Page 32 of Almost Home
Warrick ditched the pizza box on the counter and held up his hands. “Nothing, really. Just checking in. Thought we could make a plan to catch a movie or grab a drink or something sometime soon.”
Guilt and all kinds of crappy feelings fogged up my chest. “Sure. Lunch next week?”
He seemed relieved by that response. “Absolutely. Yes. You choose the day.”
“I have an appointment Tuesday, but other than that, I’m good.”
So he chose Wednesday, and left after refusing to join us for pizza and beer. As soon as the door shut behind him, Bruce skewered me with a look.
I just shook my head, refusing to drown in the defeat swarming me. “I know.”
“Do you, though? Because that was pathetic.”
I took a drink of my beer, then set it down a little too hard. “I know.”
“He seems nice. Like he actually wants to get to know you again.”
I scrubbed my hands through my hair. “Iknow.I don’t deserve that.”
Without a sound, Bruce sat on the table in front of me before I realized he’d moved. “I don’t want to hear that again.”
The swallow of my next gulp was my only response.
“You seeing that psych they recommended for you yet?”
I tipped the neck of the beer toward him. “A few times. Again this Tuesday.”
He nodded. “Good. You need it.”
At some point, I might’ve taken offense at that statement—the idea that I needed help to work through my thoughts and feelings. But the interaction with Warrick, and maybe every second I spent around family or even Sarah, reinforced that. I couldn’t grit my way through this, or I’d end up living the next twenty years of my life much the same way I had the last twenty. I had to do better with this transition out of a world with very clear boundaries and focus and problem sets, and into this new space where everything felt smashed together. And even though it’d taken me years to admit it, I didn’t want that. I wanted more.
So it was time to learn how to take it.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Sarah
At the tail end of a delicious lunch at Basta, Bruce set his twinkly eyed focus on me. The man absolutely knew what effect he had on people, and even if I wasn’t particularly attracted to him, he wasattractive.As in, he drew a person in, made you want to get to know him.
Good luck to the single female residents of Silverton when Bruce Camden became a local. Granted, quite a few women had been eying him and Wilder the entire lunch, especially the table of four giggling over their lunchtime wineglasses. They looked ridiculously glamorous and were probably either famous or wealthy or both. They’d probably be more than a little enamored by these two men, who were not just gorgeous but also highly trained expert soldiers. Ex-soldiers? I guess maybe they weren’t soldiers anymore since Wilder was retired and Bruce would be any day now, but whatever the case, they were kind of… dangerous.
“Are you up for joining us for the house hunt, Sarah?” Bruce asked as we exited the restaurant, shaking me from my obnoxious thoughts.
I’d never been attracted to anyone like I had been or currently was to Wilder. Knowing that he was very good at what he’d done in the military only increased that. It made no sense, other than the universal appeal of someone who’s really good at their job. Apparently, Wilder was good at rescuing hostages and… other stuff.
“I should probably get back to, uh…” How did I bow out of this little excursion gracefully when the two men I’d be with were my bosses?
“Did you send Ms. Reynolds the assessment of her place?” Wilder asked in that low, gruff voice.
My pulse spiked from his words and the feeling that I’d missed the mark. I hadn’t realized it was ready to send. “No, but if you’ve got it finished, I’ll send it over this afternoon.”
“It should be waiting for you in the drive.”
I nodded, relieved to have a legitimate reason for needing to get back and avoiding any more time with these two. The proximity to Wilder that being in a car would necessitate paired with the act of looking at houses itself just didn’t sound like something I was up for. “Perfect. Then I’ll head back and get that done, and I’ll close up at five. I hope you find some really good options.”
“That sounds good. I’m just trying to get Wilder here to show me his property, but he won’t—”
“There’s nothing nearby. We can’t be neighbors anyway,” Wilder cut in.
