Page 50 of Cheyenne

Micah skipped with her. “I heard that children skip when they are happy, so I guess we are too?”

She giggled. “I’m so happy. But I am also a bit edgy.” She stopped skipping but kept his hand in hers. “I feel like this is the last day of our lives or something.”

Micah stopped and pulled her against him. He held her tightly in a hug. She hugged him back, hoping she could tell him everything she was feeling through just a touch.

When he bent down and pressed his lips to hers, she was caught up in fireworks and the feeling of flying. Everything about kissing this man made her happy. Yet this bright glow of happiness was surrounded by a bitter edge of the unknown.

He pulled back and gazed into her eyes, running a hand through her hair. “We’re not over, Cheyenne. I was thinking about it all night. We’ll call our families and tell them what happened. Together. I’m sure they’re going to come down on us and it’s going to be this big thing. I don’t know how that looks for us, but I don’t want to be without you now.”

It was crazy how she could be so happy and at the same time suddenly want to cry. “I don’t want to be without you either. I don’t even know about SEAL training, so I looked itup last night. It’s pretty intense. You’re going to be gone for, like, nine months, and they’ll be taking you to all these different locations.”

“I know.” He pulled her into him again and just held her. “We will figure something out.”

She pulled back and tried to smile. “I want to see this lighthouse.”

Micah took her hand, and they walked into the lighthouse. It was empty, and they took the stairs up to different floors until they got as close to the top as they could. He showed her the lantern and other mechanisms that made it work, and Cheyenne could tell it had been kept in good shape. It was a really cool place.

“Look.” Micah led her to the railing, giving them a view of the whole ocean. “I like to think about all the people that were sailing, all the sailors, and how this light symbolized hope for them. It gave them something to come home to.”

It hit her again that he would be gone. She couldn’t just hop on a plane and go see him. He would be doing dangerous things that she could never imagine.

He squeezed her hand. “What are you thinking about?”

It took her a minute before she could answer. “Nothing.”

“Cheyenne. Tell me.”

She swallowed. “I don’t know how much I have told you, but you know my mother died in childbirth. And you know my father was a Navy SEAL, because he knew Trey.”

He nodded, looking somber.

“I always imagined how hard it was for my mom. My brothers always talk about the years that Dad was gone. I know it caused a lot of problems between him and Porter.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I guess I’m feeling defeated before even starting. I don’t know.” She didn’t want to say everything else onher mind. Could she really be the kind of woman who waited for her man when he was gone all the time?

Micah ran his hand over her hair. The gesture was intoxicating. He pulled her in and kissed her again. This time it felt like they were drinking from each other.

The kiss deepened, but she pulled back. “Micah, I can’t.” She was referring to more than one thing. She couldn’t do more physically with him, and she wasn’t sure that she could handle waiting for him.

Micah visibly shook himself. “Okay. Let’s get back and hit some waves before they’re gone.”

CHAPTER 26

Micah

Micah and Cheyenne got back to the Stone Family Inn and changed into their swimming suits. There was a variety of different surfboards to choose from, and he picked one for her that his mother used when she surfed. It didn’t happen often, but when she did, he always left it for her.

Cheyenne walked toward him, wearing a turquoise one-piece. Her long blonde hair was tied back. Even though he hadn’t known her for long, he could definitely say she was the most gorgeous girl he’d ever dated. Not that he’d really ‘dated’ her that long.

She smiled at him. “What?”

He handed the surfboard to her. “I was just thinking that we’ve done a lot of stuff together, but I’ve never asked you on a real date.”

She smiled as they walked toward the water. “Well, that’s true. You just showed up for two of the times we hung out. And you demanded that you pay your own ticket.”

He smiled. “You were so feisty. I think I’m going to go back and Venmo you the rest of the money for those other tickets, so it will be kind of like we were on a date.”

She laughed.

He grinned. “What’s so funny?”

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