Page 62 of Pirates in Calusa Cove

Unless, of course, he crashed and burned. That was always a possibility.

Keaton pulled down a bottle of wine and poured two glasses. He pushed one of the stools back to the breakfast bar and helped her hop on.

“Can I ask you a question?” She fiddled with her wineglass.

“Of course.”

“What do you think Fenton meant by he’d heard things about you?”

Keaton leaned against the sink and sipped his wine. He’d missed this stuff, and enjoying it wasn’t strange at all, especially with Trinity. It amazed him how comfortable he’d become having her in his space. He normally didn’t like having people in his home—outside of his buddies or his family.

This was his safe place. A space where he could be alone with his thoughts. Alone with his demons—those things he didn’t share with anyone. But he’d shared them with her.

“It could have been any number of things,” he admitted. “When we first came to town, people gossiped about how we’d all been there when Ken died. There are still a few rumors that float around about that, and Ken is a local hero.”

“I’ve heard all those,” she said softly. “But there are things about Ken that have come out that aren’t…well…so nice, either.”

Keaton had struggled with some of that and knew more was coming down the pipeline—he just didn’t know what. He and the guys had all talked about that. Ken was the one man on the team who was different. Far more different than Hayes. More private than any of them.

He’d had a wife and kids, so they’d all chalked it up to that.

But even when Keaton had been with Petra, he hadn’t been as close-lipped about his life. There hadbeen times when Ken had spent an entire weekend not hanging out with the team. He’d been with Julie and her family. It wasn’t abnormal for a man to do that.

It just wasn’t normal—for them.

Keaton grimaced. “Ken made a mistake when he was young. He pivoted. He corrected the course of his life, and we really don’t know what he knew about Paul, Benson, and their operation.”

“But he knew something,” Trinity said. “And I’ve spoken to Audra about when Ken found her and how he spoke to her that night. It wasn’t kind. It wasn’t a man begging the woman he loved to come home. I didn’t live here for all the crap that Baily went through, but Ken did and said things that make me wonder what he did or didn’t know.”

Keaton had been wondering those same things. “Part of me wants to believe that Ken wanted Baily out because he knew and didn’t want her to get caught in the crossfire, but that makes him guilty of not doing anything. The other part of me—because I knew Ken well—believes he just wanted his sister to get out from under the shit their father left her with.”

“But that was Baily’s decision, not Ken’s.” Trinity arched a brow. “And now, we’ve drifted off topic.”

Keaton nodded. “I honestly don’t know what Fenton’s talking about now. The team and I have gained the town’s respect. He’s probably just still trying to win you back.” He set his glass down, and with his heart in his throat, he closed the gap. “You are an incredible woman. You’re sweet. Kind. Intelligent. And I’ve been an utter moron for the last year. I’m kicking myselfbecause I couldn’t see past my own insecurities and fears.”

“You really know how to get all mushy.” Her smile melted his heart and mended the parts of him that were broken.

“I haven’t even warmed up.” He kissed her. Slowly. Softly. He pulled away, gazing into her captivating eyes. “And now, I might muck it all up and send you packing, but I won’t let another minute tick by without telling you how I feel.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” she said in more of a breath than words. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this—that we’re ready for this.”

“Is anyone ever really ready to fall head over heels in love?” He traced her lower lip with his thumb. “Because that’s what’s happening. I’m falling hard for you, Trinity. I can’t stop it. And truth be told, it’s been happening for a while. It didn’t just magically appear overnight. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you—dreaming about you—for months. I’ve been so afraid of being in love that all I’ve done is act like a jerk, so your only option was to dislike me.”

A tear trickled out of her eye and crash-landed on her cheek. She smiled. “Even when you were being an asshole—which for the record, was almost every day—I always liked you.”

And that was it. She liked him—not loved—liked.

Well, everyone had to start somewhere.

He cupped the back of her neck and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Like is good. I can live with that.”

She giggled. “I wasn’t finished.”

“Oh,” he said.

“You can be a hard man to get to know, but you’re not necessarily complicated once you do. Over the last year, I’ve seen glimpses of who you really are, which is this sweet, gentle man who cares deeply. I couldn’t put my finger on why you were so much harder on me than everyone else. It wasn’t the same as with Silas, who I do get cares a great deal about me. But it was different with you. It was like this weird yin and yang. One minute, I thought we were friends, while I secretly wanted more. The next, I figured you hated me.”

“I never?—”

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