Page 66 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
“Mm-hmm.” His mouth lingered on hers. The day they’d spent together had been unbelievable. After breakfast they’d taken the short drive to the ocean. They’d walked along the beach and he’d held her hand, just like they were in a real relationship. And that wasn’t such a scary thing in her mind anymore. The only thing that scared her was that he might not feel the same.
“Want to come back to my place?” she asked, meeting his gaze.
“I shouldn’t.” He shook his head. “If I do, I doubt I’ll get any sleep. And tomorrow is a workday for both of us.”
“Right.” She nodded.
“You’re hard to say no to, though. Let me stop by my place and grab my things,” he said.
Her heart squeezed. “Sure. No problem.” They walked to his truck and got in. Then, as natural as breathing, they went home together.
—
On Tuesday night Julie walked into the local Mexican restaurant that Kat and Val went to routinely. They looked up from their margaritas and stared at her like she had two heads.
“What? You said I had a standing invitation,” Julie said.
Val pulled out the chair beside her. “Of course you do. We just figured you’d be spending the night with Mr. Cowboy Marine.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Julie rolled her eyes as she plopped down in the chair. “He’s working late.” Heat moved into her cheeks. “But we’re going to catch up later.”
“Catch up, huh? Is that what they’re calling it these days? I’ve only been married a few months and the terminology has already changed,” Kat said, shaking her head.
Julie laughed. “You guys. I didn’t come here to get harassed about my love life.”
Kat and Val exchanged a glance.
“Your…ahem, love life?” Kat sat her drink down. “We are long overdue for drinks, sis.” She raised her arm to signal the waitress. “We are going to need a peach margarita for my sister here, please. We need to loosen her up so we can squeeze information out of her.”
“You got it,” the waitress said, heading toward the bar.
“Sooooo.” Val stared at her expectantly, molding her lips around her straw. “Spill it.”
Julie shrugged, suddenly wanting to keep what she and Lawson had a secret. The rules had changed and she didn’t want anyone else’s opinions about it jumping in the mix, making her second-guess what felt right. “Let’s just say, Lawson and I have been exploring our arrangement.”
“The one where you sleep together at night and are just friends in the day?” Kat asked.
Julie nodded. “Yeah. That one.” The waitress slipped her drink in front of her and she sipped gratefully. She didn’t want to get drunk. Allison was meeting her here later for a business discussion, and even though they were friends, Allison was still her boss.
“Is Lawson ready for more? He’s been through a lot this past year,” Kat said.
“Well, he has a few nightmares and he’s a little skittish around helicopters, but other than that, he’s fine.” She nibbled her lower lip. “He’s perfect, actually.” More heat flared in her cheeks. She took another long sip.
“Perfect, huh?” Val’s smile stretched along her face. “Sounds like someone is falling in love.”
“No. We’re just—”
“Exploring your arrangement,” Kat said, finishing her sentence for her. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“I won’t. I’ve become a lot more confident since returning to Seaside. I feel like I’m finally in control of my own life again, and it feels incredible.”
Kat nodded. “Have you spoken to Daren yet?”
Julie avoided her sister’s gaze. “No.” She was confident and in control, but still not ready to face the man who’d stolen those two things from her. She would be soon, though, she promised herself. She and Daren had unfinished business, and she was going to handle it at the first chance she got.
“I’d like to have a talk with that guy myself,” Val said. “He and the spike of my highest high heels need to meet.” She raised her glass. “To new beginnings.”
Kat and Julie tapped their margaritas with hers. “To new beginnings.”
