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“You were for me, too, but then you became someone I didn’t know. Let’s try to start over.”
“I don’t know if we can,” he said.
“We can. It won’t be easy, but it will work. You told me you have a job offer....”
He pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head and turned to face her full-on. “I do. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing for me or not.”
“What is it exactly? I know we talked about you being a cake froster but I don’t imagine you went out and found that kind of job opening.”
He gave her a wry smile. “Your cookies are the only ones I’m interested in frosting.”
She just shook her head and waited.
“It’s a private security firm. They take on missions, some similar to what I’ve done in the Corps. They want me to be a sniper, which is what I’ve trained for and what I know.”
“Sounds like what you’re doing now, just that you’d be based here.”
“Sort of. They aren’t always deployed, so when they are here they do security for celebs... That sounds lame. Could you imagine me guarding some pretty face on the red carpet?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Definitely not. I’m sure they have stuff that’s not that high-profile. Doesn’t seem like sending you to a red-carpet event would suit your personality.”
“Yeah, I’d have to ask about that. Lucien offered to let me try it out for the next few days until I have to re-up. That way I can see what they do.”
She crossed those long legs of hers and swung her foot as she listened to him. Distracted, all he could think about was pulling her onto his lap, putting his hands around her waist and holding her close to him.
“I think you should give it a try. You said you were back here to see if there was something else for you—that you were at a crossroads. I can’t imagine a job that would make your transition easier. I mean, you could try a government job, but I don’t see you as a desk man.”
“I’m definitely not a desk man.”
“So, I guess that’s settled,” she said.
“Is it?” he asked.
“Isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. I want to give it a chance. But the crazy part is I don’t even have a house. I always live in hotels when I’m on leave. If I do this it will mean a complete lifestyle change.”
“You don’t own a house?”
“I’ve never needed one,” he said.
“What about an apartment?” she asked.
“No. I’m seldom in the States and when I am I use temporary quarters on base.”
“Jay—no wonder the idea of being married to me sent you running. You’ve never had anything in your adult life like it,” she said.
“I take it you own a home?”
“Yes. And a rental property with my brother,” she said. “Do you still want to come to the beach with me tonight?”
Hell, no. He had just established that he liked being apart from others and keeping himself removed, but he did want to spend more time with Alysse. So, he’d go to the beach tonight. Five years ago, it had been the thought of her big network of friends and family that had partially driven him to leave and this time...well, he guessed it was time to face them.
“Yes, I guess I do. But I don’t have a surfboard or a wet suit. And I haven’t surfed in over a year.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of that for you.”
He walked her back to the bakery and then rode away on his motorcycle, pondering the fact that in the course of a few hours he had a job offer and a date with Alysse and her friends. He certainly wasn’t in the Corps anymore.
* * *
ALYSSE HAD GIVEN Jay directions to the beach. It wasn’t the one that the Marines stationed at Pendleton used. This one was farther up the coast near San Clemente, which was where she’d grown up. They were meeting Toby, her older brother, his girlfriend, Molly, Tommy and Jean, who’d gone to college with Toby, and Paulo and Frida, who they’d met at the beach about eight years ago and had started playing volleyball with.
Toby was a marine biologist as were Molly, Tommy and Jean. His true passion was the ocean and he spent as many hours on the water as he could. Tonight he’d spotted a new grouping of sea lions and they were all going to paddleboard out to look at them.
Paddleboarding consisted of standing on a board—similar to a surfboard, and using a long pole to steer and move the board along. Alysse usually avoided going to these events even though Toby, who was two years older than she was, called her at least twice a week and invited her to do something with him and Molly.
