Page 303 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“I’m listening.” She leaned forward, her interest piqued, and yet she half-dreaded what he was going to say.

“The problem with us is that we have all of this unsettled history between us. We keep dredging up the past and focusing on the injustices we’ve done to each other, when what we should be doing is starting fresh.”

“Yeah, that’s easiersaidthandone,” she sniffed.

He looked thoughtful. “Not necessarily.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s stop focusing on the past and concentrate on thehereandnow. We can start fresh right now. We both have something to gain from this arrangement, and it’s in our best interest to make it work.”

“You mean we both benefit financially.” She hated the analytical way he was laying everything out, as if their feelings didn’t matter.

“Yeah …” he shifted uncomfortably “… and if we’re lucky, we might just come out of this as friends.” He gave her a hopeful smile. “We started out that way. With a little effort, we can get there again.”

A bitter disappointment settled over her as she processed what he was saying. Was this his way of telling her that it was over between them?

He reached for her hand. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. We can make this work. We just have to have mutual respect for each other.” There was a hopeful look on his face as he waited for her response.

She removed her hand from his. “Mutual respect, huh?”

He nodded. “It’s in all of our best interest.”

Annoyance flashed over her as she caught the meaning of his words. “You mean it’s in the best interest of Cynthia and your dad if we get along.”

“Well … yeah … this is their home, and they don’t deserve to have it turned into a war zone.”

Her first inclination was to lash out at him, but she was tired of fighting. And she certainly didn’t want to push Luther over the edge and cause him to have a heart attack. She’d gotten a glimpse tonight of how easily that could happen. “I get where you’re coming from,” she said woodenly. “I’ll try not to have anymore outbursts at the dinner table.”

He rubbed his neck. “Yeah, that’s wise. I don’t think my dad or Cynthia could handle many more family dinners like the one we had this evening.”

“Okay, that’s doable.” She gave him a hard look. “Provided that you don’t parade your girlfriend in front of me.”

He laughed nervously. “You certainly went on the rampage. That was a little extreme … even for you.”

She arched an eyebrow as the familiar anger swelled. “Even for me? Exactly what are you insinuating?”

He shook his head, laughing. “Not a dang thing. It doesn’t take much to get a rise out of you.”

She was not amused. She just sat there, glaring at him as a ghost of a smile flitted over his face.

“What?” she demanded.

“Nothing.”

She caught hold of his arm. “You started this. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I have to admit … I thought it was kind of cute that you got so jealous of Shauna.”

Her eyes flew open wide. “I wasn’t jealous!”

“You were.”

“Well, she started the whole thing!”

“All she did was pay you a compliment, and you went berserk.”

“No, that’s not what happened at all.”

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