Page 102 of SEAL of Valor

“If I say no?”

I take a deep breath. “I’m going anyway. I’d just really like to not be at odds when I do.”

Zane shakes his head and uncrosses his arms. “You let us be a part of this. Even if it’s from a distance.”

“Fine.”

“And if you need backup⁠—”

“I know who I’m calling in.”

Heart in my throat, I finish setting up the blanket in the back of my truck. I’d pulled it into the main barn and closed the doors, just to make sure we weren’t out in the open. Overhead, Sawyer helped me string hundreds of fairy lights so there’s a warm glow bathing down on top of me.

It was even his idea.

Who knew he was such a romantic?

I tweak the basket for the hundredth time, then study the scene I’ve set. Aside from the location and the lights overhead, it’s a perfect recreation of our first real date. Then, we were in the bed of an old farm truck I wasn’t quite old enough to drive.

Then, there’d been nothing between us and everything before us.

Now, well, who knows if we have anything but right now. And I intend to make the most of it.

The barn door opens slightly, and Reese comes in. Her bright smile steals my breath, as does the sight of her in a pale yellow sundress, tall boots, and a navy blue sweatshirt.

My heart hammers against my ribs, my hands already flexing at my sides, the sheer desire to reach out and pull her close almost too much to control.

“Well, well, what is this, Mr. Hayes?”

“I thought it might be nice to relive a little of our past.” I reach out and take her hand, then pull her close and press my lips to hers. It seems so surreal that we still fit together even after all these years.

“I knew there was still a romantic in you,” she says with a smile. “Even beneath all that grumpy cowboy.”

“Only for you,” I reply softly, then turn her in a circle before taking her hand once more and leading her over toward the bed of my truck.

She turns to jump up, but before she can, I grip her hips and lift her, depositing her on the tailgate before sliding on beside her. “Weston, this is beautiful. Thank you.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“Well, when Zane told me you had a surprise in the barn, I couldn’t help myself. What’s for dinner?”

I open the picnic basket and pull out two foil-wrapped burgers from the diner. Her eyes glitter with excitement, and her smile widens even further. “You know what’s funny is that I was just thinking about cheeseburgers on a tailgate not too long ago.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I—” Her expression darkens. “It was a date with Max. We were at an Italian restaurant, and I was wishing for a moment when times were simpler. With you.” When she meets my gaze, I see a mixture of anger and guilt.

So I reach over and take her hand. “Nothing that happened with him is your fault.”

“I should have sensed something.”

“We worked for Brenda for years, and aside from a general dislike for the woman, there were never any signs that she was a murdering supervillain.”

“Supervillain?”

“Sawyer was watching cartoons earlier, so that’s what I’m going with.” I open a container of ketchup, then a packet of black pepper, and mix the two.

“You remembered?” Her words are barely above a whisper.