Page 144 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“You sound just like your grandfather. He seems like such a nice man.”

He frowned. “He’s okay.”

She looked puzzled. “You don’t like him?”

“Of course I like him. He’s my grandfather, practically my father.” The last thing Corbin wanted to go into was his complex relationship with Pops. While Pops had mellowed in his older years, he’d been hard as nails when Corbin was growing up, expecting nothing less than perfection. Pops didn’t like Corbin questioning his authority, which he did on a regular basis. Gram had been the buffer between them. When she got sick, the situation escalated with the heightened emotions, making things between him and Pops intolerable.

Corbin couldn’t stand watching Gram wither away, so he joined the Navy. Addie accused him of using it as an escape. Maybe he had. But the Navy and then later the SEALs gave him purpose, a way to channel his anger. It had worked well until Doug was killed and everything fell apart. Doug had been his rock, his compass. Had it not been for Doug, Corbin never would’ve made it through BUD/S training, and especially not Hell Week, that five and a half day stretch where they were forced to operate on four hours of sleep. Men were dropping like flies—men who seemed a lot tougher than Corbin. There were many days when Corbin had been ready to ring the brass bell to tap out, but Doug’s response was always the same. “You can ringit tomorrow if you want, but not today. Today we conquer.” In BUD/S training, conquering meant surviving the day.

Corbin hauled the heavy suitcase up the steps. Delaney was in front, carrying her guitar and a duffel bag. At the top, he motioned. “The master’s this way.” Corbin placed Delaney’s suitcase on the floor beside her bed. A smile slid over his lips as he gave her an offhanded look. “What’s in here? Rocks?”

She shrugged. “Hey, don’t blame me. I didn’t order all that stuff.”

“True,” he conceded. “Are you normally a heavy or light packer?”

She leaned her guitar against the wall, dropped the duffle bag on the floor, then plopped down on the bed. “Is this one of those times when anything I say can and will be used against me?”

He laughed, liking that she was bantering with him, even though they were both weary to the bone. “Maybe.”

“I’m Southern. And Southern girls never do anything small.” She stretched out her legs, leaning back against the headboard. “I’m so exhausted.” She yawned as she spoke.

“Me too,” Corbin agreed. His mind ran through the set-up of the cabin. “The bathroom is a Jack and Jill style, shared between our bedrooms.”

Her face fell. “Oh.”

“If it bothers you, I can use the one downstairs.”

“I hate for you to do that. We can share.”

He searched her face. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” She said it like Pops, breaking the word into pronounced syllables. They both smiled, sharing the moment.

She reached up and pulled off her wig and placed it on the nearby nightstand. Then she removed the hair net, her blonde locks falling over her shoulders. “I’m so glad to have that thing off my head. My scalp’s itching like crazy.” She scratched her head, then ran her hands through her roots, fluffing it up.Corbin’s breath caught thinking of how it would feel to run his fingers through her hair. She looked like an angel, the most intoxicating woman he’d ever seen. She tipped her head, a smile tugging at her lips. “What?”

“You’re beautiful,” he said softly. He thought about their kiss and how it had consumed him, making him want more. Next time he wanted to kiss her the right way, holding nothing back. Briefly, he wondered how she would react if he went to her this instant and pulled her into his arms. Her swift reaction to his compliment was his answer.

Her eyes widened, and she looked like she wanted to retreat. “Thanks.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I have a terrible habit of speaking before I think.”

She relaxed a little. “No worries.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “It was nice getting to know your family.”

“They really like you.”

“Really? I wasn’t sure what Addie thought of me.” She wrinkled her nose. “Is she always so inquisitive?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, she’s the nosiest woman on the planet. She likes to pretend like she’s tough, but inside, she’s a teddy bear.”

Corbin felt a little foolish standing in the middle of the room. Did he dare sit down on the edge of the bed? There weren’t any chairs. No, he’d better not chance it. Delaney might freak out. It felt intimate enough with the two of them alone in this cabin, then add that he was standing in her bedroom. Better keep a respectable distance.

“Thanks for everything. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll turn in for the night.”

That was his cue to leave. “You sure you don’t want me to start a fire? I could make us some hot chocolate. That’s one of Pops’ staples, I’m sure he bought some.”

A wistful look touched her features, giving him hope that she might accept his invitation, but the expression vanished as quickly as it had come. “I’m really tired.”

He sighed. “All right. If you need anything, let me know.” He jutted his thumb. “I’ll be right next door. When you’re in the bathroom, just keep the door to my room closed and locked, and I’ll know not to go in.”

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