Page 29 of Heart of a Hero

She shook her head, her smile brilliant. “No, no, nothing is wrong with your game. And thank you for the compliment. I have to say that you look perfect tonight, too. I’ve alreadyreceived a text from Olivia telling me that if I want to stay out past curfew, that’s fine.”

Still laughing, he shook his head as his gaze lingered on her. “Your daughters are sweet. They look so much like you.”

Her smile widened, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. “They do have my facial features and hair, but they have their father's more slender, runners build. I, on the other hand,” she added with a playful shrug, “take after my mother, who definitely had more curves. I exercise just enough to say healthy. The girls get running from Jeffrey, not me. If you ever see me running, you’d better pull out your service revolver because I can assure you a serial killer is chasing me.”

Her laughter was contagious, and Mark found himself swept up in it, the sound warming him from the inside out. He was about to respond when the server arrived to take their order. He gestured for Karen to go first, his attention fixed on her, absorbing the way her eyes sparkled with humor, her lips curving into a radiant smile that seemed to brighten the entire room.

Something about her—her realness, her ease with herself—was magnetic. She wasn’t pretending or trying to mold herself into someone she wasn’t. Her confidence and delightful honesty only deepened his admiration.

Lifting his beer, he offered her a smile. “A toast?”

As she clinked her margarita glass against his beer bottle, she tilted her head, her eyes glimmering with curiosity and mischief as she waited for him to speak.

“To a wonderful first date,” he said, his voice warm with sincerity, “and to the hope that it ends with plans for a second.”

She smiled, but there was a teasing glint in her eye as she replied, “It’s still early, Mark. I could very well turn out to be a raving lunatic by the end of the night.”

Mark held her gaze, his smile softening into something more certain. “Somehow,” he murmured, his voice low and confident, “I highly doubt that.”

Karen’s grin widened, and with a playful lift of her glass, she added, “Then here’s to new beginnings.”

As they sipped their drinks, a plate of nachos arrived. Munching on crisp nachos dipped in salsa and queso, she asked about his job.

“I have a couple of cases I’m working on now, but I suppose the one that will gain the most publicity is the burglaries in the area.”

“I was surprised when I saw the story about several break-ins on the local news.” She tilted her head slightly to the side. “I have a strange question. Burglaries sounds like such an old-fashioned word. Is there a reason you don’t say robbery?”

“Most people use them interchangeably. But a robbery involves taking property from a person through the use of force, threat, or intimidation. A burglary involves the unlawful entering of a structure with the intent to commit a crime. Both are stealing, but it has to do with how the crime is committed.”

“I never thought of that. But then, in each profession, we have our own language.”

“Tell me more about what you do as a nurse.”

She dabbed at her mouth after swallowing. “Having been a nurse in the Army, and then a nurse at a large hospital, I find that being a home health nurse for the county fits this stage of my life perfectly. Essentially, my hours are about the same hours that the girls are in school. If Jeffrey had lived, I might have stayed at the hospital because I enjoyed that type of nursing. I’m sure we would have covered the hours the girls were home, giving them time with both of us. But, as you know, being a single parent, you look at things differently. I wanted a job where I could be home when the girls were home.”

“You’re exactly right. I didn’t want to be a big city police officer working shift work with a young son at home, trying to figure out childcare. Coming back to the Shore so Benji could have the benefit of getting to know his grandparents, giving them the benefit of a lot of time with him, and giving me a chance to still work a job that I loved without worrying about my son, was the best decision I could’ve made.”

“And you grew up here! Have you connected with people you knew back in high school?”

“Absolutely. Many people about our age in the American Legion were people I knew in high school. My parents lived in the county, but we all went to the same school.”

“One of the nurse aides who works with me grew up on the Shore. I sometimes envy her for that sense of family and connection. Her son was raised with cousins, something my girls don’t have.”

Their food was delivered, and the conversation faded as they enjoyed their meals. Another margarita was brought, and Karen eyed it with trepidation. “I’m not much of a drinker. I’m not sure I need a second one.”

“I’m stopping at one beer, and I’m driving. So, indulge if you want to, but there’s no pressure.”

She sipped a little of it, then pushed it back, switching to water. He didn’t want to bring up their earlier topic of previous dates, but he was reminded of one of his that barely made it through the first date when a woman drank to excess and became a sloppy drunk by the time the meal was over.

Looking at Karen with their knees now touching, he felt a familiar longing stir deep inside. It wasn’t just the desire to kiss her—though that was certainly there—it was the yearning to know her better and spend more time in her company, savoring the way her presence made everything around him seem lighter. She was beautiful, yes, but her authenticity drewhim in, her humor charmed him, and the way she effortlessly blended grace with realness held his attention. For a fleeting moment, a memory of Sue crossed his mind. Sue had shared some of these traits—beautiful, grounded, warm—but they were two very different women, and he wasn’t looking for a copy of his past. Twelve years after he’d first met Sue, the man he was now wanted something more than a replacement. He wanted something new and genuine… and Karen might be that.

They decided to split a massive dessert of fried ice cream served in a crispy tortilla. Leaning close, they playfully battled their spoons in the crispy-coated ice cream drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce.

“I’m always amazed that they can fry this without the ice cream immediately melting,” he said, savoring another bite. She nodded, and his eyes locked in on her lips as they closed around her spoon, dragging off the delicious dessert and then moaning appreciatively. His cock twitched, and he didn’t want to be reminded of when it last saw any action besides his hand.

“All I know is the ice cream, crispy coating drizzled with gooey goodness is going to go straight to my thighs. And right now, I don’t care!”

“Thank God you don’t! You're beautiful. You are perfectly beautiful.”

---