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“I do.”
“What does she call you? Please, don’t say Wahl.”
“Actually…she’s the only other woman beside my ma, I let call me Slater.”
Her eyes immediately bulge forward.
“But if we’re talkin’ nicknames? She calls me Cowboy.”
“Because of the accent?”
“Between that and my truck, it’d make sense, but truth be told, it comes from the first time we went to the rodeo together, and I borrowed a horse to rescue this little girl who was bein’ kidnapped by a couple of clowns.”
The booze in her glass damn near leaps out when she slams it back down on the table. “What?!”
“I make a habit of goin’ to the rodeo every year because when I was a kid…I was taken from it.”
“Taken like…kidnapped?”
“Yeah.” Clearing away the instinct to clam up requires extra effort. “One minute I was waitin’ in line with a bunch of other kids to pet horses and the next, I was bein’ stuffed into the back of a minivan bein’ called Charlie.”
Horror drops her jaw and widens her gaze.
“Because of that incident, I decided – when I got out of the military – that I would volunteer to work plain clothes security every year to try to prevent what happened to me, from happenin’ to others.”
“Ohmygod,how is this womannotin love with you?! If you weren’t already clearly in love with her,I’dprobably be in love with you after justhearingthat.”
An almost bashful grin begins to grow.
“Why do you think you’re not her type?!”
“Angel Cake-”
“Swoon.”
I helplessly chuckle and shake my head. “Arleyis…brilliant. Easily the most brilliant person I’ve ever met in my entire life. And I don’t mean that shit lightly. She graduated high school at sixteen. College at twenty. Has been sought after by some of the biggest corporations worldwide for her ability to analyze and evaluate data in effective and at timescreativeyet very efficient ways. She can analyze a person based on their handwritin’, their speech patterns, their word choices when they answer questions, how quickly they finish their evaluations, and that shit’s just scratchin’ the top of a very long list of amazin’ shit she can do. The woman’s like a textbook with a great ass and a smile I wanna bend a knee for.”
“Double swoon.”
“And I’m…” my shoulders unconsciously sag. “I’m…jus’ a literal hero for hire nowadays.”
“Wahl.”
“As a PJ – pararescueman – I was top of my class for every physical requirement possible, which makes sense given that from the day I was returned home, I did everything I could to push myself in that aspect. Everything else?” A slightly defeated shrug is offered. “I passed but jus’ barely. Thankfully, I was betterinthe field and caught onto the med shit that books don’t exactly prepare you for faster than others.” Folding my hands together in the space in front of me is followed by a heavy sigh. “That woman is so far out of my goddamn league that I swear shelosesbraincells talkin’ to me most days.”
“I see.” Lila releases a contemplative hum, leans forward to match my body language, and says, “Woman that brilliant is probably aware of your feelings.”
“I have an amazin’ poker face.”
“Do you though?”
Laughter leaks free once more.
“Hey, why don’t you try this?”
Curiosity has me quirking an eyebrow.
“Why don’t you try lettingherdecide if you’re out of her league versus making that declaration for her?”
