.
“Yeah.” She lifts her chin. “The divorce should be finalized soon.”
The news makes me happier than it should, but I fake a frown. “I’m sorry.” I don’t know what else to say.
“Don’t be.” She scoffs. “I never understood why everyone acts like getting a divorce deserves condolences. Why are you sorry? You don’t know what my marriage was like. What if it sucked? What if I was miserable? Maybe congratulations are in order.”
My stomach drops. “You were miserable?” Did her ex not appreciate her? They always looked so perfectly happy whenever she posted pictures on social media, but I never liked that fucker. “Do I need to go beat him up?”
“No.” A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “I’d prefer you not.”
God, I love making her smile. “You sure? I could just rough him up a little.”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t think my boys would appreciate that.”
“I don’t know. I think there were many a time me and my siblings wished someone would put my father in his place, especially when we were in those teenage years.”
“Between the two of us, I think they’re more over me at the moment.”
I want to ask what she means by that, but a jingle at the door pulls her attention away.
