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The following morning,he woke about half an hour before sunrise and changed into sweats and a tee. It was cool enough to make goosebumps appear as he stepped out onto the front porch, Freya by his side, but he knew he’d soon work up a sweat with his long run.
And when his thoughts strayed to the woman probably still asleep within walking distance of him, a certain part of his anatomy began to harden. Shaking off thoughts about his attraction to Beth, he did a few warm-up stretches, double checked the laces on his sneakers were tightly done, and jogged down the stairs.
“Let’s go, girl.” He took off at a brisk pace, his dog easily keeping up with him. It took the better part of an hour to run the circumference of the lake, and Wyatt loved being outdoors. It woke him up, kept his body fit, and reminded him he was still alive. Still breathing. And he reminded himself it was okay to enjoy life. Appreciate the good things, such as living in a town where the vista was breathtaking and the people were genuinely lovely.
Wyatt hadn’t planned to stay in Silverbell Shore when he’d landed here, but he’d discovered the boat business was for sale and it came with an acreage and a run-down cabin in need of a complete renovation. A challenge he’d felt calling to him. A chance to start his life over again.
Between the money he’d been socking away from his incredibly dangerous job as a SEAL and an inheritance he’d received from his grandmother, he’d had more than enough money to purchase the business, land, and everything on it. It had taken him about a year, working weekends and in whatever spare time he had, to completely renovate the cabin he called home and build the guest one Beth was currently occupying.
His family had come to visit a few times since he’d moved to North Carolina, and the widows and children of his teammates had an open invitation to stay with him whenever they needed it. A couple had taken him up on his offer over the years and he’d enjoyed hosting them, but he knew it was hard for his brothers’ wives to be around him. He kept in touch with all of them though; they had a group chat where everyone posted photos and updates on how the families were doing.
A few of the wives had since remarried. They’d both invited him to their weddings, but Wyatt had respectfully declined and sent gifts instead. It would have been too hard emotionally to watch the women he’d seen marry his friends commit to strangers. He was genuinely happy for them, that they’d been able to find love again, but try as he might, he couldn’t face it.
His therapist had assured him his reaction was normal, given the circumstances. That everyone coped with grief differently and watching his teammates die was not something anyone else could really understand the gravity of.
It had taken Wyatt quite some time to open up, even a little, to his new neighbors. He mostly kept to himself, only venturing to stores when he needed to. He’d explored the surrounding areas thoroughly, taking Freya for walks through the forest and having breaks when happening upon creeks and rivers to drink the cold, fresh water. Being in nature had helped heal his broken heart and damaged soul. Reminded him he owed it to his brothers to live the best life he possibly could.
He'd found a measure of peace in Silverbell Shore and hadn’t regretted walking away from the Navy. Wyatt couldn’t have fathomed doing any new missions without the rest of his team, so he’d taken an honorable discharge for medical reasons and accepted the Navy Cross bestowed upon him.
But no medal nor honor would ever bring his brothers back.
Wyatt was breathing heavily as he ran, sucking the cold morning air into his lungs. He welcomed the burn in his muscles as he moved. Freya easily kept pace with him, woofing happily as they skirted the shoreline of the lake the whole way round.
By the time they got back to the cabin, he was sweating and in need of a shower. Taking the steps two at a time, he left Freya to drink water from the large metal bowl in the kitchen and stood under warm water while he cooled down, then turned it up to hot.
Once downstairs again, he fed Freya some breakfast then examined the contents of his fridge to see what he could make for himself…and Beth. Would she want to have breakfast with him? Was she even awake? He’d taken her to the grocery store the previous day to pick up essentials, but he’d noticed she’d only bought a few things. Certainly not enough to make a decent meal.
“Come on, Freya. Let’s go see if Beth’s awake and would like to have breakfast with us.”
Freya barked her approval and headed straight for the back door, waiting for him to open it. He followed her out and watched with a smile as she bounded up to the front door of the smaller cabin and banged it a few times with her paw.
It wasn’t long before the screen door was pushed open and Beth stepped out onto the front porch. Wyatt sucked in a breath. She was dressed simply in jeans and a top, and her blonde hair was swept up into a loose bun. Tendrils curled around her face and it didn’t appear she was wearing much in the way of makeup.
She was absolutely beautiful. He couldn’t take his gaze off her. “Good morning.”
“Hey! Good morning, Wyatt. Good morning, Freya.” She gave his dog some pats and was rewarded with a loving lick. “How are you two this morning?” She sounded cheery enough, but the bags under her eyes and the exhaustion on her face told a different story.
“We’re good, thanks. We went for a long run around the lake this morning and were wondering if you might like to join us for breakfast.”
The corners of her mouth curled up, just a little. “You ran the entire length of the lake? How long did that take?”
“Just under an hour.”
“Wow. You make me feel like a complete sloth.”
He gave her a wide smile. “I’ve been running most days for years now. It’s all practice.”
She stepped forward a little, straight into the sun. “Are you sure about breakfast? I can rustle up something here for myself.”
“Absolutely. I’ve got plenty of ingredients to make a mean breakfast. I’ll even let you choose what we have.”
He could see the uncertainty on her face as she bit her lip. “I don’t want to impose.”
“Not an imposition at all. You’re helping me eat the food before it goes bad.”
She breathed in and out before making her decision and stepping off the porch. “Let me get the keys so I can lock up.”
He was about to tell her there wasn’t any need, because Freya would surely let him know if any strangers were lurking nearby, but he realized she might need the reassurance of knowing the place where she was staying was safely secured, so he waited until she grabbed the keys he’d given her the previous day and locked the door.
